Thank you Viking for the review copy.
This will be an unexpected top ten for me this year... I love a good serial killer story but I was completely unexpected for how intriguing this story was, the story not so much of a serial killer as much as an examination of the impact of a violent crime on a marriage, on two people, over time. True crime, in fictional form, that gives us insight into the range of experiences that follow the couple, as they meet before the attack, marry but flounder, and then separate after the violence becomes a barrier to moving on together...but come back together years later for the criminal trial. Isabel's voice was particularly compelling to me, her desire to find ways to move past this crime but also the feeling how stuck she was, yearning to get unstuck but not knowing what that would feel like, and then comparing her to Edward, who has moved on and seems determined to move on but can't escape the idea of revenge... Abigail Dean's book is moving, engrossing, and unforgettable in unexpected ways.

A very well-written and engrossing story. The best book I’ve read this year! It was extremely emotional while being a thriller. I loved Edward and Isabel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Tragic and gut-wrenching. Incredibly chilling account of a home invasion and the subsequent breakdown of a relationship. You feel the emotions of how this couple deals with all the trauma that was inflicted on them. There are no other words.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/ Viking Penguin for eARC!

Wow! The Death of Us by Abigail Dean is so much more than a mystery read. It’s a spine-chilling thriller one moment and tender love story the next. Alternating POVs share the story of Isabel and Edward. Edward’s chapters are told in the present while Isabel’s explain the past until both timelines converge. It sounds trippy but it isn’t. Instead it is deftly designed to give you a full picture of their lives together.

My favorite reads lately have been books with this sort of genre mashup. A little bit mystery, a bit twisty but with characters that you get to sit with and understand. I’m also gravitating towards middle aged characters. While we do meet Isabel and Edward in their college years, we get to see them mature into successful London professionals. It was great to read about people in their 50s with jobs, stresses and desires.

You learn right away their world had been rocked by a violent home invasion and the repercussions extend to all aspects of their daily lives. I found myself rooting for their healing and happiness. Thank you Viking for providing this e-book for review consideration via NetGalley.

Definitely a thriller with heart. Five ⭐️!

Night stalker vibes 💀
Creepy & everyone's worse nightmare especially as a woman ... Omg I can't even .

From the first page you are hooked . Going through Isabel's & Edwards life is addicting, sad, scary AF, & unbelievable. These poor people ...

Definitely recommend. 🖤
I finished this book about a week ago & I think I was shook lol I forgot to write a review so here it is.

Thank you #NetGalley

From the very first chapter of The Death of Us, you’ll feel like you’ve walked right into Edward and Isabel’s living room on that terrible spring night when a stranger shattered everything they knew. Abigail Dean flips back and forth between the young couple’s early days in London and the moment their world falls apart, so you get to see both the spark that brought them together and the cracks that violence cracked wide open—without ruining any of the big surprises for you .

This book had me turning pages late into the night, racing to see how Edward and Isabel would face the trial twenty-five years later, when they’re forced to stand side by side again. The story is full of raw emotion—anger, love, regret—and Dean’s writing is so clear and unpretentious that it feels like you’re hearing a friend spill the best (and worst) parts of her life. Trust me, once you start, you won’t want to put it down. Stop scrolling and grab The Death of Us now—you’ll be hooked from page one.

This book is unlike any other. It’s a new take on a psychological thriller/serial killer story. In fact, this story is also a love story. And still it’s compulsive, as you want to know how everything unfolds. The writing is excellent.

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

It’s a story of Isabel and Edward, together since university, as they go through one of the worst possible crimes imaginable. Each has their own individual experience as they do. And the story switches between their two perspectives. Isabel tells the story in the first person and as if speaking directly to the serial killer. While Edward tells his side through the 3rd person. The juxtaposition of these two perspectives creates the illusion of two things: That you are a part of the trauma that happened to Isabel, and second, that Edward is more attached to the situation. Whether that turns out to be true or not will be discovered at the end of the book.

I am glad I read this story, but it was sometimes difficult. There are bleak moments that are hard to read. I’d have to set it aside for a break during these parts. But that’s to be expected with the subject matter. However, I feel like it ended in a really good spot. It’s also a good reminder of how resilient we are against the trauma we face. And exemplifies what true love looks like. This is one that will stay with me for some time, I’m sure.

🤫Book Review🤫
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My thoughts- this book was sensational! This book will give you all the FEELS. The case was pretty similar to the golden state killer (my true crime girlies will get it). But it switched perspectives and timelines so effortlessly and masterfully. It was heartbreaking to read the couple coming together, building a life, having it all taken away in a heartbeat. But I think seeing the aftermath and growth from it was just SO effective. The author clearly did her research! Definitely one to read soon! Thank you @netgalley and @vikingbooks
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Summary- 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?
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QOTD- what was the last book that made you feel ALL of the feelings ?!

Abigail Dean did not write your typical serial killer story. Her writing is poignant and heart breaking. It is an emotional love story, a story of survival.. It is an emotional slow burn, it rips your heart out and puts it back together. I was completely invested from start to finish.

Isobel and Edward were happy until their home is invaded and they are attacked. The invasion breaks them, it brings them together and it breaks them.

This book is so well written, it is an emotional roller coaster. the highs, the lows, you feel it all. Read it.

I had really enjoyed Dean’s previous novels but this one was on a different level. There are two POVs in this one, Isabel as she recounts the past and gets to the present and Edward as he is in the present. The story is traumatic and raw and it is a very character driven portrait of a marriage. More a tense literary fiction not a traditional thriller. Yet, it managed to make me feel really uneasy even when things were seemingly fine. Dean excels at timing the unraveling of the mysteries Isabel alludes to, is very careful with how she approaches dark topics, and I found this to be very much a compelling page-turner and a fascinating exploration of what comes after in the long term of a traumatic event.

The Death of Us
By Abigail Dean
Release date 04/15/2025

Have you ever read a book so unique and captivating that when you finally close it, you stare into space for a few minutes?
If your answer is yes, but it’s been a while, or if you’ve never experienced that sensation, this is the book you need to read.
Isabel and Edward have been married since college, and while they appear to be the perfect couple on the outside, they are struggling with various marital issues.
Everything seems to be going well until one fateful night, a serial killer targets them, turning anyone’s worst nightmare into reality.
The deep heartbreak they experience ultimately leads to their separation, a story that unfolds through Isabel’s heartfelt impact statement, shared chronologically by year.
Their attacker evades capture for 25 years but is finally caught. Isabel and Edward are then reunited to provide their victim impact statements and relive the traumatic night they both wish they could forget.

This book encompasses several genres, including romance, marital conflict, psychological thriller, and suspense. The author expertly weaves these elements together.

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟S҉T҉A҉R҉S҉

#harpercollins #vikingbooks #penguinrandomhouse #abigaildean #thedeathofus #thrillerreads #suspensebooks #5starbook #pageturner #bookstagrammer #netgalley

Read this if - you enjoy dark mysteries, dual POV, switching between past/present tense, and character analysis.

Discusses the before vs. after of a horrific event by a serial killer on a happily married couple; Definitely more of a mystery fiction than a suspenseful thriller, Would definitely try another book from this author

Well, this shit was depressing. But also beautifully written and haunting. You don’t get many stories about the aftermath of being victimized and Dean does an amazing job telling a survivors’ story. This is a genre mashup - there is suspense, detective work, and romance. The killer mirrors the Golden State Killer so if you’re familiar with that case you will see the similarities. The dynamic between Edward and Isabel was so real and heartbreaking.

I went into this thinking it'd have more of a thriller pacing, and it definitely didn't. I was a little confused at the POV and who she was talking to, so I didn't get far. The style of this one wasn't for me, but I could be an outlier because I've seen other good reviews.

Told in alternating viewpoints and timeframes, this book tells the story of Isabel and Edward. They are young and happily married when they become the victims of a serial home invader. It is a horrific crime that affects both of them together and separately and one they obviously struggle to move on from. Isabel and Edward handle this struggle differently and while their marriage continues for several years, they eventually divorce. They are brought together for the sentencing of their attacker twenty five years later. The gift of time allows them to be more reflective and understanding of the other. The grace each one bestows reunites them. This is a beautiful story of love, tragedy, forgiveness, and understanding. The way the author uses both to tell their story in different points of view is brilliant.

The Death of Us was not a right fit for me. I thought the premise sounded interested. 25 years ago a couple lived through a traumatic experience of a home invasion. The perpetrator has now been caught and the couple who had divorced come back together for the trial. Unfortunately the pace is too slow for me and I’m not interested to stick with it so decided to dnf at 45%. Thank you to the publisher for the free ebook to review.

Utterly engrossing. I read this in 2 days and stayed up until 1am to finish. Some of the notes I made at 12% in were “Sally Rooney vibes” and “This relationship makes me ache” and honestly those observations could be the entire review, but lemme compose myself.

“It seemed an oversight, that a human could sleep through that kind of resentment.”

Edward and Isabel are quippy and charming (almost insufferably so) and very much in love… until they’re not. THE DEATH OF US tells the story of a marriage ripped apart by trauma, and believe me when I say the charm goes right out the window.

“But there was no exorcising you…. You changed the way I walked home on a Friday evening. You changed the taste of wine, the plot of a novel, the confidence of Edward’s hands.”

I could tell by page 2 that THE DEATH OF US was special. This book is expertly constructed, and I had immediate trust in Abigail Dean as a writer. It’s not a true thriller, although there is definitely enough mystery to keep you turning pages. Really, this is a book for people who love craft: who aren’t just reading, but wondering how the writer is pulling it off.

“But love is what Edward did, driving me to that hospital, to a place where I would be safe. Caring for me even when he hated the sight of me. That was love. It was love, and I hated it.”

We are so close to ruin, every single one of us. I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

1.5 stars.

I honestly cannot think of anything nice to say. The writing wasn’t bad i guess. This was just so boring. Literal snooze fest. And the fact that it’s marketed as a mystery/thriller is a JOKE! Put this boring marriage story in general fiction.

I thought I would enjoy this book, however I did not. I thought it would dive deeper into the court case/crimes that were committed but it focused on the relationship between the husband and wife that the story was based on.

In The Death of Us by Abigail Deanna, Edward and Isabel are a young married couple living in London when they are the victims of a home invasion. Skipping ahead twenty years, the serial attacker is finally caught and his victims are given an opportunity to speak at his sentencing. As they prepare for court, we follow Edward and Isabel back through those twenty years and discover how they have suffered together and apart and tried to heal. Dean has taken what could have been the storyline of a thriller and created a literary character study that made me care deeply about Edward and Isabel. Thank you to Viking and NetGalley for the ARC.