I struggled with this book. It's slow and introspective, well written and told from such an interesting, unsensational angle - the effect of a predatory attack (by what turns out to be a serial killer) on the lives of a young couple. I couldn't warm to the main female character and had no empathy for her, which made it hard for me to enjoy the book. Others loved it, it just wasn't for me. There was no denouement as such and the story was gloomy and offerered little in the way of hope.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance reader copy of this novel.

Brillant book. Read in 2 days. Storyline great, sad but page turning. Title is totally appropriate. You can imagine the terror of this killing nay relationship. Loved how Etta nearly got him although he was caught would like to have known how he was caught considering he was "retired' for ao many years.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It's harrowing, it's emotional, and it's exceptionally well written. The story follows two main characters, Isabel and Edward and how their lives were changed after a home invasion/assault that happened 25 years ago. There's a dual point of view. Edward's chapters are in the present and Isabel's take the reader through their lives up to the attack and then the aftermath.

The writing is exceptional and as with all Abigail Dean's books, as the reader you are right there with the characters, going through everything they went through. This is a beautiful story about love and heartbreak, and it is exceptionally well written without going into the gruesome details of the attack.

I knew from the first page that this was going to be an amazing read and I wasn't wrong. These characters will stay with me for a long time as will their story. I am so grateful for the publishers for the advanced read. Dean is one of the writers I will not hesitate to read and buy as she has proven once again, her mastery of the craft and the creation of exceptional stories that will keep you glued to the page.

A very powerful telling of the effects of a serial rapist and murderer on its victims over many decades. Told through a couple, Isabel and Edward, it took a while to get into it as time moved forwards and back, characters appeared who were introduced later, and Isabel’s “you” that she is telling her story to is the perpetrator. It’s not a high octane thriller but all the more scary and chilling for being the slow reveal of exactly what happened in those homes across London and the effects on lives, relationships, mental health. It’s absolutely gripping and the characters are developed so well that nothing is straightforward but nuanced and terrible and tragic and a bit hopeful as well. I won’t forget this one in a hurry.

It’s quite a different premise from Abigail’s other novels but one that nonetheless draws you in and doesn’t let go. Isabel and Edward had an unusual start to their relationship but never would have predicted how their union would be torn asunder by an outside force. It’s an evening that they never discuss, and they’ve never had to – until now. Alongside others, the former couple must wrestle with past events and speak openly about what happened the night that changed everything.

Was delighted to asked to review this novel. I found Dean's previous work harrowing and Intense while her works is billed as thriller and mystery I feel her works are more a deep insight into the effects trauma has on a person and the aftermath of unthinkable events. This novel is deals with the fall out of a horrific attack told spanning over timelines in the first POv and in present the the third POV to create a truly thought provoking novel Harrowing, heartbreaking but with a sense hope.. This is a story that is well paced, with well written characters it is a story that will stay with you. Wonderful writing highly recommended Dean writers complexed characters full of nuance and realism I have enjoyed all previous works but I found this book to be the best so far.

This unforgettable novel, like Dean’s earlier two, covers difficult and traumatic themes- “Girl A” about an abusive, fanatical father, “Day One” covering a school shooting and its aftermath, and this one looks at a marriage destroyed by a serial racist turned murderer. Isabel and Edward seem destined to be together since they were students, and are happily married until their home is invaded in the early morning and Isabel is brutally raped and tortured for several hours. The masked assailant has struck before, now targets couples, and goes on to kill his future victims. Only after more than 25 years has he been apprehended, during which time Isabel and Edward, trying to deal with the aftermath in different ways, fail to be of help to each other or even to talk things over properly, and eventually divorce when their relationship breaks down completely. As the case comes to trial, they are invited to attend to give their victim impact statements, in the hope that this will bring them some kind of closure. It is an engrossing and devastating story. Dean is brilliant at portraying their lives before and after the home invasion, the small but, in hindsight, hugely significant happinesses that they lose and how all-consuming is the fear, the shame and even the embarrassment they feel aftr the attack. Edward’s desire to suppress and ignore his feelings are deeply incompatible with Isabel’s willingness to be proactive in trying to help the police effort to find the attacker. Glimpses of other victims reinforce how much responses to the trauma differ. Not all the consequences are even terrible-Isobel and Edward get to know and love the four-year-old daughter of one of the couples murdered as she grows up. The crimes are horrific but Dean does not linger on gratuitous gruesome detail, but is interested in the emotional aspects, how people manage to live after something unthinkable happens, and how even then, sometimes love and hope can survive. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

