What the what?! This was a roller coaster. It’s crazy when a narcissistic sociopath gets allllll the luck. Thanks for the chance to listen.

The Good Samaritan is one of those stories that creeps under your skin and lingers long after the last chapter. The premise is chilling: What happens when the person meant to save lives at a suicide helpline uses that very position to help people end theirs instead?

This book was deeply unsettling in the best way. I never expected to be so disturbed by a character who hides behind kindness and empathy, only to reveal something far more sinister. The pacing slowed a bit in places, but the tension always returned stronger, dragging me back in. The dual perspectives kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had it figured out, the story took another dark, unexpected turn.

This is not a book for the faint of heart, but if you like your thrillers with a psychological edge and a sense of real unease, this one is worth the listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions as a NetGalley reviewer.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC!

This book was a WOW. I was hooked from the very beginning. BUT OMG, I have never hated a character SOOO much in my life. I kept having to pause because I was LIVID. Please read if you want your blood to boil the entire time! It was such a crazy read/journey for me. This thriller was more on the darker side than the ones I am used to.

I did indeed enjoy the book and this is the newer version with an updated epilogue! Be sure to check it out on July 8, 2025!

I love John marrs and this did not disappoint. Quite dark and twisted but shows how relationships and family situations in your younger years really do shape who you become as an adult. Explores several mental health issues very well. I felt for the characters and how they were made to feel and the actions that lead to them taking. Also portrayed the ways a person can influence you easily when in a position of trust and how easily lives can be ruined by lies and rumours.

This is by far one of the best thrillers I have EVER read in my life!!!! The twist, the turns, the manipulation, the coldest of the story.... Omg! This was my first time reading John Marrs but it will not be my last. Chef's kiss!

Reading in Between the Wines book review #68/125 for 2025:
Rating: 5 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Book: The Good Samaritan
Author: John Marrs
Re-releases July 8, 2025

Sipping thoughts: John Marrs always gets me so engaged that I ignore things I should be doing. I was SO angry at the main character and how she could manipulate all of the characters. There is a bonus chapter, which I am unsure if it was in the original release. If so, I think I would have liked the original ending. Laura is in the top 3 of the most evil characters and might just be the one I abhor the most.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley, @BrilliancePublishing, and @BrillianceAudio for an advanced copy of @TheGoodSamaritan.

#TheGoodSamaritan #JohnMarrs #BrilliancePublishing #BrillianceAudio #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bokreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Absolutely love John Mars. This is my 3rd book by him and will not be my last. This ALC of the Good Samaritan is a rerelease of his 2018 story, but very much new to me. Laura works for a suicide hotline providing that great voice of reason over the phone. However, is she really? OMG Laura is the best in the worst way. She's going through a lot of personal struggles herself, so she actually wants these people to harm themselves. People, please read this book. Listen to the audio. I will be purchasing the new copy when it re-releases.

The Good Samaritan is a dark, chilling, and masterfully written psychological thriller that dives into the mind of one of the most disturbingly compelling characters I’ve ever read. John Marrs creates a narrative that is both addictive and deeply unsettling, exploring themes of control, grief, and manipulation with razor-sharp precision.

Laura’s character is hauntingly complex, and the tension throughout the novel is relentless. Every chapter builds on the last with shocking twists that truly caught me off guard. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story would take another dark and unexpected turn.

The extended chapter in this new version is a brilliant addition-it adds emotional depth and a final, chilling punch that enhances the overall experience.

Highly recommended for fans of morally gray characters, psychological suspense, and thrillers that push boundaries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this updated edition. All thoughts are my own.

𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 5/5 ⭐️

The Good Samaritan by John Marrs is a fast-paced psychological thriller. Laura is an operator for End of the Line where people call when they need hope and reassurance that life is worth living but is Laura someone you can trust to help you?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC of this book!

This new edition has a bonus chapter at the end! Publish date July 8th, 2025!

OMG! What the heck! This was seriously diabolical but so freaking good! I could not put it down. I listened to this and the narrators were fantastic! So engaging and easy to follow! You have no choice but to hate Laura literally none but yet you are still pulled into wanting to know what happens and how she manages to weasel out of the situations she puts herself into.

Honestly though the unreliable narrator really kept you guessing! You don’t what is and isn’t real!

The ending made me so mad! I had hoped for a different ending but I get it!

Definitely recommend to those who like psychological thrillers that are fast-paced, dual POV, and unreliable narrators.