The Last Thing to Burn

by Will Dean

'I lived every second with the characters. A masterpiece' JANE CASEY
'Misery meets Room ... a triumph' MARIAN KEYES
'Ratchets up the tension to the point where I had to check my pulse' LIZ NUGENT

He is her husband. She is his captive.

Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name.

She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.

Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished.

For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting ...

**************************************

Praise for Will Dean's storytelling:
'Loaded with atmosphere, brilliant on setting' Mark Billingham
'The best thriller I've read in ages' Marian Keyes
'Atmospheric, creepy and tense' C.J. Tudor
'Memorably atmospheric' Guardian
'Impressive' The Times
'Crackles along at a roaring pace' Observer

• ISBN10: 1982156465
• ISBN13: 9781982156466
• Publish Date: 20 April 2021 (first published 7 January 2021)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[mrs_mander_reads]

Easily the most disturbing book I've read this year, but also un-put-down-able. The story moves quickly and is compelling. Recommend for folx who enjoy suspense related to escape.
TW for all the things: human trafficking, rape, drug abuse, kidnapping, trauma related to childbirth.

[zooloo1983]

Jesus what did I just read!! Holy Frogs! This book is so cold, ice packs cold. Not only was this cold, it was also brutal and there is a complete sense of hopelessness. Until there was hope.

I spent the majority of the story cringing, the abuse occurred and the outcome of this abuse. The horror and stories “Jane”‘s body could tell us scared me. The stories the house could tell us scared me. Everything about the book terrifies me. Have I made that impression yet? Even though the tale, the plight, the unforgiving terrain, it was a book that was difficult to put down. I had to get to the end, to see how it would play out, to make sure justice would be served.

It is such a powerful story. A story where we have to not forget ourselves, little tidbits we internally say to make sure we get through the day, to remember our name. To lose our identity is the final blow.

The isolation and the threat that weighs heavily throughout the book. They have their own persona, the threat to keep them in place. But when the veil starts to fall, things come to light but boy does it make for an all unsettling read.

Jane has a strength that is so profound. She carries not only the burden of her life, her sister’s life but she carries us too. She is determined, she is true and she is strong.

The title of the book The Last Thing to Burn is so poignant. Because what is there left when it all burns. If there is anything I learned when reading there is always hope. Hope is what I had throughout the book. Hope is what drove me to race to the end. Hope is what caused me to choke up. There will be hope.

This is an unnerving, chilling, powerhouse of a book. It draws you in, short chapters to entice the need to keep reading. The need to set things right. It is a short sweet review from me because too many words could ruin this book for you, plus I have not got the words for this book, it rendered me speechless. Enjoy that while it lasts!

I am now off for a pallet cleanser!!!