Ok. Okokokokokokokokok this book is brilliant. And if you’ve followed me for any period of time, you know that’s not a word I use often.

JAR OF HEARTS by Jennifer Hillier is twisty and dark and sick and So. Freaking. Good.

Georgina aka Geo has been haunted ever since her high school best friend, Angela, vanished without a trace. And she’s about to drop a bomb on her former friends and sleepy little town: Geo helped her then-boyfriend, Calvin James, dispose of Angela’s body after he seemingly killed her. This admission connects Angela to a series of three other murders Calvin is convicted of performing.

We meet Geo again as she is released from jail and attempts to return to regular life. She reconnects with Kaiser Brody, the third point of the Geo-Angela-Kaiser friendship triangle, who is now a cop. But once Calvin escapes prison and more grisly murders start happening, all eyes are on Geo and her connection to Calvin.

JAR OF HEARTS is one of the best serial killer/crime thrillers I’ve read. Each chapter leaves justthe right amount of cliffhanger that you feel the need to continue. The writing is also intensely graphic in terms of description of unsavory things, but I’m weird and desensitized and ate it right up. And no, the jar of hearts is not a literal jar of hearts. But don’t be fooled, this book is brutal. Beautiful, but brutal.  If you are the least bit squeamish, I wouldn’t pick up this book.  See below for more content warnings.

I know this is me saying this, but the twist truly comes out of left-field—and it works. It all works. The ending is so satisfying and I closed this book incredibly happy. I am not surprised at all that it’s already been optioned for film. The story is going to translate incredibly well and I guarantee it’ll have Gone Girl / Girl on the Train-hype.

Now excuse me as I go reserve all of Ms. Hillier’s books at the library.

MY RATING:  ✰✰✰✰1/2
I ALSO SUGGEST: Final Girls by Riley Sager
**CONTENT WARNING: gratuitous descriptions of murder/crime scenes (including children), rape/attempted rape, domestic violence

Thank you Minotaur Books for my galley! Jar of Hearts is available June 12.