This is another incredibly solid thriller from the powerhouse that is John Marrs. He is very talented at creating some really dark female characters with some very disturbing motivations. But in this one there was an element of more relief / lightness in the plot as all the women were devious against one another and had their own skeletons. So it read like a juicy story where no one was innocent and everyone had what was coming to them.
This story follows Anna and Margot, two neighbours irrevocably linked by one night in their past that has shaped their strange dynamic to date. Then Liv joins the neighbourhood and dark twists and turns ensue. This was such a propulsive book and all of the women were so messed up. There was affairs, hit and runs, blackmail, bonfires and more! I am a stan of John Marrs and I will always read his thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and author for a reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review.

You Killed Me First John Marrs
I really enjoyed this book, but I will say, I did get a bit lost at times as there are multiple narrators, I will say though, I have a lot going on at the moment, so perhaps my concentration levels are lower than usual, but still a very decent read. Think I will reread it when life is more settled.

Andrea Mara calls the opening chapter 'The most chilling opening I have ever read'.

I normally don't give much attention to such endorsements but I will have to agree with Andrea Mara on this one.

This is the third John Marrs book I have read and I am curious to know how his brain works...he seriously seems to be competing with Agatha Christie to hit the readers with the most twisted twists in his plotlines!!

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Thomas and Mercer and the author for the digital ARC of the book.

It’s 5 November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare. Bound and gagged, she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. Rewind eleven months: Margot, a faded TV star, and her long-suffering friend Anna watch as glamorous Liv and her flawless family move into their street. The three women soon fabricate the perfect pretense of friendship, but each harbors her deadly secret. As cracks widen in the veneer of perfection and lies escalate out of control, tension ignites. Bonfire Night is approaching and someone is set to burn…But who will it be?

"You Killed Me First" is a suspenseful revenge story with unexpected twists. The opening scene, depicting someone in a burning bonfire, immediately ignited my interest. Eleven months prior, the narrative cleverly shifts between the perspectives of three neighbors: Margot, Anna, and Liv. Each woman is a compelling character; Margot is delightfully hateable, even if she made me giggle at times, Anna is kind-hearted, and Liv offers a balanced outlook. However, what truly captivated me was the depth of their secrets and their true natures. It wouldn't be a Marrs novel if there weren't something crazy coming our way!

As the chapters unfolded, the characters' motivations gradually became clear, and I was delighted by the surprising revelations. I certainly did not anticipate the multiple twists near the conclusion. I have always enjoyed thrillers with unhinged personalities, and I am impressed by Marrs' ability to create characters that evoke conflicting emotions in me. I started out wanting to strangle them and ended up wanting to hug them afterward.

On top of nailing the dark undertone, "You Killed Me First" also addresses serious topics such as mental health challenges, self-harm, and the effects of trauma respectfully. In my opinion, Marrs remains the top contender for thrilling novels, and I am quite pleased with this addition to his collection.

A dark, twist-filled psychological thriller, You Killed Me First delivers secrets, deception, and a slow-burning tension that erupts into a shocking climax.

✨ Three women, three deadly secrets 🔥 Bonfire Night turns into a nightmare 📚 Unreliable narrators & escalating suspense

Marrs masterfully builds layered characters, each hiding something beneath their polished exteriors. The countdown structure adds relentless tension, making every reveal feel earned and chilling. The novel’s exploration of suburban facades, revenge, and morality is gripping, keeping you hooked until the final page.

If you love thrillers that keep you guessing, this one is a must-read!

John Marrs never disappoints, but he does surprise you still. That is my experience with his books, and this one proved me right yet again. You read it and you expect it to be good, and yet somehow it manages to surpass all your expectations and then add some more on top of that.

Wow - talk about my worst nightmare! This book pulled me in right away and did not let go. I was flipping pages like crazy, trying to figure out who to trust—and every time I thought I knew? BAM. Another twist.

The story follows three women—Margot, a former singer trying to stay in the spotlight, Anna, who’s still shaken by something that happened long ago, and Liv, the new neighbor who seems too perfect to be real. They all live on the same quiet street, but there are secrets hiding behind every door. As Bonfire Night gets closer, everything starts to fall apart—and by the end, someone is trapped in the middle of a burning bonfire. This one is tense, twisty, and totally unputdownable!

