A crazy keeps her crazier relative chained up in the attic...Mr. Rochester style, but nowhere near as creepy or romantic.

Twists on twists, but I wadnt shocked, or thrilled. Not this author's best, but an interesting read on family drama and how far you'd go for someone you love.

My first book by this Author and what a book this has the wow factor and then some.

I don't want to discuss the plot as I would say it is best to go into this book with as little details as possible and if you have come this far its a fair bet you are a fan of Mr Marrs or have some inkling to what's it about.

The world that he has built is believable if at a stretch the characters that inhabit it are well conceived and realised the plot moves at a steady pace, I never found myself daydreaming I kept wanting to turn the page as I gobbled up every chapter hungrily.
This is a psychological Thriller of the highest quality with many twist and turns along the way.
The story moves back and forwards in time from present to past with a chapter handed to the two narrators Maggie and Nina who are Mother and Daughter as each tell us there versions of events that have us at the present.
The book is shocking at times and deals with mental health issues and cruelty domestic abuse in some of the most barbaric ways but it's handled well not just for shocks everything Marrs writes has a reason and place as the story steadily unfolds, this is truly a masterclass of story telling.

This could be the read of 2020 one that all psychological Thriller lovers should read an outstanding book.

Well worth your time and hard-earned cash.

I would like to thank Netgally the Author and the publishing house for the advance copy it was a real treat.

Wow what can I say about this book. John Marrs has done it again. I loved The Passengers, but this is at another level. John Marrs is becoming one of my favorite authors of mine. What lies beneath us is twisted psychological thriller that you think you know the plot and it turns out completely different and think, what has just happened there?? This story keeps you guessing and guessing and surprises you at every turn. This book has just blown me away. I am not going to tell you the synopsis of this story because I think plenty of other readers have done that. But, if you only buy one book this year, buy this one because you will not be disappointed. Big Fat 5 stars from me.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

To be completely honest, I almost stopped reading this book mid way. I found it a little slow to progress, with no anticipation to what was next. WOW, am I glad I kept reading.

Once I kept reading, I was so shocked by some of the twists and turns that NO ONE would be able to see coming.

Such a great read. If you are like me and find yourself a bit bored at first, do not stop reading.

Amazing story!

I loved it! Quite different from his previous book, The Passengers (which is also amazing, a thriller set in the near future). This book details the massively dysfunctional relationship of a mother and daughter. It gets VERY dark, and there are a lot of twists, some of which have you gasping out loud! A well paced and well told story. The only negative point, for me, is the ending. I personally didn't find it very satisfying. Nonetheless, I throughly enjoyed this book.... cant wait to read more by this author. 4.5*

This was another great book by John Marrs. I felt that it was a little difficult to get into at the beginning but soon found myself unable to put it down and go to sleep and stayed up far later than sensible!

There are many twists and turns in this psychological thriller, dark and shocking throughout. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone with any spoilers which is difficult to do!

Nina cannot forgive her mother, Maggie, for the things she did and wants to punish her as she feels she has taken everything away from her. A tragic story told through the alternating voices of both Nina and Maggie, both past and present, carry you through this harrowing story.

I really liked reading something a bit different to the usual missing children/husbands or wives with secrets type books and this is definitely not one of those!

A dark and twisted story that keeps your attention right to the very end!

This is my first John Marrs novel and it certainly will not be my last. Of course I was intrigued by the premise as a fan of the Whatever Happened to Baby Jane film, and this novel far surpassed my expectations. This is an incredible look at the pain that the best of intentions can sow and the toxicity of codependency.

This novel was SUCH a breath of fresh air for the psych thriller genre--there are no kidnapped children, missing husbands, or people suffering from amnesia. Add to that an unsuspected ending and I have no choice put to give it 5 stars and harass my friends and family into reading it.

**Thank you to Amazon publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

I truly thought I'd read it all when it comes to psychological thrillers - I was wrong! This dark, twisty story about the dysfunctional love between a mother and a daughter will not disappoint. Mother Maggie is chained in the attic at the hand of her only child, where she is doomed to remain for 21 years or until death. The story that unfolds over the prior 25 years explains why she finds herself in this horrific situation. The "whole story" is gradually released throughout the course of the book, and I was truly shocked at all the little reveals. I felt constantly propelled forward through the entire book and finished quickly, wishing there was more to read! This is definitely a 5-star that you'll have a hard time putting down.

What a wonderful story of love, hate, captivity, betrayal, tension, and so much more! John Marrs took a premise of two people living together that don't get along, and built it into a greatly developed story. I loved the characters, the backstory (lots of flashbacks) was very detailed.

This book has so much going on with a few amount of characters. Mainly centres round mother and daughter relationship and the lies they create between them and the dealy consequences of that. I really enjoyed reading the second half of the book, took awhile for me to get gripped but I definitely glad I read till the end.

