I love thrillers who give the reader everything they need to solve a whodunit on their own! This book takes a rags to riches story and adds heartache, pain and grit to its lead.

This is a story about a girl whose on at least her 2nd life.

I really enjoyed elements of this one- Hillier’s writing style always lands for me, and I the child-welfare elements were done really well… but I vastly preferred one of the narrative choices over the other, which was disappointing since the sections were long. Overall, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a thriller, but if you go in looking for a solid legal drama, you won’t be disappointed!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 💫 rounded to 4.

Thank you so much @netgalley @macmillan.audio @minotaur_books &@stmartinspress for the advanced e & audio copies

I thought this was an engaging and entertaining read. It kept my interest the entire time.

There is a lot of childhood abuse of all sorts that is exposed in this story. This can be difficult to read at times. However, I enjoyed the way the background explained some of the current situation. I did need to suspend my disbelief several times and take some things at face value. However, I was happy to follow along to find out what happened and see how the back story tied in.

I enjoy Hillier's writing style. I feel that she can draw you into a story and make you care about her flawed characters. She manages to make her characters relatable on some level even when you've never been in their situation because she is able to express emotions through the page that you can understand. So, even when a character makes a bad decision you still root for them. This is also why I am able to ignore some things that might not be completely believable or make complete sense.

This is only the second book that I have read by Hillier and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I listened to the audio narrated by Carla Vega. I think she did an excellent job and would recommend this format.

This was an amazing thriller. I consumed it in a day a half. The twists and turns were great. Just be warned that this book is full of difficult topics and please check the content warnings before reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio for access to the audiobook of Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier in exchange for an honest review. (Note: I also purchased a physical copy of this book via Book of the Month, but opted for the audiobook as my reading experience).

CW: child abuse, murder, sexual assault, rape, pedophilia, physical abuse, emotional abuse, toxic relationship, blackmail, fire, drug use, alcoholism, mental illness, self harm, see full list on StoryGraph.

Wealthy celebrity wife Paris Peralta was just arrested for her husband's murder. Did she do it? Has she killed before? The investigation into the case threatens to uncover all the secrets of Paris' deep dark past. All the while, she is being blackmailed by her own mother, who is about to be released from prison after 25 years.

This was twisty and a little too convoluted for my taste. Entertaining? Sure. High caliber enough to be a Book of the Month selection? I don't think so. This book explores the lengths that people will go for self-preservation, and I'm not sure that all of it was quite believable or rooted in reality.

The greatest compliment I cound give an audiobook ARC is going out and buying a copy because the story was THAT GOOD.

Enter: Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier, narrated by Carla Vega.

I'd like to take a moment and highlight the phenomenal work of Ms. Vega. I've listened to MANY audiobooks, and I can tell you with confidence that a narrator can make or break it, regardless of how good the novel is. I was sucked in immediately, and I listened to the whole audiobook in one day! Any audiobook that can distract me enough that it feels like I stepped into a time machine into the future when its over will always get my gold star of approval! I was washing dishes, folding laundry, mopping, cooking dinner, and having a GREAT time! That's saying something!

I highly recommend this audiobook for anybody who enjoys mystery thrillers!

An advanced audiobook copy was provided by the publisher @minotaur_books @macmillanusa via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

🔍 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.

🔍 My Thoughts 🔍

I'm a total sucker for mysteries and thrillers that follow messy wealthy women, and Things We Do in the Dark totally scratched that itch! Jennifer Hillier's latest release follows Paris, who finds herself in legal trouble after her celebrity husband dies. People start asking questions, and her own secrets threaten to come undone. Paris is a fairly shallow character, but this is done intentionally and I think it works for the story.

The biggest issue I had with this thriller was that it was predictable. As soon as the past timeline was introduced, the twists became pretty clear. It was still an enjoyable read, but if you prefer thrillers that keep you guessing, this one might not work for you.

If you're interested in this book, I highly recommend the audiobook! The narration is excellent!

3.5⭐️/5

Read/Listen If You Like:
🔪 Multiple Timelines
🔪 Multiple POV & Unreliable Narrators
🔪 Multiple Murd3rs
🔪 Manipulation of the Truth

Book Review:
What can I say except Jennifer Hillier is a queen of thrillers and I will read anything and everything she writes. I was so blessed to get an ARC copy of this one and she absolutely knocked it out of the park.

The way Jennifer weaves truth and lies to subtly manipulate The Truth to the Character’s Truth was so masterfully done.

