When I saw my timeline go all crazy over a new book, I just knew I had to get it! I've never read a John Mars books before and was struggling to understand what the excitement was all about. I'm so so glad I hit request on NetGalley because I think I just found a new favorite author!! What Lies Between Us is just AMAZING! It's twisted, full of tension highly gripping and left my head so messed up, I'm still recovering. This book is shockingly good!

Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.
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.

Throughout the book I found myself oscillating between being team Maggie & team Nina. Each chapter is so twisted, that I could not make up my mind. I drove myself crazy staying up just to reach the end and also for my own peace of mind. It was so worth it! The characters are amazing and the story is just so captivating, you'll find it hard to keep the book down. To come up with something so twistedly good must take a lot of talent! I hope to pick up other John Marrs' books till I can hold the next one in my hand.

I highly recommend this book, in case you didn't already get the gist.

Thank You, NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and John Marrs for an arc!

Nina and Maggie aren't your typical mother and daughter. They are close and see each other on a regular basis, but that is only because Nina is holding her mother Maggie captive in the attic. There Maggie spends her days, chained up, praying that Nina will come to her senses and release her.....and forgive Maggie for the heartache that she has caused in Nina's life.
It's hard to say too much about this story without giving it away. Nina was loved by her parents as a little girl, until her father disappeared one day. Her hurt led her down a dark road as a teenager, and Nina became involved with people and situations that she should have avoided at all costs. Maggie was there to step in and save Nina, and that she did. But at what cost? And will Nina ever discover the entirety of the convoluted secrets that Maggie kept in order to "save" Nina?
This book was an amazing read. John Marrs has done it again with so many twists and turns that had me gasping out loud. You will absolutely think twice about keeping a family secret ever again.....once you discover the horrific consequences of how protecting someone can have dire ripple effects for years to come.

I would read the phone book if John Marrs wrote it and no doubt it would have some creepy twist in it somewhere. He writes like no one else and I am a fan!

His newest book is no exception. I enjoyed every moment of Maggie and Nina and their twisted relationship. Nothing is as it seems and this is one seriously disturbed family. I loved every fabulous page and highly recommend it.

I feel like there are a total of three John Marrs fans.

1. The “John Marrs is the only man whose never let me down” Fan
2. The “John Marrs is obviously not Earth bound since his Sci-Fi is thrilling as F*…” Fan
3. The “John Marrs is a domestic-ish thriller fucking God” Fan

Admittedly, I am leaning toward the very first type of fan. Only because this man has yet to write something that disappoints. I will shoot you straight and disclose that this one wasn’t my favorite by a long shot. But I still enjoyed the fuck out of the typical John Marrs twists that destroy the world as you’ve known it. The fact that I’ve never finished a John Marrs book without my jaw hitting the floor means everything. And What Lies Between Us delivered in that regard.

So the synopsis says it all. Poor Maggie is held hostage by Nina. Why? For so many twisted reasons. Which I would highly encourage you to find out for yourself what those reasons might be.

So I will admit that the premise is interesting and intriguing. But I did need a moment to become fully immersed into the story. But when I got there that “John Marrs Manic” page turning that results with being obsessed with his writing came right back to me. Felt like I was home. Not necessarily a pleasant home but a highly entertaining one. John Marrs is also gifted in the way he doesn’t necessarily offer the ending as you would hope to see. Instead he illicit anger, shock, and a range of emotions by shocking the shit out you. Sometimes it seems like a fork in an electrical socket would shock you less. Whether you recover from the shock is your own problem and Marrs is not responsible for any permanent damage that may ensue.

Real talk. I’m biased as hell. After reading The One, I’ve fallen for this man in a Fatal Attraction type of way. He really can’t do much wrong. But if I try and set those rabbit boiling feelings aside I can honestly say that the story is entertaining and enjoyable. It has some familiar elements that you’ve heard before but that Marrs touch making it his own. I would never not suggest a John Marrs book. This story wasn’t even near the top of my favorites Marrs novel. And yet, I am selling this author up like I am making a commission. What does that tell you?

Do yourself a favor and read all things written by Marrs. Then wait patiently until May. I’m totally being dick. Who the hell can practice patient when it comes to a new Marrs release.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK. This approval literally made my life a little better.

Read this.

Wow what a dark twisty book! This was the first John Marrs book I’ve read but I want to read more!
Written from mother and daughter perspective we learn why daughter is keeping her mother locked away in her own home!!!
Each twist was more shocking than the one before and I couldn’t turn the page quick enough! I still am unsure how I feel about either character and who was really the victim.
Put this on your May 2020 tbr! Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy!

I am the first one to recommend Marrs’ work. I think he is absolutely brilliant and has a gift when it comes to writing twisty stories. Unfortunately, my love for him got a big hit after reading this book. I found it extremely predictable and it dragged on for way too long. I really had to push myself to finish it, in the hopes that a juicy twist or good story line would present itself. But no, that didn’t happen.

WOW! This was my first time reading a book by this author and it definitely won't be my last! I really liked the alternating chapters between Maggie and Nina, the two main characters. If you' like twisted, dark, psychological thrillers, you're definitely going to want to get your hands on a copy of this book in May - it's a page turner for sure!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advanced copy!

