‘Breaking The Dark’ by Lisa Jewell is the first instalment of MARVEL CRIME, a series of novels by famous authors featuring MCU characters and original plotlines. I have to admit, I was initially pretty dubious about the concept, and I appreciate how this book opened with a letter from Jewell explaining how she came to be the author, and importantly that her brief was to create something that “read like a classic Lisa Jewell novel”. Knowing that, and having a small amount of familiarity with Jessica Jones, I dove in with a mix of anticipation l, excitement and trepidation.

The book begins with Jessica being commissioned by a wealthy New York mother to discover why her twin 16 year olds Lark and Fox returned from a month in Essex with their father exhibiting strange behaviours and perfect skin. Initially dismissive, a few encounters convince Jessica that there is a sinister story behind their glow-up and a complex, jet setting, and potentially dangerous investigation begins! Interspersed with the contemporary sleuthing are vignettes from the past two decades telling the story of an impossibly beautiful woman, a strange man, their genius son and a deviously determined influencer, and those threads weave together throughout the book.

I really enjoyed the characterisation of Jessica in this book, as well as the introduction of her “assistant” Malcolm. The New York City and Essex village locales were vividly described and richly different, and I liked my hometown of Lincoln being included as the setting for a few key scenes. The plot was unpredictable, thought-provoking and tense, and my pulse was racing as my kindle felt glued to my hand!

This was an unexpected five star read for me and I’d honestly recommend to all Lisa Jewell fans, even those with little Marvel affinity. I also hope that any MCU addicts who pick it up end up inspired to pick up some of her other impressive works.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Random House UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Although I'm not a Marvel fan and know nothing about Marvel, I thought I would give this a go as I love Lisa Jewell.
It was really well written and there was still the element of mystery, thriller and intrigue that we love from Lisa's books.
There could probably be a spin off from this as Jesica Jones is a great P.I.
Definitely worth a read
Thanks to Netgalley, Lisa Jewell, Random House UK, Cornerstone for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

The appealing colours on the cover and the fact it’s by Lisa Jewell, one of my go to authors, made me choose the book. As I started reading I realised it was a Marvel novel and I was very unsure if I would enjoy it as I’m not really into superheroes. I decided to give it a go and I’m so glad I did!

Jessica Jones is a PI in New York. She’s hired by a wealthy mother to find out why her teenage twins are acting strangely after returning from a trip to England to visit their dad. According to the twins nothing is wrong and they’re “perfect”. As Jessica observes them, she agrees something isn’t right.
It’s hard to say much more of what the book is about without spoiling it. The not knowing definitely kept me turning the pages and I was desperate to find out what was going on.

The book is a great mix of creepy, weird, scarily maybe plausible and yet you find yourself rooting for Jessica and caring about her. The characters are really well done and I could picture them. The settings are well described too.

I liked the dual timeline and the way they came together, it worked well.
The ending was a bit too convenient and neat and tidy but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book.

It makes you think about technology, social media and how it affects society and people’s perceptions of themselves and others.

For most of the book I was wondering what on earth was happening. Lisa Jewell has definitely come up with something different and I can see it as a film!

If you think you won’t like this book because you aren’t into superheroes or Marvel, I recommend you give it a try, you might be surprised. I enjoyed this book a lot and highly recommend it if you want to be gripped and a bit creeped out. If I could have, I think I would have read this in one sitting. I hope there’s another book lined up as I would definitely read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for my copy.

I’m not a huge marvel fan but I do love crime fiction and Lisa Jewell’s others books. A really interesting novel which held my interest throughout. I raced through it! The only issue was the formatting was a bit off and a tad confusing at times.

Thank you to NetGalley for proving me an ARC in return for an honest review.

I will say that I had issues with the formatting of this book as when downloading it onto my iPad or my kindle it wasn’t going to the normal formatting, it was just all over the place.

Jessica Jones, a retired superhero takes on an unusual case; twin siblings Lark & Fox have started acting different after returning their stay with their father in the UK. Their mother tells Jessica all that has happened with the twins since returning and Jessica ends ip travelling to London to find out more information and discovers a greater evil at play.

Considering that I am a marvel fan, I was excited going into this. However I was left feeling a little bit flat and I don’t know whether that was because of the writing style. I understand that this isn’t what Lisa Jewell usually writes as I have read other books by her and have absolutely loved them and have always given them a 4+ rating however I just didn’t feel like this was her strongest ones.

If you are a Marvel fan, I would recommend picking this up and trying it for yourself.

This book is already out now so go and check it out!

Book Review 📚
Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell 🫶🏻
5/5 ⭐

Picture this...
20 year old girl is introduced to Iron Man, and 13 years later is a absolute Marvel addict and misses absolutely nothing marvel.
That same girl has enjoyed reading her whole life and fell in love with the work of Lisa Jewell, owning every single one of her books both physically and electronically.
That girl, she is me.

I have had this book in preorder since Lisa revealed it on her Instagram. So imagine the little girl inside my screaming when I get accepted to read the ARC. I was a child all over again. Anyway, back to the book!

