The format. Told in the first person from different view points, there’s a real abc type of narrative here, almost a childish style of storytelling that didn’t work at all for me. Just when I thought John Marrs books couldn't get any darker than his previous books I've read, it does! When Mia learns she is pregnant, she can’t believe her good fortune, as she has been unable to carry a baby to term. However, this miracle baby couldn’t have come at a worse time. John Marrs has done it again! Keep It in the Family (out October 18) was the twisty, turny thriller I hoped it would be! While it was a little long, causing the story to drag on a tad, this story still delivered the wild ride of intensity we have come to expect from JM.

Mia and Finn are busy turning a derelict house into their dream home when Mia unexpectedly falls pregnant. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a chilling message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their dream home was once a house of horrors. This was a fast read, had some creepy characters all with a fantastic storyline which kept me engrossed from the very first line until the last one. The only surprise in this book is the authors name. How the same man who wrote The One can write this trash is beyond me. This is John Marrs at his finest and I would say his best book so far. I don’t want to use the obvious phrase ‘twists and turns’ but there were so many that I couldn’t guess what was going to come next. An unnamed narrator confessing to being the BAIT that lured unsuspecting children to a home where they would end up dead and placed in suitcases in the attic.

Mia and Finn have just bought a do-er upper to finally get them out of living in the in-laws annexe, unfortunately in the renovations they uncover some secrets, some closer to home than expected. The TITLE gives us a clue of what to expect-this is a DYSFUNCTIONAL family drama as much as it is a psychological thriller, and, if you know me-dysfunctional families are not a favorite of mine!! There is a psychotic serial killer at the heart of this novel, and the book will appeal to readers fond of that sub-genre, with a little extra difficulty added because the victims were children. Whether in this story you find the killer’s actions plausible will depend on how persuaded you are by the set-up. Some of it was a bridge too far for me. Most of all, I wish the characters were more three-dimensional, giving me a reason to be interested in them. When they’re all so difficult, whether they get their acts together isn’t a high-stakes matter. This rating pains me. I'm so sorry if you ever see this, John 😭 I'm one of his biggest fans and will forever recommend The One, but this book was just a miss for me.

John Marrs writes some of the darkest thrillers I have ever read. What Lies Between Us is still one of my go to recommendations in the genre, even now years after reading it. I still have most of John Marrs' book in my TBR, but this one, unfortunately, just didn't hit the mark with me.

The best part of the book is that I could speed-read it and not miss any detail. That frees a day for me (hence the additional 0.5 stars). But it shows how much rambling could have been edited to make the narration taut. Worth more than 5 stars this book was fantastic... His best yet, As soon as I was approved I dropped everything and bumped this right to the top of the pile... ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS are unlikable. (Except Mia and Finn's baby, I guess...we don't really get enough info until the very end for that to matter.) If you can't stand a thriller where everyone is awful, terrible, and no-good, this is NOT the book for you. This is also not the book for you if you can't stand reading about horrific things being done to children. In all honesty, I was able to remove myself from the gruesome bits being discussed throughout the book and not let that get to me, but I'm not sure how...I think because the quality of the writing was so meh, I was able to distance myself emotionally and at times mentally, because I was just struggling to make it to the end in one piece. I have such a rollercoaster reading relationship with this author. The Good Samaritan blew my mind and I also enjoyed What Lies Between Us. All of his other books have been a DNF - yes, even The One. The One being the book that is probably raved about the most on Goodreads in this genre and I hated it. So how did I fare with his latest? Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and John Marrs for the advanced copy of Keep it in the Family in exchange for my honest review.