One great thing about having such a long commute every day this week, I should be able to whip through several audiobooks. Today I finished THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK, by Jennifer Hillier and narrated by Carla Vega.

Paris Peralta is arrested as soon as she wakes up. But just because she is beside her celebrity husbands dead body, covered in his blood, and holding his straight razor doesn’t mean she did it, does it? And as bad as this is, she’s concerned things will get so much worse if her long hidden past is uncovered.

A true crime podcaster is set to dedicate a show to a convicted murderer about to be paroled, when the felon informs him that aspects of Paris’s case may be of personal interest to him. Turns out, he becomes quite interested, but will he keep her secrets or will he expose them for his ratings?

This audiobook was great and I give it 5 stars! The story flowed smoothly and circled around so everything was addressed by the end. It was all I could do today to not cancel my plans and just listen to what was left in it. The narrator was fabulous, too, and nailed the accents and each character had a distinct voice.

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gift of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I truly appreciate it.

You know that feeling after reading a book you love and you actually end up holding it and kind of giving the book a hug? Yeah. I did that after reading Things We Do In The Dark.

Jennifer Hillier has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and is a master at psychological suspense and delivers the best storylines full of shockers! This one had just as many twists, and I loved the insight into the past and present as we discover what really happened to Paris Peralta’s husband.

The quick blurb grabbed my attention right away, and I needed to find out how Paris was discovered covered in blood holding a straight razor with her husband dead in the bathtub.

Years earlier, Ruby Reyes is convicted of a grisly murder that falls closely in line with Paris’ conviction, and Paris must now confront her dark past.

I flew through this book, and I’m obsessed with the glow-in-the-dark review copy that gave me the creeps more than once after reading at night and saw it glowing on my nightstand ha!

*I loved this book so much that when I saw it was available on Netgalley as an audiobook, I downloaded it, and loved the narration. This will definitely be in my top reads for 2022.

*Thank you Minotaur/Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy.

@jenniferhillierbooks has done it again👏🏼 She has quickly become one of my favourite authors, a master at phycological suspense.

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

I mean if that didn’t hook you then I don’t know what else will. Just know that Hillier has a way of bringing all her characters to life, they’re flawed but there is so much emotion within her words you will not be able to put this book down.

To top it all off this book is set in Toronto, which I think should be the #1 selling point to this book because we need more Toronto in fiction!!

This was an enjoyable read. It was a great story with multiple twists. I took off one star because I felt they were all very predictable. What about you? Did you figure it all out?

I loved this thriller and spent lots of time while listening trying to put the pieces together. The audiobook was narrated so well and I felt like I was in the story, fully immersed. It was a WILD plot twist to find out the connection between Paris and Ruby, and the rest of the story also surprised me!
I enjoyed this and would recommend it to my friends and family.

TW: rape, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, incarceration, arson

Oof. This one was a doozy. We start off with Paris. She wakes up in the bathroom with her dead husband and the police accusing her of murdering him. We learn all about their relationship and the troubles he was having, leaving us wondering what really happened.
Part two starts with Drew. Drew is a podcaster with a large following. He talks about true crime and is going to be doing a story on Ruby, the Ice Queen, getting out of prison. He knew her daughter years ago, and has never forgiven himself for what happened to her. He won't let Ruby try to restore her reputation when he knows what kind of person she really is. As we delve deeper into the past with him, we are uncovering all the secrets that were covered up so many years ago.
I have to be honest and say that I saw all the twists coming very early. I still really enjoyed this book though because the writing was very good. I am not sure I would classify this as a thriller but more of a family drama. I really loved Drew and Paris and loathed mostly everyone else, but I also felt badly for what Paris went through as a child. There are triggers here, but they are not very graphic and I think are done very well.
The narrator did an excellent job with this book. I felt like I was experiencing it first hand.
Thank you to Netgalley and Jennifer Hillier for an early copy.

