With the appetite for well-written Scandi Noir showing little sign of abating, Will Dean burst onto that particular scene a couple of years ago with his debut novel Dark Pines, which introduces deaf news reporter Tuva Moodyson, and follows her quest to help solve some gory crimes set deep in the Swedish wilderness. When she discovers she is pregnant, she resolves to protect her child no matter the cost, and starts to meticulously plan her escape. It’s incredibly well written, some of the descriptions break your heart and you feel Jane’s pain at every step.

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean | Goodreads The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean | Goodreads

Jane, not her real name and one that she refuses to own, left Vietnam with her younger sister with the promise of a better life ahead in Britain. Forced to come to terms with the horrid reality of what has happened she fosters an escape with the other woman and as they make their way find another surprise awaits them. I realize the author is going for authenticity—Jane’s foot pain is forever in her mind—but it’s overkill. Wait, hmm, Lenn has my attention with his claustrophobic, disturbing, controlling way over Jane, but did that created the tension, sense of dread, and fear needed to create a thrilling, chilling and exciting thriller? They (the pace and plot) pick up however, and Dean offers some interesting twists though we almost rush to a conclusion.which started promising when - at the very- beginning- a powerful excerpt included before chapter one by author Kim Thuy, Ru. One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. There were few threats which could stop him cold,” but Song has a mother and a little sister she loves very much.

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean | Waterstones

It also reminded me of Even Silence Has An End: My Six Years of Captivity in the Colombian Jungle which was a true story. Author Will Dean takes great care in giving us a stark and seemingly realistic view of a woman held captive. I’m not very visual but I gather her toes are no longer pointed in the direction they should and Dean’s descriptions of her injuries are quite visceral.Photograph: Robert Morris/Alamy An illegal migrant hobbles across fields in a bid to escape her captor in Will Dean’s The Last Thing to Burn.

The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean – Book Review The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean – Book Review

Jane, you see, is a victim of human trafficking, and Lenn paid good money for her to be his bride, cooking and cleaning for him, taking the place of his dearly departed mother, also named Jane. The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean will be published in Australia by Hachette in late January, but available elsewhere from 6 January 2021. The least said the better comes to mind with The last thing to burn but if you like dark, disturbing, dislikable character type stories then this is probably your kind of novel. Overall, this is a terrifying and disturbing book that will definitely stay with me for a long time. To protect her sister, she complies with his wishes, but her spirit is resilient and she won't allow him to break it even as he keeps her in degrading conditions.Moving back and forth between the present, where their mother has died in prison, and the past, Girl A is harrowing, gripping and also, somehow, life-affirming – an incredible achievement for a first novel.

The Last Thing To Burn | Hachette UK The Last Thing To Burn | Hachette UK

While this may be a book readers can only read one time, it's a book that any suspense/thriller fan MUST read, it's that good! Thanh’s backstory and the fact she was ‘bought’ by Lenn moved the focus away a little from Lenn’s actions (as a sociopathic kidnapper) to Thanh’s tragic history.He names her Jane, and forces her to keep up a strict daily routine or he will burn her only possessions. Song is a fantastic creation, sardonic and laid-back, permanently lighting up Lucky Strikes and smirking as she considers what Marlowe might do if faced with her challenges. The characters here are sold to/ or captured by a cruel, controlling and abusive man to the detriment of their physical and mental health. Renamed Jane after Lenn's mother, she is forced to live in a ramshackle dwelling in the Fens, to wear Lenn's mother's clothes, to cook the food she used to cook in exactly the same way, to clean the house to her exacting regime, and to submit to Lenn's precise demands for sex.