The synopsis of this book has me so intrigued. But as I started it, there were way too many triggers in it to my liking. Some books need warning before starting and this was one of them.

TW: depictions of rape, domestic abuse, murdered young children

Back in high school, Angela Wong, Georgina "Geo" Shaw, and Kaiser Brody were best friends. When they were 16, Angela disappeared. 14 years later, her remains are discovered and the truth comes out that Geo's boyfriend, Calvin James, now known as the serial killer the Sweetbay Strangler, murdered her and Geo helped him cover it up. Kaiser is now a cop, and he's the one to arrest both Calvin and Geo. Geo is sent to jail for a short sentence for her part in the murder and has to figure out how to move on with her life. When Calvin escapes from jail and more bodies begin turning up, Kaiser has to figure out what's going on before more people--including possibly Geo--wind up dead.

I hated this book. First of all, it was very R-rated. So, so many f-words as well as lots of other strong language. Graphic sexual content. Graphic murdered body descriptions. I needed answers or I probably would have not finished, so I ended up skimming a bunch, but what I read was more than enough.

The characters weren't even that likable or relatable. When we first meet Geo, she's on trial where she's taken a plea deal and reveals for the first time in 14 years that she witnessed her best friend being murdered and never told anyone what happened, leaving Angela's friends and family wondering for years where she was and what happened to her. As you get to know more of the truth in the flashbacks, you realize how she got to where she ended up and do feel sorry for her a bit, but she's just not a very sympathetic character. She's also extremely self-aware and has insanely good metacognition for someone who's been through serious trauma but has never been to therapy (because this all would have come out if she'd ever been to therapy), which is a little unbelievable. Even Kaiser isn't that great. You first see his perspective as he's laying in bed early in the morning reading work emails on his phone while his work partner with whom he's having an affair lays in bed next to him. His work partner who's married to another cop. That's pretty scummy.

I will grant that the twist is pretty good. I figured it out only a little before the characters in the story and was a bit impressed. Very small seeds were planted early on in the story but weren't obvious enough to give it away. That was probably the only redeeming thing about this book. The ending was unnecessarily violent and was supposed to be a good payoff but didn't feel like it. I would not recommend this book ever at all. Thanks (I guess) to NetGalley for giving me a free ebook.

I recommend this book to library patrons all the time. Many have become big fans of Jennifer Hillier!

Wow there is every kind of rough content in here you can think of pretty much. That did hinder my enjoyment of this even though I knew going in that that was the case. Hillier's writing style is so consumable and propulsive that I still had to finish the book to know what happened. *shrug* 3 stars

Amazing book - kept me enthralled all the way through and I was looking for excuses to spend more time reading. Good character development throughout

I thought this was a pretty cool book. It kept me on the edge of my seat for quite a while and was just gruesome enough to meet my needs in that regard. Hillier is definitely a writer I will come back to!

I wish I had read this sooner! This was the first book I have read by Jennifer Hillier and it won’t be the last. It was a fast paced page turner that kept me engaged from the get go. The characters were all very interesting and I liked the way the author wove the past with the present throughout the book to tell the story. I wasn’t crazy about the resolution just from a satisfaction standpoint, but I understand why the author made the choices that she did.

This was my first book by Jennifer Hillier and I am hooked! What a ride Jar of Hearts takes you on! It is a bit gory but if that doesn't bother you, the characters and build up is great.

Quite a shocking plot, but a riveting read nonetheless. I would question her use of genetics as a factor in crime, however.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more from this author! I highly recommend this book and author to all!

Dark, twisted, chilling, sick, addictive. Attention grabbing from the first page. This was one of those books I did not want to put down. There were so many layers and plot twists. Even though this was the classic one night changing the lives of the main characters, but it went so much further than that. Every time you think you know what happened, everything changes. This book left my head buzzing, so much so that it took a few weeks to pick up mt next read.

The only negative to this book is some of the gruesomeness of some of the scenes. I can go with a little less of that, and still felt this book was just as great.

