Could not get past 2 chapters. The characters were not interesting or likeable. The plot may have been good but the first few chapters did not draw me in so I don't care.

"He stops. Makes a show of looking right at Geo, and then at Calvin, and then at the jurors. When he speaks again, his voice is a few decibels above a whisper, so that everyone in the courtroom has to strain to hear him. "You left your best friend buried in the woods, a mere hundred yards from the house you lived in, after your boyfriend cut her up into pieces.".......

This chilling thriller starts 14 years after 16 year old Angela went missing. Three close friends, Angela, Georgina (Geo for short) and Kaiser, were in high school when Angela disappeared.

Angela’s body has been found in the woods near Geo’s childhood home. Geo knew all those years what happened but never told. Kaiser became a police detective. Believing Angela was killed by serial killer, Calvin James, who knows what really happened? Geo and Calvin had their own connection. “Jar of Hearts” could also have been called “Jar of Secrets.” Now that Geo admits to things at Calvin’s trial, she will be heading to prison.

Now as Geo is on the verge of release it’s happening again. Maybe the truth everyone thinks they know isn’t real. Kaiser is now investigating more murders, similar to Calvin James previous ones. Who and why?

This creepy thriller is scary enough to keep you awake at night. Gruesome story line. One dark surprise after another. The quotes before each part of the book I really liked. Caught my attention, which is unusual. I read them, but they rarely sink in before I move on.

Can Kai find out who has started these similar killings? What are the connections? Does Geo still possibly have untold secrets?

In truth I picked to read this book because of the authors past work. I read books by Jennifer Hillier years ago. Her “Creep” two book series was just that, creepy! As was this one. If you’re looking for something terrifying, realistic and thrilling pick up any of her books.

Thank you Jennifer Hillier, Netgalley, and
Macmillan Publishers

Only read about 100 pages and too many F and GD words for me so not continuing.

Wow! This book has been excellent! Definitely a page turner that will keep you reading well into the night. The characters are realistic and full of life; they each have quirks and set backs, successes and grave mistakes. I strongly recommend this book to all thriller/mystery lovers!

Geo appears to be a woman who has it all. She is educated, articulate, has a successful career and will soon be getting married. When she is arrested during a company meeting, she doesn't seem at all surprised since she has anticipated this day since she was 16. The story alternates between the past and the present as we learn the facts surrounding the heinous crime her then high school boyfriend Calvin committed with Geo's assistance.
Geo is sentenced to 5 years in prison and initially, it is rough and unpleasant. After being released she goes back to her childhood home to live with her father. No one in the community is glad to see her, with the exception of her old friend Kaiser who is now a detective(and the one who arrested Geo). When more bodies are discovered, the manner of death leads many to believe that Calvin( who escaped from prison) is responsible. Figuring out what happened in the past as well as what was going on now kept me on the edge of my seat and flipping pages. No spoilers here, so if you like dark, twisted tales, you will want to read Jar of Hearts.
This is a tragic story about how teenage actions and decisions led to the loss of a life. While Geo somehow managed to move past Calvin and their crime, inside she was always waiting to be caught and punished. As present events unfolded, I just kept hoping she could forgive her younger self and move toward a brighter future. This was disturbing in many ways because of the subject matter, however, it was a gripping tale and it flowed without slowing down for a minute. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won't be my last.
Thank you, Jennifer Hillier, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the complimentary digital ARC.

Jennifer Hillier's Goodreads bio says she writes about "dark, twisty people who do dark, twisty things." That pretty much sums up Jar of Hearts. At its core Jar of Hearts is a good old fashioned murder mystery-but as the saying goes "the devil is in the details." And the details are horrifying-fourteen years ago Angela Wong never returned home from a party, leaving her friends bewildered and her parents heartbroken. But Angela's best friend Georgina "Geo" knew what happened to Angela-but said nothing until Angela's dismembered body is found mere yards from Geo's house. By this time Georgina is VP of a pharmaceutical company and is engaged to the CEO. In exchange for her testimony against Angela's killer (who is also Geo's ex boyfriend, Calvin), Geo receives five years in prison as an accomplice to the crime. Calvin is sentenced to life in prison, but he escapes and has remained on the run for years. After Geo is released from prison several murders occur with striking similarities to Angela's. Has Calvin returned to hunt Geo down for testifying against him? Is there more to the story than Geo is letting on? Any decent writer can build suspense when the "who dunnit" is unknown-only a few can keep the momentum going once the killer is revealed-and Ms. Hillier does that in spades. Jar of Hearts is gritty and gruesome. No death is pretty, but the ones in Jar of Hearts set a new standard for ugly. That Ms. Hillier can even remotely humanize (and even get us to sympathize with) the despicable characters in her story is a crowning achievement on its own. While reading Jar of Hearts I thought "this will make a great movie"-and plans for that are already in the works. Due to its graphic detail, Jar of Hearts is probably not for everyone-but if you're looking for a gutsy, no holds barred murder mystery-you won't be disappointed.

