Dark, disturbing dysfunction!

John Marrs has done it again with a unique novel of suspense about the twisted relationship between a mother and daughter, and the effects it has over the decades. . If the author intended to unsettle his readers by making it difficult for them to work out who was the 'goody' to root for, and who was the 'baddie' to dislike, then he's done a great job! A great novel that kept me awake more than one night thinking it over.

Blimey! Yet another read from John Marrs that is impossible to put down!
I’m not going to discuss the plot in too much detail as there were so many twists and turns that I could very easily trip myself up and spoil the story for you, but simply Nina and Maggie live in the same house, but while Nina works and is able to leave the house, Maggie isn’t. I genuinely couldn’t read this book fast enough.
Ok, if I’m being brutally honest, there were a couple of instances where I asked myself “Really? Could that really happen?” The answer was “Yes. It really could”. Scary stuff
I loved this, thank you to John Marrs, Netgalley and the publisher’s for letting me read an ARC

QUICK TAKE: great premise, not sure Marrs nailed the execution. Both women are extremely unlikable and difficult to root for and I kept expecting a big twist and reveal and was left wanting more at the end. I was hoping for WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE but it never really lived up to that. Easy, quick thriller if you need a palette cleanser.

4.5 stars*** This book was dark, twisted, and creepy. This is my second John Marrs book and I’m loving his writing style. It took a little bit for me to get into the book and the characters. But wow, this had so many twists and turns! Both the narrators are unreliable and it’s hard to keep up with who is telling the truth. In the beginning, Maggie is painted as the innocent one and then that plot twist was insane.
The ending dragged a little bit but it came full circle in the epilogue and I’m glad to see Maggie get revenge.


Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Omg .. how does this man do it. Every book he writes is so different
i think this has been my favourite book of his so far. So many twists and turns and he's damn good at writing about deranged females.
but why.. why did he end it that way....

A dark, twisty tale of two women with secrets and a very complicated relationship!

Why is Nina keeping her mother in the attic?
Why does she hate her so much?

Gosh this book was dark! Maybe a little too dark for me? John Marrs you have a twisted mind 😂

Filled with unlikeable, dysfunctional characters, secrets, lies and disturbing choices, 'What Lies Between Us' had a malevolent feel to it, which chilled me. The characters, with their co-dependency, got under my skin, and left me feeling anxious and quite sad.

Told from two character's pov, Maggie, and her daughter Nina in flashbacks over the last 25 years, and in the present, this story was so addictive, I just couldn't look away!

I was a little disappointed that I predicted some of the major plot twists, they felt a bit obvious to me?! I also had some issues with the police or lack of.. But the writing was strong enough to make me read on, to see if was correct!

I definitely prefer John Marrs's more sci-fi books like 'The One' and 'The Passengers' but this book undoubtedly had me on edge! Also the cover is hauntingly good!

Recommended if you want a dark, crazy read! I now need a light fluffy book and a hug please!

Oh what a tangled web we weave....... What a twisted book! I love twisted! This is my first book by this author and I am wow'd! Is that a word? John Marrs you are now on my radar!

Nina and Maggie, Maggie and Nina, which side will you be on ? This was a crazy fun ride! Told in alternative points of view from Maggie to Nina, from past to present, with secrets revealed throughout that will leave you shocked. I believe my jaw dropped several times. This was a fast paced, addictive read that kept me gripped from start to finish. I highly recommend for anyone that loves twisty thrillers! I don't think I will be forgetting this book anytime soon! Now excuse me while I go search for John Marrs other books!

A big thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

Maggie has always tried hard to protect her daughter Nina, ever since her husband left her when Nina was just a teenager.
Nina went off the rails and fell for local band member Jon Hunter after becoming pregnant for the second time at 14 and what Maggie had told Nina that the baby was born stillborn and that she couldn't have any more children due to a medical condition.
Into adulthood they both live together in the family home just the two of them, Nina discovers shocking secrets that Maggie had kept from her.
Being outraged Nina wants revenge and locks her mother in the attic room only allowing her to come and have dinner with her every two days after two years of being locked away from the outside world something begins to change and in a house full of secrets that can't be a good thing.

Well, he’s done it again!
I think John Marrs is incapable of writing a bad book.... his work just keeps getting better.
This is another enthralling and gripping page turner, and I stayed up all night to finish it.
Wonderful character creating and such visually descriptive scene setting sucks you right into the story.
Another triumph from this talented author.

I found this thriller really hard to read - as the lies between Nina and Maggie were exposed I alternated between who I sympathised with in a situation where no decision seemed ‘right’. You had a mother desperately trying to protect her child but in so doing causing her further harm. This was a very dark read exploring the intensity of feelings between two co-dependent individuals drawn together by past secrets.

Not for the faint hearted - a compelling read.

Wow. Just wow. That was a ride!

Nina and Maggie live in the same house, eat dinner together every other night, but Maggie is kept prisoner by Nina, her ankle chained to the floor. The story is told alternating between Maggie and Nina narrating. You will have so many questions that will be answered bit by bit as you read.

