27 May 2026

A big thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for including me on this tour.

I am new to Jude O’Reilly’s work and was not entirely sure what to expect from Heartbreaker, but it turned out to be a brilliantly entertaining and fast-paced thriller.

Daphne Monroe has experienced more tragedy than most people could endure in a lifetime. She survived a heart transplant, lost her mother, and then suffered the unimaginable when her husband and young children were murdered in their home while she slept upstairs. Three years later, the police still believe Daphne was responsible for killing her family. Now, after the death of her father, she finds herself completely alone in the world.

When Daphne discovers that her donor heart belonged to a young woman who was murdered, she becomes determined to uncover the truth behind the donor’s death in the hope of giving the victim’s parents some much-needed closure. As Daphne begins digging into the donor’s life, she realises she must track down the other recipients who received the woman’s organs.

Before long, it becomes clear that everyone connected to the donor is in danger, and Daphne soon finds herself at the centre of multiple murder investigations. Desperate to uncover the truth and prove the police wrong, Daphne goes on the run to avoid arrest — but in doing so, she places both herself and the other recipients in even greater danger.

Daphne makes for a compelling protagonist. She is a woman who has lost almost everyone she has ever loved, only to discover that her marriage was not the happy life she believed it to be. At the same time, her transplanted heart is beginning to fail, she is being hunted by a killer, and the police are convinced she is unstable and dangerous. The emotional weight she carries throughout the story gives the thriller an added layer of depth.

I really enjoyed the wide cast of characters and the way the author gradually ties all their stories together through a series of clever twists and reveals. The novel explores how far people are willing to go to protect the ones they love, particularly their children, and that emotional core adds real tension to the mystery.

While a few parts of the story felt slightly far-fetched at times, the plot was so entertaining and well executed that it hardly mattered. The pacing keeps you hooked, the suspense continually builds, and the ending delivers a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.

This one easily deserves a five-star rating from me and is definitely a thriller you do not want to miss.