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

Thus begins Things We Do in the Dark, out on July 19 from St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books. It’s such a witty and engaging read.
Paris, a woman with a difficult past, is arrested for murdering her famous and much older husband. She probably didn’t do it… unless maybe she did?
This book had a few twists and turns, and even though I predicted most of them, the writing was so engaging that I couldn’t put this one down.

The beginning of this book and the end of this book are entirely different from each other.

This is one of the best books I have read in years.

I have not said that about any other book in months.

I LOVE this book.

Jennifer Hillier does it again! This is a twisty thriller packed with all the childhood trauma. Not only are you trying to figure out a murder from the first sentence, you’re also going through so much of a traumatic childhood with the main character. I loved everything about this book and can’t give a single ounce of bad or corrective feedback. Definitely a best read of 2022 for me!

This thriller mystery is intriguing. Paris is accused of murdering her celebrity husband - yes she was caught with the murder weapon in her hand, but that is not what worries Paris the most, as she has secrets. Ruby Reyes has just been released from prison and she contacts Paris and says that she know some of those secrets and is ready to reveal them.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Per usual Jennifer Hillier knocked this one out of the park! This suspenseful thriller had me needing to see what happened next. I can't wait to discuss this with somenof my book loving pals!

Paris Peralta wakes up in her bathroom, covered in blood, holding her husband's straight razor--with said famous husband dead in the bathtub next to her. She knows it doesn't look good, and it isn't long before she's arrested for his murder. But what worries Paris most is the media attention this brings; it was Jimmy who was famous, after all, not her. Now Paris' face is splashed across the news everywhere, and she knows it won't be long before someone recognizes her, and the life she's worked so hard to build crashes around her... Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes was convicted of murdering her lover in Canada. Ruby knows exactly who Paris really is, and now that she's being released from prison, she's going to let everyone know.

"Paris should have known it would end like this, because there's no such thing as a happily ever after when you run away from one life to start a whole new one."

Oh, DARK was quite good! It was easy to get lost in this thriller, which is exactly what I look for in a good mystery. The book was twisty and, ironically, often dark and full of surprises. Even better, it's still enjoyable if you guess a few plot points; I tore through it in less than two days.

The story covers two time periods--going back in time to Ruby Reyes and her life and then present-day, as Paris deals with the murder charge facing her and what it means for her current life (and her past). Hillier weaves together these two eras quite well and introduces an excellent, diverse supporting cast. She touches on some deep and interesting topics, including motherhood, abuse (trigger warning for domestic and sexual assault), and the meaning of friendship. Paris is a nuanced and well-drawn character, and while there is plenty here to keep any mystery fan intrigued, there's also multi-faceted characters and emotional development. The ending wrapped up a little easily for me, but this was still a good read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It kept me guessing, but I was also invested in the characters.

I struggled to get through this one. There was SO much backstory, and I get why it mattered, but this just didn’t feel like a thriller in my opinion. It almost seemed more like a family drama with a suspicious death in the background.

The twists were decent, but I also wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. I was really hoping for more from this book after hearing such great things about Jennifer Hillier.

3☆ for Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Man. Oh. Man. This was intense.

Paris Peralta's past was supposed to stay a secret. She wasn't supposed to be found one morning, razor in hand, with her famous husband dead next to her. But yet, here she was. Did she actually kill her comedian husband? Why is she hellbent on hiding herself? What is Paris Peralta hiding? And from who is she hiding?

Find out by reading Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing this copy for my honest review. Wow! This is my first Jennifer Hillier novel, but it won’t be my last. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t stop reading. Be prepared to stay up all night until you finish this book. I will say there are some trigger warnings for this book, so please do your research if you are concerned about possible triggers. As much as possible, I do recommend going into this book without much information ahead of time. It’s a great book that is very thrilling and entertaining. I can’t wait to get my hands on more books by this author. Thank you again to NetGalley, the publisher, and author.

Wow. This was great!!! I loved how this book was split into different parts told by different people. I started connecting things after the second part, but was still shocked by the ending! This title was perfect, and I loved how well it tied in throughout the book!

Jennifer Hillier reminded me once more why she is the QUEEN of thrillers. Things We Do In The Dark kept me on my toes, flipping my kindle pages in NEED to know what happened next.

"There’s a time and place for erect nipples, but the back of a Seattle police car definitely isn’t it." ~ page one.

