When I first saw the premise of the book I was intrigued. I’m not an avid Marvel follower, but I’m a huge Lisa Jewell fan.

Upon starting the book, I did think it was off to a little bit of a slow start. Once it got to around 20-25% I think it really picked up. I think this was partly because I was a little confused as to how the past perspective fit into the present. As soon as I kind of got a feeling for how it tied together I felt more invested in the story.

Overall, this story really kept me on the edge of my seat but due to potentially not having a full understanding of Marvel there was some confusion for me. For me it was a solid 3.5 stars!

I think this is a must read for both Marvel and Lisa Jewell (and other thriller fans)!!!

Thank you so much for this arc!

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell seamlessly blends the gritty realism of crime fiction with the captivating allure of Marvel's Jessica Jones. Set in the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, New York, the novel follows Jessica, a retired superhero turned private investigator, as she delves into a perplexing case involving twins whose behavior radically changes after a visit to the UK. Jewell masterfully intertwines themes of societal perfection, technological intrigue, and supernatural phenomena, while Jessica's dynamic with her apprentice Malcolm adds depth to the narrative. With its gripping plot, rich character development, and thought-provoking themes, Breaking the Dark offers a thrilling and immersive reading experience that will appeal to fans of both crime thrillers and the Marvel universe.

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Love Jessica Jones, unlike any Lisa Jewell book I have read before!!

Love this mystery sci-fi crime thriller so much!!

Just read it!!

Breaking the Dark kept me hooked. I finished the last quarter of the book in one sitting. It just kept getting weirder as questions were answered, instead of clearing up. I do like a weird book.

I haven't read the comics, just watched the shows, but I was able to keep up with it. There was alot going on, with multiple timelines, and more than one investigation in two countries. At first, I thought I wasn't going to like it, because after a chapter or two, it would switch from the main characters to some new character whose connection to the first story isn't clear. (I know, it's a mystery. It's supposed to be mysterious.) But I like Jessica Jones so much that I stayed in it, and I was glad I did.

I'm not going to go into the premise since that's well covered in the marketing, but I will say it was more fantasy than sci-fi, so that was unlike the series; it was also heavier on sleuthing and lighter on super-strength stuff, but it was a good balance. I didn't think that Jessica was as sarcastic and snarly as she was in the series, so I'm wondering which version is closer to the original comics character. She was going through a major life change, so that is a factor.

I don't know how it compares to the comics, but I think that most fans will like it. The author did say that she was a fan of the character already and read up on the comics before she started the book in an interview. If there's another book on this character, I'll read it. I will definitely be reading the Luke Cage book by S. A. Crosby and the Daredevil book by Alex Segura when they come out.

I am a big Lisa Jewell fan so I was eager to read this book. It is not a normal Lisa Jewell book though, it is a Marvel Avengers book. Specifically, it is a Jessica Jones book. She is a private investigator with super powers. I have to admit that I am not an Avengers fan but I tried to just go with it since it was Lisa Jewell. It was somewhat entertaining but just not my cup of tea I guess. Jessica Jones takes on a case that involves a mother who hires Jessica to look into why her twin teenagers seem different after returning for four weeks in England with their father. The twins seem”perfect “, their skin is flawless, they aren’t interested in their phones much, they are now straight A students, popular - all things opposite of how the twins were before their trip. Jessica travels to the UK to see what information she can find in the small village where the twins’ father lives. Being a Marvel story, we of course have supernatural elements in the story. Without giving away anything more on the plot, I’ll just say it just wasn’t for me - however, if you’re a Marvel fan you’ll probably love it! It had interesting characters and moved along well if you can accept all the supernatural aspects. I give the book 2 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. It is due to be published July 2, 2024.

Jessica Jones and her intern Malcolm attempt to solve the mystery of why a set of twins return from a UK stay as completely perfect people. Their skin, grades, everything has made a huge turnaround with no explanation.

Jessica travels to solve the mystery while Malcolm is her feet on the ground back in NY. As the crime and mystery unravel, two timelines meet and the result is unbelievable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Lisa Jewell for this ARC!

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell follows Jessica Jones, superhero private investigator, in the first of a series of novels based on Marvel characters. I loved the Netflix show with Krysten Ritter and David Tennant and couldn't wait to read this!

Amber Randall hires Jessica to investigate why her twin children are acting abnormal. They just came back home from a summer in England visiting their father and their physical appearance and behavior are off. Their skin is without blemishes, their teeth are perfectly straight and super white, and all of their personal tendencies are reduced to idly sitting until needed and staring up at the sky like they're looking for someone or some thing. They move through life as if they are robots and have no feelings of their own. Amber wants Jessica to get to the bottom of this and find out what really happened while in England. Nothing is what it seems and Jessica finds herself in over her head real quick when she makes it to the sleepy countryside village to investigate.

