Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier / an unputdownable thriller

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

I loved this audiobook. And I pretty much listened to it non-stop. Wherever I went, I listened to Jar of Hearts. I loved the premise and the superbly plotted story – it kept me wanting to know more. And the urge to know what really happened was ever present.

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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? iHow long can you live with it?

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

MY THOUGHTS

Oh boy!! This story was all kinds of twisty and unpredictable. 

Chilling, nerve-racking, and heart wrenchingly emotional, Jar of Hearts had my fullest attention. I was 100% entranced by the many twists and turns in this novel. There were so many twists, many I never saw coming.

And the chilling depiction of a women’s prison was only one aspect that gave me goosebumps. Not knowing who did what kept me guessing throughout the entire book, and I had a hard time concentrating on anything else.

I’m not going into details, reading the blurb gives the reader a really good idea of what it’s all about. But the one thing I will say is – READ IT!!! If you love mysteries and thrillers, grab this book right now. Because the hype is real!!!

The Characters

I genuinely liked the main character Geo, her past as well as her present self. As a teenager she was self conscious, easily manipulated, and utterly alone at times. What she had to go through was horrible and broke my heart. And it was amazing that she ended up as such a strong and resilient woman.

Kaiser, the police detective responsible for the case was another character I loved and rooted for. Especially after finding out about his past friendship with Geo, and his unrequited crush. I truly hoped for a HEA for both of them. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I love at least a little bit of romance in my books, even in the most chilling and darkest books – it gives me hope.

The story

The book was beautifully written. Not once did I think that the flashbacks were confusing or jarring. The plot jumped perfectly between past and future and it made for an excellent reading experience. I must admit that the author hooked me with her excellent writing and storytelling. I won’t think twice about picking up any of her other books and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

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Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier