What Lies Between Us by John Marrs is one crazy book, that you can't predict or put down. Characters flip from being good to bad, as the reader learns more secrets. This book has some of the most cringe worthy scenes, not because of gore or anything horrid, but because you are reading about a character that keeps digging themselves into holes. This is family disfunction at its finest. What would it take for you to chain your mother in her room? The answers come quickly but the reasons behind them stay buried in lies. This is the second novel that I have by John Marrs, last year I read Passengers about driverless car taking 8 people hostage to murder them as people choose who lives or dies. Passengers rifted me while What Lies Between Us rocked me to my core. A huge thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for letting me read a novel that has taken my top spot in favorite books of 2020. The screen writes were picked up by Renee Zellweger's production company, which would have a juicy role as the daughter who chains her mother, while exposing a lifetime of secrets and lies. What Lies Beneath Us is to be published on May 15th 2020.

The Plot: Maggie is believed to be a shut in that relies on her doting daughter Nina to get her through her days, then the chain is revealed. Maggie is not a shut in by choice. Her daughter Nina has been chaining her up in the attic which she soundproofed for two years. Nina is convinced her mom murdered her father years ago, and is determined to lock her up, in replacement for the last 21 years of her life since her father disappeared.

What I Liked: How crazy this novel got, there were many times where I was astounded of the places this novel went. There's so many twist, I guessed a couple of them, but there were sometimes twist on twist. I enjoyed the ending, I felt like everything wrapped up in a very messed up bow. Never have I been so back and forth with characters, you will read one thing and be like Maggie had a point and then read another where I was like how could Maggie do that to Nina. The back and forth go almost to the end.I liked the side character of Bobby and how he fit in to the mother and daughter fight. The party scene was one of the most cringe worthy scenes I've ever read, and I kind of loved every minute of it. The scene was like a slow train wreck, you just have to watch. The way this novel was written getting into Maggie's and Nina's heads was perfect and helped explain a lot about the characters and their motivation.

What I Disliked: There was disappearance scene that the police don't have a suspect, and we know the last text that go the person there and an incident that happened just weeks before the disappearance, I found it very unlikely that this character would not be the main suspect. The police go to the house but there were all these red flags that the police wouldn't be ale to overlook. I hate that we never knew how high Jon was during the incident, or didn't look into his appeals.

Recommendations: I really connected with this thriller and could not put it down. The only thing I would caution readers with is the characters given their reasons remain mostly unlikeable. I can still love a novel even if the character's are difficult to like, but I know some can not. I think this is a can't miss thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I did not want to stop reading. I rated What Lies Beneath Us by John Marrs 5 out of 5 stars. So far this is my top book of the year.

This is one of the most gripping thrillers I’ve read in a very long time! The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Maggie and Nina (who share a house but have an incredibly complicated relationship) and covers a 25 year span. I didn’t know very much about the premise of this book going into it and I think that’s definitely the best way! The ingredients for a fantastic thriller are all there.... twists are plenty, the writing is excellent, the shock factor is there, and the ending left me with my mouth agape! This was the first of John Marr’s books that I’ve read but I’ll now be working my way through his back catalogue as he has definitely made a fan out of me with this book!

This was a good book! The plot line was interesting and kept me engaged. The characters and their dynamics were captivating. I thought I had the whole storyline figured out but there were parts I got wrong. I enjoyed the twists and turns, but felt this one was a bit too long. Overall 4 stars.

Every night Nina and Maggie have dinner together. Afterward, Nina helps Maggie back to her room and locks her to a ball and chain. Maggie, Nina’s Mother, has done some things that Nina will never forgive her for, but Maggie has some of her own secrets that she will never share.

Wow, this was my first John Marrs book and it will not be my last. This book was an amazing mix of domestic drama and thriller and had me hooked from beginning to end. The characters were complex and it was so impressive to see the many parts of the storyline come together in the end. At times the chapters were difficult to follow due to the rotating timeline, but the story was brilliant and definitely worth the read!

