Synopsis: Three women. Three smouldering secrets. Who will make it out alive?

It’s 5th November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare. Bound and gagged, she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. As the smoke thickens, panic sets in – she’s moments away from being engulfed in flames. How did it come to this?

🔥

2024 is the year that I discovered John Marrs and oh boy, am I obsessed.

I was very fortunate to have received the latest thriller by John Marrs on NetGalley, which is out in March 2025 ✨️
This thriller follows three women who live on the same street. They all appear to be friends and happy neighbours but there are deadly secrets looming.

You get to hear from each character and the chapters are short, so it makes it a gripping, easy read.

The best part of books by John Marrs is just when you think you know everything, it unravels and ends with one final twist. Did not see the last twist coming!

If you want a fiery, twisty thriller pick this one up in March! 🔥

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC copy.

Another amazing book by John Marrs. I loved every second. I started of disliking the characters then feeling sorry for the one I shouldn't! Totally unpredictable, love it! An easy 5 stars.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved this John Marrs book! It was twisty and intriguing. I loved how it all came together in the end. I really don’t want to say too much so I don’t spoil anything. I really think John Marrs fans (like myself) are going to love this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

This was super twisty and kept me hooked. I loved the multiple pov’s and I was never too sure which was good/bad/worse as they kept changing in my mind as I read on! Since of the twists really were good and I didn’t see them coming! I have to say that it was the first chapter/prologue that really hooked me in…what a horrific way to start a thriller!

A whirlwind of deceitful, twisted characters, each concealing explosive secrets, You Killed Me First will hook you from the opening chapter!

The story revolves around three women, each prepared to go to dangerous lengths to protect their secrets. On Bonfire Night, one wakes up bound and gagged inside a bonfire moments from being lit—a terrifying start that immediately ratchets up the tension.

Margot and Anna, neighbors, watch as the glamorous Liv moves into their street, and the trio quickly form a friendship. But beneath the surface, their relationships are anything but straightforward.

Marrs’ talent for creating characters you love to hate is on full display here. While he’s known for slow-burn suspense, this novel takes on a faster pace, packed with drama and shocking twists. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, Marrs throws in a jaw-dropping ending that will leave you reeling.

This novel blends domestic suspense with dark secrets, betrayal, and deliciously catty drama. Fans of Marrs will appreciate the faster tempo, but the storytelling remains as layered and intricate as ever. Spanning a year, the timeline lets you watch the characters evolve, unraveling their secrets in an engrossing, character-driven journey.

True to Marrs' style, the plot is meticulously crafted, with twists that still manage to surprise even if you think you’ve guessed them. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to Marrs, You Killed Me First is a thrilling, must-read addition.

John Mars is absolutely one of the best writers out there. This book gripped me on the very first chapter. Part one the story had me a little bit confused. But then part two came and it all came together. I had a love hate relationship with the characters in the book. But it was so entertaining. This book will leave you wanted more. A five out of five stars

John Marrs you did it again! You Killed Me First was full of twists and turns. There were multiple jaw dropping moments all the way to the end that kept me engaged with the story. Great book!

4.75 stars

An absolute whirlwind of toxic and twisted characters, all of whom are hiding big secrets!

As always with John's books I was absolutely hooked from page one, with short gripping chapters it's almost impossible to stop reading. I did predict a few of the twists in this one but that didn't take away from the experience at all thanks to the incredible character work, I always wanted to keep going to find out exactly what was driving the characters and what other layers there were to the story! As for the ending I thought I knew exactly where things were going but as usual with a John Marrs ending my jaw was on the floor!

A big thank you to John Marrs - Author, Thomas and Mercer Publishing, & NetGalley for my first digital ARC.

My Reaction: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This was a fantastic twisted tale. This trio of women are all over the top flawed characters with glimpses of realism that make each of them likeable in their own way. With each new chapter, I wasn’t sure who was victim or villain and it was an absolute thrill ride to follow the plot and find out. I loved the build up, the twists & turns, shocking reveals, and the development of both characters and plot. So many unpredictable elements, and even the one part I did predict played out in a way that I didn’t see coming. John Marrs has gained a new fan. I would reread this novel and plan to check out more of his works.

The Book Description that originally caught my attention: Three women. Three smouldering secrets. Who will make it out alive?

It’s 5 November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare. Bound and gagged, she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. As the smoke thickens, panic sets in – she’s moments away from being engulfed in flames. How did it come to this?

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 pretence of friendship, but each harbours her own deadly secret – and newcomer Liv senses something is terribly wrong beneath the polished exteriors.

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?

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

the first half of the book had no original plot. the same friendship among women who are toxic and hate each other secretly and eye each other husbands blah blah! but the chapters were short so they kept me engaged!
but i liked the plot after the “Bonfire Night” because, from that point, it turned DARKKKK!!
the dissociative identity disorder parts of the book were my favourite! and because of that, even the ending turned out to be good although a bit far-fetched!

thanks to the publisher for the copy!

As a fan of John Marrs’ books, I can confidently say that “You Killed Me First” is hands down my favorite of all his works! Marrs truly outdid himself with this one, blending his signature fast-paced storytelling with such a clever and twisted plot that it kept me on edge from start to finish. The characters are brilliantly developed, each with secrets that unravel in the most shocking ways. Every chapter left me wanting more, and just when I thought I had everything figured out, Marrs threw in another jaw-dropping twist.

