I looooved it! At no point did I guess what was going on! It has me hooked from the beginning and had my spinning the whole time! This is a must read!

Jennifer Hillier is an amazing thriller writer. This follows a dual perspective of two murders that take place 25 years apart. It is a gripping story. Sometimes it was a big graphic and I did figure out the twist but it is still worth the read. I read it in a day which is always the sign of a good thriller

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Short and simple: I enjoyed this one. I had a feeling from the beginning of the book "who done it" so that wasn't a shock but the ending felt rushed after so much back story.

I liked the layout of the writing broken down into parts of past and present.

I will continue to read all books by this author.

<I>”Sometimes the only way to start over is to burn it all down.”</I>

Jennifer is one of my favorites. I absolutely loved Jar of Hearts. When the opportunity came up to read this one of course I jumped on it!

It’s not my favorite JH, sadly, and I’ll tell you why. JH, for me, is so good with twists and throwing them at you. You think you got the twist but then the twist will have a twist. This book didn’t have that, so while I was expecting it in true JH form, it was disappointing that it never came.

This book touches on <b>a lot</b> of dysfunctional family drama. Abusive family. I felt like that was touched it on the most when really it was supposed to be about a murder mystery. Yes, all relevant, but still not what I thought I signed up for.

For me, both “twists” were pretty much told to you, you just get the luxury of watching how the twists happen. And again, that’s not my favorite. No big grand reveal. Just lots of telling.

If you’re an easy going light reader this may be your cup of tea.

Paris Peralta's perfectly constructed life crumbles the day she is found holding the murder weapon that took the life of her famous husband. She knows how the situation looks and also knows that it's probably going to the police and media looking through her life with a fine-toothed comb, which is something she definitely does not need. There's a part of her past that must stay hidden, because if it doesn't it will cost her everything!

Things We Do in the Dark is a emotional and gripping thriller that should not be missed! The pages of this novel hold a story that give your heartstrings a nice little tug and stir your thoughts a bit too. When I read the synopsis I thought our heroine was going to be the bad guy, but after further inspection I don't necessarily feel that is the case at all. This is a multi-layered story, some parts will hurt to read and really make you feel for our heroine, while others will make you question her motives. That whole "don't judge a book by it's cover" thing really comes in to play for our female lead, she isn't quite what she seems, there is more to her than meets the eye for sure. And the journey she takes you on is quite dramatic and thrilling, but also quite an emotional too... which was unexpected, but appreciated.

I really enjoyed this newest offering from Ms. Hillier, it's was a little different from her previous titles, but just as thrilling and captivating. For me, it was the emotional element that really put it over the top. Highly recommend!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley request, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Famous comedian Jimmy Peralta is discovered dead in his bathtub, his wife Paris Peralta is arrested, covered in blood, and clutching his straight razor in her hand when the cops arrive on scene. She knows this looks bad, but she’s more worried about the media attention drawing attention to her and the secrets she left behind.

Twenty-five years ago in Toronto, Canada, Ruby Reyes dubbed by the media as the Ice Queen was convicted of murdering her lover. She’s about to be released from prison but, not before she threatens to destroy Paris’s life by exposing all of her secrets and, who she really is. Paris is forced to finally come face to face with the past.



Things We Do in the Dark is a fast paced, page turning mystery / thriller story filled with so many twists and turns. I could not put this book down; I was hooked from the very first page. I love the format, the separate parts were focused on a different person’s perspective, the effortless weaving between past and present and the dark vibes were all written SO good. Jennifer Hillier was born to be a thriller writer! I adored the personal touch of placing lyrics at the beginning of each part, some of my favourite songs were included. I found some parts were predictable, all the clues led to where the story was going twist wise but, it didn’t ruin the book for me. The very ending was not only unexpected but, freaking AMAZING!



Highly recommend this book, on shelves July 19, 2022.



Thank you Netgalley, @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

First off, receiving a thriller that GLOWS in the dark is just about the most fun thing EVER, and this title was such an unexpected surprise, I was honored to receive a copy from Minotaur Books to read and review.

