I am not familiar with Jessica Jones or any modern Marvel (ha!), really.
So I thought this would be an action-packed, capes & flying, kinda superhero story - it is not. There are supernatural elements…
(***spoiler****)
(Last chance to avoid a spoiler!)
The supernatural twist involves vampires making a “living blur foundation/cream from the DNA of victims that essentially sucks the life from them while projecting their beauty on the face cream wearer… so yeah, very weird. I found it interesting, if nothing like I expected.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I typically love Lisa Jewell but this one was difficult. I think I enjoy more traditional psychological thriller.s

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for review purposes.

I am a Lisa Jewell fan and will read anything she writes. So much so that I did not even look at the description of this book before reading it. I was surprised to find it a Marvel novel.

Even with my lack of appreciation for super heroes I enjoyed the novel greatly. Leave it to Lisa Jewell to write a super hero novel that I would both read and enjoy.

I just finished this book and wanted to share my immediate thoughts since I have some mixed feelings. I am a Marvel/Jessica Jones fan (and a Lisa Jewell fan!) so I was very curious to see how this novel would turn out.

Unfortunately, I thought it was a little disappointing regarding the Marvel/superhero part of things. In my opinion, if you didn’t already know who Jessica Jones & Luke Cage were and what their backgrounds and super powers were… it was never really explained. I found it to be very lack luster in terms of there being superheroes with powers as it was only mentioned a couple of times and didn’t add anything to the story.

Marvel/superhero stuff aside I found the storyline interesting and her PI adventures to be intriguing to follow along with even if it was pretty far fetched.

I liked that there was a diverse variety of characters including some side ones with great personality. There seemed to be some things in the story that weren’t really necessary and didn’t make sense but I still enjoyed my time reading it to see what happened.

Overall I think Lisa Jewell should stick to thrillers and Marvel should stick to comics or on screen adaptions lol.

This one really surprised me! While I am a Marvel movie and show fan, other than knowing the name as a marvel character, I knew nothing about nor what to expect of a book written by suspense writer Lisa Jewell about Jessica Jones. I did know that Lisa Jewell writes suspenseful thrillers, so I went in blind with medium hope…

Jessica is a retired super hero dealing with her trauma in unhealthy ways and working as a Private Investigator. After taking on a case around two NY teens who spent the summer in the UK with their father and came back acting very strange, Jessica finds herself involved in something more sinister than she could’ve imagined.

This book started out a little slow, but once it picked up and the pieces started to fit together, it was un-put-down-able! Of course this is a world where super heroes exist, so if you think “scientifically that’s not possible” when you watch Spider-Man, then you probably won’t like this book. This book is about so much more than just super hero stuff, but also about moving through trauma, learning to trust yourself and others, and forgiving yourself to allow room to move on and live life fully.

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

Thank you Hyperion Avenue for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Breaking the Dark is a gripping mystery novel by Lisa Jewell, starring Marvel's Jessica Jones. Once a superhero, Jessica is now a tough private investigator. When a woman named Amber comes to her with a strange case involving her teenage twins, Jessica takes on a mystery that’s much darker than it first seems.

The twins have come back from visiting their dad in England acting totally different—calm, perfect, and creepy. Jessica’s search for answers takes her to a strange village, where she finds secrets that challenge what it means to be “perfect.”
The story is full of suspense, with a mix of crime-solving and supernatural mystery. Jessica’s dry humor and sharp mind keep things interesting, and her bond with her young assistant, Malcolm, adds a warm touch.
Lisa Jewell does a great job combining a detective story with Marvel-style intrigue. The book is fast-paced, easy to follow, and full of surprises. Whether you’re a Marvel fan or just love a good mystery, this book is a fun and thrilling read.

I received this text from NetGalley for review.

When we meet Jessica Jones, she is struggling to be a successful Private Investigator. We get the sense that she used to be somebody significant, although we don't find out exactly why until much later in the book.

Despite not being a very popular PI, Jessica is employed by a wealthy woman - Amber to investigate what has happened to her children. Only her children aren't missing. They have just returned from a very "perfect" summer away with their dad. Amber insists that they have returned as different people and wanted Jessica to figure out exactly what happened while they were gone.

It turns out that Amber is correct and what appears like the "perfect" summer away, was anything but that. Jessica must rely on previous relationships, along with those talents that she had tucked away as part of her previous life in order to solve this mystery.

Lisa Jewell's books have always been automatic reads for me. I really should have read the description first before requesting it. Marvel superhero books are not my thing, so I didn't enjoy this book. I'm sure others who like Marvel are going to like it, but it's just not for me.

I love marvel and I love Lisa Jewell, so I had no doubts about this book. It had a slower start but I’m excited for the series.

I want to start by saying I’m a Lisa Jewell fan. I also enjoy Marvel movies, but I haven’t watched them all and don’t read comics. When I saw that Lisa Jewell had teamed with Marvel to write a novel with Jessica Jones, a character I didn’t know, I thought it would be worth a try. I’m glad I did.

The novel begins with Jessica Jones, a retired superhero who currently works as a private investigator in Hell’s Kitchen. Amber Randall’s twins, Lark and Fox, have returned from a summer in England with her ex-husband, their father. They’re different, having lost their distinctive behaviors and physical attributes that made them unique. Instead, they are distant and speak of a girl they met named Belle. Eager to get answers, Amber enlists Jessica Jones’ help. She travels to the village of Barton Wallop where she discovers a sinister plot that combines evil, technology, and supernatural forces.

