Another amazing read by Jennifer Hillier!! I was totally stunned by the twists and turns of this book, and I can't recommend it enough! My mom is already counting down the days until August so she can get her hands on this book, and it's definitely one to preorder. Thanks so much, NetGalley for my advanced copy.

Paris wakes up in the bathroom, covered in blood and her husband's body in the tub next to her. from there on we are taken on a fantastic story, diving deep into Paris's past. Edge of your seat terrific. I found myself really absorbed in her past and how it met her present. You won't be disappointed!

Paris Peralta awakes to find herself in the bathroom with her husband’s body, surrounded by police, and is charged with his murder. Her husband, famous comedian and wealthy 68-year-old Jimmy Peralta, was three decades older than Paris, who owns a Seattle yoga studio. With Jimmy’s history of drug abuse and mental instability, there is a chance his death was the result of suicide, but will Paris be able to dodge the charges against her?

Ruby Reyes, the infamous “ice queen,” is about to be released from prison after serving 25 years for murdering her married boyfriend/boss. She doesn’t seem to be a changed woman.

Drew Malcolm never got over the tragic death of his friend and roommate 19 years ago. Drew’s research for the fifth season of his hit podcast, Things We Do in the Dark, begins to dig up information about what happened to her.

Joey is a young girl who is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after a life filled with abuse and tragedy. Sadly, her life doesn't get easier.

How these characters are connected and whether Jimmy died from murder or suicide provide enough drama and suspense to propel the reader quickly through this novel. Some topics, especially Joey’s abuse, were difficult to stomach. I wouldn’t say this was a fun read, but I was really invested in the story. There were a few good twists along the way to keep things interesting, including some surprises at the end. I haven’t read any of HIllier’s previous work, but I am definitely adding them to my TBR. 4 stars.

Another fantastic thriller by hillier.
This one definitely got me.. I was so sure I knew who was guilty and I was wrong! And I ended HP loving the ending. I feel like Hillier has a great way of wrapping everything up without me feeling like something is missing.

Paris has discovered her husband dead, but the signs are pointing to her being the one who killed him. Not only does she have to prove her innocence in this, but her face is now plastered over tabloids and she’s been hiding for many years and she can’t afford for anyone to find out the truth about her.

Meet Joey/Joelle/Paris. From a very young age she experienced the worst of life: abused by her Mom and her boyfriends,  passed around between foster homes and relatives who didn’t want her, worked in a club as a dancer and was witness in a murder trial that sent her mother to jail. So why wouldn’t she disappear and restart her life if the opportunity arose?
   Well it did and she did. She discovered her roommate dead at the hand of her drug dealing boyfriend. Hidden cash and cocaine gave her the funds to exit by letting the world assume she died in the fire Joey had to start to divert the attention from the drug addict’s revenge and the police.
   Now in her new life she meets a famous comedian, falls in love and marries him……but then she is found in her home bloodied, holding a straight razor and a dead husband in the tub. Another murder in her life?
   This was an addictive read about love, loss, greed and the drive of one lone soul to have a normal life.

As a fan of several Jennifer Hillier books, I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately it felt slow and underwhelming.

*Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Jennifer Hillier for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Jennifer Hillier is a master of her craft. Her new novel "Things We Do in the Dark" was unputdownable. It is that good.

Jimmy and Paris Peralta have been happily married for 2 years. Jimmy is 30 years older than Paris but still actively working as a comedian. Jimmy is a world famous comic still actively working in the entertainment industry. They are very happy together though some question whether or not Paris is a gold digger. When Paris comes home from a trip early and finds Jimmy dead in the bathtub, it looks like she has committed murder. But what really happened? Was it murder or suicide? Was she secretly a gold digger?

This book is so suspenseful. Nothing is what it seems and the characters and plot are so well-developed. There are dual timelines but it isn't confusing. The ending is shocking!

This thriller was amazing! I loved how interconnected the two plot lines were, without getting confusing at all! This was my second book by Jennifer and I can't wait to read what she writes next.

Okay, so first off, y'all know that I'm a HUGE Jennifer Hillier fan, but this is by far my least favorite book from her. When I pickup Jennifer Hillier, I expect twists and utter shock, but that is not what this book was for me. I felt like I knew the twists pretty early on.

The beginning starts off strong as Paris Peralta's much older husband is dead in their bathtub. Being much younger than him, his wife, Paris is not looking good. We go back 25 years where Ruby Reyes was convicted in a similar murder and now she's threatening to expose all of Paris' dark secrets. The story switches from past to present throughout the book, so I did enjoy the backstory, but I was also more caught up with the back story than the present story happening.

