4.5 stars

Okay. I'm 100% a Jennifer Hillier fan now. This is my third book read by this author and her books make me continually think about them days and days after reading them. Be warned of having long-term effects after reading her books!

Paris Peralta is arrested and charged of murdering her husband in her own home but unfortunately she doesn't remember a thing about such events.

Jumping from past and present timelines and uncovering a wonderous amount of secrets and twists that I never saw coming. This book is deliciously addicting and unputdownable - an absolute must add to any thriller lovers bookshelf!

Also, high appreciation that this book takes place in Canada!

Loved this book! It really gripped me right from the beginning and had unexpected turns that kept me guessing what was going to happen next.

Paris wakes up to police shouting her name in her bathroom as she is covered in blood and holding a razor blade with her famous husband dead in the bathtub beside her. She has no memory of the night before as she is brought into the station for questioning, looking very guilty given the state she was found in. She knows she didn't do it so the question now is who did, or was it a suicide? While trying to figure out her husband's murder there is a lot of backstory about Paris and who she was before which I thought was really interesting to learn about.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up

This book didn't really work for me. If it would have 2 times shorter, it would still have been too long. The whole thing is predictable from the first pages, but the author is taking the reader on a very long journey where there's a back story for every back story and every single person and so on...

A big thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Pressfor allowing me to read this book!

I loved this book! I went into it knowing absolutely nothing about it, other than that the cover looked right up my alley. Jennifer Hillier has been on my list to check out for a long time, and now I am certainly going to need to go read her backlist.

I was able to guess the twist pretty easily, but I do read a lot of thrillers. This didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story at all. I really enjoyed the in-depth examination of Paris’s dysfunctional childhood and how she got to be where she is. I’m all for family drama, even when it’s dark, and the multiple murder mysteries that unfolded in these pages. I also find thrillers focused around sex work to be extremely interesting–if you liked this aspect, also check out Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski.

Drew was my favorite character, and I do wish we got to see more of him and his podcast. I think the podcast aspect could have made this audiobook even better!

This was a well-paced, interesting thriller, and I can’t wait to read more by Hillier.

"There is a time and place for erect nipples, but the back of a Seattle police car definitely isn't it."

Audio Review: This is the first audiobook I’ve listened to that was narrated by Carla Vega. I enjoyed the production, and thought Vega’s narration did a great job of adding an air of mystery to the story.

Things We Do in the Dark is the newest thriller from Jennifer Hillier.

"Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom, covered in blood and holding a straight razor - with her dead husband in the bathtub behind her. She knows she'll be charged with murder and worries that someone from her past will recognize her and destroy the life she's built for herself.
Ruby Reyes, who was convicted of a similar murder 25-years-ago, knows the truth about Paris and threatens to expose her secret. Paris must finally confront her dark past once and for all."

Like many current thrillers, this book has dual timelines. We see what is happening with Paris and the murder charge and we also see what happened to Paris to get her to this point. And Hillier puts this character through some awful things.
One thing I love about Hillier's book is there is always an unexpected, crazy twist at the end. This book has a couple of them. (There's actually one in the middle you'll probably guess but it makes sense for the story.)
I found myself pulling for Paris and hoping she could have a great life without fear.

A tremendous audiobook preformance from Carla Vega. Great narration with a diverse cast of characters.

Another great book from Hillier.

This was my first Jennifer Hillier book, but it won’t be my last! Although I have to say I saw most of the plot twists coming, she did surprise me with the last one.

This book deals with suicide, child abuse, rape and what it’s like to work at a strip club.. It also never disappoints.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for choosing me to enjoy a audio arc of the extremely entertaining novel.

Take whatever your most highly anticipated summer release is and slide it on over, Things We Do in the Dark is the summer thriller you didn't know you were waiting for! When the death of legendary comedian Jim Peralta shocks the world, his wife Paris Peralta is forced not only to prove her innocence in his death but also continue to outrun the life she never wants to return to. When "Ice Queen" Ruby Reyes is released early from prison, knowing the true identity of Paris Peralta, will Ruby's plan to extort and blackmail Paris work or does Paris get the last word once and for all?

Wow. This is my first Jennifer Hillier book and I don't anticipate it will be my last. I listened to this as an audiobook and it drew me in immediately. Normally I listen to my audiobooks while driving, but I was so hooked that I listened to Things We Do in the Dark while cooking dinner, doing the dishes, taking a shower...you get the point.

The themes of this book are intense and the triggers warnings should not be ignored if you're affected by child abuse, child molestation and rape, murder and violence.

