This was one of the most incredibly addictive stories I have read, it was almost impossible to put it down at times as I needed to know more!
The story is hugely character driven and those characters evolve throughout the length of the book from who we first meet until we see them all for who they truly are and have become!
Each of the women who might be facing that nightmare in the first few pages show to us the reasons that it may have been them both as the victim and the perpetrator of this heinous act! Learning the truth takes us on a journey with each of them through their past but will they have a future?
By the time I had turned the last page I had been run through so many emotions, had shouted at the book more than once and had my jaw land on my chest a few times also! This is an absolute masterpiece of thriller fiction and I'm so delighted to have discovered this author now when there are more books already in existence that I can get my hands on and devour also!

My favourite yet from John Marrs!

Thanks Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC!

I will not delve much into the synopsis. It’s best to go in blind, but I will just say Marrs throws in a bunch of women of varied background together as neighbours and as their lives gets mixed up, whole new threads unravel, secrets (and bodies of course) emerge.

First of all - THAT opening!! Goodness, it was simply a stroke of perfection. Mind you, it’s only the start. Backtracking from Marrs’ acknowledgment at the end about how much “fun” he had writing one of his characters, the “fun” is only yet to begin after this literally crackling start.

The plot veers into a pretty dark, eerie territory here and just when it feels a tad bit unrealistic or supernatural to comprehend, the storyline is tuned right back again so that it all fits into the bigger picture.

Some of the situations are so hilarious yet very serious, you are torn between giggling, flinching and inwardly cringing at one of the character’s shenanigans.

As picture perfect façades begin to crumble revealing the ugly foundations, wild drama ensues, juicy gossip begins to flow freely, infidelity, hidden secrets and incomprehensible levels of blackmail start spilling out of the bag.

These all result in a sort of uncontrollable fiery explosion (pun intended) culminating in an utterly clever ending that you could never in a million years predict - wondering how on earth every character ended up besting the other and some more as your brain plays catch up. The word twist doesn’t even begin to cover it.

I don’t know how, but Marrs pulls it off and I was just there for every bit of it.

What are you waiting for? Do you need more convincing? 😉

A woman is trapped in a bonfire that is mere minutes away from being lit. We don’t know who she is or why she is in there but I was immediately drawn into the sheer terror of her predicament.

This was gripping and fast-paced. As the story progressed, the three main female leads were quite distinct so I suspected who was in the bonfire. However the path to the end was so twisty and surprising, it never detracted from the story as there were so many twists along the way. Even when you think the writer has revealed all, there was more to come. It kept me hooked throughout and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you so much to John Marrs, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC.

Another amazing book by John Marrs. I mention this in every review I write for his books, but John Marrs has a way of writing flawed characters that feel so believable despite how nasty they are.

You Killed Me First follows three women, each who are deeply flawed with their own dark secrets. We also have a mystery POV which at first may seem confusing but then adds a lot more depth the further into the story you go.

This book was like watching a fire, waiting to see who would come out unscathed, yet you don’t know who you’re rooting for. Some of these plot twist had me audibly gasping/yelling.

Audiobook Review: I have always been a fan of John Marrs audiobooks. The choice of narrators are so spot for the characters, and the creative choices for the personalities of these characters gives so much more depth. I highly recommend picking up the audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This psychological thriller revolves around three neighbouring couples and kicks off with a dark, tantalising mystery: someone is trapped inside a bonfire on Bonfire Night. But who? And why? From there, the book rewinds, taking us through the events leading up to that fateful night – and beyond.

The three women are incredibly well-crafted, each with complex inner workings and hidden secrets. But Margot stole the show for me. My phone is now full of screenshots of her hilarious one liner thoughts, including gems like: “I swallow a couple of painkillers for a headache that’s been stalking me like a charity worker rattling a can in the high street” and “Who goes for a walk at midnight in March aside from badgers and sex offenders?”

I love when characters sit in that morally grey space and John Marrs does this brilliantly here – none of these women are wholly good or bad, which makes the story even more gripping.

I won’t say much more because I don’t want to spoil it, but You Killed Me First was a thrilling, highly enjoyable read. If you love psychological thrillers packed with secrets, suspense, and sharp wit, this one’s for you.

Thank you for the ARC.

I am in the minority on this one but I actually struggled with it. Usually I love all books by John Marrs but this one just didn’t work for me. I know it’s definitely me as it has so many great reviews. I found it confusing at times and found myself having to keep checking back to see who was narrating a particular chapter. Yes there was some great twists at times but for me I think maybe there was too much going on. I think in a few months I’ll go back and read it again and perhaps it will be a better read for me..

In typical John Marrs fashion, You Killed Me First was full of twists and turns literally until the very end! Throughout the book I thought I knew what was happening and had to remind myself that this is a Marrs book, it’s never straightforward and there’s always something else going on under the surface. In this case, there was a LOT going on under the surface so it was full of unexpected surprises which is exactly what I want in a thriller.

Trust no one and question everything—John Marrs delivers another wild psychological thriller where everyone has something to hide. This book is packed with unhinged characters, each more twisted than the last. Marrs keeps you on edge, making you second-guess every motive and revelation. The pacing is relentless, and just when you think you’ve figured it out—boom, another twist.

John Marrs proves once again that he’s the master of keeping readers in suspense until the very last page.

