# Thriller Thursdays #Book Review # What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

Posted byReading Tonic 21 Comments on # Thriller Thursdays #Book Review # What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

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.

(From the blurb)

*****

My thoughts:

John Marrs did again! Last summer I raved about his futuristic thriller The Passengers which left me with lots of unanswered questions on the nature of privacy and social media. I thought I knew what to expect from this new book of this brilliant author. I was wrong.

What Lies Between Us is a domestic thriller. Most of the action happens inside a house and there are two (unreliable, of course) narrators: 68 year old Maggie who hasn’t left the house for the last three years and her 38 year old unmarried daughter Nina. Who keeps her mother chained to a spike in the floor in the attic. Maggie has done some pretty horrible things to Nina and however hard she tries to justify her actions, she does feel guilty about most of them, apart from one. Nina’s mind, on the other hand, is made up. Maggie has to serve her punishment of being locked and cut from the rest of the world, deprived of  communication and comfort for twenty one years or until she dies. What could have provoked this extreme hatred? and what exactly is Maggie hiding from Nina?

Gradually, the reader discovers the secrets that lie behind this co-dependent love-hate-I know-better-and-I-will-decide relationship. And because this is John Marrs, whenever you think you have it all figured out, there is a twist and you see everything in a different light and re-examine your feelings and your judgement. You begin paying more and more attention to litle details, coming up with theories and letting your imagination fill the gaps, thinking ‘Yes! I have figured it out’ until…the next twist catches you unawares and knocks you for six.

The less you know about the plot and the protagonists and their macabre dance with each other in the name of love, sacrifice and vengeance, the better. It is about a mother and a daughter trapped in their family home and their crazy life.

Fast-paced, riveting, compelling, What Lies Between Us is a rollercoaster of clever twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. Absolutely unmissable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

21 replies on “# Thriller Thursdays #Book Review # What Lies Between Us by John Marrs”

  3. I keep seeing this book. It looks so horrible. What mother or daughter does this! Wouldn’t it be better for Nina to just walk out or better revenge take it to papers and social media and spread it in community. That would serve her mother right for whatever extremes she might have approached. Amazing review!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. He is a very popular author 📚📚📚
      Nina wants to punish her mother and walking out wouldn’t serve the purpose. Although she did consider calling the police and then decided against it. This isn’t a spoiler! Trust me, neither of them is innocent. Yes, they have a very twisted relationship one hopes never to see in real life.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. This sounds fantastic! Wonderful review, I can’t wait to check this book out. I’m also pretty curious about The One by the author too; all of his books sound pretty dark and disturbing. And I love that there are plenty of twists to catch you off guard!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was very different from the One and the Passengers, much more character-driven and more disturbing 🤔 Still, his books are very entertaining and you suspend your belief almost straight at the beginning, anyway.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Loved reading your review! I’ve only recently started in the domestic fiction scene and my last one was Best Friends Forever by Dawn Goodwin.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Wonderful review Toni. I know it is hard to review a book when you are trying not to give anything away, but you did a great job. I am hoping to read this one in the next week or so, and I can’t wait. I haven’t read The Passenger yet, but that is another on my TBR. I am so tempted knowing that you and so many others love his books.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Carla! It is hard…I don’t really mind spoilers. If I’m just about to start the book, I’ll just save my friend’s post and come back to it later. But I know a lot of people feel strongly about spoilers and this is John Marrs, he’s all about twists and misdirection. The information is there, but do I see the whole picture? It is all grotesque and not meant to be realistic. Can’t wait to read what you think.

      Liked by 1 person

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