Thank you to NetGalley, John Marrs, and Thomas & Mercer for this five star thrilling and chilling book in exchange for a review!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

You might want to keep a notebook handy if you get confused easily by too many characters! I normally don’t have this problem but for whatever reason it helped me to keep track in my mind of all the characters relations and interactions. I really enjoyed the story once I could keep everyone straight in my head! I felt after so many twists and turns, the ending was fitting and perfect! I would recommend to anyone who loves psychological thrillers and mysteries!

I really loved this one! John Marrs books are hit or miss for me and this one was definitely a hit! I was Hooked from page one and thought the plot was brilliant!

Too complicated for my brain at the moment. I was thoroughly enjoying this book, but by the end, I just felt a bit lost!

Fantastic!!

Dark, twisted with so much suspense, twists and turns. In true Marrs style plenty of dark humour, wit and one liners thrown in to mix it up,

This was a highly unhinged and crazy ride, but omg was it so damn good. I am really starting to love this author more and more and his new book truly knocked it out of the park. It was twist after twist, just when you think Marrs is done, he smacks you in the face with another one. So good !

This one started off a little slow for me, but it quickly picked up the pace to the point where I wasn't sure how the story was going to end.

I always know never to trust that I have figured out what was going on or that there would be a "happy" ending.

I liked that it was written from the different points of view from the women. Each one had their secrets and dubious pasts.

I questioned myself so many times, except for two instances, but they might have been obvious to most.

It's one of those ones where you don't know who to root for, but that's what makes it interesting!

I have rated every John Marrs book i've read 5 stars and this is no different! I think this is my favourite one of his so far!
I absolutely loved the bitchiness and back and forth between the main 3 characters that I actually forgot about the attempted murder in the first chapter! I enjoyed finding out all the links and when I thought there can't be another twist...I was wrong!
The imagination John is amazing and I urge anyone who loves a Desperate Housewives vibe with a little bit of murder on the side to pick this up!!

Holy god what did I just read!!! John Marrs thinks of the most unique storylines and then just brings it to life on the page and it doesn’t matter how unusual they are they just work. This was one rollercoaster of a read that I couldn’t put down or turn the pages fast enough. Such despicable and unlikeable characters but they really add to the story and you can’t help but want to know more about them. Such an engaging read with so many twists and turns. This is a well developed and cleverly written storyline that comes together really well and nothing is left to ponder. Loved it and definitely recommend…

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review #YouKilledMeFirst

You Killed Me First by John Marrs

My rating:
3/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love John Marrs. He always does a fantastic job with character development and you never know what the next chapter will bring. Margot was a fantastic “hate to love” character bringing out Desperate Housewives elements. Overall this story was just fine for me which disappoints me because I love this author and his other books. This one just didn’t hook me as much as others as there was so much going on it was hard to keep all the details in line. I did have some audible gasps while some of the twists and turns were revealed but this one was just a little bit too unbelievable for me.
Overall, while it’s not my favorite thriller, if you haven’t read any of John Marrs’ books, I would highly recommend him!

Thank you netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC! You can read this one now as it was published in March of 2025!

Always a fan of a John Marrs book but, this is definitely one of my favourites!!

Books like these are the reason John Marrs has rightly so earned himself a reputation as one of the best psychological thriller writers of all time!

A nail bitingly, tense, well executed thriller that kept me page turning and slack jawed with disbelief!!

Keep your friends close but, your enemies closer has never made more sense....

Shocking twists, unhinged characters intent on revenge!!

This one was wild and I flew through it in a day!

Another absolutely fantastic book by one of my all time favourite authors. This was a dark psychological thriller full of twists and turns and I loved every minute. There was some cracking funny one liners from Margot which made me laugh. Brilliant book

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy

Can we just call John Marrs the king of the thrillers? Because this could be his crowing achievement.

YOU KILLED ME FIRST is everything we expect from Marrs- twisty, fast moving plot that will keep you awake all night until you finish the book. With multiple POVs, Marrs is able to keep everything well organized, advancing the plot in the most perfect way.