This is a well written psychological thriller! It’s a whodunit as well as a ‘am I safe?’ Kinda novel. It’s full of twists and turn. This book is sure to keep you on the edge of your couch! Highly recommend!

4.25-4.5 stars

Whew, okay. I was expecting a fun and twisty thriller, which I got, but there was also a lot more depth to the story than I had anticipated. Sensitive issues (child abuse, racism, violence, other types of trauma) are handled with care, and there’s some intriguing character growth. It is a mystery or thriller in some senses, but I didn’t really find the typical surprise elements to be too shocking; nevertheless, the plot was enthralling the whole way, and the writer is clearly very talented at crafting complex narratives with lots of little pieces that ultimately tie together. Again, it was not exactly what I was expecting, which was, as it turns out, a pleasant surprise. I can’t wait to check out other books from the author.

REVIEW

Things We Do in the Dark ~ Jennifer Hillier

READ IF:
* You believe age is just a number.
* Comedy specials are on your “For You” on Netflix.
* Sun salutations bring you peace.

SUMMARY: Paris Peralta has just been discovered in a bloody bathtub holding a straight razor with her dead husband by her side. No brainer, right?

Well not so fast - all is not as it seems to and Paris has secrets that go far beyond who killed her husband. It’s often the things we do in the dark that eventually come to light.

REVIEW: Please don’t come for me on this one but I have an unpopular opinion coming your way. Unfortunately this was just ok for me and I say “unfortunately” because this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. That might have been the problem for me - I think my expectations were too high - this was good, but not wow.

Cheers to Hillier for a strong start - this one grabbed me from page 1 and I was intrigued to see if I could piece together the who and what but then the middle slowed down and became a bit repetitive. I kept waiting for it to pick up and it never quite happened. And the characters? I didn’t really love any of them either, so without a plot to keep me going and characters to care about, I feel like I was just going through the motions. Not mad about it but this didn’t thrill me like I thought I would.

Things We Do in the Dark
Pub date: 7.19.22

I haven’t been reading nearly as many thrillers lately because they just haven’t been doing it for me. I think it might be the genre I judge the hardest 🙈

Having said that, I did enjoy and fly through this one. It was predictable in a lot of ways, so that was a little bit of a let down, but I still recommend it for a quick and easy thriller!

I really like books that go back and forth between two time periods, because it always feels like two separate puzzles I am gathering the pieces of and putting together to make one. I also love when a book makes me feel enraged because of horrible characters and their actions. It tells me that I was invested and believed what the author was selling.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for my honest review! 💜

I am a big fan of Jennifer Hillier's writing and this was a well written book as always. This book however was more of a slow burn murder mystery.. If your anticipating a fast paced book in the vain of Jar of Hearts or Little Secrets I will forewarn you that this one is not one. I did find this one to be a bit more character driven and a bit slower and more predictable to me. That's not to say that I did not find the story interesting. - I did - This is not my favorite Hillier novel. I did think the story may have drug out just a bit and I did figure out quite a few of the twists of the book and it took me longer than normal to get this book read. I'll go middle of the road with my rating and give this one 3 stars.

A murder of a rich man. His wife, the lead suspect. A marriage of seemingly convience. The other suspects hiding in plain sight. The dark world of gangs and strip clubs. A mother and daughter relationship gone wrong. A true crime podcaster investigating. Finding unexpected answers. Childhood affecting adulthood. Questions answered sparking new questions. All this and more can be found in this psychological thriller. A bit of a slow starter, the book's plot begins to become more interesting as the pieces start to come together. It was hard to know if you should like the main character or not. I did find myself feeling for her as her story was revealed but at the same time didn’t find her likeable. I think that was the twisty point of this story though. What happens to a person often impacts who they are and their likeability. This isn’t an easy thematic read so make sure you pay attention to the trigger warnings. Having heard about this author from a favorite booktuber, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

Thank you so much @netgalley and @minotaurbooks for my gifted e-copy!

Jennifer Hillier is a mastery storyteller, and her newest one is no different. She creates such intricate story plots that always tie together nicely! She incorporates some heavy topics in this one, so you may need to look up trigger warnings.

There are two POV’s, so not only are you trying to figure out the main “who done it person” but you are also trying to figure out the little mysteries in the other POV. It was almost like reading two separate stories, and they tied together nicely at the end!

The writing is so superb that I trusted no one. Everyone was suspicious and could be a suspect. Andrea and I had so much back and forth chat while reading this one with all the crazy details. I’m not sure I’ve ever sent so many 😱 emojis before!

Thank you so much @Minotaur_Books & @NetGalley for giving me this physical ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 19 July 2022)

SYNOPSIS | Paris wakes up on her bathroom floor covered in blood & holding a supposed murder weapon next to her dead celebrity husband. Even though she has no recollection of what happened, it is obvious the police think she did it & she can't help but think how much unwanted media attention this will bring especially as she has tried to reinvent herself & leave her past behind...

WHAT I LIKED:
- the past & present timelines worked together beautifully to create those slow burn vibes as we piece together snippets of information from the different POVs to try & figure out what is going on
- even though I guessed the main twist I still enjoyed the journey there
- perfectly bingeable writing that kept me flipping the pages (those mini cliff-hanger chapter endings!!)

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- Ruby was a cliché stereotype of a bad mother
- the change in POVs was quite jarring at times & the other storylines seem to just vanish depending on the POV we are reading from

This was a good book not as suspenseful as I thought that it was going to be at first but I liked the characters and they way that the story unfolded.