The Death of Us by Abigail Dean is a heart-wrenching psychological suspense thriller that delves deep into the lasting effects of trauma on a marriage. At its core, this is a story about love, secrets, and the shattering consequences of violence—one that challenges the very foundation of a seemingly solid relationship.

The story begins on a late summer’s evening, when husband and wife, Edward and Isabel, are thirty years old and living a life they’ve built together. But their world is violently upended when their home is invaded by a serial killer, an event that sets off a series of emotional and psychological tremors that will reverberate through their lives for decades.

Fast forward to when Edward and Isabel are fifty-eight. They are forced to reunite for the trial of the man who nearly ended Isabel’s life, an event that forces them to confront the shattered pieces of their past. Isabel has spent years tracking the intruder’s increasingly violent criminal activities and is ready to read her victim impact statement in court, hoping that facing the man who destroyed her life will allow her to move on. But for Edward, the prospect of revisiting those terrible memories is something he’s tried to avoid. Even though he has remarried and moved on with his life, the pull to accompany Isabel to the sentencing is too strong to resist. What will closure feel like for both of them? Can the trauma of the past ever truly be put to rest?

Dean’s writing is slow-burning and immersive, pulling readers into the emotional depths of the character’s psyche. The tension between Edward and Isabel is palpable, as they struggle to reconcile the love they once shared with the devastation caused by the violent event. The author’s exploration of how trauma impacts relationships is raw and realistic, showcasing how something as seemingly insignificant as an unresolved moment of violence can alter the trajectory of a life.

The book is infuriating, shocking, and at times profoundly sad, yet it offers moments of hope and redemption. The Death of Us may not offer easy answers, but it is undeniably powerful, leaving readers reflecting on the fragility of life, the complexity of relationships, and the long road to healing.

For fans of Abigail Dean, this book is a must-read. It’s a masterfully crafted story that will leave you thinking long after you’ve turned the last page. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that dig deep into the human condition and explore the lasting effects of trauma, The Death of Us is a book you won’t want to miss.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Brilliant. This was harrowing in many ways but brilliant. This is what I have come to expect from Dean.

It's an incredibly different thing to bring something new to the psychological thriller but Abigail Dean has done it here, blending the character-driven, achingly human love story of eg David Nicholls with a pulse-thumping, cat-and-mouse crime story. Beautifully written, even as Edward and Isabel live out their unthinkable ordeal there is still something recognisable on every page. I couldn't recommend it more highly. Erin Kelly.

I really loved this book. Abigail Dean has done it again. She has written an engaging book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK.

#TheDeathOfUs #NetGalley
Compelling.
Late on a summer’s evening when they are thirty years old, husband and wife Edward and Isabel’s home is invaded by a serial killer. Theirs was a classic story of young love that moves into true partnership—but their solid foundation implodes in the wake of this violence. At fifty-eight, they are reunited for their tormentor’s trial and forced to confront their lifelong love affair: the secrets, passions, and encounter that bind them still. Isabel has waited years for the man who nearly ended her life to be caught. As she’s tracked news of his increasingly violent criminal life, she’s connected with other survivors and prepared for the moment that she’d get to read her victim impact statement aloud in court. She is sure she’ll speak her truth and finally let the past go. Edward has spent the years since the break-in—and the breakdown of his marriage—trying to figure out how a near-miss with death killed so much else in their shared life. Unlike Isabel, he’s not eager to relive these terrible memories. Even though he’s moved on—he’s remarried, his old life almost unrecognizable to him now—he can’t resist accompanying Isabel to their intruder’s sentencing. What would revenge or justice feel like? Can closure set Isabel free? And what might that freedom mean for Edward?
I loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.

