A compelling opening scene sets up the tension in this riveting novel of a youthful mistake that reverberates through the lives of those left behind by the victims of the Sweetbay Strangler, the notorious serial killer who was Georgina Shaw's first love. She was also the only witness to the events that caused the death of her best friend Angela. fourteen long years ago. Now, in the courtroom where Calvin James is on trial not just for Angela's murder but for the spree of killings that followed it, Georgina admits her complicity in the crime,and mutely accepts the five year sentence handed down by the judge.
The prison term is the beginning of a different life for Georgina, who had been a successful pharmaceutical executive before the trial. Geo, a nickname that aptly suits this flawed but fascinating character, doesn't look back on the luxurious life she led before her incarceration, but Kaiser, the high school friend who's still working the case as a Seattle homicide detective, is sure she knows more about Calvin than she's telling, and even the fact that he's falling a little bit on love with her doesn't dissuade him from continuing to find out what it is.
Geo is a complex, multidimensional character, and her journey to understand what complicity really is and the price to be paid for redemptiion is a well-told tale. The secrets that imprisoned her long before the prison gates closed behind her are revealed bit by bit, culminating in a bloody denouement most readers won't see coming..

“It was almost like she was deep inside herself, away from the chaos, all the way into that place everyone has inside them but hardly ever taps into.“

I would like to say thank you Jennifer Hillier for sharing your talent with us. This was the first book in a long time that I truly felt connected to the main character. I cried for Geo. I felt bad for her. I was rooting for her with all my heart. I thought I knew where the story was going. And just like that, everything changed. #Twisty
Then I hated Geo. I was so mad at her. I felt betrayed by her. How dare she?!
One of the greatest moments in this book for me was when I realized the symbolic meaning of “Jar of Hearts”. I don’t want to ruin it with a spoiler but it was an AHA moment for me and Jennifer did an amazing job of interweaving that meaning from middle to end on so many levels.

And the cover...5 stars. Beautiful. It caught my attention on Goodreads when I first saw it and having finished the book now, the cover is both beautiful and sad.

Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for my ARC. I was offered this ARC for an honest review and I’m so proud to give it.

All the stars. This book gets every star. A jar full of them. ⭐️ Put #JarOfHearts on your TBR shelf now. ♥️

The cover of the book first caught my eye and then I couldn't stop singing Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri. The song actually fits the book perfectly.

Geo's best friend, Angela, disappeared when they were sixteen years old. Now at thirty, Geo is an executive at a pharmaceutical company and engaged to marry the CEO of the company. Geo is also being arrested her other high school best friend, Kaiser, for helping her then boyfriend, Calvin, hide the body of Angela after her death. To make matters worse, Calvin turns out to be a serial killer, dubbed the Sweetbay Strangler. After being released from prison, Geo moves back into her dad's house. Murders also start happening around the same time as Geo's release and they look to be the work of Sweetbay Strangler. Kaiser is concerned that Calvin is coming after Geo.

The book is definitely full of secrets. Geo finally reveals what happened to Angela and how her relationship with Calvin ended. The book held my interest and I found it hard to put down. There were some twists and turns. I had a feeling of what was going to happen when the end drew near. I loved the story line, characters and writing style. I look forward to reading more books by the author. I definitely recommend the book!!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author, Jennifer Hillier, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. While I often read into the night, with this book, I also snuck little portions of the day to finish it. Truly a page turner. Geo was a success by all current measures...great job, handsome fiancé, and on the rise in her company. She has a secret, though, which has finally come to call. After paying her dues, she's left to put the pieces back together in her home town. I love an alternating timeline narrative, and this one is no exception. Her childhood friend is now on the police force, trying to solve a new mystery that links them. The characters are well done. I highly recommend this.

Wow! I read a little about this book on a random website and knew right away I had to read it. When Caroline Kepnes gives an author a front cover quote, you know it’s going to be good and IT IS. I started it on the 14th and have been glued to it when I have free time. This will be published in June so add it to your Goodreads To-Read list immediately.

If you like books such as Gone Girl, Luckiest Girl Alive, The Good Samaritan, The Woman in the Window…you know, creepy thriller suspense type stories, you will love Jar of Hearts.

I’m a little over halfway through and am eager to continue reading. I think I’m a pretty fickle reader, often not finishing books if they don’t grab me but when I find one I like, I become an obsessive reader, most times reading well into the night.

Here’s what you need to know:

At 30 years old, Georgina, known as Geo, is a rising executive when her world comes crashing down. Her high school boyfriend has been identified and arrested for a series of serial murders, including Angela, Geo’s best friend in high school. Angela disappeared without a trace at 16 and her body has just been found. Now Geo is under arrest for helping her then-boyfriend hide her best friend’s body. And it’s one of her other close friends in high school, Kaiser Brody, who arrests her.

While Geo is sent to prison for her part, Calvin escapes from custody and is on the run. At 35 years old, Geo is about to be released from prison to try and start over. But someone has started killing people and dumping their bodies in her old neighborhood, with some of the markers of the missing Sweetbay Strangler—her old boyfriend Calvin. Is these killings some kind of message from Calvin? Are they some of revenge? Is she herself now in danger?

Everything turns on what really happened that tragic night back when Geo and Angela were 16 years old. Everyone thinks they know the truth, but there are dark secrets buried deep within other secrets, and it may be too late for anyone to survive the truth.

The author, Jennifer Hillier, is LIVING MY DREAM because Jar of Hearts is being made into a movie! Very excited and deserved!

I didn't realize I had read this author's previous books until I finished this one. It was SO good! Kept you guessing until the end. Well written with dimensional characters that are likable and sympathetic. I think this is the author's best work yet

When this story opens, Georgina (Geo) Shaw is being arrested from her high-end Seattle job for concealing the murder of her best friend 14 years earlier. Geo works out a deal with prosecutors that will give her a reduced five-year sentence for covering up the murder, dismemberment and burial of her friend, Angela, who was murdered by Geos’ then boyfriend. Calvin Jones has been arrested for a series of murders and dismemberments, Geo’s testimony helps put him away for good. But half way through Geo’s prison term, Calvin escapes and it soon appears he’s off on another killing spree. He’s also interested in picking up where he left off with Geo when she’s released from prison. The question is… why? Geo still has a secret about the terrible night when Angela died and Calvin knows what it is. Don’t plan on doing anything else once you start this book because you won’t be able to stop. One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year