I picked it up to read as soon as it arrives and finished it in almost one sitting (aka my boyfriend took me to dinner, and I didn't even put down my book while we ate lol) Hillier blew me away at how she started the story off with a bang and the drama, action and details just kept coming. I was completely immersed in the story, becoming enraptured with how she wove the details together as the past catches up with Paris after she's accused of murdering her husband.

This book reminded me why I love reading thrillers, and need to prioritize reading more of them. Who knew all of these elements could add up to such a juicy page-turning spectacle, I don't even want to say more so you can experience it yourself! I was absolutely here for it and hope you pick it up and enjoy the story as much as I did, it was brilliant and I am already looking forward to what Hillier treats us to next.

Compulsive and thrilling this had me flipping the pages to find out the ending. While I did guess the ending, I was still invested in the story. I’d really love to see this one brought to the screen!
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Paris woke up covered in blood and her husband was found dead in the bathtub. Paris becomes the number one suspect. Her husband is significantly older, a famous comedian and extremely wealthy. I don’t want to say too much but this story definitely kept me hooked!
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Huge thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my second Jennifer Hillier book. It was a quick read for me. I gave it a 3.5 while I loved the Canadian content and references within the book I was able to predict both of the twists in this book.
I really look forward to reading more from this author, I think she has a great relatable reading style and does a great job with her character development.
I would recommended this book!

I’ll read anything Jennifer writes, and this one did not disappoint. Suspenseful and compelling, with an original and dark premise I’ve come to expect from Hillier. Unputdownable.

My first Jennifer Hillier book did not disappoint! I would classify this more as a mystery than a thriller, and it has a very sensitive theme so I suggest checking trigger warnings before diving into it. While this one didn't have the big shocking twists (for me), I was roped in from start to finish. The way this one was formatted was really interesting. It is separated into multiple parts from different characters to look at the past to understand the present situation. The way the story was laid out was definitely handled well with this format and I liked getting more and more details of the past as the story went on. This story really starts out with a bang and gave me the thriller vibes, but then it falls into more of a mystery and almost a coming-of-age story while also shining light on a very real problem that happens way too often. I have recently figured out that I enjoy these sorts of mysteries/thrillers just as much as I like the major twist ones. I cannot wait to read more of HIllier's work.

Paris Peralta hasn't had the easiest life, but she has found peace in marrying the world-famous actor-comedian Jimmy Peralta. But when Jimmy is found dead in their home, Paris is immediately suspect #1. But being charged with murder isn't her biggest concern. If people start digging into her past, the secrets she has buried there may come to light ruining everything. Things get even worse when the convicted murderer Ruby Reyes is released from prison and immediately threatens to reveal all of Paris's secrets. Now, she must prove her innocence and fight to keep her past from coming to haunt her.

Thank you so much Minotaur Press and Netgalley for allowing me early access to this book! I cannot wait to get a physical copy in August.

My Rating: 4.5✩ rounded up!

Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her 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.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
- The character development was brilliant! Especially the main protagonist Paris, who had many layers and secrets to her. We get to see a lot of her backstory which really helped me connect with her character.
- Celebrity murder made for an entertaining plot, Hillier’s writing is so good and I wasn’t surprised how hooked I was from the first chapter.
- I loved the Canadian references how close to home this felt. (Toronto, all the neighbourhoods and landmarks that were mentioned.)
- Although DARK thrillers can be triggering, I tend to gravitate towards these. The darker, the better!

𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟:
I didn’t dislike anything, but the twists in this book compared to her other books were not as shocking to me (still made for an entertaining story).

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫:
✔️A woman accused of murdering her celebrity husband
✔️ Family drama and buried secrets
✔️Multiple POV’s and timelines
✔️a former journalist who can’t help but research true crime
✔️Someone running from their past

Trigger Warnings: there are a lot - please check them out before reading.

Things We Do In The Dark started a bit slow for me but as I got into the story I was riveted. I really enjoyed the characters and loved the ending.

Another solid outing from Jennifer Hillier, who has quickly cemented herself as an author who can consistently deliver a thriller full of atmosphere and unexpected twists. Readers should take note, however, that the sensitive topic of child abuse/molestation is involved.

