I received an early copy of this book for my independent honest review.Thank you
I loved The Passengers ,his last book so much that I was highly anticipating this one. What a great premise. A toxic Mother Daughter relationship across dual timelines just my bag.
However I felt disappointed in the execution of this. Actions from the Mother in the past caused an equally nasty reaction in present day which was exciting. The narrative just dragged on and on for me. It would have had greater impact if more condensed. I found myself getting bored.
The characters were well crafted but both dislikeable, which I didn't mind as they fitted the storyline. I even ended up feeling sorry for the Mother.
I could have forgiven the slow pace if there had been a wow ending. For me it was just ok.
I enjoyed it but I didn't love it. Read for yourself though as the majority are giving it 5*

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of What Lies Between Us by John Marrs.

I don't know if I've yet declared this, but I love John Marrs and I will read anything he writes. Even better is that most of his books are on Kindle Unlimited, which means free listening!

Maggie lives a very secluded life. She eats what is provided to her, and watches the goings on of her neighborhood out of her window. Twice a week her daughter Nina comes and cooks for her so that they can dine together. Before Nina leaves, she chains her mother up until her next visit.

This is a slow burn, disturbingly intriguing story of a mother and daughter relationship that went very south. It unfolds layer by layer until you aren't sure what to believe. It is well written and will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

It's just been Maggie and her daughter Nina since Nina's father walked out on them. Nina had always blamed her mother for her father walking out on them. There are so many things in Nina's past that she never knew and Maggie is determined to keep,it that way.

This story tells how love and hate can be bound to one person even if that person has destroyed your life. Thenstory is full of suspense and twists. It covers: pedophilia, child abuse, underage pregnancy, cancer and miscarriage. 5his story is told from Maggie and Nina's point of view. It also does back and forth in time. There so much more I'd like to say about this book but I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. Once gounstart reading this book you will not want to put it down
I would like to thank NetGalley Amazon Publishing UK and the author John Marrs for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book read by John Marrs and definitely will not be my last.

A few quotes from this book that jumped out at me:
AND SHOULD MY SOUL SOAR, I PROMISE THAT YOURS WILL SINK LIKE THE HEAVIEST OF ROCKS, NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.
I DON’T BELIEVE ANYONE WHO CLAINS TO HAVE NO REGRETS. THEY’RE LYING TO THEMSELVES. WE ALL HAVE THEM.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT WOMAN HAS LOST TO END UP TRAPPED IN THE LIFE SHE LIVES NOW, BUT I KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE YOUR WORLD THROWN FROM ITS AXIS THROUGH NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN.
I TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT MY REFLECTION IN THE GLASS AND STRUGGLE TO RECONISE MYSELF. HOW DID I BECOME THIS WOMAN.
BEING A MOTHER IS NO GUARANTEE OF ANYTHING.
I SHUT MY EYELIDS TIGHT UNTIL THEY HURT. IF I HAVE MY WAY, THEY WIL NEVER OPEN AGAIN.

This book was one deep, dark, emotional thriller. It was tough in some parts but vital to the story. It has a touch of horror to it in a way that I can’t quite describe. It’s one that will keep you turning the pages to find out what is coming. What will happen next and why. Why is it happening. Who is bad and who is good. Is it the daughter or the mother who is bad. Maybe both. It’s told from the two main character’s POV and a few different timelines that are way important to the story.

Maggie would do anything for her daughter, Nina. She loves her more than life and has basically sacrificed her own happiness for her. To what extent does a mother do this though? Is she willing to give up her freedom for things her daughter does or has done? Or is Nina a product of her mother’s making. By covering things is Nina bad or just being what she was made into? What would you do to keep your daughter safe? Would you risk your freedom? Would you give up the most important people in your life? Or would you force her to acknowledge things even at a very young age? That is a hard one for a mother. When faced with decisions that will possible haunt you for the rest of your life how can you know if you made the right decision at the time. Later you will know, but then it’s to late.

Nina is a child of 13 when her dad goes missing from her life. She will never be the same again either. She blames her mother and goes a bit wild. Sleeping around, getting drunk and lying at every turn. But Nina’s mum loves her unconditionally and tries everything to be there for her. Though she makes big mistakes you don’t doubt that Maggie loves her daughter and that Nina loves her mum. But is love enough? Is love enough to make the things that happen between these to ok. Ever?

Through lots of turmoil this book keeps you turning the pages. It’s like that train wreck that you can’t look away from. You have to know what happens next and why. Why does Nina feel the way she does toward her mum. Why does Maggie allow Nina to do the things she does. Until Maggie no longer has a choice.

Truly this book is exceptional. It’s one that you just can’t stop reading. You will feel the pain, the anger, the love, the hate. You will even have a couple of laughs. It is well written and the characters are ones you will love to hate. In parts. You’ll love them one minute and hate them the next. A well developed story. A well written story. It even makes you wonder what kind of person can think like this. Much like I do with Steven King books... What kind of mind does this author have to think this way? I loved it. It’s very good.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #JohnMarrs, #AmazonPublishinUK for this ARC. This is my review in my own words.