The first half of the book was a little slow but it picks up once Jessica goes to England and then I couldn't put it down! The backstory of other essential characters is interspersed in the chapters. I found that very interesting and it kept me around to see how it connected with present day events. The point of the villain's plot was a little underwhelming, it was a big lead up to a kind of disappointing endgame, but the characters were interesting and kept me intrigued.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was so cool I love that the marvel universe is coming into full length novels. I hope this is gonna continue because it was fun just seeing the characters again and seeing them kick butt and save lives. Also Luke cage being in it I give it 5 stars alone for that. All in all I loved it I hope its a series of books with the marvel characters because how awesome would that be.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
A mother comes to Jessica asking for help. Her children have been visiting their dad and have come back different. They have perfect skin and seem perfect and keep talking about Belle. She travels to find Belle. Polly is a beauty influencer creating products so you never age.
Jessica will soon discover what awful way this product begins. Will she get there in time to save the children?

My thanks to #HyperionAvenue #NetGalley and #LisaJewel for the ARC of #BreakingtheDark. The first in a promised new Marvel Crime series, Breaking the Dark introduces Jessica Jones, a private investigator and retired super-hero starting over in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. Times are tough, jobs are few and far between when a wealthy mother comes seeking her services. Amber Randall is worried that her 16 year old twins returned from a summer abroad with their father, changed. Suddenly, they are “perfect,” and that is most troublesome. They are not the same twins with their imperfect skin, poor grades, and tics. With a fat retainer, Jessica hops on the next flight to England, embarking on a wild ride. As an avid Lisa Jewel fan, I’ll admit it took me a minute to turn my sights to a Marvel super-hero novel, but once the shock wore off, the roller-coaster was most enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Marvel’s Jessica Jones being re-created into a novel series. I look forward to the next installment.

What a roller coaster ride! Lisa Jewell goes Marvel! Absolutely fascinating! What a page turner! A must for a Lisa Jewell fans, old and new!

I loved this one, truly, I had no idea the protagonist was to be an also-ran Marvel superhero; I had no idea who Jessica Jones is.

Her distressing background is mentioned but that’s about it. She *does* use her superpowers a few times but overall she’s just who she is, a detective.

There are two timelines and two separate sources of no-good to be aware of.

Life lesson: it’s 2024; all the Zoomers want to be influencers. Influencers: easy money but moral value is certainly questionable.

This is to be the start of a Marvel superhero series. Next up is Daredevil,

“Breaking the Dark” by Lisa Jewell was a complete departure from my preferred genre, psychological thriller. Generally speaking, I try to avoid books that incorporate sci-fi or supernatural themes. I made an exception in this case based on how much I’ve liked previous books by this author. I’m very glad I opened my mind as I completely enjoyed this book and finished it in two sittings. Jessica Jones was presented as a flawed but real and sincere heroine trying her best to move past personal trauma to find her place in the world again while simultaneously defining and navigating a relationship with fellow superhero Luke Cage. As a native New Yorker, I appreciated the gritty portrayal of the city and felt a sense of place that rang true. While the plot got a bit convoluted at times, trying to tell the main story while incorporating a variety of social themes (e.g., objectification of women, detrimental impact of social media, depersonalization of interactions due to electronic communication), it still held my interest. While true fans of the genre might feel shortchanged by the minimal display of Jessica’s superpowers, it was just enough for me. I surprise myself by saying I’m actually looking forward to the next books in the Marvel crime series, particularly the coming Luke Cage book by one of my favorite authors, S.A. Cosby. If I could, this would be a 3.5 star book for me, but I’m happy to round up to 4.0 on the strength of Lisa Jewell’s writing.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Hyperion for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I really like Lisa Jewell, but I really LOVE Jessica Jones, so this was a no-brainer to request. What a wild ride this was. If you've read any Jessica Jones comics or seen the Netflix show, you'll find some familiar stuff here - Jessica's private detective agency, her trauma from past experiences with Kilgrave, her reticence to get close to anyone, and her single-minded focus on her cases. And this case is a very weird one - Amber Randall has noticed that her twin teenaged kids have come back from a summer spent with their father in England looking and acting very different. They appear almost airbrushed, seem obsessed with the word perfect, and seem very detached from reality. To get to the bottom of this, Amber sends Jessica to England, where she finds things to be even more complicated than she could have expected.
While we follow along with Jessica as she follows clues and interviews people in the small British village of Barton Wallop, we also get snippets of a story that started more than a decade prior and features very suspicious characters, some of whom seem to have either superpowers or magic or maybe both? It was really interesting to see some of the hallmarks of a Lisa Jewell book - English settings, unclear character motives, twists and turns and some red herrings - set in the Marvel universe. I wasn't completely shocked by the resolution of the mystery, but I still found it satisfying how all the threads wove together. Content warning for violence, murder (off-page), torture (mostly off-page), abduction... and probably more that I'm not even thinking of. A good read for fans of Jessica Jones, Lisa Jewell, or both (like me!).