The creepy premise of this book had me super intrigued, however I was also a little hesitant as I suspected from the jacket copy that this book was going to be quite different from the authors previous two books (which I absolutely loved), and whilst I was correct, this book did not disappoint!

The story was dark, unsettling and suspenseful.. all things I love in a psychological thriller! John Marrs has a way of writing that is really smart and propulsive; even though I guessed a few of the twists, it really didn’t take anything away from the story and I absolutely LOVED the ending! I enjoyed reading this book from start to finish and would absolutely recommend this book to readers looking for an original, well developed thriller.

The writing is superb, its the third book I have read by John and it’s by far my favorite

This book kept me in suspense, each time I thought I knew where it was going, nope I was wrong the rug kept getting pulled out from under my feet. This book is super twisty and will mess with your head. There were several gasps and No how could you reading this book…… It’s one crazy ride.

It’s a Mother/Daughter story. Living in the same house, each night Nina prepares and sits down to enjoy dinner with her mum Maggie. They discuss their day - Nina talks about her work she’s a librarian and shares the events of her day and Maggie shares the local neighborhood gossip.

After dinner, Maggie picks up the chain that is attached to the bolt around her ankle and makes her way back up the stairs to the attic where she has been held prisoner for the past 2 years.

Nina locks the door.
She cannot forgive Maggie for all the things she did. And she will never allow her to leave…...

I'm not going to give anything away. It’s a fabulous read and I highly recommend it!

They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except, their 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.
As crazy as the plot of this book sounds, it’s really a story about love and how far you will go to protect someone you love. Nina and Maggie are living two different versions of one life. In Nina’s version, Maggie needs to be punished for all the things she has done and in Maggie’s version, the things she did were out of love and, to her, are justified. John Marrs entwines the past and the present without confusing or losing track of the storyline. Not many characters but I think it was better that way – less is more. A crazy train of a book (in a good way), suspenseful, and honestly, an ending I was NOT at all expecting.

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.

This is the first John Marrs book that I’ve read. It took me a while to get into the story but once I did I found it absolutely gripping.

What an original, intense, dark and twisted story this is. The story is told from both Maggie and Nina’s points of view. It has flashbacks over the last 25 years as we learn both women’s secrets, lies and the aftermath of their disturbing choices. Both these women have some dark secrets and as they are unravelled throughout the book it makes for an explosive page turner.

I cannot praise John Marrs highly enough for the excellent plot and characterisation throughout this book. This story is truly terrifying and will stay with me for a long time to come. Highly recommended and I will definitely be reading more from this author. A well deserved 4.5* rating.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book did not hook me whatsoever but John Marrs has never steered me wrong before and this is no exception. His ideas are always unique and the stories he weaves are so novel I am so pleased I gave it a chance as there is so much more to it than a mother in an attic. The twists and turns kept me guessing all the way through. My only issue is I felt I didn’t get the closure I wanted between Nina and Maggie for Nina to know how she had behaved and what Maggie had done to protect her. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I know if I read a John Marrs novel I’m going to love it! Even before I read the prologue. I come to expect an emotional thriller with plenty of twists and this one was no different.

The pace in this I felt was slower than some of his other novels but felt this story needed it. Because of the storyline, the background information was needed, as it allowed the emotions of both characters show.

I enjoyed the first person narrative from the characters own perspective and seeing the conflict and contrast between them was interesting. It showed the vulnerability of both main characters.

Overall John Marrs has totally wowed me with this novel! Great twists! Fantastic storyline and characters with dark backgrounds!
It has everything I love about a psychological thriller.

Wow. This book was FULL of crazy. Every time I thought I knew who was crazier, something else happened and then I wasn’t sure!
This is a dark & very twisted drama about the most dysfunctional family EVER. Told in alternating POVs, Maggie the mother’s & Nina the daughter’s, & going back & forth in time, it was definitely a page turner. You want to know why these women hate each other, & little by little you find out. Both are definitely unlikable & nuts. There is a lot of violence & death, and the only reason it gets 4 stars is because it was almost TOO crazy.

What can I say, yet another brilliant book from John Marrs! I was really excited to read this and it did not disappoint. I love how it flicks back and forward throughout the book, filling in gaps but never quite enough to guess what's next. Certainly makes you want to keep reading. And also enjoyed the ending as it wasnt the 'typical' ending you may expect. I would definitely recommend this book. Infact, I would recommend all of John Marrs' books.

John Mars once again wrote a book that readers can’t put down. The story is intriguing and the characters intense. A twisty psychological triller that I read in one day. I’d say it’s even better than “The Good Samaritan.” I’d absolutely recommend it.

I have not read a book by this author before, but what a twisted wonderfully imaginative mind he must have. More twist and turns than a garden maze. Nina and Maggie are mother and daughter who live together, hate each other and withhold truths. Who is holding who back? I recommend this book as a must read. ( only thing that got me was the cake recipe, why no butter? I know I know I am pernickety)