Keep It in the Family

Product Information

The format. Told in the first person from different view points, there’s a real abc type of narrative here, almost a childish style of storytelling that didn’t work at all for me.

Mia and Finn have brought a derelict house and are busy turning it into their dream home when Mia discovers, unexpectedly, that she is pregnant. During an already stressful and emotional time, Mia discovers a chilling message scratched into a skirting board: “I will save them from the attic”. Upon following this clue, a gruesome sight awaits her and Finn, and it’s clear their new home was once a house of unimaginable horrors. In the wake of this traumatic discovery the baby arrives, but Mia cannot stop being fixated by the monstrous crimes that happened in their house. Haunted by what she saw in the attic, her obsession pulls her away from her husband. And when little glimpses of a dark truth start to emerge, Mia realises the danger is terrifyingly present. She will do anything to protect her family, but could it already be too late? John Marrs novel are never predictable, because every novel is very different to the previous but it’s his ability to create new unique storylines which always pull out something new. I’ve started a review on this at least three times now & I’m at a loss for words, or I have too many words & don’t know how to properly get my thoughts out on “paper”. As a whole I really dug this book, if I had a do-over I would still read it! This is also my first book by Marrs & certainly won’t be my last. This was a super easy read (in a good way) that made for an easy cruise through the book..I read it in over the course of roughly two days with many (many! haha) interruptions😜 My only criticism is that, although full of twists, the plot was a bit predictable and I was able to figure it out quite early on (all except one twist, which was maybe the most important, so that was a very nice surprise!).Another trope I can’t stand is when the woman who can’t have kids, magically gets pregnant when she’s been trying for ages and now she stops trying, suddenly it happens. This is way too played out. In this chilling novel from bestselling author John Marrs, a young couple’s house hides terrible secrets—and not all of them are confined to the past. My streak of highly anticipated ARCs turning out to be the stankiest dookies of all time continues. So what went wrong? Mia and Finn buy a fixer upper sight unseen and are excited to start fixing it up. When they arrive, it is worse than they imagined. But Finn and his dad, David, can do much of the work themselves. This review will purposely be a bit vague because I feel like readers need to know in not knowing much abut it. You will want to be surprised by all the dark and twisty things this book has headed your way.

I knew from the very beginning when I read the opening prologue that this was going to be a dark and twisted read. Penned by an anonymous narrator who pops up throughout the story tells of the part they played in the abhorrent and chilling murders, the story then begins with Mia and Finn's respective narratives, also interspersed with Debbie and Dave's. We are also given excerpts of transcripts, interviews, newspaper articles and reports throughout at just the right time before lunging deeper into the past under the guise of the anonymous narrator. It is eye-opening, insightful and at times heartbreaking. The entire story is dysfunctional, as is the family it portrays, but it's the ending that is just too sad. Mia and Finn have finally gotten pregnant and are attempting to renovate an old home so they can move out of Finns parents house, of whom Mia has never gotten along with.

Customer reviews

I was so excited when I saw Marrs’ new book available for request on NetGalley because I loved THE ONE! Unfortunately, there was something missing for me in his latest thriller. I kept expecting it to come full circle for me, and it sadly never did. Let's start with the writing. This was the laziest first person narrative I've read in awhile. I call this "dear diary writing" where the character tells the reader directly wagwan like they're writing in their diary. Ie: "Today I went to the store and saw John. I really like John. He has nice hair. He makes me feel special. Hopefully he likes me too." Instead of writing a narrative that immerses the reader in the story so they're living the experience (and feeling all the feels too), this was written with the intent to just tell you what's happening as if you're an outsider looking in. BLEH. I love John Marrs and enjoy his dark thrillers and his style of writing from multiple perspectives, in which this did not disappoint. The story itself is filled with twists and red herrings that will keep you guessing - is it or isn't it? - leaving you wondering if you are able to figure them out. I did work out who the anonymous narrator was through a few drip-fed clues and things that were left unsaid. But that wasn't the only twist to be revealed...there are plenty more to come! I won’t lie, this one had me having crazy dreams at night. It was a lot to take in and deal with. Many sensitive subjects dealing with children, abduction, and murder. Not for the faint of heart!