It’s time to restart one of my favourite features on Compulsive Readers which I started in 2018. So, welcome back to “A Quickie with..” where I will be chatting to some of my favourite authors about their latest books and some other random stuff.
It’s only right to start this new feature with John Marrs, best-selling author, award winning novelist, internet sensation and someone I have known for over 12 years and following his success with astonishment and pride.
Here’s what you need to know about John from the internet:
John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan
Over to John to kick off our quickie….
What is the title of your new book and the date of publication?
Dead in the Water, Jan 20, 2026
Please describe your new book in 5 words
Is he real or dead?
The last 5 star book you read and would recommend
Fruit Fly – Josh Silver
What is the last text or message you have received?
Hi I’m back to UK
Call me when you free or let me know when to pop around to your mum to sort out the socks
Many thanks.
What is your secret talent?
When I’m decorating, I’m brilliant at straight lines and never need to use masking tape.
What’s the one product you couldn’t live without?
My Apple laptop. It has my life on it.
What is the weirdest thing in your Google search history?
Where to buy second hand autopsy tables.
What is one piece of advice you wished you’d seriously taken?
Live in the present, not the future.
Do you have any phobias or superstitions?
I hate heights and deep water. In a past life, I was pushed from a skyscraper into an ocean.
What’s the most embarrassing moment you’ve ever had in public?
A bottle of something personal fell out of my bag in a busy cafe and rolled all the way across the floor until it reached the window.
What are your pet peeves and what are YOUR worst habits?
I hate slow walkers, trainer socks, people who reverse park and Twitter/ X. My worst habits are being a fussy eater, tidying stuff up before people have finished using them.
How would your closest friends describe you
Loyal, funny and determined.
From the multi-million copy bestselling author comes a chilling tale about life flashing before your eyes—including terrifying scenes you don’t remember.
When Damon survives a near-drowning, his life flashes before his eyes. Every memory is crystal clear—except one. A dead boy. A face he can’t place. A moment he doesn’t remember living. At first he tells himself it’s a trick of the mind. But everything else he saw was real. So why not this?
With his waking life stalked by the disturbing scene, confusion quickly turns to obsession. Desperate for answers, Damon digs into his fractured past, and becomes convinced that the only way to remember…is to die again. And again. And again. When he meets a perfect stranger who’s all too willing to help, the stage is set for his dice with death.
But if this is what it takes to uncover the truth, maybe some memories are better left buried…
