This was an average read for me. I wasn’t particularly invested in the story or the main character, but was still able to get through it.

Wow, it’s been awhile since I read one of Hillier’s books and reading this one of my Netgallys that I was seriously late with! I also had an ALC and print copy! I love the characters that Hillier creates and all the layers we uncover throughout the book.

Synopsis:

Paris Paralta wakes up to find her celebrity husband dead and his blood all over her. When the police arrive she’s holding one of her husband’s straight edge razors they assume to be the weapon. Not only is she being arrested for his murde,r but her long hidden past threatnes to ruin the life she’s built. She left a life that included an abusive and narsastic mother that had many boyfriends who preyed on her.

My thoughts

I loved Jar of Hearts and Little Secrets by Hillier and this one did not disappoint! I love the backstory we get with the main character and learning how the protagonists winds up in the the predicament they are currently in. This book deals with child abuse, sexual abuse, and violence. Sometimes it’s hard to read about those things but as Hillier says if we turn a blind eye to those things we are perpetuating them.

This is one of the best and most suspenseful thrillers I've read in quite a while! I really enjoyed this author's previous work, but I think she just gets better and better with each new book she writes. Truly unputdownable!

I was lucky enough to have both a physical and e-book ARC and really appreciate the opportunity to have both!

I have enjoy Jennifer Hillier's work in the past and really enjoyed Things We Did in the Dark. It was spooky, engaging and overall enjoyable. I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but it was definitely a solid thriller!

Sometimes a book with too many parts and POVs sometimes can be overwhelming. Did i still enjoy it? Yes. Did I figure things on early? Yes. Was I still surprised? Yes. Will def continue to read more by this author

I have to say- it was also one of the best thrillers I’ve read all year! In picking my top books, I reviewed a lot of what I read and there weren’t many stand out thrillers. This is definitely one!

It’s broken into six parts and I wasn’t sure what that was for. The opening story is the story of celebrity comedian Jimmy Peralta and how he was supposedly killed by his 5th and newest wife Paris. It goes through the night it happened and Paris getting arrested and arraigned. Just as she is awaiting her trial and going through Jimmy’s fan mail, she finds a letter for her that’s talks about a secret someone’s been keeping for her. Who is Paris really?

The second part is a completely different story about Ruby Reyes- she is the one who wrote the letter to Paris. But how do they know each other? Ruby is famous for murdering her rich lover in Toronto. She’s also been convicted of child abuse of her young daughter, Joey. She’s currently getting out on parole and no one knows what’s she’s capable of. Sadly Joey was killed in a fire when she was only 20 so she doesn’t have to face her mother again.

I just loved this story. It has many twists and turns and it’s not always an easy read. Poor Joey has had just the worst life and she keeps trying to get out of the terrible situations she keeps getting in. I was pulling for her through the whole book. One of the things I didn’t expect was to learn so much about Canadian strip clubs. I would also love to have lunch at Junior’s restaurant!

This was my first @jenniferhillierbooks novel and I can’t wait to start Little Secrets!

This is a brilliant new thriller. Thanks for the review copy. I liked the characters. I know others will love this page turner.

This book inspired me to make a new shelf -- Books I stayed up late for.
I could not stop reading, had to know how it ended!
I guessed most of it, but it was very rewarding to see how everything was tied up in the end.

I love how layered this book was. Told from multiple perspectives and timelines, though it’s not overwhelming or confusing. I guessed all the twists from the beginning but I don’t care it was a terrific read.

Having read other books by Jennifer Hillier I was disappointed by this one. The characters were unlikable and the story was dull and uninteresting. I found it hard to muddle through. Sadly I can't recommend this book but suggest trying Little Secrets instead. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

How did I forget to post my review for this one?! Get it together Tuttie. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I was chosen for an ARC after literally stressing about it and I almost passed out when it came through on NetGalley. The things that excite a 30 year old, amiright?

I got so excited to buy the physical copy because I heard it glows in the dark!!!….mine doesn’t, but it’s okay though…I’m over it. 🥹

Jennifer Hillier quickly became one of my favorite authors after reading Jar of Hearts and Little Secrets. This one did NOT disappoint either.

It does have ALOT going on in it. Backstories of multiple characters and lots of secrets (which Hillier is good at). I didn’t guess the outcome which I loved. If you’re down to get into a heavy thriller with some dark stuff, this one is for you!

I didn’t go into this one blind and I’m not mad about it. I think the synopsis helps to keep the story straight while you’re reading it.

Thank you Jennifer for another EXCELLENT thriller! And thank you for the ARC!

I don’t think Hillier can ever disappoint me. Her books are really easy to read and get into, managing to keep me engaged the entire time, and this one is no exception. In my opinion nothing was overly shocking as I was able to predict everything, but it was still a really enjoyable read. I can’t say I’m head over heels in love, but this is a solid thriller that I would recommend.

The beginning showed great potential, and as a fan of the author's previous work, I was eager to dive in. One aspect that I genuinely appreciated was the pace of the book—it kept me engaged throughout. However, despite the brisk tempo, the overall storyline turned out to be rather conventional and lacked the dark and twisty qualities that I've come to relish in Hillier's writing. The final confrontation, unfortunately, felt somewhat lackluster, and despite the favorable pacing, this one didn't quite meet my expectations, particularly as a fan of the author's earlier works. Perhaps I read too many thrillers.

