I love John Marrs, but this was not one of my favorites. The plot sounded interesting but with a truly unlikable main character, it was hard to stomach the result.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I almost have no words. I will most definitely say read the trigger warnings this has a lot of sui**de talk throughout. It can be very triggering. Now I did really like this book, I love this author and his work, but man did I hate the main character in this book haha. I can’t even explain more than that without spoilers. I loved the bonus chapter it gave me closure where I feel if I read the version without it I would have been disappointed in how it ended. It is a slow burn after a while but not so slow you don’t want to continue reading. Overall great read, just be very cautious of the trigger warnings.

Thank you Netgalley, John Marrs and Amazon Publishing UK | Thomas & Mercer for the eArc of The Good Samaritan.

The Good Samaritan is one twisty, slippery sucker with morally grey characters which will drag you through a rollercoaster of emotions! Told as a duo POV ( first person ) and a duo timeline we get a great picture on these main characters, Laura who works for the End Of the Line, a charity telephone service that was set up to help people talk through and possibly take their own lives ( think The Samaritans help line ) Laura though, has different plans in mind. Although, she may of come across the wrong person to mess with,

The first 1/3 of the book is from Laura's POV and she is so morally grey it's hard not to bond with her, In her own twisted mind, she's doing a good thing. The 2/3 is from Ryan's point of view, someone who she started talking on the phone to. Someone who has lost his wife and wasn't sure if he could carry on. Someone, who wants revenge. These two POV's entwine very nicely as Ryan's story is told from past to present. Laura's POV is just in the present, but we get to hear all about her past in the present tense.

This book really is a tense, uncomfortable read/listen. John's writing style is constantly drawing you in with the combination of figuring out the plot direction and his strong character development. I do feel that for a possible triggering and sensitive subject, John manages to build in tension, psychological twists in a dignified way and gets the balance right. Some twists, I figured out, some I didn't so this was a very engaging, page turning read !

This book is also narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden ,Charlotte Cole, Matthew Lloyd Davies, Tim Campbell and they all have extremely engaging voices which suits this psychological thriller.

5 stars

John Marrs really knows how to write dysfunctional family dramas/thrillers.

The first 35-40% I was pulled into The Good Samaritan so fast and staying up late to read “just one more chapter”. I will say from the 40ish-70% mark the story slowed down and I found myself struggling to want to keep reading but super glad I did because the family drama got worse (in a good way for a thriller book) and the crimes got more extreme that I once again couldn’t stop reading this book to get answers and figure out how the heck it was going to end.

The added bonus chapter of the 2025 rerelease was a wonderful addition and so glad I was able to bump this book up my TBR as I already was planning on reading all John Marrs backlist when he announced a rerelease/new cover/bonus chapters of 3 of his books that I haven’t read yet! So thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an absolute honest review!

A good samaritan you wouldn't want to meet. Told in different viewpoints the first is the samaritan next the husband of a suicide victim and it build up to a climax that you don't see coming. Well drawn characters and well plotted. This is my first John Marrs book and won't be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for this review copy.

Laura works for End Of the Line - the place you call when you have lost all hope, and need reassurance that life is worth living. However Laura doesn't want to give them hope. Laura wants to talk them into killing themselves. She thrives on it. But now someone’s on to her—Ryan, whose world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, hand in hand with a stranger. Ryan has to know who this man was to his wife, and why did they choose to die together?

This book was originally released in 2017, and has just been re-released with an exclusive epilogue. I am a huge fan of this author's books and this is the only one I hadn't read. It was so good. Laura had something terrible happen to her as a child, and I don't know if that broke her or if she was already broken, but she just seemed to devolve from there on out. She was an unreliable narrator due to the fact that she re-wrote the narrative as it suited her, and she seemed to have memory loss as well. The way she talked people into killing themselves was just chilling, as was the depths she went to in order to ruin Ryan's life after he discovered her secret. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what lengths she would stoop to next, and how he would react. I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves a good thriller!

OMG, brutal! Laura; wife, mother, and volunteer, encourages people to take their own lives, talking them through it right up until they take their last breath. It's only what they want, so help and guidance is simply a kindness that Laura is happy to show to them.

Laura is kind, dedicated and controlling as hell! But when the husband of one of her victims works out what happened, Laura may have finally met her match. Think about the most psychologically charged game of cat and mouse possible and turbo charge it!

