4.5* This was a dark emotional and graphic story of the effects of a violent crime on a couple. Young and in love, Edward and Isabel marry. When they were 30 years old, a perpetrator invaded their home and upended their lives. Although physical death doesn't occur, death of their marriage, love and well being does die. The perpetrator is caught. The evidence is there of the South London Invader, who had now become a serial killer.
This will break your heart. At times it was heart wrenching as they spill out the emotional trauma. In court, they have a chance to read their impact statement. Reading about their past and present, it reveals the damage and scars that never heal.
"Marriage turned inside out by a violent encounter that sets fire to the hairline faults that were there from the start."
Isabel has followed his violent crimes and spoke with some of his victims over the years. Edward has moved on with his life and remarried. He doesn't want to talk about it. I have always wondered after the TV cameras and spokesperson are long gone, how people move on with their lives. I realized everyone handles it differently, as in this case of two people. Such an invasion of space, hearts and minds which are torn, but the graphic violence would leave tunnels of darkness with the light always close but never enough to grasp it. This book grapples with the hope and as dark as it is I was optimistic maybe some relief would come at the trial.
The heartbreak alone was hard to read and very traumatic, but it is a story with telling to understand the horrors people endure and the after effects of it. I have had her book Girl A on my shelf from BOTM since 2021 I need to read it after this compelling book broke my heart.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for this incredible ARC in exchange for my review.

I heard @novelvisits talk about this on @sarahsbookshelves podcast and couldn’t get a copy fast enough. As she promised, it was intense, engrossing, and absolutely compelling.

This is a genre mash-up - part psychological suspense, part thriller, part detective story, and ultimately, part romance. At its bare bones, it’s a story about Isabel and Edward’s marriage and the effects trauma can have on that bond. It’s a slow burn as the story unfolds and it is unflinchingly raw and emotional in its delivery. The storytelling is so compelling that I had a hard time putting the book down. I went into the story fairly blind (however, if you are a sensitive reader at all, you must seek out trigger warnings) and I’m really glad I did because I feel like the unraveling of the story was part of the process and made the overall affect more appealing.

I really enjoyed the way Dean revealed this story. Told alternately from Isabel’s and Edward’s perspectives, she also alternated timelines. This allowed her to continue to drop the breadcrumbs that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. Isabel tells the story from the past moving forward while Edward picks up the current timeline and fills in the gaps. Dean handles it all masterfully and I was impressed!

@VikingBooks | #partner WOW! What to say about 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗨𝗦 by Abigail Dean? I’m not sure I’ve read a more captivating book this year. It may be considered a psychological thriller by many and I would agree to a point, but for me this is a love story above all else. We meet Isabel and Edward when they’re 58, preparing to read victim impact statements for the sentencing of the serial killer and rapist who violated their lives nearly 30 years earlier. (Think Golden State Killer sort of crimes.)⁣⁣⁣
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Told in alternating chapters by Isabel and Edward, the story starts out a little on the slow side, but quickly picks up steam. Isabel’s chapters are told in first person speaking to the man who turned their world upside down. She begins when they met at 19, right up to the present. Edward’s chapters are all from the present, specifically the days leading up to the sentencing. Through him we better know Isabel and how she became the person she is today. Between the two, readers come to truly understand this couple, their love, their despair, their mistakes, their resilience and just how deep their bond runs.⁣⁣⁣
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With that description, I’ve also left so much out. The story is populated with many other characters important to the lives of Isabel and Edward. Through their voices we get to know these others well. Dean’s storytelling was superb, constantly drawing you deeper and deeper into their world. ⁣⁣⁣
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“I wasn’t friendless, but I was entirely alone. It seemed to me that Edward and I lived in a small prison, inmates two, and although we were allowed to spend our days as regular citizens, we were always bound to return to our cells.”⁣⁣⁣
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Simply stated, this was a beautiful story of love put through the most horrific of crimes. It may not be for everyone, but none-the-less it’s a book I highly recommend. I expect you’ll be hearing me talk about it a lot this year!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

“The Death of Us,” by Abigail Dean, Viking, 336 pages, April 15, 2025.

Edward and Isabel are in their 30s. One summer evening, a man breaks into their home in England. He rapes Isabel and brutalizes both of them.

The man, known as the South London Invader, isn’t arrested until shortly after Isabel’s 55th birthday. His name is Nigel Wood. He is 70 and is a retired police officer. He is now accused of murdering nine people and raping many more. He was tracked down by the use of ancestry DNA.

