My Own TBR Books | The book review café

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “never judge a book by its cover”, but I did and for some reason I thought Jar Of Hearts was a “romantic” read! So I never paid much attention to the book (my bad) until for some unknown reason I happened to read the book description and spotted the words “serial killer”, from then on in I decided I HAD to read this book, who wouldn’t after reading the book description? Unless you hate crime thrillers of course! Read on for my thoughts……..

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.

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 review

Jar Of Hearts is the first book I’ve read by Jennifer Hillier and I’m impressed, I enjoyed this book in fact scrap that I loved this book. I enjoy a crime thriller that’s chilling, dark and twisted, and this one is definitely twisted but in the most delightful way. I should mention that there are some violent and stomach churning scenes in this book which won’t be to every readers taste, but the scenes never felt unnecessarily graphic. There are also quite a few mentions of domestic violence throughout the story, and they’re credible and therefore disturbing, but they also add a genuine sense of horror and trepidation to the story.

At sixteen Georgina “Geo” Shaw’s best friend, Angela Wong, disappeared without a trace. Angela was a victim of Calvin James, a Serial killer. The same Calvin who was Geo’s first her love, their relationship was turbulent and often volatile, and one that lasted until the night Angela died. Geo is the only one who knew what happened that fateful night, but it’s a secret she isn’t prepared to share. Even Geo’s best friend, Kaiser Brody a detective with the Seattle PD has no idea what happened. When Geo is arrested and convicted for her part in Angela’s disappearance it seems a fitting end, but then more murders take place, Is there a new killer at large? and has Geo “told the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”?

I love a character who evokes strong emotions in myself, and the author did that with Geo, on one hand I felt sorry for her, her relationship with Calvin was toxic and damaging, and yet as he was her first love it was easy to see how she was sucked in by Calvin. On the other hand there was the secretive Geo who during some scenes appeared cold and calculated and then I found my dislike of her growing. Each of the characters in Jar Of Hearts was well depicted, some more likeable than others, the dynamics between the three friends felt very credible, as to the relationship between Angela and Geo it’s a complex one, but it’s also a fascinating one. The relationship between Geo and Calvin made for an uncomfortable read, as the author reveals more about the couples turbulent relationship you can see the warning signs, you know something awful is going to happen, but as to the “what” you just have to read on to find out.

Jar Of Hearts alternates between Geo and Kaiser, told in the present Jennifer Hillier captures the past in flashbacks which slowly but deftly reveal a complex story of buried secrets shrouded in toxic relationships, abuse, and jealousy. There were so many aspects of this book I enjoyed, the pace is perfect, the writing concise, each chapter turns into just “one more”. Even though I worked out part of the story, (although it took me a while to get there I must admit!) It didn’t matter one iota as I was so immersed in the story, and the author still surprised me a couple of times which is always a bonus. Definitely one I would recommend to those who love a crime thriller with a dark heart and those who aren’t averse to some violent and disquieting scenes.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Corvus (2 Aug. 2018)

Buying links: Amazon UK 🇬🇧 Amazon US 🇺🇸

On Christmas Eve in 1988, seven-year-old Alfie Marsden vanished in the Wentshire Forest Pass, when a burst tyre forced his father, Sorrel, to stop the car. Leaving the car to summon the emergency services, Sorrel returned to find his son gone. No trace of the child, nor his remains, have ever been found. Alfie Marsden was declared officially dead in 1995.

Elusive online journalist, Scott King, whose ‘Six Stories’ podcasts have become an internet sensation, investigates the disappearance, interviewing six witnesses, including Sorrel, his son and his ex-partner, to try to find out what really happened that fateful night. He takes a journey through the trees of the Wentshire Forest – a place synonymous with strange sightings, and tales of hidden folk who dwell there. He talks to a company that tried and failed to build a development in the forest, and a psychic who claims to know where Alfie is………

Intensely dark, deeply chilling and searingly thought provoking, Changeling is an up-to-the-minute, startling thriller, taking you to places you will never, ever forget.

If you’re looking for a series with an ingenious plot, a book that’s tense, deliciously dark, a classic mystery with a horror feel then look no further than Changeling by Matt Wesolowski it has all these elements and so much more. This is the third book in the six stories series, although it can easily be read as a stand-alone I would urge you to read the whole series, I loved Six Stories , scared myself silly reading Hydra, which I also happened to love, and Changeling? Definitely the best book in the series YET, I loved it. There aren’t many books that make my heart beat nine to the dozen, but boy this one did! It’s so damn creepy, but surprisingly this novel also made for an intense, thought provoking read.

Changeling is narrated in the form of episodes of a true-crime podcast, created by elusive online journalist, Scott King. Consisting of six episodes, each features the perspective of someone connected to the disappearance of little Alfie Marsden back in 1988. Wesolowski has a unique style of writing, each characters voice makes the story come to life, it feels like you are alongside Scott King as he records his pod cast, trying to decipher the clues hidden within the characters stories to find the answers to Alfie’s disappearance. As each pod cast ends the tension is palatable and although I wanted to race through Changeling, I also wanted to savour each pod cast, and soak up the disturbing atmosphere that radiated from the pages of this brilliantly told story.

The setting of Alfie’s disappearance Wentshire Forest is as much a character as those who appear in the book. The author captures a setting that is shrouded in folklore with tales of mythical beings, legendary beasts, and the supernatural. The forest is one where those who dare enter see and hear strange things. Wesolowski descriptions are so vivid I swear I could smell the damp, cloying earth, hear the trees whispering, sense the malevolence hiding within the forest. Changeling’s first half is very much horror based, but then the author takes the reader down a dark path, one which is horrifying in its telling. The author provides a stark reminder that sometimes it’s the monsters who live alongside us that we should fear the most, and not the monsters depicted in folklore, or maybe we should fear them both. It’s this part that make the book a horrifying and an emotional read, one that causes the reader to feel and experience emotions you would not expect in a mystery/crime novel.

Matt Wesolowski has the unique ability to write a book that mixes genres but at the same time he creates a story that is credible yet memorising in its telling. With a powerful plot, which is intense to say the least, this book made for one of the most thought provoking reads I’ve read in a long time. Changeling, in fact the whole series of Six Stories has to be one of the most exciting and innovative reads EVER written, and that’s not something I normally write in ANY review. I’ve loved every book in the series, but Changeling is definitely my favourite, I constantly found my thoughts returning to this book long after I finished it. Matt Wesolowski raises the bar with each book he writes, each one has been very different and I adore the horror element he weaves into his books (even though they have given me nightmares). Changeling made for an exceptional read that took my breath away, I will definitely be recommending this book/series to anyone and everyone.

Print Length: 320 pagesPublisher: ORENDA BOOKS (15 Nov. 2018)

It will come as no surprise but I’m giving Changeling my first shiny new Book hangover award, It’s given to a book I feel is particularly outstanding, a book that covers every aspect of what I look for in a read, an original plot, great characters and a storyline that draws me in from the first page and keeps me in its grips until I reach the very last page.

Buying links: Amazon UK 🇬🇧 Amazon US 🇺🇸