Well written characters and a meticulous plot lead to some clever twists in this fast-paced and crazy story. What a ride!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, John Marrs and Amazon for an ARC of this book.

The Good Samaritan is a chilling, deeply unsettling psychological thriller that dives headfirst into one of the most troubling subject matters: suicide. At the heart of the story is Laura, an end-of-life volunteer who works at a helpline for those in crisis. On the surface, Laura appears selfless — someone eager to listen without judgment and offer comfort to the lonely and despairing. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Laura’s motives might not be as pure as they first seem.

Laura is a complex person. She longs to be reconnected with her estranged husband, Tony, and their daughters, Effie and Alice. But the reason behind their absence is a mystery. The more we learn about Laura, the more the reader is forced to question whether she’s truly a Good Samaritan… or something far more sinister.

The story also focuses on Steven — a man who repeatedly calls the helpline, hiding secrets of his own. His motives and connection to Laura add a sharp edge of tension to the plot. Then there’s the tragic story of David and Charlotte, two people bound by a heartbreaking pact to end their lives together. Why they came to that decision, who they truly are is another mystery.

John Marrs handles the heavy subject matter with unsettling precision, crafting characters who feel both believable and deeply flawed. Is Laura genuinely trying to help the desperate callers on the helpline, or is she exploiting their pain for reasons of her own?

Thank you to Netgalley and John Marrs for an advanced copy of this book to read.

I read this book previously; not realizing it was rereleased with a bonus chapter.
I was just happy to see ANYTHING by John Marrs!! He writes with a twist and suspense that I love in my books.

Thanks for granting my wish and thank you to the publishers for sending this my way. If you are a fan of his work then saddle up!!

Thanks again, #netgalley

Second time reading this amazing book and with the new bonus chapter added, which makes the ending even more dark and twisted.

The story is one of horror and of a woman who works as a volunteer on a helpline, listening to calls from desperate souls at their most vulnerable. Due to her past, which the reader slowly learns about, she is fascinated with others taking their own lives. The core of this is a very disturbing story of mental illness coupled with the inherent trust of those who anonymously give advice and the repercussions of those who hold onto their advice as they feel must be helping them.

So hauntingly written and with chilling characters and a very dark, twisted plot.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The people who call End of the Line need hope. They need reassurance that life is worth living. But some are unlucky enough to get through to Laura. Laura doesn't want them to hope. She wants them to die. Laura hasn't had it easy: she's survived sickness and a difficult marriage only to find herself heading for forty, unsettled and angry. She doesn't love talking to people worse off than she is. She craves it. But someone is on to her - Ryan, whose world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, hand in hand with a stranger. Who was this man, and why did they choose to die together?

It would be my luck if I phoned the Samaritans that I would get Laura on the end of the phone. She is someone you'll love to hate, and this story quickly pulled me in. Laura convinces people that they are not worthy of their lives. I could not put this book down until I had turned the last page.

Published 8th July 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AmazonPublishing #ThomasMercer and the author #JohnMarrs for my ARC of #TheGoodSamaritan in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bit different than other John Marrs books I have read, which have mostly been futuristic novels about the use/abuse of technology. Nonetheless, there is still something very "John Marrs" about it. This is a reissue of an older novel from 2013, with a bonus chapter at the end.
I normally don't like novels with a truly evil character, but this one works. You can't help but hate this protagonist, a woman who gets her jollies over helping people to die. There are the requisite twists and turns along with way, including one at the end. Is it intellectually deep? No, but that is not the purpose of John Marrs, but neither is it totally vacuous because he does give the reader something to think about.
Thanks to NetGalley and to Amazon Publishing UK for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinions.

This is one of those books you can read and will never fully forget.

4 stars, my fave Marrs since The One.

Thanks to the publisher for granting my wish via NetGalley!

Holy crap...well, that was a roller coaster. This is my second John Marrs book, and from this book alone, I'm all in on his writing. There was a point in time I got burnt out by thrillers and I've been enjoying them here and there again. This one though, I loved it. The dual narratives were both really strong and I was invested in both characters. I wouldn't say the book starts slow, I liked it right from the beginning, but at about the half way point, it becomes very hard to put it down. I went to sleep very late a couple of nights because I wanted to see what happened. Great book, fast read!

