This story follows Jessica Jones investigating the behavior of a wealthy woman's twins. Their mother notices that they are acting strange upon returning from a summer holiday in England with their father. Jessica jumps in, enlists the help of an assistant, and jets across the pond. This story is inventive in its plotting and premise (it oscillates between the present day story and backstories of the supporting characters), but falls flat in its length. The story could have been 100 pages shorter. I had to know what happened in the end, I was rapidly page-turning until about 90% through.

There is a great side plot to this story that I enjoyed following - will not give too much away!

A lot of timelines and jumping around to keep straight, as well as characters whose names change between those different timelines can make it a struggle to read this as an escape or for fun, and that’s why it’s 4 and not 5 stars for me. Otherwise this was a very interesting concept for a story and had a well developed ARC. I liked Jessica as a character in a Lisa Jewell story as I am a huge Marvel fan. Lots of twists and turns and some crazy moments, I’d definitely recommend this one to fans of a good thriller..

Can't believe I'm saying I didn't enjoy a Lisa Jewell book. I just felt like the Marvel aspect of it put her in a box and she would've made it a much more thrilling story on her own. I really liked how the premise sounded, but unfortunately it just did not live up to my expectations.

I’m normally a big Lisa Jewell fan and I’m into Marvel, but I struggled getting through this one. I do think if you’re more into Marvel and follow the movies in order then this would be the book for you. It just didn’t quite hit for me like I wanted.

oh boy. i was so excited for this - turns out, in my opinion, marvel and lisa jewell shouldn’t mix. i don’t know anything about marvel, so it wasn’t for me. still love you, lisa!

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!
Jessica and Malcom (aka Sly), were very likable characters. I enjoyed reading this, but at times was confused by the flashbacks. About halfway through the book, I was able to piece a lot together. All together, an enjoyable read, just not really for me.

Jessica Jones, a retired superhero takes on an unusual case about twin sixteen year olds lark and fox who have acted different after returning from a stay with their father in the UK. Their mother tells Jessica about how their skin is unnaturally perfect and how all their quirks and habits have suddenly disappeared. Jessica travels to London to find out more and discovers a greater evil at play.

I’d recommend this if you love/know a lot about marvel and enjoy lisa jewell's writing style!

I normally love Lisa Jewell books, but this one didn't do it for me. It seemed like a weird branch off book and ended up being a DNF, unfortunately.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue in exchange for an honest review. This Jessica Jones novel sees the retired superhero turned private investigator tackling a sensitive case. A mother's concern over her twin children's changed behavior after a summer visit with their father in England sends Jessica on a quest for answers. The investigation takes her to England, where she delves into the children's activities and the people they encountered. I appreciated the compelling plot and the exploration of Jessica's character. However, while the mystery was engaging, I felt the pacing was more deliberate than I anticipated for a Marvel title. I missed the explosive action sequences that are a hallmark of the Marvel universe.

I love Lisa Jewell and I’m a big fan of Jessica Jones, so a book about Jessica Jones written by Lisa Jewell?! Sign me up! This is a very different book from Lisa Jewell’s other books and I loved that! This superhero mystery was really creative and captivating. I loved the eerie atmosphere and built-in suspense. I went into this book already knowing about Jessica Jones because I’m a Marvel fan so I know a lot about Jessica Jones’s backstory, but for a reader who may not know who Jessica Jones is, I think including a little bit more of her backstory would have made this book a perfect 5 stars but this is definitely a 4.5 star book for me. Lisa Jewell never disappoints me!

I love Lisa Jewell books! This one was a bit different than her others because it involved Avengers (superheroes). This is book 1 of a new series Marvel Crime. I was a bit hesitant to keep going, but I am glad I did. If you are a fan of superheroes you will probably really enjoy it! It centers around former superhero Jessica Jones. This story revolves a lot around the word "perfect," and focuses a lot on AI and teens. Seems more of a YA story than Jewell's other novels. I don't think I will read more in this series, but I am still a Lisa Jewell fan!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book blind, and I’m so glad I did. I didn’t know what to expect, but once I settled into the story, I was completely hooked. The twists and turns were absolutely jaw-dropping—I was shocked more than once! The way the author wove this story together was masterful, and I loved every moment of it. Now, I’m about to dive into this author’s catalog because I loved the way they took this story.

