This book was one of my favorites this year. It has different parts and goes back and forth between past and present. It wasn’t confusing and kept me guessing for me. This was an awesome thriller. Loved it.

I never know what to expect to read in a Jennifer Hillier novel. Things We Do in the Dark was twisty and shocking until the last page. My only complaint and is that I would have liked and epilogue!

This one wasnt as amazing and great a expected but I still loved it and Hiller's work! The plot unfolded pretty well, sometimes a touch slow and too repetitive. All the characters were flawed and felt real. Really good twisty, dark novel. Lots of trigger warnings.

Some parts again were slow and had me rolling my eyes. But over all it was a dark enjoyable read that I read in a few sittings

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Jennifer Hillier, and was excited to receive this book. As usual, Hillier does not disappoint. Paris Peralta is married to an older, very famous man, Jimmy Peralta. Jimmy is found dead in his bathtub, and Paris discovers him after returnig home early from a business trip...or so she says. Faced with law enforcement yelling at her to drop the weapon, Paris is arrested and must prove her innocence. Only, proving her innocence may also unlock her past she's worked so hard to leave behind. There is one person who can destroy the life Paris has so carefully built, Ruby Reyes, "the ice queen." She not only knows who Paris is, but she is being released from prison after serving 25 years for the murder of her own husband, and is threatening to spill Paris's secrets. How far will Paris go to fight for her innocence and keep her past buried?

Paris Peralta is arrested for the murder of her wealthy, older, celebrity husband after being found next to his body holding the straight razor that killed him. As dire as her situation may be, Paris is more worried about the intense media scrutiny that will inevitably come with her murder charge. You see, Paris has a dark past she's been keeping hidden for many years, and exposure could mean very bad things for her. After all, Paris knows that the only thing worse than a murder charge is two murder charges.

This was a page-turning thriller that I really ended up enjoying. While its content was very dark, it was handled in a really skillful way and helped contribute to the story. The dual timelines and perspectives featured in the book were also beneficial to the story; it makes a plot more interesting when there is a narrative set in the past in lieu of a character just recalling the past in a present narrative.

The reason that this was a 4-star read for me rather than a 5 was because I was able to predict what would happen in the book very early on. The main twist was pretty obvious, as were other elements of the story. However, this ultimately didn't take away from my investment and interest in the story. It was still exciting to see everything play out, regardless of knowing what was to come.

I think the set-up of this story is gripping; the factors of celebrity and publicity in it are not something you often get in thrillers. This was the first book that I read from Jennifer Hillier, though I have heard great things about her other books, and given how much fun it was to read this I will definitely be checking out her backlist titles!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title in exchange for this honest review!

Another nail biter from Jennifer Hillier! I couldn’t put this one down and even though I guessed a few of the twists, it didn’t take away from the suspense. I would highly recommend this one and will be talking about it for a while. Thank you netgalley for my free copy!

This was a solid thriller that is well-written and had me turning the pages, wanting to know more. While the twist(s) aren't hard to figure out, I still wanted to know how everything would come together. I really enjoyed reading Little Secrets and Hillier's latest novel is just as good.

Things We Do in the Dark is suspenseful, wild, every changing and a story that keeps you thinking and turning pages as fast as you can, for the the next surprise. Great story! Thank you @NetGalley@MinotaurBooks@ThingsWeDointheDark

I want to thank NetGalley and St.Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date : 7/19/22

Things we do in the dark is about Paris Peralta who is accused of killing her celebrity husband who is 29 years her senior after she is found holding a razor next to his dead body. When she’s charged with murder all she can think about is if her past will be brought to light.
25 years earlier Ruby Reyes was convicted of murder in a similar way but now she is being paroled.
Drew a true crime podcaster wants to interview Ruby for personal reasons because he knows her daughter Joey.
The story is told through 3 different perspectives; Paris which is the beginning of the book then it switches to Drew and then to Joey.
The main storyline is about Joey and how her life was with Ruby before and after her mom went to jail. All 3 stories are connected.

