Jennifer Hillier is a must-read author for me. I really enjoyed Jar of Hearts and Little Secrets so I had really high expectations for Things We Do in the Dark. It did not disappoint. 

I really enjoyed trying to solve multiple mysteries at once in this plot. I was worried it might be confusing, but it wasn't. Although I didn't enjoy the part from Drew's perspective, it did give a lot of depth to Joey and Ruby. Hillier never lets me down when it comes to character development. She always provides such detail in her characters. I know you will love to hate so many of them! 

I did at times find the twists predictable, but in an odd way. I knew when something wasn't right, but I didn't guess what it was if that makes sense. Maybe the red herrings got me? Either way, this book held my interest easily. I actually read the last 50% in one day, which is huge for me as a slow reader. 

Overall, another solid thriller from Jennifer Hillier!

Paris Peralta is found holding a razon in the bathroom with her dead husband, Jimmy, covered in blood. Paris is arrested and facing murder charges. Even more frightening is her past. Two decades prior, Ruby Reyes was charged with a similar murder in Canada. Ruby knows all about Paris' past.

Ruby is unexpectedly released from prison and now Paris is going to have to face her past.

THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK
By Jennifer Hillier

This was probably one of the best Jennifer Hillier thrillers I have read so far. This thriller read was so gripping and thrilling, packed full of emotions and twists, that I could literally not put this book down.

The story begins as Paris Peralta is found next to her husband Jimmy, 30 years her senior dead in a bloody bath tub. Married only a year, she looks all too guilty, but this does not phase Paris, because there is something else more sinister going on in the background.

The writing was so emotionally gripping, with lots of twists and turns. The character study was perfect and the way the story reveals itself was so masterfully written. I really loved this thriller.

Highly recommend.

‘Things We Do in the Dark,; by Jennifer Hillier has a great premise and a good story. If you are not someone who is trying to solve while you read you will probably enjoy it more than those who need to figure out the plot.

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my honest review.*

Paris Peralta is being arrested for the murder of her much older, celebrity husband. Twenty-five years ago, Ruby Reyes was convicted of murdering her older lover who was also her boss. The stories are revealed throughout the book with twists along the way.

Hillier is a master story teller and I thoroughly enjoyed the twists in this novel. I did guess a few of them earlier on, but I still enjoyed the read from one of my go to authors.

⁉️Are you a thriller reader?
Thrillers usually land in the 3-3.5 stars range for me, but like rom coms, they just scratch and itch in my reading life that draws me to them even though I almost never expect to be blown away. Though, to be fair, sometimes they really surprise me (in a good way).

I definitely feel like I ramp up my thriller reads in fall and to get myself out of a slump.

BOOK REVIEW
Things We Do in the Dark @jenniferhillierbooks
Pub date: July 19, 2022
@minotaur_books
352 pages

This book opens with Paris Peralta standing over her dead (celebrity) husband holding a razorblade, and so the whodunnit aspect of the book begins. As far as books in the genre go, I felt like the reader gets a lot of backstory on the main characters, which I really appreciated as someone who loves a good character driven novel. Unfortunately, it made it easy to guess what was going on relatively early in the story.

That said, I like thrillers especially, that are full of vengeful women. It’s that antihero thing, where you’re kind of rooting for woman who know has or is doing bad things.

There are a lot of important triggers to be aware of in this story. So, be sure to look them up before reading.

I’ve read this and Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier, and will definitely be adding Little Secrets to my TBR.

Thanks @netgalley for my e-ARC!

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This thriller had a great premise, but I thought the twist quickly becomes clear; I wish it had been more suspenseful and the ending had been less obvious.

While I really did enjoy this story, I figured pretty much everything out early on. But I still read on to see how the twists came to light. Jennifer Hillier writes in a way that makes her books hard to put down, even when you know what's coming.

This is a popular pick for spooky season and beyond - the author's unique style is something you should definitely give a try.

“The denominator behind all the terrible things that have happened to you is you.” This belief is explored in the very dark, disturbing and compelling thriller Things We Do in the Dark. The story is told from alternating timelines that enables the reader to totally become immersed in the life of Paris Peralta. To understand someone’s actions you must first understand their history and motivations. This character driven thriller definitely takes you on a journey that will make you cry and leave you breathless while at the same time breaking your heart. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my copy.

I knew I’d enjoy this book by Jennifer!! I have read all her books so far, and this one didn’t disappoint…

Paris Peralta is on trial for her husband's murder. Things look bad for Paris, but she has an alibi. Although she doesn't want to face prison time, she is more worried about the media frenzy that surrounds her. Paris' late husband is famous comedian Jimmy Peralta and she soon realizes that she didn't know a lot about his past. It could have been because Paris was hiding her past as well, and her involvement in another murder is only the beginning.

I love Jennifer Hillier's novels. They are layered and dark, and this one is no exception. Part 1 of Things We Do in the Dark wasn't super thrilling, but once we got a glimpse of Paris' backstory, I was hooked. There were a lot of twists I wasn't expecting, and this made it hard to put down. This was a great read!

I read this in almost one sitting. This was by far the best thriller i've read in awhile. I loved the characters and the overall thrill and suspense of the book. Such a good one and I wanted more! I'm excited to read the next one that Hiller comes out with!

About the book:
"When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.

Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges."

This is a highly entertaining thriller with a lot of twists and turns that had me pulled in from page one. I will continue to read anything Hillier writes!

It wasn't one of her best with that said I did like the book it was good and kept my interest through the book

Not bad, but it wasn’t really a thriller. I’d call it domestic suspense or maybe mystery. I didn’t really feel any tension as I was reading, which is what I tend to look for in a thriller. Some truly horrible things happen to this girl throughout her life, but they are in the past so there is no build up to a climax. What I did like about the book is that it was a quick and easy read. If you’re looking for a mindless story that doesn’t require a lot of concentration, this is your book.

This book was just okay for me. There weren't really any twists or surprises, you could see those coming a mile away. So really all it was was a recitation of all the absolutely horrific things this woman has experienced in her life. It was an almost unceasing list of evil, with very, very few moments of levity. It wasn't thrilling or mysterious, just incredibly depressing.

This book was indeed thrilling! I loved it! I couldn’t tell which direction it would go next or who really did what? It’s a character study and who done it style thriller. I have lived all of Jennifer Hillier books and this one was no exception!!

The feel of this book was that it was written to be made into a movie or mini series. That's not a bad thing exactly but it didn't have the depth I'd prefer.

I love Jennifer Hillier’s books and this one really kept me turning pages. A mystery with so much graphic and sad backstory I had to know more. Paris is accused of her husband’s murder, but is it a murder? To understand her we have to go back to her tragic childhood, with a narcissistic mother. Trigger warnings for child abuse.
With so much back and forth we really get to know Paris. I’m not sure anyone gets to escape their childhood, this book will grab you until the very last page.
4.5 ⭐️