Rating: 2.5

I didn't really like the characters and the story was kind of boring, especially in the beginning. I thought that the plot twists were predictable. I didn't like the way that mental illness was used as a plot twist. I did like the flashback chapters a lot more than the present day ones, though.

Wow, what a gripping read. From start to shocking end. Maggie and Nina, are mother and daughter. Who live in the same house together. But this is not a healthy relationship. Maggie is being held prisoner in the house, chained to a metal bar on the attic floor, with a short chain which keeps her in her room, and a longer chain which is attached allowing her to have a bath, and to go on the floor below and join Nina for dinner a few nights a week. But why is Maggie chained? Nina has kept her this way for 2 years, after finding out secrets she was never meant to discover, now she is determined to punish Maggie. What did Maggie do that is so bad?

Told from the viewpoints of Nina and Maggie, how reliable are the narrators, which one can the reader believe? The story goes back 25 years in some chapters, explaining how Alistair had walked out when Nina was a teenager. After that Nina had gone off the rails, at 14 she was pregnant but lost that child, at 15 she was drinking, dabbling in drugs and sleeping with an upcoming rockstar, by the time Maggie found out Nina was pregnant again it was too late as Nina was in labour. But Maggie promised she would take care of Nina.

Now in her late thirties, Nina has so much anger, and wants revenge. But what does she want revenge for? Gradually the secrets are revealed, with some shocking truths. How far would a mother go to protect her child?

This is a well plotted, well written story, I did guess a couple of the things quite early on, but there were still other twists and turns to keep the reader engaged, needing to know how this was going to end. A read I would highly recommend.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Thomas&Mercer for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

I was lucky enough to be sent an advanced copy of ‘What Lies Between Us’, John Marrs’ new psychological thriller, before its publication date for an honest review.

This is a tough review to write because I adore John Marrs’ writing and past books, especially The One and The Passengers - two futuristic/SCI-FI themed psychological thrillers which I absolutely LOVED. So I was pretty excited about receiving the arc for his new book….

THAT was one of the most disturbingly dark and sinister books I think I’ve read for a very long time. *shudders* It was filled with dysfunctional and extremely unlikeable characters, lies, secrets and evil. ‘What Lies Between Us’ had a real malevolent feel to it, the story got under my skin, leaving me feeling anxious and irked.

Similar to John Marrs’ previous books, he kept the chapters short and suspenseful with end of chapter cliff hangers that engage the reader so hard, you keep reading when you should have put the book down aaaaaaaaaages ago. He is the master of holding your attention with his intense writing.

I found it incredibly difficult to root for either of the two main characters, and as the story developed I didn’t find any of their actions justifiable, or at points, believable. I’m all for an evil protagonist… but Jesus Christ. And although the book is full of twists and turns, I.JUST.COULD.NOT.GET.MY.HEAD.AROUND.THE.MAIN.CONCEPT.OF.THE.STORYLINE. I’m definitely in a small minority of people that feel this way as it has seriously a large amount of people falling in all kinds of love over it. SOoooOOOOoo I would 100% encourage reading and experiencing it for yourself. ESPECIALLY MY TWISTED SISTERS THAT LIKE THEIR PLOTS VERY FUCKIN DARK AND WANT A CRAZY READ OVER A FEW DAYS.

Now, can someone please give me a hug?

Trigger warning : kidnapping, mental health issues, suicide references, pedophilia references

What lengths would a mother go to protect her child and keep them safe from harm?
Addictive but completely bonkers that’s all I can say as I don’t want to spoil it. Enjoy 😃

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-copy of this book to read. The opinions given are all my own. I didn't really know what to expect from this book other than I have read this author in the past and have enjoyed his writing. This book starts out with a bang. We have two women living in the same home and sharing dinner together, but after dinner Nina helps Maggie back up to her room where she is shackled at the ankle and kept captive. Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she has done to her, but does she know the whole story? And does Nina have secrets of her own? This book is told through the points of view of both Nina and Maggie, both present day and flashing back to 25 years ago when all of the secrets started. I could not read this book fast enough as I needed to know what happened next. I so enjoyed how the secrets slowly unfolded. And while both of the characters are seriously damaged, I think that only added to the emotion they evoked (whether it was pity, sadness, sorrow or anger). I truly felt sorry for each of the women in different ways. And while I guessed a few of the secrets, there were some things that happened that I did not see at all, and I love when an author can surpirse me. This is a very twisted and crazy psychological thriller, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed and will be recommending to all my thriller-loving friends.

I always get so excited when I start a new John Marrs book as I know I am in for a treat, and this book is no exception. The book alternates between mother and daughter and events that are happening now and 25 years ago. There are a few red herrings thrown in before the reveal but to be honest I sort of got where this was heading, but that did not spoil anything or even the ending of the book. Once again John Marrs has written a corker of a book that I devoured in 1 day, it is that good.
Can't wait for the next book. If you are new to this author I can promise you, you will not be disappointed and that goes for all his books not just this one.