THE GOOD SAMARITAN BY THE LEGEND THAT IS JOHN MARRS.
5 thrilling ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s.
Release date is set for the 8th of July 2025.
This book is being republished with a brand new cover and a bonus chapter.
The chills that went through me from the Prologue alone 🥶
Well isn't Laura something else?
Wow.
I honestly don't know why it took me so long to getting around to reading this book as its so amazing and for me personally I think John Marrs is the master of his craft and I think he's amazing. Amazing writer and top bloke.
I can't wait to pick up another Mr Marrs book ☺
I highly highly recommend every single one of you to read this book

“The Good Samaritan” by John Marrs is dark, disturbing, and utterly gripping. The Good Samaritan follows Laura, a woman who answers calls for a suicide helpline—not to save lives, but to help end them. What unfolds is a chilling and twisted tale of manipulation, control, and psychological warfare. Suspenseful and intense from start to finish, this story dives deep into the darkest corners of the human mind. I couldn’t look away.

📝ARC Book Review📝
Title: The Good Samaritan
Author: John Marrs
Publication Date: July 08, 2025
Rating: 4.75/5 stars

The Good Samaritan is a chilling psychological thriller that burrows deep into your head because it quietly and methodically messes with your sense of morality. In the most unsettling ways, the novel turns the idea of compassion on its head, with its focus on Laura, a suicide helpline worker who covertly pushes vulnerable callers toward death. Her calculated empathy and skewed logic make her one of the most disturbing protagonists I’ve read in a long time.

On the flip side, we have Ryan, who is mourning the untimely death of his wife in extremely suspicious circumstances. Things really start to fall apart as he delves deeper into her death and his path crosses with Laura's. I loved the alternating POVs; it kept the tension high and gave just enough insight into both characters without revealing too much too soon.

This is not a feel-good read. It's dark and morally complex but it's also thought-provoking and executed with chilling precision. While a few plot points near the end stretch plausibility, John Marrs more than compensate on how he crafts an eerily quiet kind of horror in The Good Samaritan. It's not the gore or jump scares that haunt you, it's the idea that someone like Laura could exist. This is a thriller rooted in the psychology of despair, power, and moral decay.

If you enjoy thrillers that push boundaries and get under your skin, The Good Samaritan is an absolute must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK | Thomas & Mercer for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The bonus chapter adds an extra twist to this terribly twisty tale. It’s hard to review without spoilers but suffice to say that readers who crave justice and neat and fair solutions need to hold on tight. The author does an amazing job of making you doubt everyone’s version of the truth right up until the big reveal, and it makes for a really gripping thriller, John Marrs can really do no wrong, but in this psychological thriller genre he is unmatched.

The Good Samaritan is twisted dark thriller that is a whirlwind of secrets. lies, manipulation and its where crazy meets crazy.

I love crazy.

I wanted to reread the book due to the Bonus Chapter that has been added and I absolutley loved this feature.

Well that friendly voice is everyone's nightmare !

Laura works at The End of the line " hotline where you can call if life is too much for you.

Beyond crazy Laura is !

John Marrs is a master of the dark twisted thriller so be prepared to read long into the night.

Expect the unexpected .

Can't say there are any redeeming characters in this book ; that is what makes it so good.

I won't be calling any self help line any time soon!

I highly recommend The Good Samaritan and any of John Marrs books.

His new re-releases those being Her Last Move, When You Disappeared and The Good Samaritan have added another dimension to these much loved books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publising UK/Thomas & Mercer for the privilege of reading and reviewing The Good Samaritan

WHOA.
this was dark. intense. wicked. sickening. heavy. jaw-dropping.
but so, so good!
it also might be triggering for some people, so keep that in mind.
it will have you feeling so many types of way; good, bad, disgusted, disturbed.
it's like riding a new rollercoaster that sounds interesting, but you later learn has no boundaries; you want to shut your eyes, jump right off, or try to see where it leads.
definitely brings into perspective if people who are out to help are in it to genuinely help.
you'll either feel for some characters or outright LOATHE them, which speaks for how well John Marrs created these characters and the story.
it's hard not to get invested or put the book down, but yet also hard to read at times--in a good or bad way, depending on how you look at it.
i personally loved it, hence the rating. but i can see how this might not sit well for some.
you'll definitely need a palette cleanser type of book after reading this one.
if a book can evoke so many different reactions, it's worth the read for me.
with that said, if you like thrillers with dark & twisted themes... i think you'll like this.

shout out to Thomas & Mercer and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book via NetGalley. i leave this review voluntarily. all thoughts and opinions are my own.