Magnificent book. It was slow for the first 10 pages and then I could not put it down.
posted on amazon as barth gimbal

This book had my attention from the start. It's an easy read with some twist that you don't expect! I was recommend this book by a friend in a FB group and I would definitely read other books by this author as well!

Jennifer Hillier writes with brilliant creative flair, and her stories are so chilling, yet gripping. This is no different! I was drawn in from the very first chapter, and literally did not put this down! I cannot recommend this enough!

Jennifer Hillier writes a gripping, emotive, dark and twisted psychological thriller that had me reading as fast as I possibly could, desperate to see how it all ends. Popular 16 year old Angela Wong disappears without trace, only for her dismembered remains to resurface in the woods 14 years later, close to Georgina 'Geo' Shaw's home. Geo is now a successful VP at Shipp's Pharmaceuticals in Seattle, and engaged to the CEO. Her life falls apart as the knowledge of what happened to Angela, and her role in it, secrets she has kept all these years, now spill out. Kaiser Brody, is a police detective in Seattle PD, he has never got past the stumbling block of his obsessive unrequited love for Geo through the years. He sees that Angela has been a victim of the 'Sweetbay Strangler', Calvin James. When Geo was 16, she developed an blinding obsessive teenage crush on the older Calvin that will indelibly shape her future. The story is told through multiple perspectives, going back and forth in time.

Geo is sentenced to 5 years in prison, and Calvin is imprisoned for life for the killing of Angela, and other deaths. Hillier gives us a chilling portrayal of Geo's prison life, for which Geo has to draw on her inner resources and strength to survive the experience. Calvin manages to escape, and other bodies with a similar MO turn up as the past comes back to haunt the present. As Geo is freed, you wonder if Calvin is responsible and if Geo's life is in danger. There is more to this deadly affair than is first thought as Hillier reveals twist after twist in this tale of abuse and violence. Geo, the once successful and wealthy business woman, now faces life as a pariah, shunned and derided. The narrative gives us a picture of broken and manipulated lives, prison hardships, abuse, friendship, and wrecked futures.

This is a fast paced, beautifully written and impressively plotted book. Admittedly the characters are difficult to like, but Hillier, nevertheless, makes them riveting and compelling, you want to know more about them and the direction their lives head in. I must warn readers that there is dark, unsettling and disturbing material that covers issues such as rape and abuse that may be too much for many readers. I found myself sucked into the story, and found it thought provoking, intense, and an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. I highly recommend this to readers who love twisted psychological thrillers that are a little different. Many thanks to St Martin's Press for an ARC.

This book is a blend of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels, All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda, with a little bit of Netflix's Orange is the New Black mixed in.

Let me just say that this book is downright creepy and made me squirm many times. It is not a "light" thriller. It's a heavy, complicated, layered thriller with complex characters that made me change my opinion of them several times. Some of the content is graphic and disturbing. It messed with my head. I read this book before bedtime, and it kept me awake thinking about it.

While the topics are heavy and the descriptions are graphic, I thought that the writing is stellar. It enthralled me. It reminded me that every little choice that you make in life can impact your journey, or change it.

The characters of Geo, Angela, Kaiser, Calvin were very well developed. Jennifer Hillier fully lays out their motivations, desires, insecurities, and needs, and this was especially important understand as ties to the central plot.

I loved how the full story is revealed slowly through switching timelines, flashbacks, and perspectives. Slowly, the entire situation is uncovered, and the truth is unexpected, shocking, twisty, and left me with my mouth hanging open several times.

Unforgettable read and highly entertaining!

I feel that with reading a lot of thriller/mystery style books, it's often that things can feel predictable from the start, but that was not the case with Jar of Hearts. It wasn't until I was 87% through the book (thanks, Kindle!) that I felt confident that I *might* have a good guess where this was going. That said, it still had a few twists I didn't see coming even after that. Very well written and a fun read.

