I really wanted to love this one, but just didn't. The beginning was interesting, but the middle just dragged on and on it seemed. It picked up towards the end, but too little too late. ⭐⭐

The novel started out well and had me gripped for a while, but I found that there was backstory, a lot of backstory, that just left me disinterested. The narrative just slowed the pace down to where it no longer became enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. A quick read, couldn’t put the book down. A mystery/thriller which had me guessing. Loved the twists. Definitely recommend!!!!

My first read by Jennifer Hiller. I wouldn’t really say this was a thriller. It felt more like a police procedural whodunnit? Not sure how to convey that, but having read a lot of thrillers, I would not classify it as such.

Paris was a very intriguing character, but even so I had a very hard time getting into this story. There was quite a bit that just felt very unrealistic to me, like, “really? that’s a bit far-fetched and the police would never do that.” type of unrealistic. But it’s fiction so I had to suspend reality a bit.

Told from three points of view, there’s a lot of twists in this story but quite a bit of it was predictable and easy to guess certain things. The suspense/thriller aspect was lackluster, and parts of the story dragged for me.

Overall, the story had a lot of promise, I just don’t think it was executed in a way that worked for me. I was pretty fascinated with Ruby but not enough that this story will stick in my mind down the road.

This book unfortunately did not live up to Hiller's other novels which are really good. This one just fell flat. There just wasn't Hiller's style of who dun it and me trying to work it all out. Although there is a twist, just wasn't the same anticipation.

Things We Do in the Dark is a great new thriller by Jennifer Hillier. I have enjoyed all of her books, as they are suspenseful and unpredictable. Paris is accused of killing her celebrity husband, and her past is coming back to haunt her. But she says she didn't do it. The final confrontation left a little to be desired but overall I loved the twists and turns.

This was time-jumping dark thriller about a celebrity’s wife who is running from her past. Paris Peralta is thrust into the spotlight when her much-older, famous husband (to whom she has been quietly married) is found dead in his bathtub. Paris fears going down for the crime, but also what this means for her carefully crafted life that holds a massive secret.

The book focuses on Paris and the aftermath of the death of Jimmy (her husband), a podcaster who is working on a story about the infamous “Ice Queen” of Toronto, and the plot line of a down-on-her-luck girl named Joey. Occasionally the switch in POV and time period was hard to follow, but it got easier as the story progressed.

There are some content/trigger warnings throughout, and this was a dark read from start to finish. While I guessed one of the major “twists” right away, it was still a worthwhile read. It was exciting to see how the different pieces would come together and to find out what really happened to Paris.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This book was tough for me to get through, due to the amount of abuse suffered by the MC.

It has quite a lot going on, so it was interesting seeing how the subplots interweave into the main story of a wife being charged with the murder of her husband.

The pacing was steady, and the revelations kept coming. However, at times I was so angered/outraged/frustrated at what the MC had to endure, I was temped to stop. But ultimately, I soldiered on till the end.

It was an engaging read that I consider more a mystery than a thriller.

Love love love love love. I may have a new favorite Jennifer Hillier book and this is the 5th of hers I’ve read. Fast paced, twisty, emotional, this one has it all

I enjoyed this one but it fell a bit flat for me at times and I found myself struggling to keep interest. I did finish it and did enjoy it at the end.

Sooo good! One of my faves to read! Definitely would recommend picking this one up if you see it in the store!

Paris Peralta is found in her bathroom, covered in blood, holding a straight razor over the body of her much older, much richer husband, unable to explain what happened to him. The media circus is immediate. She didn't kill her beloved husband, but this isn't the first murder she's been involved in.

I was immediately pulled into this fast paced thriller. I wanted so badly for Paris's husband not to be dead. I know, there wouldn't be a book if he wasn't, but the author's descriptions of their relationship had me wanting to know more about him and their backstory. There's a little of that, but the main focus is on the woman Paris was before she married a famous comedian and the events she thought she'd finally left behind her. Once I started reading, I couldn't put this book down.

What is going on between the covers

Paris Peralta, married to a celebrity, has tried to keep a low profile and stay in the shadows of her famous husband. She is worried someone will recognize her and expose her dark past. Pairs has secrets she wants to be kept buried, but after she is found holding a knife over her dead husband, she has become front page news.

What made this one a thrilling read for me? The thrill is trying to figure out who Paris really is and the secrets she is trying to hide.

My Two cents

The story is told from three different perspectives and two timelines, beginning with Paris'. Then after about 20%, it switches to Drew, a former investigative journalist in Toronto who now hosts a true-crime podcast. I loved that it was set in Canada, and that always gives me a thrill when something feels familiar. The switch feels disjointed and throws off the pacing, and then another character's POV is added, and it does start to flow better. It doesn't take long for the pieces to come together with those twists and turns in the story. There are a few red herrings to throw us and keep us guessing.

Jennifer Hillier adds some diverse characters while she weaves in themes of racism, classism, and identity. There are some dark themes that are disturbing but do not overwhelm the story.

Overall: Things We Do in the Dark is a thrilling but flawed psychological thriller. The story is engaging and exciting, but with familiar tropes, compelling characters, and the emotional pull drives the story forward, but their actions are questionable and take away any believability elements to the story.

Omg what a fabulous thriller. So intense!

I loved the story despite its tough subject matter.

I can’t believe all the pain and struggles Joey/Paris went through.

While reading I definitely had a feeling I knew who the killer was or how the situation would be resolved. That being said it left me fully entertained and interested.

This book had lots of promise. It just didn’t keep me holding on. I was surprised as I have really enjoy this author’s books before.
This one just fell short for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

🌑 I was pretty hooked from the very start of this book.

🌑 I love dual timelines, particularly when they connect in a creative way.

🌑 While this is a thriller, it felt a bit more like a domestic drama to me at times. It was quite an emotional read too, and I wasn’t anticipating that. But I liked it.

🌑 There are a few good twists (one of which I anticipated) and the ending was very satisfactory.

🌑 This is my first read from this author and it won’t be my last.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress @minotaur_books for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This book is super twisty and has so many secrets. I love books about podcasts, so this was a lot of fun to read. I binged this book in a night. I couldn’t get enough of it. I am buying it for my shelf.

My favorite thriller end-to-end in a long time. Some dark subject matter but a solid story and mystery, in-depth characters, and enough twists to keep your interest high. First time reading Jennifer Hillier and she did not disappoint. I'll be looking to go through her other works soon. 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Really enjoyed this thriller!

I especially liked how the past played a central part. It kept me engaged and feeling like it was going at a good pace. There were definitely some unhinged characters and decent twists. The different time periods came together well, too. I think the ending could've been a little more twisty or had more of a wow-factor, but overall really enjoyed!

LOVED this book. Every Jennifer Hillier book I've read has blown me away. I was able to guess some parts of the mystery, mostly because of my familiarity with the author's work, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment. Hillier books cut DEEP, and Things We Do in the Dark was no exception.