I had no idea where this story was going, but I knew from the very beginning I was going to enjoy trying to figure it out! The uniqe style of second person storytelling made this fun too!

Abigail Dean’s unflaggingly engrossing “The Death of Us,” with its depiction of a couple dealing with the aftermath of a brutal attack on them in their own house, put me in mind of the 2001 disappearance of Washington intern Chandra Levy, and specifically how a commentator at the time said that while he didn’t think congressman Gary Condit, with whom it had been suspected Levy had been involved, had anything to do with her death, he did think that Levy would still be alive if she hadn’t come within Condit’s orbit.
Which I took to mean that sometimes a relationship can be so fraught, so the occasion for almost spontaneous combustion, that it might not be the occasion in and of itself for something truly horrific but might, with its particular circumstances, help create external conditions conducive to a horrific outcome.
With Chandra, for instance, you have to wonder if, but for her involvement with Condit, she would have been doing whatever she was doing the day she disappeared – indeed, if there was something about the relationship that she was trying to get away from.
Rank conjecture, granted, such speculation about a real-life figure, but altogether permissible about fictional creations such as author Dean’s Isabel and Edward, who, without question, had they not been sharing a particular house on the day of the attack, wouldn’t have fallen victim to their attacker, one Nigel Wood, who, we’re told, was no opportunistic seizer of the moment but rather one who meticulously planned his attacks and would have taken copious note of their daily comings and goings at their house.
Indeed, there's an express recognition from Edward that not only might his and Isabel’s particular situation have helped make for the particular circumstances of the attack, but, in an even more illuminating supposition, that there was something about Isabel that made her a catalyst or lightning rod for situations with the potential for horrific outcomes. In mentally remarking, for instance, about how things would have been different if he’d married someone else, he thinks, “things would have been different, and not just in the obvious ways … where they might have lived, the nature of their family. … there was something inherent in Isabel that made her the kind of person things happened to, an incessant extremity of pleasure, suffering, joy.”
And even more pointedly: “If he had not married Isabel, Nigel Wood would not have chosen him.”
It's a notion given voice to by Isabel as well when she says, “sometimes I wish I’d never met you,” as well as by Edward's second wife, Amy, when she says, “it's just the two of you, making each other miserable.”
Not that Isabel and Edward were completely bad for each other; indeed, it’s the particular horror of the assault that it ruined something that, as both Edward and Isabel acknowledge, for all its difficulties, was in fact overall a good thing.
But it's not just Isabel and Edward whose lives are upended by the attack but also
the initial detective on the case, Etta, who comes to obsess about catching the attacker and, in one of the book’s more genuinely affecting moments for me with how I’d come to genuinely like her, is knifed in a scrape with him that puts her in the hospital where, when Isabel comes to visit and asks how she’s doing, she’s put off by Etta’s lover, who, irate at Isabel for being the occasion for Etta’s precarious state, tells her, “they had to carry her guts behind her to the ambulance, that’s how (she’s doing). Please don't come back.”
For all the affectedness of Etta's situation for me, though, it's unquestionably Isabel who dominates the novel, with her sections being the most stylistically innovative as she imagines herself talking to Nigel as she formulates her impact statement after he is caught.
“I would like to know if your memory accords with my own about what happened,” she addresses him in her mind, going on to express disappointment upon learning the mundaneness of his name (“what did you expect, Adolf?” Edward asks) as well as the humdrum details of his upbringing.
An estimable character, Isabel makes for some of the pithiest utterances of the novel, as when Edward perpetrates some devastation on a table, and Isabella responds with “What did the coffee table ever do to you?” Or when Etta thinks that a shelf falling on her might have been Nigel's doing and Isabel responds with, “what a way to go, crushed by a f … ing file cabinet.” And when Edward remarks on how he looks a bore in a picture in the newspaper, Isabelle responds with, “a little constipated, perhaps.”
But not just with Isabel’s utterances does the novel’s prose shine but also in general, as when Edward is surprised by the dilapidated state of a friend he hasn’t seen for a while, “with his clothes besmeared and his eyes the color of rotten teeth.” Or when he has settled himself into the hotel where he will stay during Nigel’s sentencing hearing and discovers that his suitcase had “found its way to his room.” Or again about Isabel: “I opened the door and stepped into the years.” And in a particularly engaging sentiment for me as a writer, Isabel finds words to be as “close to divinity as anything else I knew in this world.”
Especially engaging to me as a writer, then, Dean’s novel, though not without its occasional hiccup. While the stylistic technique of Isabel’s sections, for instance, is strikingly innovative, it can make for momentary confusion – more than once it was a while into a passage before I realized that it was Nigel and not Edward that Isabel was referring to. And it takes a while for a reader to get clear on the identity of some of the secondary characters – a character named George, for instance, who turns up now and again in earlier pages, is a secondary detective assigned to the case, and I don’t think it gives away too much to reveal that Nina, who also appears only occasionally in the opening pages and who a reader might come to think is Edward and Isabel’s child, is in fact the daughter of a couple slain by Nigel who has ended up being looked after by Isabel and George.
And there’s the usual issue with topical references testing a reader’s familiarity with the matter at hand – how many readers, for instance, will pick up on “Thomas Harris” being the creator of Hannibal Lecter, for all the appropriateness of that character to Dean’s novel.
Still, overall a commendable achievement, her novel, and one of the most compelling I've read in recent times.