I read this book in a day!! Luckily I received this book through netgalley, so any free time I could just whip out my phone and cruise through another chapter. At first I really hated how the book was written, it starts with present, then back to the past, then back to the present. But towards the end it all made sense, it would, and I loved it! The story is about Georgina, her friends call her Geo, and the one bad mistake she made as a teenager. Now she’s 30 years old, engaged to a rich man, and a successful pharmaceutical executive. She is living the life. Until all those secrets from years ago get dug up.
The book begins with a trial, not hers but Calvins’.. The Calvin. You get a little bit of back story on what happened, then she’s whisked away to a holding cell but not before she’s slipped a note, she thinks no one has seen. Then she’s off to prison for 5 years, dumped by her fiancée, exiled from her job, pretty much alone. She picks up on jail etiquette pretty quickly so with no bad behavior she is out in no time. But restarting life isn’t as simple as expected. After her face was blasted all over the news her neighbors aren’t to happy to have her back in her childhood home. Exspecially when two bodies show up murdered in almost the same spot where her best friend was found. Everyone assumes she’s connected, it has to be Calvin back at it again. But is it?

The ending was my favorite! It came out of no where, and the subtle hints throughout the book you don’t notice right until the last few pages. Then finally everything makes sense.

Jennifer Hillier's first novel, Creep, set the bar extremely high. Although her novels that followed were captivating and solid reads, none were able to come close to the intensity until Jar of Hearts. This book was un-put-down-able! Despite the pace being lightening quick, the integrity of the story line and character development was never compromised. I loved Geo and Kai as narrators -- particularly the former. As she claims, she is both the hero and the villain. This was one of my favorite books for 2018!

I really loved this book. Love Geo as a character...thought she was so honest and real. Was expecting a twist at the end but not that particular one (or 2). Loved how the title fit into the book...not what I was expecting.

Very dark in the very best way. Is there a more unlikeable protagonist than Georgina Shaw, who helped her boyfriend conceal the murder of her best friend? Probably not. Still, she's a compelling character, and I couldn't stop turning the pages until I had learned all of her secrets.

This book had me on the edge of my seat! There were moments when I just thought, “ Wait, did I just read that?” Geo’s story was one I couldnt wait to unravel, though I have to admit, I kinda guessed the twist. Loved it anyways. Definitely interested in other titles by this author, this book was wonderful.

Jennifer Hillier has a new biggest fan. This is the first book I have read by this author and I am blown away with how well written and developed this book is. It has a great plot, excellent dialogue, and the twists never stop coming. I can compare it to a roller coaster in the dark, you just don't know when the next twist and turn is coming.This fast paced thriller is easy to read but not for the faint of heart. This book is told in the third person POV following Georgina as she recounts the horror that led her to spending 5 years in prison and an eternity in her own punishment for her involvement. When Geo is released with her life in shambles and bodies start turning up around her home, she realizes the past is catching up to her. This book culminates to an unexpected ending guaranteed to leave you wanting more.

Extremely well written. I can't wait to pick up her next book. Way to go Jennifer Hillier. I HIGHLY recommend this book, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley for introducing me to my new favorite author.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Hillier's new thriller Jar or Hearts, in fact once I started reading it I couldn't put it down! Mrs. Hillier does an excellent job of keeping her reader guessing while giving them just enough juicy details to keep them on the edge of their seat. I really enjoyed uncovering Georgina (Geo) Shaw's story, even if I did not always like her as a person. I think the love triangle between her, Calvin and Kaiser both in the past and present added an extra interesting layer to the story. Readers who love suspenseful twisted thrillers need to pick up this book immediately! I am definitely going to seek out more of Mrs. Hillier's work.

This book is compelling. If you permit it, you will experience a huge range of mixed emotions; liking people who commit unspeakable acts, disliking the actions of the upright. It's a good reminder that you never do know what goes on inside another's life. Not really.

