Jessica Jones, superhero-turned-private investigator, has been commissioned to investigate some strange goings-on for twins, Fox and Lark. Ever since they returned from a summer with their father, their mother has noticed that they feel artificial and perfect.. too perfect. Jessica, with the help of her teenaged neighbor-turned-apprentice, must travel to the English countryside to learn more about what might have happened last summer in the small town of Barton Wallop. There, she will decipher a centuries-old mystery, and learn what it takes to become truly perfect.

I had previously read, and mostly enjoyed, Then She Was Gone--although quite dark and violent, it was an entertaining book club choice and left me feeling hopeful for this book. Further, as a Marvel fan (albeit having never seen the Jessica Jones series), I was immediately intrigued by the introduction of a mystery anthology series based on familiar characters. Unfortunately, this book fell pretty flat for me right away, and never quite regained my attention. The book immediately began with disjointed writing that sounded unnatural and disjointed--it was hard to shake that this book might have been written with AI-assistance. This is not the author's fault, but I also have a hard time getting invested in stories about apps, filters, AI, or similar technology that Gen Xers think are the only things that young people care about. I also got a little lost with Jones, herself--her powers were never truly explained in the book, rather just alluded to, so as someone who was unfamiliar with the character to begin with, I felt myself left behind or Wikipedia-ing character lore. On a positive, I do feel like the big reveal did not come too quickly, but rather enjoyed being able to pick up clues in each chapter and flashback.

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for this book, I am not completely turned off by this series, and am looking forward to giving the next installations another chance. I do plan on recommending this series to serious Marvel fans, with caveat.

This book was obviously different than other Lisa Jewell books I have read. While the superhero aspect was not something I necessarily was super interested in beforehand it definitely was an interesting read! The mystery aspects were great and the characters were easy to follow despite not having super in depth Marvel knowledge! Excited to see where this series continues and certainly enjoy Lisa Jewell’s writing style!

Thanks to netgalley, Lisa Jewell and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book. I absolutely love all this marvel. I fell in love with the premise and the twins. I didn’t want this book to end and I loved how it went from past to present

I requested the ARC based on it being a Lisa Jewell book and not realizing it was part of a Marvel series. Not being a Marvel fan, I was worried I would not like it. I was pleasantly surprised. This was a great book! It has a lot of action, great characters, and a fun story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell never ever disappoints. I can’t put her books down when I read them, I always make sure I have enough time to read when I pick up a LJ novel because I just know that I’m going to be engrossed in her books and this one was no different. Diving into the Marvel Universe and learning more about Jessica Jones and getting to start the world building behind Jessica Jones and her life as a detective, struggles with addictions, depressions, and other flaws, I was super entranced throughout the whole book. I love reading crime fiction, and delving out the Marvel Universe even more made me so happy because I’d rather read it than watch it. If you have time to read Jessica Jones’ story, this is just the beginning, and you should get with it!

Definitely not the usual Lisa Jewell book. I have to say I DNFd around 35% and think that it just wasn’t for me but I can see many people enjoying it.

Lisa Jewell is a fantastic storyteller, and Breaking the Dark is another testament to her talent. Jewell brings her signature depth and character-driven narrative to this novel, making Jessica Jones feel raw, real, and compelling. Her writing is immersive.
That being said, I went into this book unaware that it was set in the Marvel Universe, which isn’t typically my genre. While I’m more drawn to textbook psychological thrillers, I can still appreciate how well Jewell navigates the world of superheroes, blending action with deeper emotional stakes. Fans of Jessica Jones and superhero fiction will likely find this an engaging and well-crafted read.
I would recommend to those who love fast-paced action & complex protagonists,
Even though it wasn’t quite in my wheelhouse, it’s clear that Jewell’s storytelling prowess shines through, making this a great choice for Marvel fans and action lovers alike.