I want to thank Netgalley, Jennifer Hillier, and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! An epic journey full of mystery and intrigue!
The beginning of the blurb had me, 3 best friends, one who was murdered, one who went to prison and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years!
I was completely intrigued and it didn’t disappoint.
There’s SECRETS!
A serial killer!
And lots of twists and turns!
It takes you back and forth with the characters. What they saw, what they felt.
It’s a great way to experience a story like this!
It’s an incredible story! I highly recommend it!

This dark and twisted thriller has it all: murder, lust, lies and deception! The novel begins with Geo testifying against her ex boyfriend, a serial killer responsible for the death of her best friend many years ago. Unfortunately, Geo, a young teen at the time, was coerced into helping cover up the crime. After she serves her time in a woman's prison, she's focused on coming to terms with her actions and rebuilding her life. But someone remembers that night and it's outcomes. And they don't believe Geo has paid for her sins yet! Genuinely could not put this page turner down!

Wow! A dark, sick, and twisted read that is highly addictive. I will admit to having started this awhile back and putting it down because I wasn’t sure if it was for me but I’m glad I went back because it really is a very good read.

Wow!!! Just wow. I read a lot of thrillers and this was definitely one of the best. I haven't ever read Jennifer Hillier before, but it won't be the last time.
Full of twists, turns, and secrets better left undiscovered.
I felt that Geo was a very relatable character who owned up to her faults in the long run. I really wanted to see her come out on top.

A CHILLING QUESTION.

“Just how would you start to cut up a human body?”
—Jimmy Stewart’s “L.B ‘Jeff’ Jefferies,” “Rear Window” (1954)

THE OPENING CREDITS.

From the publishers who brought you Whispers of the Dead and The Wife Between Us comes a vastly unsettling and abominably sinister tale of hatred, duplicity, jealousy, and cold, calculated murder.

MINOTAUR BOOKS
IN ASSOCIATION WITH MACMILLAN PRESS
PRESENTS

A MINOTAUR BOOKS PRODUCTION

A NOVEL BY JENNIFER HILLIER

GEORGINA SHAW • KAISER BRODY

“JAR OF HEARTS”

Also starring:

• Angela Wong as Miss Popularity. Angela was the girl who owned it. The captain of the cheerleading squad was Angela. The girl who every boy desired—and who every girl envied and wanted to be—was Angela. Angela Wong was the beautiful butterfly who had it all, even all of the most enjoyable aspects of teen life at her perfectly manicured feet.

• Victor Wong is the father of Angela Wong. A Microsoft bigwig who pals around with company founder Bill Gates, Vic spent more time golfing and playing poker with his fellow status-seeking buddies than being an attentive father to his only child, Angela.

• Candace Wong Platten is the mother of Angela Wong. Divorced from Victor, the materialistic, snobbish, and self-absorbed Candy spent more time entertaining and playing hostess to her high society friends than she did being an attentive mother to her only child, Angela.

• Walter Shaw is Georgina Shaw’s half Jamaican father. A wealthy and prominent ER doctor, Walter Shaw is a lovable and respectable man. A widower who has never remarried, Walt loves his only daughter, Geo, and has stood by her side through many struggles. Father and daughter share a close bond and are seemingly admirable in the ugly face of adversity.

• Andrew Shipp is Georgina Shaw’s fiance. The so-called heir-to-the-throne of the Shipp family pharmaceutical empire, Andy, a fierce megalomaniac, revels—and proudly so—in his Whiteness, in his renowned family name, in his seemingly secure position on the totem pole of the Status Quo, and his in “purebred entitlements.” But in the brutal world of this fiction, Andrew Shipp will have his “loyalty” tried in a scorching flicker of fire.

• Calvin James is the fearsome “Sweetbay Strangler.” Calvin is the main suspect in a series of murders involving several women and children, including Angela Wong. The distinctly handsome—and rather smug—Calvin James was the first lover of our leading lady, Georgina Shaw, and the infuriating nemesis of our leading man, Kaiser Brody.

