Keep It in the Family

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In this thrilling novel from bestselling author John Marrs, a young couple’s house hides terrible secrets—and not all of them are confined to the past.

The truth finally begins to emerge after the couple make a gruesome attic in the attic that haunts Mia and leaves her desperate to uncover the truth of what happened in the house.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. I’m not sure if I can say I enjoyed Keep It In The Family because it was so utterly, overwhelmingly, absorbing and unsettling in a way that makes the reader wonder just what is going on in the minds of those around them.

However, as much as this was truly awful to read about, I felt there was a line of possible truth to this story. What’s so unnerving is that Keep It In The Family explores really positive themes like love, loyalty, the desire to protect the innocent, and, obviously, family relationships, but this is no joyous, uplifting read.

With their dream house nearly ready for them, Finn and Mia are surprised by an ominous message that is left for them to discover. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a chilling message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC.

My daughter picked this out of her box of them for me, and I read most of it while waiting to collect her from school. 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. 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. Seven of these she describes as black - or sour - comedies, and the first, THE KILLJOY, simply as "dead black". She is prepared to do anything to protect her family--but will the previous tenants stop her from discovering their secret?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. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). Piece by piece the mystery of this house of horrors is revealed and Mia realises that her life might be in danger. She is prepared to do anything to protect her family―but will the previous tenants stop her from discovering their secret?

I try to show that the battle through the chaos is worthwhile and can, at times, be seen as very funny. I am not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without my permission. Alluding to something sinister being connected to their new home, Mia and Finn are compelled to investigate.There’s a really interesting narrative structure in Keep It In The Family, with the story predominantly told from Mia and Finn’s perspectives as well as Debbie and Dave’s, from that of an unknown person and interspersed with more dispassionate transcripts that act as a contrast to the intensity of the story. William Darling" was first published in Shark and Chips and Other Stories (Puffin 1992), “You Don’t Look Very Poorly” was first published in The Puffin Book of Funny Stories, ed.