The beginning of this book I was invested but I felt like the POV switches to be jarring. There was no indicators at the beginning of the chapters to who’s POV or year it was so you had to read a little bit to figure it out. This story heavily plays out in the past with some snippets into the present time and by 80-85 % into the book I was tired of the constant past POV and was wanting the story to get to the point. When it finally did it just all fit together a little too well.
The characters were well developed and diverse. Joeys chapters were the most heartbreaking out of the 3 pov.
All in all it was an alright thriller. I felt it to be more of a mystery than a fast paced thriller but some portions were interesting and kept me engaged.

TW/CW: Murder, suicide, SA, child abuse, drugs.

This book deals with some pretty traumatic events, but it does so in a thoughtful, cathartic, and (mostly) realistic way. Some of the heartbreaking flashbacks were hard to read because they seemed so plausible, but they were an important step in understanding the characters and their actions. Because of the backstory, I wanted to see if karma would reward the downtrodden characters or if life would kick them in their teeth yet again. I was invested in their lives.

Although I could predict most of the plot twists, they were still satisfying and kept the plot moving forward. Some of the narrative was a little repetitive. For example, often, someone guesses at something, we see a flashback of this to confirm the guess, and then we get a recap of the aftermath. Despite this, it was a pretty fast read, especially because there were multiple storylines to keep my interest.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book because it feels more substantial and weighty than your typical psychological thriller, and it’s equally compelling and as quick to read.

I absolutely loved the chArachter backstories and relationship dynamics in the novel. Joeys experience with trauma felt so real. Every character was flawed but we’re humanized enough that we rooted for them no matter what. The plot unfolded masterfully and made the book feel unputdownable. I was so happy with the ending. It felt sinister and satisfying all at the same time.

Thank you #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for my complimentary copy of Things We Do in the Dark in exchange for an honest review.

🔪Jennifer Hillier is fast approaching to be one of my favorite authors. I have now read multiple books by her and they don't disappoint.

Things We Do in the Dark
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publish date: July 19th

Goodreads Synopsis

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. 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.

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. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.

Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.

🔪 This was a heart pounding page turner that I could not put down. Although it lost a star because I was able to predict the book very, very early on, it was thrilling to watch as my theory played out. When I finished it I look at my husband and said, "Well, I called it. Every twist and turn. I. Called. It 🤦🏼‍♀️" So I'm not sure if I need to lay off the thrillers for a while or what. But, despite that, I loved every second of this book.

4/5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

TW: Abuse, sexual assault, death

Juicy & interesting thriller surrounding a character named Paris Peralta - she married a famous celebrity comedian who is about 30 years her senior. She arrives home one night to find her dead in the bathtub, and she is rushed off to jail because everyone thinks she did it. However, due to all the publicity in the press.. Paris is afraid that someone from her past life (that she ran away from) will recognize her and brings down her new life that she worked so hard to build.

I actually really enjoyed the main premise of the younger wife with an older man - did she kill him for the money or was it suicide? And then the storyline with Paris’ past was really solid. However, I found that the storyline featuring young Joey to be hard to read at times.. sexual abuse, parental abuse, etc. there were a lot of descriptions of abuse. I know this was relevant and important to the story but I found that this book was darker than I typically like. 🔪 😳 🇨🇦

Hence the 4/5 stars! It was still a good read though and a pretty full thriller with lots of surprises and scary moments sprinkled throughout. 👏🏻

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 📕 📚 📖

Paris Peralta’s husband, much-loved, longtime comedian Jimmy, is found dead in the bathtub. And Paris is holding the straight razor that killed him when the police show up at their home. With no memory of how it happened and blaming it on a head injury, Paris is now being charged for murder.

But what the police don’t know is that this is definitely not the first person she has [<i>possibly</i>] killed in her lifetime. Or even the second.

Flashing back to the story of young Joelle (Joey) Reyes' life, the novel weaves the tale of a poor, defenseless young woman who is beaten regularly by her mother, Ruby. Joey’s story and Paris’ are told simultaneously, as the author skillfully weaves through each woman’s heartbreak and trauma.

