Jennifer Hillier does it again with another amazing thriller! I really enjoyed the twists and turns as Paris took us on a journey! Some of the twists I had figured out, but it was so entertaining to read that I didn’t mind at all! I enjoyed the podcast and celebrity elements that felt true to life. This engrossing novel ended in the perfect way!

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 GOLDEN STARS
🖤 THANK YOU SO MUCH @minotaur_books for my ARC of my MOST ANTICIPATED book of 2022!!! 🖤

I need everyone to get on this JH train because she DOESN’T MISS. This is my 5th book of hers (2 more on my shelves!) & I have DEVOURED every single one… but this one MAY just be my new favorite???

It will for sure go down in my top books of the year…& a new all-time fave thriller/mystery. Ugh. I APPLAUD JH for seamlessly wrapping up all of the twists in this one. At times I was a bit confused because so much (AMAZINGNESS) was going on…but every time, those questions got answered! Freaking genius.

✨ Paris is married to a retired famous comedian that is nearly 30 years older than her… when he’s found dead in their bathtub, & Paris is holding the suspected murder weapon… secrets begin unraveling. About their relationship, & about Paris’s past.

Paris is a BA character. That’s really all I can say about her. As her story unravelled, I was left in awe more than once. She goes THROUGH. IT. & has so much strength!

I somewhat predicted one of the big twists, but did I predict the immense amount of detail? NOPE. & there were multiple other twists I did NOT foresee.

Ruby... I will just say I disliked that woman with every fiber of my being- there were so many moments I was RAGING about her actions. Her relationship with Paris broke my heart. What a rollercoaster for her.

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🔪SERIAL MURDER stories
❣️JAR OF HEARTS
👩🏻Multiple POVs
👩‍👧Family drama/suspense
😨Books that increase your heart rate
🌪MULTIPLE TWISTS
💪🏼Strong, independent female MCs
👏🏼Absolute psychological thriller perfection

Another instant bestseller by Jennifer Hillier. Action packed suspense with plots that are both intriguing and sickening. Joey's story is rift with trauma and abuse yet she is resilient and strong in her vows to become something other than her mother. Many years later her path comes full circle and she can no longer run. I loved everything about this book. The characters were developed so well and emotion evoking,,,both good and bad. Definitely a five star!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

I really love Jar of Hearts so I was excited to pick up Things We Do In the Dark. This may be an unpopular opinion but I was not a fan of this one.

Paris Peralta is found in her bathroom near her dead husband’s body. Immediately she is accused of murder but that’s not what she is afraid of. She doesn’t want details of her past to come to light because the one thing worse than one murder charge is two murder charges.

The beginning really captivated me but as Hillier is laying down the back story it really slowed for me. Let me tell you this book is DARK (more than what I’m used to). There are several trigger warnings one of which is abuse and boy was it hard to read. The story is also grotesque at times. If you like dark stories this may be the book for you but I think it was a little over the line for me.

What can I say-I am obsessed with Jennifer Hillier. She is the GOAT for me. I always love the way she weaves a story and this was no different. I really enjoyed the characterization of all in this one. The twists kept me guessing and I appreciated the way the story ended.

As per usual, I am in awe of her talent!

Thank you to Netgalley for my advance copy!

I really need to make sure I don't start Jennifer Hillier's books when I have things to do, because I always end up reading them in one sitting! Things We Do In the Dark was another pretty perfect mystery/thriller from Hillier. I absolutely loved the way this story unfolded, the pacing was perfect, the story felt succinct and had a clean, tight plotline, and it grabbed me immediately (and then didn't let go until I finished at 2 am).
This is easily one of my favorite of Hillier's novels, and I am (clearly) already a fan!

My first Jennifer Hillier and I think I’m hooked!

Throughout the book we follow three main characters from their points of view.

As the story starts we find Paris being arrested for her famous, older husband’s murder. As she navigates court proceedings and we get to know Paris better, we start to wonder about her mysterious and closely guarded past.

Drew is a journalist turned true crime podcaster who is gearing up for his next episode with Ruby Reyes, abusive mother and convicted murderer who is out early on parole. This one is personal though, as Ruby is the mother of his former best friend, Joey, who died in a fire years ago.

