Keep It in the Family

Product Information

This book was the gift that kept on giving, and not always in the right way. So many, so so many twists and turns and reveals and, double reveals debunking the previous... and well it all ended up a little bit of a farce at the end. A satisfying farce, but a farce nonetheless. 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.

From the very start, I thought it was an interesting, but yet a very familiar family dynamic. Mia and Finn are desperate to buy their first house together. Mia more so than Finn, so she can escape her overbearing Mother-in-law, who likes to demean her at every possible opportunity. Their dream house doesn’t turn out to be quite as they were hoping for, in fact, it is a deadly nightmare. The house has been keeping very disturbing secrets, within it’s run down walls. On the flip side, the writing was mostly good and the last few chapters were intense. The twist was great and the ending was perfect for this story. A good starter book for someone not used to crime/thriller fiction maybe? I'll leave you with this gem of a quote and for context I'll tell you that Mia is, I believe, 8 months pregnant: I didn’t like any of the main characters, but I did enjoy the bits of podcasts, interviews, and news clippings which added to the story well. I loved “The Good Samaritan” and I am always captivated by the Dystopian World which John Marrs has created (The One, The Passengers, and The Minders) so you can be sure that I will still be auto-requesting his next, despite not being quite as enamored with this story.

Customer reviews

Mia and Finn were so excited to finally make their dream home a reality – only for an unexpected development: Mia’s pregnancy. Little did they know what horrors lie beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect property; upon further investigation, hidden in the attic was unspeakable evidence from dark past events that left them with sleepless nights. As they pieced together clues leaving intentional messages throughout the house, it slowly started to dawn on them just how close danger lurked around every corner as more secrets unravelled before their very eyes… This is one messed up family saga. One thing I love about John Marrs is that he always brings originality to every book he’s ever released. I’ve read a few of his books so far and each one feels so completely different in the best way possible. With Marrs’ latest novel, KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY, the story focuses on Finn and Mia, a couple purchasing a fixer-upper to finally call their own. After living with Finn’s parents, Debbie and Dave, the couple is ready for their new chapter. Almost immediately after purchasing this home, Mia discovers she’s pregnant and finds a chilling message saying “I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC.” This house is hiding secrets, and you’ll never see it coming!

Of course the media have lapped up this juicy news of the "Babes in the Attic" as the police tear down their newly renovated home in search of clues as to who these children are and how they got there in the first place. And instead of leaving it to the police, Mia decides to do some investigating of her own...which can only have dire consequences. John Marrs is a phenomenal writer. I’ve loved all of his books, and this is no exception. It’s unputdownable, disturbing, tense, and atmospheric…all the things I love in a dark thriller. I’d really recommend readers try all his books as they are fabulous – and all deserve to be made into films.

Advance Praise

The only surprise in this book is the authors name. How the same man who wrote The One can write this trash is beyond me.