With:

• Ella Frank is the wife of the notorious drug lord, James Frank. Black and scrumptiously beautiful, but extremely dangerous and deadly, Ella Frank is sitting in Hazelwood Correctional Institution (or Hellwood, if you please) serving back-to-back life sentences for the murder of two—or more—rivals of her infamous husband.

• Cat Bonaducci is Georgina’s replacement mother. A former cigar girl from Chicago, the auburn-haired Cat (Cool name, huh?) Bonaducci is one of the more adorable inmates at Hazelwood Correctional Institution. The upbeat Cat is serving a fifteen-year prison sentence for a drunk-driving accident that killed another motorist. Cat occupies a private cell in the facility. And much like Ella Frank, she has become a dear friend and close confidant of Georgina Shaw.

• Kim Kellogg is the Seattle police detective who is Kaiser Brody’s partner and on-the-down-low lover: for it is with the neat freak Kim (Cool name, huh?) that Kaiser “Kai” Brody is engaged in an extramarital affair.

Introducing:

• Dominic John Kent in his show-stopping role as the charmingly handsome eighteen-year-old for whom Georgina Shaw harbors a uniquely special love. Dominic John Kent is an intelligent young man whom Satan has requested to sift like wheat—despite Georgina’s determination to shield and protect him.

ONCE UPON A TIME ...

SEATTLE, WA—Georgina Shaw, Kaiser Brody, Angela Wong, and Calvin James all have a long, grueling, and languishing history.

Once upon a time, Georgina Shaw, our one-eighth Black and half Filipino leading lady, and her best friends Angela Wong and Kaiser Brody lived their best lives during their happy-go-lucky teens. Always inseparable, the three best friends did what all kids in their age group do: they hung out together, shopped together, ate-and-drank together, laughed together, cried together, went to movies and high school football games, weekend parties, the whole bit. They were happy and popular sixteen-year-old students attending the prestigious St. Martin’s High School in the gorgeous city of Seattle. But that was once upon a time.

Both Angela and Geo (popular for days) were top members of the St. Martin’s High cheer squad and Kaiser? Well, Kai was a boy in his own right, a very talented player on both the high school’s soccer and basketball teams. The three best friends (the tall, skinny guy and his two gorgeous gal pals) had their entire lives mapped out ahead of them. The future was to be so bright that they would each need their very own Ray-Bans. That was until the day the three of them went to the 7-Eleven, only a stone’s throw away from their school, to purchase the usual: a grape Slurpee for the drop-dead gorgeous Angela, a blue raspberry Slurpee for the pretty Geo, and a Big Gulp for the somewhat nerdy Kai.

It was while walking back to Angela’s car—to be on their carefree way—that the three indivisible besties would make the acquaintance of a Rebellious Angel hiding inside of the chiseled, muscular physique belonging to Calvin James. Calvin James, then twenty-one-years-old, just so happened to be out in the parking lot with a few of his buddies. The guys are drinking beers and mocking time. But of course, the older guys don’t leave well enough alone when they spot the three uniformed teens, especially the two lovely girls. And Angela immediately takes to all of the attention. It’s only natural for her. However, the “Adonis,’ who is Calvin James, is only interested in Georgina. And he makes this known in no uncertain terms, striking up a conversation with the perky teenager and issuing her his cell number.

They were all smiles, Geo and Calvin. Back and forth they went, exchanging a lot of cutesy quips among other flirtatious banter. But that’s always the pattern: in the beginning, there are always smiles. Everything always seems so perfect, so sweet and innocent. But no man knows the future; only God does. And had Geo, Angela, and Kai known what the future would bring, the three friends would have just gotten into their car and drove away, never looking back, not even for a glance. They may have even opted to get their Slurpees and their Big Gulp on an entirely different day. If only they had known what the future would bring.

FOURTEEN YEARS LATER.

Georgina Shaw is now a wealthy corporate executive, Kaiser Brody is a top detective with the Seattle Police Department, and Angela Wong is long dead.

