Day One

Marty told the reporters that she saw it happen. That when the gunman entered, she saw her mother die trying to protect her pupils.

That’s the version of Day One Marty wishes was true.

But strange inconsistencies in her story begin to surface. Details that don’t add up. Questions she can’t answer.

The story ignites. Amidst the media frenzy, conspiracy theorists become obsessed with exposing what really happened. And at the epicentre of it all is a small community changed forever. Survivors crushed by guilt. Families torn in half. Outsiders consumed by the hunt for truth.

Each has their own version of Day One. Each must grapple with this tragedy, even as fanatics question whether it ever really happened at all.

But what did Marty really see?

And why would she lie?

As events spiral out of control, the true story is revealed, piece by shocking piece. Day One is an unflinching and heart-breaking exploration of our obsession with tragedy – and what it really means to live it.

“'Sensational' RICHARD OSMAN 'Psychologically astute, written with flair. In the new year battle between first thrillers it's the clear winner' SUNDAY TIMES 'Superb. Authentic, humane and full of hope' GUARDIAN 'The novel you'll stay up reading until 3am' SUNDAY TIMES STYLE 'Powerful, evocative and accomplished' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'Astonishingly good' OBSERVER 'VC Andrews for Generation Z' THE TIMES 'An unmissable debut. Absorbing and powerful' DAILY EXPRESS 'This haunting, bruising drama has a gut-punch of a twist' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'A powerful read, an astonishing debut' PRIMA 'A gripping and eerie read' BBC ONLINE 'A riveting page-turner, full of hope in the face of despair' SOPHIE HANNAH for THE GUARDIAN 'Deft yet devastating. An astonishing achievement' JESSIE BURTON 'Utter genius' JOANNA CANNON 'A masterpiece' LOUISE O'NEILL 'Terrifyingly gripping' SUSIE STEINER 'Fantastic, I loved it' PAULA HAWKINS 'Dark, compelling' JANE FALLON 'Incredibly well written, devastating in a good way' LIZ NUGENT 'A scorcher of a debut' EMMA GANNON 'Girl A gives you no option but to put your life on pause' STACEY HALLS 'Pitch black, but with such a thread of tenderness' BETH MORREY 'A modern-day classic' JEFFERY DEAVER 'Beautiful' ADELE PARKS 'Insanely gripping' MARIAN KEYES 'Remarkable' CHRIS WHITAKER 'Tremendously accomplished' JANE CASEY 'Powerful, immersive' HARRIET TYCE 'Intense, haunting, powerful' T.M. LOGAN 'A gripping novel' OPRAH MAGAZINE 'The biggest mystery thriller since Gone Girl' ELLE 'Grips from the first page' THE BOOKSELLER 'One of 2021's biggest debuts' COSMOPOLITAN 'A dark thriller with a heartbreaking twist' RED 'You won't be able to put it down' HELLO 'Brilliant' THE SUN”

‘Abigail Dean bravely ventures into dark subjects but always manages to do so with such beauty, sensitivity and originality that the reader dare look at the atrocities she exposes. Intriguing and brave, a beautiful writer.’ Adele Parks

‘Harrowing, heartbreaking and utterly immersive, in detailing the aftermath of a small-town school shooting Dean eloquently explores the unreliability of memory, the long tail of trauma and the harm that ignorant outsiders can do.’

Ellery Lloyd

‘What a shining talent Abigail Dean is! DAY ONE is riveting, original and sensitively spun’

Victoria Selman

‘Gripping and beautifully written DAY ONE confronts the darkest parts of human nature with guts and grace. I loved it.’

Emilia Hart

‘A gripping examination of a community devastated … A chilling, thought-provoking read. Brilliant.’

Shari Lapena

‘Superb! DAY ONE is what brilliant thriller writing is all about: living, breathing characters, a nonstop plot … the tale will stay with you long after you read the final page.’

Jeffery Deaver

‘DAY ONE is a devastating, beautiful novel written with such skill, grace and compassion that I couldn't stop reading through the tears … a novel you will read in one sitting but that will linger in your mind for much longer’

Jennifer Saint

‘DAY ONE is a phenomenal, stunningly intelligent thriller… It is at once empathic and uncompromising. No one writes darkness like Abigail Dean’

Clémence Michallon

‘Accomplished, heartbreaking and utterly absorbing. DAY ONE is a riveting read'

Kate Gray

‘A stunning and masterful mystery. A beautifully observed portrait of unthinkable tragedy and the remnants of love, hope and despair that remain. Abigail Dean is a rare and very special storyteller.’

Chris Whitaker

‘Heartfelt and sympathetic even where the characters are deeply flawed. A masterpiece.’

Catherine Cooper

Abigail Dean was born in Manchester, and grew up in the Peak District. She graduated from Cambridge with a Double First in English. Formerly a Waterstones bookseller, she spent five years as a lawyer in London, and took last summer off to work on her debut novel, Girl A, ahead of her thirtieth birthday. She now works as a lawyer for Google, and is currently writing her second novel.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.