What a roller coaster, when you think you have everything figured out you get hit with another shocking twist. Don't bother feeling bad for any of the characters because as soon as you do you'll be thrown for a massive loop. This was such a fast paced edge of your seat story that i devoured it in 2 days. If you enjoy a dark domestic thriller this is for you!



Thank you to John Marrs and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved reading the Maggie and Nina narratives over different timelines. Multiple perspectives in books are my favourite. This was one that I honestly couldn’t put down because the more we found out, the worse the situation became! Definitely going to be recommending this one!

Thank you to #NetGalley and John Marrs the ARC in exchange for my honest review

This is the first book of John Marrs I have ever read and OMG this is fantastic.

Talked about your twisted stories!! Maggie and Nina, who are co-habitating and also are very co-dependent on each other. Except for the fact that one of them keeps the other chained in her attic. Talk about your mother daughter issues.

I really don't want to give too much away because..well just because you have to read it! Its a crazy DARK tale!

Oh my goodness, this one was dark!
Nina will never forgive Maggie for the things she's done in the past. Her choice is to never let Maggie leave the home again as punishment.
Spanning 25+ years and alternating from the view of Nina and Maggie we hear both sides of the story. . . from what's happening now and what happened then.
As we learn the truth over time it's almost impossible to decide who deserves what and who is justified in the decisions they've made. This one had twists and turns around every corner. Ultimately, what would YOU do to protect/punish the ones you loved and what if your perspective or your truth was not the reality?

Here is another brilliant, horrifying story from the twisted mind of John Marrs.  This one tells the story of two women, Maggie and Nina, who live in the same house, and the secrets and lies that tear their lives apart.  Crikey this book is dark, maybe the darkest I have read from this author so far.  But it is a fantastic, compulsive read, full of twists and turns.  A great but very disturbing, even upsetting, book.

Wow! I loved this book!
In this book we meet Nina and Maggie as we get to know them more we discover the dark secrets that bind them together.
Reading from both characters points of view we get to know more about each character and what put them together and in the situation they now find themselves in. I flirted between who I felt the most for only to have the next chapter flip that on its head again and again until the shocking conclusion

Thanks go to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this great book

Whoa! What a read!!! I believe this will be the best book I read this year. Unexpected twists and turns, just when you think you understand what is happening the rug is pulled out from under you.

They say every house has it's secrets, but, none like this one! Jeepers! This is a strange tale, very 'whatever happened to baby jane' as a daughter keeps her mother locked in the attic.

The story is told from both perspectives and moves from past to present, giving both mother and daughter perspectives on the reasoning behind their strange relationship.

It's well constructed, it just didn't pull me in and I found it a bit of a slog. A 2* OK read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview in exchange for my honest review, I'm just sorry I didn't enjoy it more.

There are dark books and there are DARK books and ‘What Lies Between Us’ definitely falls into the latter category. I can’t remember the last time I read a book this dark and twisted. I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy, some of which have monsters straight from your nightmares. What Lies Between us was infinitely more horrifying than any of those as there were no monsters here – only two very damaged people.

Everytime I thought I couldn’t be more surprised and horrified by this story the next revelation came at the turn of the page and I had to re- evaluate my feelings for these people all over again.
There were bits I predicted and bits where I thought I finally had a handle of what was happening only to have my theories blown out of the water. Despite of the things they did and the decisions they took neither Nina nor Maggie were completely unlikable – a remarkable feat of writing skill. Instead they were both horribly damaged people making choices that often had unpredictable consequences.

What Lies Between Us was one of those novels that I couldn’t bear to put down for long, I found myself picking it up in any quiet moments to get another couple of pages of reading in.

Not a story for those who find themselves triggered by the many issues touched on here, including, abortion, child abuse, gaslighting or mental health stories, I would recommend this to anyone who likes their fiction twisted and unpredictable.

A brilliant book that had me gripped from start to finish.

