Maggie and Nina, mother and daughter, have been living together for 38 years. Nina looks after Maggie’s every need, but things aren’t quite as they seem as Maggie can never leave. Nina can’t forgive her mother for the things that she did, but there are things about the past that Nina doesn’t know and Maggie is going to keep it that way.

This is a domestic drama like know other. It is very cleverly written with lots of reveals and twists and turns along the way. Another reason this book is quite unusual but also very good is that neither character is very likeable and instead of rooting for one of them you end up trying to determine which one is worse.

If you’re a fan of John Marrs you will definitely enjoy this book and his brilliant writing.

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs


I loved this book!

I have read and loved all of John Marrs books and this one did not disappoint.

There are so many twists and turns you don’t want to put it down as you never know what is coming next.

Why does Nina hate Maggie so much to chain her up in their attic? What did Maggie do to deserve this and what is Maggie hiding?

I loved the twisted characters.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

John Marrs never fails to deliver! His writing is fluid and plausible, and engagingand relatable. I really love the references to 1980's/1990's 'pop culture'. It is great that he has touched on mental health, and on Grooming..

John Marrs tends not to have dramatic plot twists, more the constant drip of information that causes the reader to gasp, hold their breath and switch allegiances throughout the book.

I spent three days reading the book, three days 'living with Maggie and Nina'. We love our Children unconditionally, when does this love turn to obsession? When should we let them make their own mistakes? when should we trust that they will be ok to make it on their own.? When does 'wanting them to do the right thing become manipulation.
and control? When should we let them go? when should we forgive?
A tale of family love fuelled by hate and trauma

Well it's official, John Marrs has done it again ... outdone himself actually. 5 HUGE stars!!!

What Lies Between Us blew me away! Soooo many twists and turns! Just when you're certain you know all the answers get ready for another twist ... or, several. WOW! I seriously spent the majority of this book with my mouth hanging open, ha ha ha!!!

Crazy plot that is so perfectly executed I'll be thinking about this for awhile ....

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for my review copy!

4.5

Oh my god was this book something. I even had to take breaks between chapters just to comprehend what the heck was going on.

So like all fiction books, there are characters and you get to learn about them. By the time you learn something about a character and fully accept it, something else just comes out so you're always in a state of surprise. Now, this whole book is pretty twisted, but I honestly couldn't help but feel compassion and hate for Nina and Maggie at the same time. Just to get my point across, the characters and backstory are unpredictable, no matter how much you think you know them.

Let's talk about the writing. This book is written in 4 different ways, dual POV and the past on how the two got to this point, and I feel like the author handled this perfectly helping with the WTH thoughts. The author also really gets to the point making everything seem normal which adds another layer of WTH thoughts.

With that done, the plot. It's honestly really enjoyable with things happening and like the characters, they're unpredictable, but my only problem is that the book relies too much on the past POV with more things happening there than in the present. Also, the way things happen in the present feels too convenient to the plot making it seem unrealistic at times.

Anyways, with my thoughts all typed out here, I would strongly recommend getting this book mainly for the plot and characters and hopefully the feeling you get when you read an amazing book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon UK Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a deliciously dark, tantalizingly twisted tale.
The premise itself gives you a glimpse into the mayhem and madness that is to come. Maggie is kept locked in the attic with a heavy chain around her ankle every night. What could Maggie have done to Nina to make her want/feel the need to do something like this? This story started off bizarre and if you think things can't get anymore outlandish, you're dead wrong!
The story is written from the perspective of both women and, let me tell you, the secrets in this house are dark. They're motivations and actions are so abnormal and really take the dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship to a whole new level!
John Marrs really did a good job of messing with the reader's emotions throughout. At points, you empathize with Maggie and at other points your Team Nina. Is either character redeemable in the end? No. Not really. But they are two characters that you'll love to hate!

If you want to read something uniquely bizarre, if you're a David Lynch fan or you're on the edge of sanity and need that final push then this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a whirlwind! This novel is like a slap to the face. It keeps you alert and vigilant. Stories change, secrets are revealed, and up until the very last page you are hanging in suspense. This novel reflects the lengths you will go to protect your child.

This is another fantastic read from John Marrs. It is full of twists, secrets and shocks. It is slightly slow-going, to begin with, but once you really hit the middle of the story, it is impossible to put down.
I always dread starting a John Marrs book as I know I’m going to have a sleepless night staying up and reading it. This book didn’t do that to me at first, but once I was about 50% of the way in then I had to get the matchsticks out to keep my eyes open, so I could continue reading.
The whole way through, you aren’t sure what to expect or where the story is going to go. We are following Maggie and Nina, a mother and daughter who live together but not everything is as it seems. There are so many secrets you aren’t sure who to believe or why any of the current events have ended up where they are. Their present voices are interspersed with past events that have shaped the ongoing relationship between the two characters. We go back as far as twenty-five years ago and sometimes only eighteen months. It did get a little confusing at times knowing whose head you were inside. You really had to pay attention at the beginning of each chapter of who you were with and when as there was no pattern to the chapters.
The overall feel of the book reminded me of ‘When You Disappeared’ which was Marrs’ first book. It was a little slower than some of his more recent novels and more domesticated.
I did guess some of the twists, but others really did jump out and shock you. Everything is drip-fed you, so you are getting shock after shock as you continue to read. Even some of the previous shocks can come back around and shock you again. It was a truly gripping read even though the pace was a little slower than I expected.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZmrFYjuDdTMInHcR8J2NtOIb8cvawNDjzdq00/?igshid=lsr2kgmew81j

Excellent storyline as always. Left my review and book cover image on Instagram. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

This was my first John Marrs and what a wild ride it was! I'll be sure to ckeck on his previous works as I enjoyed his writing very much.
«What Lies Between Us» is a highly gripping thriller where the author doesn't hold anything back.

