Wow! I loved it! It was a little bit strange but that is not a bad thing. Loved the characters and the storyline. I wish it would be a series. I am so glad I read this book!

Breaking the dark it's not Lisa Jewell's typical novel. Keeping up with the present and then was a little bit mind boggling for me. Yet after all the secrets and twists and turns of this book, it was an exciting read..

This was an unusual but interesting book. Jessica Jones is not a Marvel character I was familiar with, but she has a rather intriguing backstory. The story focuses on the pursuit of and yearning for perfection— especially appearance — and the things people do to try to achieve perfection. But then takes it farther by focusing on filters on photo apps and artificial intelligence and quantum physics, but also blood, “vampires”, and immortality.

The villain's goal was interesting. She wanted to be a famous influencer and have the status and wealth that went along with it, and she was willing to harm or kill others (or allow others to be harmed or killed) to achieve her goal. She also did not consider that what other people considered as "perfection" for themselves might be radically different from what she considered perfection, and the problems that could cause. However, she also believed that if people had physical perfection, and therefore were not focused on their appearance and all the time, money, effort, and anxiety associated with the quest for perfection, it would free people up to focus on other things such as careers, parenting, hobbies, etc. While she definitely took the wrong approach to attempt to bring that world about, it would have been a "social good" had it been able to be achieved in an ethical/moral fashion.

What can I say other than I’m a Hugh fan of Lisa Jewell and I love her form of writing. This for me was another great book.

If you've seen the Jessica Jones tv series, this could be a plausible extension to that, minus Trish and make Malcolm about a decade younger. Comic-wise, it seems to be placed between Alias and The Pulse series, though it's been so long that I've read either, it's hard to say how it fits in tonally. Overall, it's a fun thriller, though it did seem a little YA (the mystery revolves around teens), but that only really stuck out for me because the comics for JJ usually skew more adult. Definitely interested to see what the Luke Cage novel (next in the series) will be like.

I am not a Marvel Head - probably have consumed less than 1/4 of all Marvel content out there, but I did watch the first season of Jessica Jones and have read most of Lisa Jewell's books and enjoyed them, so was intrigued to read Jewell's take on Jessica Jones. I don't think you need to be well versed in Marvel world to fully appreciate the book, but I'm assuming it would add to your enjoyment if you are.

I liked Jessica Jones and especially liked her "intern" Malcolm. (Love a female private investigator in general). The mystery was good, if you're okay with things that are less than 100% based in the real world (as we know it). I didn't enjoy the storyline from the past as much. Appreciated the social media/standards of beauty/AI technology angle.

I'm intrigued enough to check out forthcoming Luke Cage by S.A. Cosby (another author I like) coming out in 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication: July 4, 2024

Out of the box, I knew nothing about the Marvel Universe. I'd never heard of Jessica Jones, had never seen any movies, and had no preconceived notions about anything. So I went into this book raw, with nothing to go on but the blurb. I'd heard of the author but had never read anything by her. It took me a little while to feel comfortable with the story and writing style. Clearly Jessica was a troubled woman, due to her past, and that past was slow to become clearer. The story itself was interesting; I was engaged and looked forward to reading and continuing the tale. I felt the denouement was a little overlong, but that's essentially my only criticism.

In closing, Marvel Newbies -- don't be afraid. There's an interesting story here. It will just take a little patience to feel comfortable.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Breaking the Dark. I typically do not read this type of book. Movies yes. TV yes. Books not so much.
I was taken in right away
This is a Jessica Jones storyline and she is an amazing character. Also Luke Cage and a solid plot
This novel tells the story in a parallel world and that’s what got me
Jessica is a flawed character and she finds herself in a job to find out how two teenagers go to see their dad overseas and come back two very different kids
In the meantime another story is in play that goes back over twenty years. How does this relate to the current situation. Jewell pulls it together masterfully

If you like these types of books and even if you don’t this is a well written book and I liked it a lot.
3.5 stars

Honestly, this one wasn’t for me. I read it because it’s by Lisa Jewell and I like her other books and her stories. Unfortunately I am not a big Marvel fan, nor do I like fantasy, so this one was not a good match for me. I am sure if I was a big marvel fan I’d be rating it higher!

I was not expecting this when I chose this book by Lisa Jewell. I skimmed the preview quickly. It is not my favorite genre and I'm not knowledgeable about Marvel. That being said, the book was well written and will delight any Marvel fan. It would also be enjoyable for readers who like fantasy/ distopian books.

I’m a huge fan of Lisa Jewell, so when I saw her new book, I knew it was a must read. I did not realize it was a Marvel story. I didn’t know how I’d feel about it, but I ended up really enjoying it. It’s a little different from Jewell’s typical books, but it was well done and I enjoyed it. Jessica Jones isn’t the stereotypical superhero. She is dealing with possible alcoholism and also emotional trauma, but she’s a good person that wants to do the right thing. Her case is interesting and the mom that hired her to investigate her twins was very likable. The “case” feels like it has the workings of a Marvel movie, but it was definitely suited for a novel. All in all, solid read. I enjoyed it.

