Been a long time gone: THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK.

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paris Peralta wakes up in her bathroom, covered in blood, holding her husband's straight razor--with said famous husband dead in the bathtub next to her. She knows it doesn't look good, and it isn't long before she's arrested for his murder. But what worries Paris most is the media attention this brings; it was Jimmy who was famous, after all, not her. Now Paris' face is splashed across the news everywhere, and she knows it won't be long before someone recognizes her, and the life she's worked so hard to build crashes around her... Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes was convicted of murdering her lover in Canada. Ruby knows exactly who Paris really is, and now that she's being released from prison, she's going to let everyone know.

"Paris should have known it would end like this, because there's no such thing as a happily ever after when you run away from one life to start a whole new one."

Oh, DARK was quite good! It was easy to get lost in this thriller, which is exactly what I look for in a good mystery. The book was twisty and, ironically, often dark and full of surprises. Even better, it's still enjoyable if you guess a few plot points; I tore through it in less than two days.

The story covers two time periods--going back in time to Ruby Reyes and her life and then present-day, as Paris deals with the murder charge facing her and what it means for her current life (and her past). Hillier weaves together these two eras quite well and introduces an excellent, diverse supporting cast. She touches on some deep and interesting topics, including motherhood, abuse (trigger warning for domestic and sexual assault), and the meaning of friendship. Paris is a nuanced and well-drawn character, and while there is plenty here to keep any mystery fan intrigued, there's also multi-faceted characters and emotional development. The ending wrapped up a little easily for me, but this was still a good read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It kept me guessing, but I was also invested in the characters. 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. (I also chose an early release copy on BOTM, because sometimes, there's just something about a hardcover!)

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But you pretend and I pretend that everything is fine: LITTLE SECRETS.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars


Marin Marchado's whole world changed when she was distracted for a moment at a Seattle market and lost track of her four-year-old son Sebastian. He vanished, without a trace, and there was nothing the police could do to find him. Even the considerable resources of Marin and her husband Derek amounted to nothing. Now a year later, Marin is a haunted woman. The only solace is her support group of other parents who have experienced the same thing, her best friend Sal, and the knowledge that the P.I. she hired is still looking for Sebastian. But then the P.I. turns up something else entirely. Derek is having an affair with a young graduate student named Kenzie. The knowledge of Kenzie's existence finally gives Marin purpose again and a place to channel her anger. Kenzie is a face, an opponent she can see. While Kenzie sees Derek as a rich, married boyfriend, albeit the first she's actually fallen for, Marin sees Kenzie as someone she can remove from her life, a problem she can finally solve. As Marin and Kenzie find themselves on a collision course, each are going to learn some startling truths about themselves--and their pasts.


"Four minutes. That's all it took to steal a child. A lollipop, a Santa suit, and two hundred forty seconds."


Don't get me wrong. This is a really good book. It takes any parent's worst fear and turns it into a raw, dark page-turner. I think what made me a little sad about this thriller is that is was so hyped, so loved that I felt a little let down when I read it. Was it good? Yes, it was. Jennifer Hillier is an amazing writer, and I will always love her books. But did it blow me away like I was hoping? No. And I was a bit disappointed by that. Maybe I'm just becoming jaded in my old age.

Again, this not me saying not to read this book. It's good. It's emotional and sad, twisty and deep. But I also found a lot of it far more predictable than I thought I would. I had an inkling who had taken Sebastian from the beginning and while I still wanted to read the story, I felt a little let down by that. I guessed several of the other big "aha" moments too. Sigh. Maybe I've just read too many thrillers.

Still, this is quite a page-turner, and I read it over the span of two days. You're pulled quickly into Marin's horrible world, where she's completely broken by the aftermath of losing--literally losing--Sebastian. She feels hopeless and when she realizes Derek has cheated on her, it gives her a purpose, even if it is a misguided one. Kenzie works well as an enemy--appearing young and vapid. Derek comes across as a heartless man ignoring his depressed wife. As things build up, you know that an inevitable confrontation will not go well. I just wish I hadn't guessed how said confrontation would go.

However, just about everyone on the planet loved this book unconditionally, so you can't go wrong picking it up. 3.75 stars from me.

A huge thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

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There's a sadness so deep the sun seems black: JAR OF HEARTS.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

My rating: 4+ of 5 stars


Fourteen years ago, Georgina "Geo" Shaw's best friend, Angela Wong, disappeared without a trace. The girls were only sixteen years old. Now Geo is a successful executive--and it comes to a surprise to everyone (except Geo) when she's arrested at her pharmaceutical firm for her role in Angela's murder. It turns out, fourteen years ago, Geo was involved while her older boyfriend, Calvin James, killed Angela and buried her remains in the woods behind Geo's childhood home. Calvin has gone on to become a serial killer known as the Sweetbay Strangler. But to Geo, he's Calvin, her first love, despite their abusive and turbulent relationship. For all these years, Geo carried the secret of what happened that fateful night with Calvin and Angela. She told no one, not even the girls' best friend, Kaiser Brody, who is now a detective with the Seattle PD and working on Angela and Calvin's cases. Geo is sentenced to prison and all her secrets appear to be out in the open. But are they truly? And what does it mean when more bodies start appearing, killed in the same manner as Angela?

This was just a great thriller. It alternates its viewpoints, with pieces of the novel told from Geo and Kai and changing between the past and the present. The result is completely captivating. I was mesmerized by this compelling and well-executed novel, which draws you in from the start. The characters in this one are excellent; rarely do you get two such strong vivid main characters, but I felt drawn to both Kai and Geo.

The story slowly works its way back to that fateful night. Hillier unravels things so adeptly that I was kept guessing for quite some time, meticulously starting to work out pieces of the plot, feeling quite triumphant when I was proved right. This novel is just so intricately plotted and incredibly creepy at times--it's simply a pleasure to read. It's deep and dark, propelled by its wonderfully written characters. Honestly, I can't rave enough about both the plot and the characters.

Overall, you can't go wrong with this one. It features compelling characters and a twisted, dark story that will keep you reading until the very end. I need to track down more of Ms. Hillier's books and soon! Highly recommend.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).

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