This is my first book by this author and It won't be the last. This book was amazing! Incredible writing and a story that keep you guessing and engaged from the very first page. The twists and turns are brilliant and so well thought and developed.

I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be getting a hard copy!

I received this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. I was blown away by Marr’s stellar The One, so was excited for this.
This is told from the POV of two women: 68-year old Maggie, who is held captive in her home by her 36-year old daughter, Nina, who tied her mother up by a steel chain. She unties her mum to bring down for dinner, then takes her back up to the attic. I won’t say any more about the plot. The less you know the better.
The characters are well etched out and there were lots of twists and reveals. The chapters are short and pacy, with flashbacks that had the narrative zipping along. If you love books about twisted mother-daughter relationships you’ll love this. It’s 5/5.

This is my first John Marrs books, but won’t be my last. Maggie can’t forgive her mother for their past. Told in the present with flashbacks, the whole twisted story unfolds. What seems predictable is not. This is one mother daughter relationship you won’t forget.

Oh boy, that was CRAZY!!! It's not usual that a book leaves me feeling crappy, but this one sure did (another book that left me with a similar sensation was "Behind closed doors" by B.A. Paris). This must be one of the most wild and disturbing stories I've read lately. Like mother, like daughter! Talk about dysfunctional families!

Nina has being keeping Maggie, her mother, prisoner in the attic for 2 years. Soon we learn about their strained relationship (in case the chain around Maggie's ankle wasn't clue enough), but why? What happened between them to reach that point?

Told in dual perspectives, Nina and Maggie, past and present, the story moves along nicely at a quick pace. Some times with these kind of narrative structures is easy to lose track of who's talking or what time is it, but in this case it was so well written we go back and forth between both temporal lines with no trouble at all.

Both main characters were so well drawn that my sympathies kept changing as all the twists were revealed one after the other and, although I managed to guess some of them early on, that didn't make the reading any less enjoyable.

I debated myself rating it 4 or 5 stars, but finally I decided to settle on 4 stars because there were several aspects that required a bit of suspension of disbelief (that town's police might be on strike!)

This was my first book by John Marrs but certainly won't be the last. Mr. Marrs, you've got yourself a new fan!

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

My initial reaction to finishing this book is “That was fucked up”. Excuse the language but if you read this, then you know it’s incredibly crazy. I love crazy but this gave a whole new meaning to the word.

What Lies Between Us is a psychological domestic thriller about a mother and daughter relationship. It is told in dual timelines, past and present, to provide the reader with context on how the present came to be. I went into this one not really knowing anything about it. I loved John Marrs The One, so I knew this one was going to be good. I recommend going in blind and not reading too much about the plot, to get the best results.

This book was just insane. Both characters are extremely unlikable and at times I wanted to scream at them for the choices they made. I was able to kind of predict what was going on. Certain parts but not the full extent. It was a little over the top for me which is why I’m giving it 4 stars.

I recommend this if you’re interested in thrillers that have to do family relationships rather than romantic. I promise you’ll be left speechless!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow. What a mind twister! This started off a bit slow for me, but I am glad I stuck with it! Really makes you wonder what goes on behind closed doors.

This book has left me speechless (that’s not an easy task). Granted I’m currently reading during a global pandemic, so I’m finding darker books more disturbing than usual. But. This book was too much for me to swallow. I had a hard time reading it, but I know it was a well written psychological thriller. It was different and I wasn’t able to put the puzzle pieces together until the very end. •



Maggie and Nina are a mother and daughter that “live” together. They share a roof, sometimes they share a meal, but every night Nina has Maggie chained up in her room with the door locked. What could drive a daughter to spew such anger towards her mother? You know that there are secrets. You know that those secrets have been the lethal cocktail of hate that they can’t seem to get past. But you don’t know why. Who’s the actual big bad wolf? Is it the daughter that holds her mother captive or the mother that left her daughter with no other choice? •


This book was DYSFUNCTION injected with steroids. It’s set to be published on May 15, 2020 and if you like a rollercoaster filled with moments that you can’t believe what is happening.... this is 100% your jam. •


Also. Big news. Renee Zellweger’s Big Picture Co/ MGM TV production company bought the movie rights of this movie.

One thing I look for in a thriller is something new and unique, and John Marrs always delivers! I loved this family dynamic where the twists and surprises just kept coming!

Thanks to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved it!

Nothing more needs saying - but I will!

This is a mystery thriller with a difference. At the beginning of the book, it took me a while to realise the situation the characters were in. What is the relationship between the main characters? And what extraordinary circumstances are we reading about?Keeping the grey cells going, the same considerations are made throughout the book. Essentially who is the baddy? And are we a sum of our actions - or the intentions behind those actions?

The story unravels at an expertly timed pace. With extra mystery being added at exactly the right times - keeping the pages turning - and with enough spacing so that each mystery can be explored fully on the page and the readers mind. I love the way John Marrs writes as much as the premise of each book - and this new release is a perfect example of his excellent work!

This book is ideal for those who love a moral dilemma (and not just the one!), family dynamics and a fictional murder mystery with a dash of grit - this is your bag!

Wow seriously this author has the most dark and twisted mind ever to come up with this book. It really is a quite disturbing yet totally absorbing novel of a mother and daughter sharing a house but behind closed doors things are not as they seem. Everyone in the street believe Maggie has dementia and has moved away but the truth is much more sinister. Maggie is being kept chained up in the attic by her daughter. Nina can not forgive her mother for events in the past and is determined to punish her but as the secrets and lies start to unravel the lines are blurred as the truth about the past comes out and it all crescendos into an amazing read which I could not put down.

