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Adrift

The gripping and haunting new crime thriller from the award-winning author of The Last Thing to Burn

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Adrift

By: Will Dean
Narrated by: Emma Wilkes, Luke R Francis
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About this listen

 'Haunting, heartbreaking, quietly terrifying. Unforgettable' CHRIS WHITAKER

Three of them adrift on the narrowboat.
Mother, son, and wickedness.

Peggy Jenkins and her teenage son, Samson, live on a remote stretch of canal in the Midlands. She is a writer and he is a schoolboy. Together, they battle against the hardness and manipulation of the man they live with. To the outside world he is a husband and father. To them, he is a captor.

Their lives are tightly controlled; if any perceived threat appears, their mooring is moved further down the canal, further away from civilisation. Until the day when the power suddenly shifts, and nothing can be the same again.

The author of the 'master class in suspense' (Shari Lapena, Sunday Times bestselling author) The Last Thing to Burn returns with a high-tension thriller about a family's descent into darkness that is perfect for fans of Denis Lehane and Lisa Jewell.

Early readers are loving ADRIFT:

'Easy 5 stars! This book has such a sinister, chilling slow burn, and then BAM! It's brilliantly character-driven, claustrophobic, and tense' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This is a dark, and uncomfortable read and such an emotional one. I was hooked from the start... This book is going to be big 10/10 from me' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The tension in this book is extreme, I wanted to find the barge and scream at Peggy and Samson to leave, such is the strength of Will Dean's writing' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I found the characters to be drawn beautifully, while contained in a story that was both riveting and harrowing, The book manages to make the hairs stand up on your skin as you read it. Exquisite' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐©2026 Will Dean Crime Thrillers Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Literary Fiction Mystery Small Town & Rural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Emotionally Gripping

Critic reviews

I was going to say I can't remember the last time a book had me in such a chokehold, until I could. It was The Last Thing To Burn. Heartbreaking, devastating, achingly beautiful ... simply stunning (John Marrs)
Nothing is quite as it seems in this tale of a young boy caught between parents drowning at the very edges of normalcy. Suffused by a sense of menace from start to finish and devastating in its quiet rage. Powerful and poignant (Vaseem Khan)
Well-drawn characters and excellent prose (Sarah Pearse)
Devastatingly good. Tense as all the best thrillers are, but with an emotional heft that will leave you deeply moved. Will Dean's storytelling just gets better and better (Jennie Godfrey)
Tense, claustrophobic, creepy as hell. I had to gallop through to the end just so that I could breathe again (Tammy Cohen)
A powerful, compulsive novel about autonomy, family and freedom, Will Dean's writing continues to elevate the thriller genre (Anna Bailey)
Will Dean has done it again with this thriller that doesn't let up for a second. He excels at creating unforgettably moving characters in terrifying circumstances. I was completely caught up in Peggy and Sam's struggle to survive their claustrophobic, dangerous situation. Vivid, heartbreaking, and written with a deep understanding of how complex a family's love can be, Adrift is pure suspense from start to finish (Jane Casey)
This is a masterclass in suspense
Will Dean is a master of the tense, morally complex, emotionally devastating modern thriller. ADRIFT doesn't just cement Dean's place in the top tier of thriller writers, it surely plants him firmly in that position for years to come (William Hussey)
Astute and moving, with tension on every page (Sarah Hilary)
Haunting, heartbreaking, quietly terrifying. Unforgettable (Chris Whitaker)
Adrift is beautifully written and so full of heart and fragility, an absolute page turner. I loved it (Liz Nugent)
A piece of pure and perfect storytelling. Dark, tender and gut-level gripping, I cared desperately about the characters and couldn't stop turning the pages. This might be my favourite Will Dean book yet - it's extraordinary (Alex Hay)
The sense of peril and tension is so intense. ADRIFT is claustrophobic and incredibly emotional. Powerful stuff! (Louise Beech)
A masterclass in quiet terror. It is also beautiful, full of tenderness and hope (Abigail Dean)
All stars
Most relevant
perfect narrators. A gripping Psychological story totally believable. Have already recommended it to friends. Excellent

The sheer subtle tension.

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This was probably the most depressing story I have listened to… however it was also amazing and kept me listening… which is why my review is leaving me unsure what to say! The male narration was excellent but didn’t quite get why Peggy had to speak so formally… but got me thinking

Bit of a loss!

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What can I say. This author has done it again. An outstanding book, with excellent narration. Not one word is wasted. The tension builds and builds until you literally can't take it. Rachets up inch by inch. I cannot recommend this book enough, it's claustrophobic, atmospheric and totally believable.
Narration is on point, in a style perfectly in keeping with the story
After you're done with this, I urge you to get The Last Thing to Burn. It is JUST as good. And spot the similarities in the food in each book. I wonder if that was intentional!
Absolutely 100% worth a credit.

Tension tension tension.

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An enjoyable but tense listen. An engaging storyline. Good performances by the narrrators, well written.

Gripping, tense listen

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An almost unbearable level of tension! I didn’t want it to end but couldn’t wait for it to finish! In Drew, Will Dean has created one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve read in years! A story full of heart, desperation, love and hope.

Tense!

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