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Quick answer: If you liked Jar of Hearts, read Jennifer Hillier's Little Secrets and Things We Do in the Dark, then Sometimes I Lie, Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl and The Silent Patient. All are twisty thrillers about women, secrets and dangerous pasts.
Jennifer Hillier's 2018 thriller follows Geo, whose boyfriend Calvin is convicted of a killing years ago, and who must face what she knew and did. It is dark, tense and full of reversals. The books below offer similar psychological thrillers with strong women, hidden pasts and chilling twists.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Secrets | Jennifer Hillier | Adult | more Hillier |
| Things We Do in the Dark | Jennifer Hillier | Adult | revenge and past |
| Sometimes I Lie | Alice Feeney | Adult | unreliable narrator |
| Behind Closed Doors | B.A. Paris | Adult | perfect marriage |
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn | Adult | marriage and lies |
| Sharp Objects | Gillian Flynn | Adult | dark small-town crime |
| The Silent Patient | Alex Michaelides | Adult | psychological twist |
| Verity | Colleen Hoover | Adult | manuscript mystery |
| The Wife Between Us | Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen | Adult | twisty relationships |
| Local Woman Missing | Mary Kubica | Adult | missing woman |
| The Woman in Cabin 10 | Ruth Ware | Adult | locked-room cruise |
| You | Caroline Kepnes | Adult | obsessive narrator |
| I Let You Go | Clare Mackintosh | Adult | hit-and-run |
| The Couple Next Door | Shari Lapena | Adult | missing baby |
| The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins | Adult | unreliable witness |
1. Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
A mother faces her son's disappearance and a crumbling marriage. Dark and fast.
Best for: more Hillier.
2. Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
A woman accused of killing her husband has a secret past. Gripping and twisty.
Best for: revenge and past.
3. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
A woman in a coma tries to piece together what happened. Clever and creepy.
Best for: unreliable narrator.
4. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
A seemingly perfect couple hides something terrifying. Short and chilling.
Best for: perfect marriage.
5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A wife disappears on her anniversary and her husband becomes the prime suspect. A defining thriller.
Best for: marriage and lies.
6. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
A reporter returns to her hometown to cover murders. Disturbing and brilliant.
Best for: dark small-town crime.
7. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
A woman stops speaking after shooting her husband. Famous for its ending.
Best for: psychological twist.
8. Verity by Colleen Hoover
A writer finds a disturbing manuscript while working in a couple's home. Dark and very popular.
Best for: manuscript mystery.
9. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
A divorced woman watches her ex-husband's new fiancee. Famous for its reveals.
Best for: twisty relationships.
10. Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Two women vanish years apart. Twisty and emotional.
Best for: missing woman.
11. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
A journalist hears a splash on a luxury cruise ship. Tense and claustrophobic.
Best for: locked-room cruise.
12. You by Caroline Kepnes
A bookstore clerk stalks a customer. Dark, funny and chilling.
Best for: obsessive narrator.
13. I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
A mother flees a tragedy while a detective investigates. Known for a huge twist.
Best for: hit-and-run.
14. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
A baby vanishes while her parents are next door. Fast and twisty.
Best for: missing baby.
15. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
A commuter watches a couple and becomes entangled in a disappearance. Moody and twisty.
Best for: unreliable witness.
How to Choose
For more Hillier begin with Little Secrets or Things We Do in the Dark. For classic twist-filled thrillers choose Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train or The Silent Patient. For darker character studies pick Sharp Objects or You. For fast domestic suspense read Behind Closed Doors or The Couple Next Door. Jar of Hearts has disturbing themes, so check content notes if needed. Hillier is Canadian and often sets her thrillers in the Pacific Northwest, so her readers may enjoy regional crime as well. Domestic thrillers work best when you do not know what is coming, so avoid spoilers. If you like the female antihero, try Sharp Objects and Gone Girl. If you like the twisty plot, The Wife Between Us and The Silent Patient are famous for their reveals. Audiobooks add suspense with multiple narrators. Because the book relies on reveals, it is best to read it without looking at reviews that might spoil the story.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Jar of Hearts about?
A woman is pulled back into a murder case years later, when her former boyfriend is a convicted killer.
Who wrote it?
Jennifer Hillier.
When was it published?
2018.
Is it a standalone?
Yes.
Is it violent?
Yes, it includes disturbing crimes.
Is it a psychological thriller?
Yes, with twists and a dark tone.
Is it fast to read?
Yes, with short chapters.
What should I read next?
Try Little Secrets or Sometimes I Lie.
Is Jar of Hearts based on a true story?
It is fiction, though it explores themes that echo real cases.
Is the ending satisfying?
Many readers find it tense and surprising, though opinions vary.
Does Jar of Hearts have a romance?
It has a complicated relationship at its centre, but the book is mainly a thriller.
Is Jennifer Hillier writing new thrillers?
Check current listings for her latest books.