4.5 stars out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first John Marrs and it’s definitely not the last. I haven’t been so desperate to know what happening in a while and I really enjoyed myself.

So many things happening but not difficult to follow at all. I thought the continuous change in point of views and timelines would affect my enjoyment but it really doesn’t.

The family dynamic in this book is unreal. How can a family hate and love each other this much all at the same time. I loved it.

As much as I couldn’t stop reading and was so invested I felt the ending didn’t feel right but I can’t quite put my finger on what’s off for me.

Highly highly recommend this.

What did i just read?? My head is spinning. It's a game of who do you hate more or who do you feel more sorry for? Maggie or Nina? Back and forth. And omg I still don't know. Just when you think you know, you realize you're only 20% in to this book and you don't know anything. Right up until the last page.....

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Not only did I not like any of the characters in this book, I thought they were stupid, that the plot did not make any sense and was predictable... The only positive thing I can think of about this book is that it was at least readable, the writing was fine. But another big issue for me was how trauma and mental health is used to justify actions in this book ; it's harmful and I do not appreciate it.

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

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Wow that was a roller coaster :o so much was going on this book seemed kinda long for the page count but not in a bad way.

John Marrs has done it again. Clear your diary before starting this one as you won't be able to put it down.

Nina and Maggie dine together before Maggie is escorted back to the attic, a sound proofed room where she is kept chained and shackled.

As the story unfolds we learn a little more about both Nina and Maggie and why Maggie is in the predicament that she is in.

An absolutely sensational story, with an explosive ending.

5*

Wow! What a read. In my opinion this was a really great psychological thriller full of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters were intriguing and the plot was excellent. Great twists and turns throughout that you don’t expect. I have read many books by this author and I’ll certainly be looking out for more in the future. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review

John Marrs books are always over the top BANANAS and I can't get enough of them. Just when you think it can't get darker or more sadistic, it goes there.

Maggie and Nina .. mother and daughter .. have a somewhat unusual relationship. They live in the same house and every other night they share dinner together. Once finished, Nina takes Maggie back to her room in the attic and reattaches her to the waiting chains.

What has Maggie done to deserve this treatment by her daughter?

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.

Told in chapters that alternate from 25 years ago to the present, both women voice their memories. But who is telling the truth ... and who is lying?

Although a slow starter for me, this is well written with lots of twists and turns that kept me riveted to the pages. I didn't care for either of the women, but I feel the author designed it that way. They were solidly drawn, but at times the back and forth 25 years got just a tad confusing. The conclusion was unexpected, quite surprising.

Many thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing UK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Easily a 5 star read. It's been some time since I've been so engrossed in a story that I could hardly bear to put it down and picked it back up at every chance I had, even if it was just to read a page or two. This mother and daughter duo were so delightfully bat-&*(^ crazy and dysfunctional. It was horrifying looking into their lives and their twisted thoughts and logic and just how far they were willing to go. I absolutely loved it. All I could do was hang on for the ride and get swept along! This is my second read by John Marrs and I am definitely going to around for more!

Reading this book was like being in the eye of a hurricane. Chapter by chapter I was tossed around with so many emotions from shock to awe. Just when I thought the storm was over another discovery had me swirling and gasping for breath. Maggie and Nina are two characters that will haunt me for awhile. So well written and story will blow your mind.

As per usual., John Marrs has done it again.

A GRIPPING read with more twists than spaghetti junction. This addictive read will you have blocking the world out while you devour it in one sitting.

Each time Marrs releases a book, I wonder if he will be able to exceed the expectations he set with the last, I am never disappointed and What Lies Beneath sets the bar even higher.

Full review to be found on The Glass House Online Magazine soon.

While I love his this author phrases items I just found that it really wasn't what I was expecting or hoping for. His books such as One were so much stronger.

It was a good book

I loved this book!! Crazy story!! Kept you at the edge of your seat!! 1st book I have read by this author will read more of his books!!

It was a wild ride. From the first chapter to last is full of plot twists. Nina keeps Maggie in the attic with a chain link on her ankle. Windows are shatterproof, walls are soundproof, nobody can hear Maggie's help screams. What Maggie done to Nina to made her lock in this prison. We are reading alternative chapters of Nina's and Maggie perspective and unfold the story what happened in the past.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Maggie and Nina are living together but not in peace and harmony, definitely not! John, you have created the worst character I’ve read about in quite a while and I love it. The sort of book you don’t want to read but simply can’t stop yourself. I’ve made it through to the end, but only just, but it was one helluva ride from start to finish - brilliant book. More please!

I loved this author prior to reading this book, but this is definitely my favorite one yet!! My favorite books are the ones where you do not know what is going to happen next and this one exceeds those expectations. So many crazy and unexpected twists and turns, I am still trying to process this book! SO good!

Don't read this one before bed because it will keep you up at night, its so creepy!

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.

I was approved for an ARC of this book back in February and somehow only managed to read it 5 months later. I'm terrible that way 🙈

I don't even know where to begin with this review. What Lies Between Us is the dark and twisted story of a very, <b>very</b> dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship.

Nina and her mother Maggie are two deeply flawed people, who live together in their family home. But they're far from any normality, because Nina has had Maggie chained up in the attic for over 2 years. Her goal is to keep her mother there for 20 years total, because that's how long she had to suffer as a consequence of her mum's decisions. One of them is a psychopathic killer. But which one is it?

The story switches back and forth between Maggie and Nina narrating, while also going back and forth between past and present. It's all slowly unfolding, with endless secrets, twists and turns that keep coming in almost every chapter. There is even some foreshadowing and hints being dropped throughout. Some I caught, some I figured out on my own, but one thing is for sure - I changed my mind on who I hate more after almost each one. John Marrs takes the unreliable narrator trope to a whole other level in this story. Most of the time, it was hard to figure out who is truly the bad guy - or are both Maggie and Nina bat shit crazy?? Both are certainly awful people.

As I expected from Marrs, he kept me engaged from start to finish with his complex characters and twisted plot. It was a fabulous read and I was hooked!

Another wonderful and anxiety inducing read from this author. I did not know what was coming. I devoured this book.

Psychotic characters in which you're trying to decide who is worse. Nina keeps her mom Maggie chained up in their house. The story switches from the present to the past as the reader discovers the events that led up to Nina's decision to hold her mom hostage. Definitely worth reading.