Before I even start to read any of author's books, I know it is going to be an excellent read and his latest book "You Killed Me First by John Marrs" will be 5 stars! WoW. . . . I was not wrong! It was a superb book from start to finish. It was a brilliant psychological thriller that will have you gripped from the very first page and it did!
WoW. . . . . . It started with a BANG!
You Killed me First" was a great page turner and a book that will keep you reading it to the early hours on the morning. I could not put it down, until I read the last page. . . . . and Breathe!
This was a book that took my breathe away so many times!

"Three women. Three smouldering secrets. But, Who will make it out alive?

It is 5 November, which is Guy Fawkes night, a woman waken up to a nightmare. She is bound and gagged, and she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. But, as the smoke thickens, panic sets in and she’s moments away from being engulfed in flames.

How did it come to this?"

WoW!

"Now. . . . . . Rewind eleven months: Margot, is a faded TV star, and her long-suffering friend Anna watch, as glamorous Liv and her flawless family move into their street. The three women soon fabricate the perfect pretence of friendship, but each of them harbours her own deadly secret. But, the newcomer Liv senses something is terribly wrong beneath the polished exteriors.

Now. as cracks widen in the veneer of perfection and so many lies escalate out of control, tension ignites between them. . . . . . Bonfire Night is fast approaching and someone is set to burn! But who will it be?"

WoW. . . . . . Superb book. I loved it.

I highly recommend this book. Great holiday read.

Wow, what a rollercoaster. The twisting tail of past errors and crimes and current day lives entangled. This story seems to start off quite calmly and then gradually gets deeper and deeper. John Marrs has a very dark mind - and I love it!
It’s hard to not give away too much of the story, so I definitely won’t do that. All I can say it’s a well recommended read. We definitely need some more of his books as films or series.

You Killed Me First by John Marrs keeps you hooked till the very end.
A well written suspense filled with twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
A quick and fun read that I finished in a few hours.
The characterization was superb, the writing pacey and flowing, and the tension delivered in a series of shocks and twists along the way.
This is a tightly written story, with well developed characters and enough suspense to keep you reading.

This book follows three women, each with their own secrets, in the lead up to a big bonfire. Each woman has their own competitive nature and neither of them are very nice. The story is so entertaining and fast paced that I found myself unable to put it down. Marrs delivers a fantastic popcorn thriller with this one.

This was my second John Marrs book but my first of his thrillers. What a ride! You Killed Me First is cleverly plotted, the characters were well written and the twists were nicely executed. I’ve got lots of John’s books on my TBR and will definitely be diving in for more soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced reader copy of You Killed Me First in exchange for my honest review.

I always enjoy a suspenseful neighborhood domestic thriller and John Marrs nailed the 3 catty neighbors, Anna, Margot and Liv. Each one was worse than the others!

He kept me guessing until the end. Well done.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for this arc. I would give this book 6 stars if I could. This is a dark, twisted version of desperate housewives. (I mean that as a huge compliment) the twists never stopped coming. Every time you think you know it all, you don’t. I could not put this book down. Margot was the character you love to hate. Her bitchiness was unmatched. This is an absolute must read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers.

Three women—Margot, Anna, and Liv—find themselves tangled in a web of secrets and competition. Liv and her family are new to the neighborhood, and it doesn't take long before these women start going to great lengths to outdo one another. Who has what, how they got it, and where they come from—all the usual things people try to figure out. But little do they know, they have no idea what’s truly going on beneath the surface.

The story is full of twists, lies, and dark secrets. There’s a constant undercurrent of deceit, with everyone seemingly holding dirt on everyone else. I couldn't quite figure out how they managed to gather so much on one another. Each turn of the plot is a fresh set of unfortunate events, and just when you think they've exhausted their capacity for betraying each other, another shocking twist hits. The layers of manipulation and deception keep you on your toes, never letting you predict what's coming next.

You Killed Me First by John Marrs. I am a HUGE John Marrs fan, but this might be my FAVORITE book of his yet! This book had me guessing the entire time, until the last word on the last page. It was un-put-down-able. I had to figure out what was going on and how it ended. This book was PACKED with twists and turns. Everything you would want in a thriller!

I love short chapters and this ticks that box as it ensures that I race through a book. It took me a while to get into this story but then it really stepped up and I enjoyed it albeit, unusually, there wasn't a single character that was likeable. I also found that, although each chapter was narrated by each woman separately, once in that chapter it was hard to determine which of them was speaking as the dialogue sometimes ran on without a clear indication of who was talking. I had to keep referring back to the chapter heading to try and work it out. However, I did enjoy the book overall and the various twists which I never saw coming! Not my favourite of all this author's books but well worth a read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was so excited to read this book because I’ve loved other books by this author, but I can’t finish this one. I’ve forced myself to read to this point hoping I’d find something to like or care about, but I don’t like any of the characters, the possession storyline is confusing, and I can’t make myself continue. DNF at 53%.

You Killed Me First had an intriguing premise, but ultimately, I struggled to connect with the story. The sheer number of characters made it difficult to keep track of everyone and their motivations, which detracted from the overall suspense. While I appreciate the author's attempt at intricate plotting, it felt overwhelming at times. A decent read if you enjoy complex narratives, but it wasn't a standout for me. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. To be published March 2024.