Things We Do In The Dark started a bit slow for me but as I got into the story I was riveted. I really enjoyed the characters and loved the ending.

Another solid outing from Jennifer Hillier, who has quickly cemented herself as an author who can consistently deliver a thriller full of atmosphere and unexpected twists. Readers should take note, however, that the sensitive topic of child abuse/molestation is involved.

I still think about how much I enjoyed Jar of Hearts back in 2018, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to read Hillier's upcoming July 2022 release. While I didn't quite enjoy this one as much, it was a powerful and engaging read
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"Paris should have known it would end like this, because there's no such thing as happily ever after when you run away from one life to start a whole new one. Karma has come for her."

- Deals with heavy topics of child abuse, cycles of abuse, and statutory rape. It's painful to read at times, so be sure to be in the right mindset when picking this one up.
- More of a mystery than a thriller, so go in with the right expectations.
- Told in six parts and in dual timelines, the pacing feels a little uneven and the narrative a little repetitive at times. Drew's POVs often shared the same information and by the latter third of the book, it dragged things for me.
- I'm sorry but why didn't they use her doing Sun Salutations in the holding cell the morning after her husband was murder as evidence of her guilt?

"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."

Content warnings: abuse, blood, child abuse, drug abuse, mentions of mental illness and suicide, misogyny, murder, sex work and Opinions about sex workers, statutory rape

eARC provided by the publisher for my honest review. This does not impact my opinions of the book nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.

This quite the story! Be careful what you say and what you do someone is always watching. You can become someone else BUT...............

I'm a huge Jennifer Hillier fan, so I was super excited to receive an advanced copy of Things We Do in the Dark.

This book starts out with a bang, with Paris, a yoga instructor finding her deceased, famous actor/comedian husband dead due to an apparent suicide. Things take a turn and Paris is charged with the murder. While Paris is certain the murder charge won't stick, she is terrified that her past will be discovered in the process. She is not ready to open up her old wounds.

This book has a good pacing and a few mysteries that keep the reader engaged. Trigger warnings for suicide and child rape/molestation.

Thank you to the publisher for my advanced copy through NetGalley, in exchange for this honest review.

5 I Don't Care, It's That Good Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
Ok, as my title says when I am captured by an author's ability to make me read, even though I have other things to do...I don't care if all of my "Nancy Drew Insights" start niggling or going off. The crafting and the way this story was told worked for me. I happen to love it when someone has reinvented themselves, either by pushing back on preconceived notions of who they are by others or by truly taking on other personas. This book had that and so it was totally in my wheelhouse.

Jennifer Hillier took a troupe that had been done before and brought in current touches such as the man with the main interest in Ruby Reyes as a successful podcaster. He was a journalist but with the newspaper closing, his continued interest in crime and cold cases segued into over three million listeners regularly. This convicted murderer was being released and his personal involvement with her daughter long ago continued to haunt him.

Paris Peralta is the main character and she is a woman who has truly survived and lived a life. From the outside, strangers, those who read and see social media think only the cliches about her. That is very easy to do. But as we read we get to see so much more.

This book's blurb lays everything thing out that you need. There are many characters to keep this interesting and with twists to keep you doubting or guessing. I think the way things were woven works and will bring many a worthwhile read. It certainly was for me.

Omgggg what a good freaking book.

I’ve heard of this author before, but this is the first book of hers that I’ve read. Well, I am definitely going to be reading the other ones she’s written as soon as possible!

I loved everything about this one. It was a bit on the longer side, but I never felt like things were boring or dragged out. There were a crazy amount of twists that I never saw coming, and just when I thought the story was coming to an end, a couple more big events were thrown in for good measure.

The writing was perfect for a thriller and the characters were so interesting to read about. Sometimes I tend to get bored of some people when there are a lot of characters, but this time I was genuinely interested in where everyone was going to end up.

I really can’t recommend this one enough. There are quite a few trigger warnings which I don’t usually include in my reviews because of potential spoilers, but if you’re concerned, please look them up because there are some dark scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC! This one comes out in July, so make sure to add it to your TBRs now. I have posted this review on my Goodreads and on my Bookstagram (@janinesbookcorner).

Very well written! Interesting and exciting! I super enjoyed this book and the story told! Nice change up from much of what I have been reading. Character depth. Moved backpack and forth from past to present very smoothly. Will definitely recommend!

A very clever and engaging story that grabs your attention and doesn't let up until the end. This isn't so much a whodunit, but rather a "what the heck is going on here and why" kind of journey, and sometimes I enjoy those even more as I scour the pages, looking for clues, suspecting everyone, and wondering how I missed what was clearly right under my nose!!

Jennifer Hillier is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller authors! While I like my books to have pretty, flowery, writing sometimes, other times I just want a writer to get to the point already and tell me the story. This is what Hillier does well. Her plots race, and her characters are funny, witty, and real. No fluff, just fast-paced fun. This one has a couple of interconnected storylines that lead to one explosive conclusion. Would be a great airplane or beach read this summer!

