I really enjoyed reading Jar of Hearts. I could not put it down once I picked it up and started reading. I was hooked on the mystery or what happened that night to Angela and what role her best friend really played in it. I thought the main characters were relatable and the book easily flowed from one character's point of view to another's. I was a bit surprised by the ending. This was a great book!

Jar of Hearts
By Jennifer Hillier

Oh my gosh! This book was so well-plotted from the very beginning. And the characters are so complex that you find yourself liking them one minute and hating the the next.
When the book opens, we find Georgina, who prefers to be known as Geo, testifying at the murder trial of Calvin Jones. Due to her involvement afterward, Geo must serve a five year prison sentence. And did I forget to mention that this murder happened 14 years earlier when Geo was 16?
The story weaves smoothly back and forth across time, but I don’t want to reveal anything more. It is a little more of a suspense novel rather than a cozy mystery, so be prepared.
This is the first of Hillier’s books I have read. I am going to look for the others.

This is the first book I have read by Jennifer Hillier. It starts out in a courtroom and moves back and forth from past to present, but is not hard to follow at all like some books can be. Geo is the main character and is immediately likable, no matter what she's done. Jennifer's style of writing keeps you reading right to the end. I would definitely read more from this offer.

Georgina is a successful executive for her fiance's company. Her best friend the cheer captain disappeared 16 yrs ago. They find her remains a few hundred feet from where Geos childhood home is. As the story unravels the author takes you back to that time when it happened. I loved this book. Read it in one sitting! Will keep you in suspense until the end.

Jar of Hearts is a compelling tale of bad decisions. When she was sixteen, Georgina (Geo) Shaw falls in love with Calvin James, an older man at twenty-one. Angela Wong, Geo's best friend, disappears without a trace. Kaiser Brody, the third in the group of best friends, later becomes a detective determined to catch a serial killer.

from the description: 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.

Jar of Hearts is an edgy, suspenseful tale that has some grim elements. While wanting to sympathize with Geo, it is sometimes difficult to do. Geo is, however, brutally honest with herself. While she keeps some things secret, she accepts and admits her role in Angela's death.

The book follows Geo in the past and in the present, and the events on the night in question are revealed a little at a time. In the present, a new nightmare is about to begin.

The conclusion bothered me a bit and seemed a bit rushed, but this is an intense book that

will keep you turning the pages, getting involved with the characters and their situations, and puzzling through your own opinions.

Read in April; blog review scheduled for May 29.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Suspense/Crime. June 12, 2018. Print length: 320 pages.

I received an e-ARC of Jar of Hearst from Jennifer Hillier from NetGalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.

That was certainly a rollercoaster and I must admit I'm not sure where to put this reading experience. The book is a page-turner and consistently readable, as a thriller should be. It was twisted. It was disturbing. Those are the upsides. The downside? It was, at times, incredibly annoying and not a little convenient and predictable. And let's not get started on how many pet peeves this story knocked into over and over again (unfailingly describing the skin color of POC using food descriptions--ugh, and the repeatedly graphic rape scenes, and the weird association between fatness and badness, and *sigh* "almond-shaped eyes" because apparently we haven't outgrown that yet). The ending was pat and, being perfectly honest, felt unearned.

All in all, I think this book would be a more enjoyable experience for someone other than me, and I respect that.

Three stars.

This was such page turner that I ended up starting it at 8pm and finishing at 2am! I literally could NOT put it down! You know from the beginning of the book what the 'bad' thing was, the murder of a teenage girl. BUT what you don't know is the why/ But is the why REALLY what you think it was, or is the truth even more dark and disturbing? THAT is what keeps yoou reading the pages, that and a sympathetic character of Geo. The shocker of an ending will leave youo up the rest of the night, wondereing where you missed the VERY subtle clues that things were NOT as they seemed! This is honna be THE book of the Summer, so be sure it is on your to -read list NOW for as soon as it comes out, you won't be sorry!

We meet Georgina the not quite guilty not quite innocent as she prepares to go to prison for her part in the 14 years ago murder of ‘her best friend’. The best friend, Angela, was found dismembered in a shallow grave not too far from Georgina’s house. Her ex Calvin is found guilty of this murder and three others and is serving consecutive life sentences when he escapes early into Georgina’s 5 year sentence.

The reader gets a view into Georgina’s mind, what she did do and what she didn’t do the night of her friend’s murder and it’s not pretty. There were times when I wondered how she could live with herself after actions. And yet I could not put the book down. There was always a hint or a suggestion that what you knew about Georgina Shaw was not quite the truth.