This book follows Jessica Jones, a retired superhero who now works as a private investigator. Jones is tasked with an investigation about two teenage children (Lark and Fox) when following up on the main lead (being at their fathers) something starts happening to Jones herself.

Suspense? Yes. Thrills? Yes. Superheros? Yes. Dark and twisty? Also, yes. You can clearly see Lisa's writing taking place throughout the story and she does an impeccable job as usual.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Lisa Jewell for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I’m not the biggest fan of Marvel, I mainly tolerate it for my boys but I absolutely love Lisa Jewell’s books so really wanted to give this a go. Although the first part of the book was a little difficult to get into, the rest was very enjoyable. I loved that Jessica Jones isn’t your average Marvel character and this book went down the crime thriller route. I also really enjoyed the storyline, it’s not your basic crime novel. Jessica is hired by a New York mum who’s concerned by the behaviour of her teenage twins Fox and Lark after they return from visiting their father in the U.K. Her teens have returned absolutely perfect, yes that’s right, teens and perfect? Jessica along with her new side kick Malcolm Power try to connect the dots to find out what happened to the twins whilst also saving other teenagers from becoming perfect. I think Lisa managed to get the right amount of suspense, action and super natural powers into this book.

I look forward to reading more of this series!

Jessica Jones is a retired superhero just surviving day-to-day in Hell’s Kitchen. When a distraught mother comes to her, convinced something is wrong with her twin daughters, Jessica can’t turn her away (even though she wants to initially). In attempts to get the truth, Jessica travels to a small village, where she meets a mysterious woman.

Although I am not the biggest marvel fan, I do enjoy Lisa Jewell’s writing. She is the perfect author to bring this darker side of Marvel to life! I feel like even if you aren’t a big marvel fan, but you like thrillers with a side of science fiction or fantasy, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Lisa Jewell and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC! This book is out now and this review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

So very good! I’m a big fan of Lisa’s books and this has the familiarity of her style of writing but it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced of hers.
I admit I was a bit wary / sceptical of the superhero style story but I was quickly connected and fully engaged. There is a healthy dose of the supernatural, the futuristic and psychopathic murderous types together with the unique talent of observations of teenage angst and emotional tribulations that are entirely relatable and recognisable from that period of my life.
The biotechnology and human frailty of wanting to be perfect in an online life amid filters and fakery was entirely prophetic and plausible, reminiscent of the books by John Marrs which are exquisitely clever and terrifying because it’s only a small leap from our contemporary reality and the direction that humanity is going at great speed. Honestly so good and pretty much ‘perfect’ I’m left wondering if you’ve infiltrated and influenced my subconscious to steer my review - have you hijacked my kindle app? Own up!

"Breaking the Dark" is not just a thriller; it is a poignant exploration of trust, betrayal, and the lengths to which people will go to protect their secrets.

It does have its shortcomings. For fans of interconnected universes like Marvel, the novel might feel somewhat insular and self-contained. There are no broader connections to a larger narrative, which might disappoint readers looking for expansive world-building or crossover potential.

Despite this, Jewell's adept storytelling ensures that readers remain hooked until the very last page, making this book a must-read for fans of the genre.

This was an enjoyable, exciting and interesting story that was for me, my first introduction to Jessica Jones. I did not find that I needed to have prior understanding of her past to follow or enjoy her new story. She certainly is affected in a profound by what happened to her, but we see her trying to move on in some small way, and attempt to deal with what is happening to her right now. She employs a young boy, though reluctantly, take on a new case that is very very strange, and more dangerous than she thought, and try to come to terms with her feelings for Luke. A lot of weird things are happening in this story and we flip between a few different timelines and characters, which really gave the story more depth. It was not hard to follow at all.
I really enjoyed her story and the authors take on a preestablished character, giving her new life. I would really love more! Lisa Jewell really hooked me and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a superhero tale, with action, a little romance and a satisfying conclusion!

Below is the blurb

"Meet Jessica Jones: a private investigator and retired super hero based out of Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, who goes from job to job as a hard living, rough talking, loner.

And then a wealthy Upper East Side woman pays her a visit. Amber Randall is concerned about her twin sixteen-year-olds, Lark and Fox, who have acted and looked very different since they returned from spending the summer with their British father in the UK. She tells Jessica that her children have unnaturally perfect skin for teenagers and have lost all the tics and habits that made them who they were. They are not Lark and Fox, she tells Jessica. Something has happened to them.

To find out more, Jessica travels to Essex to talk to their father and once there meets Belle who is living a curiously isolated existence in a run-down farmhouse with her guardian Debra. Jessica knows that Lark and Fox had spent the summer with Belle—but can this unworldly teenager really be responsible for Lark and Fox's new personas?

Jessica soon discovers that, behind Belle and Debra, evil geniuses are playing a dangerous game with technology in order to make the world a "better place", not caring who gets hurt, maimed or even killed in the process. Can Jessica stop them from wreaking destruction on a whole generation of young people?"

