I enjoyed this one, although I must confess that the big revelations and ending were not as strong (or as surprising) a finish as I was expecting given the excellent start...

I enjoy Hillier's writing. She does an excellent job drawing readers in and crafting characters and situations that are complex and should defy credulity but somehow never quite do. I think that's because so many of her characters are broken, generally by their circumstances but some by their very nature, and unfortunately those circumstances, while extreme, are also all too believable.

Regardless, it makes for a very dramatic read and when you pair that with her fantastic sense of pacing, the build-up is always a delicate yet powerful one that usually crashes into an explosive finale. As I said, in this one I found the final wrap ups somewhat less compelling than I expected from the way things progressed for most of the novel. I'm not exactly sure why - there's certainly no shortage of drama, red herrings, or surprise, yet something about it didn't quite satisfy.

Still, on the whole the read was excellent, albeit very dark and altogether gruesome a lot of the time, and I really enjoyed it.

All the stars! This was one of my favorite thrillers and by far the better of the 2 books I've read by this author.

Paris husband is dead and she's found holding the blade. Only Paris isn't Paris and she comes from a rocky background to say the least. Her mama is in jail and there is a trail of dead people in her wake. She doesn't need this exposure on the news because if she's recognized they could slap another murder charge on her easy.

Told in alternating timelines and alternating pov we hear from Paris now. We hear from Paris then. We hear from Paris best friend then until it all comes together for a very satisfying ending.

I thought one of the twists was pretty easy to figure out but then again, it was so easy maybe it was supposed to be. Either way I could flip the pages fast enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced look into one of summers most anticipated releases. You can grab yourself a copy on 7/19/22.

Jennifer Hiller is a favorite author and writes great thrillers. This one is not disappointing. The main character is arrested and charged with her husband's murder. He just happens to be a well-known celebrity and the situation escalates quickly. Many twists and turns in this story. Not everything is as it seems. The wife has a suspicious past that does not help her argument for innocence—definitely a thriller to add to your list of TBR.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

This book is about a woman named Paris who finds her husband dead in their bathtub at home. We meet striking characters, each remarkable in a good or bad sense, and dive into their dark pasts. There is not much else I can say without spoilers so... I think you should read the book for yourself and see what happens!

There are numerous secrets uncovered throughout the story with unexpected twists and turns. Everything that I wanted to understand was eventually explained in great detail and the ending was extremely satisfying. This story is impeccable and masterfully written.

Another one of my favorite books.

I didn't love this as much as everyone else, but I still enjoyed it.

3.5 stars

"While you can reinvent yourself, you can't outrun yourself."

Things We Do in the Dark is a dark thriller about the wife of a famous comedian who was murdered and her dark and secretive past.

Paris Peralta becomes front-page news when her old and very famous husband, Jimmy, is found stabbed to death, and she is found by the police holding the murder weapon. Now an accused murderer, Paris' perfectly crafted life is in shambles, and she is in danger of not only facing murder charges but also being exposed for who she really is: Paris has a dark and dirty past.

Three main narrative threads comprise this book:
The novel begins with Paris’ story, which is the foundation for the first 20% of the book. Then there is an abrupt switch to Drew’s point of view, and this is where the novel lost some points for me. Drew, a former investigative journalist in Toronto, now hosts a true-crime podcast. He is jarred to learn Ruby Reyes, the NAME KILLER is going to be paroled. Drew is interested in Ruby’s story for personal reasons, as he was close friends with Ruby’s daughter, Joey. Joey’s POV makes up the third narrative.

All three storylines are entwined, but the change of POV was jolting, and it always took me a bit to adjust after the change. Three mysteries are connected to each storyline: Who murdered Jimmy Peralta, What happened the night Ruby Reyes committed murder, who is Paris Peralta, and what is she hiding from? A few other mysteries are mixed in.

There are two main twists--I guessed both of them.

This is an entertaining and good read, but I found it a little lackluster, and there was too much going on. My biggest issue was that the suspense and tension levels were lacking. I also found some sections of the book repetitive. However, I liked more elements than I disliked. All of the characters were intriguing; I found Ruby fascinating and would have loved more of her backstory. Joey's chapters were the most painful to read, but she is also the most developed character.

Overall, this is a solid thriller with compelling characters, but it was missing the wow factor.

TW: child abuse, sexual abuse

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK is fast-paced, deeply layered story full of thrills. One of the major surprises caught me so off guard, I got chills. I really enjoyed LITTLE SECRETS, but this may be Jennifer’s best yet.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of Things We Do in the Dark in exchange for an honest review.

Paris Peralta is arrested after she is found covered in blood, next to her husband’s dead body, holding what appears to be the murder weapon. So that’s bad. She’s also being blackmailed by Ruby Reyes—a convicted Canadian murderer known as the “Ice Queen”—who claims to know who Paris really is and is threatening to tell the world. So that’s … even worse.

