"This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who's been searching for the truth all these years . . .
When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.
But fourteen years later, Angela Wong's remains are discovered in the woods near Geo's childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.
To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he's something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo's first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.
For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela's death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.
While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.
How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it?"
My Thoughts:
Jar of Hearts was just as dark and twisted as the above summary sounds! It was also a compelling thriller that I couldn't stop reading! This is only the second book by Hillier that I've read but I am truly hooked on her books at this point. She is fast becoming a must read author for me thanks to how much I enjoyed both of her books that I've read so far. One of the things that really has stood out to me while reading both of her books is how completely fearless she is when it comes to her writing choices. She isn't afraid to make choices for her characters and plot lines that I just don't feel like many other authors would take. It makes for such a fascinating read because as the reader I just never know what to expect. In this book especially I was constantly trying to figure out how everything was going to turn out. Because let's be honest here - it sure didn't seem like anything could turn out well for Geo after everything she had done. I really loved her as the main character! The past is something that she holds very close to her chest and we only get pieces of what happened slowly throughout the book. It gives her that questioning feel that I love similar to an unreliable narrator. I was always questioning her true intentions on everything that she did and her motivations behind it all. I don't think that it is too spoiler-ey to say that she keeps secrets throughout the book - as the reader you know that- even if you don't know what they are and why she is keeping them. It all just builds up layer by layer creating this building tension and suspense. I just couldn't get enough of it! I kind of guessed parts of the ending but that didn't make it any less horrifying or suspenseful! I literally had to force myself to slow down at the end just so I could take it all in. What a book!
Overall, this book was everything that I look for in a thrilled so I loved my time reading it. It had a unique premise which really made it stand out for me in the sea of thrillers and mysteries that are out there. This book had a main character that I wanted to root for even though I didn't fully trust her. It was dark, tense, and a page turning read! I will definitely be there for anything and everything that this author writes in the future! I believe I have a different book of hers on my shelves so I really need to bump that up on the TBR list. I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers and suspense. Be warned that there is some definite triggers in this book that may deter other readers. It wasn't always an easy book to read but it was one that I won't soon forget!
Bottom Line: A five star read for me.....enough said!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Thoughts are my own.
Five stars...you asked me the other day if I had read this one yet. I have not. However, I have heard a lot of positive things, even though the story seems really grim. Just that title alone. Definitely going to be trying this one soon. I'll have another blogging break coming before long and I'm hoping to get a lot of books read. Best intentions, right? Hope you're having a good week!
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