Joey is Ruby Reyes’ daughter, and no one is letting her forget it. Joey lives a hard life trying to avoid being on the receiving end of her mothers anger, then when her mother is eventually arrested for her lover’s murder and years of child abuse, Joey is finally free. But can she outrun her past and make a future for herself?

This book had two main twists, I guessed one early on, but the second took me by complete surprise!

Trigger warnings: child abuse, sexual abuse.

Paris Peralta is arrested for the murder of her wealthy, celebrity husband Jimmy after she finds him dead in their LA mansion. She claims that when she found him he was already dead; However, she is thirty years younger than Jimmy and most people think she is just after his money. We follow Paris as she tries to uncover the truth about what happened to Jimmy as well as trying to keep her past a secret as she is in the spotlight of the public eye.



I was going to write more in regards to the synopsis of this book and then thought better of it - this book is SOOO much better if you go in knowing as little as possible about the plot. This was such a well written, well-crafted book that surprised me every step of the way. I loved the alternating timelines and the depth and heartbreak of the story; this book had me tearing up more than once. I could go on and on about how good this book is! Every thriller lover NEEDS to pick this up when it comes out on July 19, 2022!



Thank you to @netgalley and @minotaurbooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Hillier has done it again! This was an exceptionally well crafted psychological thriller, with all the layers, emotional whiplash, and twists I have come to expect from her stories.

This book started off so strong. Paris Peralta is arrested in her own home for allegedly killing her much older and richer husband. I really enjoyed the mystery and couldn't wait to find out what happened. But the next part of the book, is told through the point of view of Drew who's a journalist/podcaster. At this point in the book, I feel like the story became very slow with a lot of back story. The rest of the book was way too violent and upsetting for my taste. The book described multiple murders and child rape topics. I guess that the book lives up to its title because the whole book was just so dark and depressing.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

Wow! Right from the start I was hooked. It started with a shock and the twists just kept coming. I can honestly say that I did not know the reality of everything until the very end. And, I couldn't even have guessed right if I tried.

Paris is a yoga instructor married to an older, rich and famous man. But when she comes home early from a conference, she finds him dead. And, of course, she is suspect number one. Nothing is exactly as it seems and I was shocked by the ending.

Definitely recommend this for an intense thriller!

TW: child abuse including sexual assault. Suicide.

Out July 19, 2022!

“The only thing worse than a murder charge? Two murder charges.”

This story of a much younger wife charged with the murder of her famous comedian husband grabbed me from the very beginning. And as it went on, I was drawn further and further in. And boy, did I need a good mystery to break me out of my slump.
Paris Peralta had managed to stay under the radar despite being married to Jimmy until his assistant released a picture of their wedding picture. Now, someone from her past is threatening to expose all her secrets. Because Paris wasn’t always Paris. Ruby Reyes has just been released from prison after twenty five years. And she’s threatening to blackmail Paris.
The Things We Do in the Dark is Drew Malcolm’s podcast. He was a reporter at the time of Ruby’s murder trial and knows what she did to her daughter. Hillier does a great job of bringing together the different storylines, told from various POVs and shooting back and forth between past and present. This isn’t a fast paced story, but it kept up a nice steady pace with new clues being given out at regular intervals. I liked the way the ending came together even if I didn’t quite buy the believability of the final chapter.
Hillier has presented a very sympathetic main character in Paris. She was fully developed. Drew was less defined and Ruby was more a cliche of the bad mother.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

review ✨

I read a lot of thrillers and this was for me the most disturbing and dark one I’ve read in a while. @jenniferhillierbooks has done it again — this was utterly gripping, and once I started I didn’t want to put it down! Some of the twists might be easier to call for some readers — but that won’t take away from the overall reading experience.

Go into this book blind!! It’s wild and twisty, and if you’re a thriller lover, you’ll love it. The ending was so so satisfying 🫶🏻

⚠️ CW: graphic scenes depicting child abuse

Thank you to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

🗓 pub date: July 19, 2022
📖 352 pages
✨ my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Paris Peralta is arrested for the murder of her celebrity husband, but what worries her even more is the possible exposure of her true identity. Ruby Reyes was convicted of murder twenty-five years earlier and threatens to expose Paris’s secrets once she gets out of prison. Paris worked so hard to cover up her past and create a new life for herself and will do anything to keep her secrets buried.

