** 3 & a half stars**

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier is my first book by this author after she was recommended to me by a fellow thriller enthusiast. It’s dark, gritty and sometimes uncomfortable reading but also a gripping page turner about the dark side of teen friendship and young love.

Geo has been holding onto the secret of what happened to her best friend, Angela, since they were 16 when Angela went missing. But when her body is discovered 14 years later, Geo is sentenced to 5 years in prison for her part in the crime and testifies against her high school boyfriend who is now known to be a serial killer, Calvin James. While Geo serves her time, Calvin escapes and goes on the run. When released from prison, Geo tries to start her life again still holds many secrets about what actually happened to Angela and when other bodies start turning up in the same way Calvin murdered his victims, she know he is trying to send her a message.

This is one is not for the faint of heart or squeamish – there are a few scenes of sexual violence and murder that left me a bit unsettled so I would suggest check the trigger warnings if not sure if this is for you. I found the storyline gripping and the characterisation of those teen relationships that shape who you become authentic and relatable. It was thought provoking to me how your decisions back then can really shape the rest of your life and impact your future. Most of the characters in this one are either absolutely despicable or morally grey so that was interesting to me too. There were a few moments where I need to suspend belief and the ending felt a little bizarre but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the overall book.

Well worth checking this one out if you like your thrillers to be dark and have a bit of shock factor. I’m keen to read more from this author but think I need to take a little break from the thrillers for a little while after my recent holiday binge.