Wow! What a great read! What Lies Between Us is a multi-layered story that leaves the reader wanting for more. I simply could not put this book down! The relationship between Maggie an Nina continues to evolve as the story unfolds. Such great character development and plot twists!
Highly recommended for all who love a good psychological thriller!

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

This book is in my top 5 favorite books, if not my #1. If you love a good psychological thriller this is definitely a must read. I couldn't stop reading and keep questioning, what in the world am I reading? But it is so good. I will definitely be reading other books by John Marrs. I will be purchasing a copy when it is released. Absolutely loved it!

Wow. What did I just read?! This book has a way of drawing you along the whole way, giving you just enough to think you've finally gotten to the crux of the story and there can't possibly be anymore surprises.... and you're always so wrong. Amazing. Brilliant. I didn't want it to end - I need more!!

I'm not going to lie, I was unable to finish this book. I got about 40% through it, before having to put it down.

The writing is amazing, and it is for sure, a thriller. I kept turning the pages mostly because of all the twists in this story, and my need to find out just what happened between this very troubled mother and daughter. In the end, I just couldn't bring myself to finish because there is some dark things in the book that just bothered me enough to put it down.

So if you love mystery and thrillers, you will REALLY love this book. Just be warned that there is some very troubling content that may trigger some readers.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the story of two women Maggie and Nina. Nina can never forgive Maggie for things that have happened in the past. The most that I can say about the plot is that there is a lot of secrets and lies. It is best to go into this one blind.

There was a lot of twists and turns in this book that I didn’t see coming which I thought that I really should have worked out. The ending was also completely unexpected. I am a bit torn on the fact that there were things that were unresolved. On one hand I hate it when books are wrapped up in a bow but I also get frustrated when I feel that there are scenes that should have happened.

This is the first John Marrs book that I have read. I have other books on my shelf by him. I have to admit that this book left me feeling a bit uncomfortable at times. I am wondering if this is a trademark of the authors work as I tried to read The Samaritan and that made me feel the same. I really did enjoy the authors writing style and this has made me want to pick up The Samaritan again.

5 STARS

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.

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After reading so many fantastic reviews about WHAT LIES BETWEEN US, I knew that I had to request it on Netgalley! This is the second book by John Marrs I've read and his writing was just as twisted and horrifying (in the best way possible!) as I remember. I know that a lot of us probably throw around the phrase "I was hooked from page 1" too much but this book LITERALLY did just that! I couldn't put it down and I actually stayed up late last night to finish it.

Both Maggie and Nina's points of view were equally interesting and I didn't find myself wishing for more or less of either. I liked that their tumultuous past was slowly revealed instead of being given to the reader all at once. I had some suspicions about what happened between these two women (and some of it was correct) but the depth of the trauma was shocking for me. I felt hate and sympathy for both Maggie and Nina and I was constantly swinging back and forth between who I thought was more at fault. In the end, I'm still not sure. Needless to say, this book blew my mind.

Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC. You can read this mind blowing thriller on May 15th!

4.5 stars

Oh, wow.....what a book. Twisted, secretive, and messed up. I REALLY enjoyed it, as all of that is my jam. The 2 main characters were equally fucked up and at times I justified both their actions. I won't say more other than that because it's best to go into this book with nothing in mind other than the book description. I promise, you won't be disappointed! The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because the ending.

*SPOILER AHEAD*

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I wish we could have gotten a glimpse of what happened to Nina after the ending events. I would have loved to find out just a little bit of her life after an investigation or during jail time. 

*Review copy recieved thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I was only able to read 75% of this book before I had to give it up because it was triggering my mental health. I think it doesn't help that we are on lockdown and there are similarities (to being trapped) in this book. That being said this book was brilliantly written and was still a 5 star as far as I'm concerned. There were other triggers in this book that could affect others such as miscarriage. I've always loved John Marrs books but I think for a while I need to read something much more upbeat. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Whew what a ride!!! What Lies Between Us by John Marrs was in-freaking-sane! I went into this book blind and that made it even better. Just when I thought the book couldn’t get any crazier, it did. I kept saying these women are crazy af!! It was hard to trust either one of them. The first two lines in the synopsis are: “Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.” I feel like that’s the only thing needed before just deep diving into this fucked up book lol I give it 4 stars. I wasn’t a fan of the ending. It is still a great read. I really wonder how John Marrs come up with these crazy plots.

Thank you to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for my advance readers copy. It publishes on May 15th #partner

Publication Date: 15 May 2020
Publisher: Amazon Publishing UK

5 Star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

WOW!! 🤯
John Marrs, you have blown my mind! Thank you for giving me my first 5 star read of 2020!

This is the first book I have read from this author but there is absolutely no doubt his books will fill my shelves!

I was totally hooked from the get go with all the twists and turns making me feel like I was on a thrilling roller coaster ride! My stomach lurched and my jaw dropped! It was dark, chilling, intense and warped! Each turn of the page had me deeply enthralled and made it simply impossible to put down.

This story is told from two points of view, Maggie and Nina, of their broken relationship from past to present. Maggie and Nina are mother and daughter, they live in the same house and dine together every other night. After dinner Nina helps Maggie back to her room, in the attic where she chains her up and locks her in.

At what lengths will a mother go to protect her own flesh and blood? What did Maggie do that Nina will never forgive her for?

You will need to read this amazingly mind blowing thriller to hear how this twisted story unfolds!

For all you dark psychological thriller lovers, this is definitely one you need to add to your the list for 2020!

Thank you to John Marrs, Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.