Breaking the Dark

Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel by Lisa Jewell is a very highly recommended private detective crime thriller. Yes, it does feature Jessica Jones, a retired super hero from the Marvel Universe, but knowledge of that universe is not required to enjoy this excellent investigative mystery.

Jessica Jones, ex-super-hero, is now a private investigator in New York City. Amber Randall asks for her help in figuring out what happened to her teenage twins, Fox and Lark, when they were with their father in the village of Barton Wallop, UK, for the summer. They came home changed and don't seem like the same teens who left. The two have freakishly perfect skin and have lost their distinctive tics and habits. Everything is show more "perfect" when asked and there is secret talks about a girl named Belle. Amber is seriously wondering if they have been replaced.

Jessica takes the case because Amber is wealthy and she needs the money. She has teenage intern, Malcolm, assist her by getting close to the twins and looking for more information about what happened to them. Then Jessica travels to the UK, meets the twin's father, and finds the mysterious Belle, a teenager living with her guardian in an old farmhouse. Then things get weird. While working the case, Jessica is going through some personal issues too.

I found Breaking the Dark wildly entertaining, extremely well-written, suspenseful, and un-put-downable. I'm probably not the target audience since I only have a passing knowledge of the Marvel Universe and am hardly knowledgeable about the lore and background of all the characters. What I am is a huge fan of Lisa Jewell's writing and if she writes it, I will read it. I was actually a bit surprised at how much I loved this novel.

The narrative follows the current investigation with occasional chapters covering events from years ago leading up to the present that provide needed background information. The two timelines coalesce at the end. The plot does have a dark mysterious, evil, and dangerous undercurrent. The plot enters into fantasy, obviously with the ties to Marvel, but also has some real lessons about modern life embedded in the plot. Including the current control social media and influencers have over people's lives in the plot is a timely addition.

Jessica is a fully realized imperfect character, full of flaws and shortcomings who is also worried that she may be pregnant, so this concern is always there. She doesn't rely upon super powers here, which should make the novel appealing to those who enjoy thrillers. Thanks to Hyperion Avenue for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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Jessica Jones has given up her life as a superhero. After unspeakable trauma, she's living in Hell's Kitchen, drinking too much and trying to make her living as a private investigator. She's also worried that she might be pregnant.

When a distraught mother comes to hire her to find out why the teenage twins she sent away to visit their father in England have come back changed. Now they are like zombies who have become perfect.

Jessica takes the job and finds herself in a small English village that was once the site of a horrible tragedy. The twins' father is renovating a house built on the site of the tragedy. He has a mysterious new girlfriend. When Jessica tracks down the young girl who became the twins' friend while they were in show more England, she finds herself swept up into a situation where someone is trying to make her perfect goo.

Interspersed with this main story are flashbacks to an immortal woman who falls in love with a serial killer obsessed with blood and a young woman who wants to gain fame and make her fortune by making an app that makes the user's all perfect too.

I came into this story knowing nothing about the Marvel Universe and nothing about Jessica Jones or her backstory. I had questions after I began this one and consulted wikipedia for some answers. Anyone who already knows about the Universe will find that this story fits right into the canon and adds depth to Jessica's story.

I really enjoyed the book both for the science fictional aspects and the underlying question of what it means to be a mother and what being a mother can cost. show less

DISCLAIMER: I am not by any means a Marvel Person, so I am not influenced by some sort of
nostalgia in any way, whatsoever.

too good for a seemingly fan-fic

Hmm... I'm not sure what to make of this. Good plot idea? Definitely. Enjoyable? Yeah, I suppose. Well executed? Not really.
It was an alright book, but it took ages to get into any sort of mystery, or crime to solve.

I think this was a very good idea for a crime novel, and although not a well read Lisa Jewell fan, I can see why people like her, the book was engaging towards the right end of it, and had good sub-plots, and I the whole alternate time period gimmick was well-executed.

So don't direct my criticism towards her, because it feels like she was a bit restrained, but here show more goes - a bit of a rant starting in 3...2...1:

Firstly and most importantly, the book spent way way too long on Jessica, describing her, doing a lame attempt at a pregnancy plot. I mean who saw that coming? apart from everybody of course, which sadly meant that the brilliant plot idea was completely submerged under what feels like way too much unnecessary exposition. This, I imagine was due to Marvel wanting to focus on the superheroes, and the crime at the same time, but failing at both. It was a real shame though, because the idea of the app which turns you beautiful instantly could have been absolutely amazing; I can envisage myself giving such book a far more nobler review, then what has happened. And in a way, I would even say that the book is a bit too good to be a Marvel crime novel thing?? Because of the whole time lost getting through the plot - Jewell tried to fit two books into one which didn't quite work - it was only in the last 50 or so pages where I thought 'actually, you know what, this is a good book,'
The whole baby plot was an unnecessary way of clogging up the novel, and felt like a bit of a side hustle, but too much, so as too detract from the main mystery.
Despite the above, it was actually an alright book, in the last 100 or so pages (which is not nearly enough) but it just spent too much time on Jessica. Jessica this Jessica that...

