Things We Do In The Dark is a multilayered, complex thriller delivered through multiple points of view in a past/present story line. Per Hillier's now signature style, characters are deeply complex and plot lines are convoluted. At least three story lines appear to run concurrent through much of the story before finally being woven together with some major revelations by the end.

This story opens with an intense scene that quickly grabs readers' attention when Paris Peralta awakens on the floor of her upscale bathroom holding a bloody straight razor and staring at an armed police officer yelling at her to drop the weapon. Paris is confused and disoriented, but there's no denying the horrific fact that her celebrity husband Jimmy is dead in the bloody bathtub. What happened? As bad as it looks, Paris fears it'll get worse when the devastating news and pictures hit the national tabloids and newspapers. If someone from her past recognizes her, the carefully constructed facade she's been living for twenty-five years will be blown. She can't afford for her past to catch up with her.

The story continues with the introduction of Ruby Reyes aka the Ice Queen who’s being released from prison after serving 25 years for the murder of a man. She’s fully aware of Paris's real identity and is using the information to threaten and blackmail Paris. The clock's ticking down to a full blown confrontation when Paris's location hits the news. And finally, we have Drew Malcolm - a journalist with a wildly popular podcast called Things We Do In The Dark. He's fully aware of how cruel and evil Ruby Reyes is and doesn't believe for a minute that she's been rehabilitated. Drew is determined to expose her for the villain he knows her to be at all costs. Maybe if he can do that, he'll be able to silence his own demons and finally lay the past to rest.

All the elements of a perfect storm are present in Hillier's Things We Do In The Dark. Readers are quickly sucked into the opening and through past/present chapters, they learn the backstory of each main player and the events that tie them together. They listen to each character's voice and are charged with deciding whose version of the story is authentic. As the story progresses, the author does a great job weaving in a missing person case, building suspense while rehashing the events of one tragic night twenty five years ago. In doing so, she's set up her game board with all the players including their secrets and motivations. However, there comes a point where the backstory begins to overshadow the present and the repetitiveness slows the story to a crawl, and in this reader's opinion, the end result comes dangerously close to disclosing information better left for readers to discover on their own. It's at this point that I had an Aha moment with the realization of exactly where this story was headed which proved to be true, serving to diminish the mystery and suspense there on out for me. As the story continues, the pace picks back up and readers will enjoy some typical Hillier twists before the final reveal.

Hillier's characters are always dimensional, well-developed, dark and deeply troubled and the same holds true in Things We Do In The Dark. She brilliantly manipulates these characters through dark, convoluted plot lines in settings that add to the dark, ominous tone. While Things We Do In The Dark won't go down as my favorite work of Hillier's, she continues to be one of my favorite, extremely talented authors, and I look forward to more of her work. I'm recommending this book to fans of dark, suspense thrillers.

This book was fast paced and got my attention from the start! I am not a fast reader but I couldn’t put this one down and read it in 2 days. I have read several Jennifer Hillier books and loved them so I couldn’t wait to read this one and it did not disappoint! This book was suspenseful and full of twists and thrills! I loved it! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the advance reader copy in exchange for my review! I would definitely recommend this book to others!

4.5/5

Jennifer Hillier has quickly become one of my favorite authors, so I couldn't have been more excited to get my hands (and ears) on a copy of Things We Do in the Dark. For now, Little Secrets remains my favorite of hers, but this is definitely a close second! The story is told in 6 parts along with a couple of different viewpoints and 2 dual timelines. I loved the mix of the timelines as well as the decision to break this down into parts with each beginning with a quote from a song. There were quite a few things that surprised me about this book, and I didn't have any of the twists guessed.

The pacing was a bit on the slower side although totally unputdownable for me, and I was really glad that I got to listen to the audiobook which is narrated by Carla Vega. I usually prefer different narrators for different viewpoints (there is a male viewpoint after all), but I thought Vega completely crushed it. She was definitely the perfect person to narrate, and I loved how she handled every part. There are some triggers in Things We Do in the Dark, so I recommend checking out the TWs before starting, and I appreciated the fact that the audiobook starts with a content warning. There was a podcast aspect that I wish we would have gotten a little more of, but other than that I really had no complaints! I love Hillier's books and I can't wait to see what she will write next.

Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A fantastic suspense with dynamic, addicting characters. The storyline moves at breakneck speed, weaving past and present with one shock after another. Hillier shines in her storytelling, enigmatic plot line, and exemplary characterization. Highly recommended.

Thanks to #NetGalley for ARC of #ThingsWeDoInTheDark which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

Things We Do in the Dark was a gripping and emotional novel about secrets, lies and the things that need to be done to survive. Most of the characters felt compelling and fleshed out, and although it was a thriller, I found myself rooting for a rekindled relationship between Joey and Drew. I did enjoy the celebrity aspect of it, but wished we got a little bit more of a backstory from Jimmy and the people in his life that claimed they were closest to him, since they were important to the story. The abuse between Ruby and Joey was upsetting to read, but the ending definitely gave the closure I was hoping for. I definitely could anticipate most of the twists but was still surprised by certain elements and would definitely recommend the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc.

This is one of the best books I've read this year and one of the most complex as It alternates between the past and the present. I was rivetted to this story.

Paris Peralta is happily married. One day she finds her much older husband dead in the bathroom and is suspected of killing him. This creates a lot of media attention for her as her husband is a celebrity. Media attention is dangerous for her as Paris is not who she seems - she has created a new name and a new life for herself. The death of her husband, although an accident, exposes her to being found by people she has hidden from for years. People who wish her harm.

I don't want to give anything away as this book reveals events in layers and Paris has a complex and heartbreaking history. It is astonishing that she escaped her previous life, and now she must save herself again - and not only from law enforcement.

My thanks to publisher St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These are my honest opinions of the book.

Paris Peralta isn't entirely sure how she ended up in her husband's bathroom, covered in blood, with him dead in his bathtub, but she's sure she didn't murder him. Unfortunately, aside from the facts of the case, there's also that she is much younger and much poorer, so everyone assumes the worst about her.

But her greatest fear is that someone will discover her past. Ruby Reyes, the "Ice Queen" who murdered her wealthy lover twenty years ago in Canada, is already trying to blackmail her.

Jennifer Hillier writes delightfully twisty suspense and this book is one of her best. #ThingsWeDointheDark #NetGalley

This was an awesome thriller! I couldn’t stop turning the pages! I read it in one sitting! I absolutely loved it! Highly recommend!

Jennifer Hillier is one of my favorite thriller authors and I normally read her new releases as soon as they come out. Things We Do in the Dark is another captivating book from her. Although not my favorite (that honor belongs to Jar of Hearts) I did find the mystery interesting and appreciated the true crime podcast twist. Characters were well-developed and I really was curious to see how three points of view would intersect. I did guess one twist but another was a surprise. Can't wait for her future works.

I received a free advance copy from NetGalley for review.

A wealthy actor/comedian named Jimmy Peralta is found dead in his bathroom. His much younger wife, Paris, is found by police standing beside the bathtub, and she’s covered in blood with a straight razor in her hand.

You wouldn’t think it would take Sherlock Holmes to solve this one.

However, there’s a lot more to the story than it would seem at first glance, and Paris has more problems then just a murder charge to worry about. She’s a woman with secrets, and the publicity surrounding the celebrity death may expose them. Meanwhile, a true crime podcaster is digging into the story of a notorious murderer dubbed the Ice Queen who is about to be released from prison, and his investigation is very personal.

This is the third Jennifer Hillier novel I’ve read, and like her others, I enjoyed it quite a bit. She has a real knack for coming up with plots that seem like they could be Lifetime movies, but she’s got the ability to ground them with enough realism and emotion to keep them from seeming silly. Hillier also doesn’t shy away from including some genuinely nasty edges in the work, and that also gives her books more weight than a similar story might have in lesser hands. She’s also good at distracting a reader by dangling an obvious twist but then revealing it early while keeping the bigger surprises hidden for later.