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley and the publisher, but my thoughts are entirely my own.

Lisa Jewell takes a bold step into new territory with Breaking the Dark, blending her signature psychological suspense with Marvel’s gritty noir world. This isn’t just a superhero story—it’s a layered, atmospheric thriller with a deeply flawed but compelling protagonist at its core.

Jessica Jones, now a private investigator, is drawn into a case that’s equal parts eerie and unsettling. A mother insists her teenage twins have been changed after a visit to their father in the UK—polished, perfect, and no longer themselves. Jessica, despite her best efforts to ignore the world’s problems (and her own), finds herself in a remote English village where nothing feels quite right. The tension builds as she unravels the mystery surrounding an enigmatic girl named Belle and a town that seems to be hiding something sinister.

Jewell’s storytelling is sharp, her character work strong as ever. Jessica is raw, cynical, and self-destructive, making for an engaging (if at times frustrating) lead. The novel leans into supernatural elements more than Jewell’s usual fare, which might divide readers, but it works within the Marvel framework. The mystery is compelling, though some moments feel a bit rushed or underexplored, especially in the final act.

Overall, Breaking the Dark is a fresh, immersive thriller with an eerie edge. Jewell fans and Marvel enthusiasts alike will find plenty to enjoy, even if the genre shift may not be for everyone.

Breaking the Dawn - Lisa Jewell
Pub Date - 3/25/25
Rating - 3/5
Summary - Retired superhero Jessica Jones is now a private investigator who works out of her small apartment in Hell's Kitchen. One morning, a mother of two teenage twins comes into her office requesting Jessica to investigate why her kids are acting strangely after coming back from a summer in England. Jessica travels to England to find out who the twins met, what they were doing, and what must have happened during their visit. Jessica finds herself in a similar situation as her past and must battle her demons in this new thrilling marvel series debut.
Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I'm a huge fan of Lisa Jewell, so I was very excited to read her newest book! This one was very different from stories she normally writes. I liked the short chapters, the character development, and the overall plot of the book. For a marvel book, I was hoping for more action and a little more development of the plot, which I felt fell a little flat. Overall, still really great book and I can't wait to read further installation of the Marvel Series and watch the Jessica Jones show!

This was definitely in the Marvel universe! I love the way Lisa Jewell wrote this crime story being a fan of her books my expectations were high and she definitely delivered. I can honestly say I never see it coming.

I loved the whole ideal of the story. it was Creepy and little bizarre and entertaining. I will definitely want to read more from the author

I went into this book blind, and I'm glad I did. I did not realize it was based on Marvel. I probably wouldn't have read it if I did. I love Lisa Jewell's writing, so when I had the chance to read this, I jumped on it. I really enjoyed this book after I embraced that. I was absolutely shocked more than once in this book. The twists and turns were jaw dropping.

I received this book as an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher. The thoughts were not influenced by that in any way,

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book, I really enjoyed it. I have never heard of Jessica Jones and I liked this was sort of kind of “fantasy” I personally wouldn’t say this genre is “mystery”. This was a pleasant surprise too!! And I would absolutely read her next book I rate this a 4/5 stars.

I chose this book to read because I have read other stories by this author and have very much enjoyed her work. I also loved movies about super heroes that I watched with my sons when they were younger; however, I never actually read a book like this before..

The author, Lisa Jewell, does an incredible job of bringing the main character, Jessica, to life. Like so many of us Jessica has her own issues to deal with including feelings of embarrassment over things that happened in the past and a lack of self confidence. She has a man in her life that she has a physical relationship with, and yet, she is afraid to let him or anyone else know how much she cares. In this book, she has a case to deal with, and even with everything else in her life, she is doing her best to solve it. .

The plot itself is incredibly well done with unexpected twists taking the story into places that I never expected. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I will look forward to the next book in the series.

While this book is a little different than I’m used to I did enjoy it! I’d definitely recommend it to others!