First of all - I am a HUGE Lisa Jewell fan. However, this journey into the Marvel universe threw me for a loop. By the end of the book I was so into it but I am not familiar with Marvel so I was all Aliens? AI? Witches? what is happening!

First and foremost I am definitely a Lisa Jewell fan, so I was VERY excited to be approved for this ARC. However, when I requested, I did not realize it was Marvel related and wasn’t sure what I would think once I saw that. Now that I finished this book, I would absolutely recommend to anyone that loves a good mystery/thrilled regardless of whether you are a Marvel fan. That part was very minimal. This is a story of Jessica Jones (a superhero no longer in action) and her business as a Private Investigator. She is hired by a wealthy mother when her twins are acting very different upon returning home from a summer with their father in the UK. I love the back and forth of Ophelia, Polly and Arthur’s story to the present day mystery. As the plot develops, you find yourself wondering “what would a perfect world be like?” I will definitely be adding the next book in this series to my TBR.
Thank you to @NetGalley, @HyperianAvenue and @LisaJewell for this ARC in exchange for my thoughts.
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Unfortunately I DNFed this. I just could not get into it, which is a shame cuz I love Lisa Jewell. I think it was the genre, I can’t read sci-fi ish books, they’re boring.

I really enjoyed this book! I love the storyline and how everything came together, along with the mystery of the story. I am not a Marvel fan, but didn't feel like I needed to be to read this. The book kept me engaged and wanting to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Ave Books for the opportunity to read this book!

This isn’t the type of book I would normally read and wasn’t sure if I would like it, but was drawn to it because….Lisa Jewell, of course!

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would and love the main character, Jessica. Great storyline, kept my attention from beginning to end, and was a fun reading adventure!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I do like me a Marvel tale lol. I am not a huge Jessica Jones fan, however, but do like Lisa Jewell! So I decided to give this book a try, and while I commend the author for trying something a little different than her regular thrillers, this one fell a little flat for me.

I feel like the book was entirely too long for what was given. The plot was interesting and threw a little bit of a creepy, vampiric/immortal element into it, but if all of the conversations could have been condensed it would have gotten the point across and went by more smoothly.

I do like the premise behind it on how social media is running and ruining our lives, especially when it comes to depicting this fake image and lifestyle while also praising the "immortality" of the "beautiful" when things are heavily filtered and doctored.

It was all in all an interesting read, I don't think I'll jump for the second book in the series right away, but may pick it up eventually as it seems they will each be written by a different author.

I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It was my first Lisa Jewell book but definitely won’t be my last. The writing was great and I was pulled into Hell’s Kitchen and it’s corrupt normal. Jessica is funny, bad ass and the right amount of self deprecating.

Entertaining from start to end. If you're a Marvel fan this is a book for you. Lisa Jewell brings you into the world of Jessica Jones and takes you on a journey. The writing style was good. Kept me eagerd to know what was next. Fantastic plot. Looking forward to book two.

Honestly, every time I watch a Marvel film or series, I have to have my BFF’s son review the “universe” for me and I usually watch those things because it’s Benedict Cumberbatch or Tom Huddleston starring. But I do know and love Lisa Jewel’s writing and (with a little Googling) I was ready to inhabit Jessica Jones’ world. Jessica is a retired “superhero” (who knew…do they get a pension?) and working as a private investigator while living a messy life in Hell’s Kitchen. Her client, a divorced mother of teenage twins named Fox and Lark, is convinced that after their summer abroad in the English countryside with her ex-husband, changelings have been returned to her, albeit imposters who no longer have bad personal habits, aren’t as jumpy, seem to be always smirking, say “perfect” a lot, are taller, and have incredible skin. Jessica learns that the replacements may have met another perfect teenager, Belle, during their trip. This prompts Jessica to finally obtain a passport and go to the UK (the author’s stomping grounds) and try to find out why/how the ostensible surrogates transformed.

