Category Archives: Will Dean

July 11, 2022 · 12:01 am

Review: First Born by Will Dean

Title: First Born by Will Dean
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Thriller
Length: 365 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the acclaimed author of The Last Thing to Burn, a psychological thriller about the dark secrets that emerge when a woman’s twin sister is murdered, with his signature “intense, gripping, taut, terrifying, moving, and brilliant” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author) prose.

Sisters. Soulmates. Strangers.

Molly Raven lives a quiet, structured life in London, finding comfort in security and routine. Her identical twin Katie, living in New York, is the exact opposite: outgoing, spontaneous, and adventurous.

But when Molly hears that Katie has died, possibly murdered, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. As terrifying as it is, she knows she must travel across the ocean and find out what happened. But as she tracks her twin’s final movements, cracks begin to emerge, and she slowly realizes her sister was not who she thought she was and there’s a dangerous web of deceit surrounding the two of them.

Review:

First Born by Will Dean is a deliciously diabolical domestic thriller.

Molly and Katie Raven are twins but they are nothing alike. Molly is stricken with anxiety and sticks close to home. Katie is self-assurred, popular and venturesome. However, Molly and her parents are still shocked when she announces she is moving to the US to finish her degree. The twin’s parents are visiting their daughter in New York, when they discover her lifeless body inside her apartment. Molly musters up the courage to fly to the US to support her parents and find out what happened to Katie. She uncovers stunning information about her sister but will she unravel the truth about her death?

First Born is a devilishly clever psychological thriller that is incredibly fast-paced. Molly is way out of her comfort zone in New York, but she has to uncover the truth about Katie’s death. She unearths startling information about her twin and she does not hesitate to take her suspicions to the police.  The storyline is engaging and the mystery’s setting is well detailed and easy to visualize. With absolutely jaw-dropping twists and mind-blowing turns, Will Dean brings this mesmerizing domestic thriller to an eye-popping conclusion. HIGHLY recommend!

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Filed under Atria/Emily Bestler Books, Contemporary, First Born, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, Will Dean

April 23, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean

Title: The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense
Length: 256 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A woman being held captive is willing to risk everything to save herself, her unborn child, and her captor’s latest victim in this claustrophobic thriller in the tradition of Misery and Room.

On an isolated farm in the United Kingdom, a woman is trapped by the monster who kidnapped her seven years ago. When she discovers she is pregnant, she resolves to protect her child no matter the cost, and starts to meticulously plan her escape. But when another woman is brought into the fold on the farm, her plans go awry. Can she save herself, her child, and this innocent woman at the same time? Or is she doomed to spend the remainder of her life captive on this farm?

Intense, dark, and utterly gripping The Last Thing to Burn is a breathtaking thriller from an author to watch.

Review:

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean is a riveting yet bleak novel.

Thanh Dao and her sister Kim-Ly arrive in the UK with big dreams. While Kim-Ly works in Manchester, Thanh “Jane” has been sold to Lenn and lives on a pig farm in the Fenlands. Nearly eight years later, the only thing that keeps Jane going is the thought that her sister will soon be free of the “debt” she owes.  As for Jane, she lives a lonely existence with Lenn who controls absolutely every aspect of her life. But when she becomes pregnant, Jane never stops searching for the opportunity to escape from her captor.

Over the years, Jane has tried to escape so she knows what will happen if Lenn catches her. She bides her times and continues to outwardly acquiesce to his demands. But Jane makes sure to tell herself the truth every time she loses a piece of herself to Lenn. She spends her days doing housework and cooking for Lenn while she dreads the nights he takes her upstairs to the front bedroom. After she realizes she is pregnant, Jane knows that she cannot raise her child in captivity.

The farm is isolated and no one is aware Jane lives with Lenn. He spends his days working in the fields and he has very exacting standards for everything within the walls of his rundown home. Lenn follows Jane’s every move and he punishes her when he catches her out. With Jane in danger of losing her very identity, she waits for the perfect opportunity to escape his evil clutches.

The Last Thing to Burn is a suspenseful, character driven novel. Jane is the easy to empathize narrator of this heartrending story that delves into the seamy world of human trafficking. Jane’s desperation to escape is apparent with each turn of the page. The story is well-written with a grim setting that springs vividly to life. With increasing tension, Will Dean brings this haunting novel to a stunning conclusion.

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Filed under Atria/Emily Bestler Books, Contemporary, Rated B, Suspense, The Last Thing to Burn, Will Dean