Breaking the Dark cover art

Breaking the Dark

A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel

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Breaking the Dark

By: Lisa Jewell
Narrated by: Helen Laser
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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-favourite characters like Luke Cage, written by S.A. Cosby, and Daredevil, written by Alex Segura.

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?

Nothing is certain in Lisa Jewell's gripping and most imaginative novel yet.

‘The pace doesn’t let up, the characters never once slip. Tricksy, endlessly interesting and pure entertainment, don’t miss this one.' Gillian McAllister
‘Fresh, lively, insightful—and the action scenes hit like a chop. A really cracking story.' AJ Finn
‘Classic Lisa Jewell with an amazing twist!’ Jenny Colgan
'Reveals the depth and complexity of one of the most fascinating and indomitable characters in the Marvel canon.' S. A. Cosby

© MARVEL 2024 (P)2024 Penguin Audio

 Action & Adventure Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Women's Voices Exciting Superhero Fantasy

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Critic reviews

Seamlessly integrates superhero lore with the gritty realism of a crime thriller.
Clever concept, characters and and compelling prose will keep you hooked.
A gripping read.
Absolutely perfect.
Twisty, authentic, gripping.
All stars
Most relevant
My fourth Lisa Jewell book, really enjoy her as a storyteller. This book was enjoyable enough but my least favourite of the four.
I didn’t find the reader easy on the ear to begin with, British accents were iffy.
I wasn’t expecting a far fetched supernatural element from the author. Not my thing but still sort of liked it

Enjoyable in the main

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It was much better than I expected after seeing it was Marvel, I panicked slightly! However this slightly quirky story with super powerful Jessica Jones was great! (I understand that she used to appear in a tv series, I have no knowledge of that or her!).
Lisa Jewell is an effortless storyteller whose work I find particularly appealing!

Interesting

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This book was a very different type of read from what I expected from Lisa Jewell. I never imagined I’d read a Marvel character book by this author, but surprisingly, I actually enjoyed it. This is set in New York USA and Essex U.K.

This is book 1 of 1 in the Marvel Crime novel. We are introduced to Jessica Jones she is described in the blurb as 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.’

Jessica’s case involves Amber Randall, a wealthy woman and the mother of twins, Lark and Fox. They are 16 years old and share them with her British ex-husband. Upon their return from a month-long stay in the U.K., Amber is concerned about their sudden change in behaviour. She urges Jessica to investigate and even suggests travelling to the U.K. herself.

Jessica initially rolls her eyes at Amber’s demands, but she soon realises that there’s something sinister at play. Lark and Fox’s skin has transformed into flawless perfection, and they have become brilliant students overnight. Despite their outward success, they continue to say that “everything is perfect.” including themselves.

As Jessica delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a dark secret. The perpetrator and her accomplices are experimenting on young people to create a world of perfection. Jessica finds herself in a race against time to stop the main perpetrator, a psychopath who uses anyone to achieve her goals.

If you enjoy superhero films, this book offers a mildly thrilling and imaginative escape. It’s a must-read for fans of the genre, but be prepared to use your imagination.

*Meet Jessica Jones*

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I’m not usually into superhero books, and I didn’t realise this one would have those themes until I got started. I’m a huge fan of Lisa Jewell—the depth of her characters always amazes me—so I wasn’t sure what to expect here. But I was completely captivated. At one point, I even freaked out midway through—I genuinely felt like I was experiencing everything alongside Jessica. It’s beautifully written,.

Chills

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I wasn’t so keen on this book. I’m not really into marvel characters I prefer Lisa’s other books

Very different style

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