Wow! All I can say is wow!! This book is a mind bending 5 stars and then some!! I gobbled it up in a day once I had a chance to sit down with it. John Marrs has done it again. Brilliant backstory, strong characters and a satisfying ending. Will highly recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of What Lies Between Us.

This is my first book by this author so I was open minded when I began to read, and, for the most part, I was entertained.

It's a dark, sordid tale of two women, mother and daughter, with devastating secrets, lies and the dangerous paths we take when we protect those we love at the detriment of others.

What Lies Between Us is both a domestic drama based on your typical cliches and the fraught relationships we have with our parents; secrets a person or persons is unable to voice because he or she fears revealing them is worse than the current circumstances; an unreliable narrator, and deceit and betrayal.

There is plenty of tension and suspense filled moments, though some times I felt my ability to suspend disbelief begin to fray.

The most difficult part of the book was caring about the characters. Maggie and Nina are unlikable.

Now, I don't have to like a character to root for him or her, but Maggie and Nina possessed no redeeming qualities.

I couldn't even fathom some of the choices Maggie made; maybe its because I'm not a mother, but as I was reading, I couldn't help but think if she had manned up, exerted more discipline, things would have gone in a different direction.

But, then, there wouldn't be this book, right?

I felt some measure of sympathy for Nina in the beginning but as she unraveled, I could see no rhyme or reason to it.

Is she ill? Psychotic? Or is this just who she is?

What Lies Between Us captured my interest and kept me reading. The writing was decent, and the ending a satisfying conclusion to a premise that sometimes stretched the ability to suspend disbelief.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Netgalley and Quercus for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wholly hell...this was WAY darker than I expected it to be. I literally read this entire book on tenterhooks! I only wish I’d had more reading time the last few days! It’s a horrifically scary and sadistic story, unimaginable really, but it was unputdownable. A serious page turner. The main characters - of course - are not at all likeable, but as the story progresses you start to see each POV. I think you lean more towards the mother as things pan out, but she had so many choices....I felt like screaming at her! I think any parent wants to protect their child, but at what level does it end?! As always, John Marrs, has delivered another fantastic ‘out there’ read, short chapters between characters and times definitely make it easy to quickly read some more between life getting in the way of reading!!! Not for the light hearted...I think I’ll go watch Barney now!!!!

Before I start, I just want to say how much I love the title of this book. It has the perfect double meaning.

So, on to the book itself! This is a dark and twisted story told from two alternating points of view, Maggie and Nina. It's a fast, compelling read and the author handles the jumps back and forth in time very well. It's also quite horrible. Don't expect any glimmer of a happy ending here.

I'm knocking off a star because despite everyone else talking about the twists, I saw most of them coming. Points that were meant to be major revelations just confirmed what I'd already guessed. And without the twistiness, what's left was rather unpleasant to read as I watched these two people locked in their inevitable downward spiral.

I'd recommend this book to those who like darker psychological thrillers and don't mind being left without any hope at all. It wasn't quite my cup of tea but I can see that it was well done!

I have never read this author before and I must agree with the other reviewers this was an exceptionally, twisty book. I enjoyed it from the first page until the shocking ending, reading it in one sitting. I will be checking out John Marrs other books. I give it a 5 rating easily. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this fascinating book.

I have read every other John Marrs book I could get my hands on. I LOVE his style, the way his mind works and consider him one of my favorites.

Basically I feel terrible for having any sort of negative view of his work. That being said, this book was not the most amazing, epic read ever for me. It was good, it kept me on my toes and I really wanted to finish it. That is where the 4 stars come from.

I couldn't give it 5 because I didn't like either of the main characters! I also think that I must have some mommy-daughter thing that made this book uncomfortable for me. Clearly not too uncomfortable to read the entire thing, but it was just dark in an unwelcomed way to me.

I still love John Marrs, will still read his work and fully support his twisted writing!

Fast-paced and keeps you guessing. I really enjoyed this one. It was disturbing and seemed predictable in spots, only to surprise me again. I will be reading more by this author.

A big thank you to John, @netgalley & the publishers for this ARC! It's one of the most anticipated books to come out and I have also heard that it has been bought to become a film! 😲

WOW. This book had me!! What a roller-coaster. This is my first novel by John, but I am overjoyed to realise I have two others by him which I'm bumping up my TBR thanks to this! This book had me speechless, it is DARK, that is the best possible way to describe it.
Nina and her mother Maggie, in one house, hiding many secrets. Why is there relationship in the state it's in?
I feel like no matter what I write about this book, it won't do it justice. From the first chapter, I wanted to carry on reading it, I was hooked! I literally felt soooo many emotions, the twists kept on coming and my jaw absolutely DROPPED! The book goes from past to present.. Going back to 25 years but I found it super easy to follow, especially as everything just flows as you go along, everything connects and I literally had to take a few seconds to breathe after some chapters.

