I enjoyed reading this fantasy crime genre of the Marvel super hero character named Jessica Jones who performs as a detective solving a mystery. Even though I did not previously know this Marvel character nor most of all the other Marvel super heroes, I was quickly invested in both the plot and characters. The relationship and dialogue that I enjoyed most was between Jessica and Malcolm. I definitely want to read more books in this Jessica Jones series, especially if Malcolm is included since his character is humorous and I love how young, smart, and eager to help Jessica do detective work. I found this to be cine fantasy, unlike the many thrillers that I have read by the author. I recommend this book to those readers like myself who are not familiar with the Marvel Jessica Jones character, and also who enjoy a combination of mystery, fantasy, and dark comedy. Thank you Net Galley and Hyperion Avenue for the sending me an advanced copy. My review expresses my own personal opinion.

Lisa Jewell steps into the Marvel universe with Breaking the Dark, a gritty and atmospheric thriller that brings private investigator Jessica Jones back into the spotlight. Known for her psychological suspense novels, Jewell seamlessly blends her signature dark, twisty storytelling with the complexities of superhero lore, making this an engaging start to the new Marvel Crime series.

What Worked:
Authentic Jessica Jones Vibes: Jewell captures Jessica’s raw, no-nonsense attitude perfectly. From her sardonic humor to her internal struggles with trauma and addiction, Jessica feels true to her comic book roots while offering a fresh take for crime thriller fans.
Gripping Mystery: The plot is classic Jewell with a Marvel twist. When a mother insists her twins have been "replaced" after visiting their father in England, Jessica’s investigation leads her to a strange village with eerie secrets. The supernatural elements are subtle, enhancing the suspense without overshadowing the crime narrative.
Relevant Social Commentary: The book dives deep into themes of perfection, beauty, and social media obsession. Jewell raises thoughtful questions about how society’s obsession with flawlessness can lead to darker consequences.
Strong Side Characters: Malcolm, Jessica’s teenage assistant, is a standout, bringing humor and heart to the story. Familiar Marvel characters like Luke Cage make appearances, enriching the narrative for fans without alienating new readers.
What Could Be Improved:
Pacing Issues: The story starts slowly, with heavy focus on character setup and Jessica’s personal struggles. Readers unfamiliar with Jessica Jones or the Marvel universe might find the early chapters dense.
Supernatural Elements Could Have Been Expanded: While the eerie setting and strange occurrences are compelling, some readers might wish for a deeper exploration of the supernatural forces at play.
Overall:
Breaking the Dark is a solid entry into both the thriller and Marvel worlds. Jewell strikes a balance between crafting a suspenseful mystery and honoring Jessica Jones’ legacy as a flawed but powerful heroine. While the superhero elements are dialed down compared to typical Marvel fare, the book’s focus on psychological depth and a gripping mystery makes it accessible for readers unfamiliar with the comics.

Recommended For:

Fans of Jessica Jones and Marvel’s darker, street-level heroes
Readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with subtle supernatural twists
Fans of Lisa Jewell looking for something different, but still packed with her signature suspense and character depth
This one’s a must-read for Marvel fans craving a gritty, realistic take on their favorite heroes—Jessica Jones is back, and she’s better (and more complicated) than ever.

I’m a fan of Lisa Jewell, but not a fan of Marvel/comics/supernatural stuff, etc. I gave this a shot, and I think readers who enjoy this genre will like this book. It certainly will keep you on your toes!!!

Thank you to Lisa Jewell, NetGalley, and Hyperion Avenue for this advanced reading copy (ARC). It was a really interesting read.

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and have heard of Jessica Jones but not enough to understand everything in this book. This book is great for Marvel fans who read the comics or watched the Jessica Jones series. If you are expecting a Lisa Jewell thriller, this is not that!

Breaking the Dark keeps you interested even if you aren't aware of who Jessica Jones is. I loved the thriller vibes with a little bit of the supernatural thrown in. There are some "superhero" moments but they aren't destroy a whole city vibe. Jessica is a hero in a small sense and she's completely content with that.

I love Jessica's humor and how she carries herself throughout this book. All the side characters are gems. Malcolm is her assistant who you will wish you had in your life. He's a teenager but very helpful and smart.

I loved the theme of beauty and perfection in the world of social media. What lengths are people willing to go to look and feel "perfect"? Such a refreshing and interesting book.

