Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary digital copy. Unfortunately, this book ultimately did not work for me.

While I found the writing to be strong and the plot creative, I hated the way Mia’s post partum depression was portrayed. I am increasingly tired of and frustrated by “the woman is crazy” angle, especially when it involves post partum depression. Authors, let’s move on from this please.

I also found all of the characters to be extremely unlikeable and I also was unable to stomach some of the passages about children.

If you like horror and dysfunctional family stories, check this one out. I’m a big fan of this author’s other books and will look forward to his next one, but this one was not for me.

I'm a huge John Marrs' fan and have read nearly his entire back catalogue. However, this one wasn't my favourite. Too slow and, dare I say it, a little boring, with very unlikeable characters, it failed to hold my attention for more than a few pages at a time. I'm not a fan of mysteries where children are involved and that may have been on my mind when I got into it, however, I really just wanted to give Mia and the mother-in-law equally a good shake as they both really grated on my nerves.

This book was brilliant! I could not put it down and read until the early hours. I wasn't sure how it would go but I was mind boggled. The twists in this book is amazing and didn't feel far fetched at all. They just kept coming and I could easily keep up. I loved everything about it. It just starts and keeps running. Saying that very familiar line "the character's were well developed" feels stupid because they were brilliantly thought out. Each one had a story of its own and no stones were left unturned. I really liked how it ended off, with another, out of many, twists but still happy. This is one of my favorites from John Marrs.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Rating - 4.5 stars rounded off to 5

Deliciously dark, chillingly sinister and simply crazy.

John Marrs has excelled again! After loving The One and The Passengers, I lapped up this book as soon as I saw it on NetGalley.

Thanks NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC!

Synopsis -

Mia and Finn are hoping to turn an old, dilapidated house into their dream home. But when Mia finds a message etched into the wall, they realize that their attic has a horrific history in its past. Now with their new born, Mia becomes obsessed with seeking answers. That’s when secrets spill, truths emerge, threatening their marriage and her bonding with her baby.

Review -

Firstly, I was surprised to see 4 different POVs of Mia, Finn and both his parents’. It’s unusual and in my view, this is what makes the plot so interesting.

The plot grabbed my attention right from the get-go, hooking me, keeping me speculating, and wondering whom to trust.

I loved how Marrs weaves Mia and Finn’s married life, the challenges in their relationship, the rapport Mia shares with her in-laws into the storyline. I was really invested in all these characters, could feel their emotions and understand their mind-sets.

As we keep jumping between the various timelines – the present and past, the history behind this house gets unraveled layer by layer. The details are unsettling, bone-chilling, horrifying to the point of macabre and the shock that results from knowing it all is certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Although the major twists were not so jolting, Marrs does make sure we are utterly taken aback with certain pivotal points of the storyline. It is paramount not to say more and experience by reading it!

The best is reserved for the ending - I just wanted answers and was greatly satisfied at how things wrapped up, even if it breeched some realms of reality. It was so all-consuming, that it never mattered.

Best spooky season pick!

Trigger Warnings – gore, child abuse/murder, post-partum depression, PTSD.

Finn & Mia are delighted when they buy a run-down old house at an auction. Finn's parents are a bit put out as they had planned on doing it up & selling it on but are quite keen to help. Mia & Finn have longed for a family but have had many setbacks. so when Mia becomes pregnant it seems they will have all they want. However this is not happy families! A sinister message is found scratched into the skirting board of what is to be the nursery- what on earth can 'I will save them from the attic' mean? When investigating Mia has a fall from the attic ladder & goes into labour. In spite of having the longed for baby she cannot forget the attic.

This tory is told from five points of view- each adds something to this twisty tale. None of the characters are particularly likeable but that doesn't stop the reader from wanting to find out exactly what is going on & John Marrs is an expert at tying his readers in knots! This was a great read, thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is another deliciously macabre mystery thriller from the wonderfully disturbed mind of John Marrs. In this story a married couple buy an old house and in the course of the renovations they discovery something horrifying hidden in the loft. The twists in this book are dizzying and I even guessed some of them. After reading so many John Marrs books I almost feel that I am becoming an expert and have an idea as to how his mind works, God help me! A thoroughly entertaining read, as always, and I cannot wait until the next one.

Mia and Finn are living with Finn's parents Debbie and Dave while the derelict house they've bought is renovated. It's hard going as Debbie and Mia can barely stand each other, then Mia falls unexpectedly pregnant. As the house progresses, Mia discovers a phrase scratched into the skirting in one of the bedrooms..."I will save them from the attic" and what started as their dream home turns into a nightmare... As Mia's obsession with what happened in the house intensifies, she struggles to bond with her baby and distances herself from Finn who doesn't understand why she cares so much.

