Jennifer Hillier is an author I will always read and recommend, and I was excited to get into her latest book, Things We Do in the Dark. For those that have read her previous two books, the writing style of a slow-burn mystery with disturbing twists that throw doubt on the protagonist will feel familiar. In this story we meet Paris, the widow of a famous comedian who has died in their home, as she awaits trial for his murder. I’d classify this as the main thread throughout the book, but it is not the sole focus.

While Paris is working on her defense and trying to regain her memories from the night her husband died, there are flashback scenes to her childhood and it’s clear she has been near at least two other murders. While the reader tries to decipher whether Paris is responsible for any of the deaths, a few more characters enter the story to add tension and assist in solving the puzzle.

I’ll admit this was my least favorite of the author’s books, however it is still a catchy mystery. On the plus side, the premise is solid, the ending is satisfying, and the characters are well-developed. What holds it back from great for me is the amount of time spent on each character and the way we jumped between them – it messed with the pace a bit and made it hard to focus. That said, it was a 10+ hour audio book that I crushed in 2 days and her first two books set a high bar. If you are a fan of the author, I still recommend reading this and I am glad that I did.

Content warnings: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Suicide

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my review – I was so antsy to read this!

This was excellent. I’m not a huge thriller reader but I was just totally sucked into this the whole time. Slapped!

I was instantly hooked and excited to keep read Things We Do in the Dark. A celebrity murdered and his wife, Paris, is the prime suspect!
I continued reading and started getting distracted. This primarily happened during the back story part of the book. It lacked suspense and I forgot what the initial plot of the story was.
Once the podcast host, Drew, was introduced I had a hard time keeping track of being in the past or present.
I debated DNFing this book, but I decided to power through because of the hype around it. I kept thinking I must be missing something.
I don't think I would call Things We Do in the Dark a thriller, maybe more a heavy drama.
I could tell the author was a good writer, it just wasn't a book for me.

Publication Date: 07/19/22

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillian.audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started this audio book after hearing rave reviews from friends. I got to about 40% and I had to stop for the following reasons.

1. I am having a hard time with the way that the narrator articulates her words. Typically I can listen at 2.5x and for this book I had to slow it down to 1.75 just to be sure I wasn’t missing anything that she was saying.

2. There was a huge chunk of the first half that was flashback - almost too much flash back that I forgot what the main plot of the story was (Jimmy’s murder)

3. I was sometimes confused on if the book was in the past or present at certain times.

4. It felt like a large chunk of nothing important happening, why did Drew have such a large role in most of the first part of the book instead of Joey/Paris?

I hope that these thoughts are helpful, they are offered constructively not meant to be bashing the author or the book in any way.

4 stars

This is a nicely constructed thriller centering on a compelling main character's lifelong trauma and present circumstances. Folks who have access to the audiobook should opt for this version to get the added benefit of engaging narration.

Readers meet Paris, the m.c., when she has maybe just killed her husband, a much older, famous, wealthy individual, whom many assume she is using for stereotypical reasons. While what actually happened seems really unclear, what is unquestionable is that Paris's life is way more complicated than even these wild circumstances reveal.

Once readers start to see into Paris's past, it's impossible not to root for her. She has an incredibly troubled youth, thanks to an absolutely horrific and abusive mother, a series of her mother's boyfriends (she has a type: registered sex offender), and a group of utter failures as extended family members. Her young adult life isn't much easier, largely because of some of these earlier struggles, and it is fascinating to see how far she comes in some ways and how far she might fall.

There's a warranted TW at the top of this novel, and like all TWs, prospective readers should pay attention. As noted, Paris encounters monstrous individuals, and while there are limited graphic descriptions, there are many references and some challenging content, especially in conjunction with a very young Paris.

It's normally the pacing and the creativity that keep me coming back for more in thrillers, but this is a rare case in which the pointed drive for justice and gripping story of the main character helped me tear through the read in one fell swoop: a nice spin on a beloved genre, for sure.

I really enjoyed this premise, but unfortunately this audiobook fell a bit flat for me. I had really high hopes. I did enjoy it, it just wasn’t the over-the-top 5 star I thought it would be.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book. It wasn't my favorite book, and I did guess most of the twists, but it was still a fun read. It was my first from Jennifer Hillier and it definitely won't be my last. It was a page turner for sure.

Paris is found holding a straight razor in the bathroom with her husband dead in the tub and no memory of what happened.