<i>Things We Do in The Dark</i> is an well-thought out and thrilling dramatic novel that will leave you wanting more.

Twisty, intense and utterly impossible to put down, Things we do in the Dark is a psychological thriller you will not want to miss!

Holy WOW. A Million stars! This was SO GOOD!! I blinked and suddenly I had read over half of this book. I stayed up late finishing it because it was impossible to put down without knowing everything that happened! I loved the dual time periods, multiple POVs and how the book was seperated into different parts. This book was heartbreaking and I felt a deep sense of sadness while reading, but it was also so intense and thrilling. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!

The writing is fantastic. I felt everything the characters were feeling: love, hate, fear, sadness. I felt everything right along side them. This would be a fantastic movie! Do yourself a favor and add this twisty, intense thriller to your TBR or pre-order it immediately!

TW: severe child abuse, child molestation/sexual abuse, rape, graphic murder, death, grief, dissociation, mentions of suicide & substance abuse

Thank you St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is due for publication 7/19/22 and I highly recommend it! This review will be posted to my blogs & Amazon closer to publication day!

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I am a big Jennifer Hillier fan, so I was excited from page 1. This wasn't my most favorite of her works, but I did enjoy the ride. I enjoyed getting to know Paris and her past, but I felt like there was so SO much more to dig into that we barely even scratched the surface on. Yes, we did learn more about Paris and her horrific upbringing, but I personally loved the flashbacks even more than I loved the current day story. Paris' husband, whom she's accused of murdering, never really felt like a real character to me because I never actually met him. Because of that, my feelings were stronger as we read the past vs. reading the present. While I had fun with the story, it sometimes felt disjointed and I was always hoping for more that I didn't end up getting.

Thank you so much to Jennifer Hillier, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for the digital e-ARC in exchange for an honest and reliable review.

I really, really enjoyed this book! This is my first ever Jennifer Hillier book and now I can't wait to read Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts. I didn't realize Jennifer was a Canadian author until I read that a lot of this book was set in the GTA! So awesome, and another reason to love her. It goes without saying that I loved the setting of this book - Toronto and Seattle (I am obsessed with the Pacific Northwest).

This book follows Paris Peralta after her celebrity and comedian husband, Jimmy, is murdered in their home. Paris is charged with first degree murder, but she swears she didn't do it. Not only is Paris trying to clear her name, she's also running from her own demons and a past life back in Toronto, Ontario.

I enjoyed the Then/Now POV in this book. I also enjoyed the Ruby storyline and Paris running from her past - I hated the character of Ruby, but I think that's a sign of a good book - when the author can elicit deep feelings of love/hatred etc. towards a certain character. And there were a few different twists throughout the book. I highly recommend!

The ending was great and tied up all the loose ends!

TW: murder, death, sexual assault, poverty, abuse

4/5

4.25 stars

Paris Peralta isn’t who she pretends to be. Behind the self-assured façade lurks Joelle, a striking Filipina woman tormented and damaged by years of sexual abuse and parental neglect. If her celebrity husband knows the truth about her past, he won’t be spilling the beans, as someone has taken a straight razor to his femoral artery.

Suspected of the crime, Paris must prove her innocence with the assistance of her husband’s longtime attorney and friend. Meanwhile, her blackmailing mother, Ruby, is threatening to divulge Paris’s true identity, promising to reconnect once she’s sprung from jail, following a twenty-five year stint for her lover’s murder. Which means the bullet-ridden corpse—discovered within a torched apartment years before—isn’t Joelle’s and the police will have plenty of questions.

Pleasantly paced with strong characters and a few exhilarating twists, I enjoyed "Things We Do in the Dark"." There were times I felt the rumination over Joelle’s tragic childhood was a bit over the top, but I suppose the references somewhat explained her unusual life choices. I hope to read other books by this author. Much appreciation to Jennifer Hillier, NetGalley, and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest opinion.

An intriguing suspense novel that didn’t thrill me quite as much as Hillier’s other books. However, still a great mystery!

This is a very, very good story by a very, very good writer! One of the best books I’ve read in awhile. I will definitely read more from this author. Recommended!