✨ Review ✨ Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier; Narrated by Carla Vega

I like thrillers to be pretty spaced out in my reading lineup because too many in a row and some of the novelty wears off for me. This one hit as a decent albeit somewhat predictable thriller for me. At some point the surprises wore off and it just continued on. I liked the multiple viewpoints and the concept seemed interesting; it was just missing a bit of the jaw-dropping surprise factor for me.

3.5 ⭐️

Read this if you like:
⭕️ fictional celebrity-adjacent stories
⭕️ multiple narrators in thrillers

Thanks to MacMillan Audio, Minotaur Books and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars! This book was so good! I have read so many “meh” books lately and this one was a delight! There are multiple story lines in this story (3 to be exact). I have seen some reviews that they were confused, but I did not feel this at all. The book opens with Paris finding her husband, Jimmy, dead in the bathtub and is then the murder suspect, and Drew, a murder podcast journalist. . Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5 stars

This is my first book by Jennifer Hillier, but boy was it such a good read! There were some parts of it that I figured out in the story but some parts that I was absolutely blown away by. This was such a captivating book and I could not get enough of it. I usually don't like books that jump back and forth in time but the way that Jennifer set this story up, just worked and flowed really well. There are a lot of layers to peel back with this story but everything ties in. There was just one part of the story that had me wondering if more would have progressed in the story, but it was only a small part that was not really necessary. Overall, if you are looking for a quick read that grabs you and leaves you wanting more this is for you!

Things We Do In The Dark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I finished up this audiobook in only a few ‘sittings’ JH has a way of making you flow through her books quickly.
Murder, Murder, Murder! Why is it that in every decade there’s a murder in Paris Peralta’s life? In the dark, we really see how the trauma of our pasts never let us go.

Great storyline with those unexpected twists. I love guessing ‘whodunnit”! Creative and well developed characters throughout the story. Even with a lot of back and forth through a couple of decades, you never lose sight or get lost in what’s going. That’s talented writing! This is one to pick up! If you haven’t read Hillier’s Little Secrets, I highly recommend that one as well. Was a favorite of mine from 2020.

Thanks @macmillanbooks for the listen!

4.5/5 stars. I’ll be honest, I saw the big plot twist coming from a mile away, but I did not suspect the murderer at all. I enjoyed the many mini plots within and the flashback timeline. This book looked at a lot of interesting ethical questions around murder and abuse and what constitutes a victim. I would have loved an epilogue to see a glimpse into the future, which is the only thing I really felt was missing. Great for any mystery fans!

Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier is a mystery thriller about a young woman, Paris Peralta, accused of killing her much older rockstar husband. Found covered in blood, Paris has no idea how this happened, or does she?

This is my first audiobook review. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the experience as I’m very much a reader, not a listener. I was pleasantly surprised to find that audiobooks make the perfect road trip accompaniment and this thriller kept my attention. I rate this 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Reviewed: July 25, 2022. Novel Publish Date: July 19, 2022.

This book started off with a bang and had me hooked from chapter one. I was so intrigued by Paris’ story and needed to know who killed her husband. I liked that the book was told in dual timelines and trying to figure out how they were connected. Although, I was able to predict one of the twists, I was already invested enough in the story and had to keep reading to know who killed Jimmy Peralta.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Carla Vega, who did a great job with bringing these characters to life. I normally prefer multiple narrators when there are dual timelines, but Vega was able to voice each differently enough that I wasn’t confused. I highly recommend the audiobook.

This was my first Jennifer Hillier book, but certainly won’t be my last. Thank you Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for me honest review.

smart and captivating psychological thriller that is unputdownable. Hillier has done it again! She always manages to grip me and keep me turning the pages late into the night. With her characters, as well as the atmosphere she creates.I couldn’t stop reading until the very last page. Suspenseful and mysterious, with intriguing characters and timelines and POVs.

