ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – The Death of Us by Abigail Dean

The Death of Us by Abigail Dean will be published by Hemlock Press on 10th April 2025. My thanks to the publishers for the proof copy.

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 a literary thriller but it’s also the anatomy of a relationship. Isabel and Edward’s love story is blown apart by a shocking and terrible attack. This book takes us from their first meeting and their life together before the events of that horrific night, through the aftermath and beyond to the current day.

This is not a fast-paced read and, notwithstanding the fact that I’m particularly slow at the moment, it took me quite a while to read it. I was dreading the moment when the night of the attack occurred but by then I was somewhat desensitised to it because I knew it was going to happen right from the beginning. It didn’t make it any the less appalling and I still avoided reading that section before bed but it highlighted to me that this is not a book about an act of extreme violence and degradation, rather it’s one of love, survival and what happens to a couple when they must deal with the long-lasting consequences of that act.

Abigail Dean’s writing is emotive and full of depth. This is a disturbing and devastating character-driven read with two protagonists that I found relatable and well-drawn. The Death of Us is intelligent, thought-provoking and hard-hitting.

Abigail Dean was born in Manchester and grew up in the Peak District. She was formerly a Waterstones bookseller and a lawyer for Google. Her first novel, GIRL A, was a New York Times and Sunday Times top ten bestseller and a Kindle number 1 bestseller. Abigail’s latest novel is THE DEATH OF US, a love story interrupted by one terrible night of violence. It has been acclaimed by Stephen King, Cecelia Ahern, and Mick Herron

Abigail lives in London with her husband, children, and cantankerous cat. She has always loved reading, writing, and talking about books. You can follow her on Instagram @AbigailSDean.