Even though I missed the shock factor here, this story did not lack the heartbreaking and gruesome scenes that Hillier fans have come to expect in her stories (see TW). Overall, I still plan to read future Hillier books because I still love her! Thanks to Hillier, NetGalley and Minotaur books for the early copy.

TW: child abuse, sexual abuse, racism.

Paris Peralta comes to on the bathroom floor covered in blood and holding a straight razor. Oh, yes, and her thirty-year older husband is dead in the tub. Then the police arrive and she is arrested.

Paris knows she didn’t kill her husband, but who did? She isn’t afraid of going to jail, she’s afraid of being in the media. Paris has secrets and she doesn’t want them coming out. She has worked very hard to create this life. And one person could ruin it all.

Ruby Reyes, the so-called Ice Queen, was convicted in Canada in the early nineties. She knows who Paris is and has no problem exploiting that knowledge. All from prison.

Meet Drew, who is doing a podcast and is still pining for the girl he loved. That girl died in a fire.
So they say.

With Drew helping her Paris may have to confront an ugly and traumatic past before she gets charged with two murders.

Hillier is a master of misdirection and women behaving badly. She is at her best here.

NetGalley/ July 19th, 2022 by Minotaur Books

A wife is accused of murdering her husband but there’s so much more to the story than meets the eye. I thought this book had great buildup and was well written with just enough mystery and suspense. Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley & Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wowwww you guys!! This is a must read summer thriller & I can’t wait for you all to have your hands on it. Jennifer Hillier did it again with this book & I could not put it down.
With 6 different parts and alternating POVs we get to learn allll about Paris Peralta & her many secrets, Drew,-a true crime podcaster, and the stories of Joelle (Joey) and Ruby Reyes.

There were so many twists and turns in every chapter and part, you’re never quite sure what or who to believe. Just when you think you have everything all figured out- Hillier throws another curveball & has you second guessing everything. Basically if you think you’re getting a good old fashioned domestic thriller, think again! There’s sooo much more to this book than just a wife being accused of murdering her husband & nothing is ever as you first suspect.
The ending wrapped everything up perfectly but didn’t seem too overdone. This was such a good thriller & I can’t wait to see everyone else’s reactions to reading it!

This was overall an extremely well written suspense and mystery novel. Not so much thriller but much much more than just a murder mystery.

Let's start with the great things:
The character development was brilliant. I really got to know the characters, their personalities and could feel their emotions.
The twists. Early on, guaranteed you are going to be thinking you know the direction this book is going but guess what? It's not. I, seriously, thought 1/3 of the way in, I KNEW what was happening. And turns out, I absolutely did totally knew what was happening to that particular point. It came out as such in the book and then it just spun into a new direction.
The writing. Honestly, this book has the perfect flow to it. It is not repetitive, not overly descriptive and definitely not boring.

There is nothing I dislike about the book other than the fact it touches on child abuse and sexual assault which some people may find triggers. I don't necessarily have these triggers but just putting it out there in case others may be sensitive.

The book begins with Paris Peralta finding her husband dead in his bathroom. She is arrested and charged with murder. She is innocent but is more scared of her past being discovered as she is being investigated and having her past looked into. Her husband Jimmy is a famous comedian which brings forth a lot of attention to his death.

The book goes back and forth from present day to Paris' early days and tugs at my heartstrings learning about the sad and abusive relationship she has with her mother. Her life secrets are shared with the reader and many times I felt my heart squeeze with sadness. What I really liked is the fact information about her life and important pieces of the puzzle are given to us in small bits at a time and not thrown and rushed. I have read this happen in too many books where it is all of a sudden a fast forward ending with everything happening at once.

The clues were given in just the right amount of intervals. The book definitely held my attention right until the last word. I loved it, absolutely loved it!

Thank you so much to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur for the advanced read copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Things We Do In The Dark starts out with a celebrity's wife being arrested for murdering her husband but Paris Peralta has more things to worry about than being accused of her husband's death. Paris has secrets, secrets of other deaths that she feels responsible for.
I figured out the entire plot of the story in the first ten chapters. I read the rest of the book to see how it would all unfold and to see if I was correct in my assumptions. I was disappointed to find out that I was correct.
I felt sadness for Paris for all that she went through and anger towards Ruby. I liked the character of Drew but I think that his storyline wasn't really needed as the story could have been told without the extra twist of a possible podcast. I was hoping there was more surprises in the plot. The storytelling itself was good in that it kept me interested in reading it even though I knew how it was going to end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Things We Do in the Dark is the story of Paris, a yoga instructor married to a famous older comedian named Jimmy Peralta. Her husband is found dead in the bathtub with Paris standing near him clutching a bloody razor. Did she kill him? Did he commit suicide? Will her secret past come out now that she's the subject of so much media attention? This book jumps between 2 timelines- present day and 20 years before. The before tells the story of an infamous murderer named Ruby Reyes and her daughter Joey. I like Hillier's writing style, but this book really didn't do it for me. It was extremely easy to figure out where all the twists were going. I also thought the resolution to Jimmy's death was pretty silly. And while it was sensitively handled, potential readers should be aware that there are many descriptions of child abuse. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

