* 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 … 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.
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For Georgina “Geo” Shaw being the youngest Vice President at Shipp Pharmaceuticals Company isn’t always easy but her mid-level six-figure salary and being engaged to the company owner’s son who also happens to be the company CEO makes life pretty darn good. What isn’t anywhere near as good, to put it mildly, is being incarcerated in Hazelwood Correctional Institute – otherwise known as “Hellwood.” She was arrested in the middle of her presentation at work, then made a plea deal. She was sentenced to five years of living hell because she never told the police the location of her friend’s body or who murderd her. Of course she knew all the details because she was there when it happened.
I found this to be an interesting read. The description of Geo’s life in the women’s prison was fascinating and yet also horrifying. How author Jennifer Hillier described the adjustments Geo made after her release from prison was thought-provoking. I was glad to see that Detective Kaiser Brody, who was Geo’s arresting officer, never forgot their school friendship and his feelings for Geo. This was a very different read for me but I liked it.
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.
What a twisted tale the author weaved. This dark, thrilling story takes you on a ride you know you should get off of for fear of what the next chapter will bring but your ensnared and cant help but keep going.
Jar of Hearts was written by Jennifer Hillier.
It is the story of three friends, Angela, Geo and Kaiser (Kai).
One of the friends is murdered, one of the friends is put in jail 14 years after the murder, and the other is a cop who arrests the friend putting them in jail 14 years later.
There are five parts to this book. The first one is denial, the second one is anger, the third one is bargaining, the fourth is depression, and the fifth part is acceptance.
In the first part, the murder has happened 14 years ago, and one of the friends is on trial. They have to testify against their ex-boyfriend, but a plea deal allows them to only go to jail for 5 years for their part.
In the second part, five years have passed, and the friend who went to jail is soon getting out. There has recently been another murder, and the police aren’t sure if it and the previous murders might have been done by the same individual as was 14 years ago.
In the third part, the friend has gotten out of jail, and it delves more into what life behind bars was like for the friend. It also talks about the back story of the 3 friends, where they are now, and what has happened since the murder.
In the fourth part, there is another murder, and signs point to the person who committed the first murder. The search is on for the ex-boyfriend, and the friend who testified against him is being kept as safe as can be.
In the fifth part, it goes back to the actual murder that was committed 14 years earlier. It shows what happened that night, and who was responsible for each part of it.
The ending caught me off guard. I had thought maybe it was who it ended up being, but it was written well. I like how things were wrapped up concerning the murder. The epilogue explained things a bit further, and showed how things worked out for the two friends who survived.
“Lying was easy. Telling the truth however, was impossible.”
This book will have you up all night to find out whose telling the truth and who isn’t.
Who is killing people and chopping them up into pieces and then burying them and why? What is the connection?
It’s an action packed novel! I had no clue as to the ending ,until the last few pages of the novel and I can’t believe the ending!
I will tell you this- Be prepared to not sleep, eat or move until you read every bit of this thriller!
Geo serves five years in prison for helping dispose of her best friends body when her boyfriend kills her. No one finds the body until fourteen years later. She is a VP at a company, getting ready to be married, and has her life in front of her. Until her best friend from high school comes to arrest her for murder. Kaiser is a cop and was best friends with Geo and Angela. He was so in love with Geo but she was with Calvin, who was older. After killing Angela, he ends up killing four more women and is caught. He escapes prison while Geo is still serving her time. When she gets released, two bodies are found right were Angela was buried. Then two more are found near the high school they went to. Kaiser is investigating the crimes and thinks it’s Calvin back. Geo hasn’t heard from him but Kaiser puts protection on her in case he comes.
First time reading this author. I couldn’t put the story down. Even though it switches back and forth to the present and then the past. Murder, mystery, sex, and secrets.
• Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *
Jar of Hearts is an adult thriller about the fallout after a murder of a teenage girl and the woman who pays the price for her role years later.
Georgina (Geo) Shaw is arrested 15 years after her best friend Angela went missing and is sentenced to five years in a women’s prison for her part in Angela’s last moments. After being released she continues to pay as she can’t find work, has her home and car vandalized and a series of murders similar to Angela’s are terrorizing the Pacific Northwest. Even further complicating matters is her relationship with Kaiser, a former friend and now the lead detective on the case. Geo is still keeping secrets and Hillier slowly reveals them as the reader heads toward the final face off between Geo and her ugly past.
