S. F. Prescott

Dark and filled with suspense.

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.

Publishing April 15th, 2025.

I really enjoyed Abigail Dean’s new novel, The Death of Us. It follows a couple reunited at the court proceedings of a violent attack that happened two decades prior when a serial killer invaded their home. Split between two timelines and POVs, the story bounces between the lead up to the incident, and the aftermath resulting in their split. The shocking details of the crime are revealed from Isabel’s past perspective, highlighting how isolated she felt afterward and the long journey of her mental health, followed by Edward in the current timeline battling the shame and guilt of not having saved his wife. Similar to her debut novel, Girl A (which was inspired by the Turpin family case), The Death of Us pulls on true crime elements, and in particular, I saw similarities with the Golden State Killer case.

The story is filled with suspense and deals with very dark themes including rape, murder, and psychological torture. I cared for both of the characters, and felt that Edward’s side of the story was very sad, especially the hopelessness he felt during and after the attack. Isabel’s was equally heartbreaking, learning of her constant anxiety and eventually being institutionalized. The story gripped me from beginning to end, the pace was steady throughout, and the traumatic scenes felt so vivid. The author’s voice was compelling and kept me engaged. I can’t wait to read more of her work!

For readers who enjoy thriller/suspense with psychological elements, dark themes, dual timelines/POVs, based closely on true crime.

Synopsis:

It’s the night we never talk about.
It’s the story the world wants to hear.
But this isn’t the story of that night. This is the story of us.

Together, Edward and Isabel move to London. They are young and in love, occupied by friends, work and fun. But late on a spring evening when they are thirty years old, their home is invaded by a serial killer. In the wake of this violation, each tries to come to terms with a night that changed everything — and their marriage begins to crumble.

Twenty-five years later, their tormentor is caught, and Edward and Isabel reunite for his sentencing. Isabel has waited years for the man who nearly ended her life to be brought to justice. Edward has tried to think about anything else. As they prepare to deliver impact statements in the public eye, it is time to revisit their love story. Will they finally be able to confront the secrets, longings and lies that tore them apart?

Or will the horror of that night be the death of them?