Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high expectations for this book and Lisa Jewell absolutely exceeded them. Jewell went all in on this and did a great job bringing Jessica Jones to life. Personally I feel that Marvel books sometimes fall short, but that can’t be said for this book.

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First of all, thank you to NetGalley for a free digital copy. I really enjoyed the first book in the Marvel Crime series. I watched Jessica Jones on Netflix, so I knew the characteristics of her. I loved how Lisa Jewell actually took her time to research the character for the book. The book was about two kids who come back from a vacation in Europe, and they are not acting normally as they were before. Their mom hires Jessica to find out what happen during their trip that changed them. The story flips between two timelines. It all comes together in the end. It was a great mystery. I like how some other famous Marvel characters were included too. Recommend this read if you like the Netflix series.

This may be my new favorite Lisa Jewell book. This was such a fun change from what she normally writes and although I’m not a Marvel fanatic, I was so into this book! I loved Jessica Jones’s character (her determination and struggles), the dual timelines and the building suspense throughout. The crime part of the book was very Lisa Jewell to me and I thought she was able to integrate the super power aspect of the Marvel characters without making the story too far out there. I appreciate the message of the book and the glimpse into how toxic our obsession with perfection can become. I felt satisfied by the end but would still be excited to read another Jessica Jones book..

4.5/5 stars

Not my typical read. But it kept me entertained. While it wasn't a "page turner" for me, it seemed to go by quickly and I enjoyed the storyline.

Ok I really wanted to like this. I'm not a big Marvel person and maybe that didn't help..I do however enjoy Lisa jewell. But this was not what I expected so that probably didn't help.
Putting that aside, I found the writing so disjointed, abrupt, and basic. I could have put aside expectations if the writing was up to par, but I just couldn't enjoy it.
That said, maybe I'm missing something because I don't know the Marvel universe.
I'm sure some will enjoy this if it's their thing!

I requested this ARC because it was written by Lisa Jewell and I love her books. I didn’t realize it was a Marvel Crime novel and I probably wouldn’t have requested it if I had known. But I’m glad I did. It was a great book and kept me interested and guessing until the very end.

Jessica Jones, superhero-turned-private investigator, has been commissioned to investigate some strange goings-on for twins, Fox and Lark. Ever since they returned from a summer with their father, their mother has noticed that they feel artificial and perfect.. too perfect. Jessica, with the help of her teenaged neighbor-turned-apprentice, must travel to the English countryside to learn more about what might have happened last summer in the small town of Barton Wallop. There, she will decipher a centuries-old mystery, and learn what it takes to become truly perfect.

I had previously read, and mostly enjoyed, Then She Was Gone--although quite dark and violent, it was an entertaining book club choice and left me feeling hopeful for this book. Further, as a Marvel fan (albeit having never seen the Jessica Jones series), I was immediately intrigued by the introduction of a mystery anthology series based on familiar characters. Unfortunately, this book fell pretty flat for me right away, and never quite regained my attention. The book immediately began with disjointed writing that sounded unnatural and disjointed--it was hard to shake that this book might have been written with AI-assistance. This is not the author's fault, but I also have a hard time getting invested in stories about apps, filters, AI, or similar technology that Gen Xers think are the only things that young people care about. I also got a little lost with Jones, herself--her powers were never truly explained in the book, rather just alluded to, so as someone who was unfamiliar with the character to begin with, I felt myself left behind or Wikipedia-ing character lore. On a positive, I do feel like the big reveal did not come too quickly, but rather enjoyed being able to pick up clues in each chapter and flashback.

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for this book, I am not completely turned off by this series, and am looking forward to giving the next installations another chance. I do plan on recommending this series to serious Marvel fans, with caveat.

This book was obviously different than other Lisa Jewell books I have read. While the superhero aspect was not something I necessarily was super interested in beforehand it definitely was an interesting read! The mystery aspects were great and the characters were easy to follow despite not having super in depth Marvel knowledge! Excited to see where this series continues and certainly enjoy Lisa Jewell’s writing style!

