I’ve never really been able to get into John Marrs, but not so with What Lies Between Us. I was astonished by how much it gripped me. My outrage and sympathy skipped between the two main characters at the turn of each page and yes, I had a couple of sleepless nights reading ‘just one more chapter’ before I reached the amazing climax. Dark and thrilling storytelling at its best.

I’m now very much looking forward to discovering Mr Marrs’ previous books and obviously his future ones.

Apologies for the lateness of the review but many thanks to Thomas & Mercer, to Mr Marrs and to NetGalley for letting me read this terrific novel.

This was dark and twisted but in a wonderful way. I think I need to go and read a bit of Mills and Boone now to clear my head! A really dysfunctional relationship keeps Maggie locked upstairs and Nina the captor. Just as you feel empathy for one of these characters you are flung in another direction. Lots of great backstories to bring the current situation to you. A page turner for sure...... and wow that ending!

Holy crap what did I just read?! I was a little nervous at the beginning of the book because it was feeling more like a drama than a psychological thriller. However, the book takes a quick crazy turn and I'm in shock with what happens.

The book bounces from present time to 25 years ago and back and forth between Maggie and Nina's point of view. Maggie has a daughter Nina who is an awful wild child and she is afraid to make her upset and angry. In the present time, Nina has Maggie locked in the house with no way out. Now you need to find out who is actually the crazy one.

I cannot express the total dysfunction of this family. Everyone thinks their family has a nut person in it, but this one takes the cake.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I just finished What Lies Between Us, by John Marrs and I am shaking with nerves. What a mind trip it was!!!! I read the NetGalley synopsis before starting the novel, but was not prepared for the crazy ride it was going to be. The two main characters are Nina and Maggie. They have a long past. Maggie has done things that hurt Nina in the past, so Nina is punishing Maggie in kind. They are trapped living together in a house, one of them in chains. As I read the book, it was clear that Nina was abusing Maggie, but I realized that to get to all their history, I was going to have to just keep reading as the book jumps back and forth from past to present to detail all the events that led them to their current prisoner/cruel-warden situation.

Suffice it to say, it was unpredictable. And even when you think you have learned something true, turns out truth can be skewed. What Lies Between Us explores a lot of facets of family dysfunction. It is fascinating watching the small movements of the mental chess game between Nina and Maggie and try to figure out which one of them is the villain and which of them will win the game.

The book is filled with twists and turns. It is not the kind of book to read if you are wanting a good cozy mystery. Nope, this is one you want to read when you desire to read something fresh, and exhilarating. I wasn't exaggerating when I say I was shaking with nerves by the end. However, the end was perfect for THIS book. The plot was unrelenting. This is a book for all thriller fans.

I am giving it 5 stars for sheer uniqueness and unpredictability.

I don't feel that I can give a truly fair review of this book. I've read, and enjoyed it, but I found myself quite distracted and therfore didn't give the book the attention it required. I liked the idea and it was a very well written story. Lots of twists as is the norm for this author and lots of good plot lines. However, I very much feel that I should have enjoyed this book an awful lot more than I did and I'm not sure if this was because of the book or me. I will not let this put me off further booms by John though, and nor should you, because he's a very good writer and his books a great!

Wow wow wow what a story! Love it. The story tells the side of two characters, mother and daughter. It evolves around them from the past and present day, and how the decisions made, change their lives. I liked that you had both sides of the story as what you thought, was different when you heard the other side of the story. John Marrs, I cant wait for the next book! Thanks netgalley for a copy of their book to review.

This was UNBELIEVABLE! When a book is written this incredibly and gets the reader to feel completely submerged into the characters and surroundings, I often think HOW DOES THIS AUTHOR DO IT? The genius of writing skills to portray a story that stays with a reader just blows my mind.

The relationship between a mother & daughter "living together" is dark, the story is twisted and if I can give anyone advise, it would be to just jump into this book without even reading the back cover. I never read reviews that summarize the book, so I won't be that reviewer either.... TRUST ME - read this one if you love thrillers, then be prepared as I am, to buy more John Marrs books after this (if you haven't already!)

Thank you John Marrs, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. Always so grateful for the opportunity to read complimentary books!

John Marrs does it again and better than ever. I couldn't put this down a perpetual page-turner for me.

I didn't see some of the plot twist coming at all and wow, just wow!

This book was a left turn from Mars’ other books. It was a great book. It was very suspenseful up to the very last page.

