August 2022

THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK is the first book that I have read by Jennifer Hillier. As this is her seventh, I am trying to figure out how it took me so long to find her work. It kicks off with Paris Peralta in the bathroom with a straight blade in her hand, and her husband dead in a bathtub full of blood. She is arrested, but her biggest fear is not being caught for this murder. She is worried that her picture will be plastered everywhere, and the past that she has so cleverly hidden will come back to haunt her --- and with it, another murder that she could be charged with.

We first get to know Paris today, and the setup gives you lots of clues that you need. Jennifer then draws us into a whole other storyline, which will show you why she is hiding. A lot happened to her in the dark. As we trace who she was, we become even more sympathetic to her. The pacing here is so well done. I did not guess what the ending would be and could not figure out any of the conclusions that were drawn (yes, there was more than one). I felt very satisfied with how the threads all came together.

Jennifer builds great characters and gives readers a strong sense of place. The whole thing is vivid in many ways, though it is set against such dark backdrops.

You can watch my interview with Jennifer here or listen to it here. We talked about how she worked her way into the story and then back out of it.