The Last Thing to Burn

'Outstanding. The best thriller in years' MARTINA COLE

'One of the best thrillers I have read in years' THE OBSERVER

'I couldn't put it down. A visceral nightmare of a book with one of the most evil villains I've come across in a long time. Powerful writing' STEVE CAVANAGH

'Short, sharp shocker' THE TIMES

'An early contender for one of the best books of the year' S MAGAZINE

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 . . .

'A true nail-biter' THE GUARDIAN

'Ratchets up the tension to the point where I had to check my pulse' LIZ NUGENT

'Heart-stoppingly suspenseful, a masterclass in tension' ERIN KELLY

'An unbearably tense read, with incredible writing' RAGNAR JONASSON

'I could not stop reading this! Brilliantly done' DENISE MINA

'Sensational. Claustrophobic, compulsive, and almost unbearably tense it's a heart-in-mouth read that's packed with suspense. Readers will be saying 'just one more page' all the way from the gripping beginning to the heart-stopping end' C.L. TAYLOR

'Seriously nail-biting stuff! I raced through it, my heart in my mouth' EMMA CURTIS

'Tremendously powerful and fantastically written, heart-stopping from page one. Expect to see it on all the award lists' SARAH HILARY

“This is a brilliant , chilling depiction of life on the very edges of society. I read it in one sitting , and lived every second of the book with the characters . Compelling, horrifying and gripping , and written with such empathy and control , it's probably the best thing I will read this year - Jane Casey Misery meets Room ... a triumph - Marian KeyesRatchets up the tension to the point where I had to check my pulse - Liz Nugent Heart-stoppingly suspenseful , a masterclass in tension - Erin KellyA heart-racing exploration about human survival. An addictive and insightful thriller - Maxine Mei-Fung Chung Brilliant - Elly Griffiths Sensational. Claustrophobic, compulsive, and almost unbearably tense it's a heart-in-mouth read that's packed with suspense . Readers will be saying 'just one more page' all the way from the gripping beginning to the heart-stopping end - C.L. Taylor Seriously nail-biting stuff! I raced through it , my heart was in my mouth - Emma Curtis”