Jennifer also knows how to give you nuggets to make you think you have it all figured out, but leaves enough detail out or tweaks the truth just enough to give you still a big plot twist and ending that you wouldn’t see coming even with thinking you have it all figured out. I also loved that she gives you that feeling of predictability where you think you get it, but really that was just another deception to keep you on your toes because that nugget you got right still kept you from the real truth in the end.

This book is full of characters you will love to hate and I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did if you choose to add it to your TBR!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillon Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book! I am so grateful to obtain a copy to read in advance of its release in exchange for my honest feedback!

This book was so good. Lots of different storylines that got woven together. A few things I could onto before they were revealed. The opening line was great! Definitely a good book!!

I loved the previous book out by Jennifer Hillier, which is why I read this one. I didn't enjoy this as much, but it was still a well developed thriller! I found this a bit more predictable and I also wasn't invested as much in so many of these characters. She definitely knows her genre and is great at writing thrillers you can't put down! It starts off with a hook and you can't stop reading until you know what happens next.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an advanced copy of the audiobook to read and review!

This is my first experience with this author and I have heard so many great things about her books. I'm glad I have finally read one of them because I really enjoyed it. I will say that this particular book is not a thriller, but more of a mystery and I believe her previous books may fall more into that thriller category. This book sparked my interest immediately and held my attention throughout. The author does a fantastic job of propelling the story with her writing style and the solid plot that culminates to a satisfying ending. When an author has a truly interesting story and then gets that ending right, it immediately makes that an auto buy author for me and this one did that for me. The narrator did a great job as well. I can't wait to read more from this author.

This title was consumed both by reading using Kindle and listening from the audio release on NetGalley.

TW: abuse, sex/ sexual references, crude and harsh language, drug/alcohol/substance usage, violence, crime, murder, suicidal ideations, missing persons, adult venues, corrupt foster care, etc …

Joey has lived a hard life with difficult people surrounding her. Her childhood was filled with disappointment as others resented her because of her existence. Joey was often downcasts when it came to priorities if her mother, who as she would say had a bad mother as well. Joey experienced events a child should never be a part of, and knew if she told anyone, no one would believe her.

Deborah is the light in Joey’s life.
Deborah gives Joey a glimmer of hope that she has never had. Joey sees that Deborah is genuine and authentic. Deborah is able to read through the lines and provide an extremely valuable outlet for Joey, by reading Joey’s diaries and advocating for her.

Ruby has what seems to be a selfish agenda as the role of her character develops.

Paris is caught in a whirlwind of emotions as she is questioned for and accused of her husbands death. Paris has been intentional to live and operate with a private life, however news of her marriage has leaked because her husband is well known in the public as a comedian. When asked if she killed her husband, her response was “I don’t remember”.

Drew has dealt with internal and personal turmoil since the night he left Joey, unknowingly for good. Drew seems justice for his friend Joey and seeks out truths.

“Lies were more easily believed than the truth.” (Chapter 38 / 84%)
“She didn’t murder Jimmy. She didn’t murder Mae. But she is a murderer.” (Chapter 45 / 94%)

Twisty. Thought provoking. Clever, yet Deceitful.

I really enjoyed this thriller! This is my second read from Jennifer Hillier, and she did not disappoint. As a fan of true crime podcasts, I love when they become a part of a book's narrative. Our story starts off with a bang with our main character, Paris, standing over her famous dead husband's body with a straight razor in her hand and police demanding she set it down. Paris has no idea what has happened or how she has found herself in this position. What an opener to a book. Paris' point of view and memories are so intriguing because I believed her to be completely innocent as a reader, but also knew there were some major secrets she was keeping. What are they and why is she keeping them?! All good things to feel and question when reading any mystery or thriller. I liked the route the story took letting us believe that it could be a few different characters responsible for Jimmy's death, including himself, and that each one was just as believable as the next. I really enjoyed the change of pace when we switched over to Drew's point of view and his connection to his next topic for his new season of his podcast, the Ice Queen. I liked learning about Joey and her past from the journals he is given by her social worker. I appreciated the jumps in time and piecing together how and why Ruby Reyes was relevant to Paris in the present. The majority of the twists were predictable, but enjoyable. This was a steady paced story that held my attention the whole time and unfolded all its secrets and answers at just the right time. The narrator did a great job voicing all the characters and bringing this story to life. It was a very enjoyable listening experience!

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I really enjoyed Carla Vega’s narration of this book! She did great with all the characters voices and made it easy to distinguish when she switched between characters. The story was very well written and I love how it seamlessly switched between timelines and had separate parts to show the distinction between Joey and Paris. The twists caught me off guard which I love and the book kept me engaged and wanting more the entire time! I would definitely recommend for anyone that enjoys psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators!