This was so much fun!! Lisa Jewell is a great author. I really enjoyed reading this despite not being a big Marvel fan. I really didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Did I request this ARC without reading the blurb? Yes. Did I realize it was based on Jessica Jones from Marvel? No. I am glad I gave it a chance because I really ended up liking it despite knowing next to nothing about Jessica Jones. I love Lisa Jewell's writing so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I liked it but seeing as how I'm not really a Marvel fan, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.

I love how the mystery of what was happening to the twins unfolded and I NEVER would have guessed what was causing their "oddness". This was very unique and clever not to mention extremely relevant in today's society. I loved Jessica's character and her sassy attitude and quick thinking. The story flowed beautifully and I flew right through it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue and Lisa Jewell for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Breaking the Dark
by Lisa Jewell
Pub Date: July 2, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
In her most imaginative novel yet, #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell (None of This Is True) launches the Marvel Crime series of thriller books for adults with an original story starring the private detective Jessica Jones.
Through this book, readers can immerse themselves in a world of superheroes while exploring the issues of societal perfection, the evolution of technology, and motherhood with fantasy elements including an immoral cat named Mr. Smith. This book is highly recommended for fans of thriller, crime, and Marvel.

Jessica Jones is something of a mess. She doesn’t use her superpowers, drinks too much, and just might be pregnant. When hired as a PI to discover why two twins came home from vacation in England totally different she flies over to investigate the village. There’s a puzzle here and she’s determined to find it. With help from high schooler Matthew and sometime boyfriend Luke she solves the case but puts everyone in danger. A fun and edge of your seat read with Jessica Jones as an interesting and intriguing character, some supernatural and serial killer elements. This is the first in a new Marvel crime series with different authors writing each new book. But this disappoints me for I’d love more stories written by Jewel about Jessica Jones. I was hoping this was a series unto itself. I hope she considers it.

I’m not usually a fan of Marvel but I did really enjoy Jessica Jones when it came out. I was surprised to see that Lisa Jewell was tackling this character and I’m really happy she did! This book was fantastic. Action packed but had lots of development. I would definitely read more like this from her!!

I love it when I step out of my book reading comfort zone and am pleasantly surprised how much I like it. Of course the author (one of my favorites) helped with the decision to get it a go. Jessica is such an interesting female character- kind of a retired super hero who now does investigative work. She gets hired to find out what the heck is wrong with a rich woman’s teens after they return from a summer with their father in the UK. A crazy adventure follows with interesting plots involving social media, a woman who once was immortal now involved with weird kidnapping of teen girls and beauty products that are far from FDA approved. Really a cool story!

Breaking The Dark is the first novel in the Marvel Crime series, which features three different Marvel characters. The story revolves around Jessica Jones, who investigates a case involving a set of twins that started behaving differently after visiting their father in the UK. At first, I hesitated to read this book because science fiction is not my usual genre, but Jewel's excellent writing skills did not disappoint me. I really enjoyed how this book combines Jewel's typical thriller style with a comic book aesthetic. I also enjoyed how Jessica and Luke's relationship was subtly portrayed but giving Jessica more of the spotlight in this book. Through this book, readers can immerse themselves in a world of superheroes while exploring the issues of societal perfection, the evolution of technology, and motherhood with fantasy elements including an immoral cat named Mr. Smith. This book is highly recommended for fans of thriller, crime, and Marvel.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Hyperion Avenue for giving me a copy of the book.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors- I have read all of her books- so when I saw her book available thanks to NetGalley I jumped at it. I got it and immediately started reading and had to do a few double takes - this was different - a Marvel book. Let me tell you - Marvel are movies that my husband drags me to when it’s his turn to pick. I don’t understand them or fantasy, vampires, sci fi. But then I read and read - and I was hooked. Jessica Jones is a private eye when she is hired by a mom whose kids went off to another country to visit her ex husband and came back different. Perfect - in complexion and behavior. The story goes back in time to a family who is creepy with a capital C. There are special powers, blood lust, fortune telling and a lot more. The son Arthur and his girlfriend are up to no good. The girlfriend Polly has desires to basically rule the world -one beautiful face at a time. And then there are three missing girls - how do they play into all the strange things going on? Jessica along with her teen sidekick Malcolm and semi boyfriend try to get to the bottom of what is going on and end up in a cash course to see who will win good or evil. I mean if I can get all that from this book and read it in three days and give it the elusive 5 stars you know it’s good! Now nobody show this review to my husband!

An adventure of a read. A superhero living in the regular world navigating a variety of problems. There are some great life lessons intertwined in the store. Fantastic book for those that love fantasy superhero thrillers. Well written.