I have just five words to say about What Lies Between Us by John Marrs - MY BOOK OF THE YEAR!

OMG John Marrs has done it again! An intricate web expertly teased out, with slow building tension, shocks and disturbing revelations.

Out on 15 May next, it is the story of Maggie and Nina, sharing a house but not on good terms. It gave me total Whatever Happened to Baby Jane vibes in the first few chapters, then as the background became more and more evident, it moved away from that into even more sinister territory. The main characters are totally unlikeable but until the whole story becomes clear, you have NO IDEA where your allegiance lies!

Gripping from the outset, John Marrs has written a compulsive and utterly addictive read as I hurtled through a story with more twists and turns than a big dipper, culminating in a series of final chapters that near took my breath away. So much so, I needed 24 hours to process it before writing my review and I now have a MAJOR book hangover. Superb, knicker gripping, total page turning, edge of your seat fantastic 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

4.5
I'm glad I went into this blind because it was a wild ride and kept me hooked from page one. Every time I thought I'd figured something out, Marrs would throw something else into the mix and he kept me guessing until the end.

Holy Macaroni!!!!! Now this, this is the dark and twisty type of craziness that I enjoy!!

As the synopsis is intentionally vague, I won't give any details to ruin anything. The story is told from both Maggie and Nina's perspective and the timeline is nonlinear. I love how you're only given bits and pieces of the events that transpired. I was up until all hours of the night, fighting sleep, trying to find out the whole story.

Do yourself a favor and read this book! I would love to see this as a movie!!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "The Good Samaritan" and this book exceeded my expectations. John Marrs is skyrocketing to the top of my list of favorite authors!!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Amazon UK Publishing, and John Marrs for providing me with an ARC.

Just finished this from netgalley ARC - that was a roller coaster of emotions! Its absolutely brilliant, I recommend you buy, beg, steal (don't actually do this) or borrow a copy!

Maggie lives with her daughter in a house she moved into 40 years previously. She’s confined to her bedroom and doesn’t leave the house or receive visitors. Her relationship with her daughter is strained…the reason she can’t leave is because her daughter has chained her up…but Nina believes this is necessary because she needs protection from her mother…..

Fast paced, easy to read, short snappy chapters and none of the overly descriptive drivel that so many authors rely on these days (sorry I know folk that like it, I can’t stand it I get bored!).

The amount of times I changed sympathies and, although I managed to work some things out, there was so much more to the story and the way things changed and panned out....and that ending...wow!

At one point my husband came in and asked why I was just holding the book, I’m having a breather I replied.

As an indication of how much I liked it, I’ve just preordered it for my mum. Absolutely brilliant, it was my first John Marrs but won’t be my last…away for a lie down now!

I love John Marrs' books! From the very first one I read called The One (which I understand is currently being made into a mini-series for Netflix) I have been avidly reading as much of his work as I can squeeze in between blog commitments. Every one is a scarily new but quite feasible concept of a storyline and this one is no exception.

I began the book thinking how could Nina possibly treat her mother in such a fashion? My sympathy for Maggie soon diminished though when the story moved on and other aspects of their lives together started to be revealed. From then on in my emotions swung like a pendulum between the two women who each gave their side of their life story together and I couldn't decide which of the two of them had acted in a more shocking manner. I really couldn't side with either of them. When I wasn't actually reading the book my mind would wander back to consider whether in this day and age it would be possible to keep someone chained and isolated the way Nina has with her mother. It shocked me to think how calculated and thorough she had been in order to achieve the lifestyle she has manufactured for the two of them. The neighbours believed Nina's story that sadly Maggie had developed dementia and been moved into a care home in Devon, nearer her sister and with only a small circle of work colleagues and friends it was easy for Nina to convince people of her version of the truth.

I found this to be a very upsetting story of misunderstanding, lack of communication and also a mother's somewhat twisted desire to protect her child. Neither woman is entirely truthful either with themselves or anyone else and neither is particularly likeable. Without spoiling the story for future readers I found the ending particularly tragic and had hoped at one stage that things may have had a nicer conclusion after so many years of heartbreak for the two of them.

Another gripping page turner from Mr Marrs, he has yet to disappoint me with his writing.

John Marrs has me gripped once more.

Maggie and Nina live in the same house but don’t really like each other. Another original concept from John Marrs with twists and turns. Just as I thought I knew what was coming next it turns and Goes a different direction.
Easy to read with each chapter being told from either Maggie or Ninas story.
Had me sitting on the edge of my seat.
Loved it.

What Lies Between Us is an exciting original, entertaining read with one fascinatingly dark warped and twisted relationship here, between Mother and Daughter Maggie and Nina. John Marrs creates an intriguing and terrifying situation here for Maggie, who is chained and hidden in the house she shared with Nina. It's not only the lies and secrets between them that are intriguing; it's also the truths they are hiding.

Through Maggie and Nina's POV, each tells their side of the story in two timelines creating suspense and tension here that kept me turning the pages. With each side of the story, something new is revealed and I went back and forth, questioning who was the cruel one is.