4.25/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

I actually started this one as a physical book to begin with, and had a hard time getting into it. When I started it on audio, however, I could not stop listening! I'm not sure what it was about the audio that pulled me in so much more than the physical book, but it had me hooked from the start.

Paris Peralta is arrested for the murder of her husband, comedy legend Jimmy Peralta, when she is found in their bathroom, next to his body and covered in blood. Paris is more concerned with the media coverage than being wrongly accused, however, as she has gone to great lengths to outrun her past and rewrite her story.

Meanwhile, Ruby Reyes, also known as the Ice Queen, is about to be released from prison after serving 25 years for murdering her own husband, and she might be the only person who really knows all of Paris's secrets. Through the tangled web of past and present, Paris must confront her past in order to clear both of her names.

I thought Jennifer Hillier did a phenomenal job of giving us enough background information on our characters, without making it drag on too far. The character development throughout was spectacular and Hillier wove such a tangled web it seemed impossible it would ever unravel. I really grew to love the younger character, Joey, and looked forward to any part of the book that return to talk about her. Overall, I thought this was a well-written story that kept me on my toes like a thriller but included evolving characters like literary fiction.

This was a perfect book on audio. The story was compelling and the narrator was right on target in translating the words onto pages. The mystery contains all the elements of a book you can[t put down--- unrequited romance, fire, wealth, drugs and relationships fraught with deceit.
I thought the author did an especially good job delving into abuse and all that the subject entails. She wrote in a very sensitive manner and brought more awareness to a prevalent subject.
I did think the "who did it" aspect was a little too predictable which detracted from the overall impact.

I cannot put a finger on WHY I didn’t love this book! The beginning completely hooked me. I thought the writing was great. These characters were all written so well, with the author seeming to have a full grasp on who they ere individually.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything about this that stood out to me. After the first part of the story gives way to other characters, though, it felt like a completely different book.

I enjoyed the reveal, though I was able to call it from early on. I am just saddened that I couldn’t connect with this one like so many others have.

Not even the stellar audio could help be love this book. It was just okay (the book, not the audio, which was fantastic).

I was very pleasantly surprised by Things We Do in the Dark. This is the first book I read by Jennifer Hillier and I will continue to pick up the books she writes.

I do want to point out right away that Things We Do in the Dark did not read like a thriller. To me it felt like a multi-POV Contemporary novel with a heavy mystery plot. Although it was slow to get started I easily became invested in several of the plot lines. At ~30 it became unputdown-able for me.

Jimmy Peralta, a famous comedian was found lying in a pool of blood in his own bathroom tub. His very young wife has been accused of his murder. Paris was found beside him holding a straight razor covered in his blood.
Paris has been running from a haunting past and the last thing she needs is publicly for this.

The timing could not be worst, a convicted murderer called the Ice Queen is about to be released from prison and Ruby, the Ice Queen seems to know something about Paris' past and that she does not want the rest of the world to know.

Things We Do in the Dark is not your typical fast paced thriller with multiple twists and turns. Instead it is a slow burning drama about family, secrets and trauma.

TW: potential suicide, child abuse, child neglect, rape

I’ve decided I need one thriller for every 10 romance books that I read, just to keep things interesting. And guys, if you are a thriller fan and haven’t read Jennifer Hillier, you are MISSING OUT! She never disappoints.

Told in duel timelines, it takes a bit to put all of this together, but once the story gets moving it is unputdownable! Technically a psychological thriller, it’s not scary at all and really felt more like a mystery. Throughout the story we are solving two different crimes in one. Hillier has a way of slowly developing characters, making you fall for them, and simultaneously question everything! Joey’s life was seriously heartbreaking. I was rooting so hard for her to find happiness. I also loved Drew and his devotion to finding answers. As with all of her books, there are very heavy topics and I found myself so sad throughout this book. 🖤

Much like her prior books, the audiobook pacing and narration really adding to the experience!

I absolutely love Hillier, and while this wasn’t my absolute fave of hers (the previous two are a lot to live up to), it’s my favorite thriller of 2022 so far! 4.5⭐️

Hillier is a trusted author for me, after enjoying both Jar of Hearts and Little Secrets, I was pumped to read her new book. This was such a letdown for me and a huge drag to read. It was beyond a slow burn and while I enjoyed the end it could have come about 100 pages earlier. This was unlike her past two and the twist was predictable. This felt more like a fictionalized “true crime” story with heavy triggers for abuse and assault. Unfortunately it’s not one I’ll be recommending.