What Lies Between Us by John Marrs Summary
Overview of What Lies Between Us
Maggie is chained in her daughter's attic, paying for unforgivable sins. This million-copy bestseller and International Thriller Writers' Award winner captivated Renee Zellweger's production company. What could drive a child to imprison her mother? The answer is more disturbing than you imagine.
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A House Built on Secrets
The chain around Maggie's ankle has left permanent marks, testament to countless failed escape attempts. From her attic prison-once a cherished "crow's nest" bedroom-she watches neighbors living ordinary lives through dusty shutters. Arthritic Elsie tends her roses, pregnant Louise collects mail, the paperboy makes his predictable rounds. These glimpses of normality only heighten her isolation. The house itself mirrors their fractured relationship: kitchen and lounge on the ground floor, bedrooms on the first, and Maggie's attic space looming above like a tower in a dark fairy tale. Every Tuesday at precisely six, Nina arrives with her ring of keys. She removes the shorter chain only to replace it with a longer one, allowing Maggie the illusion of freedom to reach the dining room and bathroom. The clink of metal serves as background music to their stilted conversation. After dinner, the shorter chain returns, and Maggie retreats to her attic prison. "I've bleached your toilet bucket and will see you in a couple of days," Nina announces with clinical detachment, leaving precisely portioned meals outside the door. A photograph of Maggie's husband Alistair watches from the wall, deliberately positioned just beyond her reach. Their marriage feels like a dream from "a hundred years ago." The books Nina provides-carefully selected biographies of historical captives with escape chapters strategically removed-mock her predicament. Like their protagonists, she has become a prisoner in what was once her sanctuary.
The Librarian's Double Life
The Fracturing of Family Bonds
The Devastating Power of Deception
The Cycle of Control and Captivity
When Memory Fails Us
The Ashes of Misguided Love
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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