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A review by booksamongstfriends
What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
4.0
3.5 Now this was a more entertaining take on mother-daughter dynamics. Let me start by saying I’m not usually drawn to mother-daughter stories. A lot of the time, they lean into the tired formula of “you wronged me” and “you misunderstood me,” which I find gets a little repetitive and boring. But this book? It decided to take that dynamic on a rollercoaster ride and crank the drama way up.
When you first read the back cover synopsis, you’re left curious at the nature of Maggie and Nina’s relationship. While I’m sure many could easily assume their mother and daughter I thought it was clever move on the author’s part to let the readers discover that on their own. The synopsis holds back just enough, making the unraveling of their bond and all its twisted layers a piece of the puzzle you interested to solve.
The story unfolds through dual perspectives and multiple timelines: present day, two years prior, and flashes back to 23 and 25 years ago. In the present day, we see Nina living a life with much to be desired and paining for much more. Then we’re introduced to Maggie, Nina’s upstairs prisoner and mother. Day after day we watch Maggie struggle between her pursuit of freedom and protecting her daughter in her own way. While parts of the story felt predictable to me, what made it engaging was seeing how far the author would push each of her characters limits. Marrs also threaded pieces together making it easy to follow as he revealed the depth of their pain, mistrust, and paranoia.
This book does a fantastic job exploring how both women grieve—Maggie for her daughter’s lost innocence and stolen future, and Nina for the life she feels was ripped away from her. Their dynamic is explosive, rooted in trauma, abandonment, and betrayal. And let’s be honest, you know there’s no way this story can end peacefully. I mean, really—how long can you keep someone chained in an attic before everything implodes?
I shared more spoilery thoughts on TikTok, but I’ll keep this spoiler-free here. Let’s just say this book was messy, and if you’re into mother daughter read with drama, psychological suspense and thrills, it’s definitely worth a read.
When you first read the back cover synopsis, you’re left curious at the nature of Maggie and Nina’s relationship. While I’m sure many could easily assume their mother and daughter I thought it was clever move on the author’s part to let the readers discover that on their own. The synopsis holds back just enough, making the unraveling of their bond and all its twisted layers a piece of the puzzle you interested to solve.
The story unfolds through dual perspectives and multiple timelines: present day, two years prior, and flashes back to 23 and 25 years ago. In the present day, we see Nina living a life with much to be desired and paining for much more. Then we’re introduced to Maggie, Nina’s upstairs prisoner and mother. Day after day we watch Maggie struggle between her pursuit of freedom and protecting her daughter in her own way. While parts of the story felt predictable to me, what made it engaging was seeing how far the author would push each of her characters limits. Marrs also threaded pieces together making it easy to follow as he revealed the depth of their pain, mistrust, and paranoia.
This book does a fantastic job exploring how both women grieve—Maggie for her daughter’s lost innocence and stolen future, and Nina for the life she feels was ripped away from her. Their dynamic is explosive, rooted in trauma, abandonment, and betrayal. And let’s be honest, you know there’s no way this story can end peacefully. I mean, really—how long can you keep someone chained in an attic before everything implodes?
I shared more spoilery thoughts on TikTok, but I’ll keep this spoiler-free here. Let’s just say this book was messy, and if you’re into mother daughter read with drama, psychological suspense and thrills, it’s definitely worth a read.