Book ~ "The Vacation" (2023) John Marrs

From Goodreads ~ How far would you run to escape your past? 

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.

There is a rundown hostel in Venice Beach. It's not fancy but it's cheap and that's the attraction for many. This story focuses on eight people who staying there including Tommy who started off with his friend, Louis, touring around the States and is working there in exchange for room and board, Nicole and Eric who are reliving the adventure of an elderly patient of Nicole's who had recently passed away, Matty and Declan who are two young fun Irishmen, and Savanah who has run away from her controlling father and is trying to start a new life.

I liked this book. This is the fourth book I've read by this author and I liked the writing style. I found that it started off a bit slow but really picked up about halfway through. It is written in third person perspective in the various voices depending on what's going on. I found there were a lot of characters so it took a while to get to know them and keep them straight. The timeless jumps back and forth from present day to the past and it took a bit to get used to the rhythm. The endings of the characters' storylines were a bit farfetched but I went with it. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "What Lies Between Us" (2020) John Marrs

From Goodreads ~ Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.

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.

Maggie and Nina are a mother and daughter who live in the same house.  Nina's father left the family when she was 13 and Nina blames her mother for driving him away.  Nina became out of control when she was 14, drinking, doing drugs and hanging out with less than desirable men and Maggie did all she could to stop it.  Now about twenty-five years later, Nina is still blaming Maggie for her father leaving, among other things, and has been punishing her for the last two years by keeping her chained in the upper levels of their house with no ability to contact anyone.

I enjoyed this book.  This is the third book I've read by this author and like the other two, the story was interesting and bizarre.  I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective in Maggie and Nina's voices.  The timeless jumps back and forth from present day to twenty-five years ago ... the chapters are labeled so you know the time period and whose voice it is.  As the story moves on, you learn what has pissed Nina off so much and Maggie has done (or hasn't done).  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "The Passengers" (2019) John Marrs

From Goodreads ~ Eight self-drive cars set on a collision course. Who lives, who dies? You decide.

When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course.

The passengers are: a TV star, a pregnant young woman, a disabled war hero, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife - and parents of two - who are travelling in separate vehicles and a suicidal man. Now the public have to judge who should survive but are the passengers all that they first seem? 

In the future, driverless cars are the norm.  You get in your car, tell it where you want to go and then you sit back and relax, work or do whatever you want.

Once a month for a week, a jury of five people gather to determine the fault when driverless cars are in accidents ... a barrister, a religious pluralist, a pathologist and a member of Parliament/transport minister.  The fifth member is a randomly chosen person from the general population.

On day two of the latest jury, a hacker takes over eight driverless cars.  Inside each car are an aging TV star looking for a comeback, a young pregnant woman, a disabled war veteran, an abused wife originally from India whose husband has just been arrested for slave labour, an immigrant who is seeking residency status, a husband and wife who have two children and are in separate cars, and suicidal man.  The hacker also takes over all TV stations and the Internet and broadcasts the jury's meeting.  The hacker tells the jury they must decide which one person gets to live while the others are all destined to die in a violent crash.  It's up the jury to make this difficult decision or all the people in the cars will die.  Who will they save?

I enjoyed this book.  The story was interesting and bizarre.  I liked the writing style.  It is written in third person perspective with the focus on whose ever story it was.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Book ~ "The One" (2018) John Marrs

From Goodreads ~ How far would you go to find The One?

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. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others.

All over the world, millions of people are submitting their DNA to Match Your DNA, a company which found the gene that pairs you with your one and only soul mate.  When your soul mate has submitted their DNA and you are Matched, you both receive an email letting you know.  You then pay 10 pounds to get the contact information which guarantees your "happily ever after".  Everyone is now depending on Match Your DNA now to find their mate.  It's very disappointing when you aren't Matched and you are hesitant to marry someone who isn't your Match in case your Match is found and contacts you.  In fact, you may even lie if you have married someone who is not your Match because you don't want people to know you aren't Matched and thus destined to be together scientifically.

This book follows Mandy, Jade, Christopher, Nick and even Ellie, the founder of Match Your DNA, as they are Matched to their soul mate.  Some have been looking for love, one has been too busy, one had thought they had found their true love and one doesn't think they are capable of love.  What follows is not your typical romances you'd imagined would happen considering they are genetically matched.

I enjoyed this book.  The story was interesting and had a strange concept.  I liked the writing style.  It is written in third person perspective with the focus on whose ever story it was ... each person has their own chapters, which alternate.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.