I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars I enjoyed Things We Do in the Dark the story line was interesting and kept me turning the page. Paris Peralta is arrested when she is found in her bathroom covered in her celebrity husbands blood and holding a straight razor. However her biggest fear is having her face exposed in the news and her past discovered. Twenty-five years earlier in the early nineties, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in Canada. I love a story that has duel timelines and learning how the stories intertwine. This was labeled as a thriller but really it didn't have the level of tension and suspense I was expecting. I was super excited when the idea of a podcast was introduced to the story however that story line did not happen. Overall I enjoyed the story I just felt like it could have been so much more! Still worth the read and I will definitely read whatever Jennifer Hillier comes out with next.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. I loved this book - in fact, I have loved all Jennifer Hillier’s books! Her reputation as the Queen of the Twist Is still intact! This one is loaded with unsavory and flawed but interesting characters. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with plots that twist and turn and lead you down a path that heads to a dead-end!

*TW: sexual abuse*

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advance copy of this title.

Having previously read and loved Hillier’s “Jar of Hearts”, my expectations for this book were exceptionally high and I was NOT disappointed. Characters were so real and raw that I couldn’t help but become invested in their stories. The plot moved along at a quick pace and kept me wanting more. The twists were unexpected but believable. It’s rare that I rate a title five stars, but this one deserves it!

The Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier is a very good story that has so intriguing, I couldn’t put it down. The story opens when Paris Peralta is found on the bathroom floor, unconscious with her husband’s straight razor clutched in her hand. Her husband celebrity/comedian is found dead in the bathtub. This is how the police viewed the scene when they entered the bathroom. After being arrested Paris has to find a way to prove her innocence. Although there were parts of this novel that were a little hard to read, they were part of the story and not just written for shock value. This has a multilayered storyline involving past and present lives, keeping my interest throughout, I felt there was never a dull moment. I was impressed with the writing and the character building. Being that this was my first reading experience with Jennifer Hillier, I’m going to order her earlier books which I’m excited to read. Well Done!
Thank You to NetGalley, the Author Jennifer Hillier and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this novel for an honest review.

I waited a few days to write this review,
I felt like I needed to sit with my thoughts a bit - but I don’t know that it really helped. I still feel so torn on how I feel about this book.

I LOVED the first part. A celebrity murder takes place and the way younger wife gets arrested for the crime. Yes - sign me up. I couldn’t get enough. I was scared to keep going because I was worried it wouldn’t continue to be as good.

I’m confused by a lot of the reveals in the plot. I don’t want to give things away, so I won’t say more than that - but I just have a lot of questions about the author’s intent.

I loved the usual Jennifer Hillier darkness, she doesn’t hold back when it comes to gore and the dark side. This one has it all.

I will say I have thought about this book a lot since I finished it - so that has helped my rating.

Little Secrets is in my top 3 thrillers ever so I may feel underwhelmed because I set such high expectations. Yeah I really don’t know what else to say - real helpful review hey?

Jennifer Hillier has done it again with another fantastic book! This book follows Paris Peralta, right after her husband, a retired comedian/sitcom actor who is experiencing a resurgence, was found dead in a bathtub with her passed out next to it, and she is being hauled to the police station. It also follows true crime podcaster Drew interviewing Ruby Reyes, who is imprisoned after being found guilty of killing her boyfriend twenty years prior.

While there are two timelines/multiple narrators, I really enjoyed this format where larger sections go back and forth versus individual chapters. I think the format works really well, allowing you to really settle into each perspective.

The whole story weaves together very well - no huge from left field curveballs. Again, I like this.

A caution is that there are a whole lot of triggers in this novel. If you're a highly sensitive person, you might want to stay away.

Thanks to Netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Upon reading the premise for Jennifer Hillier’s latest thriller, “Things We Do in the Dark,” I was immediately intrigued and couldn’t wait to delve between the pages of this unique, suspenseful story. From start to finish, I was captivated, drawn in from the very first page and hard pressed to put it down.

“Things We Do in the Dark” is a page-turner of a story centered on a young woman named Paris who is accused of murdering her celebrity husband. While there is definitely a whodunit component to the story, it’s the secrets that Paris holds from the past that is the true crux of this riveting mystery.

As this story unfolds, it shifts between the present and past and is told through different POVs, laying out a horrific backstory that eventually leads back to Paris in the here and now. There are many threads used to weave this enthralling tale, but they all eventually come together to form an intensely gripping web of intrigue and suspense.