Edward and Isabel divorced years before the arrest. Edward has remarried. Isabel hasn’t. They haven’t seen each other in years. Wood is pleading guilty and surviving victims are allowed to give impact statements in court.

Isabel is sure she’ll speak in court and finally let the past go. Edward has spent the years since the break-in trying to figure out how a near-miss with death resulted in their divorce. This is told through both viewpoints, with Isabel’s chapters set in the past and Edward’s chapters set in the present.

“The Death of Us” is not an easy read. The topics are brutal, but there is little graphic violence. The novel is deeply emotional and not for everyone. It is well written, but slow-moving.

Abigail Dean is also the author of the bestselling novel “Girl A.”

I rate it four out of five stars.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This is a clever and ambitious book, and it mostly worked for me. The story is anchored around Edward and Isabel, who experienced a traumatic home invasion and rape when they were thirty and married. The story is told in multiple timelines (though not in a confusing way at all!) and we see their love story unfold through their university years, and then their divorce as they each processed their trauma in different ways. I really liked most of this book, but it went off the rails at the end with a scene that I didn't think was necessary. This was a deep character study on marriage, and how a traumatic event can impact the individuals and their relationship.

A slow burn thriller recounting the destruction of a marriage and the slow reveal of the trama of the night that a home invasion, torture and rape impacted the couple. Told twenty five years after the event when the perpetrator has been caught the narrative recounts the past, the present and directs comments at the perpetrator. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy for an honest review.

This is a very different sort of read. Or at least to me. I was expecting a serial killer story, as I did not pay a lot of attention to the blurb beyond the words "serial killer". Well, had I done so, I would probably not have read it and missed out on an interesting and suspenseful character study. We have Edward and Isabel, a divorced couple in their late 50's. Edward and Isabel were victims of the infamous South London Invader, a serial killer. He invaded their home 30 years before when they were happily married. Obviously, they were not killed, but the trauma inflicted upon the couple and their marriage ultimately split them up. 25 years later, they reunite for the killer's trial. We go back and learn just what happened to the couple leading up to the trial and we also have an interesting look at the killer present-day. I enjoyed this, especially seeing how we tend to focus so much on criminals, rather than their victims. I also enjoyed that ultimately there was still some positivity to an otherwise tragic story.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Abigail Dean and PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Viking for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of April 15, 2025.

I was a bit unsure how I was going to feel about this book. In the beginning I really didn’t care for the FMC and had a bit of difficulty following the authors prose as well as the back n forth timelines, that being said, the eerie mystery really drew me in and had me eager to figure out what happened that night. This story is a bit dark and at times deeply unsettling, don’t be surprised when you find yourself checking your locks and looking outside your windows more compulsively. Many thanks to @netgalley @abigailsdean and @penguinrandomhouse for the ARC 🖤
#thedeathofus #netgalley #arcreader #abigaildeanbooks

I don’t have a ton of things to say about this (I blame it being Monday - I can only write short reviews on Mondays). I loved how unique this felt. It wasn’t your traditional thriller - more like a slow burn unraveling or psychological descent after something terrible happens. I really liked the writing. It was gritty and atmospheric and somehow very lovely despite the horrible subject matter. The story did drag a bit at times and I thought it could have been shorter, but overall I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Thank you to Viking Books and Netgalley for this ARC, which comes out tomorrow!

4.5 stars. Late one evening, 30 year-old, Edward and Isabel's home is invaded by a serial killer, The South London Invader. Luckily, they are not murdered but this invasion has changed them and their marriage irrevocably.
25 years later the perpetrator is caught and Isabel and Edward attend the trial to read their impact statements and to maybe make sense of this horrific event in their lives. They are no longer together but theirs was a true partnership and love may just end up winning the day.
A very in-depth look at a marriage and a tragedy. Told in dual POVs, with Isabel's reading to the killer from the start of her love story with Edward, emphasizing what was lost, and Edward's POV mostly present day and just as agonizing. What a story!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Viking for this digital e-arc.*

This was a great new angle on a thriller. It provides two perspectives, one of which addresses the assailant directly. This makes for a fascinating story within an intertwining narrative. It's unique how this story came together, and the character development was amazing. I would recommend this for those that like character-driven fiction and a little crime drama. This was truly genre bending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for a copy. This is out tomorrow, April 15th!

📚: The Death of Us by Abigail Dean
⭐️: 2/5

A slow burn story of a marriage unraveled over decades after a home invasion by an infamous London area serial killer.

I nearly DNF’ed this one at 20% in. I ultimately didn’t and finished, and found myself wishing I had. Disappointingly flat with Isabel’s chapters written in both the second and first person, making for a confusing read at times.

