Meh! That’s how I feel after finishing this one. It’s not a suspenseful thriller like I expected. I would categorize it as more of a family drama, which I’m not a huge fan of. It could also be I just wasn’t in the right mood. The story was good, but the build up with the backstory was a D-R-A-G.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley but also purchased it as my Book of the Month selection

Jennifer Hillier does it again. I binged this one and was completely hook on the life of Paris Peralta. The dual timelines never left me hanging (hate when that happens)! This would also make a great movie, but I doubt anyone will ask my opinion on that 🤣.
Basically, if you love thrillers and haven’t read a Hillier book then you’re missing out!

The "Queen of Thrills" returns following Little Secrets with her seventh novel, THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK. A chilling and gripping multi-layered psychological/crime thriller that will take you deep into the mind of a psychopath.

A well-crafted character and plot-driven thrilling emotional tale of survival, the unraveling of long-buried secrets, and one woman's dark past.

A huge fan, bestselling Author JENNIFER HILLIER can be counted on to send a shiver down the spine, but this one exceeds even her high standards! Full of fascinating characters that take us to the darkest places imaginable.

When Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future.

Husband Jimmy Peralta was the star of the successful TV show, The Prince of Poughkeepsie. The Seattle comedian has been looking for a comeback and has managed to do so.

As the book opens, older retired Jimmy (comedian-actor) has been found in his home in Seattle, in the bathtub dead with his femoral artery slashed with what appears to be his straight-edge razor as a weapon.

His younger (fifth) wife, (30 years younger) Paris Peralta, and yoga studio owner/instructor has returned from a conference and found the scene. When the cops arrive, she is holding the razor.

Now a murder weapon.

She does not need to be in the spotlight since she has secrets from the past— she would like to keep buried. Has Karma come for her?

When they married two years earlier, she expected to live a quiet life with retired Jimmy, but then he changed his mind and was un-retired, and she was worried, and now he is dead.

Jimmy, an old soul, also has two other women working closely with him. Zoe, his assistant and right-hand woman in their house all the time, and Elsie, Jimmy's best friend since childhood and his attorney. They know probably more about him than Petra.

Murder or suicide? Jimmy also had other problems with drugs, his health, finances, and more. Many red herrings and suspects keep you guessing to the end.

Besides being worried about a murder charge, Petra has other more pressing concerns. Something in her past has surfaced which could destroy her. Years ago, Petra fled Toronto under an assumed name after a fire that claimed the life of Joey (Joelle Reyes).

Ruby Reyes (known as the Ice Queen), a horrible sinister monster —an evil and abusive mother (of Joey) has been serving time in prison for killing her married lover/ bank president, Charles Bazterdnet. Ruby is about to be paroled after twenty-five years, and now Paris is receiving blackmail demands and wanting money. She knows things.

In addition, we are introduced to Drew Lamcolm, true-crime podcaster THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK, who was a friend of Joey's. He despises Ruby and wants to keep her in prison, where she belongs.

How do all these characters connect, and WHO killed Jimmy?

Folks, this is Jennifer Hillier. I have read every book she has ever written and anxiously await the next. When you hear her name, you know you will be entertained and glued to the pages. Perfect for fans of unputdownable, gritty, and complex cat-and-mouse thrillers, ruthless killers, and 'didn't see it coming, OMG' endings.

THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK will have you flipping pages at breakneck speed, guessing, and gasping to the satisfying conclusion.

Hillier delves deep into the human psyche. Ruby was such a ruthless evil woman, and the author did an outstanding job getting inside her head and younger/older Joey. I loved Petra and that Jennifer created her as Filipino, as herself.

Filipinos have been described as friendly, outgoing, sensitive, easily offended, nosy, garrulous, direct, hospitable, feisty, irreverent, good-natured, clever, witty, gregarious, happy, generous, easy to laugh, gracious, easy to befriend, casual, fun-loving, sensitive and hospitable.

If you have followed Jennifer on social media, with her personal, family, and author life, you will see she is just that! Authentic, plus talented and beautiful on the inside/out. Highly recommend this one and all her books. Get this gem on your TBR list.

INTERVIEW: Stay tuned for my upcoming featured July #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview where we go behind the scenes of the book and the author. Sign up for my newsletter to have it delivered to your inbox.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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A special thank you to #MinotaurBooks #StMarinsPress and #NetGalley for an ARC to read, enjoy, and review. #MinotaurInfluencers

Just finished TWDITD last evening and what a fast-paced thriller this one was! I do not think it compared to Jar of Hearts by this author for me, but I loved to hate Ruby Reyes as a character and this definitely was a good domestic thriller.

This book was OUTSTANDING! Great for a buddy read, as it had a lot of great discussion points and I had questions and theories throughout that were fun to talk through. I would highly recommend this to everyone to read! Check trigger warnings first!

