A real rollercoaster , gripping, suspenseful novel set across two timelines. The storyline kept me on the edge of my seat as events unfolded, although I felt parts were drawn out. Isabel and Edward tried to overcome all they had been through when their lives were torn apart.

CW: OH BOY… Attempted Murder, Blood, Bodily Harm, Home Invasions, Mental Health Institutions, Mental Health Issues, Murder, Rape, Robbery, Sexual Assault, Stalking, Suicidal Themes

I say all of the above with the upmost love, because this is Abigail Dean at her absolute best. ‘The Death of Us’ is her most intimate, personal and claustrophobic book yet and I practically inhaled it. I had read both of her previous works and while I loved ‘Girl A’, ‘Day One’ fell a little flat for me, but you know what they say… Third time’s the charm!

This book reads almost like true crime, and has a lot in common with notorious serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo (The Golden State Killer), whose M.O. was chillingly similar to the plot-line of ‘The Death of Us’: ex-police office, stalking and invading homes undetected for years, splitting the couples and assaulting them in separate rooms and eventually progressing to heinous murders.

Naturally, this comes with the book (and subsequent HBO series) recommendation for ‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark’ by the late Michelle McNamara, who was a woman possessed by this case and in the end, aided in the tracking down of this man who had gone undetected since his crimes began in 1974.

In our story, Isabel and Edward are one such couple who suffered at the hands of our villain, Nigel (known in the papers as ‘The South London Invader’). Isabel gives insight into the past, leading up to and immediately following the attack by Nigel, and Edward narrates the ‘now’, after the suspect has been apprehended. We are addressed directly by Isabel, who writes as if she is monologuing to the assailant himself, which gives the book a super invasive feel, drawing us in and putting ourselves in the heart of the narrative and making us feel like we are involved somehow – this in turn gives the characters a more rounded and realistic feeling. Genius.

Seeing these characters go through what is most peoples’ worst nightmare is really scary and I found I was listening out for a creak of floorboards or a tap at the window, such was the atmosphere that Dean has built. She gives realistic and believable reactions and consequences – the mutual grief and heartache Isabel, Edward and many other characters go through at the hands of The South London Invader. It’s infuriating, it’s grim and it’s wonderful. I am very excited to see where Dean goes next and to see the films rights have already been acquired, I am dream-casting for all the lead roles as we speak…

Thanks, as always, goes to the author, to NetGalley and the team at Hemlock Press for an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another superb novel from the ever-challenging and satisfying Abigail Dean. Girl A and Day One were both fascinating and The Death Of Us is equally impressive, telling as it does the story of a couple whose lives were turned upside down when their house was invaded by a murderer. As the latter awaits trial, the pair describe events from their point of view. Stunning!

So its clear that this is 5 stars, the writing, the plot, the characters, the ramifications are all masterful. However the subject matter is heavy, so its not going to be for everyone.

I think overall it's a love story, but the catalyst and central character is a murderer and rapist. Isabel and Edward are victims of a carefully orchestrated rape and assault, within the apparent safety of their home, over multiple hours. The book covers the ramifications of this night on their relationships and lives in general, further impacted by the ongoing investigation.

It feels so real and raw and human and tragic. Its thought-provoking and intense, and that is just the story. Storytelling at its best.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down and was totally blown away start to finish. A raw emotional and heart wrenching read.
A marriage that is brutally shattered by one violent event. The story follows the aftermath of how their lives and the lives of those around them are affected. It’s beautifully written and so powerful. You can just feel the fear, tension, love and heartbreak leaping off the pages. I love the authors writing as it’s so poignant and has a unique style about it. A character oriented story told in multiple POV’s and timelines from Isabel about the past and Edward about now. I liked how these were woven together so well.
A brilliant slow burn psychological suspense thriller/love story but so much more. I highly recommend this one if you enjoy this genre. It’s deeply moving and so engrossing. This is definitely one of my favourite books read in 2025. I can’t wait to see what @abigailsdean writes next.
With thanks to #NetGallery #HarperCollinsUk @harperfiction for an arc of #TheDeathOfUs in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 10 April 2025.

