This was a solid 4 star read for me. Paris Peralta is arrested for the murder of her older, famous husband. He was found dead in his bathtub and Paris was found passed out on the floor with the murder weapon in her hand. Paris is determined that she did not kill him. The timeline alternates between past and present. This book was all about the backstory. Everything that is done in present time is because of what happened in the past. I enjoyed the flow of the story, even the slow burn at the beginning. Clues were given throughout, and I appreciated the ending. Some of the characters felt very one sided (Ruby, the terrible mother) but most of the diverse set of characters were well developed. I loved the family drama, backstabbing, and surprises. This was a well-done psychological thriller that you should add to your tbr!

Hands down, this is the coolest and most clever promotion of the year with the glow in the dark cover!

This was such a compelling story that I totally binged! I was hooked from the beginning and I was so curious to know what happened and where this story could possibly go!

Being from Toronto myself, I absolutely relished the setting and it had me constantly getting excited with every mention Hillier made to the city and it’s surroundings.

Hillier’s writing style is certainly one of my favourites amongst our Thriller writing Queens and I loved how flawlessly this one flowed and kept me engaged and invested.

While it didn’t end with the type of bang I was anticipating, I loved the twists along the way and felt that they were done just right!

Told from duel perspectives and alternating timelines, this was an entertaining mystery that should leave all thriller lovers satisfied!

"Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future."

Things We Do in the Dark was a wild ride of what seems like a clear cut and closed case against Paris. This thriller bounces back and forth from the now, her being accused of murdering her spouse, and her childhood. Digging deep into Paris' scars where she experienced so many traumatic things that a child should never have experienced.

There were many little twists to this story where I could predict some of the story, but there were still quite a few little surprises.

Please note trigger warnings:
Drug use/abuse, child abuse, rape, death, murder, mutilation, suicide.

DNF at 62%. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Calling this book a thriller is doing it a disservice. It is crime fiction, and very slow burn. When you are expecting a thriller and a book doesn't deliver, it's very hard to remain engaged. I wish I had liked this one.

*Please check the trigger warnings before diving into this book! It’s a bit on the heavy side.*

After being found in the bathroom with her husband dead in the tub, Paris looks extremely guilty. Even with a murder charge, Paris is more worried about something entirely different. The story travels through her past, and all the darkness that has occupied her life.

This book was entertaining and kept me reeled in until the end. So many unexpected (and expected) twists and turns along the way. The book explores a dual timeline of past and present. While the past stories are necessary I felt sometimes it dragged out a bit and I connected less to that part of the story. The past is also extremely heavy and I felt as though some of it was unnecessarily exaggerated because in the end it did feel like some of it didn’t add any value to the final conclusion.

As far as the audiobook goes, the narrator did an excellent job, and she was throughly entertaining.

THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK by Jennifer Hillier is so so great!! I was really eager to read this book since I absolutely loved her other book Little Secrets. I appreciated the content warning at the beginning since there’s a lot of darkness in this book. It’s about a woman, Paris, who’s suspected of murdering her husband. I loved so much in this book:
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-Paris is Filipino Canadian
-Seattle and Vancouver settings
-true crime podcaster side character
-dual murder plots, one from the past and one in the present
-awesome twists and turns!
-interesting family dynamics as we learn about Paris’s relationship with her mother
-audiobook narrator Carla Vega was excellent!!
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Hillier is now a go to for a stand out thriller! I really enjoyed this one and I can’t wait to read her next book!
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Thank you to Minotaur Books for my glow in the dark ARC and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for my ALC!

I was overjoyed to receive an audio ARC from NetGalley for Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier. I've loved 2 of her other reads and this book was on my list of most anticipated books of 2022. Well.. it did not disappoint! Fantastic storyline, great sequencing with fully fleshed out characters, and twists upon twists upon twists. And the writing... chef's kiss. I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed it so much that I purchased a finished copy of it.

Thank you, to the publisher for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier was a book that I wanted to love more than I did. Did I like it? Some parts and others I just zoned out and had to restart large sections of audiobook. Warning: An unpopular opinion is about to come your way.

Publication Date: July 19, 2022

Synopsis:
Paris Peralta is the much younger wife of Jimmy Peralta, a comedic legend. But, when Jimmy is found dead in his own bathtub, Paris is the number one suspect. Paris always wanted to keep a low profile, even with her famous husband, and is worried that this event will just put her in the spotlight, something she has been avoiding for years.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, who is now known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of murdering her millionaire boyfriend. Ruby knows all about Paris and now that Ruby is being let out on parole, she is ready to shed light on Paris’ life. That is unless she is paid well in “hush money”.

