This was good, I am not a fan of marvel sadly, but I am a huge fan of the author which is why when I seen this I had to read it straight away! I think this is going to be a series and I enjoyed it a lot

So... first I must say that Lisa Jewell became my #1 favorite author of all time after reading None of This Is True. And she still is my favorite author. But this was a definite miss for me. I think because it didn't feel at all like her writing, but rather seemed to be fitting to the mold of Marvel (which was ultimately her objective, so well done). I would suggest this for fans of the Marvel-verse but unfortunately I am definitely not among them. Thank you so much for allowing me to read an advanced copy and I will still be auto-buying ANYthing she writes.

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell, set to release in July 2024, merges the author’s signature psychological thriller style with the Marvel universe. This first installment in the Marvel Crime series brings Jessica Jones, the gritty and traumatized private investigator, into the forefront. The plot kicks off when Jessica is approached by a mother, Amber Randall, who suspects something sinister has happened to her twins after they returned from a summer with their father in the UK. The twins seem altered, too perfect, and obsessed with a mysterious girl named Belle.

The novel’s strength lies in Jewell’s ability to craft a suspenseful and eerie atmosphere. Jessica’s investigation takes her to Essex, where she encounters Belle and her guardian, revealing a high-stakes conspiracy involving dangerous technology. As Jessica untangles this twisted web, readers are plunged into a dark, chilling mystery that has supernatural undertones but stays grounded in human emotion and intrigue.

While Marvel fans will appreciate the inclusion of Jessica Jones, even those unfamiliar with the superhero will find this book engaging. Jewell’s hallmark pacing and character development are present, though some readers may wish for more background on Jessica’s past early on. Overall, Breaking the Dark is a compelling blend of psychological thriller and sci-fi that should appeal to both Lisa Jewell’s fanbase and Marvel newcomers alike .

This is a book that I took a chance reading and was pleasantly surprised. It is not my usual type of read and is a first write for Lisa Jewell of this genre. This is the first book of a new Marvel Crime series.
Jessica is a private investigator living in New York who unravels the mysterious character change in 16 year old twins. Her investigations take her to England where she tries to find out what happened whilst the twins were their visiting their father. Battling her own personal and emotional difficulties, she needs to decide where her own future and relationship with Luke Cage is going.
A mix of super hero fantasy, along with the draw of social media made this an enjoyable read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Lisa Jewell for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The first in a new Marvel crime series, Lisa Jewell proves once again how versatile a writer she is.

Retired superhero Jessica Jones, currently working as a private investigator in New York, is hired by a rich divorcee who is worried about her 16-year-old twins. The twins, Lark and Fox, have returned from visiting their father in Essex, England, but something clearly happened while they were away since they have come home entirely different people.

Jessica has to travel to Essex to find out what happened. There, she meets Belle and Debra, two evil geniuses and dives into a world where new technology can make the world a better place for some people holes – to the detriment of others.

I’m not really into superheroes, and knew nothing about Jessica Jones, but I’m always willing to try something a bit different. Jessica’s backstory has a few holes – to be filled, no doubt, further into the series. This novel ticks all the boxes – great hook, great story, quirky characters, fast pace, lots of mystery and suspense, a hint of science-fiction … I thoroughly enjoyed Breaking the Dark.

As a massive Lisa Jewell fan, I jump on every one of her books as soon as they’re released. I don’t even bother with the blurb. If it’s written by Lisa, I know I’m going to love it. So, to say I was blindsided to learn that this was set in the Marvel Universe as part of a new Marvel crime series is an understatement. I’m not into Marvel. I know nothing about superheroes. And I’ve never heard of the protagonist, Jessica Jones.

The only thing I could do was set aside my reservations and resolve to let the book speak for itself.

And the verdict?

It was fun! A departure from Lisa’s usual style, for sure, but still a highly entertaining read.

The premise has retired superhero Jessica, now working as a private investigator in New York, when she’s hired by a wealthy divorcée who is anxious about her 16 year-old twins. Lark and Fox have returned from a visit to their father in England but are not the same teenagers who left New York. Their faces have a waxy, unblemished look, and they have lost all their unique personality traits.

There’s no doubt that this is a great hook to get you into the book. And what follows is a murky, mysterious ride, involving some seriously wacky characters and ideas. As mad as it all was, though, I found myself perfectly willing to cast plausibility aside and just go with the flow.

I would have liked to know more about Jessica’s background and what had caused her “disgrace” and ejection from the superhero squadron. And I never figured out what her actual superpower was. All of which probably left me at a slight disadvantage when it came to fully appreciating the story.

I’m still not persuaded that superheroes are my thing, but all credit to Lisa Jewell for rising to the challenge and trying her hand at something new. I’m no expert, but I’d say she pulled it off.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

I love Lisa Jewell & all her books,she's an amazing writer. I didn't really enjoy this book as much as her others as I've no real interest in the Marvel universe in saying that i actually finished the book & have recommended it to my friends who love the Marvel universe. Anyone who enjoys this genre will love this book

I am so confused as to why Lisa Jewell is basically writing marvel fanfic - but I am not mad about it?

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC. I ADORE Lisa Jewell and although I’m not that interested in Marvel I wanted to read this book because I will read anything she writes. I ended up really enjoying it!

The plot was really well paced. Twists were revealed at a good pace, I wasn’t bored at any point because we were regularly provided with new information. I liked the sci-fi twist as well, it was a really interesting concept. The discussion on “perfection” and the media’s portrayal of what “perfection” looks like and how it affects people’s self esteem and behaviour was really relevant, especially with the rise of AI and how prevalent it’s becoming in our lives.

I’m going to be honest though, I didn’t particularly like Jessica. I thought she was kind of rude and she made some really strange decisions. There was one event in particular with Malcolm where she didn’t even make an effort to help him after all he’d done for her and the fact that he was a teenage boy as well. I thought that was a bit shitty of her.

I did like the author’s exploration and representation of PTSD and I liked the fact that the story was told in a dual timeline which then came together at the end. Overall I would recommend this even if you’re not a Marvel fan. You can enjoy it even if you know nothing about, or no interest in superheroes and you can also enjoy it if you do. It was released on 4th July so it’s out now!

As a huge fan of Jewell, the news of this book didn't initially interest me, until I listened to Woman's Hour and she spoke about it. I was hooked and was thrilled be have been given a copy.

I warmed to Jessica straight away and the story line between her and Luke was devine.

I was so curious how Jewell would include Essex and it was done so well- the jump from USA, I mean. All of the quirky characters in this section were great and rich with their own energy.
I lost interest at about a quarter towards the end of the book, the sci fi- marvel energy umped out a bit and I didn't understand some of it nor could I keep up!

My one criticism was the book was written using American grammar and vocab, why? It was really very off putting for me in a big way.

Lisa Jewell brought to this book her usual quality, however with a slightly different writing style. I didn’t previously know anything about Jessica Jones, but I felt like that didn’t matter as I was able to discover the character and get to know her throughout this book.

I’m not a huge Marvel fan (I didn’t realise this was a Marvel book when requesting) but the superhero elements were more minimal than expected, which for me was a good thing. Overall it was a fairly enjoyable read.

Another great book by Lisa Jewell, that, despite being set within the Marvel Universe doesn't directly need you to understand where it fits in, but does require you to understand that it is in a world where things can happen that wouldn't normally be able to occur

Lisa Jewell and a Marvel Crime series? Absolutely sign me up! I'm a huge fan of Lisa Jewell's books. Her books are an auto buy for me given her prowess at crafting amazing thrillers and narratives. She's the absolute queen of thrillers and twists. I love Marvel and Jessica Jones so this was the perfect amalgamation for me. Having said that, you do not really need to have prior knowledge of Marvel or Jessica Jones to read this book.

This book consists of the classic Lisa Jewell style of writing. She draws visuals with her words and this is a well crafted thriller. I would want to see more books in this series! She works brilliantly with a character that has been showcased multiple times and held my attention as I kept turning the pages. Absolutely recommend!

Thank you Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

Lisa Jewell knows how to grab her reader’s attention and keep tight ahold. Breaking the Dark is no exception. It must be so difficult to write about a character who already exists and has a complex back story, but Jewell picks Jessica up and seamlessly weaves her into a pacy plot without breaking stride. I couldn’t put it down, and can’t wait for more.

It was a good premise and fantastic message but the story felt a bit slower and lacking action. I did enjoy it reading it in general as I like the way Lisa writer (hence the 3 stars) but I guess I would have just liked for more to happen or for the reveal at the end to be clearer as the powers were not really explained

I love Lisa Jewell books but have never watched any Marvel films or read any books relating to marvel so I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this book. I got this book because it was the latest Lisa Jewell book and I never read the blurb as I like to be surprised.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the character of Jennifer Jones. Jennifer is a super hero who was attempting to live a normal life in New York. She was a private investigator and was approached by Amber Randall. Ambers twins had been on holiday in New York with their dad and since they had come back to New York she felt they were acting really strangely and she wanted Jennifer to find out why.

Jennifer started the investigation and it wasn’t long before things took a very dark turn.

A fab read- I’ve already ordered the book for someone else. Thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Delayed review due to holiday*
Where in fact, there was banners and signs advertising this book all over!

Jessica Jones, a failed superhero turned PI, getting on with life and trying to avoid alcohol, when a case lands on her lap. Two teenage sons of Amber Randall, have come back to NY from spending a month of summer with their dad in the UK... completely different.
Different as in, brand new flawless skin, which once was acne ridden, their eyes are vacant and tics have miraculously disappeared.
Amber enlists Jessica's help to find out who returned from the UK and what exactly happened.

Breaking Dark is not the typical Lisa Jewell book, however as a Marvel fan myself, this absolutely did not disappoint. If Jessica Jones is not well known to you, her past is slowly revealed within this book to understand why she is where she is.
I hope Jewell continues with a book series on Jones! And yes, this book is well advertised around the Disney Parks themselves!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The usual Lisa Jewell insight and crystal writing I adore but with a Marvel twist. You don't need to know anything about Jessica Jones to love this book.

I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan and this book is completely different to her usual pieces of writing. I was pleasantly surprised at how I genuinely enjoyed reading this. I hope she will rite more adventures for Marvel's Jessica Jones.

Jessica is a washed up super hero who is now a private investigator. A rich lady approaches her to investigate what happened to her teen twins whilst they were vacationing in the UK for the Summer. According to her, ever since the kids are back, they've been behaving rather strangely. Jessica embarks on the journey to solve this weird case while also battling with her own demons.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for proving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.