Isabel and Edwards went through something horrific. A home invader is an awful thing to experience and try to overcome. As the blurb suggests, it rips their marriage apart but the long term damage is unmeasurable.

Isabel and Edward’s relationship is messed up, I would use an explicative but you’ll all get the gist. They were attracted to each other when they were with others and even when they were dedicated to each other there was an element of WTF. It’s not just from its inception, the more I read, the more it was just messed up.

The narrative for this book is erratic. If you like order to your reading with chapter numbers and the like, I wouldn’t recommend. That said the randomness of the narrative and the time of narration really kept me on my toes.

The snippets of courtroom drama is just that drama. The emotion leapt off the screen from the public gallery and the witness box. These are emotive segments…. Not that the whole read is emotive in one way or another.

Dean has expertly used all manner of writing misdirection to keep me in the dark as to where she was taking me. But that misdirection kept me reading in this slow burner of a book. I needed to know what happened to this couple. I needed closure. This ain’t the most comfortable read with not the most likeable characters who definitely are hiding something from me.

This is is a very emotional story, dark at times and covering very raw, emotive subjects but Abigail Dean does it with sensitivity.
This is the story of Isabel and Edward who, in their late teens, and both being in relationships with other people at the time, fell in love and got married, they were living a good life in their South London home until ..............
Their home was violated, they were violated in the worst possible way, their lives would never be the same again.
Isabel and Edward had been visited by the South London Slayer, a psychopath who planned his assaults with military precision, he stalked his victims, he learned everything about them and then he visited their homes, his violations were soon to escalate to murder.
Edward and Isabel had different ways of facing their trauma, Isabel wanted to face it head on, she wanted to talk about what happened to her but Edward wanted to shut it away, he couldn't even bring himself to tell Isabel what happened in the other room, the room where he was taken, the room where he could hear everything, they became different people, it tore their marriage apart and they went their separate ways.
This book covers the stories of all the other victims that, with the help of detective Etta Eliogue, tried to draw strength from one another, all except Edward.
Twenty five years later a phone call informed all the victims that the killer, Nigel Wood, had been caught by DNA, they would all be able to stand up in court and face the man who violated them, that is the ones that he didn't kill. Isabel wanted to face him, she wanted him to know what he had done to her life, she wanted him to see that she wouldn't remain a victim but how would she feel about seeing Edward after all these years knowing that he was now with someone else, and would Edward be prepared to face his violator, would his story finally come out ?
I really enjoyed this book, the first that I have read from this author, although I did find it a bit slow at times I will definitely look out for any future books from her.
Thank you Harper Collins and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is voluntary.

Whatever hobbies you have, be that reading and/or something else, think on this for a minute. How would you convince someone else you know to love it as much as you? I'd like to bet that, in most cases, it can't be done.

Let's take, as an example, my wife. In recent months she's started collecting Sindy dolls and associated accessories, with the result that she now has a display cabinet full of the damn things and is looking for a second one. I think she may have gone mad. But, judging by the event in London that she went to last weekend, attended by at least another 50 collectors - male as well as female - it's apparent that she isn't alone.

My point here, really, is that the reasons why you love, or indeed hate something aren't always ones that you can justify rationally. And even if you happen to share an interest, there are still likely to be subtle differences. As another example, I include scuba diving amongst my hobbies. But the sort of diving I most enjoy is watching the marine life. Or playing with seals, which are wonderful creatures. If I see some pieces of metal that might once have been recognisable as a shipwreck 100 years ago or so, I don't really find it that interesting. But there are other divers out there for whom that's the only reason to get into the water.

And it's this point that brings me on to my latest read: The Death of Us by Abigail Dean, which is another case of my struggling to explain rationally how I felt about it. For starters, it's marketed on Amazon as a psychological thriller and judged as such, it's arguably only got it half-right. It's really not a thriller at all, at least not in the conventional sense. The pace is slow. It's mostly describing events that took place in the distant past, so there's limited opportunity to include any suspense. And if you're looking for a big surprise twist at the end that turns the entire story on its head, well, you won't really find that here either.