4.5 stars rounded up.
This would easily be a proper 5 star book had there not been a few niggles throughout. Some things just didn't quite work for me, continuity wise mostly, as well as a few things that didn't quite feel real. Well, either that, or the author wasn't as clear as maybe he could have been with the odd thing that I just couldn't quite let go. But that's just me I guess. I've rounded it up anyway as, apart from them, and they were all minor, this was quality.
So Maggie and Nina share a house. They are mother and daughter. But they are not the average mother/daughter pairing as Maggie lives in the attic, chained up by Nina. But Nina has a good reason for her behaviour. Although, as time passes, it becomes evident that she actually doesn't know the half of it. Imagine the fallout when she learns the whole truth... well, you don't need to imagine... buckle up, you're in for a wild old ride...
Talk about dysfunctional, shall I also say codependent relationship. And then some. Imagine all the worst things a mother could do to her child and magnify this by a very high number and you've basically just touched the surface of what happens in this book. If you think Nina is horrible to Maggie, keeping her chained up, denied of anything nice, just wait til you hear what Maggie did...
It's all things twisted and evil and everything in between. It's sick and not for the faint hearted as no punches were pulled in the making of this book. I'm not usually a big fan of twist after twist, each one delivering a bigger punch than the previous but, wowsers, here I was shouting at the book - keep em coming - and daring the author to up the stakes which, he shocked and surprised me by doing every-single-time. Genius. (Ok, for full disclosure, I guessed a few but I devour this genre book so I'd be surprised if I didn't)
Honestly, apart from the niggles that I mentioned earlier, this book is quality reading. Addictive - I couldn't put it down, intense and all the chills down the spine you want. Do yourself a favour, stop reading reviews, just go buy the book and read it already...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller.. I like a good creepy and intense story line and this had that. It will suck you right in

Wow. Maggie and Nina live together but their relationship is complex. Nina's father left, out of the blue when she was younger. At 14 she had a miscarriage and at 15, gave birth to a child destined to be still born. She blames her mother for everything that went wrong in her life and has her chained and imprisoned in the house for revenge. However all is not as it seems. Throughout the book the twists just keep coming. John Marrs is skilled at taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride and this book demonstrates that skill perfectly. I found I was immediately hooked and it's one of those books you can't put down. If you enjoy this one I can also recommend "The Passenger" and "The Good Samaritan" by the same author

Ok, first of all, let me just say that What Lies Between Us is a psychological thriller like nothing I have ever read before. This book had my head in a spin just trying to figure it all out. 

I  liked how this book was written with each chapter narrated by one of the dysfunctional involved parties telling their point of view and how they came to being where they are now.  One moment I was rooting for Nina, and the next moment I was rooting for Maggie.  There are so many twists and turns that it was hard to predict the brilliant ending.

John Marrs really knows how to capture a readers attention, I just kept thinking 'One more chapter',  I literally could not put this down.
It's weird, creepy and down right disturbing, but I loved it.  5/5

Thankyou to Thomas & Mercer Publishers and Netgalley for my proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one as all of the author's other books are pretty highly rated and recommended, especially The One, which I have yet to read. But this ultimately fell flat for me. I did not like or care about either of the main characters. By halfway through the book I was just wanting to get to the end as I had stopped caring why things were the way they were. I felt no suspense as the mysteries were unfolding. I honestly don't know why, I just didn't. I DID read to the end, though, because the writing style was so consumable. I will definitely try John Marrs's other work, but I can only give this one 2 stars.

