The Death Of Us by Abigail Dean

 

The South London Invader terrorised the capital for years. Having finally been caught his victims have an opportunity to tell him, in court, of the impact they have had on their lives. As a result, one couple, Isabel and Edward, are forced to revisit the fateful event.

The Death Of Us from Abigail Dean is a powerful piece of writing. For me, what makes this so strong is what isn't written. The South London Invader is a serial murderer and rapist who targeted couples. The author has avoided including graphic details, her focus remains on the emotions and actions of the victims. As a reader I could feel myself tensing up, holding my breath and my heart pounding, terrified for the victims as their ordeal takes place. Less is more certainly works in this book.

While a terrible series of crimes is at the heart of this story, this book isn't about those crimes. The focus is on the relationship between Isabel and Edward. We meet the couple as university students who have been set up on a blind date. The start of their relationship is a little uncertain but it soon becomes clear that they are perfect for each other. I loved watching their relationship grow and flourish. Edward is strong, reliable and certain of his future, Isabel is a little more emotionally unstable, but the pair work, they bring out the best in each other.

It is ten years into the relationship that the attack takes place. This becomes a watershed moment; where does a relationship go after such a traumatic event? How is an individual supposed to behave? We see how the personalities of Isabel and Edward change. Edward throws himself into his work, refusing all opportunities to discuss his feelings. Isabel becomes the stronger of the pair. Having always wanted to be a writer she uses this as a means of giving voice to her anger. What the couple can't do is talk to each other about the attack and this is what causes the relationship to fracture.

Isabel's narrative is in the form of a victim personal statement, or impact statement, which outlines the evolution of the couple's relationship. I found myself being swept up, completely involved in the life they were forging to then be sucker-punched as the narrative pivoted and she addressed a question to her attacker, reminding you of the atrocious crimes committed.

By the conclusion, I found myself close to tears. Long repressed emotions were brought to the surface for a number of characters, each of them dealing with those feelings in completely different ways, after all, human nature is unpredictable. This is a love story that will stay with me for a very long time. Quite possibly my book of the year.

The Death Of Us by Abigail Dean will be published on 10th April 2025 in hardback and ebook, the  audio version will be available on 27th March 2025. My thanks to NetGalley and Hemlock Press for a review copy.

Author Details

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.