The Stranger in Her House
- Downloads：5969
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2024-02-14 17:21:58
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：John Marrs
- ISBN：B0C3JKFKXR
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
A stranger has infiltrated your family…and now he’s taking over。
Paul’s just here to help， or so he claims—sent by a charity for vulnerable people to do odd jobs for elderly widow Gwen。 But for Gwen’s daughter Connie， there’s just something about Paul that rings alarm bells from day one。 He’s a little too kind， a little too involved…Worse still， Gwen seems to have fallen under his spell。
The last thing Connie wants is a stranger meddling in the safe routine she’s built around Gwen。 She loves being the one Gwen turns to for cooking， cleaning and company。 But the more Paul visits， the more Gwen is relying on him。 By the time he conveniently finds himself between homes and has no choice but to move in， Connie is certain he’s trying to push her out completely。
It’s her word against his， though， and as her attempts to unmask him become ever more desperate she’s not the only one left wondering if she’s lost her grip on reality。 But when events start spiralling rapidly out of her control， should Connie wage all-out war on Paul and risk losing Gwen forever—or has that been his plan all along？
Paul’s just here to help， or so he claims—sent by a charity for vulnerable people to do odd jobs for elderly widow Gwen。 But for Gwen’s daughter Connie， there’s just something about Paul that rings alarm bells from day one。 He’s a little too kind， a little too involved…Worse still， Gwen seems to have fallen under his spell。
The last thing Connie wants is a stranger meddling in the safe routine she’s built around Gwen。 She loves being the one Gwen turns to for cooking， cleaning and company。 But the more Paul visits， the more Gwen is relying on him。 By the time he conveniently finds himself between homes and has no choice but to move in， Connie is certain he’s trying to push her out completely。
It’s her word against his， though， and as her attempts to unmask him become ever more desperate she’s not the only one left wondering if she’s lost her grip on reality。 But when events start spiralling rapidly out of her control， should Connie wage all-out war on Paul and risk losing Gwen forever—or has that been his plan all along？
Reviews
Jen Palma
，
Another fabulous book from John Marrs！ What twists and secrets in this one。 Audio definitely makes his books so much better！ A must read for a thriller addict！
Mary Lada
，
Amazing as usualIf you haven't read a John Marrs book， stop what you are doing and pick them ALL up。 There isn't one of his that I haven't given 5 stars and once you start a book， you are doing nothing else till it's twisted its last turn。 Love this one， it has to be in the top 3 for me。 Amazing as usualIf you haven't read a John Marrs book， stop what you are doing and pick them ALL up。 There isn't one of his that I haven't given 5 stars and once you start a book， you are doing nothing else till it's twisted its last turn。 Love this one， it has to be in the top 3 for me。 。。。more
Rebecca Lyn
，
This rating should actually be a 4。5 out of 5。 I read through this book in one day- could not put it down。 This may be my favorite book by John Marrs so far。 I waited months for this release and let me tell you- Marrs did NOT disappoint and it was well worth the wait！ I couldn’t begin to count all the audible gasps and “SHUT。UP。”’s I used throughout this story。 The character development， the scene painting with each carefully placed word， the plot twists！ Simply put- John Marrs knockedIt out of This rating should actually be a 4。5 out of 5。 I read through this book in one day- could not put it down。 This may be my favorite book by John Marrs so far。 I waited months for this release and let me tell you- Marrs did NOT disappoint and it was well worth the wait！ I couldn’t begin to count all the audible gasps and “SHUT。UP。”’s I used throughout this story。 The character development， the scene painting with each carefully placed word， the plot twists！ Simply put- John Marrs knockedIt out of the park again。 Don’t sleep on this book- read it ASAP！ 。。。more
Mistee Griffith
，
I read this in one day！Another amazing read！ U couldn't put it down！ Literally read this。in one day！ You did it again！ Thank you for being an amazing author！ I read this in one day！Another amazing read！ U couldn't put it down！ Literally read this。in one day！ You did it again！ Thank you for being an amazing author！ 。。。more
Mercedes Narain
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I have no words！ Wow！！！ What a book！ What an ending！ I was not expecting that ending at all。 I’m so speechless。 I do feel bad for Connie; she just didn’t have luck after everything she had been through since she was born。 In the end， no matter if Paul went to jail， he still got what he wanted。 This was such a great book。 Go read it; you won’t be disappointed。 My heart is still pounding。Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the gifted copies provided through NetGalley。
Jasmine
，
Firstly， thank you to John Marrs for my signed copy （won in a instagram giveaway）。 Secondly。 OH MY GOD。 Part 1， did NOT see the twist coming。 Part 2， SO TENSE。 Part 3， unbelievable。 Absolutely loved this book， read within 5 hours， could NOT put it down！ Incredible！
Danielle Evans
，
I wanted to enjoy this book so much I was excited to read it！！The twist is part one I figured out a few chapters in then there wasn’t many more twists after that！ The ending was okay but it was all very predictable
Kinanah Manalao
，