Jar Of Hearts is not for the faint of heart. It is not tidy and neat, but it is fascinating study of the massive gray area that comprises Georgina’s conscience. I hope others will find it as gripping as I did.

Geo is a strong-willed young woman. She survived the loss of her mother when she was a small child, then lived through the loss of her best friend Angela in high school. She persevered and is flourishing in the pharmaceutical industry. Nice car, clothes, apartment, engaged to the big boss’s son. Life is good. Until she’s sitting in a courtroom pouring her heart out about how she helped hide the mutilated body of her dear friend Angela.
Five years of time in the slammer, and once again, Geo perseveres. She quickly learns the ropes and operates as if she were meant to be there all along. We’re starting to wonder, is Geo really the victim she makes out to be? Her old high school friend, Kaiser, who is investigating the cold file, is also beginning to wonder. Poor, goofy Kaiser was always the girls’ friend, but not the boyfriend. He’s still quite enamored with Geo and her charm. But there’s just something about her; a side she’s keeping well-hidden. And once again, bodies begin turning up in the same spot as Angela’s so many years before. Young women and little children; how do they figure in and who’s still manipulating these murders? There’s Calvin, her serial killer ex-boyfriend who has escaped from prison, but there’s really something not quite right with Geo. And all the way to the very last page, you won’t shake that fear.
This is not a happy read; it’s a “got you hooked in the first chapter” read with no pretty colors and flowers. I loved it!
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)

4.5/5 stars! Jar of Hearts was a well written, suspenseful page turner!

This book starts off in a courtroom and Georgina is on trial for something that happened fourteen years before. Geo's best friend Angela disappeared all those years ago and her body is finally discovered. Geo is now on trial for her murder. Intriguing isn't it?

5 years for Geo, life for Calvin. Did Geo help Calvin kill her or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? She did keep it a secret after all for many years never coming forward and doing the right thing. While Geo is in prison carrying out her 5 year sentence, she finds out that Calvin has escaped. New bodies are discovered, the same spot where Angela was buried!

This is my second book by Jennifer Hillier and I was impressed. This is a bit creepy and I loved it. Not for the squeamish though. I really enjoyed this book and am now a fan of Jennifer Hiller. I will be looking for all of her future books!

A big thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this review! Greatly appreciated!

3.5 stars really but I rounded up to 4 stars as the book did move rather quickly. Solid story and writing. I wanted to find out what exactly happened years earlier to Geo that finally had landed her in prison for 5 years. The book was shallow though, it did not scratch beneath the surface of the characters. They seemed one dimensional to me. All in all, I do recommend but I was not bowled over by it..

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.
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Definitely a page turner. I received this book for free from Netgalley and I’m so glad that I did. I had never read anything from this author before and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. It was a great Spring Break read! #NetGalley #JarOfHearts

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At sixteen, Anglea Wong, one of the most popular girls at school, disappeared. She left behind wonderful parents, and two best friends, Georgina Shaw and Kaiser Brody.

Fourteen years later, Angela's remains are found in the woods right near the house that Geo grew up in. Her father, a respected physician still lives in the family home. Nobody ever suspected that Geo, now an executive at a pharmaceutical company owned by her fiancé's family, had anything to do with Angela's disappearance.

Kaiser, now a detective with the Seattle PD, learns that Angela was a victim of Calvin James a.k.a. the "Sweetbay Strangler" who is also responsible for the murders of at least three other women. To Geo, Calvin James is something else—he's her first love. It was an instant attraction that grew into an intense, obsessive, and abusive relationship.

For the past fourteen years, Geo has carried the secret of what really happened to Angela until all comes to light with her arrest. Or is there more to the story? Geo is sent to prison while James has escaped from prison. Past and present collide when a string of copycat murders start happening. Did Geo set in motion a new chain of events or is she the missing piece to catch the killer?

This is my first book by Jennifer Hillier and I was impressed. Her writing is sharp and the pages flew by. Hillier developed the characters enough to not be predictable or stereotypical, but I did want more from Kai.

Told by alternating points of view between Geo and Kai, past and present, this style really served the story well and helped lay the ground work. I felt that their particular relationship in the backstory wasn't fleshed out enough. It seemed like a harmless little crush versus any kind of relationship that gave Kai the emotional baggage that he brought to any of his other relationships. I also thought that Geo was a user—she used Kai when they were friends, knowing he'd always be there for her because he was attracted to her, used her fiancé for a title/career, used people in prison for protection, and uses Kai's loyalty to protect her outside of prison. Relationships in this story seemed to always be a struggle of power, especially between Angela and Geo. Neither of the girls could stand it when the other one was receiving attention. I also found that Geo (even though she went to prison), always came out on top—without giving anything away, I'm sure when you are finished you will have the same musings as I did.