Thoughts:
Both timelines blend together into an interesting story.

I had the audiobook for this one and I am not sure if it was the narrator that threw me off. Usually, I am able to stay focused on the story when listening but there were parts in the middle that I just could not focus on. Never have I ever had to go back in a chapter and relisten as much as I did with this story.

Kind of knew what was going on about halfway through the novel, if not before that.

I know a lot of people loved this one, but I just could not.

Three stars for Things we Do in the Dark. It really was just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audionfor this copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Two opinions on this book.

First off, it was very well done with the layering of the multiple mysteries, the storytelling and the build up.

Secondly, I really disliked the unsavory topics. That said, it was definitely not overly graphic, but the topics were just not the kind I care to read about. Insert--trigger warnings here. Things We Do in the Dark, is about bad things that people do in the dark.

Yet, I found myself interested and was curious to see where the story was going. The audiobook was well done.

There is a death at the very beginning. Is it a suicide of homicide, we aren't quite sure. We then see the back story leading up to the death and how we got there. Creatively done. If you like Hillier's other books I'd say I rated those about the same as this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook.

Jennifer Hillier is an auto buy and auto read author for me, and I was so excited to get my hands on this one as soon as I knew she had a new book coming out and it did not disappoint! The book does not waste any time getting started, it opens with Paris Peralta being arrested in her bathroom where her celebrity husband has been found dead. Blood is everywhere and she is holding a straight razor which is allegedly the murder weapon and she knows this all looks bad. She realizes she will be charged with murder, but even more worrisome is that her past will come back to haunt her, and everything she worked so hard to hide may ruin the future and new life she worked so hard to build.

This started strong, got a little slow in the middle, and then picked up and ended strong, delivering overall just like I knew Hillier would. There were a few twists in here I didn’t see coming and I enjoyed learning about Paris’ past just as much as I did learning about what happened the night that her husband died. While not my favorite of Hillier’s books this is solid as they come and I definitely recommend it!

I also want to note that I listened to this one via audio and it was fantastic. The narrator, Carla Vega, did a fantastic job and I would absolutely recommend this medium if audiobooks are your thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ALC and advanced digital copy to review.

Things we do in the Dark
by Jennifer Hillier
⭐⭐⭐⭐🌑

[Blurb] 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.

[Review]First off, this book comes with a fantastic content warning.

I thought I guessed what the 'thing' was for this book was about 20% in. but I was very wrong. Well, I had 1 thing right. It's always about money.

But honestly, this book has so many twists and turns, so many things that keep you guessing. I did expect for the ending to have a bit more oomph. There was so much build up that the ending was just sort of there.

I do like the fact that there are different points of views. I do like that there are different timelines that gave us a good but twisted view of what's happening.

Although I didn't give it all 5 stars, I do take a sick satisfaction on a kid really sticking it to their abuser. ::slow clap for Paris::

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this ARC audiobook for review. Thank you, Jennifer Hillier, for writing such a twisted tale. Thank you Carla Vega, for bringing all these characters to life!

This was a crime drama and was disturbing, intriguing and kept me curious. When Paris is arrested for the murder of her husband, she is worried her past will be investigated. For me, when it switches to a new story (that's really related to her past but we don't know that yet), I was trying to figure out why the author did a 180. Took me a bit to get into the story because I was wondering what happened to Paris. And of course, it all starts coming together and the dots get connected. Throw in abuse, bribery, money and murder and you have a solid crime novel. I enjoyed it.

The Things We Do in the Dark isn’t your average thriller. Following multiple POV’s and timelines, the plot definitely takes your attention; however, I felt like the beginning of the novel took too long to set up, especially because the “plot twist” was quite obvious (imo). Also, the advertising of the book focuses a lot on the suspicious death of Paris’ husband, but this aspect of the novel was sidelined until the very end. Pacing was off for me.

Not a bad book, if you are interested, give it a go, but didn’t do it for me.

2.5 stars

The Story: Paris Peralta is arrested for the murder of her celebrity husband, James Peralta. But what worries her the most is her dark past which may be catching up to her soon and she could end up with two murder charges.

My thoughts: The first chapter was so intense and got me hooked immediately! I liked the mystery surrounding Paris' husband death and was really curious to find out what happened.

We learned about Paris' story through the past and present timeline, and I find the present timeline was a tad more intriguing. Truth be told, the story dragged a lot for me, especially when parts of the story felt repetitive. This was a pretty good story, but unfortunately there were no jaw-dropping twists for me as they felt familiar and predictable to me.

I've read and listened to this book. The narration was wonderful and I would recommend the audiobook.

