The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean

Will Dean brings edge-of-your-seat suspense to his new book, The Last Thing to Burn. Thanh Dao is a young, illegally trafficked Vietnamese woman held captive on a pig farm in the English countryside. She is imprisoned with casual cruelty by her captor, Lenn, who refuses her even the dignity of her own name; calling her Jane after his late mother. Lenn threatens to have Thanh’s sister deported if she tries to escape or kill herself.

Thanh perseveres the daily drudgery in the hope that her sister is free and close to paying off her debt. She clings to the few meager possessions she is allowed, including some letters from her sister, that remind her of who she is and her hopes for her sister. Any transgression from Lenn’s cruel rules could threaten the destruction by fire of one of her few remaining possessions.

The tension rises even higher when Thanh learns that she is pregnant and again when a local woman is imprisoned by Lenn. Thanh’s resilience, determination and desperation will literally have readers on the edge of their seats waiting for relief that only comes with the next shocking twist. Thanh Dao is an amazing protagonist whose inner strength is almost unimaginable.

The Last Thing to Burn is not an easy read. It is, however, a rewarding read and a cathartic experience. The subject matter is difficult and the emotions it evokes are intense. For his American debut novel, Will Dean has delivered a story that will have a lot of people talking and should be mentioned prominently when award season comes around. Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.