Hillier does a great job with the pace of the story. She doesn't show her hand, she plays her cards one at a time and lets the story unfold naturally. Sometimes with this genre, I feel that plot twists are forced and I didn't get that sense here. I was intrigued right off the bat when Calvin hands Geo a note in court that says "You're welcome", welcome for what?

The difference between three and four stars is for a couple of reasons. First, for a detective, Kai is incredibly daft. Is it because he was too close to the case, and actually, he shouldn't have even been on this case. Is it not a conflict of interest? He knows both the victim and the perpetrator—I guess you have to suspend your belief on that front. Second, the story was a little bit gruesome for me. If dark and twisty is your bag, you will love this book.

Five years ago, I stumbled upon a sadistic story called Creep and immediately became a fan of Jennifer Hillier. That adoration was made permanent after devouring Freak within days of finishing its predecessor, Creep! Fast forward to now and Jar of Hearts lands in my lap and OH MY SERIAL KILLER SADISTIC GOODNESS!!!!! Hello Georgina & Calvin!!!! This was not your standard serial killer slasher book. This was an incredibly well done novel with substance and thought provoking material. I was kept guessing at every page and flew right through this as I had to know what was coming. This was a buddy read with my friend Shannon, who is one tough critic. She finished before me and was so impressed that I knew good things were ahead! I find thrillers to be even more enjoyable when I can discuss along the way with a friend! I’ll certainly be on the lookout for whatever Hillier comes up with next!!!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was amazing! I literally could not stop reading it. So many twists and it was full of surprises. Edge of your seat thriller and I will be looking for more books now by this author. Did I mention I loved this book?!?!?

This was a fast-paced thriller that had so much going on, it was like a checklist: high school drama-check; womens' prison show-check; domestic violence relationship-check; serial killer hunt-check and at least one other I won't mention because of spoilers.

The story goes back and forth from the past to the present. Geo, the main character (and not a sympathetic one either), is not someone a reader can identify with. While there is a secondary story line where Geo befriends a fellow prison inmate dying of cancer, it seems thrown in as an afterthought to try and show Geo has a kind heart. Meanwhile, she does nothing to help her best friend, Angela or her community at large, and uses their friend, Kaiser (both as a teen and later as an adult). We are then led to believe Geo's hellish behavior is caused by her single-parent father's neglect.
I did figure out the identity of the killer several pages before the cops got to it, but then I do read all the J.D. Robb police procedurals, which gives me a bit of an advantage.

Not for the faint-hearted, there should be warnings to sensitive readings for multiple rapes, several horrific dismemberments and child murder victims.

I accepted the NetGalley offer to read this book but I debate whether I should thank them. I gave it one star for content, the second star for the fast-pace.

Amazing! I’ve read all of Jennifer Hillier’s books, each one gets better & better. Grabbed my attention from the first page, and kept me guessing til the very end. Thanks for the ARC!

I jumped right into Jar of Hearts. I can't say that I really fully knew what the book was about when I started; but I knew that I wanted to find out.
Early on, we learn that Geo was somehow involved in the disappearance and murder of her 16 year old, best friend, Angela. However, we don't have any idea the extent of her involvement.
You will be folllowing Angela through her rapid descent from her glamorous life, engaged to a wealthy prominent man, to her prison sentence and into her adjustment back to life, after incarceration. Throughout this story you will be taken back to Geo's high school, gradually revealing the whole story. What happened and how involved Geo was in the brutal killing of a popular 16 year old girl.
I was truly involved in the story; and constantly curious as to what I would be find out in the page or chapter. I would definitely rate this book up there with Gone Girl and Girl on a Train; and I mean that in the best way!!

JAR OF HEARTS by Jennifer Hillier
This was a really engaging read. It keeps your attention from beginning to end. Do secrets and lies ever really stay buried forever? Unfortunately for Georgina Shaw, the answer is ‘no’. Fourteen years after her disappearance the body of Angela Wong is discovered in the woods behind her best friend Georgina Shaw’s house. Geo and her former boyfriend Calvin are arrested for the murder and Geo serves five years in prison for her participation in covering up the murder. More bodies are discovered after Geo is released from prison. Has Calvin returned and begun killing again after escaping from prison? Is someone else committing murders in the same manner as Angela was murdered? Pick up this book and find out what really happened all those years ago and who’s behind the current murders. The answers may shock you.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

See link to goodreads review