I just finished my first John Marrs book， and it was a great experience。 I've been wanting to dive into his work for a while now because of all the positive reviews surrounding his writing。 It's also convenient that most of his books are available on Kindle Unlimited， and you can listen to the audiobooks for free with an Audible membership。 Plus， the affordability of his books is definitely a bonus。I don't often stumble upon British authors， so some of the terms were new to me。 But I enjoy expan I just finished my first John Marrs book， and it was a great experience。 I've been wanting to dive into his work for a while now because of all the positive reviews surrounding his writing。 It's also convenient that most of his books are available on Kindle Unlimited， and you can listen to the audiobooks for free with an Audible membership。 Plus， the affordability of his books is definitely a bonus。I don't often stumble upon British authors， so some of the terms were new to me。 But I enjoy expanding my vocabulary， so I appreciated learning new words while reading his book。 Moving on， the first few pages had me laughing out loud。 The humor of the characters， Gwen and Connie， was so enjoyable that I momentarily thought I'd picked up a comedy novel。Finishing the book left me with mixed emotions。 Firstly， that jaw-dropping plot twist completely caught me off guard – it was amazing！ I also enjoyed seeing the story unfold from different perspectives， understanding the thoughts and feelings of various characters。 However， there were moments that left me feeling angry， particularly with Connie and Paul。 Yet， I recognize that childhood traumas can profoundly impact one's actions and decisions。Reading the Acknowledgement also left me feeling disturbed。 Discovering that there's a law in the UK allowing individuals with dementia to marry is quite unsettling。 It's troubling to think about how this could potentially be exploited by those looking to take advantage of vulnerable people suffering from such a terrible disease。I also want to mention how much I appreciated John Marrs including Dubai and the Filipino community in his book。 Having lived in Dubai myself， it's refreshing when authors take the time to do their research。 And yes， Palm Jumeirah is a real place – just one of the many stunning spots in Dubai。 It's named after its resemblance to a palm tree， as it's an artificial island。 Additionally， it's refreshing to see Filipinos portrayed positively in literature， rather than being typecast as villains， as often seen in certain TV shows。While the ending wasn't what I anticipated， I still found it satisfying overall。 It's gratifying to see certain characters get the closure they deserve after all they've been through。If you're a fan of thrillers， mysteries， suspense， or crime novels， you won't be able to put this book down！ It's definitely worth binge-reading in one sitting！ 。。。more
Emma
，
All my reviews can be found at damppebbles。comWarning: this review will contain a LOT of exclamation marks！Oh。 My。 Word！ This book。 This book！！ I am lost for words （which is a bit of an issue when my task is to write a review！）。 I don’t think a book has EVER provoked such a strong， visceral reaction in me！ I’m not one for violence。 It’s fine in fiction， I read quite a lot of dark literature but in real life， it’s a big， fat no-no， but reading this book， I was ready to commit GBH towards one of t All my reviews can be found at damppebbles。comWarning: this review will contain a LOT of exclamation marks！Oh。 My。 Word！ This book。 This book！！ I am lost for words （which is a bit of an issue when my task is to write a review！）。 I don’t think a book has EVER provoked such a strong， visceral reaction in me！ I’m not one for violence。 It’s fine in fiction， I read quite a lot of dark literature but in real life， it’s a big， fat no-no， but reading this book， I was ready to commit GBH towards one of the characters。 My notes on this one include ‘I can’t stand him， want to thump him！’， along with ‘aaarrrrgggghhhhh’。 And oh boy， it takes real writing chops to get that kind of reaction！ Let’s go back to the beginning though so I can explain my thoughts and feelings in more detail rather than just ranting about an unknown， unnamed character。 The character I want to wallop is called Paul。 He is sent by a charity to help elderly Gwen out around the house and garden。 All sounds quite acceptable so far， right？ Gwen suffers from vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s so some days are good， others not so much。 Gwen’s daughter， Connie， has recently moved back home to take care of her mum。 Walking away from a successful career as a Wedding Planner in Italy。 Connie does everything she can for Gwen so when Paul appears out of the blue， uninvited， she’s a little put out。 But handsome Paul is charming and begins to worm his way into their lives。 The longer Paul spends at the house， the closer Gwen and Paul become， eventually completely ostracising Connie。 After all she’s done for her mum， Connie refuses to let this stranger take over。 But that’s only the beginning of this twisty， highly compelling tale。 A fraction of the story to whet your appetite as there is so much more to this novel than meets the eye。 The characters aren’t likeable but they’re not supposed to be。 They’re superbly written。 Pitched just right to get under the reader’s skin。 To irritate and infuriate。 And oh my gosh， that’s exactly what they did to me in the best way possible！Would I recommend this book？ I would， yes。 If you’ve read any of this author’s books before you will know that a John Marrs novel is always entertaining and chockful of well-penned twists。 The Stranger in Her House is no different。 Paul’s insertion into Gwen’s life is fairly unremarkable to start with but builds gradually creating tension and a sense of threat， of malice and of manipulation。 Connie is pushed further and further to the periphery， leading to explosive reveal after explosive reveal。 Expect the unexpected as a barrage of shocks and surprises batter you about the head！ The pacing is spot-on， the characters are so well-drawn and I was swept away into this dark and devilish story from the get-go。 I desperately want to say more but I’m scared I’ll say the wrong thing， reveal more than I should， so I’ll wrap this review up now （there will be reviews out there that say far too much， I don’t want that to be me！）。 All in all， a twisted， twisty rollercoaster of a psychological thriller that evokes all of the emotions。 My heart broke for Gwen。 She was pretty much the only character I liked – from the start， all the way to the end。 I honestly don’t know how this author keeps coming up with these clever， original and downright immersive thrillers。 Every single one is a winner。 Riveting， evocative and bursting with razor-sharp， perfectly pitched suspense。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Kerry
，
Okay I’m gonna sit on it but this is SO good … either 4。75 or 5 stars
ReaderOfEbooks
，
Not my favorite from Marrs but I liked it enough。 Not as thrillery as Keep It In the Family。 Not as good as the speculative books from him either。 2。5 stars。 My rating would be 4 stars if it was done in duet narration instead of dual。
Audrey Haylins
，
3。5 stars3。5 starsIt pains me to say anything negative about a John Marrs book， but I’m afraid this one fell short for me。 I was expecting the trademark thrills and twists but instead got a gentle whirl on the merry-go-round。 The premise was strong and seemed to hold great potential。 Connie has moved back to England from Italy to take care of her elderly mother Gwen， who suffers from dementia。 When handyman， Paul， turns up， sent by a local charity to carry out jobs around the house， Connie sense 3。5 stars3。5 starsIt pains me to say anything negative about a John Marrs book， but I’m afraid this one fell short for me。 I was expecting the trademark thrills and twists but instead got a gentle whirl on the merry-go-round。 The premise was strong and seemed to hold great potential。 Connie has moved back to England from Italy to take care of her elderly mother Gwen， who suffers from dementia。 When handyman， Paul， turns up， sent by a local charity to carry out jobs around the house， Connie senses something isn’t quite right， and her suspicions are confirmed when Paul starts cosying up to Gwen and forcing a wedge between mother and daughter。 What follows is a classic game of cat and mouse， as Connie and Paul use all the tricks in the book to try to outwit each other。 There are some good plot twists， along with some startling and unsavory revelations about both characters， but these all play out in an oddly prosaic， meandering way that never quite delivers those heart-thumping， jaw-dropping moments I’ve come to expect from Marrs。 It was only out of respect for the author and the firm belief that the big twist had to come any page now that I didn’t abandon this halfway through。 My perseverance did pay off — to a degree — as the pace picked up somewhat towards the end， but ultimately this story finished on a whimper rather than a bang。 I’m disappointed。 I expected more。 I wanted more。 And maybe if I wasn’t such a fan， this might have been good enough for me。 But with success comes expectation。 And with expectation， an ever-higher bar。 This is a book possibly best enjoyed by readers new to Marrs， so don’t let my review put you off。 However， if you’re already an admirer and know what he’s capable of， then probably best to give it a miss。 。。。more
Laura Lovesreading
，
MY GOSH！！！！！！ Talk about a one sit readMr Marrs has done it again and released another quick bingeable book！ Be warned you have to suspend your disbelief slightly for this fun read！ The Stranger in Her House centre around a man named Paul who through a charity goes around helping vulnerable elders with household chores。 Paul is doing his services at a woman named Gwen's home， but her daughter Connie， does not take a liking to him。 She senses that something is sinister and wrong with Paul and sh MY GOSH！！！！！！ Talk about a one sit readMr Marrs has done it again and released another quick bingeable book！ Be warned you have to suspend your disbelief slightly for this fun read！ The Stranger in Her House centre around a man named Paul who through a charity goes around helping vulnerable elders with household chores。 Paul is doing his services at a woman named Gwen's home， but her daughter Connie， does not take a liking to him。 She senses that something is sinister and wrong with Paul and she wants him away from her mother。 GUYSSSSSSSS！ When I tell you the first 50% of this book had me screaming， hollering while uncontrollably throwing out expletives around my home you wouldn't believe it！ One thing John Marrs is going to do is create a character that you will loathe from the depths of your soul！ In this instance it was a whole neighborhood of characters that had me absolutely livid with their utter blasé and stupidity！ Oh the main characters were definitely fleshed out and without saying too much， all I will say express about them is 🖕🏾。 Having gotten used to John Marrs style of writing and his pesky red herrings I was able to guess a few of the twists and reveals but LISTEN I was still flipping those pages and having a jolly good olé time with these irritant individuals！ Around the 70% mark it did drag just a teeny weeny bit， but that ending was soooooo damn satisfying！ HAHAHAAHAA！If you enjoy a fun twisty cat and mouse plot with some downright awful characters then I HIGHLY suggest you add this one to your TBR！ Oh I will never tire of this authors work and I'm so excited that I wont have to wait too long for his next book as he is releasing another one later on this year！ 🖤4。5 ⭐ 。。。more
Nicole Wuthering Vines
，
