{3.5 stars}

When comedian, Jimmy Peralta is found dead, his much younger, relatively new fifth wife is charged with his murder. She claims innocence and presses that he has committed suicide. Quickly we learn that she is not who she claims to be. Someone knows who she is and why she's changed her identity and she's blackmailing her. She happens to be a woman convicted of another murder serving a long sentence. We learn how these women are connected and exactly what happened to Jimmy.

I liked this story and the pages turned like wildfire but, I wouldn't say that any of the twists here were unexpected. The "twists" were easily seen and predicted so if you're looking for a jaw dropper, I don't think this will give you that. That said, I enjoyed it as a read and would totally recommend it as a pacey beach read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-book for exchange of my honest review.

I am a big Jennifer Hillier fan and I was so excited to read this book early. If I had to compare this book to some of the other books by this author, I would say it's more like Little Secrets. Very domestic and kind of tame. I was really hoping for some more dark material like she writes in Creep, The Butcher and my favorite; Jar of Hearts.

I found this to just be okay and kind of a let down because I really wanted something more raw and dark.

Things We Do in the Dark starts off strong and easily pulls you in with the shocking story of Jimmy’s murder and Paris’ arrest. And I hate to say it, but this one fell flat big time. The beginning was the best part, and things never recovered for me after the POV switches for the first time. One of the biggest letdowns is the first twist in the book. I wish this info would have been included upfront and that the author didn’t try to use it as a twist. The twist can be seen from a mile away. The pacing of the book was also a bit of a struggle. It moved slow and all of the rehashing of past events/life experiences didn’t make it feel like a thriller at all.

Jennifer Hillier is an auto-buy for me, full stop. Jar of Hearts is in my all-time top five favorite books, and I will scream about her from every mountain top I have the unfortunate happenstance to find myself on (nature's not my friend, but that won't stop me). I have been SO EXCITED for Things We Do in the Dark and finally got the chance to read.

And let me tell you.

It did not disappoint. One. Little. Bit.

Let me start by saying: the hype around this book is real. It grips you from the very first sentence and never lets up. The characters are nuanced, authentic, and so aggravatingly real it was impossible not to see this becoming a Netflix series. Paris' POV was superb, layered with backstory and the likelihood of a murder trial. Ozark meets murder podcast meets Real Housewives with a dash of Orange and wrapped with Jennifer Hillier flair.

What I love most, perhaps, is not the flash, but the subtle moments of introspection--quiet observations that shout about the human condition: how we grieve, how we recover, how pain transcends time and creates opportunities for growth and potholes of despair. This book will stick to your bones.

Overall, 10/10 recommend. Add this to your cart immediately, you won't regret it.

Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Paris comes to in her own bathroom, covered in blood, with her husband dead in the bathtub beside her. She doesn’t know what happened, but she is suddenly being arrested for his murder. What is scarier then the murder charge however, is her face being plastered for the world to see. She can’t let her past find her. Unfortunately or her, The Ice Queen is fitting out of jail, and knows Paris’s true identity.

I went into this one blind and I am glad I did! It took me a bit to get into the story (more life circumstances than the fault of the book) but once I was hooked, I was truly hooked. It did take me a little bit to understand the two different storylines and how they connected. I really enjoyed following along with Drew’s investigating, and got excited when I was right about a few things. If you have enjoyed Hillier’s books in the past, you should make sure to grab a copy of her newest!

Paris Peralta is accused of murdering her husband, beloved comedian Jimmy Peralta. All the evidence points to her guilt, but she's more concerned that the suspicion will unearth a past life she's spent years trying to bury.
A solid thriller from Jennifer Hillier featuring both dual-POV and timelines. It's twisty and surprising with vibrant character development and an intricately detailed background for Paris. However, other characters seem a bit flat in comparison.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.
3.75/5

This is my 2nd book by this author. I like this just as much as the 1st one, and I really like the 1st one quite a bit. It's an interesting mystery with well fleshed out characters. It was well paced out and you didn't want to put it down.Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the advanced copy and exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

This is the first book I have read from this author. I really liked the writing style. The dual POV with multi-timeline was also executed fairly well. I have to say that I figured out the big twist as well as what actually happened like 1/3 of the way through however knowing that information didn't stop me from reading the book. I found it to be a compelling read. I didn't really like any of the characters, some of them were kind of flat when they should have been dynamic. Overall it was just a meh book, the reveals and the way everything worked out kind of came together all too well and a little too neatly which took away some of the suspension of disbelief I guess.

Thank you to Minotaur books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“ There is a time and place for erect nipples, but the back of a Seattle police car definitely isn’t it.”

