Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Things We Do in the Dark is an intricately plotted suspense novel that traces the deaths of three people over the years. Through well-paced chapters, you’ll learn how these three murders are linked.

I enjoyed this quite a bit, and found myself really drawn to the past plots more than the present.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, and I loved it but it did fall kind of short for me.

I love Hillier so much, because she does a fucked-up, scary, gory thriller SO WELL. So when I picked this up, and realized it was less gore and more psychological I felt a little meh about it. Butttt I think that’s my own fault because outside of building my expectations up this was a fantastic thriller.

It was multiple POVS and multiple storylines so I got so much out of this. I loved the characters and the mystery behind them. Although I saw the twists coming, I seriously sped read this book in about 4 hours because I was dying to know what happens next. Hillier is such an amazing writer and I just love the way she brings character’s inner thoughts to life.

Overall, if you need a good summer thriller, and you can’t handle gore or super scary, this would be perfect! I also highly recommend this for a book club because there was so much I would have loved to get other people’s opinions on!!

I Refuse To Be My [Parent]. Yes, a version of the title line of this review is said in the book. And that was the moment the book hit particularly hard for me. Because I've lived it. Not directly, but as the child of a person that did. To be clear, it was not the same kind of abuse that my parent endured, but it *was* abuse and it *did* shape that parent in ways that have played out over the course of my own life. So at that moment, this book became very, very real for me and I could see that character's actions as clear as day and understand them on levels I don't often get to even in fiction.

The rest of the book, with a present day murder and blackmailing, a secret identity, a true crime podcast looking at a murder years ago and how it all ties together... was all excellently done. Other reviews complain about the backstory, but for me that was the actual story - because it shows everything that caused the person to utter the line I titled the review with. Overall a strong tale that survivors of domestic abuse may struggle with, but which ultimately should prove cathartic indeed even for them. Very much recommended.

"While you can reinvent yourself, you cant outrun yourself."

Paris Peralta is the much younger wife of a famous comedian and she becomes clouded by suspicion when he ends up dead and she's found holding the weapon. The fact that she's on the hook for murder is actually only her second biggest problem at the moment, being suddenly thrust into the limelight she's at risk for the secrets of her past unraveling in the worst way.

Jennifer Hillier is easily one of my favourite thriller writers. I love the pacing of her stories, they keep me on the edge of my seat throughout. Did I guess some of the twists? Yes. Did it take away from how much I liked the story? Not at all. Recommend this to anyone looking for a thriller with intriguing characters, family drama, secrets to be revealed and a murder mystery all wrapped into one.

Please check trigger warnings before reading!

I enjoyed this book, but wasn’t my favorite. I think my expectations are high because I’ve loved every single book Hillier has published.

What I like about this : It starts off with a thrill, Paris’s husband dead in a bathtub. I also liked the multiple POV’s.

What I didn’t like: The back and fourth of past and present. I found myself getting confused and not interested at some points.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest psychological thriller by Jennifer Hillier and wonderfully narrated by Carla Vega - 5 stars!

Paris Peralta is accused of killing her celebrity older husband - and things don't look good for her seeing as she was found with the murder weapon in her hand. While the thought of going to jail terrifies her, so do the letters that she is receiving from Ruby Reyes, threatening to expose a secret from her past.

I don't want to give too much away because you must read this book yourself! It is full of multiple storylines and timelines as well as stories that will break your heart. There are the twists that you might see coming and those you won't - all adding up to a gripping story that I couldn't put down. Jennifer Hillier has done it again - her writing and character development are top notch. Highly recommended!

Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier

Paris is a young lady about 29 years age difference between her and her husband Jimmy. The story starts off with Jimmy her famous comedian husband is found dead in the bath tub. Paris is in the bathroom holding a razor in her hand. Paris is arrested for murder. This is how the story starts then it split with a duel time line Paris as a young girl before and Paris who is in jail dealing with murder.

The story has some complexity cause everyone feels like a suspect and the main character Paris has her own little secrets. Jimmy had his own crazy history with depression and drugs. Did Jimmy commit suicide or was he murdered? Who killed Jimmy?

I love the duel time line it helped explain the complexity of the main character life and her secrets. Everything does come together by the end of the story it was fleshed out really good leading the reader along the story. The reader is given crumbs along the way to put the story together. I felt like the story wasn't overly complex as I initially thought it would be. My gut was right all along who I thought did it.

This was overall an enjoyable thriller to read and I enjoyed it was a 4 star read for me. If you like thrillers this is a good one to wet your taste buds for a decent straight forward thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for giving me a free copy of the book for an honest review./0

Another amazing read from Jennifer Hillier that I didn’t want to put down! Just like her others that I’ve read, this one was dark and twisty! I absolutely love Hillier’s writing and I highly recommend all of her books. My favorite is still Jar of Hearts but this one was an amazing 4 stars!

I absolutely loved this thriller and can't wait to read more by this author!

Paris Peralta is found covered in blood, holding a razor beside her dead husband's body. Did she kill him? Did he kill himself? Was she framed? Anything is possible.

This story is woven together through multiple POV's taking the reader on a journey through Paris's past and present situations. Although tough to read at times, the plot was gripping and kept you turning the pages until the very end!

Oh my goodness! What a suspenseful, twisty story!!!!
Most of the time I was reading the book, I think my mouth was hanging open. It is really a heart breaking story to read.
To sum it up, a very intense, disturbing and emotional read
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reading Between the Wines book review #57/135 for 2022:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: Things We Do in the Dark
Author: Jennifer Hillier
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASES July 19, 2022!!! Get your copy today!

