This book was a powerful, compelling and really an emotive read it explored how trauma can affect people in many different ways after such a horrendous ordeal.

The book has stayed with me long after I’ve read it and I read it within a day! There were many characters from Edward to Isabel all entwined by traumatic events. It had many twists and turns and I found myself not knowing what would happen next.

This book was beautifully written and will a must read when it comes out in April! I’d highly recommend this book and would love to see this turned into a film or a series.

Spanning decades in the lives of Isabel and Edward, The Death of Us is bold, bleak and brilliant.

Victims of a serial attacker whose crimes have escalated over the years. Their lives were torn apart one night. This book is incredibly empathetic to the victims and survivors, not just Isabel and Edward, the other victims, the families and police.

Their attacker is finally facing trial, encouraging communication, openness and honesty.

The character writing, the development and progression over the years is extraordinary. It’s deeply emotionally involving, and once it gets going it’s absolutely compelling.

Two great books it made me think of were The Nothing Man - Catherine Ryan Howard, in that the perpetrator is identified very early on, and Our Little Cruelties (Liz Nugent) with the flitting around in time to to create full and complete portraits of these characters and the changes they face over the years.

This book will win awards. It won’t be for everyone but if you want to read some of the very best and most complete character writing then you can’t miss it.

An incredible achievement.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction

Having enjoyed Abigail Dean's earlier books I was pleased to have an early copy of The Death of Us. An engaging and thoughtful narrative about the changing nature of love and how it is impacted by not only traumatic events but also time. The main characters have depth and felt very real. Despite the reflective style of writing it also conveyed the urgency of the characters having a story they needed to share. A great book and one I will recommend. ,

I've honestly never read a book which has made me feel like this. Every single turn of a page left me with a sick feeling in the pit my stomach, like someone has taken my worst fear and laid it out bare.

The Death of Us tells the story of Isabel and Edward dealing with the consequences of a brutal crime committed against them. The story moves between perspectives and time frames as we come to understand the heinous nature of the crime, the devastating consequences and the fallout all at the same time.

Now having read this book with a sadness hanging over every word, how do I recommend it? By saying it is one of the most powerful novels I've read in a long time.

For every word of pain and suffering, there is a tinge of hope. For every victim, there is a survivor.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | Hemlock Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

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.

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.