This book was WONDERFUL! So suspenseful. Something that hooked me early on was how Isabelle and Edward spoke to each other early on in their dating lives. Dialogue can be one of my biggest pet peeves in a book, but their interactions were so witty, unique, and made their relationship instantly more interesting as a reader, which made me care about them more when the invader came in. Speaking of, the slow burn teases of his crimes was so intriguing instead of just going right into it. I think my favorite line was when one of the victims on the stand summed up her trauma by saying she used to be more fun. What an iconic line. My fav book of the year thus far, easily.

This is not your typical serial killer story. In fact, it is a love story, it is a survival story, it is an emotional roller coaster. If you have read Abigail Dean before you will know that she has a unique style and is very much character oriented in her stories. It is a slow burning tale but believe me when I tell you that you will not want to put it down. I read this in less than 24 hours, completely invested from start to finish.

Isobel and Edward were happy and in love when one night changed everything. Their home is invaded and they are attacked by the man in the mask. This is the story of Isobel and Edward, before and after the invasion. It breaks them, it brings them together. But things can never be the same. 25 years later they reunite to face their attacker in court for his sentencing, finally being caught after terrorising the capital for so many years.

This is highly emotional as you would expect. People react differently to trauma and things don’t always make sense. It is hard to read in places, but it does have its bright spots. I thoroughly enjoyed it .

Thank you so much o Penguin Group Viking for my copy in NetGalley to read. I wish I had read it sooner.

I simply could not wait to get my hands on Abigail Dean's next book, and I'm so happy I was able to read an advance copy. No one writes like her. She has a knack for writing about violence in a way that gets right to it, but is also driven by empathy and heart. I'm already looking forward to her next book.

Edward and Isabel have a strong marriage and true partnership, until their world and relationship is shattered when an intruder breaks in and commits acts of violence.

This was such an interesting take on a serial killer just like the Golden State Killer. I’m assuming it was based on his spree and later arrest as is was extremely similar. The entire story is from the victim perspective; both husband and wife. While a lot of it focused on the crime and investigation, there was so much more to it as well. This is not a fast read and you’ll need to take your time with it. I found the court room scenes very interesting.

“You didn’t kill me, and you didn’t rape me, and we all survived you. I’ve always been very thankful for that. But by God. By God. It sounds like a small thing, I suppose. But I was so much more fun before I met you.”

The Death of Us comes out 4/15.

Isabel and Edward’s lives changed when they survived a devastating home invasion. Now divorced, they meet when the perpetrator is finally caught and and they attend his trial. The story is told by both of these characters and it’s a compelling and sad tale.
I enjoyed reading about their early relationship, even though I knew something horrible would happen (if that makes sense). I wanted to believe that maybe, with their attacker finally being caught, that would help them heal and close the door on this painful chapter.
Well written, and a reminder that people can and do overcome a lot, even if it takes years. It is a slow burn, but one that definitely highlighted the aftereffects of a crime.

This story was heartbreaking to follow as the author takes you through the characters journey of the aftermath of trauma and the impact it has on their relationships. The story was beautifully written and I enjoyed the read. The pov was unique in that it follows the main characters through a healing journey as it advances through the stages of hardship. Solid 4 star read.

This book tells the story of Isabel and Edward, who are the victims of a brutal home invasion in their 20's, and follows the years of their life after the horrific event. It's told in alternating perspectives, Edward in the current timeline, but Isabel's perspective being told as if she is telling the story of her life with Edward, and the attack to the attacker himself, which was different than anything I've read before. I thought it worked really well.
The story itself is complex, heartbreaking and raw. The author did a great job writing characters I was able to connect with. I felt really invested in their story.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is definitely a book for mystery lovers looking for a read that is emotional, deep and dark.
I enjoyed it for the most part, but felt it was a bit too slow of a pace for me to want to pick it up and read. I like books that keep me one edge and want to read every chance I get, and unfortunately this one didn’t do that for me. That being said, it was still a well written story and just because it wasn’t a favorite of mine, doesn’t mean it won’t be for you!

Thanks to the publisher for my ARC

Emotionally charged and intense! This is the story of Isabel and Edward and their journey from young, hopeful love, the destruction of their relationship, and the years after. At 30 years old, their lives are ripped apart by a brutal home invasion. Nearly thirty years later, they are reunited for the perpetrator’s trial. This powerful, slow burn, psychological story is told in alternating timelines and POVs as we learn of their life together, the breakdown of their marriage, and the aftermath they each experience as victims of a violent crime.

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Group Viking, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on April 15, 2025

I wouldn’t call this book a mystery thriller, but more a psychological character study of two individuals, together and apart, who come together decades later after a traumatizing event pulled them apart. I appreciated the ebbs and flows that the author weaved between past and present, the build up of their relationship, marriage and the deterioration thereof, in juxtaposition of a reckoning that is unfathomable pain. I thought the book was a little slow for me, but it could have been the mood I was in for something more faster paced. I loved GIRL A and eager to continue to read and support Dean’s work.

Isabel and Edward were attacked in their home by a serial rapist and murderer, and this book covers their complicated history and relationship over several decades following the attack. The story culminates at the sentencing trial of infamous London Invader. It’s hard to say I enjoyed a book with such brutal depictions of sexual assault, rape, and psychological terror for multiple victims. That said the book is an incredibly well done page turner, and the end result is that I’m finally going back to my shelf to read Abigail Dean’s Girl A. Thank you to Penguin Group Viking Penguin and NetGalley for my ARC. Add this to your TBR - out April 15, 2025.

This is a dark page-turner told from Edward and Isabel’s POVs. It focuses on their relationship before and after their home invasion. I appreciate that this book mainly focused on the victims and very little on the crime. I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting.

The Death of Us is a multi-layered story. The story is of Edward and Isabel, a married couple who endure an unthinkable crime. Told from alternating perspectives, you immediately feel their terror. The book, however, centers primarily on the aftermath of the event and Edward and Isabel’s lives as they try to move forward.

The author provides an intimate view into Edward and Isabel’s marriage. You feel their terror the night of the event and their resulting raw pain and emotion. My heart ached for them at times as they attempted to navigate the next chapter, often in isolation.

The story shows in the most relatable way how two people can love each other fiercely but sometimes it just isn’t enough. Edward and Isabel try desperately to be there for each other, but in the author’s words,”There is no saving people.” You can surround them with love and compassion, but the rest is up to them.

Dean is a gifted writer, but within the alternating perspectives there were sometimes odd transitions that were a bit difficult to follow. My other criticism (and this was a big one for me) was the overuse of one of the most offensive words in the English language. It appears at least a dozen times in the book. I found it unnecessary and very off-putting.

Despite that, this book is well-written. It is labeled a thriller but is more a story about our fragile nature as humans, but also our ability to demonstrate remarkable resiliency. It reminded me of the phrase,,“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” If you met Edward or Isabel on the street, you would never guess what they had been through and how deeply it has affected their lives.

I went into this book thinking it would be a typical thriller. It proved to be so much more than that and I ended up really enjoying it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Death of Us is an excellent slow burn, character driven literary fiction with a true crime feel. Edward and Isabel are victims of a home invasion. While the crime is at the center, this novel is really more of an exploration of their marriage and the aftermath and long reaching effects from this tragedy. The crime itself is horrendous, but mostly occurs off page, with snippets of what happened, so it is not too gruesome or gory. I loved the alternating views between the wife and the husband, although some may not like the style of the wife’s story (2nd person). The voice is reminiscent of “Notes on an Execution” by Danya Kukafka, where the focus is more on the victims than on the perpetrator. I loved the raw, emotional, and intense writing. The characters are flawed but you can’t help feeling for them and rooting for them. While I really liked Girl A, this is by far my favorite from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Viking group for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

This novel offers a harrowing yet deeply insightful exploration of trauma and the intricate dynamics of human relationships. At its core, the story follows a couple who survive a brutal attack, with the aftermath rippling through their lives and the lives of those around them.

