Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Things We Do in the Dark

Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

45 reviews

dalmavatai's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was my first Jennifer Hillier and I really enjoyed it! The themes are quite dark but there is an interesting cast of characters both in the past and present timelines, and great plot points that make for an engaging and gripping story. This book had my attention the entire time for these reasons. There are some surprising reveals at the end as well as some reveals throughout the book - I would've wanted them to be a bit more shocking but they were okay. Overall, a solid thriller and I will be checking out more of this author's work.

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soobooksalot's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

"She never knew that blood looked black in the dark."
Jennifer Hillier has once again cemented her position as one of my top auto-buy authors!
Things We Do In The Dark is a mystery wrapped around the portrait of lost souls.
Paris Peralta's husband Jimmy - a famed comedian and actor - is found dead in a bloody bathtub in their home. Paris is immediately suspected of murder, opening up the story to not only the circumstances of Jimmy's death, but the years that came before that day.
I went into this dark suspense rather blind, trusting that Hillier's writing would once again have me whipping through the pages.
Indeed she did. The pacing is note-perfect, the dark tone what we've come to expect from the author.
Absolutely recommended!

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emmk's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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amandasbookreview's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thank you, NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Jennifer Hillier for the opportunity to read this book! It will release tomorrow, July, 19th!

“She wasn’t afraid of the dark anymore. There was nothing the dark could do to her that it hadn’t already done.”

THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK

TRIGGER WARNINGS: rape, assault, gaslighting, severe child abuse, murder, murder scenes, etc…

I was hoping to finish this book before the weekend but we just had the best vacation. While I did read a little bit here and there, I wasn’t able to complete the book until last night. Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier starts off strong. Paris Peralta wakes up to find herself covered in blood. It is not her blood but her husband’s blood, the famous comedian, Jimmy Peralta. She is arrested on suspicion of murder. She is his 5th wife, a lot younger than him, and there is a lot of money to gain, but she did not kill him. This is not the first time she has been connected to a murder, nor is it the second time…

As I said, the beginning is so strong, but then it got repetitive. The book is broken up into several parts and changes points of view. Honestly, Drew’s section was extremely dull and he tries to figure out what happened to his friend Joey, who was murdered years before. The ending started to pick up as all the loose ends began to unfold. I did find the finale a bit anti-climatic as well.

However, this book is labeled as a thriller. There are several moments that give off that vibe. But I wouldn’t say the whole book is a thriller. It is mainly about a young girl coming of age in the midst of severe child abuse and trauma and her struggle to run away and be free of her past. The abuse and trauma are HEARTBREAKING and extremely descriptive, so be prepared. It is difficult to read. Overall, it was an intense book about murder and doing whatever it takes to survive.

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brittanyisbooked's review against another edition

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mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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jennifer_bush_73's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This book has some triggers: child abuse, sexual abuse, suicide, rape, violence,
And intergenerational trauma.

The story opens with Paris, the beautiful, yoga instructor, younger wife of a wildly beloved older comedian and former sitcom star who’s making his comeback, in the bathroom, next to her dead husband, covered in his blood and holding the razor that caused his death. It looks very bad for Paris and she’s immediately arrested.

Two things become immediately clear: (1) Paris didn’t kill Jimmy, and (2) Paris is keeping a pretty big secret. The crux of the story is about Paris’ past. Jimmy’s death quickly takes back seat Paris’ story.

This is a book about overcoming a difficult (which a huge understatement) childhood and reinvention oneself masquerading as murder mystery.

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