Review: Welcome to Wherever You Are by John Marrs

 

 

 

 

Author:  John Marrs

Approximately 404 e-book pages

Published in 2015 by John Marrs

Reader Category:  Adult

Synopsis:  How far would you run to escape your past?

For eight strangers in a Los Angeles backpacking hostel, even the other side of the world isn’t far enough.

The craving for a new identity and the chance to start again is something they have in common. But the search for a fresh start isn’t as easy as they’d imagined.

And they soon discover that it doesn’t matter where you are or who you are – if you can’t lay the past to rest, coincidence, fate and deception have a way of catching up with you when you least expect it.

My Review:  After reading The Wronged Sons and enjoying it thoroughly, I was delighted by the opportunity to read and review Marrs’ second novel, Welcome to Wherever You Are. The only reason I did not finish this book in a day (it was so hard to put down) was because my 7 month old daughter takes up most of my time, as babies do.

There is nothing predictable in this book.  Through the many twists and turns Marrs is so good at crafting, the reader is often shocked and left to ponder ‘what next’.  Every chapter ends in a mini cliff hanger giving the reader plenty to contemplate and spurring them to keep reading.  Yes, Marrs introduces a wide range of characters, each running from (or to) their own demons, but this doesn’t detract from the story.  Each character is touched either briefly or deeply by at least one other, intertwining them masterfully.

Marrs is a genius when it comes to writing the OMG moments and left me mouth agape more than once.  This is a fact that I have come to gladly accept as well as look forward to with his work.

Well done Mr. Marrs, please keep them coming.

Disclaimer:  I received this book from the author free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

WWW Wednesdays November 27, 2013

W.W.W. Wednesdays is a weekly event brought to you by MizB from Should Be Reading.  To play along, answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you are going to read next?

Here is my WWW for today:

What are you currently reading?  I am reading Einstein Must Die (Fate of Nations Book #1) by Chris Kohout.   It is a steampunk sci-fi novel.  Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the 19th century’s British Victorian era or American “Wild West”.  This book is a mix between the two as it is about brewing war between America and England.  It is my first and I am really enjoying it.  Check it out:

Synopsis:  1910 AD – Impending war with England has given Nikola Tesla the chance to build his dream: a weapon to end all wars. The American steam-powered Beowulf tank is larger than a house, and carries enough firepower to face an army. Beowulf also has a mechanical brain, embedded with the consciousness of Colonel Browning, America’s best military strategist.

But in England, King George has put Albert Einstein to work for his own war effort: zeppelins capable of reaching the former colony, and new, radiological bombs to remind them of the price of disloyalty.

When two brilliant pacifists wield technology to bring peace to a planet at war, the final outcome will surprise them both, and the world.

What did you recently finish reading?  I just finished reading The Wronged Sons by John Marrs.  This was a great first novel full of twists and turns.  I highly recommend it.  I’ve also included a link to John’s site on my left sidebar under “Great Indie Authors”.  Pay him a visit!  You can see my review of The Wronged Sons here.

What do you think you are going to read next?   I am going to read The Santa Claus League by Stephen D. Miller just in time for Christmas!.  Check it out below.

Synopsis:  Julia Martin is the most incredible girl in school, and Mason Howell is hopelessly smitten by her. Julia is in charge of the local Charity Christmas party and she’s pleased with how everything is going…until her Santa Claus calls in sick. In a panic, she begs Mason to help her by wearing his grandfather’s heirloom Santa Claus suit. Mason agrees, just to impress the beautiful girl, but things don’t go as planned…as soon as he puts on the suit, he gets all the powers of Santa Claus!

Together with John Patton, Mason’s best friend, they learn his grandfather was a member of an ancient league of men and women dedicated to helping St. Nicholas use Christmas magic to save the world. The three of them could become the newest members of the Santa Claus League…if they can learn the secrets of Christmas magic!

Review: The Wronged Sons by John Marrs

Author:  John Marrs

Paperback, approximately 400 e-book pages

Published in 2013 by John Marrs

Reader Category:  Adult

Synopsis:  What would you do if the person you loved suddenly vanished into thin air?

Catherine’s cosy life as a housewife and mum-of-three is quickly thrown into disarray when husband Simon disappears without explanation. She is convinced he hasn’t left by choice as confusion and spiraling debts threaten to tear her family apart.

Meanwhile Simon has begun a carefree new life travelling the world. And he’s determined not to disclose his past to all he meets, even if it means resorting to extreme and violent measures.

But why did he leave?

Catherine only gets her answer 25 years later when Simon suddenly reappears on her doorstep.

During their furious final confrontation, they discover the secrets, lies and misunderstandings that tore them apart, then brought them face-to-face one last time.

My Review: In his debut novel, John Marrs has created a story that left me on the edge of my seat.  The twists and turns I never saw coming kept me awake at night.  I couldn’t put it down and finished it in 24 hours.  I was hooked from the Prologue. 

This well thought out story is told from the perspectives of Catherine and Simon Nicholson in both past and present tenses.  The back and forth worked here because just as the story was starting to unravel in the present tense, it suddenly shifted to the past which I think made for great cliff hangers.

There were a lot of jaw dropping moments and times that I gasped and covered my eyes thinking, “No, that did NOT just happen!”  I could really go on and on here, spilling my guts about the plot and how much I loathe Simon Nicholson, but for fear of giving away too much of the story, I will decline.  You simply must read this book for yourself.

Well done John Marrs.  Keep the stories coming!

Related articles:

Interview with John Marrs via The Bibliophilic Book Blog

Disclaimer:  I received this book from the author free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

WWW Wednesdays November 20, 2013

W.W.W. Wednesdays is a weekly event brought to you by MizB from Should Be Reading.  To play along, answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you are going to read next?

Here is my WWW for today:

What are you currently reading?  I am reading When It Comes to Spooning I’m a Fork by Marc L. Prey.  Check it out:

Synopsis:  No one writes about relationships and parenting quite like humorist Marc Prey.  Now comes his first book, a laugh-out-loud funny, brutally honest and deeply touching collection of personal stories about one man’s relationship with his spouse and offspring.  In When It Comes to Spooning I’m a Fork, Prey takes readers on a journey from first awkward date to raising teenagers, all the while exposing moments that seemingly shift from the hilarious to the poignant in the beat of a heart.  And when it’s over, reader may discover they’ve learned something about themselves along the way.

What did you recently finish reading?  I just finished reading The Coach’s Son and Morehead both by Jeffrey Hickey.  You can see my reviews here (The Coach’s Son/Morehead).

What do you think you are going to read next?   I am going to read The Wronged Sons by John Marrs.  Check it out below.

Synopsis:  What would you do if the person you loved suddenly vanished into thin air?

Catherine’s cosy life as a housewife and mum-of-three is quickly thrown into disarray when husband Simon disappears without explanation. She is convinced he hasn’t left by choice as confusion and spiraling debts threaten to tear her family apart.

Meanwhile Simon has begun a carefree new life traveling the world. And he’s determined not to disclose his past to all he meets, even if it means resorting to extreme and violent measures.
But why did he leave?

Catherine only gets her answer 25 years later when Simon suddenly reappears on her doorstep.

During their furious final confrontation, they discover the secrets, lies and misunderstandings that tore them apart, then brought them face-to-face one last time.