Joy was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 New Year Honours' List for her services to tourism:

"I was totally gob-smacked and also bewildered, feeling totally unworthy, but very excited to be receiving such an award. It was the icing on the cake of 20 years hard, but very gratifying, work. The day at the palace was so fantastic and I will never forget it. My one regret was that my Mum had died four years before and she would have loved the whole day and would have been so proud of me!

"I love writing the plots and in fact have now written more than Agatha Christie who inspired me in the first place. They have given me a very interesting life, which has meant I have personally had 302 affairs, 231 illegitimate children; shot 237 people; poisoned 852 people and stabbed well over 400 (for which I have been brought to book) and tragically I have died 879 times but I’m still here to tell the tale! - "You just can't keep a good woman down!" ...

and the guests became the sleuths. Guests would be able to follow the action, interrogate the suspects and view the evidence in a Police Incident Room.

My first weekend took place in 1981. I had only planned one event and thought that it would be a 'bit of a laugh'! But the unexpected nationwide publicity turned my daft idea into an overnight success and I very quickly had to arrange several more weekends that could be covered by eager journalists and film crews!!

"I formed my own company, Murder Weekends Ltd, and have performed Murder Weekends and murder nights (even Murder Cruises) all over the world. My company has entertained over 100,000 guests and I have dispatched over 100,000 victims! The world-wide publicity we have received has meant many overseas customers have travelled to Britain to experience my unique world of mystery, mayhem and murder!"