FINALLY a 5 Star read this year!! Jennifer Hillier books never disappoint me and this one was absolutely AMAZING!!! I loved every single moment of this book. So much happened. So many twists and I was definitely mind blown half way through.. By far my fav read this year so far. I loved this story. I loved the characters and I loved all the twists that had my draw dropping!! Wow just wow is all I can say about this one. If you want an amazing, fast paced, jaw dropping book, THIS IS THE ONE!!!!!!!!

One of my favorite thrillers of 2021 was LITTLE SECRETS. It remains my favorite book by this author.

While I did figure out a few of the twists and how the two storylines were linked, Jennifer Hillier again was able to pull me in and keep reading until the end. I love her ability to throw me down an unknown path. In reading the description, I had NO IDEA that many trigger warnings (such as parental abuse, child abuse, child rape) were needed. Yet, I did like how this one ended.

Thank you to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this compelling novel. It was the first I've read from Jennifer Hillier.
When the story opens, Paris Peralta is arrested for the murder of her wealthy, much older husband, comedian Jimmy Peralta. When she arrives home early from a business trip and finds him dead in the bathtub, she slips and hits her head, so she's not entirely clear about what happened. She doesn't think she killed Jimmy, but she's not sure, and she doubts people will believe her. Fortunately, attorney Elsie Dixon, Jimmy's oldest friend, agrees to help her prove her innocence.
Worse than the murder charge, though, is the publicity, which forces Paris to face a past she left behind years ago in Toronto. Ruby Reyes, a notorious killer, is being released from prison, and she reminds Paris that dead bodies tend to turn up whenever she's around. Ruby, seeing that Paris stands to inherit a sizable fortune if she's cleared of the murder charge, demands payment for her silence.
At about the 20% mark, the POV switches from Paris to Drew Malcolm, an investigative reporter who is doing a story about Ruby Reyes. Drew has a personal interest in the story as he was once friends with Ruby's abused daughter, Joey, who perished in a fire when she was in her early twenties.
Later, the POV switches to Joey, then periodically back to Paris.
Parts of the story were somewhat predictable, but it was still an enjoyable read. The characters were nicely developed, and I felt the ending was satisfying.

I really enjoyed this one! While it was fairly predictable, I loved the tenseness while waiting for the other characters to figure out what was going on. There was a lot of alternating between POV and past/present, but it was done really well. The ‘past’ chapters really complemented the present chapters and helped you really know the main character more fully. The pace, while not fast, was very steady and kept me interested the whole time.

Actor and comedian Jimmy Peralta is found dead in his bathtub, and Paris his younger new wife is the obvious suspect. With media surrounding her, Paris a worried her disturbed past will come to light.

Drew, a true crime podcaster is featuring his next podcast on “The Ice Queen” a woman who killed her wealthy Banker boyfriend in the late 90s. Now 25 years later, he is doing a deep dive into the case as Ruby Reyes is up for parole. But Drew has a personal connection to this case, his best friend Joelle (Joey) was the daughter of “The Ice Queen.”

Told from multiple timelines, and through multiple perspectives we find out who Paris was and what shaped her into who she is now. My heart ached at all the trauma and neglect that Joey had gone through in her childhood.

Okay, this is my first Jennifer Hillier and I am officially a fan! This was one twisty rollercoaster of a thriller that kept me guessing until the very end.

Read this if:
* You enjoy a twisty thriller
* Like a story of vengeance and fictional “true crime”
* Overcoming a difficult childhood

⚠️ TW include: murder, child abuse and sexual abuse, grief, and substance abuse

Paris Peralta awakens to find herself in the bathroom with her husband’s body in bloody water in the bathtub. She has a bump on her head and a straight razor in her hand, and is surrounded by police and ultimately charged with his murder. Her husband, famous comedian and wealthy 68-year-old Jimmy Peralta, was three decades older than Paris. With Jimmy’s history of drug abuse and mental instability, there is a chance his death was suicide and not murder, but will Paris be able to prove that she didn't kill him?

Ruby Reyes, a beautiful sociopath dubbed the “ice queen,” is about to be released from prison after serving 25 years for murdering her married boyfriend.

Drew Malcolm never got over the tragic death of his friend and roommate 19 years ago. Drew’s research for the fifth season of his hit podcast, Things We Do in the Dark, begins to dig up information about what happened to her.

Joey is a young girl who is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after a life filled with abuse and tragedy.

How these characters are connected and whether Jimmy died from murder or suicide provide enough drama and suspense to propel the reader quickly through this novel. There were a few good twists along the way to keep things interesting, including some surprises at the end.

