This was a wonderful read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars does not do this story justice. It’s heart gripping, sad and wonderful all wrapped up together. It is a wonderful testament to life and love and what really matters in life. The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking “This would make a great movie.”

Love always wins.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Group Viking for providing me this copy.

While this book was definitely a slow burn, it was a gripping portrayal into marriage. The most well thought out expression of how messy life can be and how the challenges we face can tear us apart but also bring us back together.

When Edward and Isabel faced a serial killer one night, their world would be forever altered. Fast forward 25 years in the future, they are reunited for their tormentors trial. Throughout the book we go back and forth on timelines and it gives us such a realistic tale of how trauma can continue to find its way into our everyday life.

The honesty in the struggle I found so refreshing. Nothing was glossed over in this one. Nothing was off limits in the sharing of the pain. What does it mean to be human and will love prevail through it all?

Abigail Dean knows how to write a book that will make you not want to put it down. This was the third one that did just that. So much trauma and literally had me gasping. I good look at relationships and what can happen after something terrible happens. The writing is terrific and the characters are well developed. I would recommend this book for people who like true crime and thrillers.

"The Death of Us" was an intriguing departure from my usual reading choices. The narrative revolves around Isabel and Edward, chronicling their journey from their initial meeting to falling in love and ultimately marrying. However, their lives take a tragic turn at the age of thirty when they become victims of a home invasion orchestrated by a serial rapist, who goes on to murder multiple individuals before his capture. The story is primarily conveyed through Isabel's perspective, exploring the years that follow the attack as they attempt to recover, revealing that healing is not as straightforward as it seems. At times, the content was quite challenging to read, prompting me to reflect on how my husband and I might cope in a similar situation. Nonetheless, I am grateful to have experienced this book. I highly recommend it, awarding it a well-deserved four stars.

Wow! Such an emotional, heart-wrenching read! Was not expecting that!
Isobel and Edward met through a mutual friend while attending their respective universities. At the time, each were dating someone else. But alas, the heart wants what the heart wants and the pull was too strong. They were simply meant to be.

Years later, happy and quite content in life, their world is forever damaged by the intrusion of The South London Invader. The couple is now left to put the pieces of their lives back together. But will that include each other? Is their love strong enough to restore their magical relationship?

Trauma… big or small it’s still trauma. It reshapes you into someone new. Someone you don’t recognize but that’s the new you, who must carry forth.

Not only is this book a retelling of the night in question, but even more so a narrative on the strength of the characters and of love.

I’m a bit speechless having finished this book. My heart is heavy, yet filled with the hope of no matter the circumstance there is always a chance for healing.

This was my first read of 2025 and I cannot think of a better way to start the New Year than with a five- star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking

Abigail Dean’s The Death of Us absolutely gutted me in the best way a book can. It’s horrifying and visceral, yet written with such vivid detail that I could picture every moment as if it were unfolding right in front of me.

Edward and Isabel’s story broke my heart. Their pain felt so real that I found myself aching for them long after I’d closed the book. The exploration of marriage, trauma, and resilience was both devastating and illuminating—Dean doesn’t shy away from the darkest corners of human experience, but she also leaves room for hope.

I can’t imagine living through what these characters endured, let alone seeing it happen to someone I love. This book is a masterful, haunting portrayal of how we confront the unimaginable and find a way to survive. It's not an easy read, but it’s an essential one. Highly recommend.

The Death of Us is Abgail Dean's best book yet (and that's saying something because her first two books are outstanding)!

It's a story about a couple who are victimized by an intruder breaking into homes in and around London, raping and murdering people -- and destroying lives.

The couple at the heart of this book are traced from their beginning (loved!), through the early, happy years of their marriage, to and through the attack, and the aftermath (so sad, so brilliantly done).

The amazing thing about The Death of Us -- and the thing that makes it for me, the one of the best reads of 2025 -- is that it is despite all of the pain that the characters go through, and all the fear and all the suffering, it is at its core a love story.

This book manages to be terrifying and heart-wrenching and hopeful all at the same time which is just astounding and a masterful accomplishment! The death of Us it is just so amazing, so brilliant; I finished this book crying and wrung out but so very happy that I read this amazing novel. Absolutely very highly recommended and one of my top reads of 2025 even though it's still only January as I write this.

This is a gripping and emotionally charged novel that delves deep into the complexities of human relationships and the impact of past traumas. The writing is both poignant and powerful, which draws you into the lives of her well-crafted characters. The story unfolds with a perfect blend of suspense and emotional depth, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. This was a thought-provoking and compelling read. While the pacing can be a bit slow at times, the overall narrative remains strong and impactful. This novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of forgiveness and redemption.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy emotionally driven stories with a touch of mystery.

Told in multiple timelines and from both people's perspective, a married couple as young lovers as victims of a horrible crime, that took over parts of their lives, and as an older divorced couple. This is a book of great feeling and depth and of surviving past the worst. Strongly drawn main characters as well as strongly drawn potraits of other survivors, the detective, devoting her life to find the killer, their friends and family of creation.

I absolutely adored Abigail Dean's debut book so was very excited to receive her follow up from NetGalley (thank you!). This one felt completely different but I still devoured it..

This novel would be best read with as few details as possible, but the general plot revolves around a couple as they age and deal with the aftermath of a very serious crime. The history of the couple is alternated with chapters from the present. Dean really dives deep into characters and I felt that I knew them by the end of the book.

