
Member Reviews

I will say, I don't know much about Jessica Jones and the Marvel universe. So I went into this one pretty blind. I really enjoyed it though!

Jessica Jones is a retired spuer hero. She is also a private investigation and loner. She is hire by a distraught mother who claims something is wrong with her twins since they have returned from a summer in a small village in the britsih countyside. Jessica meets Belle who tthe twins have mentioned to there mother. This little village seams to have a dark entergy. thanks netgalley

I first discovered Jessica Jones through the Marvel Netflix series, and she quickly became my favorite. So when I saw this book, I immediately requested it. Given the darker and more intense tone, I knew I had to wait until I was in the right mood to pick it up. I think it was a strong start to the Marvel Crime series! While I’ve recently read a thriller by Lisa Jewell, I'm not completely familiar with her usual style. I thought she did a great job with this one. It's not the best book I’ve ever read, but it was enjoyable.
Jessica Jones is kind of just floating through life, unsure of what to do next. But honestly, that fits her personality perfectly. She jumps from case to case, hiding from her past and trying to live in a sort of oblivion. In this book, she gets tangled up in a strange case that takes her abroad, where she uncovers some unsettling news. While juggling the case, her personal life, Luke Cage, and her bank account, she starts to piece together parts of her life. The mystery itself was a bit confusing at first and it took a lengthy path to the ending. But once it all came together, it made sense.
I’d seen someone mention that this book actually follows Jessica’s Marvel storyline, so I had to look it up. I was surprised to find that it does, and I found that really interesting. The character growth from the beginning of the book to the end was huge. I loved where she ended up and how she found a new lease on life. I know some people are skeptical about therapy, but I really appreciated how it was used in this book.
You never know how books like this will go, but I enjoyed it. I am a little biased since I do love Jessica's character so much. Regardless, I thought it was a good thriller with some interesting character development for Jessica. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series!
Thank you, Hyperion Avenue and Netgalley, for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Despite not knowing much about marvel comics i went ahead and requested this title because... lisa jewel... but it struggled to get through it. Iliked the writing style, as usual with this author, but i just couldnt connect with the plot and the characters, which is a very "me" thing. I believe super heroe books are just not it for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!
I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book. The plot follows two storylines, one from years ago leading up to today with themes like witchery, blood-lust, and genius. The other storyline follows Jessica Jones, a private investigator in present day hired by a rich mother in New York to find out why her children came back from their visit to the UK completely different people. The storylines, though a little confusing at first, become easy to follow after you get into the book.
I do like this author’s writing style, and I liked that it was written in third person. The lead character was likeable, and there were certain twisted elements of the plot that were interesting.
If I’m honest, I had very high hopes because of the author. In the end, I was disappointed. Certain parts of the plot didn’t make sense and took away from the believe-ability of the characters. I think the whole book could have been about a hundred pages shorter and the last chapter could be removed entirely since it just summarizes the last 350 pages. I think this book might be a polarizing one, with audiences left unsure of how they feel about it. I suspect there will be strong opinions on both sides.

Thank you to Net galley for offering this timely read to me. In a departure from her non series books Lisa Jewell writes an interesting intriguing story. I liked it! As a reader of Lisa jewell I had to reset my mind set as the marvel element was new to me.. perhaps if I was more familiar with the character of Jessica from marvel I would have enjoyed it more. Overall it was a nice weekend read, however I do prefer Lisa Jewell’s other novels more.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lisa Jewell and Hyperion Ave for the Advance Reader Copy of Breaking the Dark.
I am someone who has adored and ate up previous Lisa Jewell novels. The way she writes and describes her characters really click well with me.
I am not someone who follows marvel books, or the tv adaptation so it’s not quite my favourite. I would have to say that’s the content, and not the writing itself. I found it to be a bit slow, but again I think this is more me. She has great character development and ties themes well into her storyline. Unfortunately it didn’t captivate me and I did not finish it.

Firstly, I love Lisa Jewell! I read the first Marvel story and didn't love it but decided to give this another try...well, it didn't change my opinion. I think I'm just not a Marvel person (except maybe iron man?).

Breaking the Dark
A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel by Lisa Jewell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I was quite surprised that I enjoyed this novel, as I am not a superhero fan. I requested this book because I like the author, so I didn't even read the synopsis before grabbing this title.
Lisa created this superhero as a woman with relationship and addiction problems, which makes her more relatable. She is a retired superhero with a barely functioning private investigation business. A wealthy, divorced psychiatrist hires her to investigate her twins, as they have peculiar behavior after returning home from a summer vacation with their father.
I liked Jessica's tenacity and ability to work through her life's problems. She is intelligent and wants to accomplish things without her superpowers. I enjoyed the teenaged character, Malcolm, a PI wanna be, who helps Jessica. Luke, is her romantic interest. They intermittently are together.
I read this swiftly because it was interesting. The storyline was not predictable, so I was guessing at every turn what would happen next. Kudos on an outstanding novel!
Thank you, NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue, for the advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#NetGalley #BreakingtheDarkAJessicaJonesMarvelCrimeNovel #MysteryandThrillers #SciFiandFantasy

As a die-hard fan of Jessica Jones, I approached Lisa Jewell’s Breaking the Dark with a mix of excitement and a tad bit of skepticism, not knowing what to expect from a novelist new to me. I was pleasantly surprised and, admittedly, quite thrilled. Jewell’s rendition of the gritty, no-nonsense Jessica meshes well with the noir aesthetic that defines the character, adding a unique twist to the Marvel Universe that I cherish. I really want more books in this style.
It does kick off at a pace that feels a tad slow -I found myself feeling a bit lost, like stepping into the middle of a conversation. There’s multiple viewpoints and timelines, so there’s a lot going on in the story, but Jewell does a great job grounding Jessica and her superhuman struggles. I think new fans of Jessica Jones can appreciate this, since Jessica is a detective first over being a superhero.
Very fresh!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Glad I picked this up.

