From the synopsis, you kind of know that this is going to be a tough read as far as the content is concerned. One night that changed the lives of those involved.

The author frequently flits back and forth between the main characters and also in time. This is done very well, and I didn't have any issues with this at all. The characters tell their version of events, and this gives the reader access to the bigger picture, as all perspectives are covered and the emotions of each person are conveyed well.

The event of the night had a profound impact and continued to have lasting effects long after. It is only when the characters are in the present that they finally reveal what happened, what they felt and how they feel. The author does not go into details about the crime, but infers what took place. Having this revealed at trial means that they have to relive the experience. The way the victims have changed over the course of that night and to the trial shows how traumatic the event was and that PTSD is an ever-present shadow.

This is a very addictive book. I did enjoy reading it, but there was something that I couldn't quite connect to. I think it was the characters as they are understandably cut off, not emotionless, but cold. It is hard to explain.

This is one for those who like the tougher crime thriller genres, it is a very good book and one I would be happy to recommend.

That spring night in South London, when Isabel and Edward’s lives were torn apart.
The night Isabel learned that the worst things wait, just outside the door.
The night Edward learned that he was powerless to stop them.

This is a great read which I found a little confusing to start with but the quality of the writing shone through. The characters are real and likeable. The description of feelings is superb as is the way the story moves forward.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Fiction for an early copy to enjoy. After Abigails first debut book I was really looking forward to reading this! Her writing style is amazing and this book is about a deep and harrowing event of many years ago that tore a couple apart buy it didn't grip me like her first book. It was a slow burn that the light kept going out, I have to say but I did finish it. Not on the same level as her debut! 3*

It’s the story everyone wants to hear.

That spring night in South London, when Isabel and Edward’s lives were torn apart.

The night Isabel learned that the worst things wait, just outside the door.

The night Edward learned that he was powerless to stop them.

The night they never talk about.

When their attacker is caught, it's finally time to tell the story of that night.

Not to the world. Or to the man who did it. But to each other.

This is a story of murder. This is a story of survival. But most of all, this is a story of love.

The Death of Us is incredibly gripping, and beautifully written. A must read.

The Death of Us by Abigail Dean is an emotional crime thriller that will unfold the impact of crime on a marriage and emotional wellbeing.
It's different and usually, I like different but not this time. The writing style wasn't for me. The story was slow and I kept drifting away. Then there were some really good chapters and I got so excited but it didn't last for long and I was drifting away again.

The story of Isabel and Edward was so beautiful. It was sad to witness the dark cloud over their happiness when one day changed everything. The day their home was invaded by a serial killer. Now they must live with this trauma forever.

This will be a perfect read for readers who love deep and emotional slow burns.

Thank you, NetGalley for this copy :)

After a long, long police investigation following some of the most shocking crimes, the South London Invader has finally been caught. Now an elderly man in poor health, it’s hard to reconcile him with the evil monster who did irreparable damage to his victims.

This book follows the lives of Edward and Isabel, now in their fifties, from their first meeting at nineteen years old, right up to their days in court for the case of Nigel Wood, aka the South London Invader, twenty five years after the night he appeared in their bedroom.

Isabel’s POV is more or less chronological from her resurface into society after her troubled teens, through to facing her rapist and tormenter, Nigel Wood, on the stand. Edward’s POV is his current life and how the ordeal that he and Isabel, along with many other victims, has affected him and his relationships.

My goodness this author knows how to write about hard (terrifying!) subjects and certainly doesn’t avoid the human capacity for brutality and evil.

Another first class book, well written with the undercurrent of terror bubbling away constantly. Dark and deeply disturbing, this is not a story for the faint hearted.

A considered read, not a book to be rushed, and though at times it was very slow, every nuance is delivered with empathy and compassion.

A worthy read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK.

I can’t honestly say I enjoyed this book but it did give me food for thought. We don’t give much thought to the ongoing effects of people who are subjected to horrific deeds - in truth whose lives are ruined by some awful excuse for a human being.
So many relationships lack communication but none more so than those who need it most. I don’t know if the author has been through something like this herself or if she has just researched the topic extremely well but either way it certainly seemed very authentic.
I just can’t give it five stars because I read for pleasure and this wasn’t a pleasurable read. It felt like non-fiction.

As always my thanks go to the author, the publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced e.copy of this book.

A rapist is attacking couples and this focusses on one particular couple and how it affected their lives afterwards. A thought provoking story with engaging characters and compulsive storyline

Another character driven tale from Abigail Dean. I have to admit I found this tale confusing at first as it moved time frames and I was not quite sure what the focus was. As I got into the story and the pace I became more involved with the characters and how a home invasion gradually destroyed Edward and Isobel's marriage.
Isobel was a troubled child who spent time in hospital. Edward was involved in a relationship. The two were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend and they spent much time pretending not to like each other. Eventually they became involved and became a couple, finally marrying. They had a wonderful marriage until their house was invaded by a rapist.
We join the story when the perpetrator is finally identified and arrested after many years - how he was identified is not made clear! Edward and Isobel have never discussed what happened before now.
This is not a thriller but an in-depth study of how such trauma can ruin the lives of those involved. It identifies that victims and families of such a violent home invasion can come together to share experiences or rely on each other,
As I neared the end of this book I began to read more slowly not wanting it to finish. A heart-rending tale.
Four and a half stars. Hate the use of the C word!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Abigail Dean/HarperCollins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily

This is very much a slow burner and admittedly it did take me a while to get into. Once I did however it had me completely hooked. When I got used to the narrative, it did flow nicely between past and present. This is my first book by Abigail Dean and she is a very fine storyteller. The story centres around a brutal crime and the implications afterwards on the marriage and lives of Edward and Isabel. The characters are beautifully portrayed and you can feel the pain and raw emotion especially from Isabel.
This is an original and thought provoking story - it’s very powerful and very character driven. I’m really glad I stuck with this and I will be reading the authors previous books.

