3.5

I'll start off by saying Jennifer Hillier is my favorite, go-to thriller author, and I was beyond thrilled to receive the advanced reader copy of Things We Do in the Dark!

The story opens with the murder of famous comedian Jimmy Peralta and his much younger wife Paris, who is accused of and arrested for the crime. Told from multiple POV’s and multiple timelines, this thriller delivers some twists and turns as well as confronts dark and disturbing subject matter.

While I enjoyed this story, it was not my favorite. It may have been my expectations, because I'm usually so engaged while reading her books, but I found this to be more of a slow burn and was not really invested until closer to the end. It did wrap up neatly and brought it all together, which was very satisfying.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press, Monotaur Books, and netgalley for my advanced reader copy. Things We Do in the Dark publishes 7/22/22, add it to your TBR list now!

I read all of Jennifer Hilliers books and this one did not disappoint! Complex, flawed, believable characters drive themes of child abuse, murder and money. Things, and people aren’t always what the pay seem.

Wow!! What a book. I loved every second of it, loved the characters, was blown awayyyy by the ending and never saw it coming. Sad it ended and can’t wait for the authors next book! Easy 5 stars.

Things we do in the dark by @jenniferhillierbooks
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This is my first books by Jennifer Hillier.. and Im so fortunate that @netgalley accepted my request to read this book .

What an impeccable read. My mind was blown . My heart was in places I never knew was possible while reading. This book was both dark and gripping . It was absolutely unputdownable.

This story contains sensitive subject matter . It contains graphic scenes of murder, suicide, child abuse, sexual abuse and lots of strip club scenes .
Seriously. This needs to be made into a movie immediately. As enthralled as I eas I know there are others that will agree .

As Hillier immediately moves into a must read author position for me , I will definitely be reading more from her . This book just absolutely one of the best books I've read so far this year ( and I've had alot of 5 stars..) I'd love to give this one a 6 star.. if only my rating system was that aggressive)

While I enjoyed this book, it was my least favorable because of its predictably. Except for the main characters who turn out to be Filipinas. I don't think I've ever read a book with a Filipino in it before. Great choice. Like I said earlier, this is not my favorite but even a "bad" (and I use that term loosely), even a bad Jennifer Hillier book is pretty darn good.

Loved the storyline and the characters. I just didn''t like the complete predictability of who was the bad guy and how each characters story was going to wrap up. I would still recommend the book.

Jennifer Hillier has done it again! I know it. Wow,. I knew it would be hard to follow up her last book (Little Secrets), but she knocked it out of the park!
Things We Do In The Dark is an excellent psychological thriller! It is.told from multiple POVs and multiple timelines, which may sound a bit confusing but the way the author does it really keeps the book flowing at a great pace. There are twists and turns I did not see.coming in which was an in unexpected treat. I don't want to give.to much of the ot away, so I'll leave it at get this book! You'll be happy you did! And a big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Hillier does it again! She never disappoints and Thing We Do in the Dark was just as compelling as her other novels.

Paris is accused of killing her celebrity husband. After all, she was found with one of his razors in her hand and covered in blood next to his dead body. However, as much as she says she didn’t do it.. this could all ruin the life she made for herself while running from her past. Years ago, Ruby Reyes was convicted of murdering a married man she was having an affair with.. and now present day, Ruby is being released from prison and she knows the truth about Paris and her past. Paris has no choice but to go back to the past and face the horrible memories that haunt her.

What a quick and hard to put down thriller. “The Things We Do in the Dark” has everything you’d want in a thriller: multiple POVs, jaw dropping twists and times where I was even a bit scared... which doesn’t happen for me often. This is the kind of book that gets you out a reading slump and leaves you questioning the twists and turns of what you just read. However, there were times where I felt plot holes in the book were rushed through and also kind of predictable. Overall, a very enjoyable read!

Jennifer Hillier does it again!! This book alternates timelines for the main character, highlighting her past and illustrating her present, filled with new challenges, based on the trauma and history of abuse she endured from those she should have been able to trust the most. I was honestly surprised by the twists in this novel and that’s not always the case with psychological thrillers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of Jennifer Hillier’s upcoming thriller, Things We Do in the Dark!