An easy read without much foul language which I always appreciate. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

If you are a fan of thrillers, jump on for the ride. Paris wakes to find herself covered in blood...not hers, but her husband, who lays dead in the bathtub with his agent screaming that Paris is the guilty party. Enter Elsie, her husband's oldest friend, to defend her, but only until she can find someone more suitable. There is an enticing back story that most readers will recognize but the drive to confirm my suspicions kept me reading. I didn't totally buy who the killer ended up to be which factored into my 4, instead of 5, star rating. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy.

Paris is married to Jimmy Peralta The Prince of Poughkeepsie, a beloved comedic actor twice her age who is one the comeback of his career, until Paris finds him dead in his bathtub and accused of his murder. Needless to say this is not the kind of attention wants, especially since she started receiving threats prior to Jimmy's death, from a long time enemy threatening to reveal all her secrets. Will Paris prevail or will the Ice Queen get the last laugh. Pick up Things We Do In The Dark immediately to find out.

I really enjoyed the page turner. First, I have been looking to read more AAPI mystery/thriller writers so I am thrilled to have stumbled upon Jennifer Hillier. Next, I loved the diversity of the characters, the fresh perspectives of an Filipino protagonist made this revenge story new. I think Ms. Hillier is a very talented writer/story teller I was hooked from the very beginning and nothing about the blurb prepared me for this story's craftsmanship. Now one draw back is that the non-linear timeline could sometimes be confusing, but once I acclimated myself it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book, it is told in three separate timelines from two very different narrators. I can definitely see recommending this book to both new and seasoned suspense readers. Well done 4.5 Stars

It's quick to hook you and it doesn't let go, Things We Do In The Dark has a tight mystery that is a tough code to crack even for a seasoned reader. My only complaint is that the opening line is super out of pocket and doesn't really fit with the rest of the tone of the book. The unreliable narrative works really well and is composed well, the information is broken off as necessary, and isn't too info dumping. The premise is a young yoga instructor, Paris, marries an older comedian that dies in suspicious circumstances. She's found holding a straight razor covered in his blood when the cops arrive. trigger warnings for substance abuse, abuse, and suicide.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I enjoyed this thriller that flashes back between present and past, introducing new mysteries while advancing the premise of wife charged with husband's murder. A great read.

i don't remember the last time i was so solidly engrossed in a thriller—this has undoubtedly been jennifer hillier’s most magnetizing work yet.

i love this genre because it's compulsively readable by design, fanning an urgent need to flip pages until we reach that a-ha! moment of resolution and catharsis. jennifer hillier’s prose builds on the fundamentals of the thriller/mystery genre - she writes in such a fluid, compelling manner. i felt spurred to read faster and faster, if only to uncover all the twists she had in store.

also, she wields the end-of-chapter cliffhanger really well, melding the content of one chapter into the next, dangling mesmerizing bits of plot before the reader, keeping her characters' secrets close to their chests - but also scratching my itch for clarity and information.

it's a delicate balance, keeping your reader engaged but not pissed off!

◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️

picture this: you're paris peralta, a thirty-nine-year-old yoga instructor and happily-married wife to a celebrity comedian, residing in your beautiful home in a wealthy seattle neighbourhood. life is good - positively idyllic.

you wake with a razor in your hand and your dead husband's blood splattered all over you and your bathroom.

you are arrested and charged with his murder. you're swarmed by paparazzi and rubberneckers; you can't go to work; all your friends (except one) abandon you; you're torn apart by the internet wolves.

oh, and did i say that life was good for you before this? i forgot to mention: you're being blackmailed by a notorious canadian murderer who's been locked up for twenty-five years. because you've got secrets - dark, twisted, horribly painful secrets - that are just begging to be let out.

◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️

i haven't read a thriller that's satiated - let alone engrossed - me in ages, and things we do in the dark absolutely did both.

most of the time, i'm dissatisfied with a thriller because 1) the twists are too predictable, 2) the writing is too choppy or bland, 3) there's too much suspension-of-disbelief required, or 4) it's pushing some pretty problematic messages about women, BIPOC, queer folks, and other marginalized individuals and communities.

i'm happy to say that, for me, this novel managed to dodge those landmines!

even though i guessed a big chunk of paris' backstory fairly early into the plot, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. which is odd, right? but here's why: firstly, because hillier kept me hooked by peeling back layer after layer of paris' backstory, fleshing out the why and how beyond just the what that i'd predicted. i also liked that the book switched between past and present, between seattle and toronto, and between the POVs of paris and drew malcolm (an investigative-journalist-turned-hit-podcaster from toronto).