I had to give it a big 5 stars and a high recommendation.

Family dysfunction taken to a whole new level. I loved the way Marrs rolled out the layers of the story, resulting in surprises and twists all along the way.

This is my second book by Marrs ([book:The Passengers|40718386] was my first) and hes quickly becoming one of my favorite new authors.

My, my, my this was really disturbing. I think that is always the underlying feeling when reading John Marrs. And to honestly show my bias - he is one of my favorite authors. His books are always completely grounded in reality, but then in a very disturbing way that you might never think of, he twists the circumstance or the characters into something that is very hard to look it. It's the same with this book. Mother, daughter, father, and neighbors all set up in a generic domestic setting you see all around you in real life, then the twisting starts and things start to look a bit different, then you keep reading and realize it was all a facade and you had no idea where you were. It's so disturbing in the best of ways!

John Marrs proves yet again what a fantastic writer he is in this unique and clever thriller. This dark, twisted rollercoaster of a ride had me hooked from the first page and I struggled to put it down. Truly shocking yet enthralling, it tells the story of a mother and daughter, Maggie and Nina, who have a very complicated relationship full of secrets and lies. Told from alternating points of view, this book messes with your head in the best possible way as your sympathies switch between the two main characters, and every time I thought I had things figured out I was proved wrong.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a book! Short, quick chapters paired with alternating past/present storylines grip the reader almost immediately. Add a plot that is so twisty and turny, you never quite know what will happen next! One dropped bomb after another had me guessing until the very last page!! My feelings toward the two main characters changed hourly, one minute I loved them, the next I felt they deserved everything that was coming. As for as recommending this book, I’ll shouting from the rooftops what an incredible read this is (or just posting a solid review on IG), and have already bought another book by this author!

Marrs does love a twisty, dark tale, that’s for sure!
20% in, I thought I had the story worked out. I was very wrong
Another great page turner.

What Lies Between Us is the first John Marrs book that I read but - as you can see below - it was not the last and I will certainly be catching up with the rest of his books as soon as I can.

What Lies Between Us has a twisted premise that becomes even more so the further we dig. It is a disturbing and shocking read, with gut-punchingly emotional moments, and is excellently plotted, with revelations coming throughout the book like peeling the layers of a particularly bitter onion! It is very easy to immerse yourself in, with chapters alternating between Maggie and Nina, showing us how things have ended up like this and what could possibly happen next. Recommended to any fans of psychological thrillers.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book.

Let me just start by saying I LOVED IT! Dark and twisty with fabulous characters and an original premise, I was hooked from the very beginning.

Maggie and Nina share a house. Every other night they share a meal at the dining table, after which Nina escorts Maggie back to her locked attic room where she is chained up until next time. She will never be allowed to leave the house ever again. Why? Well, there’s an awful lot of water under the bridge between these two, and it seems that neither of them really know the half of it.

The narrative alternates between the perspectives of the two women, and we slowly build up a picture of the events leading up to Maggie’s incarceration. Revelation by jaw-dropping revelation we are led to question who is telling the truth, which narrator is reliable, if either of them can even be trusted. I couldn’t work out if Maggie was ever going to manage to break free or if I even wanted her to. And that ending! Well, it certainly didn’t disappoint! I stayed up way too late to finish this because I just had to find out what happened.

The relationship between the two women is fascinating, one minute hostile, the next cordial, almost friendly. Both characters are really well written, but particularly Nina. She’s a complex one to say the least!

This book has a completely different feel to it to The Passengers but I enjoyed it just as much, if not more. I am definitely going to be searching out and reading the rest of John Marrs’ back-catalogue, as he’s fast becoming one of my favourite authors of thrillers.

If you like your thrillers irresistibly dark, page-turning and satisfying then I’d highly recommend you give What Lies Between Us a try.

‘They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.’

Just WOW! My love-hate relationship with these characters in the Psychological Thriller WHAT LIES BETWEEN US by John Marrs is a roller coaster ride of emotions that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

I just finished this book in the early morning hours, one eye open, coffee on standby, eagerly waiting to see how it was going to end—Loved It!

Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing, for loaning me an eGalley of WHAT LIES BETWEEN US in exchange for an honest review.

*Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing U.K., and John Marrs for this ARC!*

I have heard absolutely fantastic things about John Marrs, but this was my first foray into his works and it DEFINITELY won’t be my last! From the mysterious prologue on, I knew these were going to be characters that were crazy and yet somehow 100% authentic at the same time. Nina has her mother Maggie imprisoned in her attic...but why? We quickly learn that this mother daughter duo both need each other to survive and need to control each other, an artful exploration of what TRULY holds us captive in life.

Marrs brilliantly whizzes back and forth between past and present, switching narrators at all the right moments, giving readers just enough at just the right time to keep you frantically flipping the pages. I could not read this book fast enough! The twists were fast and furious as the book went on, and none of them felt gratuitous or predictable in the least.

One of my absolute favorite thrillers so far this year! Marrs is a master. I cannot WAIT to see what he comes up with next!

