When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future. Fifteen years ago, Paris did not exist. She has created this persona for herself and does not want it shattered. Throughout the novel, Paris deals with proving her innocence, but also saving the life she has worked so hard to build.

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

I was so excited for this book but it ended up not being for me. I never felt the thrills or suspense. I caught on very early what was happening, who was who, the murderer, and called the twist. It was predictable and tedius, which I don't normally mind but it didn't work here. There was too much backstory on one particular character which further lost my attention span. The ending wrapped up too clean for my liking. Ultimately, I never got that shock factor I was hoping for, was disinterested and thought it was just okay.

*child abuse, sexual assault, emotional/physical abuse, racial slurs are some of the TW we come across.

Thank you so much St. Martins Press / Minotaur Books and Netgalley for my ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Things We Do in the Dark is set to publish on 7/19/22

Thrillers are most definitely my favorite genre. I love me a good romance, but there’s something about a book that has you on the edge of your seat & gets your heart racing that really makes me happy. For me, I need that feeling throughout the entire book. And I just didn’t feel that with this one.

I did enjoy the storyline in this one, but it didn’t have that jaw dropping moment I was looking for. I guessed the twist(s) very early on, which was a little discouraging. I did, however, think the flow of the story and the ending were good. I just needed it to be a little faster pacing wise & a little more exciting for me. I think this would be great for those who loved Jar of Hearts. For me, it was just ok. 3 ⭐️s

A huge thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Jennifer Hillier for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Check out Things We Do in the Dark on it’s pub date 7/19!

Wow!!!! I think Jennifer Hillier has written her best book yet!!!! Hillier is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!!! She just never disappoints.

This book begins as Paris Peralta is arrested in her bathroom for the murder of her husband Jimmy. She’s holding a straight razor in her hand and she’s covered in blood. Seems obvious right? Jimmy is a celebrity and what better motive to kill him than to inherit his fortune. But, Paris insists that she is not the murderer. In fact, she says she was away for the weekend at a yoga training. How could this be. And if she’s telling the truth, then who is the murderer?

Meanwhile Ruby Reyes, AKA The Ice Queen, is being released from jail for a similar crime and has contacted Paris with a pretty demanding request. Just how are these two women connected? Prior to Ruby’s release she is also visited by Drew who is the creator of a true crime podcast. Drew wants some answers from Ruby about her past.

There are so many layers to this book. Told in multiple timelines, Things We Do In The Dark is Jennifer Hillier at the top of her game!!!!

Trigger warnings include child abuse and sexual abuse

Paris Peralta is discovered by police in her home, wielding a razor, standing crazed over the body of her dead husband, who is a somewhat wealthy comedian making a comeback, and 30 years older than her. Obviously, it doesn't look good for Paris. But Paris hasn't committed this crime, and doesn't know who has. All she knows is, she has many secrets of her own that can't come out now. In Canada, a former journalist Drew has a podcast called "Things We Do in the Dark", and this season he wants to talk about Ruby Reyes, the Ice Queen who brutally murdered her married lover. Ruby is getting out of prison and Drew knows the world needs to hear the truth about who she really is.

This book was AMAZING. I can't say enough positive things about it. It's my first by this author, Little Secrets has been on my list for awhile, I hadn't come around to it yet, but it's not at the top of my list. This book was so well written, the characters are well developed, especially Drew and Paris, they each had a unique voice and were relatable even in the times where they're not likeable, you're rooting for them. There were times where I questioned aspects of the story and character's decisions, but everything wrapped up and made sense in the end. The history, the dual POV's was just so well crafted and easy to follow. The story builds throughout, there are unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down and I loved the ending. To be fair, many subjects that could be quite triggering, it was not always easy to read and it is at times extremely sad and there are many sensitive topics. Highly, highly recommend!

I really do like Jennifer's books. I had to look up her bio (just for fun) seems like she wrote the main characters after herself (maybe :P ) I like that it was mostly based in canada.

Good story, a slow page turner. I was hoping it was a bit more intense. But again, still good. I was expecting the end thought.

This was my first book by 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳 and I’ll definitely be adding her books to my TBR list immediately.

