Tag: John Marrs

The Vacation by John Marrs

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Within a short period of time, I seem to have gone from never having read a John Marrs book, to knowing that he is a reliable choice when you need a great book to read. ‘The Vacation’ was chosen as a informal buddy read with one of my booksta buddies and it was a great choice. Which, to be honest, was no surprise.

‘The Vacation’ is set around one slightly questionable hostel in Venice Beach, and the people who choose to stay there or have found themselves working there. We find out what has brought them there, as well as following the exploits whilst they are there. And there is quite a colourful collection of characters – with some rather dark secrets or troubled pasts – and more in common than they realise. As well as the meaning of ‘vacation’ for each of our different characters.

This, of course, was a page-turner, as you would expect from the pen of John Marrs. As I was reading this, I just had to know what was going to happen next. Especially as each ‘part’ ended on quite a revelation.

John Marrs always knows how to create some really rather dark characters. As well as creating some thought-provoking moments, especially around people doing the wrong thing but for some ‘right’ reasons. Or people trying to save themselves from situations that are unpleasant or dangerous – does that make some actions ‘understandable’?

Also, he draws so well on the topics that raise a lot of questions in out current time. In this book there is a discussion about the price of fame and those that find themselves in the spotlight, and the exploitation in that industry. There are some other ideas too, but this is one that really struck me, as it is something that is around us all the time in popular culture and media.

So, if you are a John Marrs fan, you will absolutely enjoy this book – and it has just proved that I need to keep working my way through John Marrs’ backlist, because I am fairly certain none of them will disappoint.

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

It is John Marrs month for The Book Taster Book Club (and in my case for Book and Pudding Club too), and I am here for it. I have only ever read one John Marrs book before and I was a fan, so it is nice to have a chance to read an author’s backlist, especially when so many of my bookish buddies are also fans.

So, a wonderful bookish buddy and I embarked on a buddy read of ‘What Lies Between Us’ on Saturday and, by the end of Monday, we had both finished the book. In fact, I think it is safe to say that we had raced through it. We were both finding it incredibly difficult to put down what we were reading – in fact, I snuck off for a bath after work on Monday, just so I had an excuse to read the book because I just had to know what was going to happen. And my fellow bookworm and I were constantly messaging each other with theories and ideas about where the book was going, and at the odd OMG moment. All of this together is the sign of a good book, if you ask me – and this is definitely a great book.

As this is a no-spoiler post, as always, I really can not say too much about this book as I am so worried that I might give something away. However, I will say that I have rarely read a book with so many moments of misdirection that manage to send you off down a possible wrong path as you attempt to play ‘armchair detective’ to the plot. It is so cleverly plotted that you find yourself being thrown from one idea to another at various points in the story, and by the end there are still things that you do not expect – well, I did not expect them all, anyway.

This is a story about Maggie and Nina, mother and daughter living together in a rather unconventional way, it is soon revealed. We are told what has led to the present through events from different parts of the past. But is what we are reading always the truth, or are some memories misremembered, distorting the narrative of the characters’ past? And, sometimes, do we judge too quickly, especially when it involves someone we love? What really triggers any human to carry out the most extreme actions any human can?

That is all I can really say about the plot of the novel, as I absolutely can not give anything away, but this is a book that I really recommend if you are a fan of a pacy read, with an element of mystery and thriller along the way. This is a book that would make a brilliant book club read, because it was an excellent buddy read – so if you are looking for either of these things, maybe add this book to the list.

So, that has been a success of two out of two for my reading experience of John Marrs books, so I am off to find another to read, in the hope that the third choice will be just as brilliant as choices one and two.

The Good Samaritan by John Marrs

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have been told several times that I should try to read a John Marrs novel. So, when I spotted that ‘The Good Samaritan’ was a bargain on Kindle, I decided it was time to take the advice.

And, what I learned immediately is that John Marrs can clearly write a chilling novel. I found the start of this novel rather unsettling (in a good thriller way) and knew that I would be reading all of this book, because I just had to know more. We have a fantastic, unreliable narrator in our lead character, Laura, who works for the charity helpline ‘End of the Line’ – we seem to be presented with a ‘Good Samaritan’ but, as the story unfolds, we doubt so much of what we have learned.

The majority of this story is told from two key perspectives: that of Laura and Ryan. Ryan, particularly, experiences intense grief when his wife commits suicide, apparently with the help of someone else. We follow him as he seeks his revenge – after all, an ‘eye for an eye’ – but that just results in him destroying his life even further as he takes matters into his own hands.

It is actually quite hard to review this book, as there is no way I can reveal spoilers. But I can tell you that this book has all the ingredients of an intense thriller. You have, as previously mentioned, your unreliable narrator; you have your complex characters, you have your secrets, your lies, and your twists and turns. I am not sure at any point you are actually sure what is going to happen next – and, just as you think you are not going to be shocked, something else takes your breath away. It is a truly addictive read.

I am not sure what else I can say about this book without giving too much away, but I will suggest you read it if you are a thriller fan, although please be clear that there are some difficult topics amongst its pages, so you may want to check those out first.

And now I am off to seek out my next John Marrs novel, because one of the best treats about stumbling across a new author is that it means you have a whole back-list of books to catch up on, which is always a treat.