As a fan of Lisa Jewell, not Marvel (no clue who Jessica Jones was prior to this book - ha), I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It’s a fantastic thriller with just the right touch of the supernatural, without being overwhelmed by superhero elements. Jessica takes on a private investigation that leads to an intriguing mystery. Beginning was a bit slow, but it picked up and I ended up enjoying it!

I am not a Marvel fan, but I am a Lisa Jewell fan. Didn't realize when I ordered it it was a Marvel book, I saw Lisa Jewell and thriller. I didn't know who Jessica Jones was let alone that she is some kind of superhero in the Marvel comic books.

A mother's concern over her twin children's changed behavior after a summer visit with their father in England sends Jessica on a trip for answers. It seemed to have started out good but I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the story and ended up DNF'ing the book at about 40%. Maybe because I'm not a Marvel/Superhero fan it was hard to connect with the characters and keep me interested.

If you're a Marvel/Superhero fan then you'll probably really like this book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for me review

I really enjoyed this book! I'm not a huge Marvel fan but since it's Lisa Jewell, I thought I would give it a try and I'm glad I did!

As usual, Lisa Jewell delivers! What a great pairing for this franchise. Thank you for the advance copy, I loved it.

I wanted so badly to like this book, as I ADORE Lisa Jewell. However, I'm not a Marvel girl and never read the comics or watched the movies, so I feel like this wasn't really the book for me and was also a DNF (something I don't do often). It might be right up someone else's alley, but I was lost on the obvious backstory of Jessica Jones being a superhero.

I have to say, this won't stop me at all from reading Lisa Jewell's psychological thrillers in the future! She remains one of my favorite authors, and I applaud her for trying something a bit different. Thank you so very much to NetGalley for providing me with the arc!

Not a typical Lisa Jewell read, however I did enjoy the book. It is not necessarily something I would have chosen to read if Lisa Jewell was not the author. I definitely prefer her other books, but this one was good! Kudos to Lisa to be able to step out of her typical genre of writing and do something different. I’m sure there will be many superhero Marvel fans who are going to love this book!

Jessica Jones is living the life of a retired Super Hero Private Investigator in the comfort of Hell's Kitchen in New York City. She has no intention of returning to the stressful day-to-day life of fighting crime in the big city until Amber, a highly distressed mother, contacts her regarding the unusual behavior displayed by her twins, who have just returned from a visit from their father in England. Gone are their usual habits; they are noticeably acting differently. They are suddenly obsessed with their flawless skin and a girl named Belle. Amber fears that her children are different people and have been taken over by a foreign presence that has made them strangely perfect.
Jessica travels to the countryside village of Barton Wallop where the twins spent their time, and meets with Belle, who lives in a farmhouse with a strange woman who is her guardian. Jessica is overcome by the strange energies in the village and fears that Amber’s intuition about the sudden changes in the twins is real.

Breaking the Dark is a Jessica Jones crime story. It’s dark and gritty, like her. The plot has twists and keeps you reading. The writing is good, but sometimes it slows down. If you’re a Lisa Jewell, Jessica Jones, or Marvel fan and into crime stuff this is your jam.

Even though I am not a Marvel fan, I am a fan of Lisa Jewell, and this book lived up to expectations. The mentions of Maricela are limited, and the superpowers are used minimally. The theme of beauty, perfection, and the ties to social media were intriguing and allowed a suspenseful story to be told.

Breaking the Dark is the first book in the brand-new Marvel Crime series, which is supposed to present a grittier, street-level side to all the colors and the capes. Jessica Jones is a fan favorite enough to work into a premiere, and to my understanding author Lisa Jewell is also a fan favorite within her genre. Even though this outing might not be quite as yummy as peanut butter and chocolate, the Jones and Jewell combo is certainly garlic-hummus-on-an-everything-bagel substantial.

This story has the Hell’s Kitchen PI taking on a case for a mother who thinks her twins have been replaced with pod people. Jones is going through her own internal biological takeover (aka preggers) but is stubborn enough to fly to England to follow some leads. The set up is Anthony Horowitz by way of Brian Michael Bendis straightforward with tailing, spying, and hacking on the agenda. Once in Merry old England (and into the home of a carpeted bathroom), Jewell crafts something downright unique. She bangs together science and sorcery, and transfuses the dusty arcane into a digital app. Her antagonists are a beauty influencer who seeks to be as charming as Victor Von Doom, and a vampire who is well beneath the Daywalker’s concern. The end result is clamorous Marvel-style mayhem packaged into a self-contained novel perfect for those not as invested in a four-color process.