I have to say that this story is about so much more than a woman accused of murdering her husband and the further along in it you get, the more you realize that. The alternating timelines worked really well in this story. I'm a little bummed that I was able to predict most of the twists, but it didn't take away from the story too much. All in all, this was a great novel with great audio. I liked Paris and found her to be realistic and relatable. Four stars all the way around.

At this point I shouldn’t be surprised by Jennifer Hillier’s talent in creating thrillers that have you sucked in from the first page. This one in particular exceeded my expectations from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the character development and twisted plot. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a thriller that you can’t put down!

"Because in the dark, it didn't matter. In the dark, it didn't happen." Wow. This was so dark and twisted… I loved it! Read it in one sitting. Check your TW (child abuse). It has a dual POV and a dual time line that is very well done (I get easily confused with this because I'm a fast reader, and it didn't happen with this one). It is a character driven psychological thriller, very predictable, but I was along for the ride! One little note is that I would have loved to see exerpts from Joey's diary (I kept expecting one to pop-up) instead of summaries of what was in there. The audio book was just as good as the physical copy. 10/10
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

I absolutely loved Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier so I was really excited when I saw this available to request. After reading the description I was definitely intrigued and this lived up to my expectations. Jennifer has a knack for making you second guess yourself and then throw in one last twist to completely throw you for a loop. This is told in a dual timeline style and I found myself interested in both timelines and couldn't decide which one was more intriguing. The characters were well developed because of the multiple POVs set in both the past and present. I really enjoyed the drama in this and couldn't decide what I thought happened. The multiple final twists really made me do a 180 and I really did not see them coming. I can't wait to see what Jennifer Hillier brings us in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two murders, decades apart, have more in common than anyone knows. Now Paris has been arrested for the murder of her husband, whom police find in a bloody bathtub behind her in the couples bathroom. Paris is holding a straight razor and covered in blood. It looks really bad for Paris, but she’s ,more concerned about someone uncovering her past and her connection to another murder, a quarter of a century earlier. Ruby Reyes was tried and convicted of killing her husband with the blade of an ice skate, now she’s out of prison and could blow what little is left of Paris’s life to hell. Hillier is an incredible author, she doesn’t shy away from some gore and violence, making her one of the foremost female voices in thrillers today

Paris is arrested in the bathroom in her home, covered in blood with her husband, Jimmy, deceased in the bathtub and she makes the mistake of answering the question if she murdered him with, “I don’t remember.” And thus Paris is put on trial for murder.

From there this book goes on to tell Paris’s tragic backstory and history of abuse and much, much more. It also goes on to tell of Paris’s relationship and marriage with Jimmy as well as the trial and subsequent arrest of her mother.

I really enjoyed the shifting POV’s and timelines for this book and at no point did I predict where this was going, it had be hooked and wanting more throughout the entire novel. This novel definitely deals with some heavy content including sexual assault (there is a trigger warning for content at the beginning) that I do believe will be too much for some readers. I do also believe some of the backstory could’ve been condensed and was a tad bit repetitive.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.

4 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank You to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and MacMillan audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Jennifer Hillier novel, and I can definitely say that I understand the hype surrounding her books. We are following Paris who has married into wealth. Her husband is a famous actor, who is much older than her. So when he ends up dead in their home, all signs point to her as the main suspect. Why wouldn’t she want his money? That is always the case, the spouse always kills for the money. However, what they don’t know is that Paris is only set to gain a million dollars, which is nothing in comparison to how much her husband is worth.

Meanwhile, in Canada a true crime podcaster is revisiting the case of the “Ice Queen Killer” as she is about to make her break from prison after years of serving time. We can’t even begin to guess all of the twists and turns that Drew will find along his investigation.

I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book, however as a true crime/thriller lover I guessed most of the twists, at this point that is not necessarily a bad thing for me, I am more interested in how the story will play out. And I really loved HIllier’s writing style, she kept me engaged from the first line on the first page. I finished this within 24 hours, because I needed to know what was going to happen, even though I guessed most of it…the story was one that you can easily get entangled in. I also LOVED that there were content warnings in the front of the book, as well as in the very beginning of the audio. I listened via audio as well as through a physical copy. I enjoyed the narration, the voice fit the story very well.

Overall, I really loved my time with the book and felt immersed into the story and the character’s lives. I give this a 4/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the audio Arc!

Jennifer Hillier does it again!! This was an unputdownable thriller with a unique storyline, intriguing characters, loads of suspense, and a mysterious atmosphere.

