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 *