As the storyline begins to evolve inside a courtroom, Calvin James, the so-called Sweetbay Strangler, is on trial for the brutal murder of the once-favored Angela Wong. And seated on the witness stand, elegantly clad in the two world-famous Christians—Dior and Louboutin—is none other than Georgina Shaw, his former teen lover and an accomplice in the Wong killing. The remains of Angela Wong, missing for a long time, were unearthed: a pile of bones buried in a shallow grave in the woods only steps away from the Shaw house. And Geo has lived the last fourteen years of her life riddled with guilt about the premature death of her best friend, not to mention her burial place. Geo is now on the witness stand. And the packed courtroom, including the parents of Angela, is listening to her testimony, emotional as it is. Georgina must now witness to the court her role in the murder and dismemberment of her former best friend, Angela Wong.

The details of her testimony are repulsive. And they are enough to cause her fiance, Andrew Shipp, to run out of the courtroom. The uptight elitist makes a scene and induces gasping from any number of the remaining spectators. But this is the least of Geo’s problems: for her pariah awaits, as does a five-year prison sentence—to be served in Hazlewood Correctional Institution, otherwise known as Hellwood.
While incarcerated, Geo (a beauty school graduate stationed in the prison salon) befriends two women who will become her stability on the inside: Ella Frank, a ruthless murderess, and Cat Bonaducci, the perfectly coiffed doll with whom Geo will fall madly in love, platonically. But regardless of newfound friendships, five years is a long time to be behind prison walls. It’s just enough time for a person to become institutionalized.

MEANWHILE, ON THE OUTSIDE ...

Kaiser Brody, a man who has always loved and wanted Geo since they were teens, is hunting a demoniac in the form of a serial killer. And his prey just so happens to be her former lover, Calvin James. Kai had always hated the arrogant Calvin, not only for securing Geo right before his very eyes but also for his confidence from so many years back. Calvin James had loved to rub the teen Kai’s then acne-prone face in his twenty-one-year-old mack and swagger. But now, the delicious-looking, well-scented, tall, and rugged Kai is the one wearing the badge. And the once self-satisfied rapist and murderer, Calvin James, is the escaped convict.

Kai is desperate to get medieval on his old nemesis, especially now that the remains of more dead—and dismembered—women are turning up buried in shallow graves. And not only those women but children, too. The remains of many strangled children have surfaced. And Kai is convinced that the murders are the handiwork of the depraved Calvin James: for they all have the same MO. But chasing this particular homicidal maniac can be likened to chasing a ghost. And the chase is beginning to wear wearily upon the psyche of Detective Kaiser Brody.

Kaiser wonders if Geo might know the whereabouts of her former beau. Could it be that Geo has something to hide?

THE HOMECOMING.

Anything but pleasant is the homecoming of the ex-con Geo. She has come back to her childhood home to live with her ever-doting (but forever absent) father, Walter. But my, how the mighty have fallen. The once lavish Geo is now hated with ferocity by their neighbors, primarily that old, vindictive, and self-righteous Mrs. Roberta Heller from across the street. The ultimate busybody here, the older woman swears on her miserable life that she has not seen the vandals who have been spray-painting obscenities directed at Geo on their garage door. But the bitter bird makes it no secret that they all (she and the other neighbors) want Geo to move out and away from their upstanding little cul-de-sac. Especially now that two more bodies, one a dismembered woman with her eyes removed, have been found buried in nearly the same spot from which the remains of Angela Wong unearthed only five years earlier.

On the contrary, the romantic tension is strongly brewing, like the Nespresso machine in her kitchen, between Geo and her old friend, Kai Brody. But despite his intense feelings for her, Kai is still persuaded to believe that Geo knows more than she’s letting on about her former (and first) love, the elusive Calvin James.

WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST.

