Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Novel by Lisa Jewell
In her most imaginative novel yet, #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell (None of This Is True) launches the Marvel Crime series of thriller books for adults with an original story starring the private detective Jessica Jones.
Meet Jessica Jones: Retired super hero, private investigator, loner. She tried her best to be a shiny spandex crimefighter, but that life only led to unspeakable trauma. Now she avoids that world altogether and works on surviving day-to-day in Hell’s Kitchen, New York.
The morning a distraught mother comes into her office, Jessica would prefer to nurse her hangover and try to forget last night’s poor choices. But something about Amber Randall’s story strikes a chord with her. Amber is adamant that something happened to her teenage twins while they were visiting 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 Amber insists her children have been replaced by something horrible, something “perfect.”
Traveling to a small village in the British countryside, Jessica meets the mysterious Belle, who lives a curiously isolated life in an old farmhouse with a strange woman who claims to be her guardian. Can this unworldly teenager really be responsible for the Randall twins’ new personas? Why does the strange little village of Barton Wallop seem to harbor dark energies and mysteries in its tight-knit community?
A mother’s intuition is never wrong. And Jessica knows that nothing in life is perfect—not these kids, not her on-again, off-again relationship with Luke Cage, and certainly not Jessica herself. But even as she tries to buy into the idea that better days are ahead, Jessica Jones has seen all too clearly that behind every promise of perfection trails a dark, dangerous shadow.
Breaking the Dark, the first book in the brand-new Marvel Crime series, introduces fans to a grittier, street-level side of the Marvel Universe, and will continue with original novels featuring fan-favorite characters like Luke Cage, written by S.A. Cosby, and Daredevil, written by Alex Segura.
My Review
5 ⭐s
Being both a Marvel fan and a Lisa Jewell fan, I couldn’t wait to read Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel by Lisa Jewell, and I’m thrilled that I did!
Jessica Jones has always been one of those murky Marvel heroes for me. I didn’t care for the show because it focused too much on the dark and gritty rather than the full range of the character. Jewell’s interpretation of the morally gray Jessica Jones brought the character into focus for me in a way the show never could have. Now, I’m deeply invested in this superhero. 🩷
The mystery in Breaking the Dark was anything but predictable. It was a rollercoaster of supernatural elements and unexpected twists. The detective’s superpowers added an intriguing layer to the story, and I found myself unable to guess the outcome. The element of surprise kept me hooked throughout the book.
If you love thrillers with a morally gray female detective but don’t know anything about Jessica Jones, a quick web search will give you the background, and you need to enjoy this supernatural tale of good-ish versus evil fully.
8 responses to “Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel by Lisa Jewell #bookreview #CrimeThriller #fantasy #scifi #thriller”
Wonderful review! I’ve seen mixed reviews for this so I’m really glad you loved it. I haven’t seen the Jessica Jones series, but I did love her in The Defenders, and of course I love Lisa Jewell’s books! 😀
Brilliant, I have not read any of those, but they sound interesting ❤
Jessica Jones is a Marvel character I don’t know much about, and I never watched the show. I love that an author like Lisa Jewell is involved in this crime series. I’d love to read this one.
I’ve been sitting on the fence about this one and you just shoved me off! Great review, Tessa💜
This sounds gripping. I haven’t read any Lisa Jewell books but I hope to change that one day. Great review!
I do enjoy the occasional Marvel movie, but am not familiar with Jessica Jones, I guess I will google it. I love Lisa Jewell and like that she has gone in a different direction. Wonderful review.
Great review, I’m happy to find someone else who loved it! I screamed out loud when I saw this book existed!
I love Lisa Jewell and I love Jessica Jones. I loved the Netflix series and the bits of her I had seen in New Avengers comics. As soon as I finished this book I finally read the copy of the Alias omnibus I’ve had for 9 years, and it’s just a masterpiece! Lisa Jewell captures the Jessica that Bendis originally wrote so well.
I think if you don’t know Jessica, or enjoy Marvel, this book could be tough but if you do it’s fantastic!
I agree 🩷