Wow. What did I just read?! This book has a way of drawing you along the whole way, giving you just enough to think you've finally gotten to the crux of the story and there can't possibly be anymore surprises.... and you're always so wrong. Amazing. Brilliant. I didn't want it to end - I need more!!

I'm not going to lie, I was unable to finish this book. I got about 40% through it, before having to put it down.

The writing is amazing, and it is for sure, a thriller. I kept turning the pages mostly because of all the twists in this story, and my need to find out just what happened between this very troubled mother and daughter. In the end, I just couldn't bring myself to finish because there is some dark things in the book that just bothered me enough to put it down.

So if you love mystery and thrillers, you will REALLY love this book. Just be warned that there is some very troubling content that may trigger some readers.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the story of two women Maggie and Nina. Nina can never forgive Maggie for things that have happened in the past. The most that I can say about the plot is that there is a lot of secrets and lies. It is best to go into this one blind.

There was a lot of twists and turns in this book that I didn’t see coming which I thought that I really should have worked out. The ending was also completely unexpected. I am a bit torn on the fact that there were things that were unresolved. On one hand I hate it when books are wrapped up in a bow but I also get frustrated when I feel that there are scenes that should have happened.

This is the first John Marrs book that I have read. I have other books on my shelf by him. I have to admit that this book left me feeling a bit uncomfortable at times. I am wondering if this is a trademark of the authors work as I tried to read The Samaritan and that made me feel the same. I really did enjoy the authors writing style and this has made me want to pick up The Samaritan again.

5 STARS

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.

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After reading so many fantastic reviews about WHAT LIES BETWEEN US, I knew that I had to request it on Netgalley! This is the second book by John Marrs I've read and his writing was just as twisted and horrifying (in the best way possible!) as I remember. I know that a lot of us probably throw around the phrase "I was hooked from page 1" too much but this book LITERALLY did just that! I couldn't put it down and I actually stayed up late last night to finish it.

Both Maggie and Nina's points of view were equally interesting and I didn't find myself wishing for more or less of either. I liked that their tumultuous past was slowly revealed instead of being given to the reader all at once. I had some suspicions about what happened between these two women (and some of it was correct) but the depth of the trauma was shocking for me. I felt hate and sympathy for both Maggie and Nina and I was constantly swinging back and forth between who I thought was more at fault. In the end, I'm still not sure. Needless to say, this book blew my mind.

Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC. You can read this mind blowing thriller on May 15th!

4.5 stars

Oh, wow.....what a book. Twisted, secretive, and messed up. I REALLY enjoyed it, as all of that is my jam. The 2 main characters were equally fucked up and at times I justified both their actions. I won't say more other than that because it's best to go into this book with nothing in mind other than the book description. I promise, you won't be disappointed! The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because the ending.

*SPOILER AHEAD*

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I wish we could have gotten a glimpse of what happened to Nina after the ending events. I would have loved to find out just a little bit of her life after an investigation or during jail time. 

*Review copy recieved thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I was only able to read 75% of this book before I had to give it up because it was triggering my mental health. I think it doesn't help that we are on lockdown and there are similarities (to being trapped) in this book. That being said this book was brilliantly written and was still a 5 star as far as I'm concerned. There were other triggers in this book that could affect others such as miscarriage. I've always loved John Marrs books but I think for a while I need to read something much more upbeat. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Whew what a ride!!! What Lies Between Us by John Marrs was in-freaking-sane! I went into this book blind and that made it even better. Just when I thought the book couldn’t get any crazier, it did. I kept saying these women are crazy af!! It was hard to trust either one of them. The first two lines in the synopsis are: “Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.” I feel like that’s the only thing needed before just deep diving into this fucked up book lol I give it 4 stars. I wasn’t a fan of the ending. It is still a great read. I really wonder how John Marrs come up with these crazy plots.