Thanks to netgalley, Lisa Jewell and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book. I absolutely love all this marvel. I fell in love with the premise and the twins. I didn’t want this book to end and I loved how it went from past to present

I requested the ARC based on it being a Lisa Jewell book and not realizing it was part of a Marvel series. Not being a Marvel fan, I was worried I would not like it. I was pleasantly surprised. This was a great book! It has a lot of action, great characters, and a fun story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell never ever disappoints. I can’t put her books down when I read them, I always make sure I have enough time to read when I pick up a LJ novel because I just know that I’m going to be engrossed in her books and this one was no different. Diving into the Marvel Universe and learning more about Jessica Jones and getting to start the world building behind Jessica Jones and her life as a detective, struggles with addictions, depressions, and other flaws, I was super entranced throughout the whole book. I love reading crime fiction, and delving out the Marvel Universe even more made me so happy because I’d rather read it than watch it. If you have time to read Jessica Jones’ story, this is just the beginning, and you should get with it!

Definitely not the usual Lisa Jewell book. I have to say I DNFd around 35% and think that it just wasn’t for me but I can see many people enjoying it.

Lisa Jewell is a fantastic storyteller, and Breaking the Dark is another testament to her talent. Jewell brings her signature depth and character-driven narrative to this novel, making Jessica Jones feel raw, real, and compelling. Her writing is immersive.
That being said, I went into this book unaware that it was set in the Marvel Universe, which isn’t typically my genre. While I’m more drawn to textbook psychological thrillers, I can still appreciate how well Jewell navigates the world of superheroes, blending action with deeper emotional stakes. Fans of Jessica Jones and superhero fiction will likely find this an engaging and well-crafted read.
I would recommend to those who love fast-paced action & complex protagonists,
Even though it wasn’t quite in my wheelhouse, it’s clear that Jewell’s storytelling prowess shines through, making this a great choice for Marvel fans and action lovers alike.

First of all - I am a HUGE Lisa Jewell fan. However, this journey into the Marvel universe threw me for a loop. By the end of the book I was so into it but I am not familiar with Marvel so I was all Aliens? AI? Witches? what is happening!

First and foremost I am definitely a Lisa Jewell fan, so I was VERY excited to be approved for this ARC. However, when I requested, I did not realize it was Marvel related and wasn’t sure what I would think once I saw that. Now that I finished this book, I would absolutely recommend to anyone that loves a good mystery/thrilled regardless of whether you are a Marvel fan. That part was very minimal. This is a story of Jessica Jones (a superhero no longer in action) and her business as a Private Investigator. She is hired by a wealthy mother when her twins are acting very different upon returning home from a summer with their father in the UK. I love the back and forth of Ophelia, Polly and Arthur’s story to the present day mystery. As the plot develops, you find yourself wondering “what would a perfect world be like?” I will definitely be adding the next book in this series to my TBR.
Thank you to @NetGalley, @HyperianAvenue and @LisaJewell for this ARC in exchange for my thoughts.
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Unfortunately I DNFed this. I just could not get into it, which is a shame cuz I love Lisa Jewell. I think it was the genre, I can’t read sci-fi ish books, they’re boring.

I really enjoyed this book! I love the storyline and how everything came together, along with the mystery of the story. I am not a Marvel fan, but didn't feel like I needed to be to read this. The book kept me engaged and wanting to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Ave Books for the opportunity to read this book!

This isn’t the type of book I would normally read and wasn’t sure if I would like it, but was drawn to it because….Lisa Jewell, of course!

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would and love the main character, Jessica. Great storyline, kept my attention from beginning to end, and was a fun reading adventure!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I do like me a Marvel tale lol. I am not a huge Jessica Jones fan, however, but do like Lisa Jewell! So I decided to give this book a try, and while I commend the author for trying something a little different than her regular thrillers, this one fell a little flat for me.

I feel like the book was entirely too long for what was given. The plot was interesting and threw a little bit of a creepy, vampiric/immortal element into it, but if all of the conversations could have been condensed it would have gotten the point across and went by more smoothly.

I do like the premise behind it on how social media is running and ruining our lives, especially when it comes to depicting this fake image and lifestyle while also praising the "immortality" of the "beautiful" when things are heavily filtered and doctored.

It was all in all an interesting read, I don't think I'll jump for the second book in the series right away, but may pick it up eventually as it seems they will each be written by a different author.

I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It was my first Lisa Jewell book but definitely won’t be my last. The writing was great and I was pulled into Hell’s Kitchen and it’s corrupt normal. Jessica is funny, bad ass and the right amount of self deprecating.