Keep It in the Family
- Downloads：4786
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-10-31 11:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：John Marrs
- ISBN：171367355X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Nicole Wuthering Vines
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This was such a disturbing read yet oh so intriguing！ I found it diabolically clever and relished in the abundance of twists！ It takes you on a wild and chilling ride， and just when you think you’ve figured everything out， the twists and revelations keep coming！ Told in alternating timelines and multiple POVs， I enjoyed how this one explored the nature versus nurture debate and definitely did not lack in the family drama department！ While most of the characters were kind of obtuse and certainly This was such a disturbing read yet oh so intriguing！ I found it diabolically clever and relished in the abundance of twists！ It takes you on a wild and chilling ride， and just when you think you’ve figured everything out， the twists and revelations keep coming！ Told in alternating timelines and multiple POVs， I enjoyed how this one explored the nature versus nurture debate and definitely did not lack in the family drama department！ While most of the characters were kind of obtuse and certainly deplorable， I was truly fascinated nonetheless！ I suggest going into this one as blind as possible - It makes for a super tense and extremely compulsive read！ While I own several， I’m embarrassed to admit this was my first by Marrs but it surely won’t be my last！ 4。5 stars rounded to 5 for goodreads 。。。more
Tabitha Johnson
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Wow！ This guy never disappoints。 I've loved every book of his from the first I read， The Good Samaritan。 He is hard to beat。 Surprise after surprise！ Wow！ This guy never disappoints。 I've loved every book of his from the first I read， The Good Samaritan。 He is hard to beat。 Surprise after surprise！ 。。。more
Mynightisbooked
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“You feel the last bit of breath leaving their body。 You’re looking into their eyes。 A person in that situation is God。”Ted BundyWhen a book opens with a quote from a notorious， sadistic serial killer you know it’s going to be a wild ride。 From the first page I had shivers down my spine and was on the edge of my seat， full of anticipation at the promise of such a chilling tale。 Mia and Finn’s new house is a dilapidated two-storey detached Victorian house on an ordinary street。 It’s a house yo “You feel the last bit of breath leaving their body。 You’re looking into their eyes。 A person in that situation is God。”Ted BundyWhen a book opens with a quote from a notorious， sadistic serial killer you know it’s going to be a wild ride。 From the first page I had shivers down my spine and was on the edge of my seat， full of anticipation at the promise of such a chilling tale。 Mia and Finn’s new house is a dilapidated two-storey detached Victorian house on an ordinary street。 It’s a house you’d never really notice but for the young couple this house is a promise of a better future。 But what they don’t yet know is that it is also a place harbouring dark secrets。 Secrets that the person who is quietly watching them knows。 The truth finally begins to emerge after the couple make a gruesome attic in the attic that haunts Mia and leaves her desperate to uncover the truth of what happened in the house。 But someone else will do anything to keep it from being uncovered。 The only question is， which of them will succeed？“He isn’t the first to be caught in their web and he won’t be the last。 Most of them beg for mercy but they are all wasting their time。 There will be no change of heart because there never is。 No one under this roof believes in compassion。 Empathy is an alien emotion here。 “OMG！ What the f#@% did I just read？！ Deliciously dark， marvellously menacing and totally twisted， I am slightly terrified of John Marrs after reading this; though I would love to peek inside his mind to know how he came up with what is his darkest book yet。 I’ve been a big fan of Marrs’ books since I first read The One upon its release in 2017， and with every book he just gets better。 He truly is the king of the twisted psychological thriller。 Everything about his books makes my thriller-loving heart sing as he holds me hostage， my heart pounding as I read with baited breath as he drops clues like breadcrumbs to build the suspense。 Every time you think all the twists have been revealed and you have it all figured out he will pull the rug from under you and turn the world upside down。 It’s a never-ending maze of secrets， lies and murder。 Twist after twist that makes your jaw drop and your head spin。 And I can’t get enough of it。 This story makes even the most messed-up and crazy family you know seem sane。 By giving each of them a voice we are able to really get inside their minds and discover who they are。 I felt most drawn to Mia， my heart going out to her in particular after the events at the end of part one。 I also really enjoyed the play on the traditional awful mother-in-law trope。 Debbie is detestable for so many reasons and I admit I was team Mia from the start。 But it is the mystery narrator who I felt was most powerfully written。 Though they are clearly a killer with a warped moral code， they are utterly fascinating。 Through flashbacks to their childhood we learn that they are a creation of their horrific experiences， my heart breaking for what they endured and witnessed。 Writing a one-dimensional villain is easy， but it takes true talent such as that possessed by Marrs to craft such a mesmerising yet chilling portrayal of a disturbed individual who is both repulsive yet sympathetic。 “To some， I’m a saviour， but to others， I’m a monster。 I know what my work has been about， all the souls I’ve saved from torment。 It’s part of the bargain that I can never share my role with the world。 There’d be no hope of them understanding。 Blinkered as they are， I could only be a monster。 “But who was our mysterious villain？ I enjoyed trying to piece the clues together to work out the answer but the clever red herrings left by the author led me to also suspect the innocent at times。 Even when I’d guessed correctly I discovered there were yet more crazy antics to come as this person toyed with their victims further and prolonged their torment with glee。 When and how would it end？ I had no idea。 But I don’t think I could have guessed what was in store even with infinite opportunities。 Keep It In The Family is my new favourite John Marrs book。 And I think it will be yours too after you read this dark， sinister and mind-blowing tale。 Just buckle yourself in and enjoy the ride。 。。。more