This is a brilliant, chilling depiction of life on the very edges of society. I read it in one sitting, and lived every second of the book with the characters. Compelling, horrifying and gripping, and written with such empathy and control, it's probably the best thing I will read this year 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
Heart-stoppingly suspenseful, a masterclass in tension Erin Kelly
A heart-racing exploration about human survival. An addictive and insightful thriller Maxine Mei-Fung Chung
Brilliant Elly Griffiths
Sensational. Claustrophobic, compulsive, and almost unbearably tense it's a heart-in-mouth read that's packed with suspense. Readers will be saying 'just one more page' all the way from the gripping beginning to the heart-stopping end C.L. Taylor
Seriously nail-biting stuff! I raced through it, my heart was in my mouth Emma Curtis
Tremendously powerful and fantastically written, heart-stopping from page one. Expect to see it on all the award lists Sarah Hilary
I'm in awe. What a magnificent achievement. Gripping, heart-breaking, transcendent. It's bound to be a huge hit - and an award winner Paul Burston
This book . . . Devastating, taut, horrifying but also such strength . . . it's going to stay with me for a long time Laura Van Rensburg
Incredible! Miranda Dickinson
Beautiful writing, wonderful characterisation and gripping plot Rowan Coleman
Completely absorbing and important and brilliantly written Fiona Mitchell
Superb Mel Sherratt
A heart-pounding read that is impossible to put down. Sinister, creepy and superbly written Dani Atkins
Tense, emotional and highly recommended Susi Holliday
Blown away - this is going to be HUGE Lucy Dawson
Such a brilliantly executed, tense, taut thriller Imran Mahmood
Very highly recommended Mark Edwards
Chilling and compelling Lucy Atkins
I truly was gripped by this book . . . I think it's up there with the best crime/thriller novels I've read Catherine Ryan Howard
Sublime. An atmospheric, deliciously tense thriller. I thought my heart stopped a few times. I loved it Irenosen Okojie
I couldn't put it down. A visceral nightmare of a book with one of the most evil villains I've come across in a long time. Powerful writing Steve Cavanagh
A superbly taut novel . . . utterly brilliant Stuart Turton
It was a thoroughly gripping, brilliantly uncomfortable read with terrible ticking-clock moments that had my whole body tense and straining for a glimpse of him on that driveway. The bleak landscape, the colourful back story and the excellent characterisation all made for a very satisfying read. LOVED IT C. D. Major
One of the most tense books you'll ever read Fabulous
A thrillingly tense new pageturner from master of suspense Will Dean Grazia
An unbearably tense read, with incredible writing Ragnar Jonasson
I could not stop reading this! Brilliantly done Denise Mina
The atmosphere is vivid, the characters are brilliantly drawn . . . Claustrophobic, harrowing but also inspiring, this book is not for the faint-hearted. It's hard to read, and hard to put down The Press Association
Vividly-written . . . a powerful thriller The Irish Times
A truly frightening, unsettling read that is worth reading in one sitting . . . Superbly paced Woman’s Way
This harrowing and too-timely tale will haunt you Heat
Short, sharp shocker The Times
We couldn't put this tense novel down Bella
A tense, brilliant read Closer
Packs a mighty emotional punch . . . gut-wrenching Peterborough Telegraph
The atmosphere is vivid, the characters are brilliantly drawn The I
75 of the best books for 2021: A bleak but brilliantly handled tale of oppression, torture and enslavement that will have you turning the pages late into the night The i online
Will doesn't just build suspense; he cloaks his story in it Culture Fly
Will Dean's first standalone thriller is a claustrophobic nail-biting read that is heart-breaking and suspenseful in equal measure . . . Not for the faint-hearted, Will Dean has written a stunning and thought-provoking narrative that will resonate with even the harden genre advocate SHOTS
Outstanding. The best thriller in years Martina Cole
Compelling, this shines a light on to a plight that is rooted in real-life tragedy The Sunday Post
A brilliant and thought-provoking start to the year Sunday Sport
Impossible to put down . . . an early contender for one of the best books of the year Daily Express S Magazine
One of the best thrillers I have read in years The Observer
A true nail-biter The Guardian
Terrifying and often emotive, it is also a powerful story of strength and determination that is as inspiring as it is chilling. Definitely one for your 2021 reading list Sunday Independent
This is every bit as accomplished as Dean's previous books, but its unrelenting narrative of spousal cruelty is not for the fainthearted Financial Times
As a piece of sustained domestic terror this is magnificent, and it deserves to sit alongside The Collector and Misery as a classic Strong Words Magazine
I cannot remember the last time I read a book this immediate, intense, gripping, taut terrifying, moving and brilliant . . . the tension was so agonising . . . it deserves to be number one, it deserves to be a huge movie, it deserves to win awards. My book of the year and it's only February Lisa Jewell
Shocking, visceral and totally unforgettable Woman & Home Online
An astonishing standalone from Dean New Statesman Books of the Year round up
Extremely tense . . . a story of survival in its most basic form, but more than that it's about the immense power of the human spirit Culturefly, Best Books of 2021
A taut nail-biter of a thriller The Sun
A timely and unforgettable locked-door mystery Daily Express, Books of the year - picked by Anne Cater
Compelling, dark and seriously nail-biting, this is thriller writing at its best Surrey Life
Achingly tense Mr B’s Bookseller’s Dozen
Unrelentingly tense and chilling, this is a gripping read Sunday Express S Mag
A gripping psychological thriller about an obsessive, damaged relationship Daily Express

Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands and had lived in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying Law at the LSE and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden where he built a house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it's from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. His debut novel in the Tuva Moodyson series, Dark Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball's Book Club, shortlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker prize and named a Daily Telegraph Book of the Year. Red Snow was published in January 2019 and won Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers' Awards, 2019. Black River was shortlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Award in 2021. Will also writes standalone thrillers: The Last Thing to Burn, First Born, the top twenty hardback bestseller The Last Passenger and The Chamber.

'Outstanding. The best thriller in years' MARTINA COLE 'One of the best thrillers I have read in years' THE OBSERVER 'I couldn't put it down. A visceral nightmare of a book with one of the most evil villains I've come across in a long time. Powerful writing' STEVE CAVANAGH 'Short, sharp shocker' THE TIMES 'An early contender for one of the best books of the year' S MAGAZINE 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 . . .'A true nail-biter' THE GUARDIAN 'Ratchets up the tension to the point where I had to check my pulse' LIZ NUGENT 'Heart-stoppingly suspenseful, a masterclass in tension' ERIN KELLY 'An unbearably tense read, with incredible writing' RAGNAR JONASSON 'I could not stop reading this! Brilliantly done' DENISE MINA 'Sensational. Claustrophobic, compulsive, and almost unbearably tense it's a heart-in-mouth read that's packed with suspense. Readers will be saying 'just one more page' all the way from the gripping beginning to the heart-stopping end' C.L. TAYLOR 'Seriously nail-biting stuff! I raced through it, my heart in my mouth' EMMA CURTIS 'Tremendously powerful and fantastically written, heart-stopping from page one. Expect to see it on all the award lists' SARAH HILARY

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