The Death of Us by Abigail Dean #TheDeathofUS #AbigailDean @Hemlock_Press #BookReview

 

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 by Abigail Dean was published on 10 April 2025 by Hemlock Press; the crime imprint from Harper Collins. 

I read and reviewed both of Abigail Dean's previous books; One Day and Girl A. I really like her writing style and her subject matter. She chooses to write about very dark subjects but she does it with such style and ease. I had been looking forward to The Death of Us for months. 

The novel is unusually structured and is narrated by the two lead characters; Isabel and Edward. Isabel's chapters are told in the first person with Edward's sections being narrated in the third person. This is such a great way to distinguish between voices. The events take place over twenty-eight years but the story is not in chronological order.  The reader is taken back and forth, from the now to the then and back again. 

Isabel and Edward were attacked in their own home when they were aged thirty. Their attacker, known as the South London Invader, had many victims over the years, and whilst Isabel and Edward both survived, their marriage did not. 

Twenty-eight years later and retired police officer Nigel Woods has been caught and identified as the South London Invader. It is his court case and victims are invited to submit and read a victim statement. Isabel and Edward have reunited for the trial. Isabel is so keen to read out her statement. Edward is not so happy at the thought of reliving that time, or even thinking about how that one violent act seemed to have ended his marriage. 

This is a tense, deeply moving and very emotional novel. The reader feels like a sometimes unwelcome onlooker, being exposed to Isabel and Edward's innermost thoughts and the flaws and cracks in their relationship that are not going to be mended. 

Isabel's narration, spoken directly to Nigel Woods is almost suffocating at times, it is so very honest and open, yet bleak and almost unbearable at times. Edward's words and actions seem to be more measured, yet he still has many issues to address during the novel. 

This is disturbing, yet beautifully and flawlessly written. It is a gripping thriller, it is also the story of a marriage,  a story of love and a story of survival. Highly recommended.

 

Abigail Dean was born in Manchester and grew up in the Peak District. 

Abigail has worked as a Waterstones bookseller and a lawyer. 

Her debut novel, Girl A, was a New York Times and Sunday Times top ten bestseller and a Kindle number 1 bestseller. 

The rights to Girl A have sold in 36 territories and a television series is being adapted with Sony.

IG @abigailsdean