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The Last Thing to Burn: Longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and shortlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year Paperback – February 3, 2022

by Will Dean (Author)

4.2 5,818 ratings

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'Outstanding. The best thriller in years' MARTINA COLE
'One of the best thrillers I have read in years' THE OBSERVER
'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
'Short, sharp shocker'THE TIMES
'An early contender for one of the best books of the year' S MAGAZINE

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 . . .

'A true nail-biter' THE GUARDIAN
'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
'An unbearably tense read, with incredible writing' RAGNAR JONASSON
'I could not stop reading this! Brilliantly done' DENISE MINA
'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

Language

English
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Hodder Paperbacks
Publication date

February 3, 2022
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4.96 x 0.94 x 7.72 inches
ISBN-10

1529307090
ISBN-13

978-1529307092
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodder Paperbacks; 1st edition (February 3, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1529307090
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529307092
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.96 x 0.94 x 7.72 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,034,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9,237 in International Mystery & Crime (Books)
- #26,574 in Amateur Sleuths
- #69,169 in Suspense Thrillers

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4.2 5,818 ratings

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Will Dean

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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.

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Mom of E &amp;amp;amp;amp; e

Could not put it down.

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2023

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This was one of those books where you hate that life gets in the way of reading. I was desperate to find out what happens to the characters. The ending did not disappoint.

2 people found this helpful

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TapTheLine

A tale about redemption by Will Dean.

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2021

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Written by the author known for his renowned Tuva Moodyson series set in the fictitious northern Swedish town, Gavrik, The Last Thing to Burn is a completely divergent novel, narrating the harrowing tale of a young Vietnamese immigrant who moves to England in order to build a better life only to be imprisoned by a monster. Will Dean proves that he is as versatile as a writer can be, giving voice to a tortured protagonist who tells her disturbing story in vivid detail and describes her horrid everyday reality, living along with a deranged individual who exploits her every fiber of being to fulfill his own sick desires and phantasies. There are several major differences between the Tuva installments and this book as in the latter, the focus is solely on the damaged soul of the first-person narrator while the intricacy of the plot takes a back seat. There are only four characters featured in the novel and the vast majority of the pages expose the protagonist's inner thought process that reflects her impaired physical and mental integrity. The reader can easily root for Thanh and embrace her battle against the tyrannical figure who cut her life into pieces and turned her into a pitiful, pathetic creature. Dean's prose is simple and austere, accurately describing the excruciatingly limited universe in which Thanh lives and his writing skills are evident in the parts where the narrator relays her disturbing experiences that shaped her current mood and personality.

Nine years ago, Thanh along with her baby sister, Kym-li, moved from Vietnam to England dreaming of an exciting future promised by the people who convinced them to take the big leap. Their dreams turn into a nightmare when they arrive in the new, unknown country where they have to work crazy hours to be able to pay their debt to those who arranged their transport. Soon, Thanh is bought by a farmer who lives in a secluded house in the middle of nowhere. Her sister stays back in Manchester and when Thanh arrives at her new home, she quickly understands that she is nothing short of a prisoner. Lenn, the aforementioned farmer, is a rough, strong man who has lived his whole life in that house and he is determined to use Thanh as a kind of surrogate for his deceased mother, Jane. As time goes by, Thanh is confined inside the house and Lenn has installed CCTV cameras in order to be able to check her every move. Each time she fails to meet her tormentor's demands and expectations, Lenn takes one of the few personal items she still clings to and burns them in the Rayburn stove. But when Thanh gets pregnant, everything changes as she decides to keep the baby and give her the future that had been denied to herself.

Little Huong's birth will gradually alter the relationship dynamics in the wretched house and Thanh will become more powerful as her daughter grows up. This bundle of unrealized potential allows Thanh to become all the more determined to free herself from Lenn's shackles and take action that previously seemed to be completely out of question. The reader witnesses the protagonist gaining strength from her relationship with her child and her sense of self-worth increases as the story builds up. In the end, Thanh will have completed her journey of self-discovery and she will have earned what previously seemed impossible. It's quite rare to encounter such a fascinating character in the genre, a true hero who faces her destiny with stoicism and a boldness reminiscent of that expressed by the protagonists in an Ancient Greek tragedy. I found Than's character arc to be brilliant and her story shook me to the core. The ending is moving and compensating for the reader who can't help but identifying with the protagonist.

