Guys. I try to go into books blind, right? It’s adds to the thrill. That’s harder to do when you’re requesting ARCs (thank you so much, NetGalley and the publisher, for sending this ARC). So my version of that with this particular book was choosing not to look into any of these Marvel characters. I’m going in blind!

I’m so glad I did that. I know a little about Jessica Jones but, honestly, I couldn’t remember much. This book, from the very beginning, had me hooked. The way you’re immediately drawn in by the mystery of Jessica’s past and the curiosity of how that ties into what she’s doing at the start of the book sets you up for intrigue. Jessica is the downcast hero you love to root for because she *cares*- despite her life being an absolute wreck.

As the plot advances, she’s hired to look into a couple of teenagers exhibiting strange behavior and it just gets better from there. The plot drives you forward with little effort and the characters are ones you love and hate. It’s truly a great read. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I’ve since learned there will be more Marvel Crime Novels written by a variety of well known authors and I’m already ready to add to TBR.

I read 2 other books by Lisa Jewell and gave them both 5 star reviews. When I saw this book was available, I admit I didn’t read the description closely and did not realize it was a Marvell comic book. That was a turn off for me. Too much of the story line was unbelievable and unrelateable. The characters tell much more to strangers than what is realistic, even in a Marvell comic setting.
The story line was good and if you are OK with the Marvell aspect of the book you will love it.
I received this gallery from NetGalley.

OMG… this has to be my favorite Lisa Jewell novel. I’m not even a marvel fan. Lisa Jewell has a way with developing characters and making readers care about them, all while knowing they can be ripped from you at anytime. This novel is an anxiety gripping page turner. Seriously there were times where my heart was beating so fast and I had to know what happened next.

For those that like to read thrillers, having the marvel touch was nice because it allowed for the magical, mystical, and impossible that could never happen in real life.

Jessica Jones is a private investigator looking into a case of twins that come back from a trip from the UK looking and acting strange. Whenever people asked if they were okay they said they were “perfect”. Little does she know this case will put humanity at stake and she will have to try and save it.


Some topics/ themes:
Power/ control
Manipulation
Impossible beauty standards
Grooming
Social media

Overall, I highly recommend this novel. Lisa Jewell is pure talent.

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue books for the complementary digital reader’s copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was tough to rate. I was excited to pick it up every day but I never liked what I was reading. The majority of the reading experience was a solid 3 star, but then the last 10% was so heavy handed and had me rolling my eyes. This didn’t feel like a Jessica Jones book and it also didn’t feel like a Lisa Jewell thriller.

Part of being in the Marvel universe, I had assumed that this book would be YA, adventurous, and have a fast-pace. But in the first few chapters there were characters self-harming and a pregnancy scare, and it felt unnecessary for a superhero, sci-fi novel. I did not finish it.

Fans of Marvel and Lisa Jewell will love this one! I am not very knowledgeable about Marvel so some references didn’t make sense to me, but I still enjoyed the plot and characters. Jewell’s writing is always on my must read list.

I thought I'd give this book a chance. I love Lisa Jewell, and I love Marvel. Even though I haven't read any of the Jessica Jones stuff, I really enjoyed this book. I didn't feel lost not having read any comics or books about her. I felt it was well written and had me interested from the beginning. I will definitely read any additional books in the series.

3 Stars

I ended up giving up on this one around 25%. I really enjoyed Jessica Jones Netflix series, I found it to be really fun and I watched all the episodes. I also really like Lisa Jewell reading most of her books. I thought this would be a magical combination, but in the end I just couldn't connect to this one and enjoy the writing style. I found it to be fairly slow and just not that engaging sadly :(.

Although I didn't really like this book, I am still rating it a 3 because i think there will be fans of Jessica Jones that really will appreciate a story centered around her. I just don't really see a lot of Jessica Jones work out there except in graphic novel, so I am really looking forward to seeing what other books come out in this series. If it will highlight some of these lesser known super hero's.

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell is a gripping, slow-burn thriller that hooks you from the first chapter and refuses to let go. Jewell masterfully weaves together multiple timelines and perspectives, creating a tangled web of secrets, lies, and unexpected connections. The characters are complex and flawed, making them feel eerily real, and the atmospheric writing adds a deliciously sinister edge. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, Jewell throws in a curveball that leaves you questioning everything.

While the pacing is deliberately measured, some sections drag slightly, and a few plot points feel a bit familiar for fans of the genre. However, the steady build-up pays off with a satisfyingly twisted finale. It’s a smart, chilling read that keeps you guessing and lingers in your mind afterward. Four stars for its dark, twisty brilliance, even if it takes its time getting there.

This book is very unique! It is a combination of thriller, mystery, and sci-fi… with comic book characters! As a fan of Marvel, I “fan-girled” over the multiple superhero references and characters. Someone who is not a Marvel fan may not enjoy it as much as I did. But I would definitely recommend this book to anyone searching for something fast paced and unique!

