Description
‘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
‘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
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 . . .
‘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 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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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
Tracey Harriman –
The Blurb:
Her husband calls her Jane.
That is not her name.
She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open field. 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…
Is lockdown getting you down? Need something to cheer you up and put a smile on your face? Yeah, you might want to go and watch Mr Bean. This is not a feelgood read. That said, this is the book that has restored my broken reading mojo. It doesn’t feel right to say I enjoyed reading such a harrowing story, but it most definitely provoked more of an emotional reaction than any book I’ve read in a long time.
The book begins several years into Jane’s story. She has been living with Lenn in his farmhouse for so many years that she has become resigned to her situation. We learn that previous attempts to escape have seen her suffer serious consequences. The few possessions she has are, for her, a link to life she has lost; her hope for a life to return to. For him they are a means of control. Step out of line and they are gone.
Jane has never been allowed to leave the farmhouse. We get a sense of how claustrophobic this must be as the story also never leaves. During the times when Lenn goes into town, works on his fields etc, we stay with Jane. We share her hopelessness and desperation.
Dean has avoided the propensity for over dramatisation. The lack of sensationalism actually adds to the sense of despair and horror that has become Jane’s ‘normal’. She came to this country with hope. There is little of that left. We may see on the news the occasional story of large scale human trafficking, Dean takes us into the heart and soul of one human story. He does it with sensitivity and compassion. When a book is well written, I find it plays like a movie in my head. With The Last Thing To Burn, I didn’t just see the story, I could feel it. Sadly, I could also almost taste the cod in parsley sauce too (no, I’m not going to explain that comment, read the book!). Jane’s story will stay with me for a long time.
Nicola Humphries (verified owner) –
One of the most amazing books I have ever read. It has everything, leaves you imagining the worst, thinking about would you be strong enough to live through it, and the tension. If you buy one book this year, buy this one. Heart stopping, fast paced, evil but full of hope. Worst of all it could be happening now. BUY IT!
Anna Kierczynska –
4.5*
This book is dark.
When you think thaat this story is actually happening somewhere in your country it’s even darker.
It’s the darkest thing that Will has even published.
A woman is held captive on a farm. Her perpetrator controls every aspect of her life. Even if he leaves, he has cameras in the house and he watches the tapes daily. There are no secrets, nowhere to hide and no possibility to escape.
Jane, but that’s not her name, came to the UK looking for a better life. Smugglers succeeded in getting her in in a lorry. She knew that she needs to work to pay back for the travel, food and accommodation. Even though her first place wasn’t good, she still had some freedom. And her sister.
Today she’s a prisoner and she has just few things – her ID, letters from her sister and pictures of her family. For every mistake she’s punished. Her possessions need to burn.
She’s regularly raped and one day she gets pregnant.
She hopes that a new neighbour who wants to rent a bit of a land will help her. She’s more brave with the baby. She must escape. Will she?
Captivating story, really horrible.
I strongly recommend the book!