I will admit that this book ended up being not what I expected it to be, which is probably what makes this a 4 star and not 5 star book. It starts out with Paris Peralta waking up covered in blood, holding a straight razor, next to her old rich dead husband. Paris hits her head and passes out and is woken up by police yelling at her to drop the weapon. She can't remember what happened and isn't sure if she killed her husband..

At first I wasn't sure if I liked the back and forth of the three perspectives, but I think it actually really added to the story. It gave so much background and life to each character. I left feeling like I knew so much about Paris, Ruby, Drew, and Joey.

Although the surprises didn't seem so surprising to me, I still really enjoyed this book. I've been pretty burnt out by reading the same tropes in thrillers the past couple years and this felt like a breath of fresh air. I will definitely be adding more books by this author to my TBR.

TW: sexual assault, suicide, addiction, child abuse, racism, etc. Lots of triggers, so make sure you are in a good headspace.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC!

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Jennifer Hillier for letting me read Things We Do in the Dark early. This one will be published on July 19.

I absolutely gobbled up Little Secrets, Jar of Hearts and Creep. There are only a few of her backlist books left for me to snag so I can say I’ve read them all! I was so excited to be allowed to read her newest one before it hits the shelves. Things We Do in the Dark was completely engrossing. It’s clever and captivating and I had a hard time putting it down. The twist didn’t shock me like her previous books did but maybe thats just me, a hazard of reading so much. I loved these characters and they were all so well developed. I highly recommend this one.

Paris finds her celebrity husband dead in their home, she is the one being charged with his murder. She’s all over the media and she’s more worried about her past catching up with her than being in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. She’s been working hard to create her new life and she’d like to keep it. Ruby was convicted of a similar murder twenty-five years before. Ruby knows Paris and knows her past and is willing to keep her secrets for a fee.

"While you can reinvent yourself, you can't outrun yourself."

Quick Summary: THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK is a thriller that follows Paris Peralta, the wife of a famous comedian that was murdered in his home. When Paris becomes suspect #1, she worries that someone from her long-hidden past will recognize her and destroy her new life.

This one kept me guessing! Jennifer Hillier gets a lot of hype so I was excited to finally read one of her books. There were several twists that had me second-guessing what I had originally thought. Of the big twists, one of them was easy to predict but the others not so much.

TWDITD is told in dual timelines which I loved! It helped to build suspense and answer some questions while asking others. A strip club was one of the settings in the novel. The second thriller I’ve read this year that features one- what are the odds!

It is a bit of a slow burn getting started but I was pleasantly surprised by how the characters were so well-developed. I think this is missing in a lot of thrillers! TWDITD is a dark story that shines a light on the horrible things a person does in the dark.

I recommend this for fans of Karin Slaughter!

CW: child abuse, sexual abuse

Apparently things I do in the dark include writing this review while I can’t sleep haha

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier comes out July 19th! Thank you so much @netgalley and @minotaur_books for allowing me to read and review it early!

In this book we meet Paris as she is arrested for murdering her once famous comedian husband. Unfortunately due to all of the media’s spotlight on this case there’s a murderer from the 90’s, Ruby, that knows Paris’s true identity. Paris needs to prove she’s innocent and confront her past. The end of the synopsis says “Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.”

❤️Review❤️

I always love how Jennifer Hillier writes her books. She always writes them in parts that reveal information in different timelines and people. This one was a little more predictable than her previous novels, but it didn’t make it any less engaging. I was sucked into this story from the very first chapter. Paris’s character throughout the story was extremely compelling as she grows and changes. She is the type of character that fights for her own survival and doesn’t want to depend on anyone. Big trigger warning for sexual and child abuse. It was probably the main problem I had with the book was that it was too prevalent in the story for me. It’s just a difficult topic to be consistently reminded of when reading for enjoyment. Besides that though I really enjoyed the book and as usual her endings leave me satisfied as she always takes that last twist to the very end.

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you want to get this book even earlier than July 19th, you can get it on @bookofthemonth !

#Bookstagram #BookReview #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #BooksBooksBooks #Books #NewBooks #NewBookReleases #ThrillerBooks #SuspenseBooks #2022Books #BookOfTheMonth

I enjoyed this, but it’s not my favorite by Hillier. This story was good, but almost had too much going on. I think it could’ve been more enjoyable for me had it been simpler.

The twists were guessable, but this didn’t take away from the overall story.

Joey’s story was heartbreaking. It gave the rest of the book a little something extra.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book! I have read this authors previous books and have become a fan.

You will question every move, every person, every little detail and will still not have all the answers. I thought I had it all figured out...noooppppeee!

Paris is the main character and you can't help but feel for her and suspect that she is guilty all in one breathe. I was torn all throughout the book but when all is revealed, Thing We Do in the Dark, always come out in the light!

This book is a page turner for sure! I highly recommend it.

