I am delighted to share my review today of The Death of Us by Abigail Dean. I have read Girl A by this author, so I am aware that she does tackle some difficult subjects in her fiction. The Death of Us is another that does the same.
Many thanks to Harper Collins UK for accepting my request to read this title via NetGalley.
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.
MY REVIEW
From the synopsis, you kind of know that this is going to be a tough read as far as the content is concerned. One night that changed the lives of those involved.
The author frequently flits back and forth between the main characters and also in time. This is done very well, and I didn’t have any issues with this at all. The characters tell their version of events, and this gives the reader access to the bigger picture, as all perspectives are covered and the emotions of each person are conveyed well.
The event of the night had a profound impact and continued to have lasting effects long after. It is only when the characters are in the present that they finally reveal what happened, what they felt and how they feel. The author does not go into details about the crime, but infers what took place. Having this revealed at trial means that they have to relive the experience. The way the victims have changed over the course of that night and to the trial shows how traumatic the event was and that PTSD is an ever-present shadow.
This is a very addictive book. I did enjoy reading it, but there was something that I couldn’t quite connect to. I think it was the characters as they are understandably cut off, not emotionless, but cold. It is hard to explain.
This is one for those who like the tougher crime thriller genres, it is a very good book and one I would be happy to recommend.
Many thanks for reading my review, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