It's another dark and tangled story from a woman who really knows how to write ‘em.

Paris Peralta is arrested for the murder of her famous comedian husband and she looks guilty as hell. She's found right next to his dead body holding a razor in her hand. Even though her husband was a celebrity, Paris tried hard to keep out of the spotlight. She has secrets from her past that she wants to keep hidden... Ruby Reyes has served hard time in prison for the murder of her married lover. She's about to be released from jail around the same time as the Peralta murder. Ruby knows what Paris is hiding, which is the last thing Paris needs while facing a murder charge. Did Paris really kill her husband? What happened in Paris' past?

This was a twisty slow burn told between the past and present. I love when a book connects seemingly unrelated characters, which this one did towards the end. Hillier knows how to tell a great story that keeps the reader immersed and invested. I've read this author in the past and will definitely read more from her in the future!

“ While you can reinvent yourself, you can’t outrun yourself “

Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 - I’ll bump to a 4

What can I say, except - PREDICTABLE. As much as I enjoy Jennifer Hillier’s novels, this was no Jar of Hearts nor did I find this to be a thriller. Because of its predictability, the twists were not twists. With that being said, I did enjoy this one. The writing is so easy going and hillier has this way to keep you entertained.

Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future. I must say I truly enjoyed Drew Malcolm, I found the characters to be interesting and the story starts off with a bang.

Overall, i do recommend this one but now I’m off to read Little Secrets! Special thanks to netgalley for my ARC.

Things We Do in the Dark is a complex, emotional, gripping thriller!

The main character, Paris is found in blood holding what's thought to be her famous husband's murder weapon. But things are not always as they seem.

I couldn't put this down once I started this exceptionally good book. I read from page one until the end! It kept me guessing every page.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you #NetGalley #ThingsWeDointheDark, for giving me the opportunity of reading an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such an incredible book and one that I couldn’t put down! I feel like I always read psychological thrillers and know what’s going to happen but that wasn’t the case with this one!

Jennifer Hillier does it again! She always finds a way to bring an interesting back story to a full blown thrilling read! I thought I had some things figured out early on but midway through I was no longer sure what to expect!

This was a great story. A traditional suspense novel with well developed plot and characters. It slowed a bit for me in the middle and I had to keep trudging through, but all in all I enjoyed the story and will seek out more from this author. Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You would think being found next to your husband's dead body, covered in blood, holding a razor believed to be a murder weapon, would be the worst thing that could happen to you.

But you would be wrong.

Or at least Paris Peralta feels that way.

To her, the worst thing that could happen would be her past being drummed up. And with her now-dead husband a celebrity, it seems inevitable. Especially when a famous murderess, nicknamed the Ice Queen, knows her secret.

This was a gripping read. I'm always into a true crime podcast angle, and having one of the main characters be a creator of one such podcast drew me right in. The characters are very complex in a really compelling way that makes them feel very human and very real. The suspense is high and maintained throughout the whole novel, especially the conclusion. I would recommend this read.

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. Paris no longer knows who she can trust. She's also worried that her shady past and connection with killer Ruby Reyes (The Ice Queen), will come back to haunt her. She's worked so hard to hide her secrets and now everything is unraveling.

Thank you @stmartinspress
and @minotaur_books
for my advanced review copy.

This book was a twisted, psychological thriller that compels you to keep turning pages. It grabs you at page 1 and doesn't let go. I loved it and look forward to what Jennifer Hillier writes next.

I loved Jennifer Hillier’s earlier books so she has become a must read author. I’m in line for each new release without reading a synopsis or any reviews.

In this case - I think that hurt me a little because I was expecting another thriller like her earlier books. This is more of a slow burn mystery and delves into a lot of deep topics. Do check content warnings if that’s something important for you.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the additional interview with the author at the end. While this one wasn’t a total hit for me, I’m still excited to read whatever Hillier writes next!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance reading and listening copies.