Jols
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3。5 ⭐️ rounded up。 good and entertaining， but nowhere near as good as my three favorites （the one， the passengers， what lies between us） by this author :o）
Claire Mawdesley
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I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this book from the man himself。 But good lord！！！ NOTHING could have prepared me for what a dark read this was going to be！ I should have known as no-one does it better than John。It was so twisty I got whiplash from thinking WTAF！I'm not going to give any clues to the story。 You can get that from the blurb。 But seriously you need to read it， but a helpful tip first。 Get your Christmas decorations down from the attic before starting this book。 I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this book from the man himself。 But good lord！！！ NOTHING could have prepared me for what a dark read this was going to be！ I should have known as no-one does it better than John。It was so twisty I got whiplash from thinking WTAF！I'm not going to give any clues to the story。 You can get that from the blurb。 But seriously you need to read it， but a helpful tip first。 Get your Christmas decorations down from the attic before starting this book。 。。。more
Autumn Walker
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This is a book about the absolute worst person who could ever possibly exist。 I love John Marrs but this was almost too dark for me 💀 I also predicted the ~big twist~ from basically the beginning but it was still a crazy read。 Just made it feel a lot longer waiting for the reveal。 But if you’re okay with the deep darkness of it all then maybe you’ll enjoy it more than me！
Kim N。 Le
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The female characters were so cringe， I had to DNF
Lee Hill
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Mia has found the love of her life in Finn after being publicly humiliated by her cheating ex。 The couple have just bought a house that requires extensive renovations。 In the midst of the restoration not only does Mia find herself unexpectedly pregnant， but also a disturbing etching has been found on a skirting board。 Following the direction of this， the family investigate and undercover a chilling discovery bringing the work to a standstill。 Mia becomes fixated on the atrocities that have occur Mia has found the love of her life in Finn after being publicly humiliated by her cheating ex。 The couple have just bought a house that requires extensive renovations。 In the midst of the restoration not only does Mia find herself unexpectedly pregnant， but also a disturbing etching has been found on a skirting board。 Following the direction of this， the family investigate and undercover a chilling discovery bringing the work to a standstill。 Mia becomes fixated on the atrocities that have occurred in the house trying to find answers。 She unravels horror after horror as things start creeping a bit too close to home。 John Marrs has secured his position of one of my favourite all time authors。 This man knows how to write a book that keeps you enthralled throughout， giving you whiplash with all the twists and turns。 Nothing short of pure unbridled excellence！！！！ WOW 😍 。。。more
PuniPoli
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3。75 stars
Solange Guillen
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This is what you call a f%^#*up family！Dark and filled with twists。 Superb！ John Marrs never disappoints。
Sara ✨ Next Book Review Blog ✨
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***** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *****John Marrs has always been one of those authors that I just read or listen to his releases as soon as I can。 I have always enjoyed the way he tells his story and Keep it in the Family kept that pattern alive and well for me。 It was a story of great mystery and compulsion。 I just could not stop listening to this story because we kept finding out something new or being confused by something just found out。 It kept me listening in rapt attention。 The narration was a four ***** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *****John Marrs has always been one of those authors that I just read or listen to his releases as soon as I can。 I have always enjoyed the way he tells his story and Keep it in the Family kept that pattern alive and well for me。 It was a story of great mystery and compulsion。 I just could not stop listening to this story because we kept finding out something new or being confused by something just found out。 It kept me listening in rapt attention。 The narration was a foursome that seemed to really embody the characters。 Elizabeth Knowelden， Susan Duerden， Steve West， and Simon Mattacks brought their characters to life with the words they spoke。 I will say that any book Elizabeth Knowelden narrates is always a winner for me。 She’s a fabulous narrator and I’m never disappointed when she’s in the mix。 Thank you Brilliance Publishing for the complimentary copy of this audiobook with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion。 I was not required to leave a review， positive or otherwise， and my opinions are just that。。。 my opinions。Check out my Blog: Next Book ReviewCheck out my Facebook Page: Next Book Review Facebook 。。。more
