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The Marriage Act

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What to expect

From John Marrs, the bestselling author of The One. Set in the same world, and narrated by a full cast, The Marriage Act is a dark, high-concept thriller.

‘One of the most exciting original thriller writers’ - Simon Kernick, author of Good Cop Bad Cop

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?

Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills – the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives, tracking every word, every minor disagreement . . . and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honour and obey.

Black Mirror meets thriller with a dash of Naomi Alderman’s The Power.

Praise for John Marrs:

'A page-turning and thought-provoking read' - Daily Mirror

'A socially aware novel packed with thought-provoking questions' - SFX Magazine

'Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible. A near future nightmare that grips from the first page and never let’s go . . . talk about a page-turner. This one will leave you with paper cuts! – C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man

'A smart, gripping and scarily believable story from the master of the speculative thriller'— T.M. Logan, author of The Catch

'John’s creative, high-concept thrillers never fail to keep me furiously turning the pages and The Marriage Act is no exception . . . dark, immersive speculative fiction at its very best!' – Sarah Pearse, author of The Retreat

'A scarily plausible alternative future with a truly twisted narrative. Tensely plotted and terrifyingly imagined! - Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange

Critics Review

A page-turning and thought-provoking read
Daily Mirror
Skilfully evokes a future Britain . . . Marrs also excells when it comes to worldbuilding . . . a socially aware novel packed with thought-provoking questions
SFX Magazine
Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible. A near future nightmare that grips from the first page and never let’s go. The Marriage Act is a brilliant examination of relationships and the power we let others have over us. And talk about a page-turner. This one will leave you with paper cuts!
C. J. Tudor, author of A Sliver of Darkness
John’s creative, high-concept thrillers never fail to keep me furiously turning the pages and The Marriage Act is no exception. Pacy and packed full of tension, the book kept me constantly guessing as the thought-provoking plot about marriage and everything that comes with it unfolded in the most sinister of ways . . . dark, immersive speculative fiction at it’s very best!
Sarah Pearse, author of The Retreat and The Sanatorium
A scarily plausible alternative future with a truly twisted narrative. Tensely plotted and terrifyingly imagined - it’ll put you off marriage and modern technology for life!
Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange
Chilling thriller
Daily Mail
Original thriller with lots of surprises
My Weekly
The king of near-future what ifs is back with a smart and chilling page-turner. Twisty, unsettling, scarily believable and thought provoking, this is his best yet.
Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club
Four couples navigate an increasingly claustrophobic world in this razor sharp and chillingly plausible tale from the masterful John Marrs
Woman's Own Magazine
One of the most exciting original thriller writers
Simon Kernick, author of Good Cop Bad Cop
An absolute blinder of a book . . . another gripping page turner.
Claire Allan on The Marriage Act
I really loved it… a plot that had me guessing all the way through. A triumph.
Justin Myers on The Marriage Act
Marrs is brilliant at twists . . . for the addicts of adrenaline-fuelled twisty rides
Peter James, author of Picture You Dead
John Marrs can do no wrong. Like Huxley and Orwell before him, Marrs manages to take real life sanctities and twist them into something terrifyingly plausible. All hail the master of the speculative thriller!
Jack Jordan, author of Sunday Times bestseller Do No Harm
Another savagely clever near-future thriller. Provocative, terrifying and compulsive. If you loved The One, you'll love this!
Cara Hunter, author of Hope to Die
A tense, thrilling read – I found it impossible to put down. It’s dark and twisted, and I loved it
Alex Michaelides, bestselling author of The Silent Patient
Dark, twisted, and full of surprises
Mark Edwards, bestselling author of Her to Stay and The Retreat
Clever, original, and impossible to put down. The Marriage Act had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. John Marrs is a master of suspense.
Jeneva Rose, international bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage
This was a brilliantly tricksy read.
Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond

User Reviews

Book 4.0
Narration 4.0
Author John Marrs
Narrator Clare Corbett, David Monteith, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, John Marrs, Joshua Riley, Nathalie Buscombe
Duration 12 hours and 22 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781529071214
Format Audiobook
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Genre Crime and mystery fiction, Dystopian and utopian fiction, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Social issues, Science fiction: near-future, Thriller / suspense fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE
Rating
4.0 (1 review)
Narration
4.0 (1 review)

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