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Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier blends a murder, cover-up, and
twisted relationships. Through manipulated lives, prison hardships,
abuse, friendship, and wrecked futures readers understand
how someone’s life can go so wrong.
The story came from an article Hillier read, “about
the wife of a serial killer that was released from prison
and re-invented her life. Karla Homolka was the wife of Paul
Bernardo, a serial killer that murdered three young women
back in the ’90s in Toronto Karla testified against
her husband in exchange for twelve years, which turned out
to be a very lenient sentence once it was discovered what
an instrumental role she played in helping Bernardo find his
victims. Her sentence was not harsh because she claimed he
was abusive and she became a victim of his as well. After
serving her time she re-married, had children of her own,
and became a PTA mom. For me, this is just mind blowing.”
The story centers on Georgina (Geo) Shaw, someone who had
to deal with the grief of losing her mother and two best friends.
But it appeared she overcame it, becoming a successful, thirty-year-old
self-made executive at a Seattle pharmaceutical company. That
is until she was arrested at a board meeting and charged with
being an accomplice in Angela Wong’s murder, her high
school best friend. She makes a plea deal, to testify against
her former abusive boyfriend and the actual killer, Sweetbay
Strangler, Calvin James. Not only did he choke Angela to death,
but also killed three others. Georgina is sentenced to five
years in prison for her role. After she is released from prison,
new killings of mothers and their children start piling up,
and Geo, unable to escape her past, is suspected of knowing
something about the new murders.
The author commented, “I want readers to be unsure if
they liked, disliked, or are somewhere in between with Geo.
After all, she was only sixteen when her friend was murdered
and she was scared of Calvin and scared about going to prison
with a feeling that her life would be ruined. Because Angela
was already dead she felt it would not matter if she came
forward. As days went by it became harder and harder for her
to get out of the lies. The secrets just pile up. How do you
go back and undue all of that? Since no one specifically asked
her she was hoping it would just go away. She basically learned
how to compartmentalize. I do think she felt if someone had
asked her that she would have told them and confessed She
became entrapped by her own secrets. Her moral code shut down
and her survival mode took over. She did not think of the
other consequences, that more women could die and Angela’s
family would never have closure. I hope readers think what
would they do if they were put in that position? I would have
probably gone to the police.”
Each character has a connection in this psychological thriller.
A book quote shows how almost all of them are unsympathetic,
“In every story, there is a hero and a villain, but
sometimes one person can be both.” The only exception
would be detective Kaiser Brody who strives to get justice.
He, Angela, and Geo were considered the Three Musketeers in
high school. What they all had in common was an obsession
for each other: Calvin desiring Geo all for himself, Geo wanting
to be Angela’s constant sidekick, Kaiser’s unrequited
love for Geo through the years, and Angela the “mean
girl.”
This dark novel exemplifies how easy it is to make bad decisions
that can never be taken back. Fourteen years ago, Geo was
complicit in her friend’s death. She watched her boyfriend,
Calvin, kill and bury Angela, keeping the dark secret from
the police, her friends, and her family. Because of this Geo
went to prison where she suffered unbearable hardships.
“I wrote Geo’s prison experience and was influenced
by a number of sources. For years I was obsessed with the
TV show Lock Up. I spent a day taking a tour of a correction
facility for women outside Seattle to see how they lived and
interacted. It has its own world that can be very bleak and
monotonous. I think I would be like Geo and adapt to the situation
because we are both scrappy. Just as she did I would make
friends with the right people. I also talked with someone
who used to work in corrections. She told me how manipulative
inmates are, many deviate and evil. Given the right circumstances,
it could bring out the worst in people.”
It is a riveting story that readers will not want to put down.
Just when people think they have the plot figured out Hillier
throws a curve ball with an even more sinister and darker
plot. Murder, lies, grief, obsession, guilt, friendship, and
distorted love add up to make a gripping story.
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