I really enjoyed it. John Marrs knows how to put a "soapy" spin to a story. The dynamic between mother and daughter was really interesting and at times I doubt know if I should laugh or cry. Definitely recommend!

So I am giving this 4 starts but it is rounded up from 3.5 for me. I love John Marrs and one if his books is on my all time favorite list but I struggled with this one, The first 50% was just too slow for me. I know that people love the slow burners but I just don't. If he wasn't the author, I would have given up.

For me the book started at the half way point. That is when the action started and I was so glad I stuck with it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

“Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.”
Maggie lives with her daughter Nina. She is sixty nine and watches the world from her upstairs window. She is chained in her room for what she has done to Nina. Occasional chapters take us back twenty five years to when Nina’s father left and things changed. There are things that Nina doesn’t know about the past, secrets that Maggie holds close as she really doesn’t want her daughter to find out what happened. We also go back just over two years -shortly before Nina captured her mother. Oooh!! This is one of those reads that makes you slightly anxious and uneasy. You just know that there is something amiss but not quite what. I have loved all John’s books and this one is no different. All are captivating (every pun intended!) and keep the pages turning, hoping for a snippet of more information and then also receiving a snippet more of intrigue. A read that will have your head spinning and left me wondering what was real and what was not albeit in the world of fiction. A cleverly thought out plot and one to leave you reeling.
(rest of links on publication)

3.5stars. I received the advanced copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review and my God! What the hell did I just read? This book was crazy. I got into this book without knowing much and it took me a while to know the situation.

The first half of this book was a bit depressing yo me and it made me quite anxious. After 50 percent of the book I was able to relate what actually was going on and then I started enjoying the story.

The writing is gripping and fabulous but I had some issues with the story itself. There were certain places where I had doubt about the possibility of that particular situation because no one is that thorough with the criminal situations described here.

The story portrays the complex mother daughter relationship which is very dark and intense. This book is not for everyone because it makes you very anxious. This story very well represents the fact that karma comes back to you to bite you back.

The way these characters act around each other is top notch crazy. This is a kind of story where there are no villains and no heroes. It is definitely a dark domestic thriller and if you like thrillers, surely you should read it.

Omg...I cannot get over the psychological roller coaster that this book is! We follow two viewpoints in this book: Nina and Maggie (both past and present). They live together but their relationship is complicated, to say the least....

I honestly lost track of the amount of secrets and lies that this book contains. Right when you think you understand the relationship between these two, you are thrown for a loop and left in complete shock.

I absolutely LOVED the character development....getting into the heads of Nina and Maggie was terrifying but I loved every minute of it! Another amazing read by John Marrs!

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Warning.... once you start you may not want to put this book down.

Nina and Maggie live together and have dinner every other night. Once they are finished Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic and into the heavy chains which keep her there.

Told in alternating voices of Nina and Maggie both in the present day and various times over the past 25 years the story draws you in as a reader and makes you question who is the reliable narrator?

I was drawn in immediately and enjoyed the different aspects of the story and how they were drawn together. Marrs, once again, doesn’t disappoint.

Once again John Marrs has delivered another great read. I don't know what goes on in his head and how he comes up with these stories, but this one drew me in, kept me locked in and spat me out with my head spinning at the other end.

The narrative moves from Nina to Maggie, from the present to the past and back again, telling their story and how they come to be where they are. It is not a pretty story and the characters themselves are unpleasant but the twists and turns kept me engrossed and guessing.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Another great book by John Marrs, really good character descriptions I felt I got to know each character throughout the book and interestingly weaved stories throughout the book. I had no clue where the ending would lead me to and by 3/4 of the way through I still didn't have a clue. John continues to write excellent books and am sorry I couldn't gallop through this at my usually fast "newJohn Marrs book pace" due to Covid 19 escalations at work. A book I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

A very cleverly drawn out thriller, going us two opposing views of a high unusual situation. We get drip fed info from mother and daughter, each seemingly contradictory, until it all comes beautifully together at the end in a fairly explosive finish!

Maggie and Nina, mother and daughter, have been living together for 38 years. Nina looks after Maggie’s every need, but things aren’t quite as they seem as Maggie can never leave. Nina can’t forgive her mother for the things that she did, but there are things about the past that Nina doesn’t know and Maggie is going to keep it that way.

This is a domestic drama like know other. It is very cleverly written with lots of reveals and twists and turns along the way. Another reason this book is quite unusual but also very good is that neither character is very likeable and instead of rooting for one of them you end up trying to determine which one is worse.

If you’re a fan of John Marrs you will definitely enjoy this book and his brilliant writing.

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs


I loved this book!

I have read and loved all of John Marrs books and this one did not disappoint.

There are so many twists and turns you don’t want to put it down as you never know what is coming next.

Why does Nina hate Maggie so much to chain her up in their attic? What did Maggie do to deserve this and what is Maggie hiding?

I loved the twisted characters.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

John Marrs never fails to deliver! His writing is fluid and plausible, and engagingand relatable. I really love the references to 1980's/1990's 'pop culture'. It is great that he has touched on mental health, and on Grooming..

John Marrs tends not to have dramatic plot twists, more the constant drip of information that causes the reader to gasp, hold their breath and switch allegiances throughout the book.

I spent three days reading the book, three days 'living with Maggie and Nina'. We love our Children unconditionally, when does this love turn to obsession? When should we let them make their own mistakes? when should we trust that they will be ok to make it on their own.? When does 'wanting them to do the right thing become manipulation.
and control? When should we let them go? when should we forgive?
A tale of family love fuelled by hate and trauma

Well it's official, John Marrs has done it again ... outdone himself actually. 5 HUGE stars!!!