The story is told from 5 perspectives - Mia, Finn, Debbie, Dave and a fifth unknown individual who appears to have been involved with what happened in the house. It's an intense thriller with lots of twists and turns and a very addictive read! I enjoyed the different perspectives and how they all linked together. The ending... tremendous, had to read the last few pages again to process.

Every time I read a new John Marrs I think this is his best yet, and this is no exception.

#netgalley #keepitinthefamily #johnmarrs

Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author, for an advanced copy. There was an eerie vibe to this story, the moment I started to read it. This talented author has an incredible ability to keep me glued to the story from beginning to end. Fabulous!

Keep It In The Family by John Marrs is a dark and deadly thriller. This book made me shake as with disgust as the reader enters the head of a child killer. There's a lot of trigger warnings all involving children, they are, child endangerment, child torture, and child death. I have read 5 John Marrs books and this is by far the darkest it is closest to his book What Lies Between Us, and it reminded me of a couple of films Seven and Prisoners . This book is full of twists some that will make your head spin. I was able to figure out the big twist even though Marrs tries to throw a red herring in I did not bite. I still enjoyed this book even though I figured out the big twist, there was lots of little ones that added to the big one that I enjoyed and didn't see coming. After reading 5 of his books I could be getting used to how John Marrs writes, so I don't think everyone will be able to find out the big twist. We get five character perspectives four members of the family and one unknown perspective, which works really well and amps up the being watched by a killer factor. This book is paced really well and leaves some cliffhangers on the end of chapters that you have to read further. I mentioned the film Seven and it has one of those what's in the box moments but with a twist. Marrs really goes there on some scenes and gives in to darkness. I got this book sent to me from Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley. I should state that I do work for Amazon and this had no baring on my review. Keep It In The Family by John Marrs is published on October 18 2022.

Plot Summary: Mia and Finn have been married for four years tired to have kids but gave up and have instead turned their time and energy into real estate buying cheap and fixing up. They have sunk all of their money into a run down Victorian home. After buying it they make it a family thing fixing it up and involve Finn's parents. They run into a few problems Mia ends up being pregnant and they find the bodies of 7 kids in suitcases, no big thing. This draws media attention and a killer that is out to cover their tracks but Mia stumbles on to evidence that the killer could be closer than she knows part of the family.

What I Liked: This is a very entertaining thriller that is full of so many twist and turns. I liked the Title and how it works into the thriller. The writing style is so fast paced that you can not put this novel down. I liked the way that the twist were revealed and I appreciate the red herring trying to make the reader second guess their choices. I liked that despite how crazy some of the twist are Marrs backed it up making it plausible.

What I Disliked: After the big climax it took a bit too long to end it, I liked where to story went eventually but that's the only part where the book loses it's pace and slows down way too much. There was one moment that was so set up to go one way I think it would have benefitted the story if it went the way the audience thought it was going instead of Marrs not going that way.

Recommendation If you can handle the trigger warnings of child endangerment, child torture, child kidnapping, and child murder, and want to read a dark entertaining thriller then this is a good one. If you're a fan of John Marrs other work then you will not be disappointed. I rated Keep It In The Family 4 out of 5 stars. Here's the ranking of John Marrs books I've read from best to worst (I've rated them all 4-5 stars all are good and books I would recommend). 1) What Lies Between Us, 2) The One, 3) The Passengers, 4) Keep It In The Family, and 5) The Minders.

This is my first book by John Marrs and I'm asking myself why? It definitely will not be my last as I hurry off to find all his prior books.

This review will purposely be a bit vague because I feel like readers need to know in not knowing much abut it. You will want to be surprised by all the dark and twisty things this book has headed your way.

Mia and Finn buy a fixer upper sight unseen and are excited to start fixing it up. When they arrive, it is worse than they imagined. But Finn and his dad, David, can do much of the work themselves.
In the meantime, Mia and Finn will continue to live with Debbie and David, his parents, much to Mia's dismay. (Yes, Debbie - two books within a week with a character named Debbie, after having really never seen my name in a book!!) Mia finds she is pregnant and they are eager to get into the house and begin their lives.

They finally are reaching the point where the house might actually be livable and they can move in when Mia finds some words scrawled on a board which leads them to search the attic. A secret room in the attic leads them to a shocking discovery that will change all their lives forever.

This is where the story really takes off and you will have to read it for yourself for the rest. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, there would be another twist that had me doubting myself and all I knew.

Keep it in the Family is dark and twisty and full of suspense. It was all I love in a book and more. As I said, it's good to go in blind to experience everything this book is bringing you, but you might check out the trigger warnings. Otherwise, dive right into the madness!

