Does this book need to be read in a specific order with other John Marrs novels?

This title is part of a shared universe that includes The One, The Passengers, The Minders, and The Family Experiment, but these books are standalone stories that do not need to be read in any particular sequence.

How is the story structured for the reader?

The narrative utilizes an alternating chapter structure that follows multiple couples, a technique the author frequently employs to build moral tension and momentum across his speculative thrillers.

The Marriage Act

The unmissable speculative thriller from the author of The One

Dystopian Thriller

Pages: 400
Published: 2023
Language: English

Britain, the near future. A right-wing government has decided it holds the cure for society's ills: the Sanctity of Marriage Act, a sweeping law that rewards the married and penalises anyone who chooses to stay single. To enforce it, the state monitors couples around the clock — every word, every argument, every private moment recorded and fed back to the authorities.

The Marriage Act follows four very different couples as they navigate love, deception, and survival under constant surveillance, each discovering how impossible a relationship becomes when the government is grading it and every disagreement can be used against them.

Blending domestic suspense with Black Mirror-style dystopia, John Marrs's fourth Dark Future novel is a sharp, unsettling thriller about intimacy, control, and the cost of a society that tries to legislate the human heart.

Prose complexity: 4/10

Tense Dark Atmospheric Thought-Provoking

Multiple POVs

John Marrs

John Marrs is a British author of psychological thrillers and speculative fiction from Northamptonshire, England. He worked for two decades as a freelance journalist, interviewing celebrities for publications including The Guardian's Guide, OK! Magazine, Total Film, Empire and The Independent, before writing fiction full-time. He self-published his early novels while commuting to work by train, building a readership that led to deals with Amazon Publishing and Penguin Random House. His novel The...

Frequently asked questions

Does this book need to be read in a specific order with other John Marrs novels?
This title is part of a shared universe that includes The One, The Passengers, The Minders, and The Family Experiment, but these books are standalone stories that do not need to be read in any particular sequence.
How is the story structured for the reader?
The narrative utilizes an alternating chapter structure that follows multiple couples, a technique the author frequently employs to build moral tension and momentum across his speculative thrillers.