Jennifer Hillier is a new favorite. I really enjoy her thrillers. They are exciting with a little bit of mystery thrown in and usually a good twist or two. Thrillers these days are often too similar or been there done that- but Hillier’s books are a step above. Excited to see what she does next!

Paris has been accused of the murder of her famous husband. She knows this is what she should be most worried about. Sadly, this is not the case. She is terrified of the media. When her face is plastered all over the country, she knows her past will come back!

Paris is lady with many faces. At first, I didn’t quite know what to think about her. But, as the story starts to unfold, her past tears my heart up! I could hardly stand her being hurt all over again!

I am big fan of this author. I have read all her books and they are all intense, especially Jar of Hearts. This book is right up there with it! I absolutely loved the mystery surrounding Paris! You knew enough as a reader to know not all is as it seems. BUT…you just don’t know it all till the end!

Need a great story which will have you guessing…THIS IS IT!

This was a fascinating book. A thriller that felt different from others I’ve read! I love the back and forth, trying to figure out what happened to who.

This was an excellent book - always loved anything by Jennifer Hillier. She is a great thriller writer and her plot and characters are always perfect!

Nothing about this story was interesting, and definitely not thrilling. Mostly predictable. I liked the snippets of the abuse Joey had to endure but the tone of the rest of the book was pretty light.

I don't recommend.

Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier

Very good story. Had many twists and turns. Great characters: murders - secrets. Well-written. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

I still have chills down my spine from finishing this amazing book! Who knew someone could be so devious and evil? Paris.... I have no words - what a complex character. So well written!

I was so excited to get the chance to read this book, mostly because of the hype around the author but also because the synopsis sounded intriguing. I was looking forward to picking up one of this author’s book, and after this one I can wait to read their whole back log. I had such a hard time putting this one down, it was a wild roller coaster of a ride.

Each of the characters was very complex. I loved that they all had such interesting pasts that kept me engrossed in their storylines. The way everything intertwined was genius.

I found this book exceptionally unique. I can’t wait to pick up more by this stunning story teller. I can’t say more greatness about this book, it was definitely one of my favorites of the year.

Things We Do in the Dark was an overall great read! Twisty, mysterious, and complex. The characters were terrific and layered. The plot wasn’t a typical thriller in my opinion- more about the abuse and cruelty that the main character suffered at the hands of her mother. Overall great book and compelling read by Jennifer Hillier!

Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for access this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jennifer Hillier is easily one of my favorite thriller authors! Things We Do in the Dark was a solid 4 stars for me. The flow was great and it kept me engaged but I’m kinda meh on anything dealing with “celebrity” even when it’s fiction. I did like it though!

What an amazing book! I just finished it in one day because I didn’t want to put it down. The characters are so well developed and the plot is very well thought out. It is told in a dual timeline, which helps explain why some people act the way they did. I did not see the ending coming. This book is the perfect thriller!

This was my first Jennifer Hillier book and I really enjoyed it! This has a police procedural flair to it and I'm not mad about it! I find that I really enjoy those. So many secrets! I felt like the book had two mysteries in one but it did not get confusing at all. You can tell Hillier can write for that reason alone. The book wasn't as dark as I expected but that's ok! Loving all the BIPOC / API / Filipino rep! I'm looking forward to reading more of her book - starting with her backlist!

Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

TLDR:

Things We Do In the Dark is the newest Thriller by Jennifer Hillier. You may have read her previous works, Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts.

Notable elements:

- Investigative Journalism
- Revenge vs. Justice
- Generational Trauma

What I liked:

- High Stakes — It’s not an exaggeration to say Paris is in a life-or-death situation. The severity of her predicament gives this book fast-pacing with high stakes.
- Gut-Wrenching Emotion — I felt the depth of every character’s emotional experience with immeasurable intensity.
- Expansive Lies — All of the characters are deeply integrated in each others’ histories. With compounding lies that span generations, this story is far more complex than your standard murder mystery.

