It may seem strange to say such a thing about a book dealing with the darkest of experiences, but oh, I loved it. It's so beautifully written & this serves to emphasise even more the heinous acts that the book deals with.

A serial rapist & murderer who is attacking couples in their homes remains uncaught for decades. The book deals with the aftermath of a home invasion and the many victims that just one such attack produces.

The beautifully lyrical writing describing a rare, true love connection is offset with stabs of detail about the attack. It's never gratuitous, in fact almost minimalist in it's description, but it's all the more beautifully brutal for that.

A powerful and emotional read that was hard to put down,the subjects covered are so hard-hitting but told with such sensitivity and at times humour.
The storytelling of what happened and the aftermath is exceptional.
This is my 3rd book by Abigail Dean, and over the course of the 3 books, her writing has got stronger and stronger, so im looking forward to her next read already.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the Arc.

This book - after reading Abigail’s previous writing I thought I knew what to expect….but this is possibly her darkest book yet.

On the face of it, nothing much happens. Told in the modern day courtroom appearances of a couple who are there to see the home invader who previously terrorised them being sentenced, as well as flashbacks to their lives before. The terror is in the retelling s the story unpicks what happened to Isabel and Henry, as well as sub plots encountering other victims as well as Etta, a police officer and Nina, who’s true identity becomes clear towards the end.

One to read in daylight. A story that will stay with me.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting but in a good way! It’s such a powerful story, beautifully written and told in such an empathetic way that I felt completely lost in the emotions of the characters especially Isabel and Edward. I found I couldn’t begin to imagine the pain and horrors this couple had gone through and were indeed still dealing with as we follow their relationship from their first meeting until the present moment. This is such a deeply sad book but handled perfectly by the author who obviously cares very deeply for her characters and the choices they make.
An amazing read and one of my favourites of the year by far.

This was such a moving story that will stay with you for quite some time. Fully fleshed out characters and a main intrigue that keeps you hooked.

Well what can I say? This was a very deep, dark, intense and disturbing read. So much emotion involved and written extremely well. It wasn’t my typical type of book but I did enjoy it. I felt it was a little slow in places and was a very lengthy book but with the subject matters involved I guess the pace had to be slow to build momentum. I loved the two main characters relationship, experiencing the good and bad they went through before and after the horrific event. I would have preferred a more dramatic ending. I will definitely give this author another try as this was my first read of hers.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK and HarperFiction and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

What an emotional book. It is not a comfortable read and it shouldn't be considering the subject.
It made me feel so many emotions.
The joy of young love, university, long distance maturing in to living together at the start of careers.
Upwardly mobile with exciting and developing careers until they are targeted by a serial home invader. Amidst the rape, wounds and the police investigation, emotions are raw, unspoken and eventually hidden.
Moving through the years the effects become apparent, brought to the fore when the criminal is finally caught and goes to trial.

An exquisite, engrossing love story albeit one that is wrapped around an horrific event. I loved the snappy dialogue between Isabel and Edward and their love for each other was beautifully portrayed. The switching of POVs added yet another dimension and Isabel writing her story as if talking to her attacker was very cleverly done. I have to admit that I had a sleepless night when I started reading and it's not a comfortable book but I'm very glad I read it.

Be prepared to be scared! This is a deeply disturbing, intense read.

Following an horrific attack in their home, a young couple, Edward and Isabel, try to cope with just carrying on living a normal life. But it is clear from the off that life will never be the same again nor will their marriage.

If you live alone, read this book in the daytime! Abigail Dean skillfully ramps up the tension and whilst, thankfully, there are no overly-graphic details of the attacks, her writing is so masterful that your imagination can't help but work overtime to fill in the missing pieces.

Edward and Isabel's stories are told in separate chapters and the latter's ongoing 'conversation' with the perpetrator was a very clever way of demonstrating the utter devastation he had caused.

This is a cleverly written book. Emotions are high throughout. There is little real action and the pace can be slow at times, but this work for this book. Abigail Dean has told this story with care and compassion but due to the subject matter, it is a difficult read. It is, however, an important one which highlights the utter devastation violence can cause.

Edward and Isobel, a divorced couple in their fifties, reunite at the trial of the man who impacted their lives so severely many years ago that he destroyed their marriage. They've both lived with the consequences of his actions, but will seeing him finally brought to justice allow them to readjust their relationship?
This was a very tense and dramatic story. Toggling between the past, from the time Isabel and Edward met as teenagers, to the present day, the narrative was perfectly paced, allowing us to get to know the main characters and fully empathise with the horrors they have experienced. Isabel's voice in particular is loud and clear and honest, and she wins the respect of the reader very quickly.
Funnily, I did not find the plot too triggering because the overall arc of the story was not about the crime per-se. It was about Edward and Isabel's relationship, which was intricate and beautiful even after they went their separate ways,
The story is written with sensitivity, grace and even humour - no mean feat for such a distressing subject. Despite its bleak central pivot of violence and rage, it left me feeling hopeful and happy with its message that love can conquer hate and goodness triumph over evil.