No matter how you like to view your Jessica Jones, be warned, Breaking the Dark is firmly set in the 616 - not the Netflix cinematic U with Krysten Ritter. While you do not need to worry about Jessica being visited by a friendly neighborhood hero or arm wrestling with the Odinson, rest assured Luke Cage does play a significant part of this story, alongside a few other quick cameos. Sweet Christmas, indeed.

Jewell has a firm grasp on Jones and all her foibles. There is an underlying narration that opens the hard shelled character into being vulnerable, and feminine. Jewell provides depth and exploration and plants the seed for transforming Jessica into being a mother.

Breaking the Dark borders on being YA cheese - c’mon, it’s a crime novel about a superhero - but Jewell takes what could be a standard punch-in-the-face action story and distills it into a slow cooked mystery. The overall read? Not quite as gritty as the hype on the cover. Marvel Max this was not. But Breaking the Dark is pleasantly distracting and perfectly entertaining for fans.

Ironically though? Breaking the Dark could have used a few more punches to the face.


Thank you, NetGalley for the Marvel-ous preview. Excelsior!

OMG!! I was worried I would be lost without a lot of knowledge regarding the characters but it did not matter! This book was a great read from start to finish! I would have just sat and read it all the first day of life would have stopped for me to absorb it. Definitely will recommend to any reader!

TBH I struggled with this one. It wasn’t the usual love affair I have with Lisa See books, even though I love marvel, it just didn’t do it for me.

I Read this as a Lisa Jewell fan, not a Marvel fan, (I knew nothing about Jessica Jones) and it did not disappoint! A great thriller with a little super natural element and not too much superhero stuff. Jessica is hired as a private investigator and it turns in to quite a mystery to solve! Such a fun read even though the start was a little slow for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the arc!

I love Lisa Jewell and her thrillers, but Breaking the Dark is a bit off course for what I like and what I've come to expect from Jewell. It wasn't bad, just different. Some of the writing felt very simplistic and even stilted. With that said, I could see this more as a visual book or even better as an audiobook. It had that presence even with the writing.

Not being a huge super hero fan, this was something pretty new to me. I liked how we got a little taste of Jewell's writing, but it definitely was a departure from her normal thrillers. And the actual storyline? Intriguing to say the least. Jessica Jones is hired by a wealthy mother to twins after they return home acting just a bit off. Jones enlists the help of a teen that is only to eager to be hired on and befriend the twins. Meanwhile, Jessica heads off to the UK to the small village of Barton Wallop, where the twins had spent the summer with their father. Things are a little off there and Jessica even experiences something that is not normal. When she returns back to NYC, she slowly begins gathering everything and trying to piece together what happened in the UK to how the twins, Fox and Lark are now that they are home with their mother.

This supernatural thriller was so different, yet intriguing and kept me on my toes. I wasn't quite sure how the past POV was all going to come together with the present, but it does. And even though this wasn't in my wheelhouse, I still had to know what was going to happen. It was just an unusual story that will definitely appeal to the right people. Not sure if I will continue on with the series, but I do like the other authors, so we will see.

If you are a thriller and superhero fan, I think you'll really like this one. I liked the fact that Jewell gave us a "true crime" and superpowers of a superhero and still mixed it with very now and relevant topics of beauty, filters and social media. Overall, not exactly a book for me, but will appeal to a certain audience.

📖 Breaking the Dark
🖋️ Lisa Jewell
✨ Marvel Crime

•What to Expect•
Whodunnit
Marvel comic characters
Interesting world

•Review•
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I would recommend this book!

Creepy… some say
Bizarre… they say
Thrilling in only Lisa's way
Perfectly perfect writing

This book sucked me in from the very beginning I've been waiting and watching for this book to be released ohh and it did me in good. Jewell does a great job exploring the Jessica Jones mythos and blending it with the crime fiction genre. The story was modern and interesting, I like how she essentially made modern technology and this sort of disconnect with the real world and expectations of beauty and self-esteem the villain of the tale. By far my favorite book by Lisa I've read.