You Killed Me First

"Electrifying and page-turning, John Marrs is not to be missed."--#1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden

"I am such a fan of John Marrs' books and You Killed Me First is another five star read."--#1Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Pinborough

"This is trademark John Marrs and then some."--Sunday Times bestselling author Andrea Mara

Three women. Three smouldering secrets. Who will make it out alive?

It's 5 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?

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Published Mar 4, 2025

399 pages

Average rating: 7.21

181 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

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rccohill

Jan 11, 2026

8/10 stars

This book right here was awesome! John Marrs is such a great writer! So many great twists! It constantly makes you think one way and it goes just the opposite! Great ending!

Janicks

Feb 02, 2026

4/10 stars

First John Marrs book that I just didn’t enjoy! I couldn’t have cared less about any of the characters, and that for me is a big turn off for a book. It had such a promising opening, and then I just slogged my way through the book to the end. So disappointed!

SCUBABRAT

Oct 06, 2025

7/10 stars

This was slightly difficult to read, and I had a little bit of a hard time following what was going along it did have an interesting ending

DaniellaB

Sep 07, 2025

10/10 stars

John Marrs- I am sorry for doubting you! Initially, I was uncertain about this book. The mysterious narrator parts seemed confusing and I was wondering if this would be my first book of yours that was a disappointment (I’ve read them all) and then **lightbulb**- it all became clear and I ended up absolutely loving this book. Everything came together so beautifully. I’m only unhappy that it’s over and I can’t experience it again (and I have to wait impatiently for the next book). Thank you for these wonderful twisted creations that your talent has provided us! My first 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ of the year!

Mrshrl

Aug 04, 2025

9/10 stars

I would have read this in one sitting if I had started earlier in the day! Very captivating page turner. The number of times my jaw dropped and I said "OMG!" out loud made me have to fill my husband in on what was going on. Not so sure I liked the ending and that's the only reason it's a 9 instead of 10