By Tessa @TessaTalksBooks Posted on

Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier #BookReview #PsychologicalThriller #5stars

Things We Do in the Dark is a brilliant new thriller from Jennifer Hillier, the award-winning author of the breakout novels Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts. Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future.

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, and when she’s unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris’s secrets. 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.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier is a psychological thriller about a husband found dead in the bathtub and his confused wife beside the tub with a straight razor in her hand. It seems like an open and shut case, but when is anything ever that simple.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):

This is my first Jennifer Hillier thriller, though I have heard fantastic things about her past books. I expect as the blurb says, “a brilliant new thriller.” The cover is a woman in the dark. You can only see part of her face gently illuminated by the moon or other naturally occurring light. This goes with the title nicely, but I don’t know what it says about the book. From the blurb, I also get that there are many secrets to be revealed, which I love.

Actual Reading Experience:

This story hooked me from page one. I loved all the suspense and shocking revelations. The twists weren’t surprising, but that’s only because the story is so tightly constructed. Things We Do In The Dark is a compelling thriller with a satisfying mystery, a wonderful romance, and a cast of interesting and entertaining characters, each in their own devious way. It’s fast-paced most of the time with very few lulls, which I also loved immensely.

The story is told in six parts, and the reader gets to experience it from multiple points of view. Paris Peralta is the leading voice and character, so I mainly experienced the tale through her eyes. I enjoyed the changes in perspectives, though, because they allowed me to see things differently than I could have if I only knew Paris’ POV. In some instances, the changing perspectives clued me to the next reveal only pages before it was stated, so I could tell that every choice was masterfully purposeful to keep the suspense at an unflagging high.

The story is not just a mystery thriller but also a story with a heart that I could grab on to and enjoy. The emotions ran high, the past held a lot of baggage, and much needed to be resolved for Paris to feel like a whole person – one without skeletons in the closet and secrets on the shelf. It’s not just a thriller about the death of her husband, it is also a chance for Paris to be able to live and love, and this makes such a compelling story. I had trouble putting this book down and ended up reading long into the night.

Characters:

Paris is the main character. She is accused of killing her husband but insists that she wasn’t even there. She’s their only suspect unless she can come up with a rock-solid alibi that proves it can’t be her. Paris is a woman with many secrets, but she also stands on her own two feet and owns a successful business.

Drew is the host of the podcast Things We Do In The Dark about solved and unsolved crimes. He is doing a series on the Ice Queen Ruby Reyes.

Ruby Reyes is in prison for similarly killing her boyfriend to what Paris is accused of with her husband. Are these two cases connected, and what is Drew’s connection to them?

I don’t want to say any more about the characters or the cases because then you would miss out on all the fun of reading this story yourself!

To Read or Not to Read:

If you are looking for a compelling thriller that will touch your heart while satisfying your desire for a fast-paced nail bitter, look no further. You must read Things We Do In The Dark now!

20 Replies to “Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier #BookReview #PsychologicalThriller #5stars”

  4. WendyW says:

    I’ve also heard wonderful things about Jennifer Hillier. I’ll have to try one of her books one day. Wonderful review, Tessa.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Teri Polen says:

    I’ve read a few thrillers that include a character hosting a true crime podcast, and I like what it adds to the story. And that’s a great name for a podcast. Sounds like a good one, Tessa – awesome review!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Carla says:

    Wonderful review, Tessa. This was such a great story with so many twists and great characters. I really enjoyed it and am glad you did as well.

    Liked by 1 person

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