John Marrs has done it again! This book contains so many twists and tiny hidden things that are uncovered at the perfect pace. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Riley Sager.

This is my favourite John Marrs book to date.

Maggie and Nina share a house, but only Nina is free to come and go as she pleases. Told from different timelines and the alternating viewpoints of Nina and Maggie it makes for compulsive reading with a shocking, non-stop storyline.

Refreshingly different from so many other psychological thrillers I’ve read recently, with their predictable twists and plots. What Lies Between Us is dark, twisted and completely unpredictable.

What an amazing domestic thriller!!

Nina and Maggie share a house, and once every few days, they even share a meal. But there is something terribly wrong about this house, and the relationship between Nina and Maggie. Maggie can never leave, and Nina is determined to keep her there forever.

There are secrets and reveals galore as the characters delve into their past. Appearances are deceiving here, because on the street, both Nina and Maggie would look like innocuous people leading innocuous lives. But oh, how far from the truth that is!

This was my first John Marrs book, and I was very impressed. I'll definitely read more in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Alone in the attic, day after day, Maggie lives vicariously through her neighbours, watching as their lives move on while hers remains frozen. Every second night, she is treated to dinner downstairs with Nina. Other than that, her world is the attic. And in her world, there are strict rules to follow: Maggie will be chained at all times. Maggie will not try and leave. Maggie will be punished if she does.

Oh. My. God. Ok, so I've only ever read one John Marrs' book before ('The One', which I absolutely adored), and so I was super excited to get the chance to read this one, especially with such a bizarre and unique synopsis. And it seriously did not disappoint.

Plot wise, I'm not really going to comment, as there are so many twists and turns throughout the book that I wouldn't want to accidentally reveal a spoiler. What I will say is that this is one of those books where everything is revealed nice and slowly, with little bolts of information littered throughout the book that are truly shocking! As other reviewers have noted, there are certain elements of the plot that are a little beyond the realms of possibility, but as long as you suspend your disbelief then it's definitely one of the most unique and mind-blowing plots I've read in a long time, with an ending that is almost impossible to predict. It is also one of those books where finding out the truth of one element serves only to throw mystery onto another area, so there's not a single point where you're really completely sure of what's coming next!

The writing is exactly as good as I would expect based upon the high quality of the author's previous work. This book makes use of both dual narrators (with chapters from the POV of both Maggie and Nina) as well as multiple timelines, with chapters alternating between the present day and various times in the past. This worked really well to give you a gradual dripping tap of information, rather than having to suddenly dump everything in one go. It also meant that you had to keep reading, as each chapter added more and more intrigue to the story!

All in all, I absolutely loved it. The writing was brilliant, and the plot was just out of this world in terms of both inventiveness and pacing/plotting. I have to admit to wondering if Marrs' previous book 'The One' might have been a one off, but reading this shows that it definitely wasn't. Now I'm off to place an order for the rest of his backlist!

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to receive an advance reading copy from NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge John Marrs fan and will read anything that he puts out. When I saw that I was approved for the e-book from Netgalley, I was elated. My 3 year old daughter even asked me why I was so happy. And now to review this gem of a book.

I tend not to give 5 stars to thrillers because they aren't, well, thrilling enough. Would I reread this? Yes. (As well as any other of John Marrs' books that I've read.) I've given up on thrillers because they've gotten to be predictable. Not this one. In the least bit. I may have guessed half of one. The twists and turns in this took me on a wild ride. I had to set it down a few times to process what I had just read.

I am not going to say anything ABOUT the book, so as not to spoil anything for anyone. As with any thriller, it's always best to go in as blindly as possible. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

If I had to choose between this and The One for my top book I've ever read, I couldn't do it. THAT is how great this is.

An easy 5 stars and more if I could award it!

OMG WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?! A brilliant, shocking, grisly, heartbreaking read! And what an explosive ending!!! This has got to be my favourite Marrs book to date, which is surprising because I absolutely loved The One. This novel is so much darker, complex and gave me one hell of a shock. An absolute must read!!

Well... he has done it again! Another book of John Marrs that I could not put down. I loved the different viewpoints and could easily keep up with who it was. The story just threw twists and turns in- as soon as I thought I’d got through all the twists another one would hit. Fantastic book and I will definitely be recommending it to anyone who listens .

I absolutely LOVE John Marrs. I first discovered this author by chance when I downloaded the book, The One. I adored that book and went on to read, The Passengers. Now he's back again with another twisted psychological thriller that I couldn't put down.

The book is about a dysfunctional relationship between mother and daughter. As you read, you can see both point of views between the characters. I did not want to put it down because John Marrs always has a twist that you don't see coming. This book did not disappoint.

I was given an advanced copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley for an unbiased review.

I wish iTunes would make his other books available.

This book is disturbing, crazy, like every thriller should be. We follow two women that live together but they can't stand each other. What's the reason? They have dinner together but they are stuck in that house. There has to be a strong reason.
Let me say that this book made me feel all the emotion. It was scary, it gave me chills and I couldn't put it down. The plot twists were mind blowing and I liked that a we found a lot about the characters from the beginning of the book.
The ending was the only thing that I didn't like, that's why my rating is not 5 stars.

John Marrs, you have done it again! Please accept my standing ovation for What Lies Between Us!
This was a 10 star read full of all the classic Marrs moves we yearn for, crave and desperately need in our twisted lives!
Go into this blind and expect the unexpected. So many twists and OH MY GOD moments!
Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
10 Stars!!

