Has been a while since I tried a John Marrs book - the last one I nearly DNFd and took me 40% to get into, then I wasn't disappointed that I stuck around. It's fair to say when giving him another chance this time around I was very pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed this one and was hooked really early. I liked the variety of characters and distinct POVs. That said, my main qualm was that I didn't like the anonymous POVs until well after 50% of the way through (even then, didn't rate). I had no idea what was being said, couldn't focus and wasn't engaged at all because it just didn't fit for me. This of course took away from the story and enjoyment at times, hence 1 star reduction for the frustration. Overall, would recommend, quite clever and twisty, and one of my favourite tropes (no spoilers).

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to John and Netgalley for allowing me to read You Killed Me First prior to publication.
I only recently started to read John’s books and am now hooked.
This is a definite page turner and quite terrifying. Yet the author still incorporates wit, sarcasm and loads of back stabbing.
Marrs has used each of the women as narrators, allowing them to share their thoughts, emotions and memories, drip feeding information to the reader and portraying themselves as they want to be seen.
Just as you form a view about a character, a tiny hint makes you question this.
The plot is so twisted and devious and includes some very topical subjects.

A woman has woken up trapped under a lit bonfire. 11 months earlier newcomer Liv strikes up a friendship with her new neighbours, Anna and ex pop star Margot. All 3 women are harbouring a past full of secrets they don’t want getting out. With friends like these who needs enemies? And who is underneath that bonfire?

This book instantly hooked me, it was so fast paced and full of twists that had my jaw dropping. The characters in this book are probably some of my favourite characters ever, I loved them, I hated them, I loved to hate them, i had so many theories on what was going to happen and I was always wrong. John Marrs has once again proved why he’s one of my fav thrillers and this is definitely one of my favourite books by him. I’ve rated this book 4.5 ⭐️ and If you are looking for a fast paced, popcorn thriller then I highly recommend checking this one out.

You Killed me first will be released on 4th March 2025. Thank you so much to John Marrs, Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

#bookreview #arcreveiw #youkilledmefirst #thrillerbook #thrillerbooks #thrillerbookreviews

“You Killed Me First” by John Marrs is a suspenseful psychological thriller that captivates from the outset. The story revolves around a chilling premise where past choices and dark secrets collide, leading to a series of shocking events. Marrs expertly weaves a narrative filled with twists and turns, keeping readers guessing about the true motives of his complex characters.

The book explores themes of betrayal, revenge, and the consequences of one’s actions, all while maintaining a tense atmosphere that drives the plot forward. Marrs’ sharp writing and skillful character development ensure that the stakes feel personal and impactful. With its blend of emotional depth and edge-of-your-seat suspense, “You Killed Me First” is a gripping read that will resonate with fans of psychological thrillers.

Well not really sure where to start, wow!!!! Dragged me right in from the beginning and spat me out the other end, great twisty story with twists I didn't see coming, absolutely love everything John has written and this one didn't disappoint

John Marrs has done it again with You Killed Me First! I thought Keep It in the Family was the peak, but this one is an even wilder ride. With multiple plot twists, a hint of the paranormal, and three captivating POVs, it’s a whirlwind of insane characters.

The book opens with a shocking, twisted prologue that pulls you in, then rewinds 11 months to reveal how we got there. The extended timeline allows for incredible character evolution, adding depth to the chaos.

After devouring Marrs’ previous works, my excitement for this release was sky-high. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review!

I’ll start with saying that I love John Marrs’ books, particularly The One and The Family Experiment. This particular novel doesn’t explore social issues in the same way. It follows three women whose lives become intertwined. I found Margot to be most entertaining, as unlikable as she is. She might be likable because she’s so awful. It felt a little gimmicky at first, but that turned into camp I could enjoy. It felt like if Ryan Murphy wrote a book: ridiculous yet clever. It was still a fun thriller, though. Thank you to Marrs, NetGalley, and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC.

Dark and Disturbing and I Loved every part of it!
This book will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished reading.
John Marrs you have done it again! #YouKilledMeFirst #NetGalley

Thank you Mr. Marrs for another entertaining thriller. A woman awakens to find she’s bound and gagged, trapped in a bonfire. Rewind 11 months. Three women are neighbors and will do anything to impress each other. And they all have their own deadly secret.
My idea of who was doing what changed throughout the book and the twists are insane!!! So many twisted characters in this one. 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this.

This might be at the top of my favorite of John Marrs regular thrillers (his speculative fictions will always hold the top of the list). 👏🏻 So dark, twisted and FUN.

You Killed Me First has everything I love - domestic setting with insane characters, twist after twist and even a paranormal element to it. It starts out with the most shocking, sick prologue and then takes you back in time to unravel how things ended up there.

Margot, Anna and Liv were so much fun to follow as you figured out who’s sicker and more twistsd of the 3. I loved everything about it. The ending was perfection in typical John Marrs fashion (except more optimistic which I need sometimes 😂).

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. This was my latest read by the brilliant John Marrs. What a ride this one was! In his upcoming book, You Killed Me First, we meet three toxic women who are neighbors and not who they appear to be. Things start out very Desperate Housewives like: drama, secrets, affairs, etc. Then the twists come, again and again. I found myself being sucked in to this book. I would definitely recommend this one to others.

Look, I was about to give this book four stars. One of the timelines had me a little confused, but it all meshed very well in the end. John Marrs had me cursing at him in English, Spanish and Portuguese once I finished the book. I was interested in all of the characters, and thought I had things figured out, but I was wrong. This was a very entertaining story, and different to what I am used to. 10/10 do recommend!!

Fantastic

This book has you hooked from the first chapter.

Three women ones timid ones flashy and ones a mean girl. But they all have secrets. My head was spinning when it all came together and I didn't see it coming. John marrs is a go to author for me. He always delivers and is the god of twists.

Will be recommending to My Facebook book group The plot thickens book club

5 stars

The twists be twisting. Just when you think you've figured it all out and the book is over, another spanner is thrown in the works. I absolutely loved this book. I actually found the bitchiness and pettiness of the girls quite hilarious considering ☠️ another 5 star read from John Marrs

Wow! My favourite book has always been “The One” but this has become a close second.
The cattiness of the characters had me laughing one minutes and then the twists had my jaw on the floor the next. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, you don’t!
Another great read!

Wow. John Mares has done it again. What a phenomenal book I was hooked from the beginning to the end

Thank you for the opportunity to review

I always know I'm going to love a new John Marrs thriller. I wasn't expecting this though. 😳

Some might say a bit different to his usual psychological thrillers. Nothing wrong with that! It was as easy to read, gripping and twisty as usual. Several times I was almost smacked in the face by a twist.

My only negative is that the characters were just too unlikable. As the beginning, I just couldn't get behind any of them.

The characters are short and sharp but I must admit, I got a bit confused and who said what and who did what and when.

Nonetheless, another great read!

John Marrs has OUTDONE himself!

The most engaging, twistiest book I have read in a long time! I was completely hooked from the prologue/first chapter. All the chapters are short & snappy which made it all really easy to follow.

I absolutely loved that it was written from the perspectives of all 3 of the FMCs. I felt like I was right there in the middle of it all. The dual timeline has you thinking that you have it all figured out & pieced together- but I guarantee you’ll be wrong!

Such a great book! Totally different from his previous books. Mr Marrs can surprise you everytime! Superb characters, build up and plot.

As an avid John Marrs reader I was a bit disappointed with this book. It lacked the imagination of his other books. The storyline is just average and does not measure up to his other unique storylines. I would be hoping the Author goes back to basics and does not lose the thought provoking talent he had previously shown which made him one of my favourite authors.