Clever。 Creepy。 Captivating。 ChillingJohn Marrs has done it again and he truly never lets me down！ I absolutely inhaled this book！ It’s so skillfully layered and takes you on quite the ride， and one you never want to end！We get a fun game of cat and mouse and one of my favourite types of surprises， a midway twist that leaves you shook！ Mind blowing！ I literally gasped， then clapped， well done John 👏 Psychological thriller fans - this is one you don’t want to miss！ 4。5 stars rounded to 5 for good Clever。 Creepy。 Captivating。 ChillingJohn Marrs has done it again and he truly never lets me down！ I absolutely inhaled this book！ It’s so skillfully layered and takes you on quite the ride， and one you never want to end！We get a fun game of cat and mouse and one of my favourite types of surprises， a midway twist that leaves you shook！ Mind blowing！ I literally gasped， then clapped， well done John 👏 Psychological thriller fans - this is one you don’t want to miss！ 4。5 stars rounded to 5 for goodreads 。。。more
Teresa Nikolic
，
Connie is a wedding planner and has been working in Italy for a while when she learns that her mum Gwen is ill， so she drops everything to move back to the UK to care for her， here she meets Paul who has been sent by a charity that helps vulnerable people to do some work around Gwen's house and， at first， she thinks he's a nice guy， but he's beginning to get his feet a little too firmly under the table and she's concerned when her mum appears to be falling for his charm and relying on him more t Connie is a wedding planner and has been working in Italy for a while when she learns that her mum Gwen is ill， so she drops everything to move back to the UK to care for her， here she meets Paul who has been sent by a charity that helps vulnerable people to do some work around Gwen's house and， at first， she thinks he's a nice guy， but he's beginning to get his feet a little too firmly under the table and she's concerned when her mum appears to be falling for his charm and relying on him more than her。 Does Paul have an ulterior motive and can Connie get rid of him before he ruins everything？This latest thriller by Marrs is narrated mainly by Connie but we also hear from a number of Gwen's neighbours and family members。 The story is centred around the main characters of Gwen， Connie and Paul and highlights， in perfect detail， how dementia can destroy not just the life of the person diagnosed with it， but of all those close to that person too and how easily the one with the disease can be duped by others。 Paul was an extremely unlikeable character who frustrated and angered me on many an occasion throughout this story and， although Connie had done some underhand things， I found myself swaying towards her more in how I hoped this sorry situation would conclude。 This is a fast paced tale with short chapters， a well crafted cat and mouse plot and some great twists and， even though I really enjoy this authors speculative stories， （The One being my all time favourite） thrillers like this one are Marrs at his absolute best and I devoured this in a matter of hours。 Another great read which I definitely recommend。I'd like to thank Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the approval， I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon。 。。。more
Shelby *trains flying monkeys*
，
This is just a standard thriller。 A cute guy starts hanging around a elderly lady's house and her daughter knows he is a turd but can not prove it。It was a decent read but kinda like a potato chip book。 Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review This is just a standard thriller。 A cute guy starts hanging around a elderly lady's house and her daughter knows he is a turd but can not prove it。It was a decent read but kinda like a potato chip book。 Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review 。。。more
Sharada Mohan
，
Rating - 3。5 stars Grabs you instantly， but your jaw might not hit the floor。Thanks to Thomas & Mercer， NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review。 Synopsis - Gwen， an elderly widow needs help around the house。 Paul， a volunteer from the charity is just the handyman she needs。 But Gwen’s daughter Connie suspects Paul’s integrity from day one。 To her horror， Gwen seems to have gotten attached to Paul as he slowly infiltrates every aspect of her life & takes over her needs。 To what leng Rating - 3。5 stars Grabs you instantly， but your jaw might not hit the floor。Thanks to Thomas & Mercer， NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review。 Synopsis - Gwen， an elderly widow needs help around the house。 Paul， a volunteer from the charity is just the handyman she needs。 But Gwen’s daughter Connie suspects Paul’s integrity from day one。 To her horror， Gwen seems to have gotten attached to Paul as he slowly infiltrates every aspect of her life & takes over her needs。 To what lengths will Connie go to get rid of Paul？ Review - Marrs has very cleverly employed the ‘interloper taking over’ trope in this book。 The opening instantly got me hooked to the plot & I was very intrigued about the bizarre relationship Connie had with Gwen & the introduction of the helper， Paul。 Soon， multiple POVs are brought in， which slightly altered the momentum of the plot construction。 However， there are enough elements of suspense to keeps us turning the pages by mid-way。 The cat & mouse chase that ensues between Paul & Connie was handled very well with dark， vicious undertones & creepiness - each of them being two steps ahead of one another。 But if you are looking for the ultimate twist， with a high level of shock factor， then you might be a bit disappointed – as my initial guess turned out to be the biggest reveal with only a few more surprising threads， that weren’t the sucker punches I expected。 Marrs’ book usually come with very smartly built storylines making it impossible to guess with knock out twists。 So since the bar was high in this regard， this fell short。 Or it could be that as a seasoned thriller reader， my expectations were pretty high！ But if you are a fan of the author， you could still give this a read。 On the other hand， I appreciated how Marrs handles the subject of dementia here with the care & sensitivity it requires - exposing the loop holes in the laws， that puts the vulnerable elderly folks at risk for fraud & financial exploitation w。r。t will & lawful inheritance。 Hence my rating。 。。。more
