Wow! This is by far one of the most bizarre, dark, dysfunctional, and twisted books I have ever read. Well worth the read! I recommend going into this book blind and get all your surprises that way.

John Marrs does it again! I just love his writing. This one is dark, thrilling, suspenseful and he's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

At first I didn't think that I was going to like this book...well I did enough to put it on my TBR and request it as an ARC, but then something kept holding me back from actually reading it! What was I thinking? This book was EXCELLENT!! The title is perfect! Lies can create MOUNTAINS between us! But then again, is there anything that you wouldn't do for those you love?

What Lies Between Us is about a mother/daughter duo, Maggie (the mother) and Nina (obviously the daughter). The blurb gives us an idea that something sinister is going on, but it doesn't really give you a clue as to who the sinister character is or really what is going on! This story was SPECTACULAR and I can promise you that I NEVER saw most of it coming! Nina would lead you to believe it was one way, then you'd hear differently from Maggie. It was alternating back and forth between the two throughout the whole story, which I really enjoyed!

Overall, lots of unexpected dark twists and turns to keep you entertained throughout the whole book! I don't think I've read a book by John Marrs prior to this, but I can assure you that I will now and I can promise you that I won't wait nearly as long! This guy's got it when it comes to writing!

Overall, this book knocked my socks off! This book was filled with all sorts of sinister and I LOVED it!!

This was a fast paced, interest story with characters that connected with each other. I was hooked to the story and characters from start to finish and really enjoyed all the twist and turns and secrets involved.

I love John Marrs books! This was one of my favorites by him. I loved the twists! I’d recommend this to any thriller fan.

Wow! I feel like I should have whiplash from all the twists and turns this book took me on. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, the story turned upside down. I settled into bed to read for a few minutes when I was at the 80% mark...I couldn't put it down and when I finished it and came back to reality it was 3:00 am (this is the sign of a great story). Go into this book knowing nothing about it, finding everything out is a lot of fun. Definitely a great read!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Amazing book with so manyy unexpected twists and turns. Deliciously dark. A fascinating exploration of family relationships.

I didn't hate this book, but I absolutely feel like I just woke up from a fever dream. I'm truly horrified by how John Marrs has created this in his head.

This book is by no means an easy read. It's very dark, twisted and heavy. I feel like I was experiencing some kind of out-of-body experience, where I was really distanced from the book and just... watching myself read it. The events that conspire in this book are just... messed up.

I did like the premise of the book, but it was a bit too dark in a sickening way for me to truly 'enjoy' it. There isn't a single likeable character, mainly because they're all insanely flawed and not one of them has done a single thing that can redeem their bad actions, so it's hard to really root for someone without trying to justify the other person's behaviour, in a really weird way. The ending didn't quite satisfy me - I remember seeing the word 'epilogue' and thinking this was so abrupt and had come about so soon, I definitely felt like there was room for at least another 20 pages.

So tl;dr - enjoyed at a very basic surface level, but wouldn't recommend unless you can really handle darkness.

Trigger warnings: paedophilia, grooming, suicidal ideation, drug abuse, mentions of rape, miscarriage, abortion, depression, drugging, underage pregnancy, kidnapping, incarceration, murder, adultery, parental neglect, forced infertility, early menopause, domestic abuse of a parent, gaslighting.

I loved this dark, twisted family thriller. The plot was very original and hard to predict for sure. So many secrets between family members can lead to death, pain, and so much damage. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes psychological thrillers.

Auto buy John Marrs !!!

This is another masterpiece. I won’t recap the synopsis but this was well written as his other books.

Thanks so much NetGalley! John Marrs thanks as well!

This is a very twisted read about the family dysfunctions, mental illnesses and these very strange holes where we bury ourselves in our darkness. The characters are very unlikable and I find the plot quite boring, even of ot os full of twists and turns; because these turns are only adding to the unbelievability factor.
While I believe that such dysfunctional mother-daughter couples coud very well exist, I only find it being sad, really. What is also sad is that these relationships carry on without somebody else to enter their twisted worlds and bring some kind of healing (be it medication, professional help or police intervention, even - but something to bring the end to the codependent, meaningless lives and maybe offer a way out or at least a way to stop the blackness to spread).

John Marr never disappoints! Each of his book gets to be more of a page turner than his last, disturbing, weird evil people doing horrible things to each other in strange situations. Sounds awful but makes such a good read. Looking forward to his next one.

Wow. Great suspense novel that kept me guessing, trying to figure out who was crazy!! I was surprised right up to the very end!

The premise of this book was different from most domestic thrillers, and I think that’s what drew me to it. I highly recommend for something different! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

What's better than one unreliable narrator? Two unreliable narrators! This entire book was somehow both a train wreck in itself but also leading up to a train wreck of an ending. I don't know how better to explain the twisted, addictive story of a mother and daughter who become embroiled in their own destruction. As each moment unfolds, or is revealed through a past timeline, the reader feels the weight of the wrong decisions and poor choices add up while wanting to yell at the characters hoping to change their fate!

In "What Lies Between Us," John Marrs creates characters that you know you can't completely trust, yet you don't know why. You know you shouldn't has compassion for either Maggie or Nina, but you're not entirely sure why. The ending brings the book back full circle in a way that is surprising yet satisfying. While thrillers don't typically make a regular rotation into my reading, I thought Marrs did a great job of keeping the pages turning and me questioning just what does lie between them.

What Lies Between Us tells the gripping tale about a mother and daughter who live through unspeakable tragedy. These two women are doing the best they can, given their mental and emotional capacities.

The story will make you question how you would act, given the same circumstances. It is easy to pass judgement on the characters and say you would do different. But it is quite clear that they are coping the best way they know how.

Positive Feedback
- Page tuner
- Just enough twists to keep you guessing
- It'll make you feel completely sane (I hope)

Constructive Feedback
- I think one storyline in particular could have been removed all together. Seemed like a deleted scene to me <spoiler> I think either cut the Sally Ann bit, or play it into the story more. it felt like a one off after thought. </spoiler>
- Some bits dragged on, over teasing the plot points
- <spoiler>I think there definitely need to be more development around Dylan turning cold to his mother. It came suddenly. Then the next thing you know, Nina is a complete stalker weirdo. Clearly she was off her rocker, given the sitch with Maggie. But the son thing felt normal for a bit. As much as other parts of the book were drawn out, I feel the breakdown of their relationship could have been more detailed. </spoiler>

This was one crazy ride! I just loved all the characters and their relationships. A must read. I’ll read anything this author writes.

This is the third book I’ve read by John Marrs (The One and The Good Samaritan) and I can now say I really enjoy his writing style. The book was easy to read and the plot very intriguing, definitely a page Turner! Can’t wait to read more by Marrs.

Whoa!! Not many books leave me completely entranced, desperately trying to figure out what has or is going on but this one did it!! You know there’s an underlying secret that’s part of the narrative & I’m almost always able to figure it out by halfway, at least. But. Not. This. One. Creepy! Captivating! Will suck you in & mess with your mind. Go ahead.... it’s wild!!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

John Marrs is such a good writer, and this book is one of his best. Gripping with plenty of twists and turns. Recommended.