Bingo: Friends. The plot revolves around a trio of friends and what happens when one is murdered.
What an ugly, ugly book. Which is not to say Jennifer Hillier’s Jar of Hearts is poorly written. It’s not. But the plot is so dark with what eventually proves to be an unlikeable protagonist that I finished the book with a bad taste in my mouth. Yes, I know thrillers aren’t supposed to be light reads, but this book prominently features multiple violent rapes and an attempted rape that I just couldn’t stomach it.
Geo, short for Georgina, is sent to jail for five years for abetting and hiding her high school boyfriend Calvin’s murder of her best friend. Calvin turned into a serial killer—the Sweetbay Strangler—and is on trial for the murders. Geo is there to testify what she knows about the killing of her friend Angela back when they were younger, knowing she will be sent to prison. Her other high school friend Kaiser is part of law enforcement and his past feelings for Geo colors his judgment as she is sent away.
The unforgivable aspect to what Geo is admitting is she knew where Angela was for fourteen years and never told anyone. Angela’s parents were anguished about their missing daughter all those years. This is more than a significant flaw in the protagonist. It truly makes her a horrible person. The book is written to portray Geo as flawed but sympathetic. But when we find out that she herself dismembered Angela the night Calvin rapes and kills her we can’t possibly be on her side, even knowing Calvin’s power over her.
Calvin escapes from jail and is still on the loose when Geo is let out of prison. Soon some gruesome killings of mothers and children start happening and Kaiser and his team redouble their efforts to find Calvin.
Angela’s rape is not the only one in the book. Geo is also raped by Calvin and later in prison by another female inmate. There is a really disturbing attempted rape of Geo at the end of the book that repulsed me and seemed entirely unnecessary.
Without giving anything away about the new killings and Calvin’s possible involvement, the epilogue is fairly gross. Geo is at peace with Kaiser’s baby on the way. After everything Geo has done once the book is over—much more than I tell here—the note of hope and happiness is entirely out of place. Ugh. One star.
