Keep It in the Family

Product Information

WOW! Okay. I was not expecting all of the emotions I felt while reading this book. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't put this one down. This one will likely be a 2022 favorite still at the end of this year. The book opens with a quote from Ted Bundy, which should've clued me in to how crazy, twisted and mind-blowing this chilling story was going to be. In this chilling novel from bestselling author John Marrs, a young couple’s house hides terrible secrets—and not all of them are confined to the past.

When Mia and Finn buy their first house it seems like the worst thing that will happen is the amount of time and money this fixer-upper will need. That is the least of their problems since what they find in the attic makes this house a crime scene. This was a fast read, had some creepy characters all with a fantastic storyline which kept me engrossed from the very first line until the last one. I've not read Marrs more futuristic stories. I just don't care. But, he once wrote a book about the most messed up family. I loved it! So, I'd been waiting for something new. Something that didn't involve technology.

Advance Praise

I am a huge John Marrs fan, I love that all his books have so many twists and turns in them, you never know what’s going to happen next and this absolutely did not disappoint! Mia and her partner, Finn are moving into a fixer upper, the perfect place to raise their new baby that is due in the next few months. Mia's relationship with Finn's mum, Debbie, has always been strained but despite that they are all living together while Finn and his Dad work on their new home. During the renovations they make a grisly and traumatic discovery and find that sometimes evil lurks too close for comfort. John Marrs novel are never predictable, because every novel is very different to the previous but it’s his ability to create new unique storylines which always pull out something new.

This rating pains me. I'm so sorry if you ever see this, John 😭 I'm one of his biggest fans and will forever recommend The One, but this book was just a miss for me. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak Double Plus Good. Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can’t help it. My mind is completely fried. This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak. This would genuinely be one of the most remarkable novels readers would ever read.As ever with a John Marrs book, you don’t get just one twist you get quite a few which was just brilliant. One of them especially I absolutely didn’t see coming. It was such a brilliant turn. The ending was great. Again, I thought it would take a different turn but I’m glad it went where it did. The pace was really well done, I often think the end of thriller books are rushed but I didn’t with this one. John Marrs will unsettle you with his twisted characters and plots, but his mind is the most terrifying of all! Where does she get these twisted ideas? I don’t care…let her cum!

This book is dark, twisted, and full of surprises. As soon as I thought I knew where the story was headed it would take an unexpected turn. I definitely recommend this book. John Marrs writes some of the darkest thrillers I have ever read. What Lies Between Us is still one of my go to recommendations in the genre, even now years after reading it. This muddled mix of thriller and romance from British author Marrs (The Good Samaritan) takes dating apps to a new level. Match Your DNA, “based on biology, chemicals and science,” uses Continue reading » Absolutely loved it! So many twists that I didn't see coming- it kept me guessing right 'til the end Definitely 5/5!! Do you know what’s happening in your house, what’s already happened, what your family is capable of? Can you trust anyone or is that niggling suspicion worth following?The characters were all creepy too, which just added to the tension. I love Marrs' speculative fiction novels too, but I live for these disturbing messed-up reads. Then the dilapidated house is bought by young couple Mia and Finn. In the mix are Finns parents Debbie and Dave who also wanted to buy the house as a renovation flip. I thought I had guessed the twist at the half way mark but I was wrong and that's what I like with John Marrs he always has you guessing until the very end when all is revealed!

Public announcement: I think we may have just found my new favourite book of 2022! And I'm so happy that it's by the brilliant John Marrs, cementing his place as one of my favourite authors! I mentioned at the beginning of this review that there were a few things that niggled me, and that includes the main characters. They are not exactly likeable, and I’m not sure up to what point certain actions are exactly credible. They do play their roles in the plot well, but there was something about them in general that made me enjoy the story less than expected. And then I’m not even talking about the whole cheating/love triangle element, which put a bit of a damper on things. Still, the plot and plot twists themselves are cleverly developed, and I never guessed the full horrific truth behind it all. Unfortunately, Keep it in the Family doesn’t measure up to What Lies Between Us, one of my favorite reads of 2020. Regardless, I still mostly enjoyed this dark psychological thriller. Now that Mia has given birth to a baby boy, she can’t stop thinking about the crimes that have occurred in her home. But her obsession with it could prove to be deadly. In the prologue we hear of events that went on at a house 39 years earlier. What a hook! Very dark. I got me on board for what I hope is a thrilling journey.That does not alter the fact that after reading this thriller I would like to read more from this author, and I eagerly look forward to reading more of his novels. One minor irritation is that I figured out a lot of the twists from the get-go. I can’t even hint as to why I was able to figure them out, because I’m sure other readers would too. However, I was pleasantly surprised by some surprises towards the end that I definitely didn’t see coming. Building and supporting a community of self-published authors dedicated to both sharing experiences and le Officially 15k Members Strong & Climbing!!