Things We Do in the Dark has all the elements of a great mystery thriller. The reader knows that Paris is being evasive, so her role in her husband’s death is uncertain until the book’s final pages. There are other potential killers, and the possibility of suicide, to keep the reader guessing. Meanwhile, there’s the story from decades earlier of Ruby Reyes, the life and death of her daughter Joey, why Ruby is in prison for murder, and how it all could be connected to Paris. And threaded throughout Ruby’s story and the novel is an interesting cautionary tale about the #MeToo movement.

But the pacing is off in Things We Do in the Dark. At first, the story is all about Paris. It then abruptly shifts to a podcaster named Drew who wants to do a story about Ruby. These shifts are not in alternating chapters, but for long stretches in which the other storyline just disappears. And while the ending pulls all the narrative threads together (if perhaps a bit too conveniently), it does so in a rapid-fire sequence of chapters that did not match the slow-burn story that had preceded them.

I liked Things We Do in the Dark. It’s a good story, very well written, and with enough mystery that it was not predictable. I just didn’t love it, certainly not in the way I loved Little Secrets. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

My first book by Jennifer Hillier and certainly not my last! Honestly, I’ve seen nothing but great things about her other books so I went into this with the highest of expectations. Thriller is my favorite genre and I feel I rate these more harshly for that reason. While this didn’t blow me away, it was definitely a page turner. I enjoyed Hillier’s writing style and how she bounced around between timelines and characters. I love an unreliable narrator and Paris Peralta was an excellent one. I liked Drew as a character and I would totally listen to his podcast. I liked Jimmy and would totally binge watch The Prince of Poughkeepsie. The pop culture references were A+ (Real Housewives AND Contact? Be still, my beating heart). The way information is delivered to the reader is just so well down and kept me fully invested in the story. What didn’t I love? Absolutely nothing was a surprise to me and it ended up being predictable. Thankfully the writing kept me into it but had Hillier been a lesser writer, I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it as much. Overall, highly recommend to fans of thrillers and I just know this is going to be all over bookstagram after release!

Favorite Quotes:

“She was familiar with that smile; she’d seen it too many times. It was the smile monsters wore when they were pretending they weren’t monsters.”

“Either you’re stupid, or you have zero sense of humor. I can’t decide which is worse.”

“You might have one previous version of yourself you don’t like. I have several. But this version of me, sitting here with you, is a version of myself I actually do like.”

“She wasn’t afraid of the dark anymore. There was nothing the dark could do to her that it hadn’t already done.”

Paris Peralta arrives home from a trip to find her husband, comedian Jimmy, dead in the bathroom. His assistant, Zoe, comes in, sees Paris with a razor, and calls 911, accusing Paris of murder. Elsie, Jimmy's oldest friend is a lawyer, and counsels Paris on her defense.
Meanwhile, Paris receives a blackmail letter from Ruby Reyes, the Ice Queen, a convicted murderer. Ruby killed her lover, a banker. Her daughter, Joey (Joelle) was sent to live with relatives.
Drew Malcolm, a journalist and podcaster, wants to do a podcast on Ruby, since she is up for parole. Drew was friends with Joey, until they had an argument the night she died. But, when he sees the news, he is shocked and begins to question things he believed to be true. All of these people lives are entwined, and the novel takes some interesting turns.
I enjoyed this tale of hidden secrets and a mother/daughter relationship. The ending was perfect!
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#ThingsWeDointheDark #JenniferHillier. #NetGalley

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

After reading Hillier’s work in the past I knew exactly what I needed to pick up once I saw it on netGalley. Thrillers can always be very hit or miss for me and unfortunately most times misses! However, I can comfortably and confidently say things we do in the dark had me on edge the entire time! From the slow burn build up the final reveal and the edge clawing mistakes made by the characters, I was in for a ride as you will be too reading this book! I had so much fun reading this story and will surely again, continuously be on the watch out for any books by Jennifer Hillier in the future! 5/5 very thrilled and satisfied stars!

Oh how I enjoyed Little Secrets and LOVED Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier. This one though is a really hard book to rate and review. On the one hand I finished it quickly, it sucked me in and I was flipping the pages like a mad woman. On the other hand there were a lot of things that happened in this book that made me have to give the author a break and suspend my belief a little bit...It was such a wild ride though. There is not one person to cheer for in this story, they're all pretty much deplorables and much of the plot is sickening. Says a lot about me that I was really into it. We get multiple points of view and a unique take on the before and after format, that I really liked as well. There is a lot going on in this one and multiple threads but the author manages to seamlessly tie them all together. I figured out some of the twists, but the final reveal got me and I liked getting the full backstory, I found it interesting, shocking and explanatory. Shout out to fellow Torontonian Jennifer Hillier for another masterful thriller.

Things We Do In The Dark was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2022 so I was beyond excited to have the opportunity to read an advanced copy. Jennifer Hillier is a master at writing psychological thrillers and this one is no exception. I loved every minute of this twisty thriller!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Paris wakes up being arrested in her bathroom, covered in blood holding a razor. Her husband is dead in the tub beside her 👀

Paris is afraid of the pending murder charge, but she’s even more afraid that her secrets with be discovered….
_____________________________

Ok, you know I’m always honest with you guys, so I’m going to tell you now- there are not a lot of surprises in this book. *Most* people that regularly read Thrillers will figure it all out.

