Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier: A review

I have not previously read anything by Jennifer Hillier so I went into this not really knowing what to expect, but I was captivated by the story early on. The characters were interesting and I thought the writer did a good job both of introducing them and then of developing them in order to advance the plot. And what is that plot?

The television celebrity husband of a woman named Paris Peralta is found dead in their bathtub. His femoral artery has been sliced and he has bled out in the tub. Paris is beside the tub, covered in blood, and holding a straight razor which is obviously the weapon that was used to cut the victim. She knows how this looks and that she will likely be charged with murder. That is worrisome, of course, but what worries her more is that now her past will be exposed. It is a past that she has worked very hard to keep hidden.

Meanwhile, Ruby Reyes who the media had dubbed "The Ice Queen," had spent twenty-five years in prison after being convicted of a similar murder and she is now unexpectedly going to be released. Ruby knows who Paris really is and she threatens to expose her. The threat to Paris' new life leaves her little choice but to confront the past that she had hoped had been left behind.

This is a fast-paced, well-written thriller that kept me well entertained throughout. At the end, the author gave us an unexpected twist to the story which is always effective in a thriller. She also did an excellent job of developing her characters leading the reader to have empathy for some and to thoroughly dislike others.

The most difficult part of the read for me was the instances of child abuse that Paris experienced. I generally try to steer away from plots featuring child abuse, but this author, I think, handled that part of her story about as well as it could be handled. And to be fair, it was an integral part of Paris' personality development.

Overall, this was not at all a bad book, even if it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I'm glad that I read it and I'm glad to have made Jennifer Hillier's acquaintance. I'll be on the lookout for future books by her.

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...

Poetry Sunday: Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...

The Nature of Things

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