Jar of Hearts isn’t for the trigger alert avoidant reader. Despite being just over 300 pages it has multiple scenes of sexual assault, domestic abuse, murder (including children) and dismemberment of a body. Geo is not always likable and the reader is forced to decide for themselves about her culpability in Angela’s death and the years she covered it up and went on with her life. I found the book too descriptive sometimes when it came to certain physical attributes (like the character that has her nipples compared to “mosquito bites”) and then oddly vague on some plot points or characterizations.
Despite some of its flaws this was very entertaining and fast-paced thriller. It wasn’t always the most enjoyable listen because the storyline was so dark and it was hard to root for anyone but the narrator (January LaVoy) did an excellent job.
3.5 stars
WOW! This psychological thriller is epic, mind blowing and crazy! I love how the book goes from past to present, with an epilogue to tie everything up at the end. The story is told from Geo and Kaiser’s point of views. There was some dark shit that happened in this story! Even though Geo was involved in some of it, the author made her likeable and I was rooting for her to find happiness throughout the book. There is a HUGE twist that I figured out a chapter or so before it came to fruition, nevertheless, I was still shocked! This book is fast paced, beautifully written, and the plot is just- WOW. The author definitely knows how to keep her readers’ interest! If you haven’t read this one yet- do yourself a favor and pick it up! You won’t regret it!
Talk about a twisted mystery that will keep you guessing. There was a lot I liked about this story. I enjoyed most of the characters, even if they didn’t always make morally great choices. There were so many unexpected twists that unfolded as this story progressed. Fair warning, this is one of those books where the timeline jumps back and forth. One minute you are with present day Geo, then the next chapter you are with 16 y.o. Geo, then back to present day. I am not usually a fan of that style, but for this story it really helped all of the twists unfold.
This is a book i will be thinking about for a long time. I never saw the last twist coming. I would recommend this book to anyone. Even people who dont normally ready this genre. The characters were so deep, rich, and alive felt like i was there with them.
I don’t even know how to respond to this book. This is my second read from this author and this book blew me away just as much as Little Secrets. I think I have found another amazing thriller writer to add to my favorite authors list. I had no clue what to expect going into this book, but it pulled me in immediately and then spit me out. I had no idea where the turns and twists would take me, I never expected the ending at all. This book will keep you guessing and wanting to know more, start this book when you have time to read it all in one sitting.
4.5/5 Stars
This book contains a lot of trigger. Feel free to DM me if you’d like specifics.
This is my first book from Jennifer Hillier and it definitely won’t be the last!
Jar of Hearts is definitely not for the faint of heart, this book is gruesome and intense but in the best ways. It’s chilling and had me immersed in the story from the very beginning. This book changes between the present day and the past, but in a fluid and easy to follow way. These flashbacks give us a breadcrumb trail to finding out what REALLY happened the night that Angela was killed. There’s a few little twists sprinkled in but the last one will rock you to the core.
The only thing that I wish was different about this book was the ending. I felt that it was a bit rushed, I wanted to see more of how things shook out after the last big twist happened.
Audiobook Thoughts: I LOVED listening to this on audio book! The narrator’s voice was nice and clear, making it really easy to speed up the narration if so desired!!
This thriller has heart, and not just a jar of them! In it, we follow “Geo” as she works through some serious mistakes from her past, pays for a heartbreaking crime, and tries to survive when the influences she bowed to at the age of sixteen come to call when she tries to piece together a future life.
At sixteen, Geo fell for the wrong sort of older guy, one with cinnamon kisses and a penchant for strangulation. When her best friend runs afoul of him, he convinces the impressionable youth that she bore responsibility in the murder. She helps dispose of her best friend’s corpse and compartmentalized the experience until she could move on with her life. She attended a good school and built a successful life – until the police came with handcuffs and an arrest warrant.
The first part of the book dealt with Geo’s experience in prison. I kept thinking some added aspects of the challenges she faced in “the big house” would come into play in the second “thriller” part when mothers and their children are strangled in the same way as Geo’s friend, Angela when Geo was sixteen. However, it never quite happened, which almost felt as though the sections could have been two separate books, with the second being much more to my taste.
If you don’t deal with rape, consider this your trigger warning. Child murder? It’s not elaborated upon, but it is there, as is violence against women and manipulation of impressionable minds. However, “Jar of Hearts” offers an interesting perspective on where responsibilities end, and Jennifer Hillier is an excellent storyteller.