3 1/2 stars

This is my first John Marrs book and I can say that I'm pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this book and I'm glad I read it. It really ticked all the boxes of what I want from a thriller. Dark, twisted, lies, dysfunctional characters. Check, check, check, and check. I do think that seasoned thriller readers might see the twists coming, but I don't think that made me like the book any less. I enjoyed the complexity of the mother/daughter relationship at the heart of the book. I enjoyed the writing style and I think the ending was solid. I did have some minor problems, but overall, I enjoyed it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the early reader's copy!

WOW. I'm a little speechless... this book has legitimately made a run for my new favorite thriller of all time. I absolutely loved it - creepy, mysterious, and every chapter seemed to end on a plot twist or reveal that I was not expecting. I HIGHLY recommend this book to fans of Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. I don't want to say too much about the plot - the less you know going in, the better. But if you enjoy somewhat slow suspense, family dynamics, and want something different from the typical cheating husband/wife loses her memory type thriller tropes, definitely try this one out!

There are a couple of potentially triggering topics and disturbing scenes in this book (more than I would consider standard even in a thriller), so I would recommend looking them up if you're worried.

Biggest thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my favorite thriller so far of 2020. John Marrs is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors as his previous books The One and The Passengers were also great sci-fi thrillers. He really knows how to keep the reader turning the pages. This book is a domestic thriller with no sci-fi elements so I liked how he switched things up with this book. This book contains a plot twist (whether minor or large) almost at the end of every chapter. At one point in the story my jaw literally dropped because I was shocked. At another point I had to re-read the twist a few times and go back to read an earlier section because I thought I had missed something - and that was within the first few chapters. This book contains two unreliable narrators and you are constantly wondering who (if anyone) is telling the truth. The dynamic between the two main characters definitely keeps the reader engaged and wondering where their story will ultimately end. I gave this book 5 stars. I am a big fan of thrillers and it can be difficult for me to be engaged or be surprised by a thriller, this book did both.

John Marrs never disappoints and he's done it again. In this book we meet Maggie and Nina who live together in the same house... but Maggie is locked up in the attic! We go back and forth between the past and the present day to understand how they came to be in this situation. There's complex family relationships, extremely dark secrets and just a wee a tad of violence. The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 was because I caught onto the ending quite early on.

What Lies Between Us is dark and distrubing- my favorite type of book. The story is told through two points of view and in multiple time lines. It was easy to follow though. I loved the toxic relationship between the two women and all the secrets they kept from each other and lies they told to each other. I thought the ending was fitting, but wished one additional event/thing would have taken place/happened / been explained. The writing was great & I'll be checking out other books by John Marrs right away starting with The Passengers.

So chilling and creepy but I just couldn't stop reading. John Marrs knows how to deliver a great story so don't pass up this winner of a book. A must read. Happy reading!

i was given this ARC by netgalley and publisher for honest review and opinion
this book was very good!
it had plenty of parts of dark, twisting scenes and plots.
it is about a mother and daughter where one of them is kept as a prisoner at the house. who is more crazy, the prisoner or the free one? mom or daughter?
i don't want to give to much away but there are so many different twists and turn regarding the book

A twisted, dark, complex thriller about a toxic and dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship. Told from Nina and Maggie’s point of view over various timelines I found myself changing my mind each chapter on who is more crazy between the pair. John Marrs nailed the unreliable narrator and it was hard to know who to believe. The beginning part of this book dragged a bit compared to the second half which was full of twists and turns. The book is quite lengthy but it reads pretty quick because of the short chapters and the engaging writing style. I think this will be a big hit like the authors other works ‘The One’ and ‘The Passengers’.

4.5 I received this book from NetGalley to give my honest review about it.

Trigger warning about miscarriage, adoption, sex with a minor, abuse of an elderly and abuse of a minor.