Linda Leone
，
This one will be a little hard to write without giving anything away。Gwen lost her husband a while ago and now dementia has set in。 Her daughter leaves her life in Italy to come home and care for Gwen。Paul is a volunteer who does odd jobs to help out people in need。 When he seems to be around too much， Connie becomes concerned。A lot of books claim to be jaw dropping。 In a rare occasion for me， I actually had my jaw drop a few times。 Characters were well written and the sense of doom throughout t This one will be a little hard to write without giving anything away。Gwen lost her husband a while ago and now dementia has set in。 Her daughter leaves her life in Italy to come home and care for Gwen。Paul is a volunteer who does odd jobs to help out people in need。 When he seems to be around too much， Connie becomes concerned。A lot of books claim to be jaw dropping。 In a rare occasion for me， I actually had my jaw drop a few times。 Characters were well written and the sense of doom throughout the book kept me turning the pages。 Did I like the characters？ Not too much。 Did that stop it from being a great book？ Nope。I have read one previous by by Marrs and it is clear I need to read more。 If you haven't read any of his books， you really should。I loved this book。Thanks to netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc。 。。。more
Natasa IG: itsallaboutbooksandmacarons
，
This unforgettable journey went beyond the pages， proving that a story's ability to evoke deep emotions is what truly makes it remarkable。 This book wasn't about delight; it was a powerful force that left an indelible mark on my heart。 It didn't just tug at my heartstrings; it skillfully shattered expectations， breaking my heart in a way that ensured I would never forget its emotional impact。 From the beginning， I found myself on an exhilarating emotional ride， balancing on the edge of suspense This unforgettable journey went beyond the pages， proving that a story's ability to evoke deep emotions is what truly makes it remarkable。 This book wasn't about delight; it was a powerful force that left an indelible mark on my heart。 It didn't just tug at my heartstrings; it skillfully shattered expectations， breaking my heart in a way that ensured I would never forget its emotional impact。 From the beginning， I found myself on an exhilarating emotional ride， balancing on the edge of suspense and savoring the slower， more nuanced moments。As the story unfolded， unexpected twists seamlessly defied my predictions， adding layers of intrigue that showcased the narrative's brilliance。 The journey reached its pinnacle as the story concluded， leaving me with a heart full of emotions。It's rare for a thriller to evoke such deep feelings， but this one did it effortlessly。 What sets this book apart is its ability to transcend the typical confines of the genre。 It's not just a thrilling tale; it's a literary journey that resonates on a profound level。 The storytelling didn't just capture my attention; it held me captive from start to finish。In the world of thrillers， this one stands out， proving that a well-crafted story has the power to not only entertain but also touch the heart in unexpected and profound ways。 The twists， not just confined to the end but often scattered throughout， add an extra layer of intrigue， making it a testament to the power of a well-crafted narrative。 。。。more
Danielle B
，
THE STRANGER IN HER HOUSE blew me away and helped get me out of my reading slump。 When I started this one I went in blind， so I didn't know what to expect。 I can tell you that I was hooked from the start。 I liked the fast pace of the story， multiple plot twists， and the speechless ending。 This is a well played psychological thriller that you won't forget。 I cannot recommend it enough！Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my gifted ARC！！My review will be shared to my Instagram account THE STRANGER IN HER HOUSE blew me away and helped get me out of my reading slump。 When I started this one I went in blind， so I didn't know what to expect。 I can tell you that I was hooked from the start。 I liked the fast pace of the story， multiple plot twists， and the speechless ending。 This is a well played psychological thriller that you won't forget。 I cannot recommend it enough！Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my gifted ARC！！My review will be shared to my Instagram account （@coffee。break。book。reviews） during Publication week。Thanks to my buddy reader Natasa @itsallaboutbooksandmacarons 。。。more
Patricia
，
When I first started reading this book， I was like， "ho hum， another book about a dementia patient being conned。" I thought I knew where this book was going。 But I should have known。 I was reading a John Marrs book and he was not going to let me down that easy！At about halfway through the book the twists just started coming and they didn't let up！ Each one could have been a story on its own。 I winced every time poor Connie encountered another obstacle and I was rooting for her。 Was she a bad per When I first started reading this book， I was like， "ho hum， another book about a dementia patient being conned。" I thought I knew where this book was going。 But I should have known。 I was reading a John Marrs book and he was not going to let me down that easy！At about halfway through the book the twists just started coming and they didn't let up！ Each one could have been a story on its own。 I winced every time poor Connie encountered another obstacle and I was rooting for her。 Was she a bad person？ Oh yes！ But was she less bad than some of the other characters？ By a long shot！ Marrs writes a character who is so damaged that even when she tries to reform， her circumstances prevent it。 I could easily suspend disbelief knowing that some of these scenarios could happen in real life。Even when you think it's the end of the story， there's another convoluted twist and I'm sure I have permanent jaw pain from gritting my teeth as I stayed up into the wee hours so I could finish this book。 。。。more