This is my second book by Jennifer Hillier and will not be my last. I had a hard time putting this book down, it has twists in it that you would not believe. There is a lot going on in this book but at no time do you feel lost, it flows so well from past to present. If you love thrillers/suspense you will love this one but don’t be fooled its just a few steps from being more.
Well I can basically say that Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier left me speechless. I’ve had so many people tell me how much they loved this book and I can definitely see why!
Triggers, oh there are triggers, rape being a big one. Jar of Hearts is chilling, disturbing, maddening, and amazing. While I did figure out a major part of the plot before it was revealed, the journey getting to that point was riveting and dotted with so much doubt. This is one of those can’t-put-down-until-you-finish type books and I stayed up until 2 AM one night to do just that.
While it sometimes takes me a little bit to get into a book, I was hooked as soon as I started Jar of Hearts. The pacing was steady, and I loved that it was broken into parts with each part switching between Geo and her high school friend-turned-detective, Kaiser. It gave the book a police procedural feel at times that I really enjoyed, while also being a nail-biting thriller.
I also picked up on the fact that Hillier seems to like using the same world in the Pacific Northwest which she ended up noting in the author’s note. It was fun seeing the names of a couple of places that were also in Little Secrets and I will have to make sure I pay attention in her other backlist books now! Jar of Hearts is my second time reading a novel by Hillier (both in the same month) and I can’t wait to read the rest of her books. Stunning writing and you will not want to put this down! If you can get over the triggers anyway…
Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
“Because buried things can, and do, come back.”
Georgina (Geo) Shaw has learned all too well, that nothing stays buried when what was the biggest mistake of her life finally catches up to her. 14 years earlier Geo and her two best friends, Angela and Kaiser, stop at the 7-Eleven as they always do to grab some slurpies, only today is different. While there, they meet Calvin James, Geo and Angela are immediately drawn to the older more confident Calvin, 5 years older, and with a swagger that none of the boys at their school currently possess. Calvin is instantly drawn to Geo, though Angela is beautiful and alluring, to everyone’s surprise, Calvin can’t help but see something in Geo. Angela, used to be the center of attention, and Kaiser, currently secretly in love with Geo are none too pleased by Calvin’s interest in Geo.
It’s not long before Calvin and Geo become inseparable, the relationship becoming what some could consider toxic. A combination of jealously and possession are soon causing their young romance to come apart at the seems. Angela has never been a fan of Calvin for many reasons, but of course the biggest reason is that he didn’t choose her. In an effort to accept Calvin in Geo’s life, Angela suggests stopping by Calvin’s place after a high school party turns out to be a bore. If only Angela could have realized that this decision would be the worst decision she’s ever made, and it would ultimately be her last.
It’s 14 years before the truth about that night finally comes to the surface, figuratively and literally. Geo is faced with the truth of what she and Calvin have done. She’s faced with the harsh reality that she’s not the person she’s been pretending to be, her pure heart died right along with Angela that night.
“Living a life that isn’t meant for you is its own version of hell.”
This is my first Jennifer Hillier novel, and I have to say, I enjoyed her writing style. I will certainly look into some of her other work. While many scenes were not what I would call vividly graphic, she does an excellent job of providing the reader with the full picture. Meaning that sensitive topics are present and not glossed over, there is tact with it’s delivery and somehow it all just works. The emotional state of the characters can be felt, it’s raw and credible. The only thing that truly felt forced to me was the concept of the “jar of hearts” this doesn’t in my opinion tie into the story all that well. It’s meaning becomes not as significant as I thought it would be.
The ending was difficult to read although there were clues. I found myself reading way past my bedtime
Loving it! Stayed up – way late last night. Still have a bit to finish, but it’s holding the final details close to the vest.. still not quite sure how it’ll end!
I’ve been a Jennifer Hillier fan ever since I stumbled across her first novel, CREEP, at the library (I’m now a proud owner of a signed copy!). As soon as I heard about JAR OF HEARTS, and saw the gorgeous cover, I was excited to read it. Hillier’s writing expertly grabbed me from the opening page, and didn’t let go until I finished the novel late last night. Suspenseful, shocking, and downright creepy at times, JAR OF HEARTS is an absolute must read for thriller fans.
This isn’t my typical genre of books. Suspense/thrillers are more my mom’s flavor.
I really enjoyed this one though. I’d heard good things about it from my book friends, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and went for it. I’m really glad I did.
It wasn’t too gory, or gruesome, and there was just enough suspense to keep me guessing.