The Death Bed

by Chris Bridges

PRAISE FOR CHRIS BRIDGES

‘Hugely gripping’ ABIGAIL DEAN

‘A unique new voice’ ERIN KELLY

‘Full of surprises’ LESLEY KARA

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She’s not there to save her friend.

She’s there to silence her.

When nurse Laura arrives at her old best friend’s death bed, it’s not out of compassion – it’s out of fear. Her enigmatic friend Sadie is dying, and with her last breath, she might destroy everything.

Sixteen years ago, tragedy tore their group of nursing students apart. And Laura has spent every moment since then ensuring the truth never sees the light of day.

But as Sadie fades, the past refuses to stay buried. And Laura is about to The dying don’t always go quietly.

And some confessions are worth killing for.

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AUTHORS LOVE THE DEATH BED

'Sinister and packed with twists' D S BUTLER

'The Death Bed kept me intrigued and hooked until the shocking end’ MARIE TIERNEY

‘Vivid, harrowing and utterly compelling' LESLEY KARA

'As slick as it is sick' JO FURNISS

‘Intriguing, atmospheric and unpredictably twisty’ CATHERINE KIRWAN

'Darkly atmospheric and gripping’ ASHLEY TATE

‘Sick, twisted and impossible to put down!’ NAOMI WILLIAMS

‘Dark, twisty and dripping with dread’ CAROLE HAILEY

‘Fresh and distinctive storytelling' KINGSLEY PEARSON

‘Simmers with tension and mystery’ KATHERYN SHARMAN

‘Intoxicating and riveting’ BONNIE BURKE-PATEL

‘A brilliantly astute thriller’ PHILIPPA EAST

'An immersive page-turner' KATE KEMP

‘The kind of book you lose sleep to keep reading’ REBECCA HANNIGAN

'No one can be trusted, and the twists keep coming. I couldn't put it down' JO LEEVERS

'One of the most gripping novels I’ve read this year’ SAM FRANCES

'A novel injected with so much menace, you’ll be left reeling' KATIE HUTTLESTONE

'Compulsive, addictive and gripping' LOUISE SWANSON

'A dark, tension-fuelled thriller’ RUTH IRONS

'Jam-packed with plot twists and a killer ending' NATALI SIMMONDS

'Taut, quiet and unnervingly atmospheric' SEAN WATKIN

'Clever and relentlessly compelling, this sophisticated thriller held me in its grip' CELIA SILVANI

'A compelling thriller which you'l

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 26, 2026

Reviews

[Tracy Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read and LOVED Chris' debut book I was super excited to receive an early readers copy of his latest book THE DEATH BED.

The story centres around a young student nurse, Laura, who has moved to London to escape her past. She soon meets the exotic and somewhat enigmatic Sadie and to say she becomes OBSESSED is probably an understatement.

Sixteen years after a tragic event and the women have had no contact with each other, but when Laura is summoned to Sadie's death bed she has no alternative but to attend to ensure her deadly secrets remain secret.

This is a toxic tale of friendship, obsession and sinister twists.

Highly recommend.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me this free advance copy, and I’m writing this review honestly and without bias.
I really enjoyed the debut book by Chris Bridges, however this one did not live up to my expectation. Whilst the actual plot and style of writing were good the pace was excruciatingly slow - had this not been an ARC I would have stopped reading well before the midway point. A few twists but they lacked the execution and shock value. I do like the authors style of writing and he does well to write a dark read full of deprived and mostly unlikeable characters, but the pace was just too slow for me

[Cheryl Drury · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, where to start…. This book is dark. The characters are each very complex in their own way and pretty much all of them have complicated pasts that affect how they behave as people and towards each other. I’m not sure I found any of them particularly likeable but I feel as though that was how they were written to be and it was done well. At first I felt a bit sorry for Laura, like she found making friends difficult, but after a while she seemed a little creepy, especially how she was with the eccentric Sadie.
I felt like Laurel House definitely had a pull to it, to make people want to stay. It sounded like a fascinating place although with all that happened in it, I’m not really sure I’d like to visit.

It was a really great story that had me absolutely pulled in, waiting to see where each little secret went and I loved how I was fed little nuggets of information that led to big ‘Oh’ moments where things clicked into place.