When Paris Peralta is arrested in her bathroom, covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub, she knows she will be charged with his murder. But that is not what worries her, she’s afraid with the unwanted media attention someone from her hidden past will recognize her and destroy her new life.

And so begins this thrilling tale as we are given three POV’s - Paris, Drew and Joey. Each of these stories intertwine with each other and give us clues as to what happened in the present and the past.

This book definitely kept me guessing along the way and kept me intrigued to keep pushing onto the next chapter. I did start to figure out the plot twists about half way through, but the final twist did catch me a bit off guard, I didn’t see that one coming until just before the reveal.

There were a lot of hard topics in this one as we learn about Paris’ past, which I point out in my trigger warnings, so please make note of them.

All in all, if you enjoy a twisted dark thriller then I recommend picking this one up when it’s released on July 19th!

Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the advanced copy for an honest review!

Intriguing , Dark and twisted.

Hillier has this intensity to her writing that causes the story to pull you right in, keeping you on this insane roller coaster ride until the very last chapter when you're left wondering what actually went on and how did you miss all of the subtle clues along the way.

This story is no exception to that! I felt like I was on this intense ride and about a quarter of the way through I felt like there was no possible way that this novel could throw anymore twists my way, I was obviously wrong and it and they kept coming full speed until the end!

This dark thriller is not without its trigger warnings (child abuse, sexual assault, talk of suicide) and I would urge caution when reading if any of those may trigger you.

All that being said I find nothing more satisfying in a thriller that is this dark and twisted nicely wrapping up with its own versions of a happy ending! No questions (or at least none of mine) were left unanswered at the end and I couldn't have loved it more.

This was my first Jennifer Hillier novel and it did not disappoint! I’m looking forward to reading her other books.

Things We Do In The Dark had plenty of secrets, twists, and unlikable characters. I loved the dual perspectives of Paris and Drew and wasn’t able to guess who the murderer was. While there are some very uncomfortable topics mentioned, Hillier doesn’t go into detail about some of them which I really appreciated.

Once I started seeing everyone get approved for this one on Netgalley I had to request! My first by this author and I’m adding Jar Of Hearts and Little Secrets to my TBR!

When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the hmost. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.

This story is told by three POV - Joey, Paris, and Drew. A huge switch up and we hear from Drew - that threw me off and took me a bit to get into his side of the story. Lots of family dysfunction in this one.

⚠️ child abuse, sexual abuse ⚠️

If you read a lot of thrillers you will probably see the twists coming. Even with predicting the ending I found this to be suspenseful and entertaining!

I love Jennifer Hillier and was thrilled to be approved for an advanced readers copy of this new book. She has yet again created an unputdownable psychological thriller/mystery. Several stories are pulled together and told in the past and the present view. Paris Peralta wakes up in the bathroom covered in blood, her celebrity husband is dead in the bathtub and that is how the police find them. Drew Malcom is a crime podcast host and doing the research his next episode about Ruby Reyes, a convicted killer known as the Ice Queen, the characters and the stories link together and make for a twisty fun read.

I am a huge fan of Jennifer’s writing style and the stories she creates and always recommend her books!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jennifer Hillier is a relatively new favorite of mine. I had never read anything by her and then read Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts during the pandemic and became a fan. In Things We Do in the Dark, Hillier creates another unputdownable. Even though as the book begins the reader may not know whether to trust Paris Peralta, she never comes across as unlikable. Because I have read other books by Ms. Hillier, I am somewhat familiar with her story arcs, so I figured out a lot (but not all) of how the story would end. That is not at all a criticism. The path the story takes is so well done that it didn't matter that I had figured it out. The journey was a treat. Imperfect characters, with their own stories and dynamics are the greatest feature of the book. I really like that even the "villains" are presented as people, not caricatures.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page. It checked all my boxes: a main character with a secret past that could upend their future, some (fictional) celebrity gossip, and a bit of a love triangle. I read past my bedtime every night until I got to the last page, and I was so caught up in one character's story that I never saw the killer plot twist about whodunit. If you're looking for a thrilling read, then you don't want to miss this book! I highly recommend it. If I could give it more than five stars, I totally would!