This like many others goes between something that is currently happening that is similar to what happened in the past for the main character. Our main character Paris is arrested after her older husband is found dead in the bathroom. She is accused of killing him and her biggest fear is not going down for his murder, but for her getting publicity and people finding out who she really is. We then go back into her past and learn about her mother aka the Ice Queen who was convicted of a similar killing of her then boyfriend. She now threatens Paris to expose who she really is if she doesn't get money she is asking for. This is a highly anticipated book set to be released soon, I do like the link to Canada it is nice to read without going overboard really showcasing Canada. It can be thrilling at times, and can be a page-turner for sure. It had strong character development of Paris and you really got to know her and how the events of the past made her who she is today and the choices she made because of her mother. There can be some twists but again very similar to so many other books out there written in the same style that are psychological thrillers. It is worth the read but it is not my favourite thriller that I have read this year

Jennifer is a queen. I’ll read everything she writes and can’t wait to dive into her backlist. She writes stories that are so well developed and characters that are flawed & real. As well as BADASS women. Here. For. It.

Paris Peralta wakes up in her bathroom covered in blood while her famous older husband comedian Jimmy Peralta lies dead in the bathtub full of blood! She's holding a straight razor and the police are yelling at her to drop her weapon......

This seems pretty cut and dry but oh no, no, no! This story has so many layers and side stories, such great characters and such great writing. Paris' character is one you will find yourself fascinated with and wait until you meet her mother...

Fantastic book, I recommend to all who love a good suspense story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Celebrity wife, Paris Peralta is arrested after being found covered in blood & her husband dead. Decades earlier, Ruby Reyes is convicted of murder & sent to prison. Drew, a true crime podcaster starts to cover the story of Ruby & tries to find the truth of the crimes she committed. Joey, Ruby's daughter is also a character where we learn her upbringing with the "Ice Queen" aka Ruby Reyes. The story flows between past & present, but was a little disjointed. I found it hard to connect to the characters and did not feel it came together in a cohesive way at the end. The character I most enjoyed and was most developed was a young Joey.

This was a fun, twisty thriller! I flew through the book, and the plot kept me on my toes the entire time. A quick and compulsive read!

After surviving an abusive upbringing, Paris finds herself having to guard and confront the many dark secrets she's buried deep.

Love and hate, mystery and murder, complex characters, sordid pasts, and courtroom drama . . . sign me up! Excellent storytelling  . . . this one held my attention from page one . . . a must-read for sure!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of Things We Do in the Dark for my unbiased evaluation. 5 stars

Paris wakes up covered in blood with her husband dead in the bathtub. His death is suspicious and because she's the much younger wife she is suspect number 1. As the story unfolds it seems Paris' past might catch up to her.

Things We Do in the Dark is a quick read, disturbing, dark and mysterious. It is my most anticipated read of 2022 and I was so excited that I was selected to review it early. Certain aspects were pretty predictable but didn't really bother me. The story has all the makings of a great thriller with its multiple points of view and dual timelines. Hillier isn't afraid to get pretty graphic at times which is one thing I love about her writing. I really couldn't put this story down and essentially read it in one sitting. Highly recommend it! See trigger warnings below.

**𝘛𝘞-𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭

Things We Do in The Dark - Jennifer Hillier

Wow, from the first few lines, I needed to know the story. It starts with a woman named Paris, in the back of a police car, handcuffed, and covered with blood.

The novel goes back and forth from present time to twenty-five years previously, when Paris was living another life. I don’t want to say too much more about this as I don’t want to give any spoilers.
I cared about the characters, and the story kept my interest throughout. If you choose to read this novel you won’t be disappointed.

This was my first thriller from Jennifer Hillier and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely pick up more reads from this author.

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier #jaylammreviews

To me, Jennifer Hillier, is the queen of thrillers. I have LOVED her previous two books; Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts. These were absolute BINGE-WORTHY books. I've recommended them countless times.

I was so excited to get to read her new book Things We Do in the Dark early! What a treat.

This story kicks off with an outstanding starting sentence...
"There's a time and a place for erect nipples, but the back of a Seattle police car definitely isn't it"

I knew from that first line that this would be another hit for Hillier. This starts in the thick of thigns- Paris has just found her celebrity husband dead, and guess who they think murdered him...you guessed it, his wife. So Paris is sitting in the back of a cop car, covered in blood. The story evolves from there. There is a lot of jumping back and forth to the past, it keeps things interesting and brings the story together.

I love books that start in the action, a strong kickoff is essential for a great thriller. This did have a few lulls- especially as the story changed mid way to another storyline. But everything came together beautifully at the end.

This won't top her other books for me, but I did enjoy this story. I am a forever Jennifer Hillier fan!

#jenniferhillier #newrelease #thriller #thingswedointhedark #reader #reviewer

Another great read from Jennifer Hillier. From the second I read the blurb I knew this would be on the top of my TBR list. The perfect amount of suspense, heartache for the characters, and a few twists to keep you on your toes. The character backstories given to us in Things We Do in the Dark have us really feeling for the characters and had me eager to find out what really happened with all of their tragic pasts. Definitely recommend to any suspense/ murder mystery fans as this will keep you enthralled from beginning to end.