Adrift
- Judith D Collins
- Jan 7
- 3 min read
By: Will Dean
Narrator: Emma Wilkes
Simon & Schuster Audio
ISBN: 9781668080054
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: 02/17/2026
Format: Other
My Rating: TBR (ARC)
The author of the “master class in suspense” (Shari Lapena,New York Timesbestselling author)The Chamber returns with a high-tension thriller about a family’s descent into darkness that is perfect for fans of Dennis Lehane and Lisa Jewell.
Peggy and Drew, both aspiring writers, move to an isolated canal boat with their fourteen-year-old son. Peggy is the glue that holds their family together, even as their son is bullied relentlessly for his physique and his family’s lack of money. But when Drew becomes frustrated by his wife’s sudden writing success, he moves their boat further and further from civilization.
With their increasing isolation, personal challenges become harder to ignore, even as they desperately try to break toxic generational patterns. But when Drew’s gaslighting becomes too much for Peggy to take, it sets off a catastrophic series of events.
With Will Dean’s signature “well-drawn characters and excellent prose” (Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author), Adrift is gripping exploration of the ties that bind when everything spirals out of control.
Praise
“[A] smashing novel... pressure is building, and one can feel it gathering force, aching to explode, contained for a time only by author Dean’s way with language.”
― Booklist
“Utterly tense and bone chilling, ADRIFT follows the unraveling of a family as it descends into isolation and psychological darkness. A suspenseful, atmospheric and masterly delivered story.” -- Wendy Walker, USA Today bestselling author of BLADE
“Steeped in a sense of impending dread, ADRIFT is an astute character study of one family’s slow unravel as their houseboat floats further and further away from civilization. Will Dean has mastered the art of chronic unease; I was holding my breath the entire time.”
-- Stacy Willingham, New York Times bestselling author of FORGET ME NOT
“Deeply moving and thoughtfully crafted, ADRIFT will consume you. Will Dean is a master at creating moody, oppressive thrillers that are equally as unsettling as they are gut-wrenching, with characters you can’t stop thinking about even long after the last page. A must read.”
-- Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of SHE'S NOT SORRY
“I was going to say I can't remember the last time a book has me in such a chokehold, until I could. It was The Last Thing to Burn. Heartbreaking, devastating, achingly beautiful. Simply stunning.”
-- John Marrs, bestselling author of YOU KILLED ME FIRST
“Adrift is beautifully written and so full of heart and fragility, an absolute page turner. I loved it.”
-- Liz Nugent, #1 Internationally bestselling author of STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND
“Haunting, heartbreaking, quietly terrifying. Unforgettable.” -
- Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK
About the Author
Will Dean is the award-winning author of 10 novels.
He grew up in the East Midlands of the UK, and after studying law at the London School of Economics and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden where he built a wooden house in a vast forest. It is from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. His debut novel, Dark Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball’s TV book club, shortlisted for the National Book Awards,The Guardian’s Not the Booker prize, and was named a Telegraph book of the year. The Last Thing to Burn was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and the Glass Bell Award, and shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculiar crime novel of the year award. He has won the Capital Crime Independent Voice Award and the Bert’s Books Book of the Year award. The Last Passenger was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick in 2024.
Will’s books have been translated into over a dozen languages. He has written four standalone novels: The Chamber, The Last Passenger (called The Last One in the US), First Born, The Last Thing to Burn, and six Tuva Moodyson books (in order): Dark Pines, Red Snow, Black River, Bad Apples, Wolf Pack, and Ice Town. WEBSITE