An absolutely amazing read! I could not put this book down. A nonstop page-turning psychological thriller with plenty of twists. The whole book had me switching back and forth on who to root for. It was a unique story that was phenomenally written. I definitely recommend this book to all and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and John Marrs for a copy of "What Lies Between Us" in exchange of an honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It certainly held my attention from start to finish. All the way through this book I was sure of who to believe but not the why, yet in the next chapter my mind was changed again. I often get confused by different time lines but not in this book as the chapter headings were clear. I've read books by John Marrs previously so I was expecting something of a revelation. He certainly didnt disappoint.

You can tell immediately from the blurb that What Lies Between Us is going to be a messed up read. Do you know how messed up it will be? That’s a solid ‘no’ from me, and I bet it would be for you, too. John Marrs first popped onto my radar when Kayla from Books and Lala gave a rave review to his book, The One. I haven’t read that one yet, but when I saw this book pop up on Netgalley, I thought it would be a good place to start. I was right. This book was gripping from the get-go, and even though I don’t feel like it really took off until the second half, I feel like the first half was necessary to really establish Maggie and Nina’s relationship. As with most of my Mystery/Thriller reviews, this will be vague in an attempt to allow you to discover this story as it unfolds.

There were so many twists and turns in this book, that even if I were to try and lay it out for you, I don’t know that I could remember them all. It was hard to tell who was capable of what. Was Nina or Maggie ‘more bad,’ were their motivations ‘noble’ enough, and was there really any love between these two women? It was impossible to tell at times. There were secrets galore, and their uneasy relationship had me on tenterhooks wondering what was coming next - was punishment on the way, or was the psychological component of knowing it might be on the horizon the actual punishment? I never knew, and it was enough to keep me cringing all through this book. I had a lot of theories as this story progressed, and the closer we got to then end, the more I saw coming. But I think I was supposed to, so the author did a good job foreshadowing.

Overall, this book had so many twists and turns that it felt like a roller coaster ride. My stomach kept dropping (along with my jaw,) and each new secret revealed was so shocking. It was nearly impossible to put What Lies Between Us down, and I have to say, I’m hooked. I will definitely be reading John Marrs’ back list!

John Marrs delivers again. This was an absolutely brilliant book, really well developed characters and plenty of twists and turns. I can't say too much without it being a spoiler. I loved how it switched between characters and what ended up being 3 different time periods. This can sometimes be confusing but I never felt lost.

Maggie and Nina live in the same house. While Nina is free to wander and live her life, Maggie is confined to a room, chained and captured within soundproof walls and shatterproof glasses. Maggie's crime was to protect her daughter from her own mind, a phase that Nina goes into, with no memory of it later. This phase is mostly violent and has left more than one dead body in its wake. But Maggie is a mother and keeping her child safe is something inherent.

Marrs creates a co-habitation situation in this thriller and he does it quite well, with a lot of mysteries, layered characters and a plot that grips you instantly. It is fast-paced and not a minute is wasted in mindless chatter. I might have not seen the twist coming but to be honest, the build-up was so good that I expected a massive showdown. But there was a little bit of a disappointment there.

The story in itself is dark and gritty and more than once, I changed sides. The atmosphere is tense throughout. Nina's obsessive behaviour is downright creepy and Maggie's desperation evokes sympathy. The author has built some very realistic characters with a story that will shake your from within. Its not just a thriller with the basic elements but a story where you see the extent of a mother's love, a child's stubbornness and an evil world full of misread words and horrifying intentions.

A mother’s love, a daughter’s devotion. Sounds like a tale that ends happily ever after, right? Well, I’m here to tell you What Lies Between Us ain’t no fairytale kids - it’s a flipping nightmare! Let’s just say this, Maggie’s daughter Nina is either her best friend or she’s Satan. There’s no in between!

Marrs weaves a brilliantly unnerving tale of family dysfunction of epic proportions and it’s released just in time for Mother’s Day. But heed my caution - this isn’t a book to give to Mommy Dearest. 5stars

Nina and Maggie share the same house on a quiet street in a small English city. They cordially eat dinner together every other night, discussing Nina’s job as a librarian and the events of the neighborhood. But after dinner, Nina escorts Maggie to a soundproof attic bedroom and locks her ankle to a chain hooked to the center of the floor.

Punishing Maggie for the wrongs she committed against her, Nina is resolved to keep Maggie prisoner. Although Nina’s capricious moods subject Maggie to cruelty and indifference, Maggie remains fiercely and inexplicably protective of her captor. And while Nina may have grievances against Maggie, Maggie will die before she allows Nina to know the secrets of the past.

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs is dark, twisted entertainment. Reading it reminded me a bit of Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel in that it is told from the point of views of two characters who are at best unreliable and at worst suffering from one or more psychological disorders. The narration not only alternates between the two perspectives but also between past and present timelines.

One of the characters early on talks about getting angry if she reads a mystery novel with a predictable plot. I wondered what that might mean for the story. I was surprised at the twists and turns—my general reaction was OMG! While the ending wasn’t what I’d hoped for, it makes sense to me given the characters.

I recommend this for thriller fans who enjoy character-driven slow burns with a touch of crazy.