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.

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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.

I was thrilled to get an advance reader copy of this fabulous book. It’s so well written and poignant, there were times when I felt like shouting and crying. Isabel Nolan and Edward Hennessy on their own little island, a sad island, as Amy had remarked.

The backstory provides a tender insight into their lives and the layers needed to know them, but the losses they incurred along the way had an uncanny way of reminding us of how powerless we really are. How brutally realistic the attacks were and how visions of every detail were seared in Isabel’s mind whenever she is intimate with Edward.

As she and Edward oscillate between togetherness and being apart, they suffered more challenges. Sadly, Isabel thinks about her attacker in all the ways you would imagine, as a father and as a husband. All the while her marriage is eroding. I kept thinking the love they had for each other was too strong to let go. I kept hoping that something would happen to keep them together. There are other characters who suffer terribly, friends who help and other victims with their own stories to tell.

This book isn’t graphic or overwhelmingly triggering, which is why I could handle some of the tougher themes. But it is a bleak and harrowing book.

I want to thank the author and publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced copy.

I found this a well written, carefully thought out story about trauma. I wanted to be engaged but I failed. I found the slow detailed pace difficult to get through and for me, the single slow pace didn’t work. I felt as if I was reading the same chapter from start to finish.
I feel that the awful impact of the trauma was accurate but as the pace of the book didn’t change it didn’t have the impact I expected.

This is a book which could upset some readers as it deals with murder and rape. The main characters are Isabel and her one time husband then on and off lover. What binds them is the share experience when a serial rapist and killer breaks into their home , ties up the husband and rapes Isabel in a different room. They are far from being the only ones. The perpetrator also murdered one young girl’s parents across more than twenty years the killer/ rapist very carefully identifies his victims. The police are unable to find DNA clues. The experience obviously has an effect on marriages and other relationships. Then a very small clue emerges leading to an arrest. That brings some consolation to the victims particularly when they are asked to tel the court how they were affected. The accused ‘s daughter defends the accused describing him as a loving, caring father. There are other characters in the story as well as detail about the effect on the lead policewoman and the lead couple’s business life. These details are carefully delivered to make an interesting read.. I recommend it.

This takes Dean's books to a new level.
This one is so much about people, how they feel, how they react and how they cope in the aftermath of a crime.
It was quite something getting to know the young Isabel and Edward, and also getting to know the older version.
Quite a small cast of main characters , each one strongly written.
It's a sure fire hit I think.

I enjoyed Abigail's 2 previous books, but this one was too depressing for me. It was very dark and filled with trauma, following a couple whose lives had been ruined following a violent home invasion.

I found myself feeling really down whilst reading it (which I have to admit is testament to what a good write Abigail is, that the mood of the book can affect you even when you aren't reading it). I was relieved to get to the end, this book wasn't for me. It was very hard to rate because I didn't enjoy it but I do appreciate that it was well written, so I decided to go for 3 stars.

Completely compelling.

It tells the story of Edward and Isabel with the story switching between each of them, and also changing timelines, flicking from past to present, without ever becoming confusing. We see the start of their relationship, their friendships, their careers ... But Edward and Isabel are victims of a terrible crime - an intruder enters their home, they are separated, Edward is threatened, and Isabel violently assaulted. The story relates how each of them has reacted to this, but also how the serial intruder - who soon becomes a murderer - affects other people's lives, including that of the police officer tasked with tracking him down. The reader also knows that the intruder is now on trial, and there's a question of witness statements, and what Isabel and Edward will reveal when they have their moment in court.

This description barely does the book justice - it really is truly compelling, not just a crime novel, but also looking at the effect a terrible crime can have both on the victim but also on those around them.

I would recommend this to any keen reader I know.

This is an unexpectedly beautiful love story set amidst the fallout of a horrendous crime. The writing is gently paced and pulls you in without you noticing. I did, however, find the book a little dry in places so I’ve given it three stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

This book follows the lives of Edward and Isabel. From falling in love, to the events that tore them apart. An intruder in their house, the book hints at what he did to them, revealing slowly. In present time the intruder, serial rapist and murderer, Nigel Woods has been caught, confessed and is in court awaiting sentencing. The couple are attending listening to other victims stories whilst waiting for the opportunity to make their own statements. Edward tells what is happening in the present , whereas Isabel’s voice tells events from the past.

This was a really powerful story. Just enough of a slow build to keep me hooked, but not too slow that I got bored. The characters were flawed but real and likeable. Their love seemed true. I enjoyed reading of all aspects of their lives together and found myself hoping things would be different between them. My only criticism would be the ending is sudden and for me want satisfying. I wanted to hear the sentence, find out what happened to Freddie and most importantly what became of Edward and Isobel.

This is one I highly recommend.