The Last Thing to Burn: Longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and shortlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year

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For starters, I have a bionic ankle. Fourteen doctors were in the surgery room in San Francisco when I was given a new ankle five years ago.

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This is a powerful book that is thought provoking and I believe would be a great book for book clubs as there is a lot to discuss in this book. 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. Instead, what she found was forced slavery, held captive for many years by Lenn, a cruel and abusive man; expected to cook, clean, obey and be raped every night, unable to run away due to a serious injury and the threat that her younger sister will be harmed if she does. 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. However, when she becomes pregnant and a second woman is imprisoned on the farm, she starts thinking about what they can do to survive.Despite the horrific subject and my horror at the injustices being committed, this was riveting and suspenseful reading. Dean's writing is lean and powerful, conveying the claustrophobic atmosphere of the small house so well. Lenn is a truly monstrous and brutal, with an unhealthy fixation on his dead mother, while Jane's character is so strong and resilient despite everything she has been through. Unlike many novels featuring a captive woman, this one felt chillingly plausible, particularly given the isolated location of the farm in the English fenland and the circumstances that bring 'Jane' to the to it. The tension builds superbly through the novel to a very intense ending with a few surprises and a small moment of triumph for Jane that resonates with the title of the novel. This is a book I won't forget in a hurry. 4.5★ I won’t go into too much of what happens but let’s just say two things occur that make Thanh Dao realise she needs a plan to get away from Lenn, one that will work this time. Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn’t like what he sees, she is punished. A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

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

She is held captive by a hog farmer, who considers her his wife, bought and paid for. Her life is dehumanized, she is beaten, tortured and maimed. Yet her so-called life goes on. The book is compelling. It is quite graphic in the sense of how brutal Lenn can be. I became emotionally involved in the plot and was rooting for Thanh Dao to find a way to get away from Lenn and find help.

Thanh Dao and her sister Kim-Ly originally traveled to England with the promise of employment. Kim-Ly, she is told, is working at a Nail Salon in Manchester and so “Jane” stays, to keep her sister safe. This story ends a bit abruptly and I didn’t care for the additional epilogue. I found it unrealistic and a complete departure from the tone of the rest of the book. The author could have eliminated it completely. Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished. Lenn’s given Thanh the name Jane. I was ultimately a little confused about whether he named her after his mother (whom he worshipped, though a psychologist might say ‘hated’) or after a previous wife. (Or ‘all of the above’ and I can’t say more because of spoilers!)

The Last Thing to Burn: Longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger

The human spirit is an amazing thing; full of wonder and respect. And what people are capable of, whether fighting for life, or abusing others, is no less than heart-stomping. It’s a 2021 favorite for me.

Talk about visceral! This brutal book tied my belly in a knot and made me chew my lips, hard. It also made me feel incredibly claustrophobic. If Misery and Room had a baby, it would look like this book. I loved this baby even though it’s one of the most horrific stories I’ve ever read. In this chilling novel from bestselling author John Marrs, a young couple’s house hides terrible secrets—and not all of them are confined to the past. And truthfully, I didn’t care if Thanh (Jane), was strong or resilient... or if the novel ended with justice.... This is an awesome read. I love the writing that lulled me in deeper. It’s a poignant story, outlining the best and worst in the world. And here my friends is where I leave you. The Last thing to Burn is a gripping, exciting thriller from author Will Dean. It is the first book of Will’s that I have read but judging by the fact that I began this book at 10 am Saturday and finished it at 4 pm the same day, I can tell you it won’t be my last. I just couldn’t put this book down for long, always eager to return.

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There are things beyond her control and one of these situations change her life in an instant. And here the pathway to survival narrows, so it is barely seen.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. But this is the kind of read you just cannot stop reading because the writing is really calm and intense in a way that wouldn't leave you in peace unless you know what happens in the end. A human torturous life — a point of no return — years and years of brutal abuse .... were “stained indelibly on Thanh’s soul, engraved into her bones” .....FOREVER!! Not since Lionel Shriver brought us We Need to Talk About Kevin has a writer delved into the complexities of a disturbed mother/son relationship. Until now.