But I absolutely didn't care.

Because whatever this book lacks in the 'thriller' element, it makes up for it by well and truly nailing the 'psychological' bit. Twenty-eight years ago, during one night in their own home, the lives of the then 30-year-old Isabel and her husband Edward were turned upside-down. Now, their attacker has finally been caught and is facing trial. As Isabel prepares a witness statement, she relives the memories of that terrible night, and its aftermath, that have haunted her ever since. Meanwhile Edward is determined to focus on the present, unwilling and indeed unable to talk about what happened to him. The slow pace works because it allows the characters to drive the storyline. It allows the reader to live the characters lives, for what almost feels like every minute of every day.

It also allows the reader to appreciate the wonderful, beautiful writing. Even though Abigail tackles some horrific issues, she does so sensitively and - crucially - without over-describing. We are given just enough information to be able to then use our own imaginations to fill in the blanks. Only for those same scenes to then be re-visited and for just enough additional information to be given to reveal that what actually happened was even worse than we had imagined.

And yet ... the book is also a love story. Which means that, throughout, there's a message of hope in there. It could almost have been called The Death ... and Resurrection of Us. It doesn't quite heal your heart again after breaking it. But - probably more realistically - it does bruise and batter your heart mercilessly before giving it a little bit of a massage and showing you that it's not actually broken.

I've tried hard to think of something I didn't like and can pick up only on the repeated use of a particular four-letter word. I have no issues with foul language in books if I think it's necessary. Here, though, the main purpose seemed to be to shock the reader into paying more attention and if that's the case, it's really not needed. My attention was held just fine, thank you.

If what I've said hasn't tempted you to read the book, that's probably because your tastes are different to mine and therefore, I have no hope of convincing you. That's fine, but at the same time, I'm afraid it's your loss. Because I'm going with my heart - the one that's battered and bruised, but still whole - and saying that this is easily my favourite book so far of 2025.

My thanks to the author, Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the digital ARC of this book, which was published in the UK on 10th April 2025. I will post my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my social media pages.

Another fascinating and gripping read from Abigail Dean. Whilst the majority of the novel was a very uncomfortable read, I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed the format, with Isabel writing to Nigel throughout as we slowly learned what happened, and appreciated the inclusion of a range of characters- Nina and Etta to name a few.
Both thought provoking and hopeful, I would recommend this book.

We meet Isabel and Edward as they are preparing to attend court to provide victim statements at the sentencing of a man who invaded their home some twenty five years ago and subjected them to a horrifying ordeal.

The story is told in dual narrative, from both Isabel’s and Edwards perspectives. We learn about their lives before and after the attack; we see the far reaching damage it has done. Not only to them but to all the victims, their families and the police who were involved in the hunt for the perpetrator.

From the first pages I was hooked, I could not turn away. I felt so deeply for what the characters had gone through and the devastating effects this had on their lives. Abigail Dean turns the usual ‘hunt for a serial killer’ story on its head and we see it from the victim’s perspective, we feel the terror and the sadness and the unjustness of it all.

I was totally immersed in this story of two people whose relationship is torn apart by a terrifying event, that is also the pin that keeps them connected. The writing is superb; I fully experienced the story.

One of my favourite reads this year.

This is a remarkable book. Honestly, what a read. This is an easy 5 star plus for me! It really wasn’t what I was expecting from a mystery thriller, but I was blown away. It does have the mystery thriller aspect but the focus of the story is about the people who have been hurt and the impact on their lives following a series of violent crimes. It is a beautiful piece of literary fiction that had a massive emotional impact on me and will stay in my head and heart for some time.

This took me a couple of chapters to get into. To begin with I wasn’t sure what was going on or what direction the story would take me.

Once I got into it, which didn’t take long, I was completely hooked. This book should come with lots of TW as it has some sensitive and dark content.

I really liked the way it was written, with Isabel’s POV telling the reader about the past and Edward telling us about now and how these POV’s were woven together.