La Femme Readers
，
Paul’s just here to help， or so he claims―sent by a charity for vulnerable people to do odd jobs for elderly widow Gwen。 But for Gwen’s daughter Connie， there’s just something about Paul that rings alarm bells from day one。 He’s a little too kind， a little too involved。 When he conveniently finds himself moving in， Connie is certain he’s trying to push her out。 But when events start spiraling rapidly out of her control， should Connie wage all-out war on Paul and risk losing Gwen forever―or has t Paul’s just here to help， or so he claims―sent by a charity for vulnerable people to do odd jobs for elderly widow Gwen。 But for Gwen’s daughter Connie， there’s just something about Paul that rings alarm bells from day one。 He’s a little too kind， a little too involved。 When he conveniently finds himself moving in， Connie is certain he’s trying to push her out。 But when events start spiraling rapidly out of her control， should Connie wage all-out war on Paul and risk losing Gwen forever―or has that been his plan all along？THE STRANGER IN HER HOUSE is a psychologically charged thriller about the dangerous battle between a daughter and a meddling stranger。 Gwen has dementia， so when Paul appears at her doorstep， she quickly falls for his charm。 Her daughter， Connie， tried her best to control the situation， but since this is a John Marrs story， expect the unexpected！ Connie’s POV grabbed at my heartstrings。 I can’t imagine the frustration of being in this relentless tug-of-war。 As for Paul， he’s a character you’ll love to hate！ He got under my skin to the point where I wanted to dive in and choke him out。 But then again， he’s not the only one who had me questioning their intentions。I can’t disclose much other than every part of this tale left me wanting more。 Marrs is the king of ending chapters on a cliffhanger to toy with his audience。 I am putty in his hands， looking for my next fix， and boy， did he whack me with a few shocking twists！ If you have a clue where it’ll lead， don’t bother。 The outcome will be ten times better。 John flawlessly tied up loose ends while gifting a small surprise on the last page。 THE STRANGER IN HER HOUSE gets all the stars， not only for its masterful writing but for respectfully bringing to light elderly abuse and the importance of protecting them at all costs！ 。。。more
Stina
，
★★★★★ 4。5 stars （rounded up） Oh， what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive。。。My goodness。 Another reviewer had it right。 Every single one of these characters were awful and as readers we may have to suspend belief on more than one occasion throughout this whole sorry tale。。。but gosh， like her， I couldn't put it down！ John Marrs has that inane knack for drawing you in and keeping you there， no matter how awful， how despicable his characters。 More than once I wanted to hurl m ★★★★★ 4。5 stars （rounded up） Oh， what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive。。。My goodness。 Another reviewer had it right。 Every single one of these characters were awful and as readers we may have to suspend belief on more than one occasion throughout this whole sorry tale。。。but gosh， like her， I couldn't put it down！ John Marrs has that inane knack for drawing you in and keeping you there， no matter how awful， how despicable his characters。 More than once I wanted to hurl my kindle at the wall during Part One。 It was so damn frustrating！ But then he gives us cause to sit back and pause。。。What if someone was slowly working their way into the life of your loved who was vulnerable and blind to their misdeeds？ What would you do？Connie has put her life on hold in the sunny climes of the Amalfi Coast of Italy to return to England and care for her mother Gwen who has dementia。 She's rented a little cottage in the village and every morning she arrives at Gwen's modest home she had once shared with her beloved husband Bill to bathe and dress her before setting about her other duties for the day。 Some days it's doctors appointments， others it's cleaning the house or maybe laundry or popping into one of the nearby villages via "the hopper" to run some errands for her mother。And then one day as she arrives at her mother's house， Connie notices a van in the drive。 Upon entering the house and exchanging a few confused words with Gwen， Connie discovers that the van belongs to Paul， a volunteer with a charity offering their services for free to those who may need it。 But as soon as Connie meets Paul she sees the smirk on his face and the twinkle in his eye and feels sure he is laughing at her。 And something about him raises alarm bells。 But what， exactly？On the surface， Paul is a genuine nice guy offering his free time to help those in need。 A noble cause， I'm sure。 And it isn't long before he has slowly inveigled his way into Gwen's life， cutting Connie out completely。 First， it's the doctor's appointment she was meant to take Gwen to， then it's redecorating the house to day trips to the seaside without clearing it with her， supplying Gwen with a mobile phone and failing to give Connie the number to removing her authority completely。 Connie feels sure he is up to something。 