Title: JAR OF HEARTS
Author: JENNIFER HILLIER
ISBN: 9781250154200
Publisher: MacMillan
Pages: 373
Source: Private Copy
Angela was one of the most popular girls in her high school before she disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever knew what became of her―not Georgina, her best friend, nor Kaiser, who was close with both girls. Then, fourteen years later, Angela’s remains were discovered in the woods near Geo’s childhood home and Kaiser―who became a detective with the Seattle police department―finally learned the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James.
To the authorities, Calvin was a notorious serial killer. But back in the day, Calvin was Geo’s first love. Their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met, right up until the night Angela was killed. Geo carried the secret of Calvin’s dark deeds until the evidence landed her in prison. But now, just as Geo is about to be released, new bodies start turning up―killed in the exact same manner as Angela… and soon Geo, Kaiser, and local law enforcement officials realize that what happened that fateful night is more complex and chilling than anyone could have imagined.
Official Summary
29 April 2026
Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier has fast become one of my favourite reads, and I am thoroughly enjoying working my way through her backlist.
Jar of Hearts is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep you turning pages late into the night. It is a harsh and graphic read at times, so sensitive readers may want to approach with caution. The theme of nature versus nurture runs strongly throughout the novel, culminating in a character who can only be described as monstrous.
Hillier wastes no time drawing the reader into this dark and unsettling story, keeping you guessing until delivering a truly jaw-dropping conclusion. I simply could not read this book fast enough—I loved the constant sense of uncertainty and not knowing what would come next.
Fourteen years after her disappearance, Angela Wong’s body is discovered in the woods near her best friend’s house. As the police close in on Calvin James—Geo’s first love—Georgina Shaw agrees to testify against him in exchange for a lighter sentence for her role in Angela’s disappearance. But just as Geo is released from prison, another body is discovered, killed in the same chilling manner as Angela.
Despite its dark and gruesome nature, this is a completely unputdownable read. Geo is an unreliable protagonist, and her obsessive relationship with Calvin makes her difficult to trust. At the same time, it’s impossible not to feel a sense of heartbreak for her as the secrets of her past are gradually revealed. For much of the novel, I found myself wondering why she didn’t simply tell the truth—a question Hillier answers slowly and effectively as the story unfolds.
If you enjoy dark, disturbing thrillers with morally complex characters and a deeply flawed narrator, then this is definitely a book worth picking up.
Also by Jennifer Hillier
THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK
When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom – covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her – she knows she’ll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it’s not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it’s only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she’s worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.
Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she’s unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris’s secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Jennifer Hillier is the USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of Things We Do in the Dark, Little Secrets, Jar of Hearts, The Butcher, Freak, and Creep. A Filipino Canadian born and raised in the Toronto area, she spent eight years in Seattle, which is where all her books are set. She now lives in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, with her husband and son.
I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Heart of Glass, Jennifer Hillier’s new book, which is due for release in August. Are you a Hillier fan? Which is your favourite book? I am not sure why, but local bookstores do not seem to keep any of her books on the shelves. If you are in South Africa, her books are available online with Exclusive Books and Takealot.
A serial killer recants his long-ago confession regarding a small-town high school girl―and her then-best friends are forced to confront what really happened that night and what’s happening now.
Seaside is a small coastal town, known originally for the local amusement park. But twenty-five years ago, a serial killer dubbed The Carnival Killer confessed to the murder of a local high school girl. Now, he’s recanted that confession.
Barb, Nicolette, and Lorelei were best friends – then they met “Sam” at Wonderland, the local amusement park. After hanging out with him there, and accompanying him to the drive-in movie, where the twenty-something handsome drifter made out with Lorelei in the backseat. That night was the last time Lorelei was seen alive, her murdered body surfacing a couple of days later in a local cranberry bog.
Barb’s dreams of leaving Seaside and becoming a successful writer never materialized and she is a freelancer for the local newspaper and, secretly, writes anonymously about reality tv stars for a hugely successful gossip web-site called Reality Bitch. Specifically, she writes savagely about a long-running show set in Canada called Trophy Wives.
Nicolette left town shortly after Lorelei’s body surfaced, never to return. Ultimately, she married a very rich man, moved to Toronto and rebranded herself as Cole Lennox, one of the stars of Trophy Wives.
With the amusement park about to reopen, revitalizing the dying town of Seaside, the Carnival Killer recants his confession about killing Lorelei, the dead body of young woman washes ashore, and the truth about what happened that night twenty-five years ago – and what is happening now – threatens not only the carefully constructed lives of Barb and Nicolette, but the very fabric of Seaside itself.