This wasn’t my favorite by Lisa Jewell, but I did read it all and overall enjoyed it. I wasn’t super interested in the supernatural piece and didn’t know who Jessica Jones was going into it. Just wasn’t a favorite of mine.

Honestly, I knew I would love this as I was sooooo obsessed with the Jessica Jones Netflix series. I absolutely love a bad ass female lead, and JJ is just that.
Lisa did an absolutely epic job of delivering exactly what I expected and more. Lots of twists, lots of mystery, lots of amazing characters. I can't really say much more without giving away the plot, but if you're a marvel fan (or not), this was fantastic!

Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel was an interesting book. As a fan of Lisa Jewell, I thank Lisa Jewell, Hyperion Avenue, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

essica Jones, a former superhero, now operates as a private investigator in New York City.
Jessica is hired to investigate the strange changes in teenage twins Fox and Lark after a summer with their father in the UK.
With flawless skin, odd behavior, and constant talk of a girl named Belle, the case leads her to Barton Wallop, a quiet Essex village hiding a dark secret tied to tech, perfectionism, and the dangers of social media.
Jessica is a tough, sarcastic, and relatable character, and the mystery about the twins was creepy in the best way.
The story was superhero / detective drama / techy Black Mirror.
This is written in a dual timeline, the "past" chapters are so important to the story, I get that, you REALLY need them, but every time we went back to the past, there was a bit of "aw man" as I definitely enjoyed the "present" chapters more.

Another great book written by Jewell. Jessica's story of how she fights crime and in between tries to find herself while sleuthing along England was captivating and endearing. I look forward to this series as I am a huge fan of Jewell's books.

I was so ecstatic to receive this advanced reader copy! I’m such a Marvel geek and this was a fun ride in that universe!
Jessica is such a broken, relatable character and I adore her and the way Lisa Jewell wrote her. The plot was intriguing and kept me completely hooked the entire time.
I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
Thank you, Hyperion Ave for the advanced reader copy!

As a huge fan of the MCU and Lisa Jewell I was beyond excited to read this book! I have not found a Lisa Jewell book I didn’t love and Breaking the Dark was no different. The characters are well developed and the plot had me turning the pages as quickly as I could. After this, I’m looking forward to the other books in this series and hoping this won’t be Lisa Jewell’s only trip into the Marvel Universe!

I don’t care about Marvel comics or movies, but I like Lisa Jewell enough that I had to try this out. Also, I find it pretty interesting that S.A. Cosby (Luke Cage) and Alex Segura (Datedevil) are also in line to be a part of this Marvel experience.
Published March 25, 2025
My knowledge of Jessica Jones is based off the couple of episodes I watched of the Netflix t.v. adaptation. I liked this hard drinking tough P.I. with incredible physical strength. But this is not the Jessica Jones you see in Jewell’s version. And I was disappointed by this. Jewell’s Jones is far more vulnerable and sensitive—and this could be a real draw for readers that don’t dabble in comics and like more character depth. Surprisingly, I wanted more action from her. But less superhero powers doesn’t mean that this wasn’t propulsive. Remember, Lisa Jewell is a thriller writer that really knows her craft, so even though the premise and ending felt kind of silly, I couldn’t put the book down.
This is a mixed review because I’m a bit mixed up about it. This could be a good palate cleanser book. And I bet the audio will be fantastic.
Thank you @netgalley and @hyperionavenue

Thank you to Lisa Jewell and Hyperion Ave for the ARC! As someone who isn’t a big Marvel fan and had no prior background knowledge, I was a little unsure going in, but it turned out to be no issue at all! Lisa Jewell does what she does best and pulls you in from the start! The characters are interesting and the plot keeps you reading to find out what happens next. While the pacing dragged toward the end, the overall message of the book made up for it. This is worth a read—even if you’re not into superheroes.

Thank you to Lisa Jewell and Hyperion Ave for the Advance Reader Copy of Breaking the Dark. I have had read a number of Lisa Jewell books. This one was good but not one of my favorites. I liked that she was able to take a well known character, Jessica Jones, and put her spin on it with her character development. I would have liked a little bit more of some of the characters, like Ophelia and her husband John. I wasn't really sure on her motives. She wasn't exactly immortal but had a longer life span than your average human.
I did like the way Jessica Jones was portrayed and her interactions with the other characters. We did get an overview of her character but it just was enough. t I didn't really watch the tv show but do know that Krysten Ritter played her on the Netflix series so it was nice to have a picture of her.. I will definitely read or listen to more Lisa Jewell novels and also any other novels she writes in the Marvel Universe.