But no matter what she does， Paul is always one step ahead of her and Gwen seems to have fallen completely under his spell。 “I was prepared for the dementia to take away a little bit more of her every day。 But I didn’t expect another person to rob me of her。”Wow。 What a cat and mouse game this psychological thriller is！ Paul and Connie are both about as despicable as each other could get and yet I still found myself feeling sorry for her。 But wait！ This is John Marrs and he hasn't finished with you yet！ You're bound to get whiplash from all the twists。 The cat and mouse game that ensues will have you questioning just who is using who？！The plot itself is well written and skillfully done but if you're like me and have （or had） a loved one wit dementia then you are bound to find this very triggering， Part One especially， which is a tough read and more than once I wanted to hurl my kindle at the wall in frustration。 But Marrs has handled the subject sensitively （as one can with such an awful disease） and if you go on to read his notes at the end， his purpose was to highlight the need for a change in UK legislation that still （in 2024） allows someone with dementia to marry when they have lost all ability to make those kind of lifechanging decisions。 There were many instances in which I was shocked at what played out thinking surely no way would that happen under the circumstances。 In my country （Australia） I doubt half of what took place would be considered legal which is why I found it so difficult to believe。 But if the UK still allow such things to happen regardless of one's obviously ailing cognitive abilities， opening them up to exploitation。 It's shocking！As difficult as the first part is the plot takes an unexpected twist， so out of left field that I think I have whiplash， at the end of Part One。 After that， the read gets easier to digest （if not stomach）。 The story plays out over three parts， all skillfully plotted， and unfolds primarily through Connie's perspective with various others peppered throughout。 The final chapter was something of an eye-opening twist leaving the reader with no doubt as to who is checkmate。 And then that final little twist thrown in right at the end。 Genius。A tough one for me to rate due to how triggering it was for me throughout on many levels， and for this reason only I drop half a star but round it up to 5。I love John Marrs' psychological thrillers which are always deliciously dark and ingeniously twisted。 I would like to thank #JohnMarrs， #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #TheStrangerInHerHouse in exchange for an honest review。This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic。blogspot。com/。 。。。more
Holly
，
Many thanks to #thomasandmercer， @amazonpublishing， and @netgalley for my #gifted （free） copy。 I am a huge John Marrs fan， so I was so excited to get a copy of his newest book。 Unfortunately， this is one of my least favorites from him。 The reviews for this one are amazing， so I think it was just me， so I definitely recommend reading this one because it was by no means bad at all。 My problem was that I figured out the big plot twist very early on in the book so there were no surprises or big mome Many thanks to #thomasandmercer， @amazonpublishing， and @netgalley for my #gifted （free） copy。 I am a huge John Marrs fan， so I was so excited to get a copy of his newest book。 Unfortunately， this is one of my least favorites from him。 The reviews for this one are amazing， so I think it was just me， so I definitely recommend reading this one because it was by no means bad at all。 My problem was that I figured out the big plot twist very early on in the book so there were no surprises or big moments for me， which was unfortunate。 To be honest， I just got a little board with the cat and mouse game。 Like I said， the reviews are already great， and John is an amazing writer， so I definitely think this is worth reading。 Connie moved to be closer to her mom， Gwen， to help take care of her because she has dementia。 One day， Connie looks out the window， and somebody is doing yard work at Gwen's house。 He introduced himself as Paul， and he is with a company called Help For Homes that helps older people with chores around their homes。 Connie is convinced Paul has an agenda， so she starts to investigate him。 Is he as good of a guy as he makes himself seem？ 。。。more
Holly
，
Many thanks to #thomasandmercer， @amazonpublishing， and @netgalley for my #gifted （free） copy。 I am a huge John Marrs fan， so I was so excited to get a copy of his newest book。 Unfortunately， this is one of my least favorites from him。 The reviews for this one are amazing， so I think it was just me， so I definitely recommend reading this one because it was by no means bad at all。 My problem was that I figured out the big plot twist very early on in the book so there were no surprises or big mome Many thanks to #thomasandmercer， @amazonpublishing， and @netgalley for my #gifted （free） copy。 I am a huge John Marrs fan， so I was so excited to get a copy of his newest book。 Unfortunately， this is one of my least favorites from him。 The reviews for this one are amazing， so I think it was just me， so I definitely recommend reading this one because it was by no means bad at all。 My problem was that I figured out the big plot twist very early on in the book so there were no surprises or big moments for me， which was unfortunate。 To be honest， I just got a little board with the cat and mouse game。 Like I said， the reviews are already great， and John is an amazing writer， so I definitely think this is worth reading。 Connie moved to be closer to her mom， Gwen， to help take care of her because she has dementia。 One day， Connie looks out the window， and somebody is doing yard work at Gwen's house。 He introduced himself as Paul， and he is with a company called Help For Homes that helps older people with chores around their homes。 Connie is convinced Paul has an agenda， so she starts to investigate him。 Is he as good of a guy as he makes himself seem？ 。。。more