Now excuse me while I go decide what John Marrs book I should read next!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fast paced page turner that will shock you over and over again just when you think that’s it…. think again 😱
It’s creepy, it gave me the shivers but gosh I loved it 😆

A new book by John Marrs is always going to be one I am going to pick up.. And I am delighted to report that it is another cracker from Marrs, a dark and twisty thriller, and an addictive wild ride that I absolutely raced through, struggling to put it down.

Young couple Mia and Finn are excited to buy their first home, even though it has been empty for some time and needs lots of work. Whilst renovating the house, Mia discovers a message carved into the skirting boards – “I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC”. When she decides to investigate, what she discovers is truly horrific – but that proves just to be the beginning of the nightmare …

This is one of those books that has you on the edge of your seat wondering what on earth is going to happen to next – horrified but intrigued, it certainly kept me turning the pages. Yes it’s dark, yes it’s disturbing and it certainly messes with your head as the twists keep coming – told from multiple points of view and in multiple timelines, it is full of largely unlikeable but interesting characters and a truly dysfunctional family with some interesting reflections on “nature vs nurture”. It certainly held my attention from beginning to end – John Marrs does it again!

I should also say that the fact it is set in my local area, with my home town getting a mention, made me smile - though it did make me wonder what lies beneath the surface in this relatively quiet neck of the woods …!

This book was the gift that kept on giving, and not always in the right way. So many, so so many twists and turns and reveals and, double reveals debunking the previous... and well it all ended up a little bit of a farce at the end. A satisfying farce, but a farce nonetheless.
We start with Mia and Finn moving into a new house. A derelict house that they bought, snaffled up from under the noses of Finn's parents, as a doer-upper! Previously not blessed by children and, well, pretty much having given up on that dream, during renovations Mia unexpectedly discovers she is pregnant. So the race is on to get the house completely finished for the baby. But things take a dark turn when Mia discovers a chilling message pointing her to the attic. An attic they have yet to investigate. An attic that will yield up a walled off secret area which will itself, well, what's there is for you to discover, in all its gory detail...
And so begins a rather fantastic tale that, initially, had me on the edge of my seat as I wondered what in the heck was going on with it all. And then wondering in all it's deviousness and insanity and, well, depravity as it all started to come out. And then my eyes started rolling as it all got a bit over the top... You'll see when you get there - or not as the case may be.
I do love twists and turns, secrets and lies and more than a health dollop of dysfunctional behaviour but I also like things to cling onto some kind of thread of credibility and I am afraid it was here that things wavered for me a tad. Not too much, despite my banging on about it, hence the loss of only one star. It was still a thrilling ride and I never thought once of ditching it, I just rolled my eyes, smirked and carried on.
All in all, not his best offering but, hey we can't always please everyone equally, and looking at the other reviews, he has pleased plenty other people. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

You can count on John Marrs to never disappoint.

This is a dark, gripping read that had me hooked from the very first pages. The writing is compelling and gives each character their own personality, it really feels like you are able to see them interacting and can get an idea of what they are thinking, how they will react, etc...

I read other books by Marrs and this is definitely the darkest he's written so far. There's almost nothing positive happening, and every time you think it possibly couldn't happen anything worse... well, it does. I don't mind dark books and I really enjoyed it, but just a warning that this is a bit different from his other books.

My only criticism is that, although full of twists, the plot was a bit predictable and I was able to figure it out quite early on (all except one twist, which was maybe the most important, so that was a very nice surprise!).

Definitely a book to read if you like dark mysteries, serial killers, and want to be drawn in a very twisted story.

Thank you NetGallery and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A bleak and heavy book about generational trauma, abuse and serial killing cycle that never seems to end and the impact unhealthy parenting has on children.

What warped perceptions from some of the narrators, truly chilled me to the bone and made me feel more than uncomfortable.

It is hard to describe what strong feelings this book brought but none of them were good.

Powerful writing and a twisty and warped story, which was ever so sad and heartbreaking.

Overall, it was a tough read on the emotional side but executed brilliantly. I will definitely be following this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

⭐️ 2.5 ⭐️
Rounded up to 3 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I’ve read lots of rave reviews for this one so I’m definitely in the minority with my thoughts on it, but here goes…

I enjoyed the beginning of Keep it in the Family but after the first few chapters my interest waned. I thought the characters were one-dimensional and I disliked them all — usually when I dislike a character I can still connect with them in some way, but on this occasion I honestly didn’t care what happened to any of them.

I guessed the ‘twists’ quite early on and I nearly DNF a couple of times because I just wasn’t invested or immersed in the story. I expected the book to be atmospheric, eerie and chilling but for me it was none of above, I thought the atmosphere felt flat and even though the subject matter is gruesome, disturbing and shocking I didn’t think it felt in any way creepy or scary.