This was one of my most anticipated releases this year and it did not disappoint! Jennifer Hillier has easily become one of my favorite authors and her thrillers are always spot on. I love the alternating timeline and POVs in this book. Jennifer Hillier has such a knack of creating such interesting characters and stories that keep you hooked. If you have not read anything by Jennifer Hillier yet I highly recommend doing so!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Paris Peralta stands accused of murdering her actor-comedian husband and there are more than enough skeletons in her closet that she would like to stay hidden.

I enjoy a Jennifer Hillier reading experience( see Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier and Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier) her 2022 summer release started out very edge out of my seat, holding my breath but sadly, the momentum didn't last. It was the character's backstory and the additional perspective of another character that caused the fast paced plot to slow to a skid mark.

This doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the story, it just means that for me-I deduced the many secrets that were going to be revealed including what happened to Paris's husband, Jimmy. I loved Paris's story and as a main protagonist, she was THE STORY.

I think my main sticking point is- The inclusion of Drew, the true crime podcaster's perspective. I recognize the way he was important to another character BUT I am not convinced he necessarily needed so much space. It was distracting instead of helpful and he was a bit boring. Like a girl you were attracted to worked at a strip club and you felt guilty you couldn't save her? Oh my man, get your ego under control! However, it's only my opinion.

I did love all the Canadian references and settings and Dalhousie University in Halifax even gets a shout-out! I also will not hesitate to read another Jennifer Hillier book, the author writes such gripping suspense stories with great characters.

Expected Publication Date 19/07/22
Goodreads Review Published 07/06/22

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this e arc of Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier.
This is a thriller- murder mystery novel. 3.5-4*.
Synopsis: " Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future... Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all."
3 things I liked:
1. I love thrillers in general, but not so much mysteries. This to me is actually a mix.
2. I liked several of the twists.
3. The ending was good for me, there was some twist, but I was pleased as a reader.
3 things I disliked:
1. Read too much like a mystery and not enough like a suspense or thriller at times.
2. I didn't fall in love with the charters enough to be fully invested in the story; kind of take it or leave it.
3. I like the beginning and the end, not so much all the middle.
I was glad to read this one. Easy fast read overall. If you like a mix of murder mystery in your thrillers you will like this.

4.5/5

I love Jennifer Hillier’s books and I have been SO excited about Things We Do in the Dark so I’m thrilled to report that I loved this book. I love her gritty and dark style, her strong and compelling writing, and her ability to pull me into her books immediately. This one had all of that for me, I was consumed by this book and I loved the wild ride it took me on. I’ve seen some people say that parts of this were predictable and I can see that, I knew some of what would happen before it actually did too. BUT I was so so damn entertained that I didn’t even care, the journey to the reveals was good enough for me in the end.

Jennifer Hillier doesn’t disappoint. Things we do in the dark was dark and twisted. A suspenseful read. Paris Is arrested for murdering her husband but who exactly is Paris. The flow of flashbacks from past and present take you on a dark ride through Joey’s life as the daughter of the ice queen Ruby

I read Jar of Hearts a couple of years back and fell in love with Jennifer Hillier’s style of writing. She’s detailed and weaves a story like no other. When I had the opportunity to request Things We Do In The Dark, I didn’t hesitate.

The storyline alternates between a past and present timeline. And in true Hillier fashion, she had me guessing, albeit incorrectly, who the guilty party would be. The more I learned about Paris, the more I felt for her. The backstory and flashbacks were essential to Paris’ character development and, while this may have caused a slow build-up, it was necessary. The plot was good and I really enjoyed the ending.

I will be looking to purchase this hardcover when it releases because I can’t resist a glow-in-the-dark title.

It’s become evident that I want to read anything this author writes!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishing house, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, for providing an advanced copy for review. All thoughts and opinions written in this review are my own. My review of The Overnight Guest can be found on Goodreads, my Instagram and Facebook book club page, and my local library website. I will post to Amazon when available.

I am still unsure of what I just read. This book had so many elements to it. I enjoyed reading from all the different perspectives and timelines. I was able to figure out some of the twists but this book had lots of suspense!