This is one of those books you cannot put down. All through it are little surprises all the way to the end with the biggest surprise. I highly recommend this book, I read it in two days.

Three friends attend a party- Geo, Angela and Kai.

Only two make it home that night.

One grows up seeking the truth of what happened that fateful night.
One already knows.

One grows up to become a cop and uphold the law.
One ends up in jail.

Told in 5 parts: (The 5 stages of grief as explained by Kubler-Ross) from the POV’s of Geo and Kaiser
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

A well written crime novel but NOT for the faint of heart. This serial killer is gruesome.

Definitely some surprises, though I personally struggled to accept one of the reveals.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Jennifer Hillier, and Minotaur Publishing for the ARC I received in exchange for a candid review. This book will be available for purchase on June 12th, 2018!

Easily one of the best books I've read this year. Normally, with so many different "voices" a book can be hard to follow, but this, this was "unputdownable." Incredible introduction to this author. I will be looking for more!

This book kept me up very late because I just couldn't bring myself to put it down!

It was interesting how you are placed in the middle of the sequence of crimes. It was a interesting perspective on the story and very well done. I will admit as soon as you found out she was raped and more details of the new cases you could figure it out, but it didn't prevent me from enjoying the rest of the story.

A good thriller.

This is an exceptionally well-crafted thriller with an ending that completely surprised me.

While the prison scenes are especially well done, the entire book transports you – sometimes to places you’d rather not go.

While the story is a violent one, there’s so much emotional heartbreak and abuse in the book that the psychological aspect of it is just as jarring and horrific as the physical aspect.

And while our characters surprised and even shocked me at times, I loved them.

I will very happily read this author in the future!

Loved this thriller! Geo and Angela were best friends in high school until Geo began dating 21-year-old Calvin. Jealousy flared and tragedy ensued leaving Angela missing and found dead after fourteen years. Calvin is arrested and Geo is also sentenced to prison as an accomplice and it is there the story really begins as we follow her journey for the five years she is incarcerated. Old flame, Kai, now a police officer is of course conflicted, but he vows to get the truth as more bodies are uncovered. What is the truth? How many secrets are buried along with the corpses? More than you know! I thought I had it figured out but I wasn't even close. This kept me turning pages long into the night until the end! What a thrill ride!

Wow! Excellently written, soooo hard to put it down. A great read, highly recommend. I'd give it more stars if I could.

EXCELLENTLY written thriller that had me hooked from the start. I loved the author's main characters and the doubt you had on what was going on. I didn't guess the twist near the end and I always enjoy when I can't figure it out. Great pacing and story development--loved it. 5 stars!

A good story about love and hatred. Well written and gripping. This was one hard to put down. The characters were believable and the author was able to make you care about them. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes a well written story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Jennifer Hillier for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed Jar of Hearts while finding the subject matter quite disturbing. It tells the story of Geo whose best friend disappeared while they were in high school and her role in this disappearance which she has been living with for years. It delves into the topics of abuse and how young girls can get enmeshed in unhealthy and unsafe relationships which they mistake for love. Though I had figured out the "twist, " it was still a fun ride to get to the end. I like how the characters were multifaceted and there were shades of grey to all of their actions. Definitely recommend!

The first chapter of this book grabbed me and I was excited to keep reading. Unfortunately, while fast-paced, the rest of the book did not live up to the beginning. I found the switch between present and past tense distracting. All the characters turned out to be unlikable. I skimmed over the graphic violence and must have missed a key plot point because when I finished the book I had questions about how the killer knew X and Y. I can see why this book has so many high reviews, it just wasn't for me.

Sixteen year old Geo has been sent to prison after confessing that she was involved in the of murder of her best friend. She was in love with Calvin who turns into an evil serial killer who escapes shortly after being convicted and sent to prison.. Now, fourteen years later, more horrendous murders occur. Kai, Geo's best friend, is a police officer, is looking for Calvin.

Jar of Hearts (love the tltle) takes place at the present time with frequent flashbacks. It is gritty, violent, and well written - very difficult to put down. It is a dark twisted tale with some surprises (shocks). Excellent book.

Could not put this one down!!! Finished it in just a few hours.

Fantastic, creepy thriller right to the very end!

Definitely not for the faint of heart, Jennifer Hillier returns with another disturbing thriller. I could not put this down until the very end. The flashback chapters were excellently paced, and there were no superfluous characters who were only written into the story to throw you off track.

Thank you Netgalley for another great read in exchange for an honest review.