3.5 stars, this isn't so much a mystery as a lot of awful people not telling each other anything. It's well done, but messy family drama like this turns my stomach. ( )

4.5⭐

This was my first Jennifer Hillier novel and I am sure this won’t be my last! Finished this a day ago and am still gathering my thoughts! Exceptionally well-written but exceedingly disturbing – this is not an easy read- gruesome murders, graphic sexual violence, emotional abuse and much more- for those easily triggered, please think twice before picking up this book! For others who can stomach violence and cruelty- physical and emotional, this is probably going to be one of the most gripping psychological thrillers you have ever come across.

At the beginning of this novel, we meet Georgina ”Geo” Shaw, a successful career woman, on the verge of being incarcerated for hiding the truth about her best friend Angela Wong’s disappearance fourteen years ago. Wong’s dismembered body was recently discovered in the woods near Geo’s house and all the signs point to Calvin James, Geo’s then-boyfriend, being the murderer- a fact that Geo knew but hid from everyone. Calvin went on to kill three other women, before being caught. The arresting officer is another school friend of Angela and Geo’s – presently a police detective with the Seattle PD– Kaiser “Kai” Brodie. Geo is incarcerated for five years, a painful experience that Geo has to endure but despite a difficult beginning, she manages to find friends and allies, doing whatever is needed to survive the ordeal. ( think of a darker version of “Orange Is the New Black”!) Upon Geo’s release, she discovers that more bodies are being discovered- women whose murders are eerily similar to Angela’s but with an added component that is even more shocking. The investigation is reopened, the hunt for Calvin who escaped prison years ago intensifies and Geo’s life is once again thrown into chaos.

The narrative is divided into 5 parts and is told through alternating present-day POVs of Geo and Kaiser. Flashbacks take us through their teenage years and the events leading up to Angela’s death. To be honest, I did not like Geo. The justification for her actions was more than a little questionable. It is hard to feel any sympathy for her. It speaks to the author’s talent to be able to weave a story around an essentially unlikeable character that comes out strong! Fast-paced, (though immensely disturbing in parts), full of twists and turns and an ending that shocks you, Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier is hard to put down till you reach the very end.

I combined my reading with January LaVoy’s exceptional audio narration which resulted in an intense and immersive experience. ( )

I purposely kept pushing this book to the end of the pile for years. The plot was a good thought but I'm probably not the targeted reader for this psychological thriller. I need a character to like. It gave off a definite cringe feel during the prison chapters. There were some decent twist. Hillier's explanation for teenage abuse being tolerated is more true than our society wants to see. But the intimate details I felt were not done well. The character development was missing. The words on the garage....not original by any means. Many misses for me. ( )

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

I had seen Jar of Hearts on many favorites lists for 2018 and seen its distinctive cover on multiple occasions in bookstores. So, when the audiobook became available at my library, I finally fell victim to its appeal and checked it out. Wow, I’m glad I did.

Georgina Shaw was an executive at a cosmetics company. She was fiancé to the son of the founder. Life was wonderful, until suddenly, it wasn’t. Shaw was arrested for the fourteen-year-old murder of a high school friend and her world came crashing down around her. Shaw wasn’t blameless in the murder and managed to make a plea deal that landed her in jail for five years.

The man Georgina (Geo, to her friends) testified against, Calvin James, was sent to prison for life. He had been her boyfriend when the murder took place. James had gone on to murder three additional women before he was caught. Once imprisoned, though, he didn’t stay there long, managing to escape and leaving a trail of bodies behind him.

Geo makes a valuable alliance in prison and leverages her education and wiles to make prison life, if not comfortable, more tolerable for the duration of her stay. She is released from prison, only to find out that a new pair of murders points to her old boyfriend, Calvin. The detective leading the investigation, Kaiser Brody, is the same one who arrested Geo, and had a crush on Geo during her high school days. Geo finds that more of her past will come back to haunt her before the case is settled.

Hillier’s storytelling is masterful. She tells Geo’s story using flashbacks and current-day scenes to move the story along and the transitions are capably handled. Her characters are realistic and well-developed. While certain aspects of the investigation happen too easily, the case development is well-drawn out and logical, with no extreme leaps to conclusions.

I now understand why this novel has been on so many favorites list for 2018. It is now on mine, too.
( )

Loved this book. I also really like how all of Jennifer Hillier's books are standalone, but characters from other books pop up. ( )