This was a solid read, but it fell apart at the end for me. I liked the way the back story was built, and the unfolding of events was natural and kept the story moving.


I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up

This book didn't really work for me. If it would have 2 times shorter, it would still have been too long. The whole thing is predictable from the first pages, but the author is taking the reader on a very long journey where there's a back story for every back story and every single person and so on...

A big thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this book!

Jennifer Hillier provides a well-paced and mysterious story of murder, revenge and secrets. The writing is smooth and easy to read between both Paris and Drew's POVs and timelines. Hillier is fantastic with writing complex characters and she never holds back with the darkness. While I didn't find this one to be as thrilling as Jar of Hearts, it was an enjoyable and quick read.

Paris is a yoga teacher and the profession really has nothing to do with the plot. While I do appreciate Hillier's attempt incorporating Sanskrit into the novel, some moments were disrespectful to the ancient practice of yoga. This could've been switched to a fitness instructor.

CW: suicide, fire, child abuse, sexual assault, toxic relationship with parent, blackmail, drug use

I loved this book! I went into it knowing absolutely nothing about it, other than that the cover looked right up my alley. Jennifer Hillier has been on my list to check out for a long time, and now I am certainly going to need to go read her backlist.

I was able to guess the twist pretty easily, but I do read a lot of thrillers. This didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story at all. I really enjoyed the in-depth examination of Paris’s dysfunctional childhood and how she got to be where she is. I’m all for family drama, even when it’s dark, and the multiple murder mysteries that unfolded in these pages. I also find thrillers focused around sex work to be extremely interesting–if you liked this aspect, also check out Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski.

Drew was my favorite character, and I do wish we got to see more of him and his podcast. I think the podcast aspect could have made this audiobook even better!

This was a well-paced, interesting thriller, and I can’t wait to read more by Hillier.

"There is a time and place for erect nipples, but the back of a Seattle police car definitely isn't it."

Things We Do in the Dark is the newest thriller from Jennifer Hillier.

"Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom, covered in blood and holding a straight razor - with her dead husband in the bathtub behind her. She knows she'll be charged with murder and worries that someone from her past will recognize her and destroy the life she's built for herself.
Ruby Reyes, who was convicted of a similar murder 25-years-ago, knows the truth about Paris and threatens to expose her secret. Paris must finally confront her dark past once and for all."

Like many current thrillers, this book has dual timelines. We see what is happening with Paris and the murder charge and we also see what happened to Paris to get her to this point. And Hillier puts this character through some awful things.
One thing I love about Hillier's book is there is always an unexpected, crazy twist at the end. This book has a couple of them. (There's actually one in the middle you'll probably guess but it makes sense for the story.)
I found myself pulling for Paris and hoping she could have a great life without fear.

Another great book from Hillier.

I love everything Jennifer Hillier has ever written! I enjoyed this so much I also got this as my Book Of The Month so I could have a hard copy! The thrillers are always engaging and fast paced! I had no idea what to expect because this one was so unique in comparison to Hillier’s other stories. Edge of your seat roller coaster ride!

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read an advanced copy of Things we do in the dark by Jennifer Hillier. Jennifer is one of those authors that is an automatic read for me, so when I am given a chance to read one of her books I jump at it. This book starts with a bang and while I found the middle lagged a bit (just a bit) i was committed to it from start to finish. I love the author's style of writing; Things we do in the dark is written in dual timelines; the present, starting with Paris Peralta being arrested for the murder of her husband, celebrity Jimmy Peralta, and the past; Joey, whose mother, known as the Ice Queen was convicted of killing her lover and who abused her over the years. Joey ends up dead in a fire so what do these two women have in common, and why is the Ice 'Queen reaching out to Paris to blackmail her after being in prison 25 years? This is a fabulous read and I highly recommend it as I do with all her other books!!!

The first third of this book was unputdownable. So. Addicting.

A woman is married to a famous comedian that is well her senior and then he dies and GUESS WHO IS THE SUSPECT.

But wait there’s also another murder we’re trying to figure out. 😱

This also has a podcast BTS element, so if you like books about true crime podcasts you might love that detail.

Back to the review, the middle however started to drag a little bit.

The chapter lengths and breaks in the different sections were helpful though to keep this moving.

Overall this was a decent read, and I didn’t mind it. The end picked back up which was nice way to finish it up.

ok I finished this in literally one day. In true Jennifer Hillier fashion, I’m obsessed. The pacing, the vulnerable characters, everything. Even though I don’t have much in common with the main characters I still felt a connection. Jennifer is able to create psychological thrillers with pristine character development. I feel like I knew everyone so intimately. She writes in a way where I’m not shocked by the twists, but I enjoy the entire ride. I’ve read all of her books at this point and I’ve never been disappointed. I will say, Joey’s job choice after leaving her home surprised me a bit considering her past traumas - but I think this is part of the psychological thriller aspect I expect with Jennifer’s writing. There’s a reason Joey chose that path and I don’t think it included just finances. I like how this one was layered, with past and present traumas and murders. I think what gets me about this one is that it’s totally plausible in real life (maybe not the entire story) but joeys childhood, and young adult life happens all the time. I recommend this, and every Jennifer Hillier book!

This was one of my anticipated releases of the summer. I have read several of her books and enjoyed them. Wonderland is my favorite of hers hands-down.

In this book we are following Paris who comes across her husband‘s dead body in the bathroom. For her being charged with his murder is the least of her problems and as the reader we begin going further and further into her past.

