John Marrs did it again! I loved Dead in the Water! I read it in just 2 sittings! There were so many twists I never saw coming! And a special surprise guest you’ll recognize if you’ve read his precious thrillers! I was shocked and had to re read to make sure I was right! You won’t regret buying this one!

I was super excited to get this ARC and as with all John Marrs books I’ve read- it did not disappoint. Without wanting to give any spoilers it is about a man who drowns and sees his life flash before him but he doesn’t know who a dead boy is that he sees. He then goes about trying to die again to see more to make sense of what his memory has blocked out. It feels like such a unique book and the surprises kept on coming throughout. The epilogue is fantastic too. I also appreciate the research that has been done to write it. I stayed up far too late to finish this and I cannot wait to read the other books by this author that I haven’t got to yet as he is so talented.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer for an ARC of Dead In The Water.

John Marrs tends to be a hit or miss author for me but this book fell in-between. I did enjoy the short chapters (there are literally over 100 😳) which made it super bingeable, as well as the unique plot. However, I found the main twist to be predictable, and the many small twists and false twists at the end to be over-done. Overall, this was just an ok read that felt more like a popcorn thriller with a focus on "shocking reveals" at the expense of a well-crafted story and fully dimensional characters.

3 stars

Wow!!! This was just incredible. I won’t be saying much about this one as I think you really need to go into this one blind. What a masterpiece. John Marrs has done it again.

He did it again! Unique characters in unique situations that make the reader want to keep turning the pages to see what happens next.

Damon had a near-death experience: he drowned and saw the film of his life passing in front of his eyes. But after being brought back to life, he starts being haunted by visions of a boy he doesn’t recall ever having seen before. So he does everything he can to find out who this boy was and why he appeared in the memories that flashed before his eyes. This was all I knew going in, and I tried to start as blind as possible.

The premise itself is so engaging, and the way the many pieces of the puzzle kept being presented had me gasping all the time. The story is mostly narrated by Damon, in short chapters that give us direct access to his confused thoughts and growing obsession with finding the truth. And along the way we witness how this obsession gradually takes over his life. Who can blame him for wanting answers about his past? It’s difficult not to root for this troubled character, especially after getting to know how rough he’s had it.

I loved how Marrs brought such complex and layered characters to life and once again managed to create such a solid world in this fast-paced read. I was completely invested from the very first chapter.
And what an opening chapter that is! It grabs you instantly and sets the tone for everything that follows.
5 solid stars!

Holy cow!! I've been a huge fan of John AKA Freida 😂 for awhile now!! This book has moved to my literal FAVORITE!! Just when I thought I knew what was going on John threw another curve ball. It was absolutely fantastic! Round of applause for another amazing book!

There were a lot of ups and downs with this book, and some parts that irked me, but overall the story kept me hooked, so it gets a 4 star rating for enjoyment.

The parts that bothered me were the writing style – present tense, switching between first and third person, and super short chapters that had to end suspensefully all 103 times – and the main character's attitude for the first 2/3 of the book. The first may just be John Marrs's usual writing style, as this is his first book I've read, but it still felt a little jarring and the suspenseful chapters felt like trying too hard.

Damon, the main character, was insufferable for most of the book. I get that it was necessary for the story to progress, but jeez, that man had no rational thought in his head. He doesn't try to do anything to anything to stop seeing his hallucinations except insist that he needs to die again to get more memories. And when this leads to him confronting his ex-wife and not even regarding her feelings, it's unbearably selfish and hard to read.

However, as we learn more about Damon and his true self, it starts to make sense why he's like this. He's always had a fascination with death, so his own death is apparently no different. And when he is in these moods, he has no ability to care for what Melissa feels.

After accepting these things that bothered me, and suspending disbelief enough to accept that someone could live through so many deaths and resurrresurrection, I did ultimately enjoy the story that was being told. The amount of twists in this book kept me on edge and I couldn't predict many of them. I got immersed in the mystery as it progressed and I couldn't put the book down until I found out what happens with all the killers.

Now that I found out Laura is a character from a previous book, I have the itch to go back and read more of John Marrs's works. Regardless of any issues I personally had with the writing style, his story was captivating, and I definitely want to see what his other books have in store.

Dead In The Water, John Marrs

🌊

I am absolutely delighted to have managed to grab a copy of John Marrs latest release on NetGalley and even more delighted to say I loved it!

The latest book from John Marrs follows Damon, who after a near death experience he keeps seeing hallucinations of a young boy. Who is this boy and did he hurt him?

I loved the character crossover in this book and thought it was a fantastic touch.

The plot twists had me gasping out loud and wondering what on earth I just read.

John Marrs just does not miss and I will be pre-ordering a copy for my shelf!
4.5 ⭐️

John Marrs delivers again with Dead in the Water, a mind-bending, adrenaline-pumping thriller that grabs you by the throat from page one and never lets go. This isn’t just a book it’s a full-body experience. Twisty, relentless, and terrifying in all the best ways.
Marrs masterfully balances multiple timelines and perspectives, weaving a dark, tangled web of secrets, justice, and survival. Every chapter ends with a gut-punch that dares you not to keep going. The pacing is razor-sharp. The characters are beautifully flawed. The moral dilemmas? Deliciously twisted.
This is the kind of book you cancel plans for. The kind that keeps you reading at 2 a.m. with your heart pounding and your mind racing.
Whether you're a Marrs veteran or new to his dark genius, Dead in the Water is a tour de force. Chilling, smart, and bloody brilliant.