If you’re looking for something dark, disturbing and gripping, this book will be right up your street.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed this author's debut, Sick to Death, a while ago I was very excited to get my grubby mitts on this, the dreaded, scary, tricky follow up. Well... blow me down, this exceeded all my expectations!
That is, if, like me, you like your books chock full of dysfunctional, co-dependent, car crash behaviour. Served with a healthy slice of addiction and the most larger than life, nasty (in a great way) characters...
This book has all that, and then some. Told in a split timeline, with the parts in the past being inserted at exactly the right time to illustrate, explain, and progress what is happening in the present day.
So... Laura is a nurse who has a bit of a chequered past but is getting herself back on track and, when we first meet her in the past, she has just started to train as a nurse. Back in the present, we see that she is still a nurse and has done well by that profession. But her world is about to get torn apart when the daughter of an old "friend" visits her to try and persuade her to come back with her to nurse said old "friend" who is dying. I say friend in quotes as, well, you'll find out. What I will just say is that they haven't been friends since the tragedy that tore them and the rest of the group apart some 16 years ago... But Laura has no choice. After all, a dying woman has nothing to lose and, especially in this case, everything to tell...
And that's all I am saying as to say any more would run the risk of injecting spoilers. Suffice to say that I was absolutely held captive by this book, desperate to find out all the grubby and nasty secrets that were hinted at all the way through and, by the time all was exposed, when the characters were all laid bare and everything made as much sense as dysfunctional, unlikeable, misfits acting out abhorrent behaviour, could, I just had to sit back and applaud the author for a job well done.
All in all, a cracking book that I have no hesitation to recommend for fans of the genre who love a dysfunctional car crash of characters driving a convoluted, interconnected, tightly plotted narrative. Me, I'm now hanging for book three... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Death Bed follows Laura, who arrives at her old best friend Sadie’s death bed, not out of compassion - but out of fear. Because sixteen years ago, tragedy tore their group of nursing students apart. And Laura has spent every moment since then ensuring the truth never sees the light of day. But as Sadie fades, the past refuses to stay buried. And Laura is about to learn: The dying don’t always go quietly. And some confessions are worth killing for.

I loved Sick To Death, so I practically ran to Netgalley to request The Death Bed, and I can honestly say it lived up to my very high expectations of Chris Bridges’ writing.

Told over two parts, the story follows Laura across two timelines, gradually building a complex, tightly woven web that expertly hints and unravels as you read. The chilling prologue hooked me instantly, and I ended up finishing the book in just a few sittings, completely driven by the need to uncover its secrets.

The toxic relationship between Laura and Sadie was addictive to read. It was dark, obsessive, and a compelling exploration of friendship and the fragile line between delusion and truth. The setting, Laurel House, almost felt like a character too in its own right, especially with its eerie pull over everyone connected to it. None of the characters are particularly likeable, but they are layered and complex, and for me, both the strength of the plot and that sense of dislike only enhanced the narrative further.

The Death Bed is another example of Chris Bridges’ talent for delivering dark, disturbing stories, using his past experience to add authenticity and depth. It is more of a slow burn, but in a claustrophobic, tension-building way that fully pays off through its revelations, twists, and a very cleverly executed ending.

Thank you so much to Avon Books for sending me this copy to read and review. My opinions are my own.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura is a nurse who has travelled to care for her dying old best friend. She hasn’t done this out of compassion though, but rather out of fear. Sixteen years ago tragedy tore their friendship group apart and Laura has spent the subsequent years trying to make sure the truth doesn’t come out. Now her old best friend might destroy it all.

Having previously read this author’s first book and really enjoying it, I was excited to be able to read this next one, whilst also enjoying medical thrillers and being drawn to the cover. What I liked so much about the previous book was the unique storytelling and writing style, which I was happy to find this one also contained. The story is a slow burn, but this works well with the writing style and creates a claustrophobic, creepy atmosphere, that you can’t help but read more of. Saying that, at times the pacing made the story feel slightly long. The author explores some serious topics in an authentic, sensitive way. I appreciated the author’s note at the end about the reasons for the story, which resonated with me.

Although there were a lot of unlikeable characters, they were well written and interesting to read. I never quite knew who to trust, with many feeling unreliable, which helped keep up the suspense within the story. I was keen to see where it would go and there were a few twists and turns as the story progressed. I can certainly see this haunting, compelling story having a firm grip on readers who enjoy slow burn, complex thrillers and I will continue to look out for more books by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

[Harmony Kent · Rating 1 out of 5]

Atrocious

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Harper Collins for this free ARC.

