You Killed Me First by John Marrs
On November 5th a woman regains consciousness to find herself trapped and about to be burned alive in the centre of a bonfire. But which woman is it, and why is she there?
You Killed Me First book review & synopsis
This is a deliciously nasty narrative, filled with toxic, scheming and manipulative individuals and I loved it! It’s the kind of book that opens in such a way that your jaw drops and by the end of the narrative is almost welded to the floor. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a more twisty or more devious narrative.
The plotting is razor sharp and just when the reader feels as if they might have a handle on what is happening, the author confounds their expectations, making for a truly exciting story. This is a convincing, compelling and terrifyingly well constructed narrative with hooks that ensnare from the first word to the last.
References to fire, to murderous thoughts, to danger and to dubious past lives are woven throughout, leading the reader in so many different directions with hints and obfuscation so that it’s impossible not to want to read on and discover just how many secrets the three women, Margot, Anna and Liv, actually have. And secrets are at the heart of the story. Each woman is hiding something from their families, from each other, and from themselves. Gradual reveals build up a picture of their personalities until the reader is completely engrossed in their lives.
This psychological thriller is packed with twists and turns
What is so fascinating and disturbing is the way all three women are unnervingly manipulative and terrifyingly plausible so that reading You Killed Me First has the effect of making the reader not only suspicious of all the characters, but of all their own neighbours, friends and family too!
As well as being a fabulous psychological thriller with disturbing mystery at its heart, the story has numerous strands woven through it that show a mature and sensitive understanding of society. There’s an exploration of gender, there’s insight into social media and the impact of fame, there’s addictive, obsessive behaviour and mental health, with a full range of relationships for example, so that not only does this narrative entertain, it is profoundly thought provoking too.
John Marrs really is the master of a psychological thriller. Heart-thumpingly brilliant, You Killed Me First is a scorching illustration of how revenge is a dish best served cold!
You Killed Me First by John Marrs is out now (Thomas & Mercer, £6.99).
Read more fiction reviews by Linda Hill including Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney, A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft, Foster’s Mill by Val Wood, All I Want For Christmas by Karen Swan, City of Silk by Glennis Virgo, Things We Lose In Waves by Lucy Ayrton and Beautiful People by Amanda Jennings.