"Despite a promising premise involving a private detective named Jessica and the intriguing mystery surrounding the behavior of returning twins, Breaking the Dark falls short of its potential. While the incorporation of AI into the thriller genre is refreshing, the plot feels unnecessarily prolonged, leading to a loss of interest. The characters, particularly Jessica, lack depth and fail to evoke a sense of connection or sympathy from the reader. The narrative, infused with elements of blood, psychics, and superpowers, feels disjointed rather than cohesive. Moreover, the underutilization of Jessica's supposed superpowers leaves much to be desired. Overall, Breaking the Dark earns a lukewarm rating of 2.5 stars, failing to deliver on its intriguing premise."

I enjoy some of the Marvel movies, but transparently know nothing about Jessica Jones so I wasn't sure if I was going to like this. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. This is easily a 4 star read for me as it was quite action packed and the pacing here was excellent. Man, I was really turning page after page. I'm interested to see how the rest of this series played out as it will be written by two other authors.

Thank you to Lisa Jewell, NetGalley, and Hyperion Avenue publishers for this ARC!

I've read almost all of Lisa Jewell's books. She is a fantastic author. To hear she wrote a Marvel book about Jessica Jones was a huge surprise, but I’m so glad I got a chance to read this! It was excellent. I've watched the Jessica Jones show, as well as the other Marvel series, so I know these characters well already. Let me tell you, this was like watching the next season of Jessica Jones, but in my mind. With Lisa Jewell's stylish and descriptive writing, the mysterious plot, and the hidden gems of other fan favorites and history, this was a treat to read.

When a wealthy Upper East Side woman seeks Jessica’s help, her world takes an unexpected turn. Amber Randall fears for her twin sixteen-year-olds, Lark and Fox, who have returned from a summer in the UK with inexplicable changes. Their once familiar habits have vanished, replaced by unnaturally perfect skin and altered personalities. Something has happened to them, and Jessica is tasked to uncover the truth.

Jessica’s investigation leads her oversees to the UK, where she encounters Belle, an enigmatic teenager living in isolation with her guardian, Debra. Belle’s connection to Lark and Fox becomes apparent, but is this girl responsible for their transformation? Jessica digs deeper, unravelling a web of malevolence orchestrated by evil geniuses. Since I'm a "no-spoilers reviewer", I'll just say the stakes escalate, and Jessica races against time to prevent widespread destruction.

I give this a 4.5 star. Exceptional work by Jewell who took a chance on doing something different and outside her normal genre.

You might have to set aside your believability factor and bring your open mind when you begin this book. Once you do that, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Breaking the Dark is a page-turner, but at about 50%, I could not imagine where the author was going with this story. My curiosity was going wild. The last 50% and the ending were terrific.
I can’t begin to summarize the story adequately; check out NetGalley or Amazon for that. Let me just say, I loved it. It was packed with fantasy, imagination, and make-believe that was somehow made believable.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Breaking the Dark.

I didn’t hate the book, but it definitely wasn’t for me. I love Lisa Jewell’s writing and even though I knew this wasn’t going to be one of her typical books, I still wanted to read it. Unfortunately I think it’s going to only appeal to a niche audience and not to every reader. For that reason I will give it 3 stars as I didn’t particularly like it and I know not everyone will either. The audience it’s written for will probably really enjoy it.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Hyperion Avenue publishers for the advance reader copy.

I loved this book! I'm a big fan of the Marvel Universe movies and always look forward to watching them and how they all tie in together. I have to admit to knowing next to nothing about Jessica Jones. I believe there is a Netflix show based on her character. I've never seen it, but I will definitely be adding it to my queue after reading this novel. I was enticed into reading this simply because it was written by Lisa Jewell and the next books in the series are written by S.A. Cosby and Alex Segura. These are some of my favorite authors, so I figured these stories had to be good. So far, I was right!

The plot of Breaking the Dark consisted of an interesting mystery that was dark, compelling and a little scary since we all live in a world where social media dominates our time and so many of us are obsessed with creating the image of perfection. I 'marveled' at the complexity with which Jewell portrayed Jessica's character. She is a superhero, yes, but most of the story focused more on her humanity rather than on her powers. It was quite endearing and showed that even superheroes are flawed and that we are all perfect in our own ways. Jewell did a beautiful job with this story, and I cannot wait to read the next one! I highly recommend this book! You don't even have to be a Marvel fan to enjoy it. If you enjoy a well-written mystery, then this book is right up your alley!

Thank you to the author, Hyperion Avenue, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!