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.

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.

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

5 stars all the way. This book is simply brilliant. The development of the characters, the plot, and the circumstances are all well thought out, not a detail wasted. Reading this book is like going on an emotional rollercoaster, you are completely emotionally vulnerable to the twists and turns and hope you make it out intact. I spent all night reading it, hooked all the way to the end. The characters have such a depth to them that makes them feel real, and the emotions that they make you feel. This is the first book I've read by Abigail Dean, and I will be going back and checking out her previous works after this gripping one. A must-read for 2025!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I enjoyed Abigail Dean’s previous 2 books and I was excited to read the Death of us. I was thoroughly gripped by this intriguing and thought provoking story. The story is told from 2 perspectives and jumps back and forth in time while remaining easy to follow. The story looks at grief and trauma and how every individual deals differently with it. I found the characters to be strong and inspiring, especially Isabel. A fabulously written story that I will definitely be recommending. 5 stars.

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

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.

I absolutely loved Dean’s previous two books and was excited to receive a ARC of this. I devoured it in a night and was completely caught up with the characters. Dean is the master of psychology and complex characters that are morally grey. This was a gripping tale that had me feeling raw by the end.

Just wow

The best Abigail Dean book so far!

A story of undeniable love through an awful event that would destroy anybody.

Edward and Isabel’s love story is through everything and the ending was perfect. This is the side of a crime book you do not usually see!

2025 is bringing the best books!!

Abigail Dean’s novels get better and better. ‘The Death of Us’ could just as easily be called ‘Portrait of a Marriage’ but that title was taken half a century ago! The reader is introduced to Edward and Isobel on the cusp of adulthood. There is an immediate attraction, although they don’t become a couple for a while. They marry in their twenties, embark on highly regarded careers and buy a house in Camberwell. They like nothing more than spending time together; they are a ‘great fit’. Lucky them; so far, so good.
And then, one night, they are subject to an appalling attack. Nothing will be the same ever again.
Abigail Dean’s portrayal of their lives following this tragedy, its reverberations and ongoing repercussions is entirely convincing and beautifully written. ‘The Death of Us’ examines how a couple who seemed to have it all try to navigate their marriage in the aftermath of the crime. The love is undoubtedly there but recklessness, fear and loneliness also become intimate bedfellows in the years ahead. Finally, Edward and Isabel have to learn to live apart.
The South London Invader is eventually brought to trial. Edward and Isabel are reunited in court, face to face with the perpetrator of the trauma which all those decades ago made them who they are now. A thought-provoking, sensitively explored and thoroughly involving read. Highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, Hemlock Press for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Actual Rating: 4.5

Anyone whose picked up a book by Abigail Dean before will already be aware of how vividly emotive and unique her approach to the thriller genre is. Her novels have a tendency to utterly captivate a reader whilst telling a tale that takes a different route to most within the crowd. And ’The Death Of Us’ is probably the hardest of her books to categorise yet. It’s undeniably a vividly compelling narrative surrounding the aftermath, and eventual trial, of a horrific crime yet something about this one feels closer to literary fiction than a thriller offering on the whole. This isn’t a bad thing by any means, just something readers should be aware of in advance.

Like always Abigail Dean’s writing instantly reeled me in and left me unable to pull myself away from the pages of this book. It starts off with a section in Isabel’s perspective which immediately got its claws beneath my skin. Her chapters are written as if she’s speaking to her attacker, talking in a surprisingly intimate manner that feels almost conversational but is deeply personal at the same time. Alternating around these chapters are those of Edward which offer additional insight into their past as well as covering the present timeline at the trial itself. Having these two viewpoints works wonders for keeping you invested and offering slightly different insights into certain moments in time. Over the course of both narrative voices events are revealed that you can’t help but form some degree of judgement over, yet later on further light tends to get shed that makes you see things in a whole different manner. It’s a deeply emotive and layered journey that is utterly compelling to unravel.

One thing that I particularly like about ’The Death Of Us’ is how complex, messy and true to life it’s characters feel. They make mistakes, they have problems of their own and although the invasion that they suffer through naturally has a catastrophic impact upon them, their attacker isn’t the only defining feature of their lives. Both have problems and struggles that existed prior to his entry into their lives. Both feel utterly fleshed out and believable. And both struggle through and react to the horrific invasion that they were victims of in a highly believable manner.

As you’d probably imagine from the premise this isn’t the easiest of reads as it deals with some very dark and difficult subject matters. What I always appreciate about this author’s books though is that she does so in such an emotive and moving way. Nothing dark and grisly is shied away from but it’s generally covered in a manner that puts the focus on the emotional impact of such horrors. Nothing is sensationalised simply for the sake of it. Although I will say that in this particular book I do think a few more details could have been shared. Not about the invasion at Isabel and Edward’s home but instead about some of the murders that followed. Not in a gory manner either, it’s just that the culprit’s crimes were escalating but very little was said about most of those later invasions. Given some of the action towards the end I think a couple more insights could have been beneficial too. Although it is hard to say exactly how they’d fit as ultimately this novel is what its title promises – the collapse of a marriage after a horrific crime.

Ultimately I recommend ’The Death Of Us’, particularly to anyone who wants a thriller that focuses more on the impact of crime than on the atrocities themselves. It’s a beautifully written and harrowing tale about the devastating events surrounding a horrific home invasion. At times it’s difficult to read given its dark subject matter but the manner that it’s written in is utterly compelling throughout. And its character work is simply phenomenal. Needless to say I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

Let me just start by saying that this is the best book I have read in as long as I can remember. The plot surrounds the upcoming trial of a London home invader. His crimes were carried out 25 years ago but with each he became more and more sadistic and brutal. He has spared his living victims by pleading guilty. However, they are given an opportunity of writing a victim impact letter prior to his sentencing.

The story is narrated through the perspective of Isabel and Edward who have since divorced. Edward has moved on but has agreed to support her in court. As we delve back into their past, we meet colourful and complex characters like Freddie, a loyal friend from uni and Etta, the courageous detective in charge of their case.

Dean tackles some dark and triggering issues here as the true horror surrounding Nigel Wood’s attack on victims is revealed. What is so beautiful, however, is the unwavering love story that unfolds between the couple and their friends. This is a novel that will be talked about for a long time and giving it a 5-star review doesn’t seem sufficient.

May I take this opportunity to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for allowing me to read it ahead of publication.