Lime Juice Money - by Jo Morey (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia Wylde leaves London with her new partner Aidrian and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize. There, she can be closer to her botanist father, get away from her sister, and maybe find a way to open the restaurant she's always dreamed of. While the jungle is mesmerizingly beautiful, it is also unforgiving and brutally hot, filled with deadly creatures and sinister magic. Laelia's fragmented recollections of the past are increasingly bewildering, the gunshots she hears at night through her worsening tinnitus seem to be getting closer, and she still doesn't understand why her father tried to turn her against Aid when they first met--though maybe she just misheard. Uncovering long-buried secrets that threaten to derail everything, Laelia must somehow find the courage and resilience she needs to survive"--

Book Synopsis

With the sultry atmosphere and ratcheting tension of The White Lotus, The Mosquito Coast, and Nine Perfect Strangers, Lime Juice Money is an intoxicating, sensuous debut that follows a woman trapped in an increasingly volatile relationship 5,000 miles from home in a Central American jungle.

A woman losing herself. A brutal relationship. And a jungle full of secrets.

When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia Wylde leaves London with her new partner, Aidrian, and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize. There, she can be closer to her botanist father, get away from her sister, and maybe find a way to open the restaurant she's always dreamed of.

While the jungle is mesmerizingly beautiful, it is also unforgiving and brutally hot, filled with deadly creatures and sinister magic. Laelia's fragmented recollections of the past are increasingly bewildering, the gunshots she hears at night through her worsening tinnitus seem to be getting closer, and she still doesn't understand why her father tried to turn her against Aid when they first met--though maybe she just misheard.

Uncovering long-buried secrets that threaten to derail everything, Laelia must somehow find the courage and resilience she needs to survive. Or is she destined to disappear into the shadows, like the orchid her father named her after?

Lime Juice Money is a twisty, searing journey of raw love, betrayal, corruption, and greed in a shaken paradise, pulsating with danger both inside and outside the door.

Review Quotes

"Sensuous, steamy and chillingly satisfying." -- People

"Luscious . . . . Jo Morey's descriptions of the rainforest are extraordinarily vivid, conjuring up suffocating heat, unfamiliar vegetation and ravishingly beautiful orchids . . . . It's hard to believe this accomplished piece of crime fiction is Morey's debut." -- The Times (UK), "The best crime fiction of 2025 so far"

"Morey's fantastic debut brilliantly combines dual narratives that are equally compelling . . . . Wonderful . . . . Arresting from the first and will keep readers guessing until the dynamite conclusion. Fans of Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins will flock to it." -- Library Journal (starred review)

"[A] slow burn debut . . . . Morey's descriptions of the jungle are lush and immersive, and she delivers a chillingly effective payoff. This shows real promise." -- Publishers Weekly

"A transfixing gem of a novel about lies and secrets with a backdrop to die for--Jo Morey is an extraordinary writer and this is essential summer reading!" -- Matthew Blake, bestselling author of Anna O

"Suspenseful . . . Morey's sumptuous imagery and intricate plotting underscore the power of nature as a corrupting influence. Those familiar with The Mosquito Coast (1981) by Paul Theroux and The Beach (1996) by Alex Garland will appreciate this book's similarly unsettling atmosphere lurking beneath the veil of paradise." -- Booklist

"In this thrilling, atmospheric debut, a woman trapped in a dangerous relationship finds herself isolated in the Belizean jungle and caught up in a complex orchid smuggling effort linked to decades-old family sins. The title comes from a recurring phrase in the book: 'champagne dreams with lime juice money, ' eventually discovered to be lyrics to a song played during a significant, and long-forgotten, memory. That contrast--dreams vs. reality--forms the central axis of each character's development, negotiated well by some and disastrously by others." -- Crime Reads

"An Intoxicating debut." -- Jordy's Book Club

"Lime Juice Money by Jo Morey is far more than a simple tropical escape; it's a searing journey vibrating with raw love, profound betrayal, deep-seated corruption, and insatiable greed . . . . Readers will be captivated by Laelia's fight for survival, left to wonder if she can unearth the resilience needed to overcome the shadows that threaten to engulf her . . . . This novel is a must-read for anyone seeking a twisty, suspenseful thriller with a truly distinctive and deeply human core. Check it out!" -- MSN.com

"Lime Juice Money is a twisty, searing journey of raw love, betrayal, corruption, and greed in a shaken paradise, pulsating with danger both inside and outside the door." -- Novels Alive

"This novel grips you from the beginning, and will carry you through to its page-turning conclusion, teasing, but not revealing while charming you all the way." -- The Paris Insider

"The plotting, the setting, the characters--kept me engrossed from first page to last." -- A Bookworm's World

"This slow-burn suspense simmers with the intense flavours of the jungle . . . A smart, sexy debut." -- Jo Furniss, author of Dead Mile and The Last to Know

"A fresh and captivating debut as danger and secrets unfold in the Belize jungle. An absolute page-turner. This book is utterly addictive!" -- Julie Owen Moylan, author of Circus of Mirrors

"Jo Morey's luminous prose draws you deep into the dark heart of the Belize jungle where threat pulses from every corner. Lime Juice Money is a compelling, visceral, and atmospheric read." -- Lucy Clarke, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Surf House

"It's transporting and immersive and I felt entirely swept along. Jo Morey, with her lively prose, brings the jungle of Belize to life in all its lush glory. This is a story of lies dressed up as truths, the fallibility of memory, and the tension between new beginnings and ties from the past. It's a perfect summertime read and I hope you all pick it up and enjoy it as much as I have." -- Kate Kemp, author of The Grapevine

"This is a lush and evocative ride into the dark side of a paradise resort. Morey has woven a clever and propulsive story which sensitively depicts the experience of a protagonist with acquired hearing loss. This is elevated crime fiction at its best." -- Chris Bridges, author of Sick to Death