This is a story brilliantly told of the effects that crimes committed by one individual have on everyone whose lives he touched: his victims and their family and friends, the police and his own family. In fact, the whole novel can be read as one giant impact statement. At its centre stand Isabel and Edward, who we meet 25 years after they had been victims of a violent attack by a person who is now facing trial.

Edward’s story is told by a narrator, Isabel tells her own story – partly by addressing the perpetrator of the crime directly. Since the attack happened, he has always been there, lurking in the background of her mind ready to pounce. Their life is divided to the Before and the After of the attack, which is reflected in the narration, as it not only changes perspectives from one person to the other but also jumps with time. I found myself going back to the beginning of the book to re-read what I first time round only half appreciated without the much later emerging context.

This book is put together very well, there is no rushing at any point but a slow revelation of events that lay bare raw emotions as we come to fully understand the complexity of Isabel’s and Edward’s relationship. Despite its slowness -or maybe even because of it - it is gripping, suspenseful and hard to put down.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Hemlock Press / HarperCollinsPublishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be a very slow burn and was close to putting it down at around 20%. I persevered and things picked up nearer the 40% mark.
Personally, I didn’t like the toing and froing of timelines, finding myself reading a few sentences and realising ok, we’re back in the present day again.
I didn’t mind the storyline and didn’t find it particularly harrowing as I’ve read some have. The repeated use of the C bomb however, I did not like and felt it unnecessary, but that’s personal preference.
The book did pick up somewhat towards the latter end but I can’t rave about it unfortunately.
I’ve read Day One by the same author, which I much preferred.
Review will also be posted to Goodreads.
Many thanks to NetGalley Uk and HarperCollins for the advance copy.

One night it was that something had happened outside the door
The attacker has been caught and to tell everyone what happened
I had an ARC

THE DEATH OF US BY ABIGAIL DEAN.
Release date set for the 10th of April 2025.
5 STARS.
I honestly don't know how anyone can rate this book lower.
WOW what a powerful story this was.
It's heartbreaking and thought provoking.
I had a sense of dread in my stomach the more i read.
I've never read a book by this author before and i can say that i thought it was brilliantly written.
Parts of this book had me speechless and sometimes made me emotional.
The trauma was very real and shows how people react differently to trauma.
Honestly a very powerful book

This was absolutely awful but in the best way possible. I've never felt that deep sick feeling from reading a book until now.

The Death of Us is an insight into a marriage and the challenges they face as a couple and as individuals. Also, how those challenges have not only the opportunity to break you but also to bring you back together again.

Whilst this story was a slow burn, it wasn't boring or drawn out unnecessarily. The writing was emotionally raw and brutal at times. I enjoyed the way the author had Isabel talking to someone but not letting on initially who it was. The dual POV between Isabel and Edward was also superb and gave us as readers two sides to the story, two sets of feelings and emotions.

I appreciated how the author didn't hold back in relaying the pain and the struggle the characters were facing. It was refreshing and relatable.

Overall, it is a superb psychological thriller that is equally heartbreaking as it is infuriating. Despite this, there are some happier moments, so don't let that put you off. I would encourage readers to check out the trigger warnings beforehand.

Thank you to Netgalley, Viking, and Abigail Dean for an advanced copy of this novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 nearly 5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book and it was very close to five stars. I like the narrative style of the characters telling their story and the build up to what happened to them and the aftermath.

Only dropped a star because it was a bit slow in places and I was hoping for/ expecting a bigger reveal of what happened to Edward than the one we got.

But overall recommended.

This was a difficult read at times - and I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as Abigail Dean’s previous books - I didn’t really warm to the two main characters although I did like done of the supporting characters. It was very well written and pit together but for me, there was just something lacking - I would give it three and a half stars.

This book is hard to categorise - it is literary fiction? literary crime? What is unarguable however is the author's skill in capturing the heightened emotions that exist in the aftermath of serious crime and how life is altered ever after. The book is hard hitting, devoid of cliche yet full of empathy and will live long in the mind of the reader.

This book caused me to suffer a truly horrific nightmare as it really got inside my head but I was just too invested in the story and the characters at its heart to stop reading. It really is a brilliant work of fiction - yes, it fits into the psychological thriller genre but there is a huge amount of character depth and development within this that raises it above other popular books of this type. It would work well for a reading group and I will definitely be recommending it to friends...but with a warning about the potential for nightmares!

This is the second Abigail Dean book I have read and I really enjoyed this one. The book follows Isabel and her husband Edward each told by chapters POV following a home invasion and how it shaped the rest of their lives after the terrible ordeal. The book flicks from past to present and I was really bought into the terror. It was really well written especially as there was a love story element to such a sickening encounter at the core. Really good writing and character building. I will be recommending to others and looking out for more from Abigail