This is not the first Jennifer Hillier novel that I have read, and it certainly won’t be my last!

I love Jennifer Hillier, I always recommend Little Secrets, it’s one of my favorite books so I was so excited to get this ARC of this book.
I will start by saying that this one isn’t as thrilling or suspenseful as her previous books, but it was a captivating story.
This book is full of dark moments that really tugged my heart.
I thought the middle was the slowest part for me but it was necessary to get to the end and get the back story.
I did find the one twist at the end surprising.. I figured out most of the book but one of the last twists I did not get and I enjoyed being surprised by it.
Overall a good mystery of “who did it” and tells a great story of a woman who lived a life of hell and did what it took to get out of it.


Trigger Warnings for this:
Child Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Domestic Abuse
Drug Abuse

Look for this one when it releases on July 19th.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom 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. Fifteen years ago, Paris did not exist. She has created this persona for herself and does not want it shattered. Throughout the novel, Paris deals with proving her innocence, but also saving the life she has worked so hard to build.

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

I was so excited for this book but it ended up not being for me. I never felt the thrills or suspense. I caught on very early what was happening, who was who, the murderer, and called the twist. It was predictable and tedius, which I don't normally mind but it didn't work here. There was too much backstory on one particular character which further lost my attention span. The ending wrapped up too clean for my liking. Ultimately, I never got that shock factor I was hoping for, was disinterested and thought it was just okay.

*child abuse, sexual assault, emotional/physical abuse, racial slurs are some of the TW we come across.

Thank you so much St. Martins Press / Minotaur Books and Netgalley for my ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Things We Do in the Dark is set to publish on 7/19/22

Thrillers are most definitely my favorite genre. I love me a good romance, but there’s something about a book that has you on the edge of your seat & gets your heart racing that really makes me happy. For me, I need that feeling throughout the entire book. And I just didn’t feel that with this one.

I did enjoy the storyline in this one, but it didn’t have that jaw dropping moment I was looking for. I guessed the twist(s) very early on, which was a little discouraging. I did, however, think the flow of the story and the ending were good. I just needed it to be a little faster pacing wise & a little more exciting for me. I think this would be great for those who loved Jar of Hearts. For me, it was just ok. 3 ⭐️s

A huge thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Jennifer Hillier for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Check out Things We Do in the Dark on it’s pub date 7/19!

Wow!!!! I think Jennifer Hillier has written her best book yet!!!! Hillier is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!!! She just never disappoints.

This book begins as Paris Peralta is arrested in her bathroom for the murder of her husband Jimmy. She’s holding a straight razor in her hand and she’s covered in blood. Seems obvious right? Jimmy is a celebrity and what better motive to kill him than to inherit his fortune. But, Paris insists that she is not the murderer. In fact, she says she was away for the weekend at a yoga training. How could this be. And if she’s telling the truth, then who is the murderer?

Meanwhile Ruby Reyes, AKA The Ice Queen, is being released from jail for a similar crime and has contacted Paris with a pretty demanding request. Just how are these two women connected? Prior to Ruby’s release she is also visited by Drew who is the creator of a true crime podcast. Drew wants some answers from Ruby about her past.

There are so many layers to this book. Told in multiple timelines, Things We Do In The Dark is Jennifer Hillier at the top of her game!!!!

Trigger warnings include child abuse and sexual abuse

Paris Peralta is discovered by police in her home, wielding a razor, standing crazed over the body of her dead husband, who is a somewhat wealthy comedian making a comeback, and 30 years older than her. Obviously, it doesn't look good for Paris. But Paris hasn't committed this crime, and doesn't know who has. All she knows is, she has many secrets of her own that can't come out now. In Canada, a former journalist Drew has a podcast called "Things We Do in the Dark", and this season he wants to talk about Ruby Reyes, the Ice Queen who brutally murdered her married lover. Ruby is getting out of prison and Drew knows the world needs to hear the truth about who she really is.

This book was AMAZING. I can't say enough positive things about it. It's my first by this author, Little Secrets has been on my list for awhile, I hadn't come around to it yet, but it's not at the top of my list. This book was so well written, the characters are well developed, especially Drew and Paris, they each had a unique voice and were relatable even in the times where they're not likeable, you're rooting for them. There were times where I questioned aspects of the story and character's decisions, but everything wrapped up and made sense in the end. The history, the dual POV's was just so well crafted and easy to follow. The story builds throughout, there are unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down and I loved the ending. To be fair, many subjects that could be quite triggering, it was not always easy to read and it is at times extremely sad and there are many sensitive topics. Highly, highly recommend!

