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The Marriage Act

John Marrs author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Pan Macmillan

Published:31st Aug '23

Should be back in stock very soon

The Marriage Act cover

The Marriage Act is dark, high-concept thriller from the international bestselling author of The One.

'Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible' – C. J. Tudor, author of A Sliver of Darkness

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey? Set in the same world as The One, now a Netflix Original Series, The Marriage Act is a dark, high-concept thriller from bestselling author John Marrs.

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

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 supervising every aspect of our personal lives, monitoring every word, every minor disagreement – and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honour and obey . . .

Shortlisted for the Goodreads Awards 2023.

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

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

'Brilliantly tricksy' – Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond

'Dark, immersive speculative fiction at it’s very best!' – Sarah Pearse, author of The Retreat and The Sanatorium

A page-turning and thought-provoking read * Daily Mirror *
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
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
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
One of the most exciting original thriller writers -- Simon Kernick, author of Good Cop Bad Cop
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
Skilfully evokes a future Britain . . . Marrs also excells when it comes to worldbuilding . . . a socially aware novel packed with thought-provoking questions * SFX Magazine *
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
An absolute blinder of a book . . . another gripping page turner. -- Claire Allan, author of The Affair
I really loved it . . . a plot that had me guessing all the way through. A triumph. -- Justin Myers, author of The Fake-Up
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
Marrs is brilliant at twists . . . for the addicts of adrenaline-fuelled twisty rides -- Peter James, author of Picture You Dead
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
Original thriller with lots of surprises * My Weekly *
Dark, twisted, and full of surprises -- Mark Edwards, bestselling author of Here to Stay and The Retreat
Four couples navigate an increasingly claustrophobic world in this razor sharp and chillingly plausible tale from the masterful John Marrs * Woman's Own *

ISBN: 9781529071191

Dimensions: 197mm x 130mm x 32mm

Weight: 346g

496 pages