I still think about how much I enjoyed Jar of Hearts back in 2018, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to read Hillier's upcoming July 2022 release. While I didn't quite enjoy this one as much, it was a powerful and engaging read
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"Paris should have known it would end like this, because there's no such thing as happily ever after when you run away from one life to start a whole new one. Karma has come for her."

- Deals with heavy topics of child abuse, cycles of abuse, and statutory rape. It's painful to read at times, so be sure to be in the right mindset when picking this one up.
- More of a mystery than a thriller, so go in with the right expectations.
- Told in six parts and in dual timelines, the pacing feels a little uneven and the narrative a little repetitive at times. Drew's POVs often shared the same information and by the latter third of the book, it dragged things for me.
- I'm sorry but why didn't they use her doing Sun Salutations in the holding cell the morning after her husband was murder as evidence of her guilt?

"while you can reinvent yourself, you can't outrun yourself. As a woman once reminded her a long time ago, the common denominator in all the terrible things that have happened to you is you. Everywhere you go, there you are."

Content warnings: abuse, blood, child abuse, drug abuse, mentions of mental illness and suicide, misogyny, murder, sex work and Opinions about sex workers, statutory rape

eARC provided by the publisher for my honest review. This does not impact my opinions of the book nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.

This quite the story! Be careful what you say and what you do someone is always watching. You can become someone else BUT...............

I'm a huge Jennifer Hillier fan, so I was super excited to receive an advanced copy of Things We Do in the Dark.

This book starts out with a bang, with Paris, a yoga instructor finding her deceased, famous actor/comedian husband dead due to an apparent suicide. Things take a turn and Paris is charged with the murder. While Paris is certain the murder charge won't stick, she is terrified that her past will be discovered in the process. She is not ready to open up her old wounds.

This book has a good pacing and a few mysteries that keep the reader engaged. Trigger warnings for suicide and child rape/molestation.

Thank you to the publisher for my advanced copy through NetGalley, in exchange for this honest review.

5 I Don't Care, It's That Good Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
Ok, as my title says when I am captured by an author's ability to make me read, even though I have other things to do...I don't care if all of my "Nancy Drew Insights" start niggling or going off. The crafting and the way this story was told worked for me. I happen to love it when someone has reinvented themselves, either by pushing back on preconceived notions of who they are by others or by truly taking on other personas. This book had that and so it was totally in my wheelhouse.

Jennifer Hillier took a troupe that had been done before and brought in current touches such as the man with the main interest in Ruby Reyes as a successful podcaster. He was a journalist but with the newspaper closing, his continued interest in crime and cold cases segued into over three million listeners regularly. This convicted murderer was being released and his personal involvement with her daughter long ago continued to haunt him.

Paris Peralta is the main character and she is a woman who has truly survived and lived a life. From the outside, strangers, those who read and see social media think only the cliches about her. That is very easy to do. But as we read we get to see so much more.

This book's blurb lays everything thing out that you need. There are many characters to keep this interesting and with twists to keep you doubting or guessing. I think the way things were woven works and will bring many a worthwhile read. It certainly was for me.

Omgggg what a good freaking book.

I’ve heard of this author before, but this is the first book of hers that I’ve read. Well, I am definitely going to be reading the other ones she’s written as soon as possible!

I loved everything about this one. It was a bit on the longer side, but I never felt like things were boring or dragged out. There were a crazy amount of twists that I never saw coming, and just when I thought the story was coming to an end, a couple more big events were thrown in for good measure.

The writing was perfect for a thriller and the characters were so interesting to read about. Sometimes I tend to get bored of some people when there are a lot of characters, but this time I was genuinely interested in where everyone was going to end up.

I really can’t recommend this one enough. There are quite a few trigger warnings which I don’t usually include in my reviews because of potential spoilers, but if you’re concerned, please look them up because there are some dark scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC! This one comes out in July, so make sure to add it to your TBRs now. I have posted this review on my Goodreads and on my Bookstagram (@janinesbookcorner).

Very well written! Interesting and exciting! I super enjoyed this book and the story told! Nice change up from much of what I have been reading. Character depth. Moved backpack and forth from past to present very smoothly. Will definitely recommend!