Jar of Hearts

* Winner - Best Novel, ITW Thriller Award * Authors on the Air Network - Thriller of the Year * Finalist - Anthony Award for Best Novel * Finalist - Macavity Award for Best Novel *

An explosive, edge-of-your-seat read about three friends, one murder, and a whole world of secrets…

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.

“Thrilling…terrifying, Jar of Hearts is definitely not something you’ve read before.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer

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Published Jan 28, 2020

384 pages

Average rating: 7.58

400 RATINGS

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Kristen Olson

Jan 14, 2025

6/10 stars

This was my first Jennifer Hillier book and while it was a well written thriller, it will probably be my last of hers as the graphic violence/sexual assaults were over the top for me. I found myself skimming those parts and unlike other reviewers I didnât think they were necessary. The plot was well paced and the twists were believable.

jbatey

Sep 01, 2024

7/10 stars

Holy crap! What a wild ride!

DaizyGrl

Apr 25, 2022

9/10 stars

Loved it. Didn't see the ending coming. Crazy but good

Sunita the reader 📖🌻🦋

Jun 29, 2025

6/10 stars

A popular girl, Angela, goes missing. No one knew what happened to her. Not even her best friends Georgina and Kaiser. Years later, Angela’s remains are food in the woods near Georgina’s home. Kaiser, who’s now a detective finally knows what happened to his friend. Turns out she was killed by someone among them. After the discovery of Angela’s body, dark secrets are revealed and more bodies start to appear. Jar of Hearts is a gripping thriller that held my attention from the start. It had a few grammatical errors, but that didn’t take away from the content. Geo is very likable, but there are so many layers to her that we haven’t peeled back yet. I wish Calvin’s motives to his other murders were explained a bit more, but a good book nonetheless. I enjoyed everything up until the ending. While the ending wasn’t bad, it wasn’t as intriguing as I thought it would be.

Lauralee🧚‍♀️

Mar 25, 2025

8/10 stars

In this story, we are following Georgina, who participated in a terrible act when she was far too young with a man far too old. This decision lead Georgina or Geo to prison, where she spent five (5) years, came back to the hometown where she isn't welcomed, and is trying to make peace with what she did and figure out how she can move forward. How can she do that when nobody wants her back there? There were lots of secrets to shine light on from the night of Angela Wong's murder, revealing who people were from whom they claimed to be. This was a disturbing, sad, and angering reading experience, which means Ms. Jennifer is doing her job right