Sipping thoughts: I knew Jennifer would live up to my expectations as well as all the hype I heard. Reading this book was like getting 2 books in one. Although the storyline is really one larger one, the past and present POV really made it feel like I was reading 2 stories. I enjoyed following Paris’ story and trying to figure out if she was guilty and the past she was running from. There is one character in this book is one that I just could NOT stand and for the sake of staying away from spoilers, just know you will feel the same way. I loved the ending and I think all the twists were believable.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @jenniferhillierbooks @StMartinsPress, @MinotaurBooks and @MacmillanAudio for an advance copy of @ThingsWeDoInTheDark.

#ThingsWeDoInTheDark #JenniferHillier #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers

Thank you to NetGalley and Jennifer Hillier for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Paris finds her husband, comedian Jimmy Peralta dead in their home. Now she faces herself in a very familiar situation. She is accused of murder, just like her mother was years ago. Now she has to prove herself innocent while being blackmailed by the Ice Queen aka her mother. Will Paris be able to prove her innocence and outrun her past?

I really liked this thriller. This is one of my more favorite ones I've read so far. I haven't ever read a Jennifer Hillier novel before but I am going to be checking out more of her work now. Unfortunately it did lag a little in the beginning so it took me some time to read but once I got through that into the second half of the book I was hooked! I thought I had everything figured out when lol nope I was wrong. This one is a must read!

Review of Things we Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a solid book but not my favorite by Jennifer Hillier. Perhaps my expectations are too high as she is one of my favorite authors and her books are some of my favorites of all time (looking at you Creep and Jar of Hearts). This one was very entertaining and a quick read for me. I loved the main character. My main issue is that it was, for me, completely predictable. I guessed every single aspect of the book so there were no real twists or surprises. I will still be a fan for life and will read every single thing she writes always.

Quick synopsis: the novel opens with Paris having one of the worst days of her life. She is covered in blood, holding a razor blade with her husband dead in the bath tub when the police arrive at her home. She is arrested. To make things worse a woman named Ruby who was known for a horrendous murder is being released from prison. She knows the truth about who Paris is and all about her past and threatens to exposure her without a huge payment. Paris has a lot of trouble to get out of and quickly.

Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur for an ecopy of this one. We had a great chat about it in #chapterchat2 book club!

This is my first book by Jennifer Hillier. I was impressed with her writing style. It was very descriptive and really took a deep dive into the lives of the main characters. I appreciate that in a story.

This story was tragic and at times a bit hard to read because of the content which includes domestic abuse, sexual abuse and child abuse. However I was very impressed with the way the story unfolded and how it wrapped up. It was a gritty and beautiful read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Jennifer Hillier for access to the audiobook and ARC available 7/19/22.

Check triggers**

Read this book if you like: Multiple POV, past and present timelines, crazy backstories

Paris Peralta's celebrity husband was found dead. She was found covered in blood and holding a weapon. She's been arrested for murder. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her. They will destroy the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets.

Holy crap. This book is a wild ride. This is my first read by Jennifer Hillier and will not be my last. I was on the edge of my seat just trying to figure it all out. The characters were well done and the twists made sense. I feel like the book dragged at times but I still really enjoyed it. I recommend it! Get this July 19th!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books!

Propulsive. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and now I’m off to search their backlist. From a birds-eye view, Paris is a typical tabloid trophy wife. A young yoga instructor who marries a much older celebrity. But when she’s found standing over his dead body with a razor in hand, she’s anything but typical.

While I enjoyed her other books this one just didn’t do it for me. It took too long to get going and I could see where the storyline was going right away so then it fell flat. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

Joey is Ruby’s daughter. All her life she has been bullied and abused by her mother. When Ruby is charged with the murder of her lover, Charles, Joey testifies and helps send her mother to jail. Ruby promises to get back at Joey. This book is excellent. The next murder is Jimmy, the husband of Paris, who was a beloved actor and comedian. So many characters with secrets it is hard to really tell who killed him. Drew, the man Joey roomed with as a teen, is the only person she trusts. There are a lot of events in this book that will make you angry and I just hoped Ruby’s daughter would get her due! Wonderful characters, so many surprises, and certainly not predictable.

4.5 Stars rounding up to 5.
Things We Do in the Dark was one of my anticipated reads of the year, and I was not let down.
This story was a wild ride, straight from the beginning. Multiple twists and turns along the two storylines kept me wondering what might happen next until the end. I loved the writing style, the way the timelines were weaving in and out worked really well for me too. The characters felt believable and I liked "following" them around as the story unfolded. For me, there was the right amount of twists in the story to keep it moving but not so many that it became too much. A couple smaller things kept this from being a straight five star read, a few of the legal processes seemed off, and some of the stuff with Ruby Reyes felt a bit unnecessary, but not so much that I couldn't enjoy myself. Overall this was a good, thriller that kept me captivated from start to finish.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this advance copy.

The Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

Published: July 19, 2022
Minotaur Books
Pages: 352
Genre: Psychological Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Jennifer Hillier imagines the worst about people and then writes about it. Born and raised in Toronto and a proud Canadian, she spent eight years in the Seattle area, which is where all her books are set.

“Everywhere you go, there you are.”

Joey grew up the child of abuse. Her mother didn’t protect her as she should have. When Joey died in a tragic fire, that should have been it. Paris has a past she can’t tell anyone about until someone from her past becomes a person in her present. Now, all of her self preservation is going to be tested.

Holy. The twists in this novel just kept coming. I really enjoyed how this story was told. I liked that is was broken into part, each explaining that period of time.

The alternating perspectives were good. The characters were fantastic, and their buildups and story arcs were solid.

I devoured this book. It’s hard to find a good place to pause- because as the story unfolds you find yourself being dragged in another direction.

The ending of this novel was fantastic. This would make an amazing TV show if done correctly. The twists and turns were brilliantly played.