Publishers Weekly
06/10/2024
Dean (The Last One) shrewdly reimagines the closed-circle murder mystery in this tense and claustrophobic nail-biter set in an underwater hyperbaric chamber. Ellen Brooke is a rarity: a female saturation diver, trained to plunge up to 1,000 feet underwater and do physical labor under hazardous conditions. She and five male colleagues have been hired by an oil company to conduct maintenance work on an undersea structure at the bottom of the North Sea. For a month, the six will live in a small, pressurized chamber, leaving only in a diving bell to reach the ocean floor. The risky work—mistakes in maintaining the appropriate pressure would be fatal—comes with a lucrative payout, vital to each of the six for different reasons. Things get even more difficult when one of Brooke’s fellow divers is found dead inside the group’s capsule. Though it may have been an accident, the death causes the cohort’s trust to fracture—and when a second member of their party dies, to shatter. Is one of them killing the others to keep the money for themselves? Dean maintains unyielding strain on his characters, brilliantly riffing on a classic setup while flexing his gifts for style and characterization. The results are gripping. Agent: Kate Burke, Blake Friedmann Literary. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
A highly original thriller set in the claustrophobic, high-risk world of saturation diving. The tension is almost unbearable. A masterclass in suspense—I absolutely loved it!” Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR
“It takes locked-room mysteries to new depths like never before. If someone had told me to read a book set in a decompression chamber, I would have passed but I went in blind and found all of the meticulously researched facts absolutely fascinating. Once you start to read the book, the pressure is on to finish it which I did in two days." Liz Nugent, #1 Internationally bestselling author of STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND
*Praise for THE LAST ONE*
“I really enjoyed this high concept mystery from Will Dean. No spoilers from me, suffice to say...a contemporary twist on the case of the Mary Celeste.” Adrian McKinty, author of the instant New York Times bestseller THE ISLAND
“Brilliant, twisted and oh so clever. The Last One is Will Dean at the top of his game. And just wait for that killer last line.” Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of WE BEGIN AT THE END
“Thrilling and terrifying in equal measures with a brilliantly heart-stopping ending. So good!” B.A. Paris, New York Times bestselling author of THE PRISONER
“Astonishing.” Ian Rankin, New York Times bestselling author of The Inspector Rebus series
*Praise for FIRST BORN*
“This taut, twisted novel kept me guessing until the very last page. Clever, compelling and utterly thrilling.” Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED
“Equal parts murder mystery and psychological thriller, Will Dean dazzles with his latest, FIRST BORN. A tense, taut plot that blows through unexpected twists and turns, you won’t be able to look away until the final, shattering page.” Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST FLIGHT
“FIRST BORN is taut, suspenseful, chilling, and surprising. Hold onto your hats for the twists and turns in this deftly plotted page-turner that explores the power of family dynamics, sibling rivalry and broken ties.” Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of THE LONG WEEKEND
Heather Gudenkauf
THE CHAMBER by Will Dean is the ultimate locked room page-turner. Six saturation divers trapped in a hyperbaric are dying one by one under mysterious circumstances and don’t know who to trust. The isolation and fear are palpable, and the impending dread thrums along with a steady, heart-hammering intensity. Dean’s meticulous research into the day-to-day duties of saturation divers lays the groundwork, but it’s his ability to thrust readers into the metal chamber and slam the door behind them that makes THE CHAMBER a haunting, unforgettable thriller.
Chris Whitaker
Breathtaking. Terrifying. Unforgettable. So tense you’ll want to put it down, so thrilling you won’t be able to. The Chamber is simply brilliant.
Sarah Pearse
"I was utterly gripped by THE CHAMBER. This unbearably tense thriller conjured a claustrophobic atmosphere that had me reaching for the escape hatch even in the open spaces of Devon. Well-drawn characters and excellent prose. A superb summer read."
Jack Carr
“The Chamber is that rare book that defies genre and is so exquisitely written as to create a class of its own. Will Dean has outdone himself with a work that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. A triumph!
Hannah Mary McKinnon
If you look up the definition of locked-room mystery, don’t be surprised to see the cover of THE CHAMBER by Will Dean. Saturation divers dying inside a locked hyperbaric chamber with no way out for four days is one of the most unique and compelling premises I’ve read in a long time. It was claustrophobic, intense, and as the pressure built and the countdown to the surviving divers’ freedom was on, I couldn’t put the book down for a single second. THE CHAMBER is perfection, Dean’s writing and research are flawless, and I can’t wait for whatever new mind-blowing gem he comes up with next.
Janice Hallett
"THE CHAMBER is a masterful claustrophobic thriller, crafted with the precision of a fine watch and the reveals executed with more depth than a North Sea oil rig. Just brilliant!"
Liz Nugent
It takes locked-room mysteries to new depths like never before. If someone had told me to read a book set in a decompression chamber, I would have passed but I went in blind and found all of the meticulously researched facts absolutely fascinating. Once you start to read the book, the pressure is on to finish it which I did in two days.
It is a tour-de-force. If your daily job can kill you in multiple ways, you certainly don’t expect to be targeted by your colleagues. Chilling, intriguing and educational in a most entertaining way.
Shari Lapena
A highly original thriller set in the claustrophobic, high-risk world of saturation diving. The tension is almost unbearable. A masterclass in suspense—I absolutely loved it!
Sarah Pears
"I was utterly gripped by THE CHAMBER. This unbearably tense thriller conjured a claustrophobic atmosphere that had me reaching for the escape hatch even in the open spaces of Devon. Well-drawn characters and excellent prose. A superb summer read."
Ian Rankin
Astonishing.
Lisa Jewell
This taut, twisted novel kept me guessing until the very last page. Clever, compelling and utterly thrilling.
Adrian McKinty
I really enjoyed this high concept mystery from Will Dean. No spoilers from me, suffice to say...a contemporary twist on the case of the Mary Celeste.
B.A. Paris
Thrilling and terrifying in equal measures with a brilliantly heart-stopping ending. So good!”
Gilly Macmillan
FIRST BORN is taut, suspenseful, chilling, and surprising. Hold onto your hats for the twists and turns in this deftly plotted page-turner that explores the power of family dynamics, sibling rivalry and broken ties.
Julie Clark
Equal parts murder mystery and psychological thriller, Will Dean dazzles with his latest, FIRST BORN. A tense, taut plot that blows through unexpected twists and turns, you won’t be able to look away until the final, shattering page.