This is the first book that I’ve read by this author, and it certainly won’t be the last! This is a page-turner for sure! Maggie and Nina (mother and daughter) live in the same house. Maggie lives upstairs and Nina lives on the main floor. Sounds cozy, right? Except Maggie is in chains. Nina wants to punish Maggie for things she has done in the past. They have a love/hate relationship. - Nina hates and Maggie loves. At first I thought that Maggie deserved to be punished. Then I thought that Nina deserved to be punished. This made me change my mind several times. You be the judge.

Wow! Just, wow! There were 4 if not 5 points in this book which literally made me catch my breath with shock, the twists in this book are not what you expect. I was completely hooked reading this right up until the very end. I loved how you think you know why something has occurred then you find it’s not what you thought at all. I will now be reading many more books by this author.

This is the first book by John Marrs that I have read and it will not be the last! What Lies Between Us is a brilliant story about a Mother and Daughter. Nina and her mother Maggie have an extremely dysfunctional relationship. Nina keeps Maggie locked in their attic as punishment for her crimes. But did Maggie really commit them? Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital copy.

Simply brilliant!! Another excellent read from this brilliant author. Unsettling and twisty turny... it’s a must for those who want a compelling and dark tale that keeps you reading way past your bedtime

5* highly recommended

This was creepy, disturbing but an AWESOME read. I had the hardest time putting this one down. I couldn’t relate (or like) the lead characters but yet I still loved this story.

Wow. I think this might be my favourite thriller of the year so far. I purchased The One by John Marrs as soon as I finished What Lies Between Us. I was hooked from the second I started to read this book and then my mind continued to be blown until I finished it. I was left completely speechless and I did not expect half of the twists. I cannot recommend this book enough! This was my first John Marrs's book and it certainly won't be my last.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC of this amazing book.

I read this book in one afternoon, it was a little hard for me to get into but overall was a good read.

Both main characters were very unlikable but kept your interest. Definitely will read more by this author.

Thanks NetGalley for a copy to review

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TOOT TOOT! All aboard the crazy train! 🚂

First off, let me just say this...the two women in this story are completely bat shit crazy! And I loved every second of the madness!

The story is told in alternating POVs. We have Maggie, the mother who has done unspeakable things in her life. Unforgivable things...even though she had the best of intentions. Then we have Nina, her psychopathic daughter who will never forget - or let her mother forget - anything her mother has ever done in her life. So, she decides to punish her mother by keeping her a prisoner in her own home. Seems rational, right? LOL, NOT! Put this all together and what do we have? 100% dysfunction. Dysfunction that you just can’t stop reading!

So many twists in this one my friends! So many fun twists! The plot will not be given away in this review, because there would just be too many spoilers. You just have to read it for yourself! You will not be disappointed.

This is only my second John Marrs book, but he is quickly becoming one of my favorites!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and John Marrs for the advanced copy to read and review.

I am a huge fan of John Marrs’ books and I think this is his most twisty and dark story yet. It was such a gripping and compelling read and my heart was thumping out of my chest by the end; I absolutely loved it!

The story is told from the perspectives of Nina and Maggie who share a house together. But their arrangement is far from normal! Whilst they will frequently sit down to dinner together, when they are finished Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic; a room in which she is chained and kept prisoner with no means of escape. With so many secrets threatening to rise to the surface will Maggie ever be free of her restraints and the decisions she has made?

From the beginning, I immediately found myself sympathising with one of the characters over the other. However, this was tested at several times throughout the book as more truths were uncovered! The twists, turns and reveals made this such a phenomenal read, and the short chapters had me racing through to find out what would happen next. I loved how I would get a sense of understanding about something that had happened to these characters or a decision they had made, only to be floored by a twist that showed the truth to be so very different. It was so effective! I was left particularly gobsmacked by a reveal almost 60% in to the story which paved the way for this incredible plot to unfold even further, building up to an epilogue that I could never have predicted in a million years! Even thinking about it now I feel speechless!

John Marrs is an absolute genius and I would recommend this book to everyone!

This is a case where this book just wasn’t for me.

I love “The One” by John Marrs and was super excited to read his new book without even really looking into it. When I ultimately found out that Maggie and Nina were mother and daughter, I should have stopped right there. I’ve never really connected to characters that are desperate to be mothers, but I continued since Marrs’ writing style is so fast paced and engaging. Each short chapter leaves a cliffhanger that you feel compelled to keep reading. Unfortunately, I found the plot to be a little predictable and I had lukewarm feelings throughout the book. Once again, I love Marrs’ writing style, this particular subject matter wasn’t for me, so I’m still excited to read more from him in the future.

This book was AMAZING!! Nina is an adult woman keeping her mother locked up in the top floor of their house. Totally crazy concept, but such a twisty, suspenseful story! The book goes back and forth between the present and past to slowly reveal secrets and skeletons hidden in both of their closets. I couldn't put this one down!