Things We Do In The Dark

You cannot outrun your past.

Jennifer Hillier is one of my favourite authors who writes deliciously dark thrillers. Things We Do In The Dark is her soon to be released book and she does not hold back on vivid descriptions and topics that are not for the faint of heart. 

The story uses multiple timelines and the POVs of several characters - Paris, the young wife of a famous comedian who is murdered; Drew, a True Crime podcaster from Toronto; and Joey, Drew's childhood friend. The story shifts from past to present as these POVs weave together. The changes in POV weren't always smooth, but as the story progresses readers see their connections and things start to fall into place.

This is a busy read with a lot going on - a little too much, if I'm honest. It starts off strong with a dead body and a woman covered in blood, but the suspense soon takes a backseat to the detailed backstories of Paris and Joey. Their tragic lives are told with vivid description (see trigger warnings after my disclaimer below) and while some scenes were hard to read, I appreciate that Hillier didn't sugar-coat the tragic experiences of these women. 

This is a slow burn kind of read that has a couple of good twists, but its strength comes more from its character development than nail-biting suspense. Hillier remains one of my must-read Canadian suspense authors and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Minotaur books for my complimentary advanced digital copy and GoodReads for the print copy I won in a giveaway. Both were provided in exchange for my honest review.

⚠ Trigger Warnings: Child abuse, sexual abuse

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Jennifer Hillier

Genre: Suspense, Canadian, BIPOC author

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from publisher

Publisher: Minotaur Books

First Published: July 19, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.

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.