Although I did not enjoy this one as much as I did with Little Secrets, I will still read the author's next book!


Pub. Date: July 19th, 2022


***Thank you Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for this gifted reading and listening copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

I haven't read one of her books in a while and was curious. Glad to get the Audiobook from Netgalley. I was intrigued and interested in the first half but then it just became repetitive and drawn out. 🤷‍♀️. I kinda had a feeling of who had done it. This also has child rape, drugs and alcohol and abuse for trigger warnings. It does state these in the beginning also.

Jennifer Hillier has such a way with words! I absolutely love her writing style. I enjoyed how the book gave different perspectives from past and present. I felt like the story was told perfectly this way. Got a little bit of information a piece at a time, There were parts of this book that were absolutely heartbreaking. I felt so bad for Joey and what she experienced in her life. There were some things that I expected to happen. But it was written in such a way that it didn't even matter that I saw it coming. There were things that I somewhat expected but it didn't happen exactly like I thought. Then there were things that came out of left field that wasn't expected at all. As with any JH book, I greatly enjoyed this one and highly recommend it to others. My favorite characters were Joey, Paris and Drew. I wish we could have had a little bit more from Debbie and Belinda. But it seems this book was over ran with despicable people, unfortunately. I also like how there wasn't an epilogue. We were just kind of allowed free reign on how we wanted to interpret what happened once the book ended.
The narrator for this book really brought it to life. I never had any issue following which character was which.

I was surprised by this one, but I really enjoyed it! It was slightly too long, but I love love an alternating POV and dual timeline. The twists really just kept coming and I'm excited to read something else by her!

One thing that makes Jennifer Hillier’s work stand out is her willingness to make her characters flawed. Not just in a “well nobody’s perfect” way but she pushes even the most normal people to cross lines we’ve all subconsciously have agreed exist.

Though I wouldn’t classify this book as a thriller or to be as disturbing as her previous books, it is still entertaining and original. I would even say haunting in that way reading about humans at their worst leaves you feeling.

Paris comes off as quiet and even meek most of the time, but because of how cautious and careful she is with her secrets, we know there’s more there that we can’t trust. I found her not unlikeable but also I just never fully warmed to her. Some of the more interesting things about Paris were the circumstances she found herself in and not exactly what she did and said. I find it difficult to say characters are memorable when most of them seem to fall in the same boat. The Ice Queen was as evil as we assumed so there were never any surprises there. Drew talked about his podcast but we never actually got to know him enough but i did appreciate his resilience. I found myself cheering for no one in particular except Joey, the child in need of someone to take care of her for the first time in her life. Her story was truly heartbreaking and filled with so many monsters.

I look forward to Jennifer Hillier’s future books as she continues to be one of the best out there even if this one wasn’t my favorite.

I listened to the audiobook and Carla Vega did a great job. I look forward to hearing more of her work since I listen more than read these days. I knew when were switching to a different person, nothing felt over the top or monotonous.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Fun(ish) fact: Shortly after choosing Things We Do in the Dark as my BOTM add-on, I was approved to receive the audiobook from @netgalley! When given the option, I love to listen to the audio of a book while I follow along with a physical or ebook copy. I found that this helps me focus and comprehend what I’m reading quicker due to having dyslexia.

Things We Do in the Dark is my first Jennifer Hillier read and it did not disappoint! I was so happy that I had the audiobook version so I could get my house chores done because I didn’t want to stop! I NEEDED to know what was happening / if my speculations were correct. The intriguing, mysterious elements in the storyline will make you want to devour this book in 1 sitting. This book is a great example of why I love psychological thrillers so much!

Although it’s not related to the storyline itself, I think my favorite part of this book is that each chapter starts with a popular lyric of a song. This made me want to make a playlist of all the songs mentioned to listen to after.

Like most psychological thrillers, this book’s content touches on multiple dark subjects. Please feel free to DM me to discuss the possible trigger warnings if you feel some content may effect you. My page will always be a safe place for my followers with ZERO judgement.

If you’re a fan of Psychological Thrillers, I definitely recommend this book! I am excited to add more of Hillier’s books onto my endless TBR list. Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier book, ebook and audiobook will be released on 7/19/22.

Thank you @netgalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book has been marketed as a thriller, but it’s not at all. So with that out of the way I did enjoy the story. The story started off strong, the middle did drag a little and the ending was good. There was one twist that got me and that made me so happy. I actually cheered at the part when it was revealed. This is my second novel by Jennifer Hillier and she continues to impress me with her storytelling.

Narration:
The narrator for this story was very monotone for me and I ended up switching back to my book to read. So I can’t recommend the audiobook.