What Lies Between Us blew me away! Soooo many twists and turns! Just when you're certain you know all the answers get ready for another twist ... or, several. WOW! I seriously spent the majority of this book with my mouth hanging open, ha ha ha!!!

Crazy plot that is so perfectly executed I'll be thinking about this for awhile ....

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for my review copy!

4.5

Oh my god was this book something. I even had to take breaks between chapters just to comprehend what the heck was going on.

So like all fiction books, there are characters and you get to learn about them. By the time you learn something about a character and fully accept it, something else just comes out so you're always in a state of surprise. Now, this whole book is pretty twisted, but I honestly couldn't help but feel compassion and hate for Nina and Maggie at the same time. Just to get my point across, the characters and backstory are unpredictable, no matter how much you think you know them.

Let's talk about the writing. This book is written in 4 different ways, dual POV and the past on how the two got to this point, and I feel like the author handled this perfectly helping with the WTH thoughts. The author also really gets to the point making everything seem normal which adds another layer of WTH thoughts.

With that done, the plot. It's honestly really enjoyable with things happening and like the characters, they're unpredictable, but my only problem is that the book relies too much on the past POV with more things happening there than in the present. Also, the way things happen in the present feels too convenient to the plot making it seem unrealistic at times.

Anyways, with my thoughts all typed out here, I would strongly recommend getting this book mainly for the plot and characters and hopefully the feeling you get when you read an amazing book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon UK Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a deliciously dark, tantalizingly twisted tale.
The premise itself gives you a glimpse into the mayhem and madness that is to come. Maggie is kept locked in the attic with a heavy chain around her ankle every night. What could Maggie have done to Nina to make her want/feel the need to do something like this? This story started off bizarre and if you think things can't get anymore outlandish, you're dead wrong!
The story is written from the perspective of both women and, let me tell you, the secrets in this house are dark. They're motivations and actions are so abnormal and really take the dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship to a whole new level!
John Marrs really did a good job of messing with the reader's emotions throughout. At points, you empathize with Maggie and at other points your Team Nina. Is either character redeemable in the end? No. Not really. But they are two characters that you'll love to hate!

If you want to read something uniquely bizarre, if you're a David Lynch fan or you're on the edge of sanity and need that final push then this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a whirlwind! This novel is like a slap to the face. It keeps you alert and vigilant. Stories change, secrets are revealed, and up until the very last page you are hanging in suspense. This novel reflects the lengths you will go to protect your child.

This is another fantastic read from John Marrs. It is full of twists, secrets and shocks. It is slightly slow-going, to begin with, but once you really hit the middle of the story, it is impossible to put down.
I always dread starting a John Marrs book as I know I’m going to have a sleepless night staying up and reading it. This book didn’t do that to me at first, but once I was about 50% of the way in then I had to get the matchsticks out to keep my eyes open, so I could continue reading.
The whole way through, you aren’t sure what to expect or where the story is going to go. We are following Maggie and Nina, a mother and daughter who live together but not everything is as it seems. There are so many secrets you aren’t sure who to believe or why any of the current events have ended up where they are. Their present voices are interspersed with past events that have shaped the ongoing relationship between the two characters. We go back as far as twenty-five years ago and sometimes only eighteen months. It did get a little confusing at times knowing whose head you were inside. You really had to pay attention at the beginning of each chapter of who you were with and when as there was no pattern to the chapters.
The overall feel of the book reminded me of ‘When You Disappeared’ which was Marrs’ first book. It was a little slower than some of his more recent novels and more domesticated.
I did guess some of the twists, but others really did jump out and shock you. Everything is drip-fed you, so you are getting shock after shock as you continue to read. Even some of the previous shocks can come back around and shock you again. It was a truly gripping read even though the pace was a little slower than I expected.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZmrFYjuDdTMInHcR8J2NtOIb8cvawNDjzdq00/?igshid=lsr2kgmew81j

Excellent storyline as always. Left my review and book cover image on Instagram. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

This was my first John Marrs and what a wild ride it was! I'll be sure to ckeck on his previous works as I enjoyed his writing very much.
«What Lies Between Us» is a highly gripping thriller where the author doesn't hold anything back.

Nina & Maggie's story got me hooked from the very beginning; I immediately knew I'd embarked on a crazy, messed-up journey. This mother-daughter relationship is not one you usually witness: a relation of co-dependence, a disturbing co-habitation, two lives linked by more than blood.

At the start of the novel, you are instantly introduced to the worst of the two women's situation, or so you would think.
While Nina is holding her mother captive as a form of revenge, you come to understand that Maggie is not the victim she appears to be and many secrets are yet to be revealed.
As you might feel an ounce of sympathy for Nina, you quickly realise that she is also to blame for this situation and is not as sane as she may seem.
I won't go into details about their complex and sinister past, but know that many secrets and wild revelations are scattered over the course of this twisted tale.

Throughout my reading, I was always switching back and forth between pitying one over the other. But the terrifying ending got me and I was shell-shocked.
«What Lies Between Us» is a disturbing, yet highly entertaining thriller that I would very much recommend!

If you are sensitive to violence, murder, sequestration, torture, abuse, and many more, then you might want to reconsider reading this one.

What lies between us

An awesome book, lives up to expectations and is the true reason why people introduced the phrase ‘I couldn’t put it down.’
Built up a brilliant relationship between the characters, the style of writing really hooks you from the beginning and stays true to the voice of each character. The book alternates between two women’s voices chapter by chapter, divulging little gems of backstory throughout as the fast paced thriller moves through the action. Really eerie and thought provoking, a little too close to home at some points.
Absolutely loving John Marrs, consistently awesome unputdownable stuff.
My only complaint would be having to wait for his next one to come out.