The Last Thing to Burn is a tale of liberation and redemption and you should brace yourselves for a heartbreaking story that becomes slightly more optimistic as the plot evolves and reaches its climax. It brought to my mind the novels by Karin Fossum in terms of the in-depth psychological exploration of a character and the overall depressing mood and tone that permeates the text. Even though, as I mentioned in my introduction, it is not a book that can be compared with the rest of Will Dean's work, it is equally intriguing and absorbing. Furthermore, it's a rather short novel, about 250 pages, and it doesn't get tedious so you can easily finish it in just one or two sittings. I enjoyed it very much and I can recommend it both to the fans of Scandinavian crime fiction and those who know to appreciate crime novels daring to engage with unpopular themes such as human trafficking and domestic abuse. I can only wish that Will Dean will continue to create work of similar quality and engross the global crime fiction readership.

14 people found this helpful

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Christina Vidosh

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2023

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I absolutely love this book I read at least the one book per week and I am very fussy and I give up easily if they don’t catch me at the beginning in this book did all those things. Awesome thank you.

2 people found this helpful

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Therese

This is a sad story.

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024

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I went into it thinking it was a thriller and it’s categorized as one but I would rather say domestic violence. It has a lot of trigger warnings so check these. It’s no easy read. It could be more suspenseful at times but it’s well written. You really feel for Jane who is a victim of human trafficking.

One person found this helpful

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DebP McCabe

A definite page-turner

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2023

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Well-written with a memorable well-developed main character. Definitely a page-turner! I would have liked more insight into why it all happened.

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023

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I started this book very late at night because I couldn't sleep. I could not put it down once I started and I finished it around 530am. Absolutely no regrets please read

2 people found this helpful

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Abbie Robinson

4/5 ⭐️

Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2022

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This book was kind of difficult for me to read because I was able to see all of the events take place as if it were a movie. It’s not a book that you would read to enjoy but rather to make yourself aware of the frights of the world. There are many sensitive topics brought into the plot of the book so a huge trigger warning to any future readers. I gave it a 4/5 ⭐️ rating because the ending completely filled me with joy. I didn’t think the actual writing style was great but I think that was done purposefully to add to the overall aura of the book and the setting in the book.

3 people found this helpful

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Michele

Great Read

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2023

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Page turner. Very well written. Highly recommended.

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Tricia Herchak

Amazing!

Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2024

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There are no words to describe how much I loved this book! The emotions that I felt while reading it ran the gamut. I will read everything that this author ever writes. I am a fan!

Michelle Tran

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Reviewed in Germany on October 18, 2023

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I just received this book a few days ago so I haven’t read it but it was packed really well and in good condition

Jehol

arrêté au milieu

Reviewed in France on October 3, 2023

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On se demande où l'auteur veut aller, tellement que ça devient ennuyeux.

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Helen

An incredible read!

Reviewed in Italy on April 4, 2021

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An incredible read that kept me hooked right from the start, the story full of tension all the way through. Emotion and desperation ooze from each page, as you experience the mental and physical torture 'Jane' goes through every day of her life. Sensitively written, with a descriptive narrative that takes you into the secluded farmhouse full of mould and dark secrets, this is a story that will remain with me for a long time. Highly recommend.

Becca's Books

A terrifying & tremendous balancing act by Will Dean, between hope and despair.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2021

Verified Purchase

I’ve not read Will Dean’s work until now, though I’ve always been aware of it. Even before the arrival of his best-seller The Last Thing To Burn, I’ve seen reviews of his previous work in the Twittersphere, and the praise has not gone unnoticed. I’ve always intended to get round to reading Dean’s novels. As with most readers, my to-read pile has been teetering on the brink of collapse since I was about twelve years old, so actually, ‘getting round’ to a certain book can happen in any given time-frame, anywhere between months and years. However, it became increasingly difficult for me to ignore the continuous stream of screamy, excited reviews, and I’ll admit, I caved. I went straight to Amazon, purchased my copy, waited for it to arrive on my Kindle, and started it immediately. In the darkness of my bedroom, as I took my first tentative steps into this world, and as I wondered what awaited me, I found myself stood in the dismal little cottage, warm beside the Rayburn, waiting to meet Lenn and Jane for the very first time…

The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean follows the life of Jane. Jane is Lenn’s husband, and Jane has no control over her life, and has no freedom. Jane is watched all day everyday via cameras. Jane has a strict routine. Jane makes dinner. Jane will stoke up the Rayburn. Jane will have a bath. Then Jane will either sleep in the small back bedroom, or in the same room as her husband, depending on her menstrual cycle. Jane isn’t living. Jane is simply existing. She more often than not will mentally separate herself from her own body, in order to survive. The one thing keeping Jane going is the thought of her younger sister, until the one thing keeping Jane going becomes something else entirely. And then, the stakes are almost too high. But freedom is only ever a burst of courage away. And courage can quite often be found in the comfort of another. It’s just a question of when, and with who.

