Adrift is a high-tension thriller about a family ’s descent into darkness in a gripping exploration of the ties that bind when everything spirals out of control.
Mark your calendars, LitStackers! Adrift by Will Dean is in presale (the best time to buy a book), and ready to hit the bookshelf on Feb 17, 2026. Our anticipation is palpable. Published by Atria/Emily Bestler Books | Simon & Schuster, this thriller is already making waves with early readers. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s on the cover from the publisher’s official description to early reviews that will help you pre-order your copy ASAP. Let’s dive in!
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In This Spotlight On Adrift
About Adrift
In Adrift, 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 for Adrift
“[Adrift is 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, Adift 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
[With Adrift,] “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, bestselling author of You Killed Me First
About Will Dean, Author of Adrift
Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands of the United Kingdom. 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, and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. His debut novel, Dark Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball’s book club on ITV, shortlisted for the National Book Award (UK), The Guardian’s Not the Booker prize, and was named a Telegraph book of the year. He is also the author of Adrift, The Last One, First Born, The Last Thing to Burn, which was shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and The Chamber.
You can connect with Will Dean on his website, and on Facebook.
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books | Simon & Schuster
ISBN Hardcover 9781668080054
Pub Date Feb 17, 2026
LitStack Spots – Titles by Will Dean
Here are some titles by Will Dean that have sparked our interest.
The Last One
The Last Thing To Burn
First Born
Other LitStack Resources
Be sure and check out LitStack Spotlights that shine a light on books we think you should read.
Also look at our LitStack Reviews, including reviews by Lewis Buzbee, Lauren Alwan, Allie Coker, Rylie Fong, and Sharon Browning.
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