The psychological depth and moral dilemmas are brilliantly woven into the narrative, making you question everything about trust and relationships. I’ve read all of Marrs’ books, but You Killed Me First takes the top spot—it’s thrilling, chilling, and utterly unputdownable. A masterpiece in the genre! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you #NetGalley for the #ARC #YouKilledMeFirst #JohnMarrs

No one writes a psychotic character quite like John Marrs! This was a great read, with three lead characters, Margot, Anna and Liv; each despicable in different ways and each hiding a secret or two.

The book starts with an unknown character trapped underneath a bonfire - the action swings into the past as we discover the events leading up to Bonfire night and then the future.

Packed with excellent twists and turns, this is an excellent thriller. Four stars for me as I got slightly confused with some of the ‘ghost’ chapters and this distracted me from the main story.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer for my review copy

This was my first time reading a book by John Marrs, and he did not disappoint. The story was well-crafted and thoughtfully explored the complexities of female relationships, highlighting how competitive and sometimes harsh they can be. My only critique is that the chapters featuring the ‘dead’ character felt somewhat disconnected from the main narrative at the beginning. However, they did tie up nicely by the end

No notes, everything you could ever want from a thriller. Cremate me with this (no pun intended).

Amazing twists throughout, and fantastic characters who were super well developed and intricately connected. John Marrs villainised every character at some point leaving me literally clueless on who to root for

Massive John Marrs fan right here! I love books that have so many twists and turns, this one did not disappoint and kept me hooked from the start. Completely original and not predictable. Quite possibly my new favourite John Marrs book!

🔥𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧
🔪𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
𝙿𝚞𝚋🗓️: 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝟺, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻(𝚂𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙰𝚃𝙴🚨)
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★★

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...Three women..all with their own secrets that they may even kill to protect them.

🔥𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...The TBR had to wait once I got ahold of this ARC because omg, it’s John Marrs! 🎉 And, damnnnn..he totally nailed this one! 💯How he is able to write three women so well, I will never know. 🤨The cattiness was off the charts at times in the best of ways. I mean these ladies were ruthless, but also picture perfect too 💁‍♀️. If you follow Marrs he seems to be the most gentlest of guys, but yet he writes these perfectly wicked novels. 😈🙌🤔It’s always the quiet ones, am I right?!? 😆 His accent & all he shares is just the best & I chapter 39n’(IYKYK) love it!! 💜 There is another cameo of Chapter 39 too so make sure you don’t miss it & the authors note was the best! 🤩This one def has some disturbing shit so if you need to check TW then make sure you do, but I went in blind & loved every second of it. 🤸I will remind yall closer to pub date again on this one because this is a must read! 🔥

This is my 2nd ARC from John Marrs and he never disappoints. He has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I feel so lucky when I get selected for an ARC of his.

This book has so many twists and unexpected surprises. I enjoyed Liv, Margo and Anna so much. Wanting to see where their friendship would go and who would side with who was such a great read. There was no way I would have guessed the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and John Marrs for this early copy. I can’t wait to add a physical copy to my library.

Thank you Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and John Marrs for the eArc of You killed Me First.

Having read a few of John Marrs' books, I have enjoyed his writing style and especially his speculative thrillers. You killed me first grabbed me and kept hold of me to which I sat and read this one in one sitting! We start off with an opening prologue of someone trapped underneath a bonfire pyre. They have a phone and it rings, to which someone then tells this person..... You killed me first.

Rewind 11 months and we have Liv, who with her family have just moved into a new area and she befriends, Anna and Margot. Most of the book is from these 3 POV as first person. We also have the thoughts of another and so the mystery begins. Not only are you trying to suss out who was in the prologue and why. You are also trying to suss out who these thoughts belong to.

As the story progresses, Johns writing and clever foreshadowing, will keep you guessing and as soon as you think you have sussed it. Something else will come along to undo it all! The plot line is medium paced and holds that until the last 100 pages of the book. It then speeds up as everything unravels . I didn't see the last little twist coming and this is what I enjoy about John Marrs' books. It's like one final kick!

I loved the dynamics between the 3 main characters, Liv, Margot and Anna. The character flaws, secrets and characteristics makes them believable and to be honest, we probably know someone similar off the pages of this book.

Will be looking forward to listening to this on audiobook !

4..75 stars for Storygraph, 5 stars on Netgalley, Amazon and Goodreads

Well, after having read all of Marr's previous books I don't know why I'm so shocked!

My head will be spinning for days....just when you think you've got to the twist you're spun another 180 degrees. This happens over and over and now I need a sit down from being so dizzy.

Marrs style of writing is effortless.

I would highly recommend this to all readers...but block out a few days from your diary as you'll not want to put this down.

Thank so you much to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

Thank you to John Marrs, NetGalley and Thomas&Mercer for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC and leave a review.

So, I’m going to start by saying that I have read every single book by John Marrs and have completely devoured all of them. His speculative fiction is some of my favourite books and I loved this slightly tongue-in-cheek story. It’s Desperate Housewives if they were based in the UK and drank tea instead of champagne. Oh, and they all had very traumatic events in their lives and were very slightly psychotic. There were plenty of twists to keep you guessing and the chapters written by the victims was a brilliant addition. You can’t trust anyone in this book, and you never know who is out to get you.

I’ve given it four stars because although I love John Marrs writing style, and his very unique voices I did find I enjoyed previous books a little more