Paris Peralta wakes up one morning, in her bathroom, covered in blood with a weapon in hand. Her husband, a famous comedian and millionaire, is dead lying in the bathtub behind her. While Paris did not kill him, she is being arrested on the suspicion of murder. But, this conviction is not what worries her the most. Someone from Paris's past is blackmailing her, threatening to expose her secrets and life she left behind. At the same time, the story follows a Canadian investigative journalist, Drew Malcolm, who is centering the new season of his Podcast around "The Ice Queen", or Ruby Reyes. Ruby is being released from prison early, on grounds of the "me-too" movement, after initially convicted of a life-sentence for murdering her wealthy ex-boyfriend. The third storyline takes place in the past and centers around Ruby's daughter Joey and her life after her mother went to jail. As the story unravels the past and present timelines weave together seamlessly and keep you on your toes until the very last page.

The storyline was so brilliantly done, and I recommend it for all thriller fans! While I figured out one of the major twists early on, it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book and watching all the pieces unfold.

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: 7/19/22

My first Jennifer Hillier book did not disappoint! I would classify this more as a mystery than a thriller, and it has a very sensitive theme so I suggest checking trigger warnings before diving into it. While this one didn't have the big shocking twists (for me), I was roped in from start to finish. The way this one was formatted was really interesting. It is separated into multiple parts from different characters to look at the past to understand the present situation. The way the story was laid out was definitely handled well with this format and I liked getting more and more details of the past as the story went on. This story really starts out with a bang and gave me the thriller vibes, but then it falls into more of a mystery and almost a coming-of-age story while also shining light on a very real problem that happens way too often. I have recently figured out that I enjoy these sorts of mysteries/thrillers just as much as I like the major twist ones. I cannot wait to read more of HIllier's work.

Paris Peralta hasn't had the easiest life, but she has found peace in marrying the world-famous actor-comedian Jimmy Peralta. But when Jimmy is found dead in their home, Paris is immediately suspect #1. But being charged with murder isn't her biggest concern. If people start digging into her past, the secrets she has buried there may come to light ruining everything. Things get even worse when the convicted murderer Ruby Reyes is released from prison and immediately threatens to reveal all of Paris's secrets. Now, she must prove her innocence and fight to keep her past from coming to haunt her.

I loved the narrator for this! I was kept engaged from start to finish.



**Tw: child abuse, sexual assault, pedophilia, suicide

4.5 ⭐️. This was my first Jennifer Hillier book, and it certainly won’t be my last. This was very cleverly written, and while I was able to put most of the pieces together before they were revealed, I still really enjoyed how things unfolded. All of the sub-plots came together in a really smart, compelling way. The audio was very well done!!

This book is quite a journey trying to figure out who the "bad guy(s)" are. I really liked the backstory, it gave the book alot of depth. Loved the ending!

First off Jennifer Hillier is one of my favorite thriller writers and I was so excited to get approved for this one! I love that she shares the CW in the beginning of her books which really prepared me for this story! This one was was suspenseful, shocking and down right twisted and I could not stop listening. At times feeling like a dark love story alongside revenge. I always appreciate her Seattle settings and now eagerly awaiting what is next to come!

think this is my favorite book of hers I’ve read so far! Captivating thriller that will hook you from THE FIRST LINE (IYKYK)

Thank you NetGalley & Minotaur for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Paris Paralta is arrested for her husband’s murder. Tbh, things don’t look great for her. She was found in her bathroom, covered in blood, and holding a straight razor that seemed to be the murder weapon. Oh ya and her husband? He’s a famous comedian currently riding the wave of a comeback out of retirement. Meanwhile, investigative podcaster Drew is looking into a crime that hits way close to home. Ice Queen Ruby Reyes — who killed her lover with an ice skate — is being released on parole and Drew wants to get to the bottom of what happened that night and to her daughter Joey. These two storylines connect and everyone gets their answers — whether they like them or not.

Wow this book has everything (Stefon voice) — strippers, murder, missing person, mobs, and more. I truly am not sure if it was just me or not, but this was finitely a slow burn. The book starts with Paris before shifting to Drew — felt like starting a whole different book! It’s not long until things intersect. There are also like a lot of characters you get to know pretty well throughout the book so that also made it feel a bit slower paced — not that a slow burn is a bad thing! I also really liked the diversity in here — lots of yummy food mentioned too that made me hungry!