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swilson_4446's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lurker_stalker's review against another edition
Normally I wouldn't review a book I didn't finish but I'm making an exception for this one. There are a few reasons for this. First, right before I started this book, I read and loved Jennifer Hillier's new book, [b:Jar of Hearts|36315374|Jar of Hearts|Jennifer Hillier|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508949170s/36315374.jpg|57988547], and I don't want readers to miss out on that one because of this one. Second, I was given the book by the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review and I feel that I've read enough of this to do that. Third, there are things that were done with this book that the author either got better at or had a better, stronger editor so didn't show up in her new work. This book is a few years old and a writer can grow a lot in that amount of time.
I really liked the premise: very bad cop who everyone thinks is a hero is really a monster and has been discovered by a few people. Unfortunately, that's really all I can say that I liked.
The writing is very clunky with the same phrases being used over and over again - one of my pet peeves. The whole "if X noticed/saw/heard/etc, they didn't show it" thing. Once or twice, maybe ok but to use that phrase every time to show that a non-POV character may or may not have noticed/saw/heard/etc is not cool. And, please, for the love of all that's holy, stop using characteristics in dialogue tags or in action descriptions. "The older woman" shouldn't be used at least ten times in a single scene to describe a woman whose name is known. It's crazy annoying.
Between the stuff that shouldn't have made it out of editing and my absolute rage with anything Matt related because he was so over the top, I had to stop. I didn't find anything enjoyable about this book.
Instead of reading the provided ebook, I listened to the audio book but that only made the bad experience worse. I didn't care for the narrator's character voices, his intonation, anything. It was honestly just a bad experience for me.
But don't let this review stop you from reading Jar of Hearts because that book rocks. I'm very happy that the author has grown so much and look forward to reading her future books.
I really liked the premise: very bad cop who everyone thinks is a hero is really a monster and has been discovered by a few people. Unfortunately, that's really all I can say that I liked.
The writing is very clunky with the same phrases being used over and over again - one of my pet peeves. The whole "if X noticed/saw/heard/etc, they didn't show it" thing. Once or twice, maybe ok but to use that phrase every time to show that a non-POV character may or may not have noticed/saw/heard/etc is not cool. And, please, for the love of all that's holy, stop using characteristics in dialogue tags or in action descriptions. "The older woman" shouldn't be used at least ten times in a single scene to describe a woman whose name is known. It's crazy annoying.
Between the stuff that shouldn't have made it out of editing and my absolute rage with anything Matt related because he was so over the top, I had to stop. I didn't find anything enjoyable about this book.
Instead of reading the provided ebook, I listened to the audio book but that only made the bad experience worse. I didn't care for the narrator's character voices, his intonation, anything. It was honestly just a bad experience for me.
But don't let this review stop you from reading Jar of Hearts because that book rocks. I'm very happy that the author has grown so much and look forward to reading her future books.
jordieboom's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kneecolegrace's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
krtn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Pleasantly surprised by this one! This was a super easy read that I finished in about 2 sittings throughout 1 day! I was quickly hooked and enjoyed the multiple POVs between Sam, Matt, and Edward. You learn early on who the serial killer is so I knew there had to be some other twists and turns in the book that we weren’t expecting - and there certainly was!
Great read. Also loved that it took place in Seattle and made many references to the city!
Read time: 3hr 15min
Great read. Also loved that it took place in Seattle and made many references to the city!
Read time: 3hr 15min
paulabrandon's review against another edition
4.0
Chief of police Edward Shank is famous for capturing the Beacon Hill Butcher. But the truth is - he is the Beacon Hill Butcher! He's 80 now, has moved into a retirement home, and left his house to his grandson, Matt. While renovating the house, Matt uncovers a container his grandfather buried, which stores all his mementos from his kills. So Matt knows his grandfather is a serial killer.
As it happens, Matt's girlfriend, Samantha Marquez, is a true crime writer. Her latest project is on the Beacon Hill Butcher. But she's convinced the wrong man was blamed. Her mother died two years after the Beacon Hill Butcher was caught and shot to death, but her murder bore all the hallmarks of that killer. Samantha has even shared this theory with her boyfriend's grandfather, Edward - the killer himself!
I couldn't put this book down. It's not perfect, but it certainly captivated me! I've read a few negative reviews, complaining that we know who the killer is all along. I get that might upset some readers. But for me, I really enjoyed the dramatic tension of knowing that Samantha was tightly bound to the grandson of a serial killer and openly sharing her theories with both of them, while both were aware of Edward's true nature, and she was not. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering where the plot would take me.
The book's biggest drawback is unnecessary flashbacks. We know who Edward is and what he has done. We don't need to know the details of some of his random kills in the past. But it's only a minor gripe. The plot still manages to deliver a couple of surprises towards the end, and I found the journey getting there to be very suspenseful and entertaining! A real winner for me!
As it happens, Matt's girlfriend, Samantha Marquez, is a true crime writer. Her latest project is on the Beacon Hill Butcher. But she's convinced the wrong man was blamed. Her mother died two years after the Beacon Hill Butcher was caught and shot to death, but her murder bore all the hallmarks of that killer. Samantha has even shared this theory with her boyfriend's grandfather, Edward - the killer himself!
I couldn't put this book down. It's not perfect, but it certainly captivated me! I've read a few negative reviews, complaining that we know who the killer is all along. I get that might upset some readers. But for me, I really enjoyed the dramatic tension of knowing that Samantha was tightly bound to the grandson of a serial killer and openly sharing her theories with both of them, while both were aware of Edward's true nature, and she was not. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering where the plot would take me.
The book's biggest drawback is unnecessary flashbacks. We know who Edward is and what he has done. We don't need to know the details of some of his random kills in the past. But it's only a minor gripe. The plot still manages to deliver a couple of surprises towards the end, and I found the journey getting there to be very suspenseful and entertaining! A real winner for me!
nm_young's review against another edition
DID NOT FINISH — I will not rate a book that I shelf as “did not finish.” I don’t believe it’s fair to put a rating on books I didn’t read from beginning to end.
bethmorvant's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t think I’ve ever finished a thriller with a smile on my face. This is the kind of romance I like
nurseheidi79's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!!!! This book was so messed up and I loved every minute of it (well mostly, lol) trigger warning for sexual assault. I love Jennifer Hillier!
djshire's review against another edition
Another quick read from Jennifer Hillier. Ok so after each of her books (particularly this one), I’ve had to put on my gingham ruffled dress and lavender bonnet and gone skipping down the block to the park whereupon I swing on the swing all day long with a lollipop in my pocket to slough off some bits, but hey, it’s kinda worth it. Her writing’s so engaging.