Keep It in the Family

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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. I hated that 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. I know I came up with a mixture of both of wild theories and plausible ideas as this book revealed itself to me.

Darkly disturbing and with twists that just keep on coming, this is John Marrs at his best, bringing you a family very much at their worst.The discoveries are shocking, the stuff of nightmares, and it’s as Mia delves deeper that more revelations are revealed. 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.

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I’ve always desired to practice mindfulness properly, framing the moment with complete concentration. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that through his storytelling in Keep It In The Family, John Marrs has made me question my own sanity and actions. In the wake of their traumatic discovery, the baby arrives and Mia can’t shake her fixation with the monstrous crimes that happened right above them. A story of family, manipulation, and the age-old question of nature vs nurture, Keep it in the Family is very dark and extremely twisted. 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.

Though readers often find themselves inadvertently laughing aloud as they read Anne Fine's novels, as she herself admits, "a lot of my work, even for fairly young readers, raises serious social issues. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their home was once a real-life murder house, with the evidence still concealed within the four walls.But in doing so, she is alienating her husband, and risking the fragile relationship between her and in-laws.

I could’ve given this book a higher rating but I docked some points for the fact it was more difficult to read than it should’ve been. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a shocking message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. I kept thinking of Tolstoy’s ‘All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading at times and I know it will possibly raise triggers for some readers in relation to family violence, abuse, death, drug abuse and manipulation of the vulnerable.