Thank you to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for my advance readers copy. It publishes on May 15th #partner

Publication Date: 15 May 2020
Publisher: Amazon Publishing UK

5 Star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

WOW!! 🤯
John Marrs, you have blown my mind! Thank you for giving me my first 5 star read of 2020!

This is the first book I have read from this author but there is absolutely no doubt his books will fill my shelves!

I was totally hooked from the get go with all the twists and turns making me feel like I was on a thrilling roller coaster ride! My stomach lurched and my jaw dropped! It was dark, chilling, intense and warped! Each turn of the page had me deeply enthralled and made it simply impossible to put down.

This story is told from two points of view, Maggie and Nina, of their broken relationship from past to present. Maggie and Nina are mother and daughter, they live in the same house and dine together every other night. After dinner Nina helps Maggie back to her room, in the attic where she chains her up and locks her in.

At what lengths will a mother go to protect her own flesh and blood? What did Maggie do that Nina will never forgive her for?

You will need to read this amazingly mind blowing thriller to hear how this twisted story unfolds!

For all you dark psychological thriller lovers, this is definitely one you need to add to your the list for 2020!

Thank you to John Marrs, Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This may contain spoilers-

This book is just messed up. I can’t even. I expected to be dark but I didn’t realize it was going to be that dark! I guessed quite a few of the twists and turns. And I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. I felt it dragged a little bit. I totally understand a mother going above and beyond for the child but— no one should have for Nina. That chick is just completely psycho. I don’t know why her mother covered up so much for her. Nina is just a psychopath and I did question Maggie a lot throughout but she turned out to be one of the good guys. I just wish one thing would have been different and that would be that Bobby/Dylan would have escaped alive some how. I feel like there needed to be a little light at the end of the tunnel

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
I rate this book 4.5 stars
Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave!
This fast paced book from an author l love doesn't disappoint on any level it held my attention from the first chapter.
A Mother and Daughters life and relationship.
A story that is dark,deep and gripping all at once.Full of suspense and intrigue as the narrative develops and unwinds.
A must read!
With thanks to Netgalley, the Author and the Publishers for my chance to read this.

John Marrs is one of my favorite authors, and I will read anything he writes, so I was so excited to get my hands on What Lies Between Us! We immediately meet Maggie and her daughter Nina. It's clear that their relationship is strained, and very quickly, the reader discovers that Nina keeps Maggie chained up in the attic of the house they share. I was dying to know what type of events played out in their past that caused such a crazy thing to happen in their relationship! 

We get chapters in both Nina and Maggie's point of view, and both also have chapters told from their past, so we gradually see what happened to cause their relationship to shift from mother and daughter to guard and prisoner. 

I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that every time a piece of information was revealed from either Maggie or Nina, it made me hate the other person, so I was in a constant state of whiplash trying to decide whose side I was on (or if I was on no ones side all together!)

John Marrs has a rare talent where he can write so many different books that are all SO different from each other, but that are each amazing and twisty in their own right! He doesn't rely on cliches or overdone genre themes, and I really appreciate that all of his books have fresh ideas. I absolutely recommend picking up any one of his books, and this one is no exception. If you haven't read any of his books yet, what are you waiting for?! Go, NOW, and pick one up! You won't regret it!

Underwhelming but not boring!

What a ride through crazy town this was.  Actually I think the train still remains in crazy town!  A daughter who has chained her mother up as a prisoner at their home for two years now. What could sound more reasonable?

I'll admit 2 things: I went into this with high expectations and my opinion appears to be in a small minority overall.

While the crazy was indeed off the chart, I still felt the plot never actually went anywhere. I never felt there was a "big mystery" per se. It was generally obvious who had done everything, or at the very least you already knew it was entirely between the two main characters either way. Therefore, the "reveal" was no reveal at all. 

I also struggled with the ending. I did not feel any closure and was very underwhelmed, disappointed after reading 363 pages. It was a story, told from the beginning, but that didn't have any real ending in my opinion.

