Book Review: Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

My Review: 

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 not only 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 shared through the 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 so 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.