Paris finds herself in a cop car because her husband's assistant found her in the bathroom, blood allll over and her dead husband's body bloodied up in the bathroom. Paris pleads/knows she's innocent. She passed border patrol HOURS before they estimated Jimmy to be dead. Truth be told, Paris cannot go to jail... because she's hiding secrets of her own. Secrets that should stay in the dark. Because what we do in the dark shouldn't be seen to the light of day.

Intermixed within is Drew's investigation into Ruby the Ice Queen. Ruby has just landed herself parole after over twenty years in jail for murdering her lover. Drew was best friends with Ruby's daughter Joey, who died in an apartment fire New Years Day. What he sets out to find and discovers will blow your nightlight.

Hillier had me on my toes guessing and ahaing as the tale was told in four parts. She was able to interweave the narratives to captivate and myself to make my own connections/guesses. When I thought i had everything figured out, new curveballs were thrown into the mix. Will you be able to solve the mystery of who killed Jimmy? Why Joey even matters and what's this Drew guy? What are Paris's secrets? Dive into Jennifer's newest release July 19.

Thank you St. Martin's Press- Minotaur Books and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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

Paris Peralta is arrested in the bathroom of the home covered in her husband’s blood. Jimmy, wealthy comedy icon and senior to Paris by several decades, lies dead in the bathtub. Naturally, all fingers point directly at Paris for Jimmy’s death. And while she has many secrets of her own, Paris insists she is not guilty. As Paris attempts to prove her innocence, “Ice Queen” Ruby Reyes, who was convicted of a very similar murder many years prior, begins to threaten Paris for her personal secrets. How are the two connected and what does Ruby know about Paris that the world does not?

I love when stories dive right in - no beating around the bush, just straight to the excitement - which is exactly what happened here. While some twists were easy to spot, the story was fast paced and interesting, switching perspectives and timelines frequently.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy.

🚨TW 🚨for sexual assault and child abuse

I love Jennifer’s work and things we do in the dark is no exception!! This one jumped POVs so seamlessly and perfectly. The twists and turns were so well done and made this an unputdownable read!

“There’s a time and a place for erect nipples, but the back of a Seattle police car definitely isn’t it.” Well damn, that’s an opening sentence if I’ve ever seen one, and it just got better from there. Hillier brought it with this multilayered mystery that had me reading late into the night. A horrific childhood (that’s your warning) that propels one woman to save herself any way she can, on top of a murder charge and all the life details and events surrounding her makes for a fantastic read. I did feel the climax was a bit rushed but it did not change the flow or the projection of the story. Pick this up if you’re looking for an intelligent puzzle of a mystery.

I’m always a fan of anything this author writes and this book did not disappoint. I love her writing style and how her stories are always a little bit edgy. She doesn’t shy away from some blood, grit and sex and I’m totally on board with that. Overall everything worked for me and although I did figure out one of the plot twists, it in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the book as I just loved Joey’s story. I went in blind since the reviews have been trickling out and I’m glad I did so hence no synopsis here. Just enjoy. 4.5⭐️

I absolutely LOVE everything by Jennifer Hillier.
Things We Do in the Dark was no exception.

This is a TWISTY, dark crime thriller.

From the first word, the reader is HOOKED until the final shocking last sentence.

I don't do spoilers in my reviews, so I am going to have to say less than more.

But this book is fantastic, and I found myself holding my breath with all the action, twists, secrets and revelations.

A perfectly crafter thriller from the thriller queen herself.

I loved everything about this book. The story kept you guessing. You fell in love with the characters instantly. Jennifer Hillier is a fabulous writer.

Jennifer Hillier is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her latest thriller did not disappoint. I read the book in one night.

It's split into a few different parts and jumps between past and present with twists around every corner. Admittedly, some of them are a little predictable, but others are completely out of left field. The characters are interesting and, for the most part, likeable.

A must read for fans of Hillier's other works!

Thank you Net Galley and the Publisher for a copy of the e-book in exchange for my review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. Despite usually loving Hillier’s books, this one was just meh for me. It wasn’t really a thriller as advertised and the story was so disjointed. It started out in an interesting way with the main character waking up and being accused of her husband’s murder, but then it got bogged down in the main character’s messy (yet somehow still boring) back story really quickly after that. Combine the slow, predictable back story with mostly unlikable characters and giant plot holes and you have a book that I will recommend people skip. Also, huge content warning for child abuse.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book. I couldn't put down this mystery, as it kept you guessing until the last pages. Paris is married to Jimmy, an older and successful comedian. When Jimmy turns up dead, Paris is the first suspect. She swears she was not involved, the reader learns the twists and turns of Paris's background. A great book from Jennifer Hillier!