Day One

*The breathtaking new novel from the bestselling author of Girl A* Stonesmere will never be the same again… When a lone gunman enters a primary school in a beautiful Lake District town, the effects of the tragedy radiate through idyllic Stonesmere with devastating consequences. At the epicentre of the tragedy is Marty, daughter of the teacher who dies trying to protect her pupils. Her actions in the immediate aftermath change the trajectory of her life forever. As news of the shooting spreads across the country, rumours of inconsistencies begin to surface, festering online. Conspiracy theorists start questioning what happened, and for outsider Trent Casey, this new community offers him a chance to step into the spotlight. With events spiralling out of control, Marty and Trent’s lives become irreversibly entwined and the true story is gradually revealed. Eight years later, Marty must piece together her memories of that fateful day and face up to the part she played. Day One is a tender, heartbreaking novel about community, tragedy, and the lasting power of love from the bestselling author of Girl A. *Praise for DAY ONE* ‘I couldn’t put this down… layered, frightening, moving.’ Stacey Halls ‘DAY ONE is a devastating, beautiful novel written with such skill, grace and compassion that I couldn't stop reading through the tears’ Jennifer Saint ‘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 ‘Utterly gripping.’ Juno Dawson ‘Intriguing and brave, a beautiful writer.’ Adele Parks

‘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 summer 2018 off to work on her debut novel, Girl A, ahead of her thirtieth birthday. Girl A was published in hardback in January 2021 and became an instant Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, also topping the charts in Ireland and Australia. It reached #1 in the UK Kindle charts. The paperback spent eight weeks in the Sunday Times top ten. The novel has been acquired in 36 territories, and television/film rights have sold to Sony. Johan Renck, director of Chernobyl, is attached to work on the television adaptation of Girl A. Abigail works as a lawyer for Google. She has always loved reading, writing, and talking about books. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @AbigailSDean. Her second novel, Day One, will publish in 2023.