That being said, I still really, really enjoyed it. The reason for that is Hillier’s exceptional ability to write such layered, interesting, relatable characters. And because of that, you connect with them and deeply empathize.
Her characters leave an indelible mark. I read this book last month and I still think about what the young character, Joey, endured.

A hallmark of her books are the profoundly authentic and complex relationships. That’s what made me fall in love with her writing, it’s why she’s one of my favorite authors.
Every single one of her books are masterfully written.

While this book doesn’t quite have the teeth her other books have, it is truly a captivating story that you do not want to miss.

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

Read if: you’re a sucker for juicy celeb goss, you can connect with a MC that cooks or reads to deal with her feelings, the sight of a jukebox gets your heart rate going, or you loved that recent Netflix production of Harlan Coben’s Stay Close

Not sure how I managed to end up with two ARCs of thrillers featuring male true crime podcast hosts in the same week but here we are. Not complaining though — maybe one day, but today is not that day.

Fast-paced, digestible, multi-POV, and surprisingly emotional! Generational abuse is a heavy topic to read about, and this is no exception. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say if you are an avid thriller reader, you will more than likely guess all the twists, as I did. This basically always means I will give a thriller 3-stars. However, the visual details in this one were so fun and I can’t wait to share the mood board I made soon!

The diverse ethnic representation in this book was a highly redeeming quality for me. I don’t think I realized until I picked up this book that I don’t think I’ve ever read a thriller that features Asian/Pacific Islander characters, and more specifically Filipino characters. On a similar note, my one mini complaint is that as a born-and-raised British girl, I found the British cop to be mildly cringe since she uses just about every stereotypical British slang word there is in the course of one interaction + one of them wasn’t really used correctly.

This book releases July 19, 2022!

"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 most." The new Jennifer Hillier does NOT disappoint! This story has it all: murder, deceit and intrigue. Paris is not who we think she is and she has someone to hide from. Paris has been arrested for the death of her famous husband, but that is the least of her concerns.
The story is told in two timelines by several POV's which I liked. 25 years earlier Ruby Reyes- the Ice Queen- was convicted of an eerily similar crime of passion. But Reyes knows who Paris really is an she's going to make Paris pay. Drew Malcolm is investigating the release of Reyes and what happened to his friend and Reyes' daughter the night she died in Toronto.
The story is smart and captivating. I guessed one of the twists early on, but it might have been purposeful by the author. The next twist was shocking and worth every blissful moment of reading! Hillier is known for her dark thrillers and she nails it again with this novel. Pick this up when it releases this summer for a delicious summer treat. (There are TWs) Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. 4 stars

While this was a very enjoyable read it wasn't my favorite Jennifer Hillier novel. The story focuses on Paris Peralta who comes home to find her rich and famous husband Jimmy Peralta dead in the bathtub. From here we also meet Drew who is working on a podcast on Ruby Reyes, another women who brutally murdered the man she loved 25 years ago. The connection between Paris, Ruby and Drew all come out as the story unfolds. This is definitely not a thriller, but you do want to keep reading to find out how everything pieces together. Unfortunately I was much more interested in the present day story and I felt there was just too many flashbacks. This one will also need to come with many trigger warnings, as there is a lot of graphic content that many be uncomfortable with.

So here’s the thing, Jennifer Hillier is one of my favorite authors and I’ve devoured everything she’s written. I kept that in mind as I read this latest book, because I didn’t want my gigantic expectations to skew my opinion.
Whilst there were indeed good parts in this story, even some that I hoped would go a little further, ultimately there was not as much thrill as I was hoping for. The twists were small and I kinda saw them coming.
Keep in mind, triggers abound: child abuse in particular is a main focus.
I also felt that there were so many timelines and so many tangents, it was hard to get invested in anything completely.
Thank you so much to Minotaur books for my review copy.

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier is a great, wild, roller coaster ride! Tales involving child molestation are tricky to pull off, but Hillier manages the task with artfulness. The story spans over 20 years of child abuse, murder, deceit, and love. The story is brought to life with characters that are so relatable and situations that offer unique perspectives that coax an abundance of empathy. I loved the main character who survived hell, reinvented herself and was still able to love. There are many twists and turns, but the author pulls all the pieces together to weave an excellent tale.

4.5 stars - rounded up to 5 !

Okay. I'm 100% a Jennifer Hillier fan now. This is my third book read by this author and her books make me continually think about them days and days after reading them. Be warned of having long-term effects after reading her books!

Paris Peralta is arrested and charged of murdering her husband in her own home but unfortunately she doesn't remember a thing about such events.

Jumping from past and present timelines and uncovering a wonderous amount of secrets and twists that I never saw coming. This book is deliciously addicting and unputdownable - an absolute must add to any thriller lovers bookshelf!

Also, high appreciation that this book takes place in Canada!

Thank you so much Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced e-book copy in exchange for an honest review! I am beyond appreciative!

Mark your calendars to run and grab your copy of this thriller as soon as it hit shelves on July 19th, 2022 !