Wow...I can't express my self right now. Maggie is Nina's mom. They live under the same house, but only one of them go out every day, the other one stays at the home chain and confined to a room. Maggie is under Nina's mercy, and you ask yourself what she has done to be treated like that? Let me put this way, what you think it is, it is not, and when you think you get, well wrong again.

If you love a psychological thriller, this is the one for you. It will keep you want to finish, and you will have your heart going from Nina to Maggie.

There is just something about John Maars that grips me and I cannot and do not want to put his books down. I love that I can never fully guess all of the plot twists (although that doesn’t stop me from trying!). Any of his fans will not be disappointed in this latest novel and mystery/ thriller fans will love to find this one.

This is my second John Marrs book and I am happy to say that I will be going back and looking for more. In true Marrs style this book is full of clever little twists with well developed dark and twisted characters. And as always with his books all is never what it seems. I enjoyed the multiple time periods the book was written in that gave small hints into the past as you pieced together what was really going on. Brilliant!

Twisted and gripping.

I had no clue what I was reading at first. A woman kept as a prisoner in a house? It seemed crazy. But page by page I began to clutch this book, unable to put it down. I don’t want to spoil anything but it is well worth the read!

I picked up this book on the recommendation of another reviewer, and I am glad I did! Such a twisty and gripping psychological thriller! In fact, I’m not sure twisted really does the wonderfully woven plot justice.

Nina cannot forgive Maggie for their shared past. She is also a believer in keeping your enemies closer—very close. Every other day the two meet for dinner, after Nina walks her downstairs to dinner with her chain in tow. It appears that Maggie is a prisoner in her own home. But why?

As this wonderfully dark tale is unwoven the reader is treated to layers upon layers of complexity, twists and turns. I could not put this thriller down!

A special thanks to the publisher for this advanced read and honest review.

John Marrs’ new book, What Lies Between Us takes a strenuous mother-daughter relationship to the next level. Maggie has always protected her daughter Nina, no matter the cost. From birth, through a very trying adolescence, Maggie has done everything in her power to shield her daughter from the cruel and unusual world she lives in. So why...why, is Maggie chained up in the attic bedroom of her adult daughter’s home? This my friend, is a question I cannot answer. How could I, without spoiling the biggest psychological thriller out there. I will tell you this...Marrs’ book is absolutely bonkers! And I mean that as a compliment. I was hot glued to my seat reading the pages of this book faster than I could turn them. Maggie and her daughter Nina not only narrate the story in alternating chapters, but using dual timelines. The past and the present from both narrators slowly merge together offering an ending that will blow your mind. Their individual stories are oh so twisted and completely insane. I had to actually pick my jaw up off the floor several times during this book. There is absolutely no getting off this ride until the very end. Buckle up! You will need to read this in one sitting!

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the advance read of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Wow can we say dysfunction!?! There really is no other way to describe the perverse mother-daughter relationship in this book! John Marrs gets your attention right away when you read that Nina eats dinner with her mother, Maggie, every other night and helps her to bed only to discover that Maggie has a chain attached to her leg and is a hostage in her own house. Does she deserve it for what she's done to her own daughter?

There is no shortage of twists throughout this book and while it's utterly unrealistic it is also absolutely unputdownable!! Told in both POVs of mother and daughter throughout the past 25 years, I found myself feeling sorry for one of them to then hating them the very next chapter! I mean let's be honest... they are both nutcases! Strap into your seatbelt and get ready for a wild and crazy ride.

Many thanks to the author, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. Wow. Wow. Mind blown! The countdown is on for the release of What Lies Between us by @johnmarrs.author and I say run, don't walk to get your copy.
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Relationships between mothers and daughters can be difficult. Not everyone is sunshine and roses. Take Maggie and Nina for example. As you read through this book, the way the story is told you learn about Nina's upbringing and her struggles. You read about how Maggie did her best to overcome her daughters teen years. But what a mind **** this was. I just LOVED it. I can't say much more than this without spoiling the plot.

Thank you #netgalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review