Had this not been a book for a NetGalley review, I would not have persevered with it. The writing needs a serious edit and proofread to weed out the over abundance of passive prose, sentence fragments, and not a single character with a redeeming quality a reader could care for.

Slow paced, the story switches between the 1990s and ‘present day’ 2010. Be prepared to suspend all disbelief and read about boring, messed up, and unlikeable characters with nothing to redeem them or make you care about any of them. The ending forces yet more suspense of your disbelief and only reinforces the messy feel of this read.

I finished it by sheer force of will. Even now, I have to ask: What’s the point? A total waste of hours of my life I won’t get back.

On any review, I endeavour to end on a positive note and offer a quote from the book for a line that stood out for me. Sadly, this time I have nothing to produce from this mess. 1 reluctant star.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.



5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.

4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.

3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.

2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.

1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

[Mary Carbajosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Chris Bridges and one which I thoroughly enjoyed. With this story he has masterfully crafted a gripping and unsettling plot, brimming with rich details and unexpected twists, that not only capture your attention but also manage to trigger deep emotions.

The story is told in both past and present and follows Laura, a nurse who travels to London to care for her enigmatic friend Sadie, who is dying. However her visit is not out of compassion, Laura must ensure that the past stays buried along with their secrets and that the truth never sees the light of day.

Laura narrates the story, offering the reader a glimpse into her psyche and showing us the other characters through her lens. I felt pulled into the unfolding narrative and could sense Laura’s trauma, discomfort and her desperation to fit in, and although I can’t say that I particularly liked any of the characters, I was still compelled to read onward.

Chris Bridges’ writing keeps the pace moving, and the flawed, unhinged characters add to the intrigue. I always enjoy stories set in dual timelines and there were some real surprises in this one.

THE DEATH BED is a moody, psychological thriller that’s explores grief, obsession, the feeling of not belonging and the fragile line between truth and illusion. Part domestic thriller, part family drama and part crime fiction, it’s a cracking read. 4.5 stars

THE DEATH BED will be released on 26th February 2026 and is available to pre-order now.

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon books for the advanced copy.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Death Bed is one of those thrillers that hooks you from the very first line and keeps tightening its grip with every chapter. What begins as a simple bedside vigil quickly unravels into a knot of old loyalties, buried secrets, and the kind of guilt that never really dies.

Laura is such a fascinating narrator — controlled, careful, and clearly terrified of the past catching up with her. When she arrives at Sadie’s death bed, it’s obvious she’s not there out of love or nostalgia. She’s there because Sadie knows too much. That tension simmers beautifully throughout the book, and the author does a brilliant job of letting the truth surface in slow, unsettling waves.

The flashbacks to their nursing‑school days add a sharp emotional edge, revealing how one tragedy splintered a group of friends and left Laura carrying far more than her share. I loved how the story plays with the idea that the dying don’t always go quietly — and that sometimes the most dangerous secrets are the ones whispered at the very end.

Atmospheric, twisty, and surprisingly emotional, The Death Bed is perfect for readers who enjoy character‑driven suspense with a strong psychological undercurrent. It’s a story about friendship, fear, and the lengths we go to protect the lies we’ve built our lives around.

A tense and satisfying read.

With thanks to Chris Bridges, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of ‘The Death Bed’ by Chris Bridges, due to be published on 26 February 2026 by Avon Books UK.

A story of two parts told in the ‘Then’ and ‘Now’.

Then - we meet Laura and Sadie, amongst a host of supporting characters, who are all training to be nurses in London in the 1990’s. Sadie, older than the others, has a house with quirky 50’s decor to match her fashion style. She talks lovingly about growing up there, the people that have previously lived in the house and how she never wants to leave. Laura is delighted when Sadie asks her to stay at the house with her, finally feeling at home after a troubled past. Until it all goes wrong and Laura has no choice but to leave the house, and Sadie, behind.

Now - set in 2010, Sadie is dying and deploys her daughter, Elsie, to convince Laura to come back to the house to nurse her in her final weeks. In fear of her past secrets and career ending indiscretions coming to light, Laura reluctantly agrees.

Both Laura and Sadie are strong, well written protagonists, supporting characters are well developed, each adding their own unique part of the story. There are surprising plot twists, secrets unearthed that have long been buried, and not everyone is as they present themselves. It’s a gripping read, that gets its claws into you in from the very first page.

[Catharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless of choice, starting a book is always a gamble (both a risk and a stroll). You don’t necessarily know where you’re going — especially when it’s a new author to you, as Chris Bridges was for me.

I’m a prolific reader, dipping into most genres at one time or another, though thrillers are a particular mainstay. A good one gets the blood flowing. It’s also rare for me to start a book and not finish it. If I’ve read the blurb and I’m interested enough to begin, then I’ve committed. The very least I can do is spend a fraction of my time appreciating the creativity an author has spent their time producing.

On this occasion, I also read the reviews — because while I’m not the sole dissenting voice, we are few. Most of the praise comes from well-respected authors. Statistically speaking, you should listen to them rather than me.

Here’s the worst part.

I struggled with the writing style from the opening sentences and continued to struggle throughout. I simply couldn’t settle into it. I reached around 20% before skimming the remainder. Because of that, I can’t honestly rate the book itself — so the five stars are given in respect of the work involved, rather than as a reflection of my personal reading experience.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the DRC of “The Death Bed” by Chris Bridges.
“The Death Bed” is due to be published on 26 February 2026.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading the death bed by Chris bridges after loving his debut novel.
Laura is a student nurse and befriends Sadie who is quite older than her. So much that she moves into Sadie’s home with is full of 50’s décor, but something happened and secrets were reveal that was so detrimental that Laura had to leave.
Sixteen years later, Sadie’s daughter visits Laura and said that she is dying and wants her to visit and help her in her last days. So, Laura decides to return to the house in London. Not for Compassion but to make sure secrets stayed buried.
But when she returns the old threatening letters start reappearing and even someone pushers her in front of the railway’s tracks. After all the years is someone still out to get revenge.
This is another disturbing read from Chris Bridges, and I did like the story line to some extent. It has well developed characters but, none of the was very likeable even the protagonist. I found the back and forth of the storyline 16 years a bit overwhelming and some of it unnecessary, but ti has a satisfying ending. 3.5 stars from me.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura, the nurse, Sadie, the patient, although she was a nurse too were the main characters. Both possessed deep pasts, and other characters were affected by current-day events around them. The interactions between the two main characters and the side players made a very interesting combination.

Oblique references to other people early on, and what they’ve done or may not have done is explored during the book. As the story proceeds, the side players become increasingly important, which causes the reader to question who is the threat and who is being threatened.

Overall, a very interesting read, although it took a while to assimilate all the relevant facts to grasp how events had unfolded.

[Julie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this an enjoyable read with plenty of mystery and twists.
When Laura enrols as a student nurse she embarks on a move to London which takes her away from a past that still haunts her. She fairly quickly becomes friends with fellow student Sadie and settles into her new career. What can I say about Sadie she is a strange one that’s for sure, living in the past but manipulating the present.
The story is told from historical events and the present which I enjoyed.
My thanks to Net Galley and the Publishers for the advanced copy of this thrilling book.

[Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this, but I found it quite slow, and that not a lot happened along the way. Didn’t really warm to any of the characters and I much prefer a strong character driven story. Just not for me.

[Jackiesreadingcorner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow blog tour

[Jen James · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a light read, or even a standard thriller where the lines between people who are good or bad are easily seen; this isn’t the book for you. If you are in the market for a complex and twisted tale of human nature, this could well be the book you are looking for.

The Death Bed is set in two timelines. The present day in 2010, where nurse Laura is called to help her estranged friend Sadie, who is terminally ill; and 1991 when Laura and Sadie first meet, as student nurses. Their friendship was so intense, almost obsessively so initially. That level of claustrophobic alliance was always set to fail, and when the fractures start to appear, the fireworks go off spectacularly.

From the very outset, it is obvious that many of the flawed characters carry a lot of baggage, everyone has their own agenda, altruism doesn’t feature highly in the minds of these nursing students. There is so much water under the bridge, many secrets have been buried for so long, or so they thought.

I was gripped tightly, eager to know what had finally caused the ending of the friendship, and whether this would stay buried while Sadie’s pain was eased by powerful drugs.

This is a dark and warped read. I am so glad that these depraved characters are fictional, as I truly wouldn’t want to be nursed by any of them. This atmospheric and tense character driven story, won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it really is quite the rollercoaster of emotions.

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

taut, tense thriller with excellent plotting and some very intense and unusual dramatics. the final reveal is a hair obvious but worked well. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.