I was also surprised by how deep this story went into police procedure and crime mystery because I wasn't expecting it too but I felt it added depth and layers to the story. I found myself further invested in the stories of the secondary characters that I may have found passable in other books. Also, the big reveals were surprises to me and I always appreciate not seeing a plot point coming.

Overall it was a great read and I give it 5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier.

Paris is in shock as she sits in the back of a police car, being charged with her husband's murder. She was found standing over her older husband in the bathtub with a straight razor in her hand, it's not looking good. Add to that, she stands to gain a huge fortune from her dead, celebrity husband.

Not only is Paris now desperate to free herself from her arrest and public suspicion, but now she is terrified that the wrong person will start digging into her past, and uncover some very carefully hidden secrets.

Oh this was fun! Very intricately woven and unexpected. I loved the characters, and the plot was strong. Very fun beach read, if you like reading about murder on the beach.

I am new to Jennifer Hillier, but after the rave reviews her other books have received, I was excited to dig into this one! Things We Do in the Dark was very well written. I was hooked from the beginning and immediately invested in the characters. I liked that the story was a good mix of both the present and past with flashbacks into Paris’s life. You liked the characters you were supposed to like, despised those you weren’t supposed to like, and were afraid or skeptical of others. They were all described in a way that they felt like actual people.

I listened to this one on audiobook. The narrator definitely grew on me! The way she gave life to different characters was nothing short of impressive. My only critique would be the audio recording quality itself. There were some places in the story where it felt choppy and seemed like the recording was pieced together from multiple recordings mid-sentence. a few times, the narrator would mid-sentence and there would be a long pause followed by her voice sounding far away. It happened enough that it was definitely noticeable.

I gave this one 4/5 stars due to predictability. While it was well written, there wasn’t anything that was much of a surprise or twist in the plot although I think the author intended some things along the way to be a surprise. I would definitely recommend this book! It will keep you hooked from the start.

3.5 stars, rounded up. I have this book in print but decided to listen to it on audio, and I’m glad I went that route because I loved the narrator! I think her tone was perfect for this genre of book, and I would happily listen to other books she narrates.

The story itself is good, but not great. I enjoyed the characters and the plot, but I disliked how heavily reliant on trauma the whole thing is. For one of the characters to just expect every adult man to rape her is insane; I understand that’s a trauma response but she seemed to be correct in most cases, and I’m not sure it’s fair to paint every man as a pedophile and/or rapist. Obviously there are good men in the book, but this really stood out to me as improbable. Maybe I’m wrong and the world really is that terrible of a place, it’s certainly possible!!

Anyways, I digress. I liked Paris as a character, and I enjoyed the structure of the novel, with flashbacks interspersed throughout. Having multiple mysteries for the reader to chew on was also sort of fun. I think this is a great summer read for anyone into thrillers, and I do highly recommend the audio version!

Thank you to Jennifer Hillier, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

This book has gotten alot of divisive reviews, but sorry not sorry, I really loved it. Jennifer Hillier remains a queen of psychological suspense, and long may she reign…. 👸🏻!

I went back and forth with giving it 4 stars or 5; because genuinely, I think it’s an incredible novel, it kept me hooked and turning the pages and dying to know what was going to eventually happen to Paris Peralta, regardless of how unreliable of a narrator she was, I empathized with her.

I guess I can see why some people wouldn’t like it, because it starts off so strong, I mean, the best first chapter of a thriller I’ve read in a while; and she’s got you hooked….and then all of a sudden 20% into the book the POV shifts, and then there’s alottttt of back story there that Hillier decides to include, and I think in my opinion it was necessary for a creative standpoint to get to her gut punch ending.

So yes, pacing wise it did slow down some in the middle, and I predicted a few of the twists, so that’s why I decided to go with 4 stars instead; but damn, it’s just a really good book in my opinion, it was entertaining to say the least and I’m already clamoring for what Jennifer Hillier delivers to us next; she is a bo$$!

This was a really well-written story, well-flushed out, and interesting. I really enjoyed the character of Paris and learning about her background and how she has risen to who she is now. While I liked the book, I did figure out the twist early on (and I am no Sherlock Holmes) and nothing surprising/unexpected happened. More than a thriller, I felt like I was reading the backstory of a someone's life, more so than working towards an enlightening/suspenseful plot. Reading this book during a sunny summer break may have been a bad choice as it was such a heavy read with one sad event after another with no shocking surprises to make it really worth it...if that makes sense?

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/3

Nope.

Paris Peralta was arrested while covered in blood and holding a straight razor while her husband’s dead body was found in the tub. She knows she will be arrested. She knows what this looks like so why is so more worried about her past coming back to haunt her. What if someone sees her on TV and recognizes her?

Ruby Reyes a.k.a. the Ice Queen was arrested for similar murder. Reyes knows who Paris is and upon being released from prison threatens to expose her.