The redeeming qualities for me was the pace of the book and the authors writing quality. The book moved along nicely and the author did an excellent job using the alternating timelines to enhance the readers experience. Often this technique can be confusing, however, I felt the author improved the book for it. The content and overall plot of the book was also high quality. With over the top craziness, the author succeeded in fully engaging the reader.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. It wasn't until near the end that I realized it wasn't actually going to go anywhere that I became disappointed and unsatisfied.  Again, I've seen many reviews for this book and almost all were high praise.  My rating appears to be in the minority.

*Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK in NetGalley for access to the advanced digital review copy!

What a cracker of a book. Deeply dark and twisted. I couldn't put it down. The characters are engaging and I couldn't want to find out what happened next.
A solid 4.5 stars from me!

Love love love John Marrs books and this one did not disappoint. Lots of twists and turns and kept me gripped right until the end. Highly recommend it

Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to read an early edition of this amazing book. I could not put it down and while self isolating read this book in two days.
Difficult to say too much about this story without giving anything away but it really is a dark and tense thriller.
Maggie and her daughter have lived. Together alone since Maggie husband died. But life is not harmonious between them. Things get worse when Nina finds out what Maggie has taken away from her over the years, a chance to get married and to have children.

Nina desperately wants a baby but that will never be after the terrible things her mother has done to her, and all Maggie wants to do is make her mother pay for all the terrible things she has done to her.
Great book must be read.

Wow John Marrs smashes it once again! I read The One a few years ago and loved it so I really hoped this one was a good one. Well, this was fantastic 😃 so chilling and unpredictable and it really had me on the edge of my seat wanting to read more. Thank you netgalley for the copy of this book, this is definitely one to put to the top of the list - release date is 15th May.

I had heard so many good things about this author, and this book totally surpassed my expectations. Both of the main characters (mother and daughter Maggie and Nina) have so much depth and are very believable, and I really enjoyed the character development of Nina in particular. I couldn’t put this book down - I can’t remember the last book I read in a day. If you like Lisa Jewell and Alex Lake, then you will love this!

This was a very slow read and one I was unable to relate to. Though it has some good plot twists, it was a bit difficult for me to get into.

What Lies Between Us is a another shocking, unputdownable thriller!⁣ I was a fan of John Marrs when I read " Passengers" last year and this is no exception. Another amazing thriller by John Marrs!
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This story is such a dark, disturbing and twisted story. The storyline switches between the perspectives of mother and daughter ( Maggie & Nina) as you read each chapter you are given one bombshell after another, that leaves you even more confused.John had the ability to not only flesh out his characters so well. They are such unreliable characters, they you don’t know who to believe which adds to the suspense.⁣
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The pacing was great.. There are no slow points in this book and I was engaged throughout the book & could not put it down.
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John Marrs knows how to write a thriller that sucks you into the story and takes you on a roller coaster of emotions. I felt: confused, shocked and heartbroken. The ending was amazing. ⁣
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This is how a thriller should be written! Hats off to John Marrs your thrillers keep blowing me away and this was just another one that left me breathless. I’m still left thinking about the book! I look forward to the future books John Marrs writes!⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for a digital copy in exchange for my review! ⁣
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What lies between us is a deep, twisted story that grabbed my attention, right from the beginning. I was surprised that I never loosed focus and interest in knowing more about “what happened between” Maggie and Nina. Its a story about two women who hate each other, but due to “circumstances”, they live under the same roof. So realistically the story is said in Maggie and Nina’s POV and one of them holds dearest dark secrets, which (trust me on this) you’ll be shocked once revealed. And the revelation is brilliant. Not everything is revealed entirely at once, but its a slow release! Its so wonderful that the author has captured the true feelings and emotions of women! Bravo John! Definitely John Marrs is going to be my auto-buy/read author!
Thank you NetGalley, John Marrs and Amazon publishing for the ARC. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way!