There’s a second storyline initially set 38 years ago involving 20 year old Ophelia and the bartender she seduced in New York. That timeline moves forward to 12 years ago in England when another very young woman, Polly, is trying to seduce Ophelia’s son, Arthur, to figure out why 50+ Ophelia has skin that seems airbrushed. How the storylines intersect is the adventure and once they do, there’s more.

There are references to Jessica’s superhero backstory (this tale takes place before the birth of her daughter with Luke Cage, although the novel’s protagonist is often hallucinating about a little girl), but it’s not necessary to be a Marvel junkie in order to enjoy author Jewell’s fascinating mystery. I understand that Hyperion will be sponsoring more “Marvel Crime” thrillers with Alex Segura writing a Daredevil edition, “Enemy of My Enemy” next September. Segura already talked about Bruno in an Encanto inspired story “Nightmares and Sueños,” published by Disney-Hyperion. I was already hooked on the “Meant to Be” modern Disney princess adult romances by a quintet of well-known romance writers. I do enjoy this trend of engaging popular authors to add new stories to established Marvel and Disney characters.

Overall, this is an appealing story with a likable main protagonist. Jewell gives Jessica Jones an emotional depth that you might not expect from a character usually portrayed in graphic blocks. 4 stars.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO But watch out for eyes that don’t reflect light. (The cat has “melon pip” pupils).
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO

Thank you to Hyperion Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

4 stars for a book based on a Marvel character Jessica Jones! As a huge Marvel fan this was well written by a favorite thriller author of mine. Lisa Jewell managed to tackle everything about Jessica Jones as a private investigator, her superpowers; Superhuman strength and her response to flight.

The excitement was all there as soon as I requested this book from NetGalley, the entire premise of the plot was exactly how I imagined how most Jessica Jones comics would be like. A take on Jessica's life, past life, and her love life with Luke Cage was the best cameo yet.

It was action packed with the investigation of a mother having worries about her twins not being "her twins" and thats where the investigation takes place, with an alternate world/timelines.

I loved the mystery, suspense and thrill of the book! I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this written from Lisa Jewell! It was fun.

I have only watched a couple of Marvel movies so I was initially nervous about reading a novel based on one of their characters. I decided to give it a try when I saw that one of my favorite authors, Lisa Jewell, wrote a book about the Jessica Jones character. So glad I did as I really enjoyed Breaking the Dark and found it to be fast paced with a unique story line. It did not matter that I am new to the super hero universe as her powers took a backseat to the plot of the novel. However, her powers and back story were still an important facet of the novel and something she had to deal with as she attempted to find out why the twins she was hired to investigate were acting so oddly after a trip to the UK.

The novel begins with different timelines and I was really curious how the story line based in the past would merge with the present timeline. The story was fast paced and I enjoyed watching Jessica Jones figure out what was causing the strange behavior. I also especially liked the part of the story that involved her traveling to a small British village. In addition, Jessica Jones and all the characters in this story were very well developed. Breaking the Dark kept my interest and I became a fan of the Jessica Jones world.

Thank you to Hyperion and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A super hero book written by Lisa Jewell - after reading the synopsis I was definitely intrigued and requested it. I know very little about Marvel characters, so I have no backstory about the lead character. The book is about Jessica Jones, a retired superhero turned private investigator. She is actively avoiding her past life, until Amber Randall, a distraught mother, seeks her help. Jessica is drawn to investigate Amber's claims that her teenage twins have been replaced by "perfect" after spending the summer with their father in the UK. Through her journey, Jessica grapples with the idea of perfection and the darkness that often accompanies it.

**Thank you NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue and Lisa Jewell for an eARC of Breaking the Dark.

I have never read any Jessica Jones, and it’s been eons since I watched the tv show, but Lisa Jewell managed to hit all the vibes. The things I didn’t know from Jessica’s past had enough context to explain them (e.g. Madame Webb), but I do wish we got a more of the details behind the evil plot.