Pub Date: July 19, 2022

2 stars ⭐

I don't think this author is for me unfortunately. I read her previous novel 'Little Secrets' and I didn't understand the hype with that one at all.

Unfortunately I feel the exact same about her upcoming release 'Things We Do In the Dark' I hated the characters and didn't really care about the story.

Absolutely riveting and fantastic. This was my first by this author and I am captivated. This author can write and I’m so excited to discover more of her work.Great plot with a story full of twists and turns.

Did I just read this book in one sitting? Why yes, I did. I cannot tell you the last time I read a book without [literally] putting it down.

Two years ago, Jennifer Hillier’s “Little Secrets” rocked my world. It’s easily a top 10 book for me…an absolutely wild ride. I have lost track of how many people I’ve recommended it to because it was just that good.

Hillier masters so many things in this one. She wrote some solid characters with Joey/Joelle, Paris, and Drew. She also wrote some characters you just absolutely love to hate. The character development and plotting was fantastic.

I also loved how smooth Hillier’s transitions from past and present were. They flowed so beautifully as she built the story. She perfectly wove together two separate timelines in a way that was flawless. I enjoyed getting a glimpse at Joey’s upbringing & some of the trauma she endured. I especially loved part 2, where we meet Drew. I loved, loved, loved Drew’s character. He is so genuine and you just want the best for him. I found myself rooting so hard for his happiness, whatever that would end up being.

There was a point (maybe around part 4), where the book started to drag…just a little bit! There also weren’t any major jaw-dropping moments, but I was hooked from chapter 1 and was dying to find out how everything tied together.

It’s so hard to follow up a book like “Little Secrets.” I don’t envy Hillier’s monumental task in writing “Things We Do in the Dark.” Did I love it? Yes, absolutely. Did it completely measure up to “Little Secrets”? Not quite, but I will still recommend this book. I just craved a big, jaw-dropping moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is slated for release on July 19, 2022.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. So I’m not real sure where to start with this review. I did really enjoy this book. This is my third Jennifer Hillier book but I’m thinking it was my least favorite…and not because it was bad, it just seemed very predictable to me. It seemed like I figured out almost everything that would be considered a twist before it happened. I do enjoy this author’s writing style and there were many characters in this book that I want to talk about but don’t really know how to without giving away any spoilers. It was so sad and hard to read at times about Joey’s life and the things she went through…the abuse and the awful lifestyle she had to live. I liked Paris and Drew’s characters but Ruby, she was pure evil. I can honestly say this book was a solid 4 stars for me from the start. I guess I had hoped by 75% (after it being so predictable) that there would be a shocker ending but I really don’t feel like there was. I mean the ending was satisfying to an extent but there was just nothing “WOW” about it. I think it had potential to be a 5 star for me if it would have ended with a big twist. But just because many things were obvious to me before they happened, they may not be for other readers so I still absolutely recommend this book if you are a Jennifer Hillier fan!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see this review (and others) that I’ve posted online, please check out my Instagram and Goodreads profiles:
*Instagram - bookworm_traveler808
*Goodreads - Cherihy808

Wow! Jennifer Hillier takes you on a wild and thrilling ride, set in multiple timelines that twists and turns through intertwining plots that will grip you from beginning to end. It is a character driven, dark thriller that blends the multiple plots and timelines expertly together. Jennifer Hiller brings her characters vividly to life throughout the book. Paris is a character I will not soon forget! I definitely do not want to divulge any plot details; it is best to simply read the book and discover for yourself! This is a 5 plus star book! I thoroughly enjoyed it and thank the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC! It was an amazing read.

Jennifer Hillier is a new-to-me-author, and this was a thriller with a lot of twists and turns. I figured out several things early on, but it was still an enjoyable read. Child abuse, rape, neglect, lies, secrets, jealousy, murder, drama, suspense, and more! You want to root for Paris and hope things go in her favor.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Despite being a fan of Little Secrets, I didn’t get into this one for some reason. While I usually favour a calm start and a clever and subtle build up to any drama. This book starts straight away before you’ve got your bearings. It asked for investment from me that I just couldn’t give. Crime, prison, drama- and all from, more or less, the first page. I’ve already seen lots of rave reviews for it on Goodreads but unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me.