This is a great thriller - twists and turns, suspense and multiple timelines!! Even though the twists were wild, the characters felt believable and real so it didn't seem unrealistic.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Hillier has done it again! Jar of Hearts is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was thrilled to read Things We Do in the Dark. This book is a fast-paced thrilled sure to keep readers hooked from start to finish. Paris Peralta is accused of murder when she's arrested in her bathroom holding a razor next to her very dead celebrity husband. Paris's biggest concern is her secret past coming out. Ruby Reyes committed a similar murder in Canada in the 90s and she knows Paris's secret. What happens when Ruby threatens to expose Paris's past? As expected with Hillier, this is a dark, addictive very twisty thriller. Highly recommended to anyone looking for top tier thrillers. Hillier is THE can't be missed author!

Jennifer Hillier is a master storyteller. Her ability to create characters and layer a story are top notch. Things We Do In The Dark captured my attention from page one. I've come to expect crazy plot twists that I didn't see coming but this one just felt a bit more predictable. I was holding out hope that the end would be jaw dropping and it was fine, a fairly tidy ending to a well thought out thriller. I just wanted a few real surprises.

I really loved Hillier's Jar of Hearts so I was very excited to jump into this new novel of hers set to release in July. This was such a quick read and something I didn't want to put down. Unfortunately I did guess the ending and was slightly underwhelmed however the other 90 percent of this book was thrilling!
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this lovely novel in exchange for an unbiased review. 4 big stars!

Holy darkness, my old friend. This was such a dark read. So many triggers.

This was like slowly peeling an onion where layer after layer was an unravel. Always something more to come.
But don’t take the slowly as it was slow. This was a completely immersive read for me. I was glued to the pages and i was in it. Fully in the story from the moment i opened the pages. I felt for Joey. I felt for Paris. It was an intense read. I had moments of anger. Repulsion and hatred reading about certain things. There was moments of light too. But this book is a heavier read. But so good.

I did figure some things out and i don’t know if it was really meant to be a secret because i felt like the clues were a tad obvious. But some pieces i wasn’t sure quite how they fit. I’ll always love the darker worlds that JH creates.

Things we do in the dark Jennifer Hillier
Paris comes to covered in blood and clutching a straight razor: in the bathtub next to her is her famous older husband obviously dead. Murder or suicide, which is it? Even Paris herself struggles with the answer to this question. Does her past history condemn her to repeat violent acts? Was her love for her husband real? This thriller keeps the reader guessing to the very end. A great read from this author.

✨𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖✨

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫

Another great read by @jenniferhillierbooks 👏🏼 I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all 3 of her books that I’ve read so far. While this one was also dark and disturbing, it was a slow burn mystery that kept you wanting more & guessing until the end!

👍🏼: I was hooked from the start of this book as Paris, the main character, is arrested in the bathroom where her husband was murdered- possibly? 😂 I enjoyed the dual timelines, multiple mysteries within and unreliable narrators. I truly didn’t know who to trust or believe until the very end 🙌🏼

👎🏼: The plot overall didn’t have any shocking twists and turns for me, but I didn’t mind too much. Each chapter gave you a little more unraveling the secrets of the wild past & present events.

🚨Message me for the TWs on this one!!! There was A LOT to unpack that I won’t spoil in this review.

Overall, an entertaining, quick, dark mystery/thriller read for me. I was also rooting for Paris the whole time despite what she may or may not have done 😂 so that’s some great writing 📖💙

Thanks to @netgalley & @minotaur_books for the e-ARC✨ this was a BOTM choice, but officially published on 7/16!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Things We Do in the Dark was my first Jennifer Hillier book, but I have a feeling it won’t be my last. This psychological thriller delves into themes of love, loss, family, and how far one is willing to go to keep their secrets.

The story is told through three perspectives, across six different parts: Part One starts off with Paris, the much-younger wife of a famous comedian who is found dead in his bathtub. Of course, since she’s the wife of the victim and she’s found in the bathtub holding the murder weapon, Paris is taken into custody and ultimately charged with his murder, although she and her husband’s best friend (who also happens to be her lawyer) both believe her husband died by suicide. Part Two alternates between Joey, a young girl who lived a very hard life, mostly at the hands of her abusive mother and other family members, and Drew, a man Joey meets as a young woman and an investigative journalist-turned-true-crime podcaster. The reader learns about Joey’s life as a thirteen-year-old, when her mother is arrested for the murder of her much older banker boyfriend (sound familiar?), and then at eighteen, when she meets Drew and tries to make ends meet by taking a job at a local strip club. The rest of the story unfolds with alternating perspectives from these three POVs.

There are plenty of trigger warnings as the content of this book is pretty dark (TW: child abuse, sexual abuse, suicidal themes). Parts of this book are extremely hard to read but Hillier tells Joey’s story in an honest and compassionate way and it didn’t feel explicit or gratuitous to me. Like all good psychological thrillers, this one is filled with twists and turns, and while some of them might seem obvious to hardcore thriller fans, Things We Do in the Dark was still a captivating and fast read – I honestly couldn’t put this one down.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ended up getting a physical copy of this book and will be reviewing that version since I love a physical copy of a Thriller lol. Loving this one so far and Hillier never misses.