“But sometimes the only way to start over is to burn it all down.”

Things We Do in the Dark, Jennifer Hillier’s latest thriller is told in multiple perspectives, over multiple different timelines. Paris Peralta is arrested after being found in the bathroom with her dead husband, holding what just might be the murder weapon. But being charged with murder isn’t what she’s most worried about, it’s the dark secrets from her past that the attention can reveal. Because 25 years ago Ruby Reyes was convicted of a similar murder, and Reyes knows who Paris really is. Ready to get get out of prison and ready to reveal all her secrets, Ruby is Paris’ true threat.

Things We Do in the Dark is the best thriller I’ve read in a while. Unable to put it down, I raced through this book in one sitting. A fast-paced ride from start to finish, the book explores family trauma, the danger in trying to start over and the desire to break free from terrifying patterns. While I know it’s not everyone’s favorite style, personally I love multiple perspectives/timelines in thrillers. Hillier does a brilliant job of weaving several timelines and three main perspectives into a smooth cohesive story that makes you question every turn, and everyone. This book was easy to read and highly entertaining.

While I was able to predict most major plot twists it didn’t matter because of how intriguing both the story and characters were. I love flawed main characters who don’t always care to fix those flaws, and Paris is a great example of a strong morally grey protagonist, who I personally wanted to root for as the story unraveled. This book had surprisingly funny moments and I honestly teared up in a few spots too. I want to emphasize there does need to be a heavy trigger warning accompanying this book - there are graphic descriptions of abuse/child abuse, both physical and verbal, as well as allusions to and minor descriptions of sexual assault.

This was my first Jennifer Hillier book, but now I will be going back to read her earlier releases, and I will definitely be highly recommending Things We Do in the Dark as 2022 thriller.

Special thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an e-arc of Jennifer Hillier's new novel to be published this July.

This mystery is definitely a page turner. I love a mystery that really keeps you guessing and her newest book does just that. I guess it would be classified as a dark mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think any mystery lover would to.

Jennifer Hillier does it again! A true page-turner to the end, I could not put it down. That said there are definitely some trigger warnings that should be taken into consideration for any person who might be sensitive to the following material: child abuse (physical/sexual) and suicide.
 
   This book is one intense ride, that just left me breathless until the end. We follow Paris, who leaves behind a mysterious past. Suddenly thrust into the limelight as she is accused of her husband’s murder, this sudden attention draws dangerous people from her past to her present.

We glimpse into the past through Joey and Drew’s perspectives to piece together a whole person. As we learn more about Paris, who she was and who she is becoming, we get to see transformation. But will it be enough to silence the demons from her past?
 
   It was one wild, twisty, and very intense ride.
 
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this title in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy! I have always enjoyed this author, and this was no exception. I did feel that the overall style was a departure from her usual dark thriller. However, I felt this story kept me wrapped up in this characters life story. It was a domino effect of things that kept going wrong and spiraling down. I didn’t know who to trust or believe. Overall, this was a page turner and will continue reading this author.

When Paris Peralta is arrested for murder covered in blood holding the murder weapon it’s without a doubt she knows she is facing a murder charge. That alone is bad enough but what worries Paris most is someone from her past finding her within all the media coverage and uncovering her past and destroying everything she has worked so hard for her future.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that took Canada by storm almost 30 years ago. Ruby knows who Paris really is and threatens to reveal her past. Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.

Once again Hiller comes through with a can’t put you down read. Alternating between not only different narratives but he past and the present she takes you on a ride that has you guessing. I had a good idea of the twist mid point of the book but it didn’t take away any enjoyment it pull towards finishing it.
The investment put into the characters was a real high for me especially the dude characters and how they fit into her past.

I deducted one star as it was a bit of a slow burn to start and took a while to get into. However once it dies picks up it’s worth the read. It’s also important to add that this book may carry some triggers for readers especially around sexual byes abd cold abuse.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the advance copy. This book is out July 19th!