An ITW Thriller Award finalist.She’s a friendly voice on the phone. But can you trust her?The people who call End of the Line need hope. They need reassurance that life is worth living. But some are unlucky enough to get through to Laura. Laura doesn’t want them to hope. She wants them to die.Laura hasn’t had it easy: she’s survived sickness and a difficult marriage only to find herself heading … marriage only to find herself heading for forty, unsettled and angry. She doesn’t love talking to people worse off than she is. She craves it.
But now someone’s on to her—Ryan, whose world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, hand in hand with a stranger. Who was this man, and why did they choose to die together?
The sinister truth is within Ryan’s grasp, but he has no idea of the desperate lengths Laura will go to…
Because the best thing about being a Good Samaritan is that you can get away with murder.
Revised edition: This edition of The Good Samaritan includes editorial revisions.
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Holy crap, this besauch is 50 shades of nuts and it’s fabulous. So wrong and so, so, great!
A deliciously twisted thriller that will remain with you long after you read it. A must read.
I have to admit that at first, I wasn’t sure if I would like this book. It started off a bit slow and the main character, Laura, is unlikeable. But it was good enough to keep me reading and I’m glad for that because when Part 2 hit, the payoff was worth it.
This is the story of a seriously disturbed woman and her impact on the lives of those around her. There were times when I just had to set it aside for a while because she is such a hideous person. It’s like when you’re watching a movie and there’s a scene you just can’t bear to watch, so you put your hands over your eyes but peek through your fingers.
There’s lots of suspense, plenty of mystery, definite thrills, and an ending you don’t see coming.
Well that friendly voice is everyone’s nightmare !
Beyond crazy Laura is !
Can’t say there are any redeeming characters in this book ; that is what makes it so good.
I won’t be calling any self help line any time soon!
I thought this book was insane. Laura is a true nut job and the story just keeps unfolding with more twists and turn and dayum moments!! The narrators were spot on and I enjoyed listening to them very much!! This was my first John Marrs book and I look forward to more from him.
THE GOOD SAMARITAN is so very dark and twisted, shocking, disturbing, sometimes very moving, and unlike anything I’d ever read before. This is the stuff nightmares are made of. The novel is told in first person, alternately from mostly Laura and Ryan, and I was impressed with how well Mr. Marrs writes from a woman’s point of view, and how distinctive the voices are. The characters are extraordinarily well crafted, the pace is relentless, and the action non-stop. I also found that the structure of the novel maximises the tension and the reader’s interest.
It’s almost impossible to say anything about the plot without spoiling anything; there are so many stunning twists and turns, I was left reeling. And from the midway point, there was no way I was going to stop reading. While some consequences of one character’s actions were predictable, I never anticipated how it would snowball! THE GOOD SAMARITAN is a real psychological thriller, and not for the faint of heart. Fantastic!
/ 5
What the WHAT did I just read. The Good Samaritan by John Marrs has trigger warnings galore and was incredibly dark AND disturbing. This book will not be for the faint of heart!
Laura drove me absolutely insane and you definitely have to suspend disbelief a bit for this book, she gets away with so many things that I wished I could jump into the book and kill her myself. I really liked Ryan as a character although I didn’t agree with a lot of the things he did (or didn’t do) either. There is a lot of evil in this book and if you don’t like books where you can’t stand a lot of the characters then this isn’t the book for you. I couldn’t really connect with any of them and they are mostly bad people, so it was a bit like watching a train wreck.
The Good Samaritan was so hard to put down, and I loved the short, quick chapters and the setup of the novel. This was my first time reading Marrs and I can definitely see why people love his books. It will probably be too over the top for some people, {see: pretty unbelievable}, but I personally love books like that. Some parts of this were pretty tough to read and there is a little bit of gore as well. I can see how someone would call this a ‘miserable’ book!
Song/s the book brought to mind: Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden
Final Thought: The Good Samaritan is super twisty, and so many things happened that I never saw coming. The plot was very complex, and this book completely threw me for a loop. The ending gave me actual chills and I wouldn’t be mad if there was a follow up book! If you like twisted, dark, disturbing novels that are unlike anything you have ever read this will be perfect. Marrs has just become an auto-buy author for me and I can’t wait to devour the rest of his books!
Thank you to the publisher for my advanced review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
I absolutely loved this thriller.
John Marrs is such an amazing author and I literally could not put this book down.
A belter of a 5 star read.
Surprising, tight and satisfying.
Laura Morris volunteers at End of the Line, a suicide hotline. She, however, has developed a taste for death and actively Scott’s for “candidates” – as she calls them -that she can convince to take their own lives…with her assistance.
Laura maintains an image of being the Superwoman mom and wife, who still had time to make homemade muffins for her co-workers.
Things begin to unravel for her as someone finds out what she’s up to, and sets out to bring about an end to her activities.
Laura is a wonderfully warped and delusional character. Her childhood seems to have a lot to do with her current state of mind. Quite frankly, she’s crazy as hell. She might be one of my favorites, even though I was absolutely rooting against her the entire time.
I really enjoyed this story. We begin by seeing everything from Laura’s point of view. Then, as she is discovered, the story behind to be told from alternate points of view: Laura and her new nemesis. It is an alternating contrast as someone who is not mentally stable battles someone who slowly loses their mental grip.
I didn’t care for the ending. It was unexpected but, I think the author dragged things out in an afternoon to keep the plot twists coming. But still, overall, a very good story.
Unexpected and fascinating plot. Twists and turns. Interesting pursuit and ending.
This was a good book however an uncomfortable book.
Well written and plotted – it just didn’t quite give me the pay off I needed, at the end.
First, I have to admit this is a dark book on a lot of levels. If it were a true story, it would be a horrific tragedy. I had to keep reminding myself it was a novel. It’s like watching a scary movie and having to remind yourself it’s just a Hollywood production. But if you have to remind yourself it’s fiction, that, to me, is a sign of an excellent story! It was a very twisted but fascinating tale that shows just how deranged some people can become. I wouldn’t say the characters are “wonderful”, but there’s no denying they are interesting! The scariest part is when you can relate to even a small part of what the characters are feeling and you wonder how you might react in a similar situation. (Let me be clear – I am not talking about the most egregious character here. 🙂 ) It pulled me in and after a while I just didn’t want to put it down because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I would have to say it’s not a book to read if you’re feeling depressed, since there are several not-so-happy endings to various situations. But I commend the author for creating an original story with twists I didn’t see coming. I recommend it and will be looking for more books by this author.