I think Abigail Dean did a brilliant job in describing how this one brutal event for Isabel and Edward brutally shattered their lives and how they tried to rebuild themselves. At times, I could feel the fear, tension and heartbreak.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I think Abigail Dean is going from strength to strength. I enjoyed Girl A well enough, and then I really liked Day One - that stuck with me for a long time. This book is better again, a fantastic read.
I felt an underlying tension throughout that kept my nerves taut. Whilst the writing style and the tone of the book are soft even though the subject matter is very dark, there a constant feeling of something terrible just around the corner, it’s quietly menacing, waiting to explode - just like the intruder.
The choice to tell the story of how such a traumatic event impacts the lives of not only the people directly involved, but their friends and family, really highlights how truly life changing it is. Nothing is left untouched, every facet of their lives is altered. The melancholy that rolls off Isabel and Edward is like a physical thing that they drag through life with them.
This is a character study and a psychological thriller rolled into one…and it’s brilliant

Years ago Isabel and Edward were just getting started in life when a home invader destroyed their peace. Now he's finally facing justice but just how much damage was done along the way?

Wow just wow. This is such a powerfull and deeply moving story. It takes a different look to a crime and really focuses on the aftermath. Especially when there is no instant capture. We truly see the pain and suffering that can be caused. Its heavy going at times and yet so well written. You read about cases in the press and online but never think about just how reaching a trauma like that can be. This is told by both Isabel and Edward given depth to them both. The ending was really well done and her decision about what to say in court was utterly perfect. This will have you gripped and heartbroken yet Isabel's strength does slowly shine through. A brilliant thought provoking read.

This was a deeply emotional and powerful read. The Death of Us isn’t just about a crime – it’s about the long-lasting effects that one night can have on two people’s lives. Isabel and Edward were once a strong, loving couple, but after a terrifying home invasion, everything changed. Their relationship, once full of hope, becomes strained under the weight of trauma and silence.
I really admired how Abigail Dean told the story – Isabel’s voice was especially impactful as she addressed her attacker directly. The book was tense and heartbreaking at times, but it was also beautifully written and full of emotional depth.
This story is about pain, survival, and ultimately, love. Not the perfect kind, but the raw, real kind that endures. It stayed with me long after I finished. Thoughtful, intense, and incredibly well done. Highly recommend if you’re looking for something moving and unforgettable.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

The Death of Us by Abigail Dean publishes today April 10th with Hemlock Press and is described as ‘a stunning new novel from one of the most special writers of our generation'.

Edward and Isabel met quite young before either had a career or a bob to their name. Isabel had had some personal issues that Edward was aware of but it all added up to a slightly quirky personality which appealed to him. Their attraction was a slow burner as they each were in different relationships but, as time passed, they became an item, a very strong and passionate couple. They built a world together, both achieving different career successes along the way. They had plenty of friends, a lovely home and all the trappings of life that would be expected for a financially well-off couple.

Both thirty years of age, they had no children and enjoyed their independence, and most importantly they enjoyed each other. One evening their contentment was upended when an intruder invaded their home, their lives, and their marriage. Instantly changing everything they knew to be good in the world, the days, months and years that followed were extremely difficult. Their tight bond was shattered that evening. The invader had taken everything they held precious. Never caught, the police kept an open investigation. The invader gradually stepped further into the dark side, committing more brutal acts, as the world picked out the more salacious details, as revealed by the press.

Edward and Isabel tried to salvage their lives, they tried to understand, they tried to be present. They loved each other totally and completely but there was now a permanent scar ever present, an irreparable fracture, a chasm that they both looked down into.

Now in their mid-fifties, there is the court case, as the invader is finally brought forward for sentencing. We glimpse through fingers, horrified and terrified, as the full scale of what happened all those years ago are revealed. Extremely challenging scenes and heartachingly painful narratives are laid before the reader as that merciless night is laid bare. Abigail Dean speaks about her reasons for writing such a shocking novel describing Edward’s and Isabel’s relationship as ‘a decades-long love story’ and strangely enough that’s exactly what it is, albeit one permanently in the shade of a very dark shadow. Can Edward and Isabel survive their own story? Is their love, both witty and caustic, warm and resentful, gentle and harsh, strong enough to endure?