Violent crime causes immediate trauma, of course, but how long does trauma last? Is it years? Is it decades? Does it change lives for ever? Twenty eight years ago, Edward and Isabel had celebrated their thirtieth birthdays. They had been friends in their late teens, then lovers, then partners, then husband and wife. Both were successful in the corporate world and looking forward to a long and successful life, no doubt with children. They had already moved up in the housing market and were living in Camberwell, South London. Then their domestic tranquillity was destroyed by “The South London Home Invader”, who broke in during the night, terrorised Edward and ‘imprisoned’ him in ‘”the Baby’s Room”, and repeatedly raped Isabel. They tried to recover their life , tried to move on, but it all fell apart. Now, twenty-eight years later, the serial rapist who had moved on to serial killer, has been caught and tried, and his victims – those who survived and those who had lost someone – have been invited to make statements about the events and the aftermaths.
This is a violent story, but there is little graphic violence. It is violent because of its dissection of the lifes of the victims, primarily seen from Isabel’s and Edward’s intertwined stories. It is a love story, for they never stop loving each other, but it is also a story of how their relationship disintegrates and reassembles into two new lives, driven by their different approaches to survival. The narrative is divided into her and his strands; Isabel’s as if dictated directly to the invader, Edward’s in a more formal third person. It is a finely written, tightly packed, drama, full of detail, full of nuance, full of psychological impacts and insights. It is not a comfortable read (I imagine more disquieting for a female reader), but rewarding for the quality of the writing, and the food for thought it provides.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Phenomenal. That’s the only word I can think of to describe this book. It’s left me breathless, at times and almost speechless. Abigail gas come from seemingly nowhere and shit straight to the top, an author with an incredible talent for writing and storytelling.

This is an uncomfortable read at times. Abigail explores the impact of awful events on ordinary people. Harriet and Edward’s lives are ripped asunder by a sadistic predator who invades their home. Whilst the story tells of the events, it also explores the effect on the victims. The narrative style is clever; it switches pic and timeline which allows careful reveal of relevant facts in Harriet and Edward’s back story, along with the horrifying intrusion and assault and the aftermath, the trial. Broad in scope and with a cast of well depicted characters, I thought this an amazing and thought provoking psychological thriller. This is going to be a hot title on publication. Loved it.

I got to 20% of this this book and then i just didn't want to read anymore. It's told, in a most irritating fashion, in second person from Isabel's POV with occasional chapters from Edward. I found nothing to engage with from either character. The prose was overly intense, overly detailed and terribly worthy. It's such a laborious build up with Isabel noting every cough and spit and rain drop and bus going past, that I just couldn't read beyond the first fifth of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the book in exchange for an honest review

A serial killer tale where the long term impacts on the victims and their families is front and centre. This felt original; like a side of things we don’t often get to see. It left a rotten feeling in my stomach for much of the time I spent reading, so… a success, I guess?!

What a beautiful book. The subject matter is undoubtedly harrowing, but the relationships that surround it are so intricately drawn in all their flawed, imperfect glory. It’s by turns a crime thriller and a love story- moving, disturbing and propulsive all at once. I literally read it in one sitting.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the blurb, but I’m so glad I read it and will be recommending it highly!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

This is a really interesting novel: a couple experiences a horrendous trauma and have to deal with the consequences.
The narrative switches between Edward and Isabel
- the couple - and timeframes. The present is them getting their day in court.
It’s a well-done novel - the roots of trauma Gp so deep, and it’s such a complicated knot to untangle.
Such is Dean’s writing, that you really believe immune protagonists.
I would definitely recommend this novel: it’s not a light read, but it’s well done, thought-provoking, and touching.

Thanks to netgalley for a ARC in return for a honest review. I like the way Dean weaves of a detective/ mystery framework around what is fundamentally and human relationship drama/ love story. Both elements kept me turning the pages.