Jennifer Hillier Books in Order

If you want an award-winning breakout hit:
Jar of Hearts

If you prefer fast-paced domestic suspense:
Little Secrets → Things We Do in the Dark

If you want to read her early serial killer thrillers:
Creep → Freak → The Butcher

Jennifer Hillier was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, but her writing career is deeply rooted in the eight years she spent living in the Pacific Northwest. During her time in the Seattle area, she soaked up the gloomy, atmospheric setting that would later become the perfect backdrop for her dark, psychological thrillers. Today, she is back in the Toronto area, living in Oakville with her husband and son. A proud Filipino-Canadian, she draws on her heritage and her fascination with the shadows of human nature to craft stories that are as emotionally complex as they are terrifying.

While she spends her days inventing twisted scenarios, Hillier admits she is actually quite easily frightened in real life. She has confessed to being afraid of the dark and often checks the locks on her doors multiple times before she can sleep—a relatable irony for someone who writes such chilling fiction. Her son, meanwhile, wishes she would write books more like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, though her fans are certainly glad she sticks to the scary stuff.

Hillier’s journey into publishing began with a bang. Her debut novel, Creep, introduced readers to Dr. Sheila Tao, a psychology professor whose affair with a graduate student spirals into a nightmare of obsession and violence. This intense start, along with its sequel Freak, established her signature style early on: gritty, fast-paced, and unafraid to look at the ugly side of desire.

However, it was her breakout standalone novel, Jar of Hearts, that truly launched her into the thriller stratosphere. The book tells the story of Georgina Shaw, a woman who goes to prison for covering up the murder of her best friend by her high school boyfriend. When she is released, the past comes roaring back. The novel won the prestigious ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel and is widely praised for its fearless examination of guilt and redemption. Unlike traditional whodunits, Hillier often reveals the killer early, preferring to focus on the twisted "why" and the devastating emotional fallout that follows.

She continued this streak of success with Little Secrets, a heart-wrenching domestic thriller about a mother driven to the brink by the disappearance of her son and the discovery of her husband's betrayal. It showcases her talent for blending high-stakes tension with deep emotional wounds. More recently, Things We Do in the Dark explores the life of Paris Peralta, a woman accused of killing her celebrity husband while trying to outrun a traumatic past she thought was buried forever.

Readers flock to Hillier’s books for her sharp character work, particularly her complicated female protagonists. These are not perfect heroes; they are women grappling with toxic relationships, past crimes, and messy secrets. Whether she is writing about a grieving mother seeking revenge or a woman hiding a double life, Hillier has established herself as a master of suspense who forces her characters to make dangerous choices, keeping readers hooked until the very last page.