After reading and loving Jar of Hearts and Things We Do in the Dark, I began seeking out Jennifer Hillier's back catalog and was pleasantly surprised that Wonderland was released as an audiobook. Sign me up for all things set in a creepy amusement park. A dead body on the grounds of Wonderland Amusement Park is a heck of way for Detective Vanessa Castro to start her first day at the PD. She soon discovers that there are other missing boys with a connection to the theme park. Cover ups abound and more than a few people are not being honest forth coming with details. I found the mystery easy to follow along on the audiobook and Eunice Wong did a good job as the narrator.

4 stars
Thank you @macmillian.audio for the gifted audiobook

This was a re-read for me and loved getting to experience the audio version of this book.

A perfect creepy season thriller - we get a murder at a local amusement park that is the lifeblood of the small town. There are deep ties and connections throughout this community and everyone takes care of each other...and helps each other cover up their mistakes.

But when Vanessa Castro, the new sheriff in town (or police chief as the case may be) is called to the scene her only mission is to solve the crime. She doesn't have any loyalties to the longtime residents which of course doesn't make everyone in town all that happy,

Jennifer Hillier writes such Wonderfully dark books with intriguing characters and great plot twists. It's all earned and always well worth the ride. I recommend all of her books to thriller readers but Wonderland is by far one of my faves. I love how her books existing in the same universe too so long time readers will not only see cameos from other characters across books but different cases and incidents are also dropped in as Easter eggs. Love it!

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. She did an excellent job. I really loved that it's set at an amusement park. The end was not a surprise but everything fit together very well.

This was such a wonderful, creepy read with an ending I did not see coming! The Wonderland amusement park was the perfect creepy atmosphere and all the layers of secrets added so much to this twisty plot! I absolutely loved it!

I really enjoyed this one. Thank you, NetGalley for sharing this with me. I'll definitely be looking forward to reading more.

This was such a creepy little thing.
I don't think I read many books about amusement parks but I may need to after reading this.
I loved the mysterious vibes, especially as it connected to past events.
It's a police procedural set in a small seaside town with so many secrets. I always think anything with a theme park in it will be some diabolical hoodoo that should be listed under the "do not touch, EVER". It gets a little creepy, always.
I liked it, pacing fluctuated but good overall.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this audio book. Wow, I was very impressed. This was my second Jennifer Hillier mystery/thriller and it really got my attention. You follow various intertwined characters' points of view, which at first seems daunting, but I quickly realized the connection between them. The setting is a small-town, fictional theme park in the Pacific Northwest that has the local police department in its clutches. There is so much corrupt behavior and inappropriate goings-on that drive the plot and keep you guessing at everyone's motive. One of the perspectives is the new police chief, so there is a crime-solving element alongside the creepy and shady shit that the rest of the characters are facing. It was really good, and I can't wait to read more from this author.

This mystery set in an amusement park was a perfect thriller for me. I do not like thrillers with too much bite but this one was great because it did keep me on the edge of my seat, but I didn't lose sleep over it. I read this one over a year ago so I cannot remember too much, but I remember under ground tunnels and some powerful women trying to control the shots. I remember it started off with a post on social media that was supposed to be incriminating and the character who climbed a ride to take the shot when the park was closed. There were several twists and turns and I do remember appreciating this book a lot when I had read it.

Not going to lie, I started this book a couple of months ago and left it alone for a while. During this time I read and finished a couple of other books before finally getting back to this one.

Why?

Because it was EXTREMELY slow at first. I was also tired of all the different perspectives, which some didn’t seem relevant to me, so I was bored. BUT I am so glad I picked this back up because WOW! It was a great read! Everything came together so well and I ended up appreciating the different perspectives after all. The end was so unexpected!! I was not going to sleep tonight without finishing it and again so glad I did. If anyone feels it’s slow at first- stick to it! I promise it will be worth it!

I’ll preface by saying I loved the speaker’s voice! That said, this was a little too dark and heavy for me, especially paired with a children’s landscape. If you’re able to separate the two and enjoy gore/being deeply unsettled, then it’s for you! All said, I truly appreciate the publisher, Hillier, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wonderland is a story of a town drowning in lies and deceit and it seems it will stay that way forever.... Until the new detective comes into town to solve a mysterious disappearance only to find out it isn't the only one.
Jennifer Hillier takes us on a roller coaster of a ride as she attempts to figure out what is going on in this town, and why it has been accepted for so long.

★★★½ rounded down

I'm not usually into thrillers, but this kept me on the edge of my seat. I find certain genres translate well onto audio, and this is one of them. I will give this a bit more leeway as it reads a bit like a police procedural, which is definitely up my alley.

Vanessa Castro leaves Seattle PD to move to sleepy Seaside, WA, with her two kids in tow. While she has her own skeletons in the closet, they are nothing to the secrets and depravity that run rampant in this small town. The town's main business is Wonderland, a theme park with the oldest Ferris wheel in the PNW, and the Clown Museum, which I would absolutely never step foot in.

Everyone in this town seems to know something Vanessa doesn't. The police department is shady. The Wonderland owners and CEO are shady. Everyone is shady. In thrillers, I tend to suspect everyone until they're cleared, and I will say I wasn't expecting the outcome that occurred. That in itself made this more enjoyable.

I love novels by Jennifer Hillier an was thrilled to receive a audio version of this ARC.

This novel had me hooked to the last page. I loved trying to guess who was behind everything that was happening only to find out I was wrong and then guessing again.

I look forward to more titles by Hillier.

I absolutely enjoyed the audiobook version of Wonderland. I have previously enjoyed Jennifer Hillier's books however I never had read the physical copy of Wonderland so jumping into the audiobook was perfect. The narration was really well done. So much so that I did not want to stop listening to it and I didn't want the story to end. I also really enjoyed the writing that Jennifer Hillier put into the story. There was just enough mystery surrounding Wonderland that it hooked the reader into the story and took them on a journey alongside the characters. I would highly recommend!

I loved Little Secrets and Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier so I was really excited to read Wonderland. This is such a creepy thriller! I loved the PNW setting since it’s close to home and the wide age range of characters from teenagers to seniors. There’s some dark content in this book. I liked the main character as detective trying to solve a murder. We’re introduced to many suspects and there’s several secrets throughout this book. I’m so glad this book was rereleased on audio. The narrator Eunice Wong was great. I also appreciated the author’s note at the end. I can’t wait to read Hillier’s next book!

Wonderland was originally published in 2015, but the audiobook was just released in 2023. This was a crime thriller set in an amusement park. There are creepy clowns and a really creepy dollhouse that might have been why I didn't read it back when I originally added to my TBR shelf. Vanessa Castro has moved to Seaside, Washington after a scandal in the police department in Seattle. She has been hired to be the Deputy Chief when the old one retires. She and her two children are trying to settle in and her teenage daughter has already got a job at Wonderland. It is a fun, family theme park by day, but is eerie at night, so when a dead body shows up under the Wonder Wheel and a teenager disappears after taking a picture of himself standing on top of the wheel, the town is thrown into turmoil. As Vanessa tries to start an investigation she runs into some angry townsfolk, who have had teenage boys disappear. There also seems to