Claustrophobic. Emotionally draining. Horrifying. There really isn’t a word to describe how deep this novel managed to drag me down. Within just a few chapters, I was consumed entirely by this terrifying, tiny world that existed between the four walls that were Jane and Lenn’s home. Though surrounded by such a vast amount of open space, it was incredible how the author still managed to make it feel like nothing else existed outside of the cottage. That the small rooms, rooms full of damp and rot that I’m convinced I could almost smell, were the only rooms that existed in the whole entire world. The feeling of being trapped, of a whole life being confined to such a small space, was so powerful within this novel, it made me feel constricted, also. I found myself kicking my legs from beneath my blanket, just to remind myself that I was free to do so. Dean ensures that the reader experiences every single emotion that is felt by Jane. The despair. The hopelessness. The fear. But on the other side of that, the hope, the faith, the love, which is incredible to know still exists in the woman who has been through so much in the time she has spent in the cottage with Lenn.

I loved the exploration of sense of self and identity within this novel. It was so important for Jane to not forget herself, and I understood this entirely. After all, when you’re given a name that doesn’t belong to you, I can imagine that after such a long time, who you truly are would begin to slip away, lost beneath the faux identity you’d been assigned. I enjoyed the tender moments of recollection. Looking back on her past and the memories she held dear of her family and her life back in Vietnam warmed my heart and allowed me to feel closer to her. Jane’s character was incredibly well-crafted, so much so that it’s hard to believe she isn’t real. I love to put myself in a characters’ shoes when I’m reading, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so in these circumstances without feeling my stomach tighten with anxiety and worry. After all, Jane’s life, and what she deals with, is quite simply repulsive. It amazes me that still, after everything she goes through in her story, there is that tiny flame of hope in her chest that remains. That determination, that sense of worth, that pull towards knowing she is strong enough, and that it’s just about waiting for the right moment. I’ve not felt tension of such a strength before. It’s incredibly powerful and I can only applaud the author for creating such a poisonous atmosphere for his characters to reside in.

Lenn was something else. I’m not sure I’ve ever come across such a monster before now, and to say he terrified me would be an understatement. Although not outwardly violent and loud, it was the fact he managed to stay so calm and silent when doing such unspeakable things that unnerved me most. Isn’t that the sign of a psychopath? The ability to remain emotionless in such horrible circumstances? Although at times he seemed almost docile, there was a permanent edge of danger to this man. Of something within him that I could tell was not afraid of taking things to the next level, and we see this when, one by one, Lenn takes Jane’s possessions from her and burns them in the fire, with no consideration as to how she may feel. He asserts his power and authority again and again throughout the novel, only ever reinforcing the ultimate truth, and that is that Jane will never be free. He loves to keep a routine, and the constant mentions of his mother really got on my nerves. The fact that she had also been called Jane made the situation with the new Jane all the more stranger. I began to wonder whether Jane was in fact just a replacement mother for Lenn, someone who cleaned and made his dinner for him. Although a physical brute of a man, I couldn’t help feeling that there was definitely a weakness to Lenn somehow, though I couldn’t put my finger on it. He wasn’t stupid, but I didn’t get the impression that he was incredibly sharp, either. At one point, the consequences of his actions leave Lenn worrying, and it gave me the impression that Lenn would probably act on instinct quite a lot, but rarely think of what would come after.

The pacing of this novel was exceptional. I can’t recall the last time I turned the pages with such a feverish need to reach the end. Will Dean ensured that with every new chapter, there was something new to keep me involved. Not once did I lose interest. It wouldn’t have been possible, anyway. I became so invested in Jane’s life, so troubled and concerned, that I felt if I put the book down, then perhaps something terrible would happen while I was away. Silly as it may sound, I couldn’t bring myself to take my eyes off her for a single second. It was almost like I needed to be there for her, to share the pain and grief and despair so that she wouldn’t be shouldering it alone. Bizarre, isn’t it, how you can come to feel for fictional characters in such a way! But when the author writes so excellently that you feel this close to the characters, then it’s surely a good thing.

From the first page, I became mentally and emotionally invested in this book. I felt as though I was one with Jane, that every decision she made, we made it together, and ultimately, whatever happened to her, was going to affect me on such a deep level, I’d lose a part of myself, too. The tension was unbearable from the beginning, and only seemed to grow more so as the plot progressed. And so, by the end, I’d lost my ability to breathe normally, and it was a final surge through the last chapters, so that I could finally exhale. This was an exceptionally well-thought out, snake-bite-venomous, utterly gripping novel, a terrifying and tremendous balancing act by Will Dean, between hope and despair, of light and darkness. Although heavy, the peppering of faith and will to survive were the moments I, much like Jane, found myself clinging to.

I cannot recommend The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean enough. All that I can say is, go and read it for yourself. You won’t regret it, I can promise you that. And by the end of it, you’ll wish you could go back and do it all over again, once you’ve taken the time to recover, of course.

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