Things get darker as the story goes and I was on the edge of seat anticipating how this one was going to wrap up, but really I had no idea. Well, I have to say it wrapped up brilliantly and I loved everything about this one! I highly recommend it!

When I first started this my first thought was, "What in the world?!" When I finished this my first thought was, "What in the world?!" I'm not going to lie, this was disturbing. It dove into some intense psychological issues. The characters were deeply developed - you were given the chance to dive into their minds and dissect their thinking. However, if their subconscious was hiding something from them, ti was hiding it from you, too, and you only discovered those missing pieces when they did.

The story is told through two points of view: Maggie, the mother, and Nina, her daughter, and it's told in alternating time lines. There are times when you don't know who you should be hating, but by the end it will be clear. And you will feel hate. But it also is conflicting for me because it makes you think about the length that a mother will go to to protect her child, and the point when that has been taken too far. This was an intense one!

This book is one of my favourites so far this year! My heart was in my mouth at times. I absolutely love how John writes characters, I LOVE loathsome characters, and very few authors can write them the way I like them, John probably does it best.
I enjoyed this book from start to end, I loved the pace, and loved how the narrative switched between Nina and Maggie, but was never repetitive, I really enjoyed the forward and backward timelines, and how easy it was to follow.
The ending was superb, and I loved it. John's ability to tell a story is fantastic, so much so I will always read his books without needing to read the blurb.
This was an easy 5/5 for me, and I would give it a higher rating if I could, I will be telling everyone to read this book.

John Marrs is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors. I see his name and I immediately know I am in for a good read. What Lies Between Us sure did fall into that category.

There is a terribly strained relationship between Maggie and her daughter, Nina. In fact, Nina has been keeping her mother chained in the house for years now. But what could have lead them to this? I know I was itching to find out.

The chapters alternate between both women and show you their different experiences and side to the story. Gradually the reader starts to see what torn through the relationship of Maggie and Nina to bring them to this place.

I think John Marrs has an incredible talent to write new and exciting things. He doesn't need to follow the norm to be successful. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend or any of Marrs' books for that matter.

Wow! I have to say...that this is in my top 5 favorites for this year! This book has all of the elements in a book that I love. It pulls you in from page one, the writing is exceptional as it makes you feel such strong emotions! It was so masterfully written that all throughout the book your not even sure who is the protagonist .
The book is written from mother and daughter point of view both living together in one house.
Someone is abusive to the other...which one is it?

I absolutely loved this book. It had a lot of twists that kept me on my edge of my seat and I just didn't want this wonderful book to end.

There are a lot of books out there which have dark and disturbing stories. But John Marrs gives those words a new and horrific meaning. This story is dark and disturbing on a completely different level.

Maggie and Nina life together in a house but they don’t share their lifes. Maggie is locked away in the attic. They are bounded by love and hate. I will not give away too much of the plot because it would be hard not to spoil it for you and also the story is very complex. I would suggest you just go into it blind. Nina and Maggie are very disturbed characters and for a while you are not sure on which side you shall be.

I must say that this book got under my skin. I am not a squeamish reader. But for me this book was extremely hard to read and found myself trying tio avoid reading it for the first half. Not because it was not good but because it was so intense and the story is just horrible. There is so much tragedy here and so much mislead behavior I could hardly bear reading about it. I felt so uncomfortable because the story really was so disturbing. After 50% into it and some unexpected developments I felt more at ease and just flew to the remaining half of it. But I admire John Marrs for making me feel so intense feelings while reading his book. I am still wondering why I had such strong emotions because I’ve read books with similar thematic in the past. Somehow his writing, his way of telling it and the elements of the story just touched me deeply.

Since I read Marrs’ fist book “The One” I am a fan. What I love especially is that each book is unique. John Marrs does not have a tool box with components he puts together every time he writes a book. The plots are different, his way of telling is different and the structures of his books are different. I am sure this story will stay for me for a while. And my admiration for the author grew even more. Being a reader for all my life it is getting harder for me to be blown away by a book. I would say that there are only a handful of books that triggered me like that. But John Marrs proved that it is still possible for me to be moved and stunned by a book.

Another amazing book from Marrs about a family and the secrets they carry.
It's a bit of a slow burn, but very gripping and fantastic. Made me very curious and it was a highly enjoyable read.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Twisted is the word lingering in my mind after finishing What Lies Between Us, the latest book from John Marrs. Dark and intriguing, this story explores the unusual mother-daughter relationship between Maggie and Nina, moving back-and-forth in time from when Nina was a defiant teenager to now, as a 38-year old keeping her mother locked in as a permanent prisoner in the attic of their house. Nina will never forgive Maggie for what she’s done, but Maggie will never reveal the depth of all she knows.

I wasn’t sure who was right or wrong and couldn’t tear away from this mother-daughter crazy train. What Lies Between Us is quick read that kept me hooked, as I was dying to find out how this tumultuous relationship would end!