On an ordinary Friday afternoon in the office, talented young lawyer Joy Stephens falls forty feet onto a marble floor.

In the shadow of this baffling event, the lives of those closest to her begin to collide and change in unexpected ways. There is Dennis, her disgraced husband, who finds consolation in books; her colleague Peter, whose refuge is a mix of hedonism and hard work; Barbara, Joy’s prickly PA, who’d be content if only she could get away to New York; and Samir, Joy’s hygiene-obsessed personal trainer, who escapes into exercise routines and other, stranger rituals. In a sparkling glass office in London’s Square Mile – a place bursting with flirtations, water cooler confrontations and dangerous amounts of abject boredom – each of them is forced to question what they’ve witnessed, and to face past moments that have defined Joy’s life, as well as their own.

Joy is a hugely inventive, ambitious and absorbing novel about pleasure, love, loss, and work by ‘a major new voice in British fiction.’ (Guardian)

Praise for Joy:

‘The world is due the darkly comic view of corporate law firm life depicted by Jonathan Lee’s second book. Joy is not only beautifully written, but a real page-turner.’ – Guardian

‘Jonathan Lee’s second novel, Joy, charts the final day in the life of a high-flying young lawyer. Lee writes with extraordinary vividness, with prose so sharply defined it takes your breath away.’ – Observer (Books of the Year 2012)

‘The conceit is original, and brilliantly executed … This is the wittiest, most addictive piece of literary yuppie-bashing since Martin Amis’s Money. Lee is a writer to keep an eye on.’ – Independent On Sunday

‘Lee’s the real deal – a British writer on the cusp of greatness … A brilliant & powerful dissection of modern Britain.’ –  Daily Mirror

‘One of Britain’s most exciting writers … A wonderful book.’ – Stylist

‘A quite superb piece of work.’ – Huffington Post

‘A tense and disturbing, involving novel.’ – The Times

‘Sparky … modern … brilliant.’ – BBC Radio 2, Claudia Winkleman Arts Show

‘[A] discomforting and acute tragicomedy … The bleaker and darker his book becomes, the better it gets, building to a shocking and expertly executed conclusion. Tipped for the top on publication of his first novel, Lee here confirms his talent.’ – Daily Mail

‘Outstanding … A forensic portrayal of despair that shows Lee to be an exceptional, brave prose stylist … Funny and humane, Joy is an enormously impressive piece of storytelling.’ – Literary Review

‘Exquisitely & surprisingly written, Joy proves that Lee is a significant talent.’ – Observer

‘For all painful events it covers, this is a joyful book. Lee educates us in the beautiful mess of humanity surrounding this tragic event. Joy is one of the best new novels this year.’ – We Love This Book

‘Lee’s writing is clear, as if lit by the fluorescent, constant lights of a law firm. [He] is a fine temperature taker of our psyches, and this book confirms his talents as an exciting literary voice.’ – The Periscope Post

‘Very stylish, observant and oh so spiky, this is an incredible, often uncomfortable novel that you just can’t put down. Modern, vibrant, funny and dark.’ – The Book Bag

‘A brilliant book… Jonathan Lee is one of those rare, agile writers who can take your breath away.’
–  Catherine O’Flynn, author of What Was Lost

‘With its supple prose, ingenious structure, wit & slow-burn sympathy, Joy is a sly miracle of a novel.’
– A.D. Miller, author of Snowdrops