Admittedly, the writing style posed a challenge at first, making the initial chapters a bit harder to read. While this might make it difficult for some readers to engage right away, the payoff is worth the effort.

Overall, this is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read.

THE DEATH OF US is not only one of the best books I’ve read so far this year, it is also, hands down, one of the best literary thrillers I’ve read in a long, long time—and possibly ever. A forensic examination of the breakdown of a marriage in the wake of a horrifying crime, it was also an emotional tour de force, heart-wrenching and compulsively readable, a story I did not want to put down even after the final sentence. This was a truly excellent comeback for Abigail Dean, following up from her disappointing (in my opinion) sophomore outing, DAY ONE.

After falling in love as teenagers, thirtysomething married couple Edward and Isabel had been together for over a decade when their south London home was invaded by a serial killer; in the wake of this terrifying and life-altering violation, their (seemingly) picture-perfect relationship completely falls apart, as they struggle to reckon with their own, and each other’s, differing experiences of the event. Twenty years later, they reunite to give statements at the invader’s trial, where it soon becomes clear they may not be totally finished with each other—but in order to come back together, they must both face up to the damage and destruction they wrought upon each other over the course of their marriage.

I’m usually pretty iffy about dual timelines, because no matter what, without fail, I leave the book feeling like one of the timelines was completely unnecessary by comparison to the other. Not so with THE DEATH OF US. Isabel narrates the events of the past, told in second-person via the form of a letter (or possibly her victim impact statement?) addressed to Nigel, the invader; this was a bold move on Dean’s part, but made Isabel’s narration of the beginnings of hers and Edward’s relationship, not to mention the crime itself, all the stronger and more emotionally intense. She speaks to Nigel with a degree of uncomfortable familiarity, as if he were… well, maybe not a friend, but not quite a stranger either, impressing upon the reader how closely Isabel has carried his crime and its effects on her life in all the years since. Edward, meanwhile, narrates the events of the present, which also makes perfect sense: he was the one who shut down, in a sense, after the crime, the one who built a wall behind which he could hide his grief and trauma, the one who attempted to carry on as if life were completely normal and unaffected—but he is also the one who never fully told his experience of the night he and Isabel were invaded, believing his trauma the lesser, so stands the most to lose by having to share that story at Nigel’s trial. Isabel’s openness in her narration might make her easier to connect with as a reader, but Edward is certainly the one who undergoes the bigger evolution on the page. The strength of their connection was obvious and impenetrable—the life-blood of this entire story. As is the way with literary thrillers, the point is rarely ever the crime itself, but everything else happening around it; Isabel and Edward’s relationship was perfectly executed to carry this slow-burn narrative through to conclusion.

If I had one quibble, it would be the ending: the stalker subplot weaved through Edward’s chapters felt unnecessary, and its wrap-up deflated some of the drama and emotion of the trial’s conclusion. In every other sense, however, this book was utter perfection, a true must-read and not to be missed. I can’t wait to buy it and read it again on release.

So many of the so-called "psychological suspense" novels seem a little lame to me, a fan of Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell. But the Death of Us did not. This novel is tough and twisty, the characters complex, the story nightmarish. What's it about?

When they were 30, Isabel and Edward were victims of The Invader, who broke into homes and raped and tortured young couples. They were actually lucky--the next sets of victims were also murdered. They are now 58, and the perpetrator has been caught. Although Isabel has been quite open about what happened to her, Edward has never spoken about it. They have the opportunity to give statements at the sentencing. Will he speak then?

The novel catches them at various points in their lives before and after the crime. We know they're no longer married, but how did that happen? How did they survive the guilt of survival and the trauma of the event? They never sought professional help, no matter how much the detective in charge of these cases encouraged them to. Would it have helped? Abigail Dean lays her story out carefully and subtly. There are plenty of surprises but they are of the gentle twist of the knife in a most tender area kind of thing. Devastating.

I did have a nightmare about this book, so be prepared. I checked the doors and switched to something brighter on TV. But I could not stop reading.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third book by the author. I really enjoyed the story. This was such an emotional, heart-wrenching read! This is a slow burn psychological suspense novel with twists and turns.