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of The Death of Us.
This is the third book I've read by Abigail Dean, and it is definitely my favourite of her books. Following a couple before, during and after a disturbing attack, thus book really pushes many emotions all at the same time.
Highly recommend

The Death of Us is a psychological crime story of a 30 year old couple Isabel and Edward whose lives are forever changed after they are attacked in their south London home by a serial killer. It’s the night they never talk about.

A deeply, emotional, traumatic, heartbreaking story of survival, hope and will love prevail through all the trauma?

The story is written in Isabel’s POV set in the past and Edward’s POV set in the present timeline and throughout the book the timelines go back and forth. A truly heartbreaking, emotional read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for sending me the ARC.

A couple recount the vicious attack that changed their lives and the subsequent court case. Part literary thriller, part love story, this is Abigail Dean at her best. Definitely a slow burn, bringing the story of the Golden State Killer to the UK, interspersed with the story of Isabel and Edward as they drift together and apart again. A stand out novel.

“It's never been a question of loving you, Isabel. It's a question of how much loving you I can take.”

The Death Of Us follows Isabel and Edward, a couple in their thirties whose lives change forever when they become victims to a devastating home invasion. When their attacker is caught, it's finally time to tell the story of that night - to each other more than anyone else. This is a story of murder. This is a story of survival. But most of all, this is a story of love.

This is hands down one of the most powerful, compelling, haunting and raw books I have ever read. The way Abigail Dean writes is masterful and the hope I felt whilst reading drove me to finish this book within the day. Edward and Isabel are both heartbreaking and beautiful characters and I really found myself terrified, tearful and heartfelt throughout.

The Death Of Us is told over three parts alternating between Edward and Isabel, and between the past and present. I will say this was not an easy read, but it was written eloquently and with such emotional depth and psychological complexity that it will stay with me a while - and it is one I can’t recommend enough.

Thank you so much to Harper Fiction, Abigail Dean and Netgalley for sending me this advanced copy of The Death Of Us to read and review. My opinions are my own.

Isabel and Edward are beyond 30 when a devastating home invasion changes their lives forever; because the invader didnt just break into their home. He broke into their lives.

‘The Death Of Us’ follows both Isabel and Edward from before the home invasion, to the events that follow. I will never forget this book. It is a heart wrenching masterpiece, showcasing how trauma changes the trajectory of your life.

I felt truly unsettled whilst reading this, and Abigail Dean has written an absolutely exceptional book. My heart broke for the characters and I cried whilst reading, the plot evoking raw and gut wrenching emotion. It was not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination, but the subject of hope gave me the compulsion to continue.

A few truly compelling novel that I highly recommend.

5* The Death of Us - Abigail Dean. Absolutely brilliant - a gem of a book.

Isobel and Edward were once thirty somethings with the world at their feet. Edward a lawyer. Isobel a consultant and aspiring playwright. But their world was shattered when a serial 'home invader', murderer and rapist entered their home and subjected them to brutal crimes.

Thirty years on and the perpetrator has been caught. Edward, Isobel and other victims come together in the old Bailey to give statements to the court. Their marriage has not survived but their bond remains. This is a story of a horrific criminal but it is really a story about love, marriage and what both pulls people apart and together. Told across a timeline taking in the expanse of their marriage, this is a unique take putting not just victims but the impact on victims at the heart of the story.

This is Abigail Dean's third book. All character driven and all with a tight plot and a need for the reader to unspool what has happened in a methodical, slow burn but utterly compelling journey.

The Death of Us is truly brilliant. Beautifully written, often a tough read but compelling and difficult to put down. It cements the talent of Abigail Dean as someone with the ability to bring a new approach to the crime genre. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins (Hemlock Press) for an ARC.

Isabel and Edward's lives were changed for ever one night.
And they never talked about it - not to anyone or each other.
Then their attacker is caught and it is time to talk.

Communication is what the story for me , is all about or should I say lack of it. We are faced with a serial rapist and killer about to be sentenced however there have to be the victim statements first and this is when old feelings and things not said at the time begin to surface. The book is a slow burner and for good reason as it gives the reader time to contemplate their own feelings towards the guilty party, the victims and their families. It may not be for everyone however it is an addictive read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

This was an interesting take on crime fiction, concentrating on the impact to the victims and how one night has changed their lives.

Isobel and Edward are a happy until a man dubbed ‘The South London invader’ breaks into their house one evening. The events of that night will change the couples lives forever.

Thirty years later the man responsible is found and whilst attending his trial Isobel reflects on the past. Edward’s chapters tell the present narrative and how the trial unfolds.

I enjoyed the mix of past and present to tell the story of both the South London invaders crimes as well as Isobel and Edward’s love story.

It kept me gripped throughout and I desperately wanted the story to have a happy ending.

Really good fresh take on the crime genre.

This is an exhilarating read! Isabel and Edward seemingly have it all: they are affluent, successful and have a great group of friends. They also have a passionate and happy marriage. However, all that changes when their home is invaded by a notorious serial rapist.

This novel isn’t so much about the attack itself, although some of the brutal details are revealed as the plot unravels. Instead, Dean focuses on the psychological impact of this violent encounter - on the victims, the police who work with them and the friends that try to help them through their trauma.

Written as a journal addressed to the perpetrator, the reader quickly delves into the lives of the Isabel and Edward and how their existence changes over the decades. They survived their ordeal but the attacker’s fingerprints leave horrifying marks on their identity, their relationship and their sense of place.

This is another gripping and unputdownable read from Abigail Dean - her best yet!