An outstanding 5 star read.
This felt fresh and different, Abigail Dean is a phenomenal talent.
I had to sit and read this in one go. It's sensitive and powerful, the characters are incredibly well written.
A must read for 2025, I'm going to be telling everyone about it.

Abigail Dean has very quickly made herself a reputation for thought-provoking and powerful books and "The Death of Us" is typically hard-hitting and involving.

Unusually while the book revolves around the crimes and trial of a serial home-invading predator it's mainly the story of the victims, their lives before and after their ordeal ,how they cope,or don't,with the lasting trauma and mental scars.

Young couple Isabel and Edward have their lives ahead of them until they're taken unawares by a sadistic intruder who subdues Edward while he subjects Isabel to a degrading assault.
With timelines switching timelines in a non-linear manner from the couple meeting as teenagers to events during and after the eventual trial of their tormentor the story can take a bit of effort to follow but is more effective for taking this form, filling in the gaps in the narrative in often surprising ways.

This isn't just Isabel and Edward's story,there are several other victims they connect with along the way ,affected in different ways and the difference in how these people's lives are changed by their ordeal is often stark and heartbreaking.

As with all of Abigail Dean's books this is one you'll still be thinking about for a long time after you've finished it.

I don't know how this book has not received a 5 star from everyone who has read it. What an amazing novel. If ever a book deserved to be turned into a film - this is it. The horror is hinted at but never given in grisly detail. The emotion is there. The characters are warm, real. This made me cry at the end. It's original, different and keeps you hooked to the very end. When I had to pause reading, all I could think about was what was going to happen next. This is a book which really addresses trauma, how people react to it in different ways. It's an amazing story.