Review | What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

For two years, Nina has kept her mother, Maggie, chained in a room in the attic. Because Maggie has done things that Nina cannot forgive. But there are secrets that even Nina doesn’t know. And Maggie would rather die than tell the truth.

There is just one lesson I have learned from the life we share. And it is this: everything that is wrong with me is wrong with you too. We are one and the same. When I die, your flame will also extinguish.

I flew through this book! We get POVs from both Nina and Maggie, set in the present along with flashbacks to the past. Initially I felt bad for Maggie. And then we find out that maybe she isn’t the real victim. Maybe Nina is. But does it justify her treatment of her mother? It’s a lot to think about!

The chapters are short and the writing is riveting. I found the reveals into the past done particularly well. There is a lot of information that Nina and Maggie withheld from each other which made me frustrated but at the same time kept me going, wanting to know more. For the most part of the book, they are the only two characters in play. The dynamic between them is appalling yet there’s also an undercurrent of twisted love. It’s a form of painful co-dependency and the book doesn’t shy away from showing the ugliness of their relationship.

I saw parts of the plot coming but there’s still some curveballs along the way, which made for an exciting conclusion. If there’s one thing I’d pick on is the lack of believability in terms of how certain events unfold. But this book isn’t a procedural; it’s a dark psychological look at motherhood and mental health, and how far these characters would go to maintain the illusion.

Intense, suspenseful, and gut-wrenching, What Lies Between Us is recommended!

CW: pedophilia, miscarriage, abusive relationship

I received a digital copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes. This book will be out on 15 May.

About the author: John Marrs

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