Three deaths, all connected by one woman. Did she kill any of them? Is she innocent? Were they even murders?! This was a WILD ride. I loved the pacing of this book. Hints were dropped pretty quickly so you could start piecing clues together early on while also adding more questions. (But you’re never left utterly confused or bored by lack of action or details.) The ending was SO satisfying to me. The pieces came together in a way that made sense and I was left feeling content. Even a little happy. (As happy as a book about murder can leave you.)

I’m grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Like one of her previous novels, “Jar of Hearts”, Jennifer Hiller’s newest book, “Things We Do in the Dark” is complex and multi-layered, told from multiple points of view that eventually converge to reveal a larger narrative.

There are four main characters:
Paris Peralta, Filipina fifth wife of a not quite retired comedian husband (“the chick who married the old guy”) and now accused of killing her rich husband;
Ruby Reyes, aka the Ice Queen, who killed her married lover 25 years ago and was convicted by her abused teen daughter’s diaries;
Drew, an investigative podcaster, incensed that this infamous inmate is getting out of prison early by now saying it was a #MeToo self-defense;
and Joey, the surviving teen daughter and former roommate of Drew, who did not get a happily ever after, became a stripper and later died in a fire before turning 21.

Ms. Hiller deftly weaves together threads that make these 4 initially separate stories into a compelling and tense thriller. The connections between the main characters are slowly revealed — there’s many relationships we can guess about ahead of time without surprising big reveals later on. As a reader, I had some self-satisfaction of realizing connections before they were verified, but I was still at a loss to guess the ultimate whodunnit about the very first death in chapter one. To any inevitable reviewers who claim that they had it figured out halfway — nope, not possible. 4.5 stars for this layered psychological thriller.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Although it’s just the cheap imitation, not Garfield, stuffed cat Chesterfield.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The plants and landscaping fit in Seattle and Toronto. No palm trees were transplanted.

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

This is my third from the author and my third straight from her!!! Jennifer Hillier never disappoints and her suspense, characters, and multiple  timelines are just fantastic.

This book hooked me right away and never quit! The suspense never dulls and I was flipping pages so quickly! This felt fresh and original and has so many pieces - murder, glamour, romance, and mystery! Paris' character was interesting at the beginning but once she starts to reveal her history in slow and horrific details, you feel so many emotions for her and what she perseveres through.
This book publishes July 19. HUGE thank you to @minotaurbooks for my advanced copy!

Terrible...in the very best ways. Because this was such a heart wrenching, emotional read.

Jennifer Hillier's latest, Things We Do in the Dark, starts with the arrest of Paris Peralta, the decades-younger wife of Jimmy Peralta. Jimmy, an aging comic on the comeback trail, is in his bathtub, lying dead in a pool of water and his own blood. When the cops arrive, Paris is on the floor next to him, covered in his blood and clutching his straight razor--which was presumably used to kill him.

But for Paris, the arrest is not the worst thing. It's being thrown into the media spotlight. Because she's got a past she's been running from, and she'd rather spend the rest of her life in prison than have her former life resurrected.

Meanwhile, Ruby Reyes, convicted to life in prison herself for a crime eerily similar to Paris's, is being released early. And Ruby's claiming to know certain secrets about Paris that she'd rather keep buried.

The only question left is what will Paris do to avoid *another* murder charge?

Having only read Hillier's last book, Little Secrets, which I loved, I was eager to read her latest. And boy did it ever surpass my expectations. When I say the book was "terrible," I only mean that when we're introduced to Joey, an integral character in this novel, we're given a story so heartbreaking and tragic that's told with such emotion, empathy, and realism, it's hard not to think of so many girls living in her situation all around us. I was moved to tears more than once. Joey and Paris are survivors, full stop.

There' s plenty to love here, the hard content (there's much abuse of the page, though it's rarely graphic and written so as not to be exploitative) notwithstanding. My biggest complaint is that it's over and I'm suffering from a little book hangover.

This is a huge recommendation for me--for genre fans and for those of the author. It's solidified her as an auto-buy for me, and I'm looking forward to more in the future.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for a review.