There is a lot of tough topics in here, beautifully written, it was dark, moving and at times, terrifying! I didn't expect how this book was going to go. I'm still in a book hangover recovering from it! Absolutely incredible! I cannot wait to get my paperback version and relive the roller-coaster again, and I CANNOT wait for the film!!

I always look forward to a John Marrs novel as you know that you are going to get a completely unique plot, some intense characters and a compelling narrative that you will completely lose yourself in. This book delivers all of that once again. It oozes love and hate in equal measure and feels almost claustrophobic in its sheer intensity. Love it!
Maggie and Nina live together, survive together and are chained together by events spanning over twenty years. The tension between them leaves you holding your breath. We hear their story in alternate sections where they reflect on the life they lead and all that went before it. We begin to understand what hides behind closed doors and the two characters' stories are revealed one excruciating step at a time! You won't relax until you have read every page...

Another masterpiece from the King of Sick – John Marrs! John Marrs writes two types of books, in my opinion. The clever jigsaw ones, where there are many characters living many different lives which somehow all intertwine by the end of the book, and what I call his sicklogical thrillers. This book is in the second category. It delves into the very depths of psychologically sick individuals. I was shocked at how my sympathies changed, changed and changed again as the book went on and didn’t know what to think by the end, other than he’s done it again! A fantastic read and I can’t wait for his next book.

Who really knows what goes on behind closed doors? What Lies Between Us is the story of Mother and Daughter, Maggie and Nina, and their story really took me on a roller coaster ride; just as I thought that I knew what was happening , a new piece of information was shared and the ride started all over again. What Lies Between Us is another five-star psychological thriller from John Marrs and I dare anyone to read it. I now have book hangover and can’t stop thinking about Maggie and Nina!

Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read this for an honest review. #WhatLiesBetweenUs #NetGalley

Man. I always seem to forget what a CRAZY ride John Marrs' books are until I get in and press start on the roller coaster. His books are so outlandish but in the best way possible. You find yourself saying "wtf" and "no way" and "omg, no!" most of the time you're spending with his characters. What Lies Between Us is no exception.

I don't want to say much more than what the description gives you - this is a book that's best gone into blind. There are so many twists and turns and - pretty shocking - surprises that you need to see and experience all for yourself. Nina and Maggie are living in a house together but Maggie is chained to the floor and Nina walks free. Why, you ask? Well, it's a long story.

One of the things I love about Marrs is that he makes you question all of your assumptions. You think you know who you're going to like and ally yourself with and quickly, you find out that was the wrong decision. You think you know who the monsters are when quickly, you find out that's everyone. I love authors that make you questions conventional wisdom and I love authors that make you question whether right is really right and whether wrong is really wrong. This was a really fun read that had me entertained from page one.

One thing that I need to start getting used to with Marrs is that his books don't have happy endings and usually, the bad guy either gets away, doesn't get their due punishment or ends without you knowing what happens to them. For someone who loves endings tied into bows, this can be hard to come to terms with. But Marrs does such a great job of storytelling that I am able to get past not having all of the books' problems solved.

Another great read from a really stellar author.

They say a mother daughter relationship can be one of the strongest bonds between two people. These relationships are complex and can go from each being each other's best friend to one of animosity and hate. So, when John Marrs decided to take on this time honored relationship, his view turned a bit to the dark side.

Having read, loved, and been majorly spooked by John Marrs's The Passengers, I was quite anxious to experience those very same feelings once again, and once again I can gladly say I was not disappointed. His books encompass that feeling of well this would probably never happen, but what if it did question that rolls around in your head and takes hold.

Maggie and Nina are a mother daughter duo living in the same house, eating the same food, passing each and every day together, and best of all seeming to exist in a world of hate and animosity. One lives in an attic plotting her escape while the other lives in a world of hate, vitriol, and somewhat cloudy remembrances of the past.

So much has gone on between these two ladies that as the story is masterfully developed, we learn the many facets of each of these women's personalities and behaviors. Maggie, the mother, expresses her overwhelming, undying love for her daughter, Nina. She has in the past and continues to be a protector, carrying this protectiveness into zones that are both bizarre and dangerous. Maggie is the consummate mother, a manipulator, and will never let anyone or anything come in the way of her daughter's life. However, where Nina is concerned, Maggie has stars in her eyes and becomes a captive of everything that Nina is and has been

Nina hates her mother. She blames her for all the ills of her life of thirty-seven years. Forgive and forget are not on her play list and yet Nina does seem to have times where her forgetfulness has played out with devastating results. She is a sad adult, a troubled adult, an adult keeping secrets that are destroying her. She will seek revenge to her dying days and her focus of that revenge is a mother who seemed to have only her daughter's best interest at heart...or did she?

This was an exciting heart pounding thriller that kept the focus squarely on the relationships that can develop when one is in a constant state of denial, of over protectiveness, and fear. Mr Marrs is a superstar in fessing out the story in slowly dripping details and makes each revelation one that is shocking and ghastly. This is one not to miss if you so enjoy a tale of horrifying, dreadful, and distressing proportions.

Thank you to John Marrs, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for a copy of this chilling tale due out on May 15, 2020.