John Marrs is an absolute favorite of mine. I will read anything he writes. The ending of this book made the whole book for me. I thought knew what was happening but there were so many great twists and turns. I will say the at most of the book did not feel like a usual page turner for me the way his books usually are. Could just be a “me” thing, but I loved the end. So overall, another fabulous book from John Marrs.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

Damon sees his life flash before his eyes when he survives a near-death drowning. He saw a child’s face that he didn’t recognise. Once Damon recovers he finds himself haunted by the face and becomes obsessed with uncovering the connection.

I like John Marrs Psychological Thrillers when they go dark, I like when they go a bit crazy - I love John Marrs Psychological Thrillers when they get as dark as crazy as Dead In The Water. This is a hugely original book which does something I’ve never read before in any other thriller.

Reviews often say a book is a marathon rather than a sprint, Dead In The Water is a journey into the deep unknown, with plenty of pleasant little detours and thorough exploration along the way.

Up there with my absolute favourites by John Marrs.

Very highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK

Fantastic new book from John Marrs. After surviving a drowning, Damon begins to unravel events and people from his past. There are several great twists, and a couple of surprises as well. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out… you don’t. I’d definitely recommend this book!

So my original review was typed giddily at 2am after I stayed up way too late finishing over 60% of the book 😅 The review then obviously had to be checked for any spoilers or volatile language after my head literally exploded!

Thank you to John Marrs and #NetGalley for this copy of an ARC of #DeadintheWater. It was an absolute delight to read this book and I kind of want to turn around and read it again!

John has done it again and released an absolute banger of a book. This book feels like a present that John has gift wrapped all neatly with a bow for his fans who have been following him and his books for years. It is intricate and smart and devious and it makes you all giddy and shriek out of pure joy and shock.

I absolutely cannot wait until this book is released in January so that I can buy a physical copy of it to fan girl over and bully everybody I know to read it. I'm not even sure how another thriller is going to top this for me this year.

This is probably one of my favourites from him after Keep It In The Family purely because of genius that he used in writing this.

All I can say is both thank you and curse you for writing a book that is going to take over my brain space for a good long while. I may never recover from the brain explosion I got in the last few chapters. No who am I kidding? The whole book caused my brain to explode.

I absolutely can't wait until this book is released in January because I am most definitely dying to fan girl over it with other people!

Bravo John Marrs Bravo!

Wow, just wow! This book has left me utterly speechless and im sure i have whiplash from all the twists and turns. I love thrillers and can normally guess what's going to happen next, not with this one! Reading about Damon kept me on the edge of my seat and unable to put it down. Highly rexommend

Each book I read of his I think nothing can beat it, I love to be proved wrong and this book has done it for me. This was perfection and I loved every second, couldn’t put it down!

First of all, massive thank you to John Marrs and NetGalley and everyone who put this masterpiece into my hands early because WOW. I’ve read every single one of John’s books, and I swear, this one made me lose my entire mind.

This book?? Absolutely insane. Twists flying at me left and right, jaw on the floor, me gasping like I’ve never read a thriller before in my LIFE. I was screaming. I was yelling “WAIT WHAT?!” at the end of every chapter. Unhinged behavior, and I regret nothing.

I’m not giving hints or spoilers because you deserve to go in blind and let the chaos consume you. Just know that once you start, you’re not putting this book down. Not for sleep, not for food, not for ANYTHING. This is one of the most binge worthy books I have read in a long time.

If you’ve read John’s other books, you already KNOW. But this one? This one is next level. Some serious IYKYK moments that I can not WAIT to scream about with everyone in January when it is officially released!

Thriller fans… cancel your plans. This book is IT.

And to John... Sir, I am here to tell you that yes! This book was, in fact, worth the wait! You have outdone yourself 👏🏻 The way your mind works just amazes me. These plots are always so unique, and I am so happy I stumbled upon your work! Even though my name won't appear in a future book, it's okay, I forgive you 😂

Are you looking for your next thriller read? Dead in the Water by John Marrs should be on the top of your list!

Firstly I'd like to thank Net Galley and Publishers and of course John Marrs for allowing me an ARC copy of this in return of an honest review

Now this books was absolutely crazy from start to finish, there was so many twists! Some i admit I did see coming and some I didn't!
This was tense and fast paced through out, only getting crazier the more you dive into it. There was definitely alot of shock factor to it aswell!
And that ending?! Sweet justice??
I can’t say much more for fear of spoiling this book. But if you're a fan of John Marrs, or even just fast paced thrillers, you must buy this when it comes out in January 2026!

What did I just read?! John Marrs once again hits it right on the nail with another thriller. Just when I think there can’t be any more twists, he proves me wrong. This book had me saying “what???” Out loud numerous times.

It was a privilege to be able to read an advanced copy of this book, so sincere thanks to John Marrs

The first reason I pushed every other book aside to read Dead in the Water was the author. Cheers to John for writing so many #CantStopReading books. Also, kudos to the Other John for taking part in so many Marrs Mania videos.
The second reason was the description. A man, Damon almost drowns and sees his life flash before his eyes. No spoilers, but I almost died and had an out of body experience. Thankfully mine did not bring up any repressed memories. It was, however, a life altering experience.
OK, enough about me. Let us talk about the book.
When Damon survives drowning, you would think he would feel gratitude and incredibly lucky. But that is not what happens. While he was hovering at death’s door, he saw a young boy, a boy he does not know. What chills him to the bone is that the boy followed him back. But how can that be and who is this boy?
Damon goes to extreme lengths to find out. Oh, and I’m not giving anything away by saying, Damon never should have taken the challenge to go swimming.
That’s it. I am not going to say more because there are spoilers everywhere. If you have read other books by this author, you might run into something you are tempted to share. Don’t do it! Let the surprise live on until everyone has a chance to discover it themselves.