John Marrs - What Lies Between Us

Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.
They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.
Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.
But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.
Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

Comment: This is the third book by the author I try. I've enjoyed the others and decided to read one more, hoping it would be as entertaining. Although it was so that, I didn't find it as enthralling.

Maggie and her daughter Nina live together in a house but most people think Maggie is in a nursing home, after a stroke. Librarian Nina seems to be a calm but boring person and she tries her best to appear so, but in reality she is having revenge on her mother for something she can't forgive. The problem is that Maggie knows things and can't be released, even if that means going through all the effort to keep her contained. Things change when a stranger contacts Nina on social media and this is the catalyst to everything leading to Nina's unraveling...

This is another bonkers story by the author. I really think mr Marrs probably sits down with his husband at the end of the day and says "what weird premises can I think of now" and that's how his books are fleshed out. His books are the kind of story which is more enjoyable to read without having spoilers, even though the little summary I have above, and the blurb, already hint at things which aren't easy to keep fully closed off. I was lucky because I chose this one for the cover, since it would suit a topic in one of the challenges I'm doing, so I went into it blind.

The story starts in a seemingly simple way, two women share a house in a very unusual manner, but the more we read, the more complex the situation becomes, especially since we learn they are mother and daughter, and the mother is shackled in her room, locked in the house and without others realizing what is going on. As the plot advances, we get to discover more and more layers about the situation, which adds drama and psychological complexity... when one thinks some things are done, a new twist comes up. I think this worked out quite well, even though the base of the whole thing isn't as easy to believe.

Nina is a mentally ill person, that's the only explanation I can think of, but as some things about her start to make sense the more int o the plot we are, including the apparent spiral into the situation we are reading about, the more I wonder if, perhaps, she is not exactly so, but affected by something else. I think the author attempted at a certain explanation, which can make sense, but to me wasn't as credible as it should. At least, not if we are to think of it from a medical/biological POV... of course, the author did add a lot of drama and exaggeration for plot's sake...

Maggie is clearly more likable and sympathetic. I think she did things in the past - all the secrets which drive the plot's endgame - which are morally grey and even criminal in the basic sense of the word, but I still wanted her to leave, to be able to get out of the house without Nina causing further damage. Once we understand completely what drove things to this point, that's when all the layers the author created make sense. I think that, for a psychological thriller, this story should have five stars.

However, I did not end up thinking this because the author has an agenda. He wants to shock and to push things into a point where the reader likely would say " oh what have I read", and to accomplish this, he takes Nina and Maggie to an impossible situation. Sadly, to me at least, it is also avoidable. The very end, when everyone involved knows what it's to know - well, almost because some details are left open ended - things could still be fixed, there was still hope to be had in the midst of all the bonkers parts and the hopeless ones. Still, the author went in to shock until the end. Of course, it's a plot choice but it didn't have to be this way and still achieve the bombshell factor.

This said, the end has some justice, or it is understood that justice is met somehow. I think this was a positive aspect because a part of us wants the positive to outshine the bad, but I will say I didn't like all the choices the author took in the final part. I could ignore a few elements throughout the story that I feel weren't as logically presented as they merited, but in the end, for shock factor, some things were over the top. I feel part of my emotional connection with things just faded out because of how unfair and unnecessary some things were. Still, it was certainly an engaging read.

Grade: 6/10