The Death of Us is a distressing read, yet among the anguish there is a beauty, a tenderness, and a passionate love story. The evolving of the characters is incredibly depicted as their lives slowly unfold over the decades. The little snippets, the intricate details, the glimpses, the tentative nature of their strained relationship is skillfully written with an expert pen, drawing the reader into their world. Disconcerting yet compelling, challenging yet powerful, The Death of Us is a very potent and emotive novel that lingers on very much after those final pages are turned. Tense. Intense. Breathtaking.

I have really enjoyed both of Abigail Dean’s previous books so my hopes were high starting The Death of Us and happily I can say that it totally lived up to and in fact exceeded my high expectations. The Death of Us is a sharp, powerful and incredibly astute examination of love, trauma, relationships and the far reaching effects of violent acts. It is an elegantly written book which covers the decades long relationship between Isabel and Edward, including the night their lives imploded after a brutal home invasion. The book cleverly delves into the trauma of this but it’s also about so much more - it’s about the tiny intricacies of why we behave the way we do and how different people react to horrifying events in a multitude of ways. Abigail Dean is absolutely an auto-buy author for me and The Death of Us proves why. Shocking and disturbing yet subtle and beautifully crafted. Highly recommended.

This was an emotionally charged read following Edward and Isobel as they deal with a life changing event. The story follows the aftermath and how their lives and the lives of those around them are affected. A great read that I would recommend.

The story:
The night the South London Invader targets Isabel and Edward, their lives are changed forever. Decades later, their attacker is finally in court to face the consequences of his terrible actions. But for Isabel and Edward, this is more than a chance for justice to be served. It is a chance for them to finally reveal everything that happened that night, and in the years that followed. Not to the court, or the eager members of the public following the story... but to each other.

My thoughts:
Abigail Dean is the bestselling author of "Girl A" and "Day One", both of which addressed very challenging topics. Her third novel, "The Death of Us" is no different, this time looking at the terrible effects of a home invasion attack on a young married couple.

The story is told from the perspectives of Isabel and Edward, who are targeted by a serial criminal known only as the South London Invader. From Edward we mainly see the events of the present, but the Isabel chapters are written as if she is speaking directly to her attacker himself, in the form of her victim personal statement. Because finally, after years of crime, the South London Invader has been found using modern DNA technology, and his court case is approaching.

This is not a who-dunnit book, nor is it a why-dunnit... Instead the author conducts an engrossing examination of the effects of a terrible crime on its victims, and they are the ones that are given a voice in this story – we don't hear from the perpetrator himself at all, beyond seeing him in the dock. I thought this was a really thoughtful way of approaching this difficult subject area, and seeing the events and its ramifications through the eyes of Isabel and Edward was at times heartbreaking, but also uplifting.

This sounds like it would be a heavy read, but in fact it is pacy, engrossing and I sped through it in just a few sittings. Alongside the obviously upsetting subject matter, we also get to see a relationship between a husband and wife that spans decades (even when they are not together), and in many ways this is a love story before it is a crime or thriller novel.

Overall, this was another brilliantly written novel from an accomplished author not afraid to tackle challenging subjects, and with believable, flawed and endearing characters. Highly recommended!

The Death of Us, by Abigail Dean
Rating: 5/5
Published: 10th April 2025
I am a huge Abigail Dean fan, because she always gives a knockout twist in her novels. The Death of Us is her best work yet - without a doubt! On a Spring night in South London, Edward and Isabel’s lives are shattered when a masked intruder enters their home and rapes Isabel, whilst Edward is frozen with terror. Their beautiful marriage is shattered that night, and they never recover from it. Years later, when the assailant is finally found and brought to justice, they must confront what happened, and face the truths that they were never able to face. It is a powerful story of experiencing and overcoming trauma, and I could not put it down. I never wanted it to end.