And just like the that Hillier had me hooked from the very first line of the book. I’ve been a fan of Hillier since Jar of Hearts, and let me tell you this one was just as dark. There are certainly some triggers as well. I liked how it was as told in multiple parts and that at first there appeared to be two separate storylines running parallel when really that wasn’t the case at all. My heart broke for poor Joey and her crappy childhood. Hillier definitely created a perfect villain in Ruby Reyes. She was an awful mother and an awful human.. revenge was certainly sweet in her case. The ending did feel a little rushed and I wish there was an epilogue but otherwise this was a great read!

Things We Do In The Dark was my third novel by Jennifer Hillier and I enjoyed it just as much as the last two. Her books are typically thrillers, through and through. In Things We Do In The Dark, there is more mystery and drama than THRILLS necessarily, but the book is so engaging, I would defy anyone to claim they aren't riveted by it. I don't want to talk toooooo much about plot because it might take away from some of the surprise and enjoyment of the novel so I will try to be a bit light on details. I loved the story of Paris and her dead, much older husband. Accused of murder, no one, including the reader and Paris, herself, knows whether or not she is guilty of murdering him. There is another storyline involving a child-abusing single mom, Ruby, who is soon to be released early from the murder conviction she received after killing a married lover. Yet another storyline, tying the two stories together is of Podcaster, former journalist, Drew. While most thriller readers will figure out early how the stories are tied together, it doesn't take away from the fun of the story.

The author herself lays out some trigger warnings early on, and though I generally do not need them, I was glad to know about some of them going into the novel. I do not love being surprised by child abuse, and the warning helped me be less shocked when I got to those points in the book without taking away any of the horrificness.

If anyone has read and loved Jennifer Hillier before, that person will love Things We Do In The Dark. If someone is a thriller OR a mystery lover who doesn't mind a PG-13 level of grittiness, that person will love Things We Do In The Dark. And even though this book is not True Crime, I believe anyone who likes True Crime and/or True Crime podcasts, that person will love Things We Do In The Dark.

𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜/𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚆𝚎 𝙳𝚘 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚋𝚢 𝙹𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚛 𝙷𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚛
@𝙹𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚛𝙷𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚛𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝟷𝟿, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸
𝙽𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛: 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚊 𝚅𝚎𝚐𝚊
@𝙸𝙰𝚖𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚊𝚅𝚎𝚐𝚊
𝙳𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝟷𝟷𝙷 𝟻𝟶𝙼

I have read or listened to all of Jennifer Hilliers books, needless to say, I am A. FAN.! Things We Do in the Dark is just the chefs kiss of psychological thrillers – twisty, tense, and suspenseful - I ate this up AND I licked the spoon!

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙞𝙨𝙩

Paris Peralta is a woman accused of murdering her husband, a man famous and beloved, and all the evidence points to her guilt but could there be more at play?

𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨

There are two stories going on, past and present, and I loved the way Ms. Hillier combined the two to give me, the reader, a thrilling ride into the life of two characters, Joey and Paris. What’s their connection to each other? Who’s lying and who’s telling the truth? Who has something to hide?

Everyone has a secret, some more dangerous than others.

There are well-developed and multi-faceted secondary characters, mostly seen through the eyes of Joey in the past and Paris in the present, that kept the story mysterious and suspenseful and definitely kept my interest throughout. In true Hillier fashion, it didn’t take me long to become invested in the characters and their story.

Narration: This is narrated by Carla Vega and what a talent! She moves the story forward with all the emotion and nuance needed to do justice to this absolute gem of a thriller.

My thanks to @Macmillan.Audio for this gifted ALC and to @Minotaur_Books for this gifted DRC

This book!! I could not stop reading. Jennifer Hillier knows how to suck a reader in. Things We Do in the Dark starts off with Paris Peralta, who finds herself arrested for the murder of her much older celebrity husband. As her arrest begins to blow up online, she becomes increasingly concerned that the unwanted publicity will unearth a past life she has worked for years to bury.

I was surprised when a second point of view was introduced, that of true-crime podcast host Drew Malcolm. Drew has decided to dedicate an episode to the Ice Queen, who was convicted of murder when he was a teenager. She also happened to be the mother of the one who got away for Drew, Joey Reyes, who has since died.

At first, I found the jump disruptive, but I soon got sucked into Drew’s life too and I was intrigued to see how his story and his singular focus on the Ice Queen would eventually tie into Paris’s life.

Paris’s life was constructed incredibly richly. She had detailed interests, backstory, and friendships and I felt like her character came to life so much. This kind of character development felt rare coming from a thriller, and it made me especially invested in the plot.

I saw this a lot but I read a ton of mysteries and thrillers so I think I'm a fairly good judge of what makes a 'good' versus a 'bad' one. This...falls into the 'not great' category.