Liz Butler
，
John Marrs is definitely one of my MUST READ authors， and few things thrill me more than being gifted one of his ARCs。 In true Marrs fashion， his latest book is creepy and thrilling and twisty and oh， SO clever。 This is quite the game of cat and mouse， it's a he said/she said that will have you questioning who's the villain and who's the victim。 For starters， every single one of these characters are abhorrent。 And I do mean Every。 Single。 One！ But Marrs will take you on a bumpy and stressful jou John Marrs is definitely one of my MUST READ authors， and few things thrill me more than being gifted one of his ARCs。 In true Marrs fashion， his latest book is creepy and thrilling and twisty and oh， SO clever。 This is quite the game of cat and mouse， it's a he said/she said that will have you questioning who's the villain and who's the victim。 For starters， every single one of these characters are abhorrent。 And I do mean Every。 Single。 One！ But Marrs will take you on a bumpy and stressful journey that will not only give you a severe case of whiplash， but will also leave you exhausted from the tension。 And I am here for all of it！ This was another Marrs win in my book！ A huge thank you to the author， Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Elaine
，
There is no holding this man back。 Another 5 star book by John Marrs
Krissy （books_and_biceps9155）
，
So， John Marrs always takes a very important， hot topic and weaves it into one of his excellent thrillers。 This was no exception。 Wanting to spread light on the lack of protection the UK fails to give their elderly。 Its heartbreaking。 My MIL has Vascular dementia， and we had a very eerie situation with a shady caretaker in the beginning of her diagnosis， so this book rang close to home。 It is disturbing and Marrs writes about Alzheimer’s/Dementia as someone who is familiar with the disease。As th So， John Marrs always takes a very important， hot topic and weaves it into one of his excellent thrillers。 This was no exception。 Wanting to spread light on the lack of protection the UK fails to give their elderly。 Its heartbreaking。 My MIL has Vascular dementia， and we had a very eerie situation with a shady caretaker in the beginning of her diagnosis， so this book rang close to home。 It is disturbing and Marrs writes about Alzheimer’s/Dementia as someone who is familiar with the disease。As the story progresses more twists reveal that things aren’t at all what them seem， with anyone。 I was shocked and literally gasped out loud a few times。 This was captivating and would make a wonderful book club book as it would bring about a really good discussion。 。。。more
Sharon Valler
，
A brilliant， BRILLIANT， page turner， with twists in abundance！ Connie is caring for her Mum， who has dementia and is concerned about the charity volunteer， Paul， who seems to be getting a little too close for comfort。 The characters and the compelling writing style drew me right in and when the first， massive twist smacked me hard in the face。 I was floored。 Completely stunned！ And it didn’t stop there！ Twist after twist after twist， right up to the last page - fabulous！ 5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley A brilliant， BRILLIANT， page turner， with twists in abundance！ Connie is caring for her Mum， who has dementia and is concerned about the charity volunteer， Paul， who seems to be getting a little too close for comfort。 The characters and the compelling writing style drew me right in and when the first， massive twist smacked me hard in the face。 I was floored。 Completely stunned！ And it didn’t stop there！ Twist after twist after twist， right up to the last page - fabulous！ 5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley， John Marrs and Thomas and Mercer， for an ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Kaceey
，
4。5🌟What if someone was slowly， methodically working their way into the life of a loved one？ What could you do to stop them？Connie's life is on hold as she cares for her mother Gwen， who’s in the grasp of dementia。Suddenly the handyman always seems to be ever-present around Gwen， and more than happy to help out。。。perhaps a bit too helpful。 Gwen loves all the new attention， but Connie thinks he’s surely up to something…she can just feel it！John Marrs is at it again！ Delivering a super twisty nove 4。5🌟What if someone was slowly， methodically working their way into the life of a loved one？ What could you do to stop them？Connie's life is on hold as she cares for her mother Gwen， who’s in the grasp of dementia。Suddenly the handyman always seems to be ever-present around Gwen， and more than happy to help out。。。perhaps a bit too helpful。 Gwen loves all the new attention， but Connie thinks he’s surely up to something…she can just feel it！John Marrs is at it again！ Delivering a super twisty novel that had my anxiety ramping-up as the story unfolded！ Don’t get too comfortable thinking you know where this is headed…because chances are you’ll be wrong！😂In the beginning I had some difficulty reading about Gwen。 If you know someone with dementia， or lost someone to the disease （as I have😢） it’s a bit triggering。 But I simply couldn’t walk away from a John Marrs’ book。 He handled the subject matter sensitively。 Be sure to read the acknowledgment at the end of the book。Fan of John Marrs？ （How can you not be） don’t miss this latest！Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer 。。。more
Tag
-
the stranger in her house the stranger in her house john marrs epub the stranger in her house john marrs pdf the stranger in her house epub the stranger in her house pdf the stranger in her house summary