Crystal
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The prologue really drew me in。 It reminded me a lot of the Fred and Rosemary West case。。。A seemingly normal family committing terrible deeds behind closed doors。 The prologue was definitely creepy， haunting and left me wanting to know more about these sinister deeds and motivations。From there， things slowly unraveled for me。 The story is told from several POVs。 We have Mia and Finn who bought the infamous house at auction plus the perspectives of Finn's parents who wanted the house for themselv The prologue really drew me in。 It reminded me a lot of the Fred and Rosemary West case。。。A seemingly normal family committing terrible deeds behind closed doors。 The prologue was definitely creepy， haunting and left me wanting to know more about these sinister deeds and motivations。From there， things slowly unraveled for me。 The story is told from several POVs。 We have Mia and Finn who bought the infamous house at auction plus the perspectives of Finn's parents who wanted the house for themselves。 Did I mention they hate Finn's new wife， Mia？ What unfolds is more a story of a dysfunctional family who hates each other than the past horrors committed in the house。 And it was such a slow burn！ There were podcasts， newspaper articles， and YouTube video commentary to break up the monotony and flesh out the terror of the story。 Sadly， though， I found most of the story bland and a chore to get through。 I also didn't feel like the writing was up to the standard of other John Marrs books I've read。 But I'm still a fan of Marrs and will read his next book。 This one just wasn't for me。 。。。more
Georgia
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Only down fall was that there where too many POVs and multiple timelines that got a little bit confusing。 Otherwise this was a really enjoyable， dark and twisty book
Danielle
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I've been waiting months for this book so I probably built it up in my head and it just couldn't live up to the hype。 Then after release， I waited another week for KU to have the audio lol I've been on an audiobook kick lately。 The narration got a bit cartoonish at times with the "bad guy" sounding monotone and idk。。 kinda funny？It has some really cool and creepy parts！ The problem is they're far between so much dialogue that just wasn't necessary。 So I'd get an answer and be psyched and then ha I've been waiting months for this book so I probably built it up in my head and it just couldn't live up to the hype。 Then after release， I waited another week for KU to have the audio lol I've been on an audiobook kick lately。 The narration got a bit cartoonish at times with the "bad guy" sounding monotone and idk。。 kinda funny？It has some really cool and creepy parts！ The problem is they're far between so much dialogue that just wasn't necessary。 So I'd get an answer and be psyched and then have to sit through more yapping instead of going with the momentum built in the chapter before。It was definitely devious and I loved the podcast， interview， and news clipping chapters。 I eat that stuff up。 It was good， just not great。 Would have been better if it was shortened just a bit。 I still recommend。 。。。more
Bookshortie
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Review coming soon
Deborah Goulding
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3。5 stars
Michelle
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3。75 starsI really love John Marrs’s books， because they are always quick to read and keep me guessing the entire time。 There were a few twists I didn’t see coming， which I loved！ The ending， however fitting， frustrated me though。 My main complaint is that the quality of the writing felt really off in this one。 There were some descriptions which were just so awkward or plain bad （the Shakira line made me roll my eyes so hard）。
Lauren Emma
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This book kept me hooked throughout and had so many twists and turns！
christine adair
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Worth readingExcellent writing great story line ， but found the last few chapters dragged on and I couldn't wait to get to the end ，which for me was very predictable anyway。Still a good read though Worth readingExcellent writing great story line ， but found the last few chapters dragged on and I couldn't wait to get to the end ，which for me was very predictable anyway。Still a good read though 。。。more
Olivia Parker
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I normally love John Marrs’ books， but I was so bored reading this; the whole first half of the book is essentially the synopsis， without any true investigation into the bodies in the attic。 Saw the “twist” coming from the very beginning。 I will say the last 15% of the book got really interesting， but up until then I was just waiting for it to be over！
Debbie
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This man cannot write a bad book。 You won’t think your family is dysfunctional after you read this。 I literally was reading and said “Wait。 What？？” and had to reread the paragraph。 This is a ride through crazy town， and I loved every twist and turn！
john ratliff
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Fantastic！！！！Loved this story just when you think you have it all figured out there's a twist you didn't see coming。 Very suspenseful and had me biting my nails waiting for what came next。 Fantastic！！！！Loved this story just when you think you have it all figured out there's a twist you didn't see coming。 Very suspenseful and had me biting my nails waiting for what came next。 。。。more
Amber
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sooo twisted but my favorite by him so far！ This one was soo twisted and each time I thought that I had figured out what was going on BAM a new development and twist even crazier than the last one！
Shelley's Book Nook