This sounded so juicy and having loved Hillier's other books, I thought this would be a no-brainer for me. But it was slow, dragged, and never failed to wow me. While listening to the audiobook, I wondered if it was my mood, the narrator (I don't think so) or something else, but this one just failed to hit the mark with me.

Others are enjoying this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jennifer Hillier is one of my auto-buy authors and her newest novel, “Things We Do In The Dark” is another page turning thriller. I alternated between reading and listening to this novel. The narration was very well done and kept my attention. I found myself not wanting to put down this book or push pause on the audiobook. The twist at the end was fantastic and satisfying.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this! In classic Jennifer Hillier fashion, this is a dark and twisty mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end!

The narrator was really good as well, but I definitely recommend using a higher speed as the audiobook had a slower moving feel than I think the story does.

Jennifer Hillier always creates characters with lots of depth and layers and I always love that about her stories! No one character feels “cookie cutter” and it adds to the mystery of her plot lines, and Things We Do In The Dark is no exception!

Also, make sure to check out the trigger warnings as this does deal with some difficult topics (that Jennifer provides at the beginning of the story).

There are (rightly so) so many trigger warnings before this story begins. It's basically a story about Ruby Reyes,a mother who is abusive to her daughter because her mother was abusive and that's what she learned. It's the story about how Ruby's daughter survives as a damaged person. I love how the author makes the reader just have to find out what happened and what the death of a famous comedian and his surviving wife, Paris Peralta, has to do with Ruby and her daugther. This might be my favorite from Jennifer Hillier. I enjoyed the narration as well. July 2022 Pub Date

𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕎𝕖 𝔻𝕠 𝕀𝕟 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕒𝕣𝕜 ⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 19th 2022

𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 💭:

Things We Do in the Dark is a dark thriller about the wife of a famous comedian (who is found murdered) and her dark and hidden past. 🍒

This was my first book by Hillier so I had nothing to compare it to — BUT I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

This book is broken into six parts and I found them all to be riveting. The book tackles some very dark themes but I was very invested in the characters that I wanted to keep going. Hillier’s writing style was flawless; the way she weaves multiple stories together was an experience!

I switched between audio and physical and the narrator @iamcarlavega was great!

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁: 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 🩸⛸

Thank you @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for my audio of #thingswedointhedark #netgalley #jenniferhillier #macmillanaudio

I’m. Speechless. This in audio, was SO GOOD that I’ll will be ordering the physical copy when it releases on JULY 19th. I can tell a lot of love went into writing Joeys character. Joey is ruthless and smart and she will stick with me for a very long time.

Read this if you enjoy:
Twists
THRILLERS THAT THRILL
Blackmail 😆
A 25 year split timeline
Questionable murder charges
A shocking and satisfying end

The only reason I gave this title a 4 and not a 5 is because I had trouble distinguishing between all the characters and side characters after about 20 percent in and it took me a minute to catch my bearings. But once I did I was all in and couldn’t wait to get to the resolution. And let me tell you, THE. END. WAS. 🔥

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my Advanced Reader Copy of Things We Do in the Dark

Things We Do in the Dark was a super good time! I gotta give a big thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

While it was a pretty slow burn, I was entertained the whole time and my interest was kept from beginning to end. I loved the multiple timelines and POVs we got with this story; I think my favorite timeline was the one in present day with Paris. It’s interesting, though, that Drew and his podcast were not mentioned at all in the synopsis considering how big of a part that actually was to the whole plot, but not knowing this beforehand did not take anything away from the story.

I will say my biggest critique is that I wish the audiobook had multiple narrators so all of our main characters had their own voices as that would’ve given so much additional depth to the story, but that critique is very small as the story was good as it was.

I definitely recommend this book to my mystery/thriller lovers, my true crime/podcast fans, or anyone that likes a really good puzzle!

4.5 stars! I listened to THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK by Canadian author @jenniferhillierbooks and I loved it! Thanks to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for my ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. This one publishes July 19!

Thrillers are always hit or miss for me on audio, but I’m glad this one worked for me! I really did enjoy this listening experience. Even with one narrator, I could still follow easy enough when it was different characters speaking.

Hillier weird some crazy books and you can never guess how it’s going to end, or really what to expect. You just have to go along for the ride and hang on tight! I love how she included trigger warnings in the beginning of the book, because the twosome heavy and gruesome topics discussed in this book. If you have read any of her other books, some of them you will more familiar with.

This book is full of twists! I didn’t expect the ending, nor just how it all came to be, which I always love in a thriller! The only reason I knocked half a star off, because it felt just a little slow to me. That could just be the audio experience for me tho!