Jennifer Hillier writes some of the smartest, twistiest domestic suspense novels I have read. I loved "Little Secrets" and feel that "Things We Do in the Dark" will be just as much of a hit!

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. I think that it is less thriller/mystery and more just novel. There were some twists but they all seemed fairly obvious. I also found a lot of the characters pretty annoying. Overall it just wasn’t for me but I understand why people liked it.

I have to tell you that this audiobook gripped me instantly. I was immediately drawn into the amazing narration and the story. There is something unsettling the whole way through. You know you are going to be surprised by what happens, but the story is told in an unrushed and deliberate way. You are invested in the characters and what they have gone through. You understand right away why they must get to the truth. All the characters are fleshed out beautifully. A compelling and engaging listen!!! A brilliant story and amazing narration of the book!

I was so excited for an early audio copy Things We Do in the Dark after enjoying Little Secrets so much. With a young wife arrested after being found standing with a razor in hand over her husband’s dead body, the book was off to an intriguing start. Unfortunately, my interest waned as the story continued and it didn’t live up to the early hype for me. I felt it lacked any surprise twists, tension, or suspense and the backstories just seemed to drag on and on and on. I definitely still intend to read Hillier’s early work Jar of Hearts and I would request anything by her again in the future. Things We Do in the Dark just didn’t have the WOW factor I was expecting from this author, though I think there will be plenty of readers who will like this book.

Carla Vega was excellent as a narrator with a very pleasant voice to listen to.

🎧 Things We Do In The Dark by @jenniferhillierbooks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️•⭐️

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the audiobook of #ThingsWeDoInTheDark and the glow in the dark cool nail polish 💅🏽

🌙𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 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.

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… Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.

Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.”

🌙 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤: As all the others Hillier book this one just feel complete. This dual timeline story, the plot, the writing, the suspense, is everything you look for a psychological thriller. I also loved the layers this book uncovered; my favorite parts of a book is when the authors gives us and undeveloped MC and then we see it grow and become powerful throughout making it thought provoking and gripping.

🌙𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: by the magnificent @iamcarlavega was just that! Perfect, perfect, perfect. I was fascinated by her talents and the way she moved the story forward and up complementing the great book this is.

🚨🚨🚨 Child abuse, sexual abuse, suicide, murder, substance abuse and mental illness. 🚨🚨🚨

✨ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀғᴜʟ ǫᴜᴏᴛᴇ: “You are a man - his mother used to constantly reminds Drew when he was growing up- be mindful of how you appear to women and keep your distance unless invited, think of how your sister will feel.”

🌙𝑃𝑢𝑏 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒: Out Now!

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#ThingsWeDoInTheDark #JenniferHillier #macmillanaudio #audiobook #magicallybookmarked

✨Things We Do in The Dark ✨
▪️Read July 2022▪️ 🎧
By Jennifer Hillier

It was like I couldn’t listen to this book fast enough!! But then I had to slow it down so I could follow all the ‘wait, what?!’ moments. I really enjoyed Little Secrets by this author and was super excited to see this new book available on NetGalley.

I’m struggling with how to review this book without giving away any twists/turns…but here’s my attempt!

Paris Peralta is being charged with the murder of her husband, Jimmy Peralta, a well known comedian. She was found in the bathroom with Jimmy, covered in his blood and holding a straight razor. Although it seems like there is no doubt Paris did it, she doesn’t think she did, at least she can’t remember if she did. The crazy thing about this whole media frenzied case is that this isn’t the craziest thing that has happened in Paris’s life.

As Paris is being tried for the possible murder of her husband, Ruby Reyes, Ice Queen, is about to get out of jail on parole…she was convicted of a similar murder charge 25 years ago. Ruby Reyes knows who Paris really is and she’s ready to make her pay to keep her secret quiet.

I just reviewed Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier. #netgalley

#thingswedointhedark #jenniferhillier #bookworm #book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #audiobooks #audiobooksofinstagram #audiobooksarebookstoo #justkeepreading #goodreads