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My Reviews Can Also Be Found On: My Blog | Twitter | Amazon | BRC Blog | StoryGraphI so enjoy John Marrs books。 This is my sixth read of his， I have loved every single one of them and the prologue in this one gave me high hopes。 About fifty percent through this one I was ready to give it five stars。 It was engaging， creepy， and well-paced。 Then about halfway in it started to get a bit over the top。。。now I can do over the top， I call them popcorn thrillers。 They are a little out there but My Reviews Can Also Be Found On: My Blog | Twitter | Amazon | BRC Blog | StoryGraphI so enjoy John Marrs books。 This is my sixth read of his， I have loved every single one of them and the prologue in this one gave me high hopes。 About fifty percent through this one I was ready to give it five stars。 It was engaging， creepy， and well-paced。 Then about halfway in it started to get a bit over the top。。。now I can do over the top， I call them popcorn thrillers。 They are a little out there but the entertainment value is worth looking past all the unbelievable parts。 Then I got to the seventy-five percent mark of the book and it got SO unbelievably "out there" and I had to suspend my belief SO much that I stop enjoying it。 This book didn't even read like the John Marrs I am familiar with and I didn't like the style of the first-person narrative， it simply just didn't work here。 I did not like ANY of the characters， not even Mia。 I felt the entire cast was a bunch of deplorables and I had no one to root for。 I had the big reveal figured out almost right away so there were really no surprises for me either。 I loved this author's other works so much so I will keep reading whatever he puts out and will put this one down to a one-off bust。 。。。more
Sarah Fisher
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Another dark， dark book from John Marrs and yet another gripping read。 Never afraid to breach topics which other authors are afraid to tackle and go further down the rabbit hole into the blackness。 John has been my favourite author since I picked up a copy of The Passengers a few years back… I also always enjoy the fact that places I know well often crop up in his writing。 Makes it feel even more personal and menacing！
Morgan Thomas
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This was such a good book。 It is not for the faint of heart though。 It is a classic horror/thriller book。 It is dark but it'll keep you on your toes。 There were a few really good twists and I really enjoyed reading it。 I finished it all in one sitting。 This was such a good book。 It is not for the faint of heart though。 It is a classic horror/thriller book。 It is dark but it'll keep you on your toes。 There were a few really good twists and I really enjoyed reading it。 I finished it all in one sitting。 。。。more
Karen
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Another brilliant story by John Marrs。 He still manages to weave a compelling tale with so many twists & turns。 What a ride！
Barbara Behring
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What a roller coaster of a book。 There were so many twists it had my head spinning！ Some of the twists I guessed but some came out of left field。 This is actually the first John Marrs book I've read and now I plan on going back to read his backlist as soon as possible。 Loved this book。 What a roller coaster of a book。 There were so many twists it had my head spinning！ Some of the twists I guessed but some came out of left field。 This is actually the first John Marrs book I've read and now I plan on going back to read his backlist as soon as possible。 Loved this book。 。。。more
Elise a。k。a。 PAPERNERD
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This was John Marrs's newest novel， and it so absolutely did not disappoint ！LOVED IT ！！！！Warning - this book is about one （or more ？） serial killer（s） of children - yes， you read that right。。。Let's summarize the story， without giving too much away:You will soon find out， that the title of this book is absolutely true to the story。We get to know an overwhelming mother， a heavily drinking father， their adult son， and his wife who bought a new， renovation ready home。Amidst the renovations， and aft This was John Marrs's newest novel， and it so absolutely did not disappoint ！LOVED IT ！！！！Warning - this book is about one （or more ？） serial killer（s） of children - yes， you read that right。。。Let's summarize the story， without giving too much away:You will soon find out， that the title of this book is absolutely true to the story。We get to know an overwhelming mother， a heavily drinking father， their adult son， and his wife who bought a new， renovation ready home。Amidst the renovations， and after many IVF trials， the young wife is finally becoming pregnant - however， a bunch of suitcases with dead children are discovered in the attic。And if you think， the 7 suitcases found are the only ones， you are badly mistaken - because there's many more。。。And so the story begins。。。A story with many twists and turns。So here you go - this is a very short description of what happens in this story。You can not figure out， which one or how many family members are included in the murders， and how long the crimes （and secrets） have already been going on， and by whom。Fact is， that if you think the twists are over， more are coming。。。If you know the works of John Marrs you will soon find out， that this book is one of his breath-taking masterworks， comparable with "What lies between us"， and just as breathtaking as "The One"。However， this book does not have a slightly futuristic touch like many others of his but stays in the "here and now"。And here's where I stop this review - you have to read the whole book， to be equally terrified and surprised。For months I was looking forward for this book to finally come out - and it was so worth the wait ！This is a solid 5-star book for me - I hope， you enjoy it as much as I did ！ 。。。more
Ruphaa
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