You Killed Me First

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes descriptions of physical and emotional abuse, mental illness, suicidal ideation, and self-harm.

Deception and illusion are commonly used ideas in the mystery genre, as building uncertainty propels the plot to a climax that often reverses course or takes unusual directions. You Killed Me First is no exception, but Marrs takes the idea a step further by using the veneer of suburban life to mask the three women’s secrets. The story is set in a seemingly idyllic, suburban town that is heavily populated by families with children. Even Margot, Anna, and Liv, despite their differences in character, mostly conform to this pattern. However, the expectation of normalcy and calm that the setting exudes is completely subverted as the women’s pasts are revealed to contain sordid affairs, hidden trauma, and violent or coercive crimes. Even the maneuvers that the women orchestrate against each other are fraught with the toxic residue of lies and manipulation, as when Anna secretly sends Margot hate mail, or when Liv uses underhanded tactics to blackmail the other two women.