Okay, okay maybe holding a straight razor being covered in blood, while your murdered husband in the bathtub looks guilty. BUT Paris Peralta didn't do it! Or so she says.

To make matters... more creepy... twenty five years earlier a very similar crime happened that had Canada absolutely (terrifyingly) riveted. The woman convicted is called "The Ice Queen" and she is out of prison, and she knows Paris' secret.

"Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges."

*dun dun dun*

It's such a fun thriller, 4/5 stars. It had plot twists I did NOT see coming, which is always great! Recommend for those who love a true crime vibe.

*Gifted by Netgalley & Minotaur Books - thank you! All opinions are my own.

This book had me on the edge of my seat! It was a real thrill ride, packed with unexpected twists and turns, and told from multiple perspectives over six parts. Even though I guessed the plot twist early on, it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the story.

Paris Peralta wakes up on the bathroom floor to find her famous hubby dead and the police pointing fingers at her. Meanwhile, Ruby Reyes, the Ice Queen, who was convicted of a similar crime 25 years ago, knows Paris's secrets and threatens to spill the beans. Paris has to confront her past to save her future from crumbling.

Things We Do in the Dark had me hooked from the first chapter, keeping me focused throughout the weekend. Though the plot could be predictable at times, it still had some surprises that made it a worthwhile read. You don't need to be blown away by twists to like this book, but it would have been even better if I hadn't guessed so many plot points ahead of time.

I really liked this! It was fun trying to solve the crime and I thought it was very smart! Loved the many layers of this story!

Ahh, New Thrillers! 😱
Friends! I recently finished these two and I thought they were both so good! Come along with me as I tell you a little about each…

‘Things We Do In The Dark’ by Jennifer Hillier is out TODAY! This was my first Hillier book and it won’t be my last- you must pick it up. It was a twisty ride of false identifies, murder and revenge. The only thing that upset me was that I don’t have the glow-in-the-dark hardback. Woe is me. 😔

This one almost felt like two stories in one, but in a good way! Paris is arrested for killing her famous husband, and she knows she didn’t do it. She doesn’t want the publicity because of a troubled past that still haunts her… she doesn’t want to be found.

——

‘Stay Awake’ by Megan Goldin is out August 9th. I really loved ‘Night Swim’ so I was excited about this one! While I liked the story, it really stressed me out. It was like 50 First Dates + Russian Doll + murder. Eek!

When Liz wakes up on a park bench with no recollection of the last two years, she starts to freak out. Rightfully so. She also has the words Stay Awake written on her hands… same as what’s written on the window of the guy that was just murdered… 🤔

Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for both of these digital copies! I also listened to a lot of SW on @librofm and the narrator is laughably terrible. I suggest NOT listening to audio on this one! Unless you like bad accents, bad pacing, and fake laughing. 🫣

🖤🖤🖤

A good twisty thriller that kept me guessing from start to finish. Will recommend to others to read.

Paris Peralta finds herself ensnared in a nightmarish predicament, drenched in a sticky quandary. She clutches her husband's straight razor, dappled with blood, while Jimmy lies lifeless in the bathtub, drained of vitality. The circumstances are a breeding ground for suspicion, as Jimmy's resurgence in the limelight after a career lull and Paris's youthful exuberance paint a stark picture of potential avarice turned lethal.

However, behind this enigma lies a labyrinth of obscurity. Paris, determined to rebuild her life, carries a shrouded and tumultuous history known to only a select few, including her blackmailer—Ruby Reyes, infamously dubbed the "Ice Queen." Ruby herself bears the mark of a murder conviction dating back twenty-five years.

Now that Ruby has been released from her prison of the past, she emerges as a looming threat. Armed with the knowledge of Paris's concealed truths, she stands ready to unveil these secrets, extort Paris, or even contemplate a sinister encore. The pivotal question looms large: can Paris persist on her path to redemption, or will she unravel the cryptic events of that fateful night with Jimmy? Or will the presence of the Ice Queen unleash a maelstrom of scrutiny, casting Paris into a relentless tundra of adversity?

I appreciated the narrative's structure, skillfully weaving between present and past, offering diverse points of view. It provides the reader with a wealth of information to grasp the characters and their underlying motives. One might argue that this abundance of information allows for an early revelation of the mid-story twist, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment as I became deeply invested in the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As the story begins a murder has already occurred and the victim’s wife, Paris, is under suspicion. She was found covered in blood and standing over her husband’s body with a straight-edge razor in her hand. Yeah, I would say she’s definitely a likely suspect. Moving on, two timelines develop, the murder investigation continues, and the backstories of several characters are revealed.

Things We Do in the Dark is, for the most part, a fast-paced thriller with interesting, well-developed characters and good dialogue. The plot is just complex enough to keep the reader’s attention, but it’s also easy to move back and forth between the various stories and time periods.

Here and there the pace seemed to falter a bit, but this didn’t really affect the mood the author created. I liked this book and I’m looking forward to reading more from Ms Hillier. NetGalley provided an advance copy.