3.5 ⭐️’s! This is my first book by Jennifer Hillier and it won’t be my last. I enjoyed her writing style and how she intertwined the timelines in this book. She’s very talented and I’ve heard great things about her other books. Things We Do In The Dark is a very slow burn mystery and I am just very tired of slow burn books lately. So, while the twists were good I was just bored by the end. I needed the story to be faster paced and less of the background storyline as it just became unnecessary at times. So, Jennifer Hillier it’s not you - it’s me and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!

I was kind of on the fence with this one. The main story line is intriguing, particularly with an unreliable narrator who has an unclear and dubious past. The past in question being the tangential focus of the sub story line.

I’ll be honest, I really didn’t care for the second storyline, particular due to the fact it was being told from the perspective of a not so likable guy. He meant well, but his behavior in the flashbacks was infuriating at best.

However the main plot does keep you on your toes as you slowly uncover how it all comes together in the end

I ended up not finishing the book. I appreciated the diversity in this book, but I couldn’t get myself to care about the storyline or the characters. There’s way too many traumatic things but not much happening in the plot. I ended up putting this down after 100 pages.

Things We Do in the Dark
@jenniferhillierbooks
Thriller
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Goodreads rating: 4.13

READ IF YOU LIKE:
▫️Dark and juicy family dramas
▫️Addicting storylines that keep you reading
▫️Multiple POV from characters that keep you guessing 🤔

INITIAL THOUGHTS:
She does it again!!!!! 😵 This is my 3rd Hillier book and let me tell ya, IT DELIVERED. I devoured this book in a few sittings and when I was wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. It opens up with an amazing shock-factor that had me immediately gripping the pages, in per usual fashion for Hillier’s books! If you’re looking for something deliciously dark & evil… This book is it❗️

ONE SENTENCE SYNOPSIS:
After Paris wakes up on her bathroom floor covered in someone’s blood and a razor in her hand, she turns to see her celebrity husband dead in the tub next to her. 🔪

RATING EXPLAINED:
I will definitely be recommending this book to all thriller lovers. I was able to guess a few of the twists BUT there was SO MUCH DETAIL and moving parts in this story that it still had a fantastic ending. It filled up all my thriller cavings! 😈

DETAILS:
▪️Publishes: 07/19/22
▪️There are some heavy trigger warnings in this one friends, as always check before you read! 🚨
▪️Thank you SO MUCH @minotaur_books, @stmartinspress, & @netgalley for the super cool gifted ARCs in exchange for an honest review!

Well, Jennifer Hillier can always be relied upon to deliver a dark and twisty story that will have you gripping the armrest of your reading chair and flipping pages with abandon.

She does an excellent job of keeping you off-kilter and not knowing whether you should like or hate her main characters. This book starts off with Paris Peralta being arrested for the murder of her celebrity comedian husband. The pair live right on Queen Anne overlooking the Seattle City. For those of you who haven't spent time in Seattle this means they are pretty well off. Those houses go for upwards of $6 Million. But with a seemingly airtight prenup in place, what motive could Paris have had?

Anyway, it becomes apparent that Paris has quite the secret history of her own, and this might not be the first time she's been involved in a murder. The rest of the book is spent between the past and the present time and Paris' history starts to unfold.

I can't say too much more without giving any spoilers, but in true Hillier style this story is pretty dark and there is a lot of abuse (child, emotional, domestic etc) which can be really hard to read about...at least I thought so. But it was so well written and even though I guessed at some of the twists it didn't make it any less compelling to read.

I really loved this compulsively readable thriller! Things We Do in the Dark is fast-paced with dual timelines about Paris Peralta, who has run from her traumatic past and made a new life for herself. We're immediately plunged into her life as she discovers her husband has died. The story follows her present-day and about twenty years prior. The story moves swiftly and feels like watching a movie. I loved the writing style and characters. Though I guessed the reveals, I still really enjoyed the story and couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. I loved Carla Vega's narration. It was perfect for this book. Highly recommend if you're looking for a captivating thriller!

Thank you Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio for providing this ebook / audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I love loved the beginning of this one. It kept me completely engaged and the storyline was intriguing. With that being said, I felt like the middle dragged a bit. There was a lot of backstory. By the time the big reveal came, I felt like I was more “finally” than “OMG.”

I love Jennifer Hillier’s work, so I still really enjoyed this one. I may also not be in the right space right now, cause I don’t seem to be impressed by much lately 😂😂

All the stars!!

Another great read from Jennifer Hillier!

"Jar of Hearts" was my first Jennifer Hillier novel. I thought it was terrific. Then I read "Little Secrets" and LOVED it. So I was super excited to read "Things We Do in the Dark". I'd hoped I wouldn't be let down.

I wasn't let down at all. In my opinion, this was a very good read.

I thought the story flowed well and I thought the characters were complex and dynamic.

An excellent psychological suspense novel from one of my favorite authors!

I can't wait to read more from this very talented author!

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I felt that this thriller was pretty middle-of-the-road. It wasn't boring, but it doesn't rank high on my Thriller's Must-Reads.

With that being said, I enjoyed the story and was intrigued by the mysterious "Ice Queen Killer". That was a fun twist, and I liked Paris more and more the further I got into the story.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Hillier coming in hot with another excellent unputdownable thriller!⁣
⁣
Paris awakens covered in her rich, older husbands blood, with the police arresting her, and a dark past that haunts her.⁣
⁣
There are so many ways this story could go. With Paris’ dark past and found next to her husband, you assume she did it; but did she? ⁣
⁣
She had an abusive child hood. She’s receiving black mail letters from the Ice Queen who’s in prison for murder. An old friend who has a podcast ‘’Things We Do In The Dark’’ discusses his deceased best friends past and her mother who is in jail for murder. ⁣
⁣
There’s a lot of interesting characters, a finger could be pointed at any of them at some point. I was always trying to guess what was going to happen next and was still left shocked at the twist at the end and loved how it ended. I absolutely loved this book. ⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