Skip to main content

John Marrs

Biography

John Marrs

John Marrs is the author of such books as THE GOOD SAMARITAN, WHEN YOU DISAPPEARED and WELCOME TO WHEREVER YOU ARE. A freelance journalist based in London, England, he has spent the past 20 years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines. He has written for publications including the Guardian’s Guide and Guardian Online, Total Film, Huffington Post, Empire, Q, GT, the Independent, S Magazine and Company.

John Marrs

Books by John Marrs

by John Marrs - Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller

It’s fifth November and a woman awakens to a nightmare. Bound and gagged, she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. As the smoke thickens, panic sets in -- she’s moments away from being engulfed in flames. How did it come to this? Rewind eleven months: Margot, a faded TV star and her long-suffering friend Anna watch as glamorous Liv and her flawless family move into their street. The three women soon fabricate the perfect pretence of friendship, but each harbours her own deadly secret -- and newcomer Liv senses something is terribly wrong beneath the polished exteriors. As cracks widen in the veneer of perfection and lies escalate out of control, tension ignites. Bonfire Night is approaching and someone is set to burn…But who will it be?

by John Marrs - Dystopian, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families, let alone raise them. But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called “The Substitute.” It will follow 10 couples as they raise a virtual child from birth to the age of 18 but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby.

by John Marrs - Dystopian, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills --- the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single. But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives --- monitoring every word, every minor disagreement…and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honor and obey.

by John Marrs - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

Paul is 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. The last thing she 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.

by John Marrs - Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. But for eight strangers at a beach-front hostel, there is far more on their minds than an extended vacation. All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they’d kill to keep.

by John Marrs - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

Mia and Finn are busy turning a derelict house into their dream home when Mia unexpectedly falls pregnant. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a chilling message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their dream home was once a house of horrors. Mia can’t shake her fixation with the monstrous crimes that happened right above them. Haunted by the terrible things she saw and desperate to find answers, her obsession pulls her ever further from her husband. Secrecy shrouds the mystery of the attic, but when shards of a dark truth start to emerge, Mia realizes the danger is terrifyingly present.

by John Marrs - Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

In the 21st century, a unique government initiative has been born. Five ordinary people have been selected to become Minders, the latest weapon in thwarting cyberterrorism. Transformed by a revolutionary medical procedure, the country's most classified information has been taken offline and turned into genetic code implanted inside their heads. Together, the five know every secret --- the truth behind every government lie, conspiracy theory and coverup. In return, they're given the chance to leave their problems behind and a blank slate to start their lives anew. But not everyone should be trusted, especially when they each have secrets of their own that they'll do anything to protect.

by John Marrs - Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

You’re riding in your self-driving car when suddenly the doors lock, the route changes and you have lost all control. Then a mysterious voice tells you, “You are going to die.” Just as self-driving cars become the trusted, safer norm, eight people find themselves in this terrifying situation, including a faded TV star, a pregnant young woman, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife, and a suicidal man. From cameras hidden in their cars, their panic is broadcast to millions of people around the world. But the public will show their true colors when they are asked, "Which of these people should we save?” “Who should we kill first?"

by John Marrs - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past. Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price. But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way --- even if it kills her. Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

by John Marrs - Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner --- the one you’re genetically made for. That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love. Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone.

by John Marrs - Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

He hides in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment. Each kill is calculated, planned and executed like clockwork. Struggling to balance her personal and professional life, young DS Becca Vincent has landed the biggest case of her career --- and she knows that it will make or break her. But she can’t catch the culprit alone. Together with facial recognition expert Joe Russell, she strives to get a lead on the elusive murderer, who is always one step ahead of them. Time is not on their side. The body count is rising, and the attacks are striking closer and closer to home. Can Becca and Joe uncover the connection between the murders before the killer strikes the last name from his list?

by John Marrs - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

The people who call End of the Line need hope. They need reassurance that life is worth living. But some are unlucky enough to get through to Laura. Laura doesn’t want them to hope. She wants them to die. Laura hasn’t had it easy: she’s survived sickness and a difficult marriage only to find herself heading for 40, unsettled and angry. She doesn’t love talking to people worse off than she is. She craves it. But now someone’s on to her --- Ryan, whose world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, hand in hand with a stranger. Who was this man, and why did they choose to die together? The sinister truth is within Ryan’s grasp, but he has no idea of the desperate lengths to which Laura will go.