The book is well-written and there are some aspects of the story that I enjoyed, but overall, sadly it just wasn’t for me.

Keep It In The Family by John Marrs ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mia and Finn buy a fixer upper to turn into their dream family home and get away from her interfering mother in law, but during the building work they make a truly horrific discovery in the loft.

Understandably Mia is traumatised by the experience and becomes determined to uncover the mystery, even if it creates a divide between herself and Finn, and their new baby boy.

This was a brilliantly written story and loved the distinctive voices from the four main characters, as well as a splattering of police and newspaper reports. The twists just kept coming and certainly kept myself and my fellow buddy readers guessing

I’ve really loved my other, more dystopian feeling reads by Marrs and this rating is based purely on the disturbing nature of the book which is one I would usually avoid, rather than the writing itself.
I’d say that if you enjoy your thrillers on the darker side you should definitely give this one a go.

This book was so disturbing and so good! It’s told in multiple timelines and POVs with so many dark twists and turns. Highly recommend grabbing a copy of this one!

Another fantastic book by John who is a phenomenal writer and one of my favourite authors. This was a very dark and disturbing read but it kept me hooked from start to finish. Amazing twists and a great ending

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and John Marrs for an ARC of this book!**

Did you ever forget you had an assignment until the absolute LAST minute?

I'm talking two hours before, no chance for an extension, and your grade counts on handing something, ANYTHING, coherent in by the deadline....even if all you think you'll manage to squeak out is a 'D'?

THIS kind of book from an author as capable and talented as John Marrs....was sadly VERY reminiscent of that type of last-ditch effort that just went nowhere.

Mia and Finn are ready to make their new house a home. Sure it needs some upgrades, but they feel lucky they avoided being gazumped (yes, the use of this word was one of the high points of my reading experience) and ended up with the house. To cap off their happiness, Mia is pregnant and the timing seems perfect. UNTIL one day in the attic Mia notices a disturbing message on the skirting board up above: "I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC." Naturally, she and her husband are horrified...and the problems multiply when the two, with help from Finn's parents Dave and Debbie, EXACTLY what that message means...and the disturbing tragedies that took place there. Have Finn and Mia been harboring something dangerous under their own roof? And have they put their precious new baby DIRECTLY in harm's way?

Although I've said it once, it bears repeating: I had a hard time even believing this book was written by John Marrs. To start, things weren't so terrible, although they were a bit slow, with lots of set-up and drama involving the house buying and drama between Mia and Finn's parents.

But then Marrs got into discussing Mia's pregnancy...or rather, discussing what HE thinks apparently takes place during pregnancy...and I started to realize everything was going to come crashing down around me pretty quickly. I understand not knowing the ins and outs, but Marrs is usually reliable when it comes to his research...but not this time. An intruder pops in on sleeping Mia and this narration takes place: "Now I am standing over her, my face, directly above hers, my mouth next to her nose. I gently exhale so that she breathes me in and I become the oxygen that fills up her lungs and feeds her baby."

Uh...okay.

(Not to mention that a few pages earlier, Mia is fourteen weeks pregnant and has to ANNOUNCE it because she isn't showing...and yet, when this intruder arrives, they talk about her "swollen belly' etc.) I could go into more, but I'd rather not revisit it. Suffice it to say, there is example after example of weird idiosyncrasies that don't make a lot of sense. Mia is also purported to have postnatal depression...but instead of being treated for it or helped in any way, everyone around her sort of ignores the 'problems' to her face and berates her behind her back. Which brings me to my next point...

ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS are unlikable. (Except Mia and Finn's baby, I guess...we don't really get enough info until the very end for that to matter.) If you can't stand a thriller where everyone is awful, terrible, and no-good, this is NOT the book for you. This is also not the book for you if you can't stand reading about horrific things being done to children. In all honesty, I was able to remove myself from the gruesome bits being discussed throughout the book and not let that get to me, but I'm not sure how...I think because the quality of the writing was so meh, I was able to distance myself emotionally and at times mentally, because I was just struggling to make it to the end in one piece.

Marrs also slips in fake news articles, etc. throughout to sprinkle in clues (?) to help you solve the mystery, but the whole thing was just so unbelievable and over the top, they didn't particularly help me maintain any sort of interest. Unlike the page-turning, gripping suspense of What Lies Between Us, this one ran out of gas early and I simply couldn't wait for it to end.

I had figured after a couple of misses with Marrs' tech/sci-fi leaning books that a dive back into the psychological thriller realm simply couldn't miss. But after two thriller books revolving around the attic (one hit and one miss) perhaps all Marrs needs before his next is some fresh air...down on the ground floor.

2.5 stars