secondly, this story hit so many personally resonant points for me. in key ways, my history mirrors the author's and the protagonist's: i am a woman of colour who's resided in toronto for the last several years, yet i grew up in the pacific northwest. it meant something extra to me - truly near and dear to my heart - to read about toronto, canada (zellers, of all things!), and the pacific northwest, as well as reading about paris' filipino culture. not to mention, i appreciated the diverse and casual rep in this ownvoices thriller.

last thing i want to mention: this is a really dark book. BAD things happen; all the worst things you can imagine. the women in this novel suffer, repeatedly, at the violent hands of unrepentant men. and still, these women have agency and power, and vindication and resilience, and, eventually, the last word.



many thanks to netgalley and st. martin's press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Oh, my god, poor Paris Peralta. I want to give her booze and a hug or something. And maybe a little something to get the knives out of her back.

This is a nicely twisty mystery and the ‘who’ of everything completely surprised me. Like, I did not see that coming at all!

The characters are fabulous – you love them or you love to hate them and one of them is so wrong they’re right!

The prose is sharp and the suspense is non-stop.

This one was just so much fun!

*ARC via Publisher

Jennifer Hillier does it again, 5 suspenseful stars for Things We Do in the Dark! This was my third book by Hillier and she has quickly become one of my favorite thriller authors, I will happily read anything she writes.

Things We Do in the Dark has everything I look for in a thriller: realistic characters, police investigation, a murder mystery, a well-thought-out dual timeline, and multiple twists.

I don’t want to give away too much as far as the plot is concerned (maybe even skip the blurb) because the less you know, the better. Things We Do in the Dark is a fast-paced thriller that will have you turning the pages until you reach the mind-blowing conclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: July 19

Review to be posted to Instagram @book_grams closer to publication date.

Hang on to your hat, it’s a wild ride! When Paris Peralta is found by police next to her husband’s dead body, she’s covered in blood and holding a razor. Immediately arrested for suspicion of murder, Paris relies on her late husband’s oldest friend to mount a defense on her behalf. But Paris has secrets, many of them, starting with her mother. This book has so many twists and turns, I couldn’t stop reading!

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy to review. I really enjoyed this thriller. Part 1 and 2 mostly read like 2 different novels and I forgot they were the same (I listen to an audiobook at the same time I read books so occasionally I get things mixed up). But by the end of part 2, you realize the connection, if you haven’t already figured it out. I truly enjoyed the pace of everything that happened. I liked the character development of everyone and I appreciated how everything played out. The ending was very satisfying. Jennifer Hillier is a fantastic storyteller and I definitely look forward to reading more from her.

TW: child abuse, rape

All hail the Queen of Darkness! I only discovered Jennifer Hillier in the last year. After stalking her entire backlist, I was thrilled to get approved for this arc and it didn't disappoint! Things We Do in the Dark had a dual narrative and was told in dual timelines with perfect execution.

I think this is my favorite book of hers I’ve read so far! Captivating thriller that will hook you from THE FIRST LINE (IYKYK)

Thank you NetGalley & Minotaur for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Technology sucks, kid. Always best to go old school.”

Whew what a ride! Things We Do in the Dark is a compelling, dark, and haunting thriller. When Paris’ celebrity husband, Jimmy Peralta, is found dead in the bathtub and Paris is next to him holding a straight razor, it’s not looking good for her. Especially when he’s thirty years her elder and worth a LOT of money. But with a past she doesn’t want to come to light, Paris is more nervous about media attention than murder convictions. Told from dual perspectives, this story goes between past and present to wind the whole twisty tale together. While I was questioning what really happened to Jimmy for the whole book, there was so much else unfolding and a couple other big twists. I did find those on the easier side to guess, but the story was so engaging that I wanted to keep reading to find out if I was right and see what else happened. The subject matter of this book is dark, so definitely look up trigger warnings.

Thanks to Minotaur books for the copy of this ARC.

No surprise here, but Jennifer Hillier did it again! Her writing style does always captures my attention immediately. Things We Do in the Dark was compelling, heart-wrenching, and filled with so many secrets — filled with revenge, secrets, and a woman who will do anything to protect the secrets of past life while attempting to keep it hidden. As always, Hillier is masterful. This book had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. You will not be able to put this book down.

Thank you to Minotaur Books + NetGalley for my e-copy!