The Death of Us is a book that will be with me forever. Edward and Isabel meet when they were students and have a deep relationship based on trust and communication. They are at the point in their lives where everything is coming together personally and professionally, and then suddenly everything is destroyed. A violent attacker targets their home and sexually assaults Isabel for hours while Edward is forced to listen outside.
Several years later the man has finally been caught and the couple have come to make statements at his sentencing. No longer together, it’s time to talk to each other about what happened that night.
Abigail Dean writes brilliantly about how a relationship can be blown apart when communication dies and how people can hurt each other time and time again. I ached for Isabel and Edward, they were so lost without each other but couldn’t find a way back to what they once had. The surrounding characters such as Freddie and Nina gave the story real depth and developed our understanding of the couple in other ways.
Brilliant writen, relatable and also absolutely horrifying, this is a 5 star read.

Abigail Dean is one of my favourite current writers, taking very serious subjects and centring a story around them without ever feeling exploitative or sensationalist. This could have been a very different book in other hands, but Dean is wonderful at looking at devastating events from the viewpoint of those affected rather than centring it around the event itself and the result is always utterly engrossing.

The Death of Us follows Isabel and Edward from their first meeting as students and through their marriage which is irrevocably changed by a hugely traumatic violent attack in their own home. The narrative is split between Edward and Isabel – Isabel mostly talks about the past, recounting their lives together and the impact of the attack, while Edward is talking in the present as they attend the sentencing of their attacker, who has finally been caught. It’s a very interesting device as we never really see either of them fully – less about how Edward felt about Isabel and their situation over the years or how Isabel currently feels about him – and that reflects very well the fact that even a close marriage can never really know the other person fully. Similarly, Isabel gives no details of the attack itself and we don’t learn what happened to Edward until near the end, reflecting what they keep from each other over the years.

There is so much compassion in the writing – the main characters are not always likeable but their actions are believable and emotional and you can’t help feeling how deeply they are affected. Other victims and the family of the attacker are also present at the sentencing and their varying responses to what has happened to them is equally sensitively handled. Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down – the subject matter may be difficult for many people but it’s beautifully written and highly, highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Heart wrenching, heartbreaking, heartwarming. This brilliant book is the story of Isabel and Edward, they are a happy couple who have an absolutely devastating and horrific attack on them in their own home. The story alternates from before, after and recently and also between the two of them. This is a story of victims and the life sentence they endure. Will they survive, emotionally, physically and mentally? How does it change them and their relationship? We know early on that they are no longer together but are permanently bound by this one defining event that others cannot possibly understand. Other characters are affected too, the friends, the parents, the police. No one is left unscathed, the ripples of this evil deed spread far and wide. Beautifully crafted and flowing easily into an all encompassing original story of love.

Isabel and Edward Henessey are Londoners, in their 30’s, he’s making his way in the legal profession, and she’s trying different jobs. They met young, married at 19 and their lives seemed set fair.
Until the night that changed their lives forever when their home was invaded by the South London Invader, a serial rapist who will soon also become a murderer. He targets young urban professionals like them and plans his attacks meticulously. Afterwards Isabel and Edward will follow different paths with the memories of that night continually haunting them. He will remarry and she will become a successful playwright. Isabel follows the trail of destruction that the Invader has wrought as he continues his bloody trail; young children orphaned, families completely destroyed. DCI Etta Eliogu has vowed to catch him and has begun to suspect the awful truth. She nearly pays for it with her life.
Now 25 years later, Isabel is told that the man who wreaked such havoc in theirs and the lives of others has finally been caught. She and Edward will be reunited for the court case where the surviving victims will give victim impact statements. He has pleaded guilty and Isabel and Edward are faced with the banality of evil. They are both unfinished business right up until the end of the novel.
It’s a powerful novel of how evil can come into your life without warning and how love can win despite it. I admired the author’s skill in keeping all the different timelines and viewpoints coherent. It’s a slow burn book. However, it is not a police procedural and the events of that night are revealed gradually.
I would have read this book in one sitting as I was so drawn into it but my Kindle suddenly needed charging!
I enjoyed the author’s debut novel, ‘Girl A’, which was also a dark story told with sensitivity so I was looking forward to reading her latest. ‘The Death of Us’ isn’t an easy read but it was a story that needed to be told.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

It was an engaging read.

It follows the story of a couple over several decades. We know from the beginning they are no longer together and the real mystery is why they aren’t together. Meanwhile something terrible did happen to them (a serial rapist/murderer), that impacted on the rest of their lives. So there is plenty of crime investigation and the detective is one of the main characters.

But as you finish the story you realise that it is really about the couple’s journey through the years, and less on the crime. I think the book is well written, and I enjoy the author’s writing. But this feels like a good story about a couple that the author wanted to write, but the publishers wanted something similar to Dean’s first two books (thriller). So the mismatch doesn’t do what is a really good book, justice. Too stifled by forcing it into crime thriller genre.