Although the shift from Jewell’s typical style is apparent, the pacing, twists, and sci-fi horror aspects held my interest. The story asks unsettling questions about identity and the extremes people will go to in pursuit of perfection. Jones is different from other protagonists Jewell has written about, but her experiment with writing an installment for someone else’s established character was well done. If she takes on additional Marvel collaborations, I will definitely pick them up!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Disney Publishing Group, Hyperion, and Lisa Jewell for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This is book one of Lisa Jewel’s new Marvel crime series. I grabbed this book, because it was a Lisa Jewel, not knowing anything about Marvel Comics. I definitely had to google things, but overall I enjoyed it. Not sure if would read book 2 tho.

Such a great book! I’ve been a Marvel fan for the longest & Jessica jones is one of my favorite characters. Lisa did a great job catching the character’s personality & traits and told a great story.

I love all the books this author writes. I am probably not the intended reader of this book as I know nothing about the marvel universe. I liked the character development we saw in Jessica Jones. The book did make me feel like a wanted more, but that is probably good because this is listed as book one. This is a good start to a series bc we are now invested in how Jessica keeps recovering from her past traumas.

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell delivers an intriguing storyline with her signature suspenseful style, but it falls a bit short for readers unfamiliar with the Jessica Jones universe. The plot itself is engaging and well-paced, but there are moments where the background and character references feel like they assume prior knowledge, which can leave new readers feeling slightly lost. While Jewell’s writing remains sharp and compelling, the connection to the broader Jessica Jones narrative makes it less accessible as a standalone. Overall, a solid 3-star read that’s best appreciated by fans already familiar with the character.

Thank you NetGalley, Hyperion avenue, and Lisa Jewell for this eARC.

I requested this book from NetGalley purely based on author. I had no idea it was a Jessica Jones novel and although I’m a Marvel fan I didn’t know anything about her story. I was a little afraid I’d be missing out on too much background knowledge but I can happily say that even if you don’t know anything about Jessica Jones, you’ll still enjoy this one!


The mystery is this story was so captivating. I loved that we got both Jessica’s, Ophelia’s, and Polly’s story at the same time. I had a fun time trying to figure out how it was all going to come together in the end.

I absolutely LOVED the Jessica Jones TV series, and my husband and I are currently rewatching both that and Daredevil. So, when I got my hands on a copy of this book (thanks to NetGalley, my opinions are entirely my own), I was thrilled! The story kicks off at a fast pace, and while it took me a moment to fully get myself into it, I quickly found the plot captivating and ended up binge-reading it over the weekend. It was exciting to see familiar characters from Hell's Kitchen, Looking at you Luke Cage. This story line might not be for everyone, especially those unfamiliar with this darker side of the Marvel universe, but Jessica Jones remains true to her comic and TV show roots—she's still the rough-around-the-edges, party-loving character we know, living in her less-than-glamorous apartment. When a wealthy mother hires Jessica to uncover the secret behind her kids' newfound perfection, it sets off an engaging investigation. The storyline cleverly weaves in themes of social media, friendships, beauty influencers, and body image, all with a twist. For fans of Marvel, Jessica Jones, or Lisa Jewell, this book is a definite win, but I recommend having some background knowledge of Jessica Jones and her abilities to fully appreciate the story. I can't wait for the next Marvel Crime Novel!

Admittedly, I am a huge Marvel fan (especially Jessica Jones) and a huge Lisa Jewell fan, so I was pre-disposed to like this no matter what. If I hadn’t been a fan of either, I might not have liked this story as much as I did.

Breaking the Dark is an interesting story about twins who return from summer vacation in the UK, not entirely “right.” Their distraught mother seeks Jessica’s help in determining what exactly happened to her children while they were away. Naturally, Jessica’s investigation leads her into a rabbit hole of the cost of seeking perfection.

The story was entertaining and very creepy. I definitely didn’t expect it to go the way it did, but it was nice to not 100% guess how it would play out. I thought Jessica was written true to her nature, if not a little more tame than usual. Loved the sprinkling of Luke Cage and subtle nods some other Marvel folks. If anything, maybe more info into Jessica’s background for the benefit of those unfamiliar with her could have been included.

I enjoyed the story, found it easy to read and fast paced, if not a little YA leaning. I thought the writing was strong and solid. Although, again, I was super biased, so take this review with that in mind.

Lisa Jewell brings her signature suspense to the Marvel Universe in Breaking the Dark, a gritty, psychological thriller starring Jessica Jones. Retired superhero turned PI, Jessica is pulled into a haunting mystery when a mother insists her teenage twins have been replaced by something… too perfect.

What starts as a strange case quickly unravels into something darker, leading Jessica to a creepy English village and a mysterious girl named Belle. Jewell nails Jessica’s voice—sarcastic, tough, and deeply wounded—and the plot is packed with eerie twists, atmospheric settings, and just enough Marvel flavor to keep fans hooked without overwhelming new readers.

Dark, moody, and full of psychological tension, this is a fresh take on the Marvel world that reads more like Gillian Flynn meets Hell’s Kitchen noir. A fantastic start to the Marvel Crime series.

A Jessica Jones crime novel by Lisa Jewel. Count me in! I enjoyed learning more about Jessica and parts of the book were quite interesting and parts just dragged for me. I kept reading because I definitely wanted to find out what the heck was going on, and it was creepier than I would have guessed.

**A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC and the opportunity to review this book.

I enjoyed every second of this book!! It was fast-paced and made me want to keep turning the pages. Jessica Jones is a strong, independent, bada$$ FMC.