Red, cinnamon heart-shaped candy was Geo's (Georgina) boyfriend's favorite candy, and she'll never forget the smell of his breath on top of her the night her best friend went missing. Calvin made Geo feel alive and she would do anything for his approval, but after that night he disappeared too. Now it's fourteen years later, Geo's a successful executive at a pharmaceutical company, engaged to be married and perched on the precipice of "happily ever after". However, her world's about to turn upside down. Her best friend from high school who went missing all those years ago has been found. Her bones, that is, and terrible secrets are about to come to light.

Fantastic thriller that will keep you enthralled to the very end. Highly recommended!

What a a great shift from the killer to the damaged. This multifaceted storyline hooked me good a reminded me of how we can treat each other in some bad ways. Very different story and Geo is very, very surprising!

Keep reading to the end, or else you will miss out the best part of this story.

"We see what we want to see."

Geo (Georgina Shaw) lives in what people think as a dream life. She is only 30, pretty (but not gorgeous type), an executive at ShippPharmaceuticals, and a fiancee to the heir of the company. But she has kept her dark past secret for years. Maybe for too long. You know telling the truth is harder than lying. She has lost her opportunities to open up and reveal what actually had happened on the tragic day a long, long, time ago when she was still 16…..

Or was it the reason why she has kept her secret for so long? Has she been involved in the murder of her then best friend Angela Wong? If so, how much has she been involved?

Geo gets arrested in the middle of a meeting and sentenced 5 years in prison at the same time her ex-boyfriend, Calvin James, known as Sweetbay Strangler, awaits his trial of the murder of Angela and 3 other women. 5 years in prison is hard to survive, literally. But which place is truly safer for her, inside prison or outside?

Right before the date of her release, bodies were discovered near Angela’s deceased body was found. The way those victims were killed and disposed of were also identical to Angela’s case. Is this a welcome back sign from Calvin who has escaped from the prison and still at large??

Truthfully, I didn’t know if I would like the story in the beginning. Nothing really grasped me, and I almost stopped reading around the page where Geo got befriend with another inmate who’s nickname is Mammoth. Some part of the description of what Mammoth has done to Geo grossed me out so much, I would have stopped reading there if I didn’t have to write a review for this book. I also guessed the story would be similar to the TV show Orange is the New Black, and I lost interest. Don’t get me wrong. I really liked the TV show, but I wouldn’t read it (It is not the type of a genre I like to read). Well, having said that I am glad I didn’t stop reading there. This story is not about how she spent her time in prison. The story suddenly becomes intriguing after she was released from the prison.

Although this book is a thriller, I enjoyed the love story essence of it. It was alluring to read about how the relationship between Geo the prisoner and her ex-best friend the detective grow over time. Also, the relationship Geo had with Calvin when she was a teen is toxic but convincible. I think anyone can relate the feeling of head over heels in love with someone.

But the best of the best part of this book comes at the last 1/4 of this story. You will be astonished to find out what has been going on and happening around Geo all along. I didn’t see this possibility coming. One of the biggest twists I have ever read, Ever. And I promise there will be one last chilling truth awaiting for you at the very very end of the story.

Who is the true lunatic? It’s for you to find out.



I rate this book 4.5 stars based on the rating below.

(1 star: couldn’t finish, 2 stars: made myself finish it, 3 stars: I liked it💕, 4 stars: I loved it💕💕, 5 stars: loved enough to reread it!!)

Well-written, compelling read. Intricate relationships and characters. A very interesting observation of teens, friendships, abusive relationships in the world most of us think of as protected and insulated. There are no neighborhoods with magic shields against human evil.

"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!

I read this in one sitting, I just had to know what happened. The book bounced back and forth between memories and present day, and I thought it did a great job teasing out the complexity in teen friendships and relationships and exploring the grey area of decisions under pressure. I liked that the main character wasn't an entirely good person, that she still had dark secrets. I found some of the ending to be predictable, but I still liked how it was handled.