I received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on May 15, 2020 and I highly recommend picking it up. I have read a few John Marrs books prior to this one with each one getting better and better. I don't want to give too much away with my review so here is my simple, short and to the point synopsis of What Lies Between Us by John Marrs is about. Nina and Maggie have lived together for a long time but their 'relationship' is far from normal. Nina goes to work on a daily basis, while Maggie is chained in her room with no interaction with anyone except for her every other day dinner meeting that she gets to have with the woman who is holding her hostage. Maggie spends all her days thinking of ways to escape but also doing everything in her power to keep the secrets she worked so hard to bury, buried. This book had my saying "Holy S@&t, did that just happen?" And when I was finished reading it I was left asking myself, 'how far would I go to keep my secrets secret'? And 'how far is too far when it comes to revenge'? Seriously pick this book up on release day, you won't be sorry that you did, it is by far the best John Marrs book to date. Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read this book!!!

This book had me hooked from the beginning. It’s unlike any other I’ve read. I felt as though I really knew the characters and what motivated their actions throughout the book.

Although a little slow at the beginning the pace soon picked up and I couldn’t put it down. The story is so well written I felt I was there. I did anticipate some of the twists but that isn’t a criticism as I can often predict what will happen by gathering the clues.

I highly recommend this book and having read all the others by this author can’t wait for the next one.

Another hit from John Marrs! What Lies Between Us is an outstanding fast-paced psychological thriller about a twisted mother/daughter relationship. Nina and her mother Maggie live together. Every other night, they have dinner together. And when that meal is done, Maggie goes back up to the attic in her sound-proofed room where she is chained up. Nina is angry with Maggie and cannot forgive her, but she also cannot let her go. And unbeknownst to Nina, Maggie is still keeping things from her, but she has to. This is one disturbing relationship. There are plenty of plot twists that keep readers guessing. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy unpredictable psychological thrillers.

Nina and her mother, Maggie, live together in the family home. However, they do not live like a normal daughter and mother. Nina goes to work. Maggie stays at home with a chain attached to her ankle and is locked in her sound proofed attic bedroom. Every couple of days Maggie is allowed downstairs for dinner. During these meals Maggie is still not free for she is only allowed down to dinner because Nina attaches a longer chain to her ankle so that Maggie cannot escape.

Nina believes her mother has lied to her and has caused her much suffering and she cannot find it in herself to forgive Maggie for those misfortunes. So Nina goes to her job at the library leaving Maggie locked in her room. In this way, she feels she is getting justice and revenge while Maggie is being made to suffer and to pay the price for what she has done to ruin Nina’s life. Needless to say, this is as much as I am able reveal about the plot without including spoilers.

The book is a very dark and malevolent psychological thriller. The tremendous tension between the mother and daughter builds exponentially and masterfully with each chapter as each of the two reveals incidents both from the present and from the past. Since both Nina and Maggie narrate the twisted story in their individual viewpoints, it is difficult to discern which of the two is actually relating the truth, and I found I was constantly vacillating in a love/hate relationship with one or the other.

The plot twists and turns and then twists and turns back again. Each time a disclosure is made that clarifies one incident another unknown component surfaces. The timeline is well developed and transitions between past and present flow smoothly. The setting or locale of the story is not important because most of the narrative develops around what takes place in the house itself. The book is about dysfunctional families, mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, and trauma with a focus on mental illness.

It is not a pleasant tale and one might even call it a nightmare rather than a story. However, once you start reading the book, you become addicted to Nina and Maggie’s appallng tug of war. If you enjoy reading books of the psychological thriller genre, you should put this book at the top of your list.

This review has been written from the ARC ebook courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

Absolutely fantastic. What more can I say about John Marrs that hasn't already been said.
This is a unique, dark and twisted book, and I won't give anything away about the plot.
Do yourself a favor and put this book on the top of your 2020 must reads. Enjoy!

What an absolutely wild ride of deception, manipulation, sheer craziness, and obsession. What kind of evil could someone commit in the name of trying to "protect" a loved one. Well, Maggie would do just about anything to protect her only daughter, setting off a chain of events that would lead to her being held captive by her own daughter, in her own home. Nina is one of the most deliciously unlikable characters I've read in a long time. She's selfish, quite literally insane, and murderously obsessive. This book is dark, and was a fantastic tale of the thin line between love and hate.

What a wild ride. John Marr has created a family drama to top all family dramas. The story continuously rotates the antagonist/protagonist position, leaving the reader with a underlying uncertainty the entire way through the novel. Absolutely love the dynamic of emotions and the brilliance in Marr’s characterization. The slow, deliberate peeling back of layers is in perfect trepidation with the storyline. A perfect read for book clubs everywhere! 5 stars!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #WhatLiesBetweenUs, which was read & reviewed voluntarily.

I have heard so many good things about John Marrs as an author and despite having a couple of books already I have never got around to reading them, Why, I have no idea as this book is amazing. Managed to read in a couple of sittings (who needs sleep) as I was hooked right from the start.

Definitely need to make the other books a priority if they are as good as this one!

This book has took me through a huge range of emotions. I have cried, I have hurt and I have willed for good to overcome. I have finished this book feeling utterly drained emotionally. And when you think you may have the story line sussed it changes again.

Definitely a must read for anyone who reads. It keeps you guessing with more twists and turns than a bendy country road...

Omg where do I even start!? I couldn’t put it down once I started. I can’t really even describe my emotions during this book. It was an absolute roller coaster.

Just do yourself a favor and get this book.

I am always SO excited to get my hands on John's books and this one was no different. As each chapter ended I had so many questions and could not wait to get answers to them which caused me to finish this book in just a couple days. The story alternates between Nina and Maggie in present day and the past and each chapter reveals more and more about the secrets between each of them. I feel that the less the reader knows going into this the better the reading experience will be. As with all his other books I loved this one and can't wait to see what he comes up with next.