This was a dark and at times disturbing read, though I will add it was also a good one. Maggie and Nina are mother and daughter that live in the same house. Nina, the daughter, keeps Maggie on a short chain fastened to her ankle and at times switches to a longer chain that enables her to access the dining room where they usually have dinners. Maggie has not left the house in two years, though she has made several attempts to escape. The story is told from both of their perspectives, in the present day and varying times in the past. The past portion reveals why Nina has Maggie confined and the author skillfully reveals little nuggets of information, some of those nuggets added quite the twist to the story. Overall, I enjoyed the story though it was dark at times. I have read a couple of other books by this author and enjoyed them, I look forward to reading another. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is absolutely brilliant! I couldn’t stop reading, I just wanted to find out what happened to Maggie and Nina. Best book I’ve read this year!

Another truly captivating book from John Marrs. Probably the best one yet. A gripping, disturbing story with many twists and turns. Exceptional writing, looking in to the alternate minds and thoughts of mother & daughter. Highly recommend.

Thanks for NetGalley and Amazon publishing UK for providing me with ARC.
OMG OMG my head is spinning so hard, I don't know how can I describe this novel.
The story is so good and well written.
This is the first novel to me by John Marts, I heard a lot about his novel * The One* but don't have the chance to read it.
The characters are amazing specially Maggie ,I felt sorry for her, she have a lot to deal with. I loved how she tried so hard to protect her daughter, if I was in her shoes I will do anything to protect my baby like she said * our children comes first*
Nina oooh poor Nina, I don't know what should I say about you, you broken my heart in million pieces girl.
Dylan character is so provocative , I don't love him and I don't know why he come back, why he mixed his biological mother and his other mother life if he not be a man, why he want to leave Nina and won't stay with her or call her mum, so selfish person.
I really enjoyed this novel and as I always said Good childhood is a basic for strong personality.

Rating: 9.5/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an eARC of What Lies Between Us for review consideration. Receiving a copy of the novel did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

What Lies Between Us is a no holds barred, emotionally jarring, and addictive thrill ride that will have you never looking at your relatives the same way again. Marrs produces an engrossing read that is sure to make tons of ‘Best of’ lists this year.

On a side note: this is actually my first time reading a novel by the author. I didn’t have the opportunity to read The Passengers when it came out last year but had heard nothing but glowing reviews about it. Turns out that John and I were both blurbed for C.J. Tudor’s The Other People and had a chance to chat on Twitter, leading me to pick up WLBU as quickly as possible.

With this being my first stab at the author’s works, I truly had no idea what to expect going in. You can only glean so much from reviews and others’ opinions, but seeing a few in my circle give him such high praise, I knew that I had to give his newest a shot.

Suffice to say, I now want ALL of John Marrs’ books, I want them now, and I want to go read in my cave until the last page is turned.

If the synopsis alone doesn’t entice, you will become enamored within the first few pages. The relationship between Maggie and her daughter, Nina, is one of the most toxic I have ever seen. No matter what my mother has done, I’m pretty sure I’d never lock her in the attic, shackled and alone. Pretty sure I’d just ignore all of her calls and phone the police. Unfortunately for Nina, she takes her grudges to the extreme and her mother pays dearly. But at least she leaves her some food, a waste bucket, and some baby wipes to get her through the week, right?

This read threw me against the wall, onto the floor, and beat me senseless only to pick me up and embrace me like nothing had ever happened. It is the definition of an intense, adrenaline-fueled thriller that takes crazy to another level. The twists alone throughout the story aren’t exactly “mind-blowing” even though you can never say for sure where they are going to hit, but I can, in the affirmative, state that I did NOT see the ending coming from a mile away.

All in all, if you are looking for another Top Notch thriller to read in 2020, look no further. Marrs has you covered.

This is sooo twisted! It's been a really long time since I read something that twisted!
John Marrs you really out did yourself this time!
The twist and the turns are crazy!
Nina was a librarian by day and at night and she was like a jail warden to her mother. Keeping her chained to a room. The whole thing the secrets and lies between them are sooo crazy and the twist I never say coming! This is definitely a must read!

I really enjoyed this dark and twisted story.

Nina lives with her mother, Maggie. More accurately, Nina keeps her mother captive in their family home.

It’s difficult to describe this story without giving away spoilers so I won’t try! I’ll just say that the twists and turns are plentiful and you don’t see what’s right in front of you until the author chooses to reveal it. It’s skilfully written and very well paced- I devoured it in a single sitting.

I haven’t read any of this authors previous works and I intend to rectify this quickly! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

John has delivered yet again another brilliant and clever read. He is fast becoming the king of psychological thrillers with twists you rarely see coming.
This book kept me hooked from start to finish with me finishing it within a couple of day. This is probably one of my favourites of Marr's books. This is dark, clever and full of surprises.

Wow this book was very dark, but had a ton of great twists and turns. I thought the plot was very creative and it held my interest throughout. All in all a very satisfying and entertaining read. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for granting me access to this advance reader copy. I will be publishing this review today to my Bookstagram and companion Facebook page, @thatrradingrealtor.

An engrossing book on what happens behind closed doors. Though the story is told by two POV and revolves around a house, the author skilfully weaves the narrative, maintaining the suspense without any slack in pace. A must read for fans of psychological thrillers.

So, its official. I LOVE John Marrs.

