When you’re looking for a psychological thriller with crazy plot twists that will give you whiplash, you need not look further than the work of John Marrs. Previously I reviewed his book Keep It in the Family (and it was actually one of the first reviews I ever posted on this blog). Today, however, we’ll take a look at his popular novel You Killed Me First.

Liv has a good life with her husband and their twin toddlers, and they decide to move from London to a more suburban community. On moving day, she meets two neighbors: former pop star turned housewife/stepmom Margot and independent jewelry maker Anna. She initially hits it off really well with Anna but doesn’t necessarily enjoy spending time with Margot because of her arrogant personality. What starts as typical neighborhood women drama deepens as the plot slowly unravels into completely messed-up chaos. Murder, secrets, and ghosts (or mental illness?) shape the narrative into a wild ride with almost too many details to keep track of – in the best way.

Marrs’ writing style flips between the perspectives of several characters, and he unfurls the story non-linearly across two decades. It can be a little hard to keep track of at times, but the craziest details magnetically pull you in with a force strong enough to make you remember those important tidbits at exactly the right moment during the big reveals.

Some of the twists were pretty predictable for me, but what I wasn’t expecting were all the counter-twists that only come to light once you feel like you’ve solidly figured everything out. This is the kind of book where you think you know the whole story… and then the characters drop a big “but wait, there’s more!”

I’ve been flaring pretty badly again this week, and focusing on reading has been a real struggle, so the audiobook available through Kindle Unlimited was just what I needed. I loved how each narrator had a distinct voice, so you could easily tell who was who, even during moments when it was harder to fully tune in. For someone like me who deals with brain fog as one of the worst symptoms during flares, this was a great pick to stay entertained without feeling confused.

I often see people recommending Marrs’ work in one of my psychological thriller reader groups on Facebook, and I know he’s an active member there as well. I always love seeing an author take part in conversations with their audience. There’s something genuinely refreshing about writers who take the time to connect with the strangers who love their work.

Overall, I highly recommend this one! As usual with thrillers, I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, so take my word for it when I say this is one you won’t want to miss. Secret identities, a little bit of stalking, a serial killer – this book weaves together so many classic genre tropes that if you love psychological thrillers, I can confidently say you’ll love this one!