I devoured this book from start to finish. The backdrop to the story was disturbing, and played on a mix of recognisable true life stories of folks attacked and often killed by violent psychopaths.
However the primsry characters and the story of them, was so well developed. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher to the advance reader cooy.

The South London Invader terrorised the capital for years. Having finally been caught his victims have an opportunity to tell him, in court, of the impact they have had on their lives. As a result, one couple, Isabel and Edward, are forced to revisit the fateful event.

The Death Of Us from Abigail Dean is a powerful piece of writing. For me, what makes this so strong is what isn't written. The South London Invader is a serial murderer and rapist who targeted couples. The author has avoided including graphic details, her focus remains on the emotions and actions of the victims. As a reader I could feel myself tensing up, holding my breath and my heart pounding, terrified for the victims as their ordeal takes place. Less is more certainly works in this book.

While a terrible series of crimes is at the heart of this story, this book isn't about those crimes. The focus is on the relationship between Isabel and Edward. We meet the couple as university students who have been set up on a blind date. The start of their relationship is a little uncertain but it soon becomes clear that they are perfect for each other. I loved watching their relationship grow and flourish. Edward is strong, reliable and certain of his future, Isabel is a little more emotionally unstable, but the pair work, they bring out the best in each other.

It is ten years into the relationship that the attack takes place. This becomes a watershed moment; where does a relationship go after such a traumatic event? How is an individual supposed to behave? We see how the personalities of Isabel and Edward change. Edward throws himself into his work, refusing all opportunities to discuss his feelings. Isabel becomes the stronger of the pair. Having always wanted to be a writer she uses this as a means of giving voice to her anger. What the couple can't do is talk to each other about the attack and this is what causes the relationship to fracture.

Isabel's narrative is in the form of a victim personal statement, or impact statement, which outlines the evolution of the couple's relationship. I found myself being swept up, completely involved in the life they were forging to then be sucker-punched as the narrative pivoted and she addressed a question to her attacker, reminding you of the atrocious crimes committed.

By the conclusion, I found myself close to tears. Long repressed emotions were brought to the surface for a number of characters, each of them dealing with those feelings in completely different ways, after all, human nature is unpredictable. This is a love story that will stay with me for a very long time. Quite possibly my book of the year.

A beautiful story of love, with all its trials and tribulations.

An awful incident occurred and the fall out was catastrophic.

The characters were likeable, the twists and turns keep you hooked!

I would of liked more on Nigel and his background, his thoughts and reasoning maybe I’m trying to find some justification in his behaviour when really, I guess there’s bad people and not everything can be explained.

Abigail Dean is exceptionally skilled at creating tense, emotionally charged thrillers which are difficult to put down. This one is no exception, exceptionally gripping.

Where do I start with this outstanding book?

The Death of Us is so much more than a crime thriller: it is a beautifully written, rollercoaster of a ride which almost leaves the reader feeling as bruised and battered as the main protagonists. This is an in-depth, intimate exploration of a loving couple’s relationship and how the shocking actions of one depraved individual wreaks havoc on their lives.

The narrative is in the first person, told from the perspective of Isabel, written as though she is addressing the perpetrator, Nigel Wood, and in the third person from that of Edward, Isabel’s husband.

We learn of the events in the years leading up to the terrible night Nigel Wood breaks into the couple’s house, from the first time Isabel and Edward meet as students; the awkward dance of their relationship until they eventually commit to one another, to the present day. Isabel has progressed from being an aspiring playwright to a celebrated one; Edward has become a successful, wealthy lawyer. But while their careers have reached great heights, overshadowing it all is the tragedy that has torn them and their lives apart.

Nigel Wood evades capture for many years, devastating the lives of the couples he targets in their comfortable London homes, progressing from the role of serial rapist to serial killer. Over a quarter of a century later and Wood has finally been apprehended. Isabel and Edward meet again at the trial, after having divorced years earlier. In flashbacks, the reader discovers exactly how Wood’s wicked actions have impacted on their lives and those of some of his other victims.

I felt slightly bereft as I turned the final page, and Isabel’s heartfelt words at the end of the penultimate chapter reduced me to a blubbing mess.
Abigail Dean has crafted an extraordinary novel, and though there is no shock-horror ending nor are there any major earth-shattering twists along the way, the journey the reader is taken on is deeply affecting and at times gruelling. The characters are real and flawed but likeable, and it is impossible not to feel for them as we see how their lives have unravelled in the aftermath of Wood’s intrusion into their home. Whilst the story is centred around one man’s heinous crimes, it is primarily a heart-breaking book about love – and also of regret, for what might have been.

This is an immersive, compelling, extremely memorable read and one that I’m sure I will revisit. A very well deserved five stars from me.