I really do like Jennifer's books. I had to look up her bio (just for fun) seems like she wrote the main characters after herself (maybe :P ) I like that it was mostly based in canada.

Good story, a slow page turner. I was hoping it was a bit more intense. But again, still good. I was expecting the end thought.

This was my first book by 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳 and I’ll definitely be adding her books to my TBR list immediately.

When Paris Peralta is arrested in her bathroom, covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub, she knows she will be charged with his murder. But that is not what worries her, she’s afraid with the unwanted media attention someone from her hidden past will recognize her and destroy her new life.

And so begins this thrilling tale as we are given three POV’s - Paris, Drew and Joey. Each of these stories intertwine with each other and give us clues as to what happened in the present and the past.

This book definitely kept me guessing along the way and kept me intrigued to keep pushing onto the next chapter. I did start to figure out the plot twists about half way through, but the final twist did catch me a bit off guard, I didn’t see that one coming until just before the reveal.

There were a lot of hard topics in this one as we learn about Paris’ past, which I point out in my trigger warnings, so please make note of them.

All in all, if you enjoy a twisted dark thriller then I recommend picking this one up when it’s released on July 19th!

Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the advanced copy for an honest review!

Intriguing , Dark and twisted.

Hillier has this intensity to her writing that causes the story to pull you right in, keeping you on this insane roller coaster ride until the very last chapter when you're left wondering what actually went on and how did you miss all of the subtle clues along the way.

This story is no exception to that! I felt like I was on this intense ride and about a quarter of the way through I felt like there was no possible way that this novel could throw anymore twists my way, I was obviously wrong and it and they kept coming full speed until the end!

This dark thriller is not without its trigger warnings (child abuse, sexual assault, talk of suicide) and I would urge caution when reading if any of those may trigger you.

All that being said I find nothing more satisfying in a thriller that is this dark and twisted nicely wrapping up with its own versions of a happy ending! No questions (or at least none of mine) were left unanswered at the end and I couldn't have loved it more.

This was my first Jennifer Hillier novel and it did not disappoint! I’m looking forward to reading her other books.

Things We Do In The Dark had plenty of secrets, twists, and unlikable characters. I loved the dual perspectives of Paris and Drew and wasn’t able to guess who the murderer was. While there are some very uncomfortable topics mentioned, Hillier doesn’t go into detail about some of them which I really appreciated.

Once I started seeing everyone get approved for this one on Netgalley I had to request! My first by this author and I’m adding Jar Of Hearts and Little Secrets to my TBR!

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 hmost. 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.

This story is told by three POV - Joey, Paris, and Drew. A huge switch up and we hear from Drew - that threw me off and took me a bit to get into his side of the story. Lots of family dysfunction in this one.

⚠️ child abuse, sexual abuse ⚠️

If you read a lot of thrillers you will probably see the twists coming. Even with predicting the ending I found this to be suspenseful and entertaining!

I love Jennifer Hillier and was thrilled to be approved for an advanced readers copy of this new book. She has yet again created an unputdownable psychological thriller/mystery. Several stories are pulled together and told in the past and the present view. Paris Peralta wakes up in the bathroom covered in blood, her celebrity husband is dead in the bathtub and that is how the police find them. Drew Malcom is a crime podcast host and doing the research his next episode about Ruby Reyes, a convicted killer known as the Ice Queen, the characters and the stories link together and make for a twisty fun read.

I am a huge fan of Jennifer’s writing style and the stories she creates and always recommend her books!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jennifer Hillier is a relatively new favorite of mine. I had never read anything by her and then read Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts during the pandemic and became a fan. In Things We Do in the Dark, Hillier creates another unputdownable. Even though as the book begins the reader may not know whether to trust Paris Peralta, she never comes across as unlikable. Because I have read other books by Ms. Hillier, I am somewhat familiar with her story arcs, so I figured out a lot (but not all) of how the story would end. That is not at all a criticism. The path the story takes is so well done that it didn't matter that I had figured it out. The journey was a treat. Imperfect characters, with their own stories and dynamics are the greatest feature of the book. I really like that even the "villains" are presented as people, not caricatures.