Thank you so much NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and John Marrs for an ARC of this book. This was my second Marrs book and again I am absolutely floored by how great this book ended up being! The opening of this book was one of the best I’ve read in a long time. He yet again killed it at the character development and backgrounds of each character without losing the plot of the book. His writing style is very quickly becoming one of my favorites! This is exactly what I look for in a psychological thriller. So glad I didn’t have to wait until march for this one!

Where do I even start?!

You Killed Me First, for me, cements John Marrs as one of the best thriller writers. With Desperate Housewives vibes, the claustrophobia of the secrets and lies that are weaved between three neighbours heightens a whole new level of who needs enemies with friends like these?!

We meet three female protagonists, Margot, Anna and Liv, When Liv moves across the road, Margot is immediately there with Anna to welcome (if you want to call it that) her new neighbour, but immediately you get the feeling that this friendship isn't going to be plain sailing.
With characters that aren't particularly likeable (in the best kind of way) we are in for one wild ride of a thriller! Who's keeping secrets? Who's telling lies?

Really well written, and as always for Mr Marrs, a completely bingeable read that will leave you feeling satisfied and needing his next book STAT!

I’m a fan of John Marrs’ Psychological Thrillers and this went straight to the top of the TBR pile.

It’s a bit different from his typical style, starting out a little bit like Big Little Lies, three ladies in the neighbourhood, two are old friends and there’s a new arrival. There’s plenty of bitchy, snarky humour. Margot, the ex-pop star was the standout character for me.

This is John Marrs, of course it’s going to get more twisted, darker and as it progresses it avalanches into a maelstrom of twist after twist after twist.

While not up there for me with some of his classics, this is a very entertaining and enjoyable book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer

Margot and Annie become friends with new neighbour Liv and each have their own secrets that they are trying to hide from each other. Things become toxic between them as slowly things from their past are revealed.

I can't believe how lucky I was to get a chance to get an early read of this book. I've read every John Marrs book so far, all the psychological thrillers and the speculative ones and enjoyed every book. I have to say this one exceeded all my expectations, it was mind blowingly good. The characters were so interesting and well written, genius plot twists and it was a book I really just did not want to end. Each of the three main characters had their own secrets unravelling bit by bit, while also trying to observe and outplay each other, which kept me so hooked I found myself slowing down towards the end to take in everything, there were so many what the chapter 39 moments.
This is now one of my favourite John Marrs books. If you're a fan of thrillers you are in for such a treat with this one.

Amazing! So many what the chapter 39 moments and the cat for some reason was my favorite! At the end of every chapter my jaw was dropped. Loved it all!

A great psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns. Three couples live on the same street and become, partly by design, almost the focus of each others lives.

It is really hard to review the book without any spoilers so will just say that it is a must read.

Wow! With only 2 of his books left unread on my TBR, “You Killed Me First” maintained John’s attention to detail, interesting characters and wild plot twists. The overall vibe of this was perfect for an end of the summer read.

Anyone who has interacted with John on social media knows he has a quick wit and can be quite sassy. With the characters of Margot, Anna and Ivy we got to see his sass come out even more. The book made me feel like I was in the middle of Wisteria Ln and the Desperate Housewives wanted me to choose an ally. Each time I thought I had decided whose team I was one, John had me learning something that changed my mind.

PLOT:
Who is Ivy? She’s beautiful and is living the American dream. The house, the kids, the career and the husband. She’s the girl next door- well the new girl next door.

Margot you ask? She’s our queen bee, at least that is how she sees it.

Anna could be considered our plain Jane if you look at her from Margot’s POV. In Ivy’s eyes- she’s the underdog.

One thing is for sure- not everything is how it seems. Or is it?

For anyone who has ever watched It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia- think Charlie Day explaining how Pepe Silva is still alive. That was me trying to guess what could possibly happen next. This one certainly kept me on my toes and I thoroughly enjoyed the author embracing his catty side. Here’s hoping to more sass from our favorite psychological thriller author!

It’s John Marrs, of course it’s going to blow your mind! Three women, each with a secret. Add in their husbands and a couple throwbacks in the timeline and you’ll have to pick your jaw off the floor.

Thank you to NetGalley, John Marrs, and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow, three women with so many secrets!
A perfect pretence of friendship ensues which is wonderful to watch as it all falls apart.
A cast of bitches and liars!
Fabulous read.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
A must read for thriller lovers.

Three women, all with their own secrets they just might kill to protect. It’s bonfire night and one of these ladies wakes up to her worst nightmare. She’s bound and gagged in the middle of the bonfire that’s minutes away from being lit. Margot and Anna are neighborhood friends watching the glamorous Liv move into their neighborhood with a lavish house and lifestyle. Suddenly, the women form a friendship but how deep does the friendship go if they all have their own secrets they’re protecting?

I think we know by now how I feel about John Marrs. I haven’t found a book of his I haven’t absolutely loved and been kept on the edge of my seat for. If you’ve read John Marrs before you know he loves a slow burn but this is definitely one of his faster paced books. He is the king of writing characters you love to hate and hate to love. Just when you think you have it figured out, he throws another twist that you didn’t see coming. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this as it was traditional John Marrs with a desperate housewives-esque undertone and I love some good catty drama. 5/5 and 100% worth checking out when this releases in 2025! Thank you Netgalley as always for the ARC!

Another great psychological thriller from the master! I loved all the twists, turns and hidden connections throughout the story. Every character has secrets. John Marrs knows thw way to my heart when it comes to thrillers!

I was fortunate enough to get an ARC from netgalley and read first hand one of my favorite authors of all times. John Marrs is an incredible writer. He simultaneously made me hate and love all of the characters in this book at the same time. This story was so clever. I was never sure who to love and who to loathe. Also, hate to say it, but I think we all have a little Margot in all of us 😉. He also hits on the intricacies of relationships women have with each other. This is up there as one of my fave Marrs books outside his speculative thrillers. So glad I got read it before it officially came out!

After reading all the other John Marrs books, I was really excited for this one.
“You Killed Me First” is a psychological thriller with many twists that kept me up until 2 am to finish it.

We have three POVs, Margo, Anna and Liv. They appear to be friends, but each has a secret that can be deadly.

The beginning grips you into the story and then we go back 11 months to find out what happened.

I was really surprised by the plot twist at the end of part one and I think the whole story was well plotted.
The connections between characters were subtly hinted and I managed to figure some twists out. But that did not bother me.

The fact that the story takes place during over a year was a bonus, because you get to see the characters evolve.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A new book by John Marrs always creates a fizz of excitement for me, it’s a given it will be good but as I start I wonder where I will be taken in this authors incredible imagination
Well this time its a psychological thriller with a crime dressing and fair to say with more twists then even Mr Checker achieved
We meet some incredibly deliciously brilliantly awful characters, Margot is sublime in her ever over thoughtful thinking and one liners and Liv amazing in her compliments that are anything but and Anna, dear Anna who has more going on than any of us could imagine, what they are about to learn about each other will cause disaster after calamity, all of it wonderfully written for us to enjoy in all its dark brilliance

"Gripping and twisty, "You Killed Me First" by John Marrs is a masterclass in psychological suspense. A dark, domestic thriller that explores the complexities of marriage and obsession. Marrs' writing is razor-sharp, with a shocking climax that will leave you breathless. A must-read for fans of Gillian Flynn and B.A. Paris." 5/5 stars!