Book Review - Dead Happy by Nick Spalding

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Dead Happy

Author: Nick Spalding

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: 15th September 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

For Alex Lowry, life is for the living. Even if that comes with a lot of risk.

And where some men his age might just buy a sports car, he's become a full-blown adrenaline junkie. Whether it's lawnmower racing, rock climbing, or medieval combat, he'll give it a go - whatever makes him happy!

His daughter Hannah thinks he might have lost the plot. Chances are, she's absolutely right.

So when Alex's risk taking goes too far, and painful revelations from the past come to the surface, she has to intervene, before it's too late...

Dead Happy is a darkly funny, deeply moving story about family, guilt, and finding the courage to face your demons.

What a wonderful book this is, filled with laugh out loud moments but also far more poignant ones too. 

I'm starting to believe that Nick Spalding is becoming an advocate for men's mental health, based on his past couple of books - as this one also features a man that is clearly struggling. 

Alex appears to have a death wish, or he is an adrenalin junkie,, or something similar as he keeps starting, or taking up assorted hobbies that don't appeal to the typical person. 

In amongst it we have Medieval fighting, drag racing, rock climbing (ok that is a bit more normal), chainsaw carving and more. 

He claims he is trying to be a role model to daughter Hannah by showing her not to be afraid of things, but he takes everything far to far. 

He's chasing highs, or danger even when he sort of knows it may not be the best idea. 

And when you finally learn what is driving him, well my heart went out to him, and I was starting to get a bit emotional myself. 

This is a totally brilliant book, that will definitely make you laugh and potentially cry too.  Another hit from Nick Spalding. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.