I absolutely loved this psychological thriller/mystery. It was captivating from start to finish and I thought everything was done so well, from the characters to the pacing to the flips between past and present. This book is addictive and had me up all night flipping pages. Such a fun read!

4.5⭐️

I really enjoy Jennifer Hillier’s writing, she always hooks you in right from the beginning. This book was no different catching your attention right from the first chapter. I really enjoyed the dual timelines which gave you such a good backstory on the characters. There are definitely some parts that are hard to read when learning about Paris’ childhood. I didn’t find the twists shocking, but for once I can honestly say this didn’t matter much because I was so invested in the story and characters.

Overall, another fantastic book from Jennifer Hillier! Don’t forget to pick it up if you’re looking for a good thriller! I’m already looking forward to what she releases next!

Things we do in the Dark is overall a great read. The opening scene sets the tone of intrigue as we are already trying to figure out who Paris is and who killed her husband. I read this book in one sitting and can’t wait to get to Hellier’s back list.
The plot is propulsive, and the characters are real. I couldn’t decide if I liked our main girl, Paris, or not, but ultimately did at the end. I was very invested in her from the start. The other characters also were well developed, and I especially enjoyed getting to know Drew and Chaz. The romance also was believable and a nice side plot to the thriller genre.
The writing was fast paced but non-intrusive; in fact I don’t think I noticed it much so caught up as I was in what was happening. The different timelines and POVs were easy to follow. Things are not always as they seem and the gradual reveal of past and present kept me glued to this book. I was constantly predicting what I thought was going to happen and sometimes I was right but also wrong enough to keep me engaged.
Thanks to St Martin’s and Net Galley for this wild ride! I signed with relief when it was done. Great book!

Jennifer Hillier hits it out of the park with another throat grabbing premise. I was intrigued from the very first chapter and couldn't put this one down! This book contains all the hallmarks of a great thriller: a murder with an unknown killer, a missing girl and a closed case revisited. The short chapters and quick pace make it easy to binge this book in one sitting.

When Paris is accused of her famous husband's murder it is very obvious that she is hiding something. The question is what? Drew's life has been impacted by a loss he endured many years ago- but what really happened to Joey?

Hillier's mind takes us to the deepest, darkest places and creates incredibly memorable characters. I love how Hillier's characters live in the gray- they are both good and bad, redeeming and irredeemable. I also loved the multiple POV between Paris, Joey and Drew.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Read this book if you like dark thrillers, twists and turns and fast reads. To me this is on par with Jar of Hearts.

Things We Do in the Dark was good but not great. It was read in a couple days, but not read in one sitting (which is what I expected to do based on the blurb). It felt at times like some subplots were added simply to exist as red herrings, but they didn't add enough to be necessary. When I finished the book, I felt like wow, that was long for a thriller, and things easily could've been cut to make it more cohesive and more fast-paced. I really liked the concept of the story and Paris' character, but we could've cut the entire POV of Drew I think and been just fine, IMO.

I have read all of Jennifer Hillier’s books and she is one of my favorite authors. I dove head first into this book and didn’t even want to come back up for air. It is very well written, compelling and even if the concept has been done many times by many authors, she manages to keep it fresh and interesting and kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. Definitely recommend for fans of the psychological thriller and murder mystery genres.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity.

This is my first thriller by Jennifer Hiller and I really liked it.
Paris Peralta wakes up one morning in her husband’s bathroom. She’s covered in blood. He’s dead in the bathtub, luxuriating in blood. He has a fatal cut. She’s holding the straight razor. That’s how the police find them.
However, Paris didn’t kill him…and yet she’s arrested on suspicion of murder.

Elsewhere in the world, Investigative Journalist Drew Malcolm is getting ready to produce a new season of his podcast…focusing on convicted killer Ruby Reyes. She’s about to be released from prison.

Somehow these stories come together in Things we do in the dark.

I really enjoyed how the narrative is structured - the shifts between present and past, as well as the different POVs, make sure the reader is given as much information as possible to really understand the characters and their motives. one might argue that a little too much information is given, as its very easy to figure out the halfway point “twist” very early on. but that didn't bother me because I was just so invested in the characters.

It has lot of trigger warnings. So readers beware.

Jennifer Hillier has written a lovely, deeply felt story about love, loss, family, and murder.