Nina & Maggie's story got me hooked from the very beginning; I immediately knew I'd embarked on a crazy, messed-up journey. This mother-daughter relationship is not one you usually witness: a relation of co-dependence, a disturbing co-habitation, two lives linked by more than blood.

At the start of the novel, you are instantly introduced to the worst of the two women's situation, or so you would think.
While Nina is holding her mother captive as a form of revenge, you come to understand that Maggie is not the victim she appears to be and many secrets are yet to be revealed.
As you might feel an ounce of sympathy for Nina, you quickly realise that she is also to blame for this situation and is not as sane as she may seem.
I won't go into details about their complex and sinister past, but know that many secrets and wild revelations are scattered over the course of this twisted tale.

Throughout my reading, I was always switching back and forth between pitying one over the other. But the terrifying ending got me and I was shell-shocked.
«What Lies Between Us» is a disturbing, yet highly entertaining thriller that I would very much recommend!

If you are sensitive to violence, murder, sequestration, torture, abuse, and many more, then you might want to reconsider reading this one.

What lies between us

An awesome book, lives up to expectations and is the true reason why people introduced the phrase ‘I couldn’t put it down.’
Built up a brilliant relationship between the characters, the style of writing really hooks you from the beginning and stays true to the voice of each character. The book alternates between two women’s voices chapter by chapter, divulging little gems of backstory throughout as the fast paced thriller moves through the action. Really eerie and thought provoking, a little too close to home at some points.
Absolutely loving John Marrs, consistently awesome unputdownable stuff.
My only complaint would be having to wait for his next one to come out.

Holey Moley this was utterly brilliant!

What Lies Between Us is sooo unputdownable, I almost finished it in one sitting!

What an intense, addictive and terrifying mother daughter relationship this story tells. Revenge is sweet but what takes place here is pure evil.

What is the terrible history that exists between Librarian Nina and her mother Maggie who live together in Maggie’s house that brings out this saga of horror?

For those of you that love an entertaining and dark suspense thriller, this is one you cannot miss. The author really knows how to capture his audience and shock them.





I wish to thank NetGalley & Amazon Publishing UK, for generously providing me with a copy of the book to read in return for an honest review.

This was a twisty messed up masterpiece! I just didn't see all the twists coming. Loved that truth be told I didn't know who the "bad guy" was, was it the daughter or was it the mom?! And when one of them says something are they telling the truth or telling a lie? I ate it up! Loved the story, haven't heard of that type of plot before, so that was such a wonderful surprise because of all the books I read, to read something fresh!

Thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow!!!

If you like psychological thrillers; here is one you need to read.

It’s all about family for Nina, but family isn’t very easy for her. Her father abandoned her and her mother when she was a teenager. Nina also had a miscarriage and a stillborn by the time she was fifteen. Her mother doesn’t get along with her very well either because they don’t see eye to eye; probably because Nina is keeping her mother as a prisoner inside of their home. How far will you go to keep family near by you? Also, how will you act if you find out some dark, hidden secrets about your family?


Bravo on this book. Get ready for some mind-twisting chapters.

This book surprised me!
It started a bit slow, but wow did that change. I really liked the characters especially Tommy, it was great how John Marrs got me believing the storyline only to tip it completely on its head . The chapters were not long which made it unputdownable.
I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Wow, John Mara, what can I say, another fantastic read. You really do have one sick imagination. Totally loved this and couldn’t put it down.

Wow this book is awesome. This will take you on a journey that will cause you to experience all kinds of emotions. I read this book in about a day because it was so hard to put down. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs is a must read mystery thriller novel. Though a few twists were easy to guess, the rest were mind boggling. After reading this book, I am seriously considering re-picking their other book that I had DNFed earlier.

The breath-takingly intense and devious plot left me asking for more. It was scary and disturbing, to say the least. The end was epic and unexpected. The story is spread over various timelines, and is narrated by the mother daughter duo. Both the characters are convincing in their own right, and the reader in me was confused as to who he should root for. Eventually, I kept changing sides every couple of chapters.

I am sure it is going to be a bestseller.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the eARC.

Verdict: A must read.

#WhatLiesBetweenUs #NetGalley
An ok read.
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.
Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.
Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies. I personally was not so hooked by this thriller despite of its good plot. These kind of thrillers I read everyday so nothing was new to me. But it's an ok read. Thriller fans go for it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me an advance copy of this book.

O.M.G!!! This book was AMAZING! I honestly didn’t want it to end, that’s how much I enjoyed this story

In a nutshell: For the last 2.5 years Maggie and Nina have dinner together after which Nina takes Maggie back to her room in the attic, where she remains chained up and Nina goes about her life. Maggie has done unforgivable things to Nina, and now she must pay the ultimate price. But every story has two sides and not every memory is reliable.

My thoughts: I honestly went in blind. I didn’t read the synopsis or look at the reviews. I was rewarded in the end with a mind blowing, twisted and dark tale of buried family secrets, lies and of course murder. I was so absorbed in this book and I savoured and loved every page. Well written, unique and suspenseful, I seriously can’t say enough good things about this one. READ THIS BOOK! You won’t be disappointed 👏🏻