Reminds me of:

- The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
- Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

Content warnings:

- Child Abuse, Sexual Violence, Suicide, Racism, Addiction

Final thoughts:

Wow! This book is thrilling, emotional, and riveting from the start. I think Paris is one of the best protagonists I’ve ever read; her voice, her perspective, and her determination to be the best version of herself are mesmerizing. If you haven’t read this book yet, do it!

Dark, dull and predictable.

Listen, I wanted to love this one, saw a bunch of great reviews for it. When I first started listening the style drew me in and I did want to keep listening but that quickly turned to the story dragging out and me figuring out where it was leading too quick for my liking.

Present and past storylines and while I typically love these, I found I was drawn to the past flashbacks more than the present. I liked Joey's story and was curious about her but not enough that I cared about her present story. Which is odd, I know. I wasn't really invested in the plot as a whole and so that made it drag on even more.

Definitely didn't feel like this was a thriller. I feel like the genre labeling has gotten a bit skewed lately when it comes to the horror/thriller/mystery type of books.

I am usually a fan of this author's work and I will be reading more in the future, this one just missed the mark for me.

“As a woman once reminded her a long time ago, the common denominator in all the terrible things that have happened to you, is you.”

Things We Do In The Dark is an unputdownable thriller that will have you returning to it in every free moment until the very last page. With multiple narrators, the twists in this fast-paced story just kept coming. Definitely be sure to check the trigger warnings. This story is heavy and hard to read at parts.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Things We Do in the Dark is a smart thriller that begins with a woman, a razor, and her dead husband. From there, we follow two different characters, Paris, who is accused of killing her husband, but adamant of her innocence, and Drew, a true crime podcaster looking into the death of his friend from 20 years earlier. The two characters seem to be connected by a convicted killer who is soon to be getting out of prison. Like most books in the genre, not everyone is who they say they are.

If you like mysteries and thrillers with multiple perspectives, you will enjoy the fast-paced story. Fans of Simone St. James will enjoy the characters with a tragic and wretched past (check trigger warnings). It is fantastic to read a mystery with two people of color as the leads, and the treatment of Asian women is another important point that the book tackles.

Warning: this is one of those books that when you start reading it, you won't be able to put it down.

We start with Paris, who wakes up to find that her husband is dead. She knows she didn't kill him, but the murder scene is pointing directly at her.

And then we just to Ruby Reyes, a murderer in her own right, known as the Ice Queen. She murdered her boyfriend in the 90s and it was a huge story, but Ruby has a secret. She knows exactly who Paris is.

I absolutely LOVED the back and forth of this book, and the different points of view. I found myself thinking I knew how the book would end up, but I absolutely was not prepared for the twist that threw a wrench into EVERYTHING.

I could not put this book down, I had to know what was going on and I raced to get to the end, which was so satisfying. I recommend this to anyone looking for a book binge.

This was my first book from this author and I really enjoyed it ! Her writing is really well done, and flows so well. It started off with a great captivating first line that draws you in, but in a funny way for a thriller. I liked the way that this was multiple POV but weaved together so well. Although I had an idea who was behind the death of Jimmy, I was still questioning things throughout the book and even though I was right, I still enjoyed the way it played out. I enjoyed the multi timeline and found it worked well for this book. Parts of this book were not very shocking and semi predictable, but overall I still enjoyed and will read more from this author.

Yoga teacher Paris Peralta, arrested in Seattle for the murder of her much older celebrity husband, is not at all who she seems to be.

She was found covered in blood and holding the murder weapon, near her much older husband, who had bled out in the bathtub.

Soon readers learn that this has happened to her before. Is she a killer? The novel moves back and forth in time, gradually revealing what happened - back then and, more recently, to Jimmy.

It involves a violent gang with a grudge; a journalist who was Paris's friend and lover and still seeks her; arson; and more than one murder. Things We Do in the Dark is an intricate, engrossing thriller.

This is my 3rd book that I have read from Jennifer Hillier. And I must say that
it didn't disappoint! It has her signature twist and turns that will make you turn the
pages and keep you guessing till the end.