I did knock off 1 star because it took me a bit of time to become fully invested in the book. It felt like a slower start but I am very glad that I stuck with the book. This is not one to miss if you enjoy very good writing and extremely good character development.

Four stars.

When husband and wife Edward and Isabel are both thirty a serial killer and rapist breaks into their home. Their marriage never recovers from this invasion.

Twenty years later the two are reunited for the man’s trial and are forced to face their love that never really ended and all that still binds them. During those years Isabel followed the case obsessively and has met with other survivors. She feels that reading her victim impact statement at the trial will allow her to let the past go.

Meanwhile, Edward has spent those years trying to figure out how nearly losing their lives destroyed their marriage and he dreads reliving that part of the past. How much can love bear?

I found this to be a fascinating set up for a novel, sad, tragic and dark. The author also wrote GIRL A, which I remember enjoying. The whole time I was reading I kept wondering whether my own marriage could survive this, which was surely Dean’s intent. It’s not the easiest read, and the triggers are right out there in front street, but I’m so glad to have read it.

We meet Isabel & Edward when they are 19 years old. Edward admired Isabel's photo.. Their mutual friend Allison fixes them up even though Edward has a girlfriend, Louise, at college & Isabel has recently gotten out of a 6 month hospitalization for trying to commit suicide.

The book follows the ups & days of their life from 19-55. They've gone through so much together, especially as victims of a home invasion.

We get to know Isabel, Edward, Nina, Etta, Laura Bishop, Freddie and Nigel Wood.

I read the ARC on Christmas Day. It's well-written, honest, poignant, bleak, true to life. It's a lot. There are several triggers. I wouldn't recommend this book to ever. It's not light & fluffy. It reminded me a bit of Notes of an Execution, another heavy book.

I feel lucky having read the book. I'm giving it 4 out of 5 gin & tonics. This book is going to stick with me.

Abigail Dean’s The Death of Us is an emotionally resonant exploration of trauma, resilience, and the unbreakable ties of love. With a deft narrative that oscillates between past and present, Dean examines the devastating aftermath of violence and its ripple effects on a seemingly strong marriage.
What I like :-
1 Complex Characters: Isabel and Edward are deeply human, their flaws and strengths laid bare as they grapple with the fallout of a harrowing event. Isabel’s determination to confront the past contrasts poignantly with Edward’s reluctance, creating a nuanced portrayal of how people cope differently with trauma.
2 Engaging Dual Timeline: The story’s structure, shifting between the couple’s idyllic early years and their present confrontation with the past, allows readers to understand the depth of their bond while uncovering the cracks that violence exposed.
3 Powerful Themes: Dean tackles profound themes—love, justice, forgiveness, and closure—with sensitivity. The courtroom scenes, particularly Isabel’s victim impact statement, are raw and impactful, shedding light on the complexities of seeking justice.
What I didn't like :-
None.
Overall :- Abigail Dean has crafted a deeply moving novel that transcends the thriller genre, offering a profound meditation on survival and the scars that never fully fade. The Death of Us is as much a love story as it is a story of loss, and its exploration of human resilience is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
A hauntingly beautiful tale of survival, love, and the lingering shadow of violence that will leave readers reflecting on its emotional weight long after the final page.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for giving me an advance copy.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: April 15, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

This was a very emotional and intense read for me. I enjoyed our authors writing and story and I loved how Abigail took care writing about trauma and how it effects everybody the same and differently. We follow a husband and wife who both escaped the hands of a ser!al unaliver and we watch as they navigate this path it’s taken them on and the aftermath such traumatic events can take people, we watch them bring all of this back up to the surface once again when he is caught decades later and they stand face to face with this again. Our characters in this book were well fleshed out/well developed/written. I felt so many emotions in this while reading and every single time a new chapter started it was as if I was gripping for the next emotion I was about to feel. This is a must read for 2025 and I would pay mind to the trigger warnings, but this is definitely an easy 5 star for me!

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Penguin Group Viking Penguin, Viking.

This thriller was a bit too domestic for my tastes but people will EAT. THIS. UP. The characters were beautifully crafted and nuanced, and the plot was paced very well. I was engaged throughout, I just had a hard time connecting with the characters - but I think that's a me problem.

Something about the way this was written made me not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It felt like it took forever to get through, which is disappointing because I think there was an interesting story in there.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars
Did this one destroy me as much as Girl A? No. But it definitely left me feeling a little bruised and battered - in a good way. A view on trauma and how it affects person to person.as well as the damage things left unsaid can cause.

Oh my gawd- this is so good! It is so realistic and shows how couples have a hard time staying together after a big tragic event. I love deep it goes into the hearts of victims. Some of us know how close to the truth it all is. Really well done. Will be easy to promote.

In the aftermath of their shared trauma, ex-spouses reunite to attend the long awaited capture and trial of their tormentor. A bittersweet look at the
slow destruction of a marriage after unbearable anguish.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book thoughtfully examines how different people react to trauma, focusing on a group of characters who are still deeply affected by a violent home invasion that happened years ago. The story becomes even more gripping when the attacker is finally caught decades later, forcing the characters to confront their past and process long-buried emotions. The author excels in character development, offering nuanced portrayals of how each person copes with their experience and how it shapes their present lives. The emotional depth and complex relationships between the characters kept me engaged from start to finish.