Add me to the list of readers who really enjoyed Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier. Note: This book begins with a long list of trigger warnings. Sensitive readers should heed this and proceed accordingly.
I wouldn't classify this as a thriller, and it wasn't suspenseful until the end. But I was fully immersed in this mystery that felt like a Serial-type podcast series thanks to the narration of Carla Vega and the deep dive into the main characters' lives. If a compelling mystery can be character-driven, this one definitely is.
All of the characters have lives very different from from my own: Jimmy Peralta, an aging successful comedian who's on the brink of a big comeback; Paris Peralta, a yoga instructor decades younger than Jimmy and his newest wife; Ruby Reyes, a convicted murderer who may be paroled soon; Joey, a young woman who survives an abusive childhood and a 'career' as a stripper only to perish in a tragic fire, and Drew Malcolm, a true crime podcaster and Joey's former roommate. Their lives twist and turn between various easy-to-track timelines to ultimately unravel (at least) three mysteries.
This is the first book I've read from the author and narrator, and I'll definitely be open to reading more from both. I'm grateful to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the review copies.