My thanks to Abigail Dean, HarperCollins UK (HarperFiction) and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book is by far Abigail Dean's finest work and a contender for book of the year. The characters of Isabel and Edward are struggling after their lives were torn apart by a home invader. We learn about how they got together, their friends, their marriage and are so emotionally invested in them it is heartbreaking to learn what they went through. The whole book reads like isabel's victim impact statement, it's very honest and the devastation feels real. The love between them and for their friends feels so real too. I feel empty now I've finished it.
Utterly compelling reading

Another great read from Abigail Dean. This one had me hooked from start to finish with its powerful exploration of how one event can be life changing and the difficulty of coming to terms with. A truly inspiring emotional read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

The Death of Us by Abigail Dean is the story of Isabel and Edward’s story, a marriage that was turned inside out by a violent encounter, when their home is invaded by a serial rapist and murderer.
Life as they both knew it imploded and was never the same again.
Years later, after they are divorced and Edward remarried they meet-up again when the intruder has been caught and they both meet up again for his sentencing and victim impact statements.
Will they both find closure and be able to move on with the lives they have left?
A serious psychological dramatisation of two lives whose deteriorate after an intruder calls.
Recommended

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC.
I loved Girl A so really wanted to read this as the plot sounded good.
At the beginning I was drawn in but the writing style was a bit off putting at times and wasn't sure who was the narrator sometimes.
The promise of the story sounded good but as the story progressed, not much happened and there wasn't many big reveals or twists as I had hoped there would be.
Finding out who the perpetrator was also wasn't anything shocking or a big reveal and I was expecting more of the story to also be about that person and why they did what they did.
It was a slow read and the characters weren't really likeable so didn't feel drawn in. Was an OK read but as a big thriller lover, this didn't hit the mark.

I really struggled with this book. I felt I couldn’t gel with any of the characters and the book was just too slow paced for me. I appreciate it covers a difficult subject matter but I found it difficult to engage with the plot. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and the author for the chance to review.

Outstanding. Simply perfect.

Abigail Dean was an autobuy author for me after the incredible Girl A, her new book, The Death of Us has easily become my top book of the year and an all time favourite, I loved it so much.

I never read love stories unless they come with a side of trauma and this book has it in spades! Isabel and Edward are very happy together, and then one fateful night their home is invaded by someone who later turns out to be a serial killer. Whilst the story has the home invasion as a central plot point the night in question isn't the sole focus of it. Edward and Isabel’s relationship is.

This is a story of how different people react to trauma and what we need to do to survive. It's very human and very raw. This is a story about love and you can feel the love between these two characters so strongly it pours off the pages.

This book is just brimming with emotion. It's uncomfortable, emotional, heartbreaking and it's a heavy read at times. But it left me filled with hope. It's beautifully written and feels like so much time and effort has gone into making this book as perfect as it can be.

Hauntingly beautiful is how I would describe this heartbreaking novel. How one catastrophic event can change your future really made me think. It isn’t too dark and deep, but it felt real. A great story to wile away an evening.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins for the ARC!

I'm finding it's almost harder to write a review for a book I absolutely loved than a book I found flawed. I just want to kind of spill my adoration onto the screen.

The Death of Us tells the story of a couple, Isabel and Edward, who survive a horrible attack by a serial rapist and eventual murderer. The attack affects the rest of their lives, psychologically and practically, and their relationship specifically.

It's a deeply dark story. Of course. I felt a lot of despair and fury as I read. In the beginning, I had a fear that it was going to be a series of recountings of horrible violence, but it wasn't. Abigail Dean is far too skilled a writer to rely on shock or horror alone. We know about the violence. It's easy to guess the specifics, but they're never on the page, they're never treated salaciously, always with care and sensitivity. I was gripped from the first page onwards and despite the fact that the book made me feel awful, I enjoyed every word.

The novel was moving, thought provoking, beautiful and miraculously managed to take incredibly disturbing subject matter and turn it into something with an ultimately hopeful message. That, while not being remotely saccharine or unbelievable. The Death of Us is the story of the triumph of love. It's about how love can ultimately be stronger than hate. It was perfectly paced and I loved the jump back and forth between different timelines and povs. Just thinking about the book makes me feel a rush of pleasure at having experienced something so well crafted and involving.

Abigail Dean is a true talent. I've loved every book of hers I've read. Can't wait for the next one.

What an Incredible, utterly addictive read this was!

I loved the deep development of each of the characters as the story progressed, paired with a captivating storyline that made it almost impossible to put down at the end of the day!

The plot was perfectly paced, and kept me hooked to the very last page.

A book I will be highly recommending to everyone!

*Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Abigail Dean for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.*

I was asked by NetGalley to review this book.

Wow this was a psychological thriller with no holds barred. This also gave an insight into marriage also, with how life can be.

Edward and his wife Isobel face a serial killer one night and life would never be the same again.

They are brought back together some 25 years later and for the killers trial after the killer is caught. It is then that we learn just how much carnage this has caused and you go on as a different person.

Wow I got to the end of the book and all I can say is I am lost for words.

A really recommended read even if it is worts and all.