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier starts with a band. Paris Peralta is arrested, and covered in blood, and her famous husband is dead in the bathroom. She's holding a straight razor, and she knows that she's going to be charged with his murder. She also knows that she didn't do it.

That's the most exciting part of the book.

What follows is a lot of words to backstory, of who Paris is, who her husband was, who his friends are and who other characters are. We also meet Drew, a podcaster who investigates famous murder cases and is interested in Ruby Reyes, The Ice Queen, who is being released soon, despite being one of Canada's most famous murderers. Drew once knew Ruby's daughter Joey.

Look. This storyline is fairly obvious and I knew exactly where it was going before it even got there. The twists were like shining beacons in the night. There was no mystery. I did read other reviews mentioning details of child abuse and detailed scenes of exotic dancing ...no, those were more implied. There were no details, that I saw or read, just implications and hints.

I do think that Jennifer Hillier has a great future in this category, but this wasn't it for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this book!

Paris Peralta is arrested after her husband, famous comedian Jimmy Peralta, who is 30 years her senior, is found dead in their bathroom. She believes he committed suicide and tries to prove her innocence.

However, that's not all that is going on. Alternate chapters talk about how she grew up and how she ended up where she was. I really enjoyed that part of the story a lot too.

Is this the next great American novel? No. But it is a fast read, a fun read, and an enjoyable ride!

The author #jenniferHillier has not let me down yet..

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review. 4 solid stars.

Once again, the #wwbuddyread made this title all the more fun!
I was so impressed by the caliber of this book, my first from Jennifer Hillier. She was even able to come and chat with our book club on Zoom to discuss the novel after we had all read it.

I believe this title was one of her favorites because she leans so heavily into her personal Filipino culture, Don't be fooled though, this book at it's core is a murder mystery thriller. We follow Paris while in the opening scene she is arrested for the murder of her much older, famous comedic husband. While Paris denies her guilt for this murder, we immediately get the sense she is no innocent women.
We follow a trail through time and identity changes that brings the past back from the grave and into the present, in more ways than one.
There were so many plot lines occurring in this story, but they all beautifully supported and threaded through one another. Jennifer Hillier has now become a go to author for me!

Paris Peralta is arrested after her husband, famous comedian Jimmy Peralta, who is 30 years her senior, is found dead in their bathroom.

As Paris is arrested for Jimmy’s murder while she tries to determine if Jimmy’s death was a suicide. Alternate chapters focus on Paris’ past as well as the perspective of her best friend of the past, podcaster Drew.

Jennifer Hillier has done it again. The plot was fresh and I enjoyed the starring Filipina character and culture woven into the novel. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Every time Jennifer Hillier comes out with a new book you can bet your bottom dollar that I will have to read it and devour it in the process. This one was no exception. I read well into the night and early morning to finish this. It’s that unputdownable. I found it to be captivating and whip smart. I didn’t want this to end.

Another solid, disturbing thriller from Jennifer Hillier! I discovered Hillier after my book club read one of her previous novels and was really looking forward to reading this digital arc from the publisher and NetGalley.
Paris Peralta is arrested in her own home after her husband, who is 30 years older than her, is found dead in their bathroom. The reader learns about Paris’ past as the chapters jump between past and present and from the perspectives of Paris and her best friend, Drew.
I liked how the author gave the reader a reason(s) to suspect each of the main characters. And although I easily guessed the twists, I would still recommend this to others who enjoy dark murder mysteries. Releases July 19, 2022!

First, I have heard of the great books Jennifer Hillier has written but to my loss, I did not pick them up. Needless to say, I was late to the party but better late than never. This was my first Jennifer Hillier book and all I can say is; What a read!

I am a Filipina and what a joy to read about Filipino characters written by an absolutely awesome author of Filipino descent. The characters were speaking my native dialect Cebuano and reading about them cooking good food! So, even if the Filipino characters were criminals, I was ecstatic!

The plot was very well layered out. Just as I thought I figured out the outcome, here comes more curve balls and tight twists that had me second guessing myself and making this book hard to put down.
The drama- oh. the.drama!
The murders- yes, that is right! Murders!
The lies- was there even anything true!

The suspense was real , the thrill was inevitable, the race to the end was bound to happen! I was very thankful for Minotaur Books via Netgalley for giving me an e-copy to review. It made me pick this book as my BOTM choice for the month as it deserved a spot on my shelf! This is never going to be my last Jennifer Hillier as I am making this author an auto-buy!

Jennifer Hillier is a must read for me and her latest, "Things We Do in the Dark" does not disappoint. It tells the story of Paris Peralta, who is arrested for murder in the death of her famous, older husband Jimmy Peralta. Told from multiple points of view and periods of time, this thriller is twisty and unexpected. Fun read!