I recently came across The One. I read it, loved it so much...read parts of it again...gave it to my brother...he read it ..enjoyed it. Brought it for a friend. That book brought so many questions and discussions of ethics and emotional situations which increased the enjoyment of the book.

I was worried about reading a 2nd John Marrs book...they were on my reading list but you know there is always that danger of the tricky 2nd album...although I know John Marrs has wrote numerous book, I was apprehensive about reading the next one as I really wanted to love it.

The good news is
..I really did.

John Marrs has a wonderful tone to his writing. He has an emotional depth that really comes across and something about the way he writes really touched and resonated with me. This is also a book I couldn't put down. I literally devoured it.

This book has numerous triggers...something when I started reading and realised the direction the narrative was going in, made me nervous. It deals with loss, grief, addiction, infertility, difficult family relationships and illness both mental & physical. I cannot say more than that as I do not want to give any spoilers but usually these topics are ones I try to avoid let alone read all at once.


However, although the book was very dark and disturbing it isn't unmanageable due to the way the story unfolds. You are constantly thinking about what caused this reaction & what would be the reason for doing that...that the themes behind the narrative do not become overwhelming. This is again, a credit to John Marrs who has presented us with the worst of human nature but in such a way that although it's disturbing & may play on your mind, it doesn't overwhelm the story.

This is a very dark story & it is fairly relentless in its darkness, with little to alleviate that darkness. However, it is also an exceptional read and again one which the morality of within is questioned & examined, which can only be a positive thing.

Thanks to the publisher & Net Galley for the advance reader copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third book by this author and it did not disappoint. My favorite thing about John Marrs is his dark and twisty themes and crazy characters. That being said nothing about the twists or story surprised me. Those parts were very predictable but I still couldn’t stop reading!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of What Lies Between Us by John Marrs.

Holy shit! Was this book f***ed up!! This book will keep you reading till late into the night. I really don't want to give anything away because this is a book you should go into knowing nothing. It will make the experience so much more thrilling. It was amazing....that's all that needs to be said.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of books by John Marrs however this wasn’t my favourite one. I still enjoyed the book and it was very well written however at times I struggled to get my head around the main concept of the story of the main character holding her mum prisoner in her own home. I loathed the main character and found it very difficult to feel anything other than dislike towards her. I didn’t predict the twists and turns in relation to her mum and the truth behind the story so my dislike to the mother changed towards the end of the book. A good story , quick paced and gripping but I think that the concept of the story didn’t draw me in fully.

John Marrs latest “ What Lies Between Us” is a must read for anyone who loves the classic “ Whatever Happened to Baby Jane”.
Nina lives with her mother Maggie in the house where her father walked out on them years prior. Something has happened to their relationship however, Maggie is imprisoned in the attic and chained so she cannot escape. Nina put a longer chain on her a few days a week so they can dine together but this is more so that Nina can inflict further small cruelties in her mother than a desire to spend tine with her. At the same tine Nina can’t beat the thought of her mother not being there as she is the only person in her life that has always stayed. This truly is a book that you should go into blindly because each new revelation is either shocking or heartbreaking.
This author never disappoints and I highly recommend this deliciously twisted tale. I am stingy with 5⭐️ reviews but this truly deserves it. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This is due for release in May, add it to your must read list now, it’s that good,

John Marrs is a master storyteller. Every book of his that I have read has had me gripped and What Lies Between Us is no exception.

Well developed, nuanced characters, a gripping plot, many twists and turns and a satisfying conclusion. What's not to love?

Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC.

Now THIS is how you write a psychological thriller!!

This mind blowing psychological trip is written by John Marrs an author who is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

As this nightmare materializes you are introduced to a mother who wants to protect her child using secrets but ends up enabling her instead. And a daughter who is essentially a human wrecking ball making decision after decision based on a faulty memory and blind rage. These two kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story.

The two "live" together and as the story unfolds you realize they are trying to coexist under the weight of their lies and deception.

This review is purposefully vague because you need to experience this book as I did, unspoiled.

Thank you so much to Netgalley UK and Amazon Publishing UK for sending my very first digital ARC. I thoroughly this book.

Wow just wow. A fantastic and gripping read which leaves you guessing at many points throughout the book. Cleverly written to lead you to believe one thing only to discover another.

The story centres around a Mum and a daughter which is told from both their perspectives throughout the book. What seemingly appears to be a complicated mother daughter relationship the author slowly introduces memories from both to indicate why they have ended up the way they have. Without any spoilers the story includes murder, psychosis, grief, loss, unconditional love and mystery. A fantastic read 5 stars!! I was excited to read another book from John Mars and was not disappointed!

Wow! This book is definitely in my top two that I have read this year. It had me hooked right from page one and I had no idea where it was going. The relationship between a mother and daughter can sometimes be a tricky one. And this was especially true for Nina and Maggie. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely be reading more in the future.

4.5 🌟 Ooh the secrets upon secrets these two women kept. I was completely addicted by chapter one and tried to figure out which character my loyalties would lie with, the captor or the captive. This was a sinister, wild, captivating ride learning from both Nina and Maggie the events that unfolded over the last 25 years. Plenty of shocking betrayals and vile actions that paved the way.
The ending and epilogue were perfectly nightmarish and yet I wanted more. It was a great book with an equally cryptic finale but personally I felt a bit hanging and wanted a little bit more. I highly recommend!!

Thanks to NetGalley & Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read this and offer my honest opinion.