We also are following Drew who has a podcast of the same name as the book. As he investigates another case we learn how Paris and the other case are connected.

I really liked the characters in this book specifically Paris and Drew and I was definitely rooting for them. It definitely has that popcorn quality that I enjoy in a summer thriller where I just wanted to keep changing the pages. If you’re looking for a thriller I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley.. The opinions expressed are my own

I really enjoyed this! In classic Jennifer Hillier fashion, this is a dark and twisty mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end!

Jennifer Hillier always creates characters with lots of depth and layers and I always love that about her stories! No one character feels “cookie cutter” and it adds to the mystery of her plot lines, and Things We Do In The Dark is no exception!

Also, make sure to check out the trigger warnings as this does deal with some difficult topics (that Jennifer provides at the beginning of the story).

I love all of Jennifer Hillier’s books. I was so excited to get approved for Things We Do in the Dark. I can never predict the twists and turns in her books which is one of the reasons I’m drawn to them. This is definitely a book you will want to dive into, and you’ll demand answers!

{3.5 stars}

When comedian, Jimmy Peralta is found dead, his much younger, relatively new fifth wife is charged with his murder. She claims innocence and presses that he has committed suicide. Quickly we learn that she is not who she claims to be. Someone knows who she is and why she's changed her identity and she's blackmailing her. She happens to be a woman convicted of another murder serving a long sentence. We learn how these women are connected and exactly what happened to Jimmy.

I liked this story and the pages turned like wildfire but, I wouldn't say that any of the twists here were unexpected. The "twists" were easily seen and predicted so if you're looking for a jaw dropper, I don't think this will give you that. That said, I enjoyed it as a read and would totally recommend it as a pacey beach read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-book for exchange of my honest review.

I am a big Jennifer Hillier fan and I was so excited to read this book early. If I had to compare this book to some of the other books by this author, I would say it's more like Little Secrets. Very domestic and kind of tame. I was really hoping for some more dark material like she writes in Creep, The Butcher and my favorite; Jar of Hearts.

I found this to just be okay and kind of a let down because I really wanted something more raw and dark.

Things We Do in the Dark starts off strong and easily pulls you in with the shocking story of Jimmy’s murder and Paris’ arrest. And I hate to say it, but this one fell flat big time. The beginning was the best part, and things never recovered for me after the POV switches for the first time. One of the biggest letdowns is the first twist in the book. I wish this info would have been included upfront and that the author didn’t try to use it as a twist. The twist can be seen from a mile away. The pacing of the book was also a bit of a struggle. It moved slow and all of the rehashing of past events/life experiences didn’t make it feel like a thriller at all.

Jennifer Hillier is an auto-buy for me, full stop. Jar of Hearts is in my all-time top five favorite books, and I will scream about her from every mountain top I have the unfortunate happenstance to find myself on (nature's not my friend, but that won't stop me). I have been SO EXCITED for Things We Do in the Dark and finally got the chance to read.

And let me tell you.

It did not disappoint. One. Little. Bit.

Let me start by saying: the hype around this book is real. It grips you from the very first sentence and never lets up. The characters are nuanced, authentic, and so aggravatingly real it was impossible not to see this becoming a Netflix series. Paris' POV was superb, layered with backstory and the likelihood of a murder trial. Ozark meets murder podcast meets Real Housewives with a dash of Orange and wrapped with Jennifer Hillier flair.

What I love most, perhaps, is not the flash, but the subtle moments of introspection--quiet observations that shout about the human condition: how we grieve, how we recover, how pain transcends time and creates opportunities for growth and potholes of despair. This book will stick to your bones.

Overall, 10/10 recommend. Add this to your cart immediately, you won't regret it.

Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Paris comes to in her own bathroom, covered in blood, with her husband dead in the bathtub beside her. She doesn’t know what happened, but she is suddenly being arrested for his murder. What is scarier then the murder charge however, is her face being plastered for the world to see. She can’t let her past find her. Unfortunately or her, The Ice Queen is fitting out of jail, and knows Paris’s true identity.

I went into this one blind and I am glad I did! It took me a bit to get into the story (more life circumstances than the fault of the book) but once I was hooked, I was truly hooked. It did take me a little bit to understand the two different storylines and how they connected. I really enjoyed following along with Drew’s investigating, and got excited when I was right about a few things. If you have enjoyed Hillier’s books in the past, you should make sure to grab a copy of her newest!

Paris Peralta is accused of murdering her husband, beloved comedian Jimmy Peralta. All the evidence points to her guilt, but she's more concerned that the suspicion will unearth a past life she's spent years trying to bury.
A solid thriller from Jennifer Hillier featuring both dual-POV and timelines. It's twisty and surprising with vibrant character development and an intricately detailed background for Paris. However, other characters seem a bit flat in comparison.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.
3.75/5

This is my 2nd book by this author. I like this just as much as the 1st one, and I really like the 1st one quite a bit. It's an interesting mystery with well fleshed out characters. It was well paced out and you didn't want to put it down.Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the advanced copy and exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

This is the first book I have read from this author. I really liked the writing style. The dual POV with multi-timeline was also executed fairly well. I have to say that I figured out the big twist as well as what actually happened like 1/3 of the way through however knowing that information didn't stop me from reading the book. I found it to be a compelling read. I didn't really like any of the characters, some of them were kind of flat when they should have been dynamic. Overall it was just a meh book, the reveals and the way everything worked out kind of came together all too well and a little too neatly which took away some of the suspension of disbelief I guess.

Thank you to Minotaur books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.