To be honest I felt slightly conflicted at the start of the book. I have read several Lisa Jewell novels but felt slightly put off by the Marvel angle.. I have watched the odd Marvel film and had heard of Jessica Jones but didn't really know her back story. Let me set your mind at rest.... this story was very much up to standard of Lisa Jewell's other books and I found my little understanding of Jessica Jones did not have a negative effect on my enjoyment of the book. Obviously, if you know your Marvel you might have a slightly different take on it, in that you would be looking for errors in how Jessica is portrayed. Overall a good read.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book by Lisa Jewell.

Jessica used to be a superhero, but after something that happened, her job now is that of a private detective based in New York.

Her next assignment is to look into why there’s changes in teenage twins named Lark and Fox after staying with their father in his home England.

But when she goes to Essex, Jessica finds herself in trouble.

I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for this arc.

This is a really hard review. The book itself if you are a huge fan of marvel and books like it then you will love it. Not being a reader of blurbs I didn’t realise what this book was.

The writing as always was great and the storyline held my interest. Lisa did marvel really well.

For me though it’s not my kind of book. I did enjoy it and flew through it. I can’t fault the story or the pacing. It wasn’t for me.

Being a big fan of Lisa Jewell and my family surrounded in Marvel I was intrigued to see how the two would come together.

For me I had an open mind before reading and I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the 2 different time zones and stories coming together. The strange happens with the kids on return from their fathers over the summer.

This is not the usual style of Lisa Jewell and didn't seem familiar to her usual writings. However was a great and different themed book to the usual stories available.

If you want to try something different from Lisa Jewell then this is definitely the book for you.

This was my honest review in return for an advanced copy from Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House UK and Lisa Jewell for this EARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! When I learned that Lisa Jewell had been given this amazing opportunity to write Jessica Jones' story, I knew it would be a must read... and it really did not disappoint. I didn't know too much about Jessica Jones, prior to reading, but I did remember watching the Netflix show years ago.

From the get go you are immersed into Jessica's life as a private investigator. She is not in a good place, realising that something is missing in her life and she suspects that a new challenge is ahead. When she approached by Amber, a mother to twins, she is hired to look into some suspicious behaviours that her children are displaying since their summer in England. The case brings her to England, and it takes a very serious turn.

Filled with twists and turns, we follow the rollercoaster of a case as she finds people who she can actually trust to save her. But can she save them in time?

I really enjoyed this! I was glued to it and couldn't put it down! Lisa Jewell is a gem, really showcasing her amazing, versatile talent! Super powers, vampires, crime, mystery, found family... what more could you want?!

Well, that wasn’t what I expected! I really should read the blurb! But actually, I’m glad I didn’t because I probably wouldn’t have picked this up and I really relished it. I know absolutely nothing about Marvel characters and I understand that Jessica Jones is a Marvel character. However, following a terrible event, Jessica retired from being a superhero, and is now a private investigator living in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. When she is offered a job by Amber Randall, a very well-paid job, she can’t afford to turn it down. Alongside this investigation there is another thread centered around a weird family and a girl who wants to be rich and famous and will do anything, and I mean anything, to achieve that aim.

Briefly, Amber is worried that her twin 16–year-olds have been acting and looking different since they visited their father, her former husband, in the UK. She wants Jessica to investigate what may have happened to them during their time with their father. Travelling to the UK, Jessica discovers that the teens became friendly with a girl called Bella and her guardian Debra. Jessica soon realises that there is something very strange about Bella and Debra, and their home, but she doesn’t realise quite how strange.

There is all sorts of everything going on here, superheroes, vampiric villains, psychopaths, genius humans, a disappearing child and that’s just for starters. On paper this isn’t one for me but actually I really enjoyed it. It’s fast paced, lots of action and some great characters, and whilst I loved Jessica I though Malcolm (Sly) was brilliant. So if like me this is outside your comfort zone (and I guess it was for the author too) then do give it a go. It’s very entertaining 4.5⭐️

First of all let me point out that I requested this book because of the author not because of the subject matter or genre, I am not particularly a Marvel fan.

Having said that, I really enjoyed the book and may now venture into the Marvel kingdom or at the very least watch the Jessica Jones dvd that has been sitting in my bedroom to watch for months.

Jessica has a case to solve when a mother hires her to investigate her children who have returned from staying with their father in the UK and they have come back changed children. No longer wanting to go on their phones and have perfect skin not that of teenagers. Jessica starts to look into the matter and ends up going to the UK and uncovers all sorts of secrets. Book is set in both the US and the UK.

Thanks to NetGalley, Publisher and Lisa for the chance to read before publication.

Marvel and Lisa Jewell, can you go wrong with the pair? It's something we didn't know we needed. Brilliantly done!

I was curious about this book as I'm a huge fan of Lisa Jewell but not of superheros. I struggled to get into the book but it grew on me and I finished it feeling pleasantly surprised. This would make a fantastic film!