The serial killer has a twisted code of conduct. The murderer is not on a mission to salvage the lives but to destroy them, methodically and utterly. And the Seattle Police Department has its job cut out for it, literally. The authorities are constantly finding the dismembered, eyeless bodies of women, along with those bodies of small children who have been strangled to death and then buried in shallow graves in wooded areas. The first victims they found buried in the woods near the comely home of Walter and Georgina Shaw, and now another pair—a woman and a small child—have been unearthed in the wooded area behind St. Martin High School. Coincidence? Or no? While the Sweetbay Strangler continues to slip through the frustrated hands of Kaiser Brody, the body parts of his female victims continue to pile up. And while it is true that Kim Kellogg is a vital asset to Brody’s and her case, their extramarital affair walks a dangerous tightrope without a balancing tool.

Still, they theorize. And so does my engrossed reader. Who is it that they’re chasing? Who is the human host for the demon called Murderous Spirit? How much rage would it take for one human being to murder another one? Why are birth mothers and adopted children so gravely despised? If Calvin James has killed before, wouldn’t he be capable of killing again? Is Calvin James the monster who continues to stay ahead of the curve, or is it someone else entirely? How hard can it be to catch a gelid-spirited murderer? How hard can it be? Well, when that gelid-spirited murderer just so happens to be the antagonist imagined by his creator, Jennifer Hillier, to terrorize his fellow castmates on the pages of this treacherous anecdote, then catching him is a task that will prove quite challenging.

Is evil truly genetic? My answer—as the examiner of this alarming tale—is yes. For indeed, the curse is upon such people, to visit each one, even to the third and fourth generation.

THE EXAMINER’S FINDINGS.

Fred Argent, Bernadine Novotny, Julie Chan, and Caroline Robinson co-star in this widely complex and masterfully written thriller, joining an extended cast of superior performers: for wherever there is a twist on these atrocious, cunning, and gruesomely detailed pages, know for a surety that there is also a turn acting as its co-conspirator.

Unlike those psychological thrillers that claim to have endings a reader won’t see coming (although many of them are predictable), Jar of Hearts—the title inspired by Red Cinnamon Hearts Imperials—is an intense dialogue that genuinely lives up to that declaration. There is absolutely nothing predictable about it. And for her creation of this script, Hillier is most certainly meritable of great praise. On these pages, her vision is wicked, sensational; and her creative writing is exceptional. For the imprint embossed on this tale was not lost on yours truly. And if I may say as much, I have yet to view a work of fiction issued by St. Martin’s Press that has left me in a funk of disappointment.

Every great work of the written word is deserving of great representation. And once again, St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan/Minotaur Books has boldly commanded my reader’s utmost respect.

Be ye a no-nonsense diehard of the psychological thriller genre? Be ye a no-nonsense diehard of a gripping murder mystery? If so, trust that Jar of Hearts is, for you, an imperative must-read. Know for a surety that the work does its respective class tremendous justice.

Five saw-toothed stars.



REVIEWER’S NOTE: It is my kind pleasure to thank Minotaur Books, as well as NetGalley, for the advanced review copy (ARC) of Jar of Hearts in exchange for my honest review.

Analysis of Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier is courtesy of Reviews by Cat Ellington

Date of Review: Monday, June 25, 2018

Jars of heart is a page turner. Creepy in some way. But I truly enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend it. The suspense keeps you wanting to read more.

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

Angela Wong was 16 years old when she went missing and her remains are found, 14 years later near best friend Geo's childhood home. Geo has been implicated in her murder and begins a 5-year jail sentence, along with her boyfriend at the time, Calvin, who is sentenced to life in jail.

After serving her sentence, Geo is released but dead bodies start turning up in the same spot as Angela's. We learn Calvin has escaped from prison and the police are convinced he responsible for these murders too. Is Geo in danger and will she be next?

A thriller that twists and turns, makes you think, leads to believe you understand exactly what is going on, but no, you don’t!

*Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my honest review*

One of the best thrillers I've ever read, hands down. This story blew me away from the very first chapter and kept me in it's grip till the very last page. It was shocking, twisty, sad, and romantic all at the same time (it gets a little steamy at times too)! I can't remember the last time I've read a thriller with so many twists and turns that just kept coming.

Just a word of caution for some people that will be triggered, there are sexual assault and rape scenes and some of them are brutal to say the least.