I think I will try one of Jewell's other books, because I clearly do not think that this book is a good example of

a) The Marvel Cinematic Universe

b) Lisa Jewell

c) Fan fictions in general. show less

Ok, I did not realize this story is a bit on the Sci-fi side of the book world. Not really my genre at all. But, I did read it. So, take my review with a grain of salt!

Amber Randall is seeking help from private investigator, Jessica Jones. Jessica does not really believe Amber when she says her twins are not right. The twins have just returned back to the states after a long stay with their father in the UK. The twins don’t act like themselves, and they now have flawless skin, have lost their distinctive tics and habits, and keep talking about a girl named Belle. Amber insists her children have been replaced by something horrible, something “perfect”.

This is not your usual Lisa Jewell. She is one of my favorite go to suspense show more authors. As usual, she has wonderful characters. This is what kept me reading. I love Jessica. She is a hot mess but she is also intelligent and a bit snarky!

I also enjoyed the hunt to find out what happened to the twins! What kind of brain washing or experience did they actually have? This is where the story deviated from the normal. It involves human blood and not the vampire kind.

If this is what you like, you will enjoy this one. It is just a bit far fetched and “out there”. But, it is not going to stop me from reading this author, I will just skip this series.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. show less

Jessica Jones has retired as a super hero and lives in Hell’s Kitchen, New York as a private investigator. When Amber Randall seeks out her services because her teenage twins returned from a trip to visit their father in the UK as changed people. They seem to have been replaced by “perfect” specimens. Jessica’s investigation takes her to a small village in England where she too seems to fall under some type of spell. Upon her return to New York, it is up to Jessica and occasional lover Luke Cage to unravel the mystery and put a stop to a nefarious plan.

My bad….I guess I responded to Lisa Jewell as the author (I have read many of her thrillers) and didn’t read close enough that this is a Marvel novel, the first in what is to show more become a series. Superheroes, sci fi and fantasy are not my typical genre choices. But, I approached the book with an open mind, suspended belief and thoroughly enjoyed the story/mystery. While it didn’t sell me on this genre, I did find myself totally engrossed in the plot.

If you enjoy Lisa Jewell’s writing, but are not a fan of fantasy/Marvel, do give this read a chance. You may like it as much as I did.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HyperionAveBooks for the DRC. show less

Jessica Jones Noir-Lite
Review of the Penguin Audio edition (July 4, 2024) narrated by Helen Laser and released simultaneously with the Hyperion Avenue hardcover & eBook.

She has left behind most of her close friends from her years as a—admittedly below par—super hero. They exist on another plane now, far above her, with their costumes and their glamour and their mystique. She is a scruffy second cousin in comparison, not thought of nor remembered from day to day. And she has felt for so long that this is where she belongs, here in this nasty apartment, doing this nasty, messy job, alone, drunk, empty inside. But surely, she wonders painfully, surely there must be more than this.

I have only read 3 other books by so-called show more "psychological suspense" writer Lisa Jewell, but they were more suspenseful and creepy than this one. I only know Jessica Jones from the TV adaptations of the Marvel comics character, which were much more noir-like and dark themed. So although the promo text for this "first book in the brand-new Marvel Crime series, [which] introduces fans to a grittier, street-level side of the Marvel Universe" promises a darker edge, I suspect that both groups of fans may be somewhat disappointed in the result.

See photograph at https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.bd1190f6e3b8fdd6a6d918e388789ed2?rik=ZI5Or8aF4%2bHxa..."
Actor Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones in the Netflix TV series adaptations (2015-2019). Image sourced from Slash Film.

Former superhero (abilities: superstrength/flying) Jessica Jones now runs her solo Alias Investigations private detective business. She is hired by a client to investigate why her 2 teenage children have returned from a summer visit with the father in England and do not seem to be the same as they were. Jones takes on the case and also enlists a teenage assistant Malcolm to help infiltrate the high school world of the kids. Occasional boyfriend Luke Cage makes some cameo appearances. Superhero antics are kept to a minimum though with Jones trying to curtail her drinking and use of powers due to a possible pregnancy.

Overall this did feel in keeping with the Jessica Jones that I knew from the TV adaptations. Chronologically it takes place after her retirement from superheroing and after her escape from the mind control of Kilgrave (which was the story arc of Season 1 on TV). The plot she faces in Breaking the Dark is diabolical enough, but it all seems much lighter than her own or Lisa Jewell's other outings.

The narration by Helen Laser was fine in all voices. It would have certainly added a further edge if they had gotten Krysten Ritter to narrate.

Trivia and Links
There is a promotional article at Marvel.com where you can also read the opening chapters of the book here. The article also mentions that future planned Marvel Crime novels include a Luke Cage novel by S.A. Cosby and a Daredevil novel by Alex Segura. show less

I have read so many Lisa Jewell books....and yes, this one WAS different. However, I'm now hooked on the infamous Jessica Jones, but only if she returns in book form. I'm just not a comic book person so I'm not quite sure what has already happened to this character in the Marvel collection. The story was SO complicated....no wonder it was a challenge to write, as her husband commented, telling her he had never seen her work so hard on a book! It tied in all of the sorts of incredible problems we are facing in the world now, from AI to people in power who are definitely narcissistic.