Thanks to Penguin Group - Viking for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Death of Us is out tomorrow, 4/15.

Edward and Isabel at 58 are attending the trial of a serial killer and rapist, who had invaded their home when they were 30. The criminal, nicknamed the South London Invader, committed crimes similar to that of the Golden State Killer. Not only did he commit horrendous crimes to his victims, he would also stay in their homes for hours, eating, talking, etc. and inflicting severe psychological distress. The book alternates between Isabel recounting the last 40ish years of her life, starting at when she met Edward as a college student to current, while Edward narrates the present timeline. Though it involves a serial killer, this is very much not a thriller or police procedural but more of a quiet, slow burn character study. I absolutely loved this close look at a marriage and how a traumatic event affects the victims and their relationships. This book shows what can happen when people grieve and react to trauma differently, as well as how you move on with your life after such an event. The author does an excellent job in her portrayal of Edward and Isabel - we get to know them so well, they seem almost real. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy. 5 stars

Thanks to Viking Books for gifted access via NetGalley. All opinions below are my own.

I think this one is being marketed wrong, it is 100% not a thriller or a mystery. It is the story of a couple whose marriage falls apart after they are targeted by a notorious serial rapist and killer. In alternating chapters we get Isabel's story starting in the past as she meets and marries Edward and they have the worst night anyone can have. Modelled mostly on BTK, Isabel is bound and raped while Edward is helpless. In his chapters, we are in the present day as the killer is hearing his victim's impact statements. We know quite early that they are divorced and supporting each other through this process, but they are oddly drawn to each other. 

I appreciated all the stories of how people lived with their trauma but there wasn't enough mystery for me. These people just needed therapy. I don't particularly like books where people don't actually communicate.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by Abigail Dean. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Isabel and Edward's world changed completely when they were victims of a violent home invasion by a serial killer. It became something they couldn't fully talk about together, and they handled that in different ways. When they are brought back together for the killer's sentencing, they're forced to look closer at themselves and their relationship.

I didn't not want to put this book down. It's beautifully written, told in alternating chapters of Edward's voice in the present and Isobel's victim statement. I was so invested in each timeline that I was sorry to switch, only to feel the same at the end of the next chapter. There's so much emotion pouring off the pages - most of us can only imagine what it would be like to go through something like this. Who's to say how we would react? Even the secondary characters evoke emotion and feel so realistic. Will Edward and Isabel finally feel closure and justice? What will their lives look like going forward? The implosion of a love story that never truly died. Don't miss this one.

I’ve loved all of this authors ripped from the headlines books.
This one follows the people attacked and traumatized by a serial rapist/killer who turns out to be a cop.
But it’s more than that bc it deeply examines the effects of the trauma and i found it very compelling.
It reminded me a little of Bright Young Women.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance digital copy. This review is my own words. I did not enjoy this book as so many others seem to have done. I did not like the writing style. Edward and Isabel told their POV every other chapter. I often lost track when Isabel was speaking. Edward had a little more appeal than Isabel--awkward social skills that I can relate to. The book was dry and slow. It made me uncomfortable/unsettled with the evil that the serial killer harbored. Be sure to read the trigger warnings.

Edward and Isabel become victims of a crime. The story is told in alternating POV's. They reflect on the crime and especially how it impacted their marriage. I don’t know how to fully describe it, but the story had a flat, detached quality to it. It needed a spark, for me. 

It does have a thought-provoking premise and would provide for an interesting discussion on how trauma can affect our lives in profound ways. It was just okay for me. 

⚠️ | Contains some strong profanity and crude language. Message me if you have questions about trigger warnings; there are a number of them.

[Thanks to the publisher, Penguin Group/Viking and NetGalley for the advance electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

This story about the lives of a couple before and after a shattering event (one clearly inspired by the Golden State Killer cases) gives a heartrending, intense perspective on what it is like to keep living and loving in the aftermath. It is powerful and moving.

DNF 23%

The Death of Us is something of an upmarket thriller tracking a couple's relationship before and after they are victims of a horrible assault. The narrative alternates between the woman (Isabel) narrating the past events, using the second person as she addresses everything to her assaulter, and a third-person limited focus on Edward (the male partner) during the assaulter's eventual trial. There are some intriguing ideas here, and the author is very clearly basing these crimes on the Golden State Killer. However, Isabel is a really difficult character to like. I'm not terribly interested to learn the middle part of the story because I'm not invested in her.

For readers who are seeking a psychological mystery/thriller with complicated characters, this is one to check out. It just isn't for me.