Jar of Hearts

Jennifer Hillier

Jun 2018 · Sold by Minotaur Books

About this ebook

Nationally Bestselling Author!

* Winner - Best Novel, 2019 ITW Thriller Award * Authors on the Air Network - Thriller of the Year 2018 * Finalist - Anthony Award for Best Novel * Finalist - Macavity Award for Best Novel * MysteryTribune Ten Women Mystery and Thriller Writers You Should be Reading * Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Best of 2018 * Bustle’s Best Thriller 11 Authors Read This Year * CrimeReads’ 20 Best of 2018 * Writer Types Podcast Favorite Books * LitReactor Best Books of 2018 * CrimeReads Favorite Crime Books of the Year * BOLO Books Top Reads of 2018 * SouthFlorida.com Best Mystery Novels of 2018 * Suspense Magazine Best of 2018 - Mystery/Thriller category

"Jar of Hearts grabs you by the throat! The perfect blend of riveting characters, chilling details, and gasping twists in this standout thriller will keep you frantically reading until the explosive end.” – Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of Right Behind You

This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who's been searching for the truth all these years . . .

When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong's remains are discovered in the woods near Geo's childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he's something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo's first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.

For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela's death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.

While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it? Find out in Jennifer Hillier's Jar of Hearts.

Ratings and reviews

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier is set in Seattle, Washington. Fourteen years ago, Angela Wong disappeared without a trace and now her dismembered body has been found in the woods near Georgina “Geo” Shaw’s home. Detective Kaiser Brody, Geo’s best friend in high school, never suspected Geo was involved in such a heinous crime. They learn that Calvin James, Geo’s high school boyfriend, killed Angela and has since murdered three more women. Geo has kept the events of the night Angela was killed a secret, but, after reaching a plea deal, she testifies against Calvin at his trial. Geo is sentenced to five years at Hazelwood Correctional Institute. Towards the end of her stay she is visited by Kaiser and told that Calvin has escaped. Then new bodies start turning up in the woods killed in the exact manner at Angela. Geo is released, and she returns to her childhood home much to the neighbors’ dismay. As the body count rises, Geo recalls the events that led up to that fateful night. What really happened the night Angela died? Jar of Hearts had a good beginning that drew me in (the first third). After a while, though, the story took a downhill turn. The pace became slow and the story felt flat. I thought the story lacked depth and I found it to be predictable (reminded me of many other books that I have read). I wanted twists and turns that would surprise me and give me an OMG moment. The back and forth from the present to the past did not help. The characters lacked development and were one dimensional. I never felt the characters emotions (there should be hatred, anger, love, joy). I also wanted to know why Geo did the things she did. Geo is an unlikeable and unsympathetic character as were most of the individuals in the Jar of Hearts. I wanted to know why Geo was obsessed with Calvin (just one of my questions). Teenage naivete is an excuse that will only take a person so far. If a four-year-old knows the difference between right and wrong so should a teenager. I also felt Geo should have grown more as a person. One would hope that she would learn from her bad decisions and time in prison. The romance was unnecessary and did not add to the story. The ending was incomplete and anticlimactic. We are not given satisfactory answers that would wrap up the book and epilogue was unbelievable. I want to warn readers that the Jar of Hearts is a graphic story that contains extreme violence, crude comments, rape and foul language. Jar of Hearts was not the right book for me (I am in the minority on my opinion). Obtain a sample of the Jar of Hearts to see if it is it appeals to you. The cover for Jar of Hearts is beautiful and it is what drew me to the book.

There are more twist and turns in this thriller than a red vine most of it great. The story is well written and most definitely worth the read. None of the characters except Kaiser and Geo's Dad are likable but they all fit in the part they play. While Geo is the main character, and boy is she a piece of work, we also get to know people she was associated with and stories of her past with clips. As the story unravels we see not only her part but others as well. The author does a great job of flipping from the past to the present and keeping the story line strong. I enjoyed this author's twisted mind and the characters fit the bill perfectly. The play up of the serial killer was well done and the twist to the story was relayed with a bang. This was my first read by this author and yea she's twisted enough to make me want more.

I've always loved stories where the mistakes you made as a kid or teenager come back to haunt you. Well, this one is pretty haunting in that respect. Two best friends, one classic bad boy and all the right conditions occur for something horrible and irreversible to happen. What stuck out to me the most was the poetic tragedy of how one bad decision leads to 10 leads to destruction. Angela & Geo are best friends but when Angela disappears, Geo's life changes forever. She has carried the secret of what really happened to Angela for fourteen years and finally comes to terms with the truth and the consequences of that. Unknown to her, it won't end there. There were so many instances where you could predict what would happen next and although I would normally be annoyed by that, I wasn't here because I was so engrossed with the storyline and fully invested in the characters. I loved the authors style and some of the chances she took with her characters. I've already told all my friends how this is a must read for the beach this summer!

About the author

JENNIFER HILLIER was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, lived in the Seattle area for years, and has just moved back to Toronto with her husband and son.

Jennifer is the author of Wonderland, Creep, and Jar of Hearts.