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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This one had potential. A Vietnamese immigrant whose family were made such promises of work for their daughters, send them in over to the UK to earn lots a money. I had seen so much hype for this book so I went in with a bit of trepidation that once again I would be let down. Not a chance! One of the best reads so far for 2021. Highly recommend! 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 she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen. I love books told in first person, especially when the hero is captive and must figure out how to escape. The tension builds continuously here, making it irresistible. There are some major plot surprises that make the story even more intense. I’m being vague on purpose. (Avoid reading the blurb if you can; it gives too much away.)

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A heart-racing exploration about human survival. An addictive and insightful thriller’ Maxine Mei-Fung Chung Dean spends quite a bit of time describing Thanh’s ankle injury, returning to it again and again. 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. It means she’s in extreme pain, but also unable to make it far on foot. I read the whole damn book. After I got started, I literally could not put it down. This is, by far, one of the most compelling novels I've ever read. It's such a difficult and dark tale, but unlike The Four Winds which I opted to give a low rating for its never-ending bleakness, in The Last Thing to Burn, I could feel the hope in every single word the main character uttered; in every thought she had; in all her actions. This book felt nothing like The Four Winds. The book opens with Jane (Thanh Dao) trying to escape. We learn however that years earlier her captor Leonard (Lenn) shattered her ankle so her mobility is limited. And she’s addicted to pain meds (the type given to horses rather than humans) as a result. A wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.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. Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died. Immediate, intense, gripping, taut, terrifying, moving, and brilliant.” —Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Invisible Girl

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

Jane is the narrator, and man, can she tell a story. Okay, I’m going to call her Jane in this review, though I feel awful about it—so sorry, Thanh Dao! It’s just that that’s the name I know her by. I hate to “listen to” Lenn and call her Jane; I feel like I’m betraying Thanh Dao by using the name her tormentor gave her! Now the fact that I’m freaking out by calling her Jane in a review shows you how much this book got under my skin. OMG, I think these people are real! Brotherfollows a teenager determined to break from his family’s unconventional—and deeply disturbing—traditions.My heart was thumping from beginning to end. You could feel “Jane’s” fear, loathing and frustration. Her courage and will to survive showed in every step she took. The author did an amazing job to bring the characters to life.

The Last Thing to Burn: Will Dean’s bleak thriller billed as The Last Thing to Burn: Will Dean’s bleak thriller billed as

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published 4/20/21. DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, for providing a digital ARC of The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. 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. We get to know Thanh pretty well and – though I was occasionally frustrated by her inaction – we’re in her head so we know that she’s weighing the implications of any potential courses of action. If you liked Room, I predict you’ll love this. But again, be warned: this is intense and dark, and it never lets up. You may not be in the mood for something so heavy.Jane is not her real name but the name Lenn has given her. Her real name is Thanh Dao, she came to the UK with her sister and the promise of a good job but instead is sold to Lenn. A claustrophobic feeling is created here with the isolated wooded farm Jane is imprisoned in. Lenn is creepy, disturbing, and unsettling with the way he uses psychological coercion in a haunting way and physical abuse to control Thanh Dao. Lenn uses threats against her sister and the possessions that keep her connected to who she is. When Thanh displeases Lenn or breaks the rules, he burns one of her possessions. She loses a piece of who she is and struggles with being replaced as Jane, his wife, and the image of his mother. Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying law at the LSE, and working many varied jobs in London, he settled in rural Sweden with his wife. He built a wooden house in a boggy forest clearing and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. Alright. I’m about to get bashed For this one. My thrill meter started out high but then petered out to some jerky flits. My sincere thanks to Will Dean and Atria Books for providing my gifted copy for review via NetGalley. The Last Thing to Burn is now available.