This was definitely unlike any other book I have read! At first I wasn’t sure what to expect and often wondered where this story was going. I was a little confused at what was happening in the beginning, but then I found I couldn’t put this book down!!! This story will truly leave you guessing! Another great read by Lisa Jewell.

This is from someone who is NOT a big Marvel person, but Lisa Jewell is a favorite. I will say this did not disappoint. I will be checking out the next in the series!

It took me a bit to get into this one as I'm not a superhero fan, but was drawn to it because I enjoy Lisa Jewell's writing. Eventually I got pulled in and wanted to find out what happened. My 13 year old (who is a superhero fan) also read and enjoyed it. Can't wait to see what S.A. Cosby does with Luke Cage's story.

Raise your hand if you saw the author, didn't read the description, and requested the book? Yes, that would be me! After realizing that I, a person who doesn't watch a lot of tv or movies and who doesn't follow the Marvel (or DC) universe, had committed herself to reading a book based on a super hero. What a wonderful surprise this book was! Ms. Jewell imbued her wonderful writing of thrillers with the additional mystery of the super hero world. I also loved the unique way in which she limited Jessica's abilities to invoke her super powers. This book was a whirlwind of the possible, the impossible, and the hopefully not possible. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I might even need to read the future books in the series!

Thank you, NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue, for the opportunity to read this book.

Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing it.
As a big Lisa Jewell fan, I was excited to dive in, but the tone felt more YA than I expected, and the plot was difficult to follow. I struggled to connect with the characters and the story, so I ultimately decided to set it aside.

I'm a Marvel fan so getting my hands on this was a dream come true. While not normally my go-to genre, Lisa Jewell was enough to make me dive in. Jessica was/is a total badass and reading this has me wanting to go back and watch the series. Probably won't rush to read more if the series continues as the flashbacks were a little rough for me personally (just not my style typically) - Lisa is superb in her writing.

I enjoyed this book! I loved watching Jessica Jones growing up, and my boyfriend is a huge Marvel fan, so we have watched most Marvel-related movies and TV shows. I enjoyed the supernatural elements, as I love reading thrillers. I really enjoyed Lisa's writing; I found it definitely made the book more enjoyable. However, it was not necessarily my favourite. I think I just prefer to watch Marvel movies than to read about it in a Novel. I have aphantasia, so it was a lot harder to visualize all of the action going on.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is not my normally genre at all, but I saw Lisa Jewell’s name and thought I would try it out. This was certainly not the story for me. It was okay, but I didn’t identify to the character at all and after bringing it up to friends who read marvel and Jessica Jones, I learned she was a badass and portrayed completely different. I am happy I dipped my toes in this story, but I will be staying in my lane going forward…

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the ARC of Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I must declare that I am a HUGE fan of Lisa Jewell and I’ve read almost everything of hers that has been so wonderfully put out there into the universe for us mystery and crime lovers to devour. I have to be honest, I somehow completely missed that this newest book was somehow in association with Marvel (I also must admit that I’m more than curious to understand how that happened) so when I started reading and realized that Jessica Jones was our main character, I was a little more than completely taken off guard. At that point, I hit pause on my reading and did some quick research and sure enough, this is in fact the first novel in a series that will be in association with Marvel and their cast of characters such as Luke Cage, Madame Web, and Daredevil in addition to Jessica Jones and what I assume will be many more.

Because my knowledge base of Lisa’s writing was rooted within her prior books, I had no idea how the storyline here would unfold. The answer: slow build mixed with a hint of confusion, which then morphed into a rather tantalizing si-fi(esk) storyline that kept me coming back for more until I had my pulse on what was transpiring. I also very much fell in love with Jessica’s character and she finds herself footing again and aspires to build a better life for herself.

At the start of this series, Jessica works as an undercover investigator as she is recovering from a recent fall from grace in the world of Avengers. When Jessica is hired to do an investigation into the odd behaviors exhibited by a set of teen twins who have recently returned from visiting their dad in the UK, Jessica quickly finds herself in more trouble then she’s able to get herself out of. Enter her trusty sidekick, Malcom, and love interest, Luke Cage, to help Jessica save the day and foil the latest plot poised to bring the downfall of humanity.

Although outside of what I’ve come to expect from Lisa, I really did enjoy this read in ways I didn’t expect. While I appreciate the Avengers and I’ve seen all the Marvel movies/shows, it wouldn’t normally be a read choice for me, but I came away pleasantly surprised and eager for the next installment. Well done, Lisa! I’m excited to witness the upcoming success of this series!

This was more about my personal preference than the book itself. While I knew it had superhero elements, I was encouraged by reviews from readers who don’t typically follow superheroes but still enjoyed it. The writing is solid, though it leans a bit YA at times. This isn’t your typical Lisa Jewell thriller, but it’s also not heavily superhero-driven—Jessica Jones mostly operates as a regular PI. The short chapters and dual timeline structure keep the pacing engaging. While it wasn’t quite for me, I appreciate the opportunity from NetGalley to explore a different style of storytelling.