Title: The Last Thing To Burn
Author: Will Dean
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: January 21st 2021
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton / Atria Books
Finished reading: November 4th 2020
Pages: 256
“There is no handcuff keeping me here, there is no manacle locked around my ankle. And yet I am imprisoned.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton/Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I really enjoyed Will Dean‘s writing in his Tuva Moodyson series, so I knew I wanted to read this stand-alone as soon as I first heard about it. I mean, have you seen that blurb?! A man keeping an illegal woman trapped in his home, pretending to be his wife… That most definitely sounds like a rock solid premise to build your story around. I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy my time with The Last Thing To Burn, and my instincts turned out to be absolutely right. You will want to clear your schedule for this one, as it will be REALLY hard to stop reading before you reach that final page. Unputdownable indeed!
Like I said, the premise itself is rock solid. While you can argue that nothing much is going on, as it is basically the two main characters inside the same house in the middle of nowhere during most of the story… But its power is in its simplicity. With other distractions stripped away, the sole spotlight is on that house and what happens inside. This gives the story an even bigger impact, and the descriptions of the tired house and its surroundings most definitely set the right tone for the story. An air of desperation, loneliness and a hint of foreboding… You will know things will escalate, and the future seems bleak, but you won’t be able to stop reading to see if things will improve against all odds.
The Last Thing To Burn is a character-driven story, and the focus is mainly on Thanh (Jane) and her ‘husband’. We see the events unfold through Thanh’s eyes as we learn a little about the past, but mainly about what happens in the present. It’s a truly terrifying and inhumane situation she finds herself in, something so hopeless that it is hard to imagine how she could ever find a way out of it all… Plot developments and twists will arrive along the way, both showing her strength and moral dilemma as she considers the consequences of her actions if he finds out. The last part of The Last Thing To Burn definitely amps up the suspense and action, and I was literally biting my nails as I kept turning those pages. The ending was more than satisfying!
All in all The Last Thing To Burn is a brilliantly written, atmospheric and suspenseful character-driven thriller and a title to watch out for in 2021. Enjoy thrillers and wonder what to put on your wishlist for next year? You have found your next addition.
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I don’t read many thrillers, but this sounds fantastic! Definitely going to have to grab myself a copy when it’s released. Great review!
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It is SO good! I never thought a story that has such a static setting could have this big of an impact… But it had. xx
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Loved your review. This does seem like a thriller for which I need to clear my schedule. Thanks for recommending.
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It was definitely one where I just couldn’t stop reading… xx
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Fab review! xx
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Thanks! xx
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I’m really looking forward to reading this book. Great review!
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I hope you will enjoy it too! xx
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This sounds fantastic. I have it on my tbr but have been struggling again to read anything that’s not a romcom. I really should pick this one up though.
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Oh I do get that! I’ve been reading way more contemporary/romance than usual too… Somehow I need more uplifting reads in my life right now. xx
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Wonderful review, Yvonne! This one certainly sounds tense!
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Oh yes, most definitely!
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Fantastic review Yvo. I have this one to read and it sounds like one I need to get to sooner rather than later. It is amazing how an author can add that much forboding and tenseness in a book that takes place in one house. Sounds like this an an author I need to watch out for.
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It’s definitely not easy to make a book with such a limited setting interesting… But Will Dean nailed it. I hope you will enjoy it! xx
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