Jennifer Hillier
Born: August 22, 1974 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Jennifer Hillier is a Filipino-Canadian novelist who writes psychological thrillers centered on obsession, betrayal, and buried secrets. She is best known for Jar of Hearts, Little Secrets, and Things We Do in the Dark. A USA Today bestselling author, she has won International Thriller Writers awards, and her books appear in 23 languages.
Biography & Author's Journey
Jennifer Hillier is a Filipino Canadian novelist of psychological suspense, born and raised in the Toronto area. She began writing early, first with a darkly revised Snow White story at six, then with original stories and poetry by ten, and she kept trying unfinished novels through middle and high school, helped along by teachers who noticed her talent. ((https://jenniferhillierbooks.com/about/)) Her literary education was largely self-built rather than institutional: after a stretch in her twenties when she stopped writing, a move from Toronto to Seattle became the hinge point. On the brink of that move, she found three forgotten pages in an envelope, kept writing through the relocation, refined her work in critique groups and two Gotham Writers workshops, queried almost a hundred agents, and eventually reached publication with Creep in 2011. ((https://jenniferhillierbooks.com/faq/)) She spent eight years in Seattle, and that city became both the place where she first became a published author and the setting for all of her books. ((https://jenniferhillierbooks.com/about/))
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Community Voices
"Jennifer Hillier is a thriller queen so skilled at her craft that I'm convinced we simply don't deserve her"
— Book Riot
"Jennifer Hillier is one of my favorite writers, and this is her best book yet"
— Riley Sager
"Jennifer Hillier locks you in on the first page, and astonishes to the last"
— Joseph Finder
"Jennifer Hillier writes the kind of propulsive, no-holds-barred crime fiction that keeps you up at night"
— Alex Segura
"Better yet, trust Jennifer Hillier, a rising star in crime fiction whose work is like no one else's"
— Laura Lippman
"One of the best writers in the genre, Jennifer Hillier is synonymous with the deeply thought-provoking, raw, twisty thriller"
— Samantha M. Bailey
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
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