Wow! What a roller coaster of a book! Once you start this book you will not be able to put it down until the very end. This is a story of two main characters, mother and daughter, living together, but who is in control and why do they appear to hate each other? What secrets are they both hiding? Who is to blame?
Throughout this book my feelings towards both characters changed again and again and again. The author very cleverly has you sympathising with one character whilst hating the other but by the next chapter these feelings are totally reversed and so it continues throughout the book. Liking one and hating the other. This book had my head spinning! It contains twist after twist after twist,even when you think you know it all and there cant possibly be anything else to reveal, is another bombshell that leaves you gasping. It is extremely cleverly written and will stay with me for a long time. At the very heart of this book is the question, how far would you go to protect your child and can you love your child too much? There is most definitely a fine line between love and hate.
I would thoroughly recommend this book.
Be prepared. It will take your breath away quite literally!!!!

Wow, what a wild ride this was!

Once again, I am impressed with John Marrs’ talent to write suspenseful thrillers. He never ceases to amaze me with his original ideas and truly addictive plots. What Lies Between Us is a twisted, dark, and sinister read, that kept me glued to this book’s pages (or rather to my Kindle’s screen) till the end.

It is a tale of mother-daughter relationship; however, this relationship has more drama and problems than any other “normal’ mother-daughter bond. Nina and Maggie live in the same house and they share many secrets. What happens in their house and between these two complicated characters is shocking, disturbing and quite chilling.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to all thriller/suspense lovers. This book has it ALL and it is a guaranteed entertainment for all thrill seeking readers.

Thank you NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What is going on in this house of horrors???

PLOT SUMMARY:
Maggie and Nina have lived together for many years....but not happily. Maggie is Nina’s mother, and something has gone horribly wrong in their relationship...because otherwise why would Nina be locking her mother up in the attic in CHAINS??? Maggie has obviously done something to displease Nina, but what?? What could possibly be worth this reaction?

PROS and CONS:
Oh, this one is twisted...discovering in the first chapter that Maggie is locked in her attic room every night in chains sets the scene for some seriously creepy chapters. This takes dysfunctional relationships to a whole new level. The reader instantly sides with Maggie because, uh...she’s the one locked up?? By why would seemingly normal Nina do this? And how does she keep this a secret?

As the historical chapters pile up, you soon learn what Maggie has done and why Nina has reacted so forcefully...perhaps...neither character is likable, and it’s very hard to imagine that anything could justify this.

You’ll be glued to the pages while you wait to see who the innocent victim is, and who the monster is, and the details of all the events that lead to this disastrous situation. The ending is unexpected, explosive and actually perfect for this twisted book.

YES or NO:
It’s a YES - this is not a book that makes you feel good while you’re reading it...in fact I felt quite disturbed the entire time. But it is definitely one that you won’t soon forget.

4 Stars

I am a huge fan of John Marrs, having devoured THE ONE and PASSENGERs each at an exhilarating pace, so when I saw Marrs's next book was out I was eager to grab a copy.

WHAT LIES BETWEEN US is a dark and twisting psychological suspense that introduces us to Maggie and Nina whose mother–daughter relationship is strained at best. In a narrative that is superbly crafted, moving backwards and forwards in time as we discover the chain of events that led Maggie and Nina to their current situation. Or so we think. Deception, cruelty, maternal love, lies and truth all twist together into something a little different. Rather than asking us, "What if?", Marrs asks, "Why?"

An engaging and gripping read, perfect for those nights in – because you won't want to put it down.

Whoooooaaa what the hell? John Marrs you really do have a deliciously dark, twisted mind!

The book is the story of a grown up daughter who is keeping her elderly mother chained up in the attic to punish her for things that happened in the past. I can't say much more without giving away the plot.

This book really is dark and disturbing and hooks you from the first page. As you read there are shocking revelations which really do ensure that you have to read just one more chapter.... then another.... and another! Who is the villain and who is the victim? I changed my mind so often I was dizzy! I did guess some of the twists, but that didn't make them any less shocking. And then there's that chilling ending.

This is one if my favourite books of 2020 so far. Can't wait to see what Mr Marrs cones up with next!

Powerful, suspenseful, dark and utterly brilliant! I just could not put this book down. This has just become my new favourite book by this author.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.