I absolutely loved this book! The plot kept me reading and I finished it in almost one sitting. I think this book will be talked about a lot once published in May. Definitely plan to read it if you are a psychological thriller fan. I had never read a book by John Marrs, but now I’m eager to read his others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for an honest exchange.

Another great book by John Marrs, he does not disappoint! I did not want this book to end. The relationship between Maggie and Nina was fascinating and the alternating chapters told in both their voices kept me flipping the pages well into the night. Dysfunctional family drama coupled with murder and mystery makes for such a great story. I cant wait for his next book!

This is me shouting “WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST READ???” from the rooftops! This book is very disturbing. I give it 10 stars, actually. I couldn't put it down!

What Lies between Us is structured with alternating POVs from the two main characters: Maggie (the mother chained by her daughter in the attic) and Nina (the daughter with a massive resentment towards Maggie). One of the things I loved about this novel was the anticipation of when these two POVs would finally collide and the story will finally makes sense (and will let me breathe because the last 13 hours of reading this book was an uncomfortable pleasure. It gives me anxiety! Hahaha). It was incredibly interesting to see things from both Maggie and Nina’s perspective and with any mystery/thriller, I was left wondering which one was the unreliable narrator or if both of them were to be trusted. And to be honest, ever since I read this book, I started to doubt my own sanity. Every cliffhanger at the end of every chapter makes me want to know what happens next. It’s like I’m losing my mind. I was like “WTF?” “OMG!” the whole time. This book is highly recommended!

Oh and huge thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC.

I am a huge fan of John Marrs and have read all of his previous books therefore I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of What Lies Between Us.
A very dark and twisty story surrounding Maggie and her daughter Nina and the story surrounding their relationship.
I enjoyed reading the mother and daughters different perspectives and a real rollercoaster of changing my feelings on one character to the next.
Lots of twists and turn which certainly kept me on the edge of my chair.

I’ve been a huge fan of John Marr’s books for some time and his latest offering certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Maggie and her daughter Nina have a very unusual and strained relationship. Each chapter is written from the perspective of each character and as you learn about their reasons and mindset you begin to take sides.
I was totally immersed in this book from the first page. I found myself gravitating from each character with a heightened sense of love and hate in equal measures.
Twisty and absolutely nerve wrecking in equal measures! Highly recommended

Everybody hop aboard the crazy train! First stop: Dysfunction Junction!

Oh my, I'm not sure what to say about this one. This book is so bonkers and so entertaining that it was hard to look away from my kindle. I'm not going to discuss the plot because there is a minefield of spoilers to tip toe around if I do.

I loved The Good Samaritan by this author but Her Last Move was a DNF for me and Passengers I didn't bother to request because I just knew it wasn't my jam. But this one! Oh yes, this one is on par with The Good Samaritan and a reminder as to why I love these twisty psych thrillers. Well done! 4 *You can't pick your family* Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

John marrs ...I love his books ..rare to find such consistency but book after book is gripping .
This soooooo reminded me of Liz Nugent in terms of dynamics and unlikable characters .There are mainly two female characters and with every chapter u think how on earth did they get here and then a revelation and u think ahhh and then bam 💥 u see why .
The need to controll through the anxiety to protect can lead to serious danger and damage
There is a case for one being more dangerous than the other but if the other hadn't tried to fiercely protect her and controll her dysfunctionally and at times selfishly I suspect then they may have got help ,been kept safe and therefore others also protected .
I felt so sad though also other characters and am always reading one more chapter pre bed with John marrs .
Ty again netflicks and publishers I liked it alot .John never dissapointed and even an average read from him is good .
He doesnt really do formula ,u are always intrigued and always delivers a good set up between his characters .
I giving a four as his is a cut above the average ,bit more creative with his thinking and how people cd end up like this ..I also liked the ending
This appeals to my love for dark dynamics ,secrets and what we do when we panic ,lose controll or are overly protected .

Yet again John Marrs delivers, I absolutely devoured this book. Another twisted and wicked tale from the mind of one of my favourite authors. John Marrs has a talent for writing characters to despise and making you want to unlock their awful secrets.
This book drags you in from the very beginning and spits you out at it’s terrible conclusion.
I can not wait to read whatever he comes up with next!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

John Marrs has done it again!

Why is Nina keeping her mother, Maggie, locked (and chained) to a top floor room?

This story takes the reader back to where Nina's and Maggie's "falling out" began - 25 years ago - and, of course, to the present time.

Why does Nina hate her mother SO much? What happened in their past for Maggie to deserve being so severely punished?

A superb read that continues to build as we are captivated and kept guessing.

A wonderful story - HIGHLY Recommend!

Many Thanks to Amazon Publishing, UK and NetGalley for a "can't put down" book.

An adult woman is keeping her elderly mother chained up in the attic. How did things come to this pass? The story cleverly unfolds with flashbacks and present day sections and I have to say I was engrossed throughout. Things were not as I first thought them. A mother’s love can be distorted. We would do anything for our children, but should we? It certainly makes you wonder what your nice neighbours are really like! I haven’t read a John Marrs novel I haven’t loved and this one’s no exception. Totally a five star read.