When Paris Peralta is found with her older husband’s dead body, she is instantly blamed. While her arrest is worrisome, she is more concerned about her past coming out. Some secrets take effort to hide.

There are so many thrillers out there these days so I hold my standards high. I really liked this one because it had a very strong and detailed backstory. The backstory really made the plot and the current events. I loved how everything tied together. I especially loved the flawed characters and how we hate to love them.

“Because while you can reinvent yourself, you can’t outrun yourself. As a woman once reminded her a long time ago, the common denominator in all the terrible things that have happened to you is you. Everywhere you go, there you are.”

Things We Do in the Dark comes out 7/19

Paris Peralta is found standing in the bathroom wet and covered in blood, clutching a straight razor next to her husband, allegedly murdered. Her husband is Jimmy Peralta, the comedy actor who peaked decades ago but has recently made a comeback prior to his suspicious death. Paris claims she didn't murder him, this famous man 30 years her senior, but will her secrets from the past coming rushing forward in the wake of this high profile death?

Okay this was GOOD. I felt like I was peeling away layers and layers of this story as the pages turned. I loved how the side plots were expertly woven in, keeping me both engaged and guessing. I was invested from the start and couldn't put this one down for fear of missing a beat. I had read Jennifer Hillier once before and this one gripped me just as much. Great read for anyone who enjoys multi-dimensional thrillers that pack a twisty punch.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. LOVED IT!!!

Things We Do in the Dark is my second thriller by Jennifer Hillier and it solidified my love for this author. In the midst of a stretch of midnight shifts for work, where I barely even pick up a book usually, I could not put this one down! I loved seeing all of the plot points and characters come together for an edge of your seat ending! I loved how chaotic the story felt at times because on one chapter I would be convinced I had the mystery all figured out and by the next chapter I was back to square one. The author did such a great job of putting doubt in the reader's mind. I will now be prioritizing all of her backlist thrillers I still need to read.

Trigger warnings, including: child abuse, sexual assault, emotional/physical abuse, and racial slurs

This will be a thriller that I will be recommending to others all the time. Things We Do in the Dark will be a huge summer hit when it publishes this July!

Another hit from Jennifer Hillier! After Paris Peralta is found covered in blood next to her deceased, comedian husband, the secrets of her past begin to unravel. I adored Paris’ character and her story did not go in the direction I was expecting. It’s full of surprises that kept me binge-reading late into the night. Beneath the fast-paced and sometimes brutal plot points, there is a rich human element that makes the story both thrilling and touching. I appreciated how the author delicately addressed the impact of trauma within the sex work industry. The title is also perfect for this book and I thought it was tied into the story brilliantly. Without giving too much away, it relates to my favorite character and perhaps the most authentic one in the book: a podcaster named Drew. I loved his devotion and how he played an essential role in bringing the past and present together in a beautiful way. Thank you to the Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley!

I will be thinking about this book for some time, I have read all her books and enjoyed this one as well. It could have been a little tightened up in the middle, I guessed a lot of it, but that didn't take away from the reading of the book, some strong zinger lines in there and a lot about the damage abuse of all kinds does. I was rooting for the main character and while the ending could have been stronger., it is still a very good book 4.5

This book ended up being much different than I anticipated. From the beginning mystery, it jumps to another situation from the past and spends a ton of time setting up that background. I didn't love it, and the whole time it felt like I know how they were going to connect. It felt like the story really dragged at various points, and I struggled to keep reading. Overall, not great.

I loved loved loved this book no surprise since Jennifer Hillier is my favorite author. I've read all her books, and this one was no exception. Great concept, great writing, and a thrill seeking read.

I had enjoyed the author’s previous book, Jar of Hearts, so was anxious for this one. It did not disappoint! A multi-layered thriller with a great storyline. Recommended for people looking for a good thriller to keep their interest.

Things We Do in the Dark is a fast read psychological thriller that will have you guessing until the end!

Paris is arrested and suspected of killing her incredibly wealthy, famous and much older husband. As the media focuses on Paris, she is afraid her hidden past will come out. Did Paris kill her husband? What is she hiding from her past?

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller. I loved every minute!

Talk about mental whiplash. This one felt like it was an easy ride the first quarter of the book, I was thinking “okay, this one should be all right nothing too crazy but I’m into it.“ then the back-and-forth timeline of past and present events, combined with characters from past and present that began overlapping, took my brain on an adventure like I haven’t had from a book in a while. Hillier does a phenomenal job creeping out a story and developing characters that make you want to keep reading, easing in details that make the flow of the story work seamlessly, but also make you think you have everything figured out and then you realize you don’t. There are certain aspects that you have to have known were coming but that’s just what Hillier wants you to do so she can weave in the unexpected twists.

Hillier has been on my to be read list for a while and the synopsis of all of her books have intrigued me and now I’m kicking myself that I have slept on her work for so long.

Things We Do In The Dark is about the wife of a famous comedian, her secret past and the events after he dies.

Paris Peralta becomes well known when her much older famous husband is found stabbed to death and she is found holding the murder weapon. Now she is accused of his murder and her secrets are at risk of being revealed to the world.

The book starts out with Paris’ point of view. There is then a switch at about the 25% mark to Drew’s point of view. Drew is a former journalist now podcaster who is stunned to find out a killer is going to be paroled. Drew has a personal connection to the killer as he was friends with her daughter, Joey. The third point of view we get is Joey’s. Overall, the POV switch to Drew was rough for me. I was enjoying the book and it took me a bit to get settled in a new POV. I also think the POV switches spoiled the twists for me a bit. It revealed motives and made the plot come together very quickly in my head. However, because of this, I lost the suspense, thrill and mystery I would normally have.

There are two or three interconnected twists and I saw all of them coming from a mile away, Even though I was not surprised, I still enjoyed the book. It’s a great read and you’ll want to confirm your theory is correct. I will say I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. This is one of those stories where you will have to suspend reality to enjoy some of the scenarios. It gets a little unbelievable at parts. However, this is fiction and doesn’t always need to be possible or realistic to enjoy.

Overall, I really loved the book. It wasn’t a complete wow but it was a great read and if you’re a fan of Jennifer Hillier, you will enjoy her latest.

Small trigger warning: This book has child abuse and sexual abuse throughout,

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Really solid thriller with a great build up to the ending. I had the twist figured out fairly quickly but that didn't take away from the story at all. Interesting characters.

I absolutely love Hillier and all the books i’ve read by her! The storyline to this and how it was broken into 5 parts kept me entertained and wanted to read more! I unfortunately did predict all the twists which was disappointing because I feel like in her other books I have not and I was waiting for that 🤯🤯🤯 moment which never came. Her writing style is phenomenal and I will continue to read anything she writes! I would recommend to anyone to read her books!

thank you netgalley for the ARC to this book!!!

Paris Peralta is accused of murdering her celebrity husband after she is found next to his body, covered in blood, holding a straight razor. The resulting media attention makes her worried that her secret past is going to catch up with her.

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I loved this book. Paris was a complex, messed up character who made some sketchy AF choices, but I could understand why she did what she did and really wanted her to come out ok in the end. The way the narrative is structured really ratcheted up the tension with shifts between the past and the present and multiple characters' POVs. I wasn't really surprised by the twist(s), but I fully enjoyed watching it all unfold. I loved Jar of Hearts, and I have added Little Secrets to my TBR and Jennifer Hillier is going on my auto-read/request/buy author list. This was a super enjoyable, well-written, suspenseful, fast-paced thriller. Highly recommend!

Summary: 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.
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Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts: @jenniferhillierbooks has done it again friends! This one was dark and twisty and such a fun read! Thank you @netgalley and @macmillanusa for the advanced copy! I had so much fun reading this one, the perfect summer thriller! A great read as per usual and lots of fun to dive into. It will keep you guessing until the end.
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This book missed the mark for me. It's dark and intense, which is standard for psychological thrillers, but it wasn't enough. The pace was too slow, except for the ending (which didn't seem plausible, even for fiction), which felt rushed. Twists were predictable. I didn't like any of the characters, therefore, I had a hard time staying engaged. The first part of the story was better than the latter half.


There are numerous trigger warnings, including: child abuse, sexual assault, emotional/physical abuse, and racial slurs

This was my first Jennifer Hillier novel. There are two timelines, which is something I really enjoy. Hillier is good at maneuvering from one to the other without losing the reader. The book is tense and dark, like most good psychological thrillers. I was really into it for the first few chapters; unfortunately, I quickly lost interest.

I was hoping for much more. The pacing was slow until the very end, which was rushed. The twists that came earlier on were easy to figure out, and the ending itself was too unbelievable (I'm all for suspension of disbelief, but there's a limit).

As for the characters... I didn't hate them, but I could not tell you a single thing that I liked about them either.

Please check trigger warnings, this book is full of them.

Publication date: 19 July 2022

I really did not enjoy this one. I didn't think the characters' motivations made much sense. Joey's motivations were so unclear, for one. I also felt like the ending was very sudden and we still don't quite understand why anything happened the way it did. I wish there had been more depth to the characters as well as detail to the plot.

Overall, this one really didn't work for me.

So that happened.

Not really sure what to say about that.

Things We Do in the Dark started out strong. At the outset, I was in, and then shortly thereafter, I wasn’t. I hate when that happens.

Nothing about the novel thereafter shocked me or held my interest, yet I kept reading, hopeful.

The story of Paris Peralta and her husband Jimmy didn’t quite do it for me.

Why?

The implausibility factor is high, which admittedly is not my favorite thing. My eyes rolled quite a bit, especially at the last 30%, at which I had to suspend disbelief. While this wasn’t my favorite, I like Jennifer Hiller’s writing and adored all of her other novels, thus I remain a fan.

This was another buddy read with Kaceey, which left both of us wanting.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced readers' copy.

Hillier has done it yet again with Things we do in the Dark! I have been so impressed with everything I’ve read by her in the past that I was a little worried my expectations would be too high but she pulled through!

I love that we dive right in with our main character Paris Peralta getting arrested for the murder of her husband, famous comedian Jimmy Peralta. It also flips to perspective of true crime podcasted Drew Malcom, I’ve read several books the last few years with the “crime podcast” trope and I’ve loved them all and found them all to be very unique and this one was as well!

I normally don’t like when I can guess the twists of the book, but in true “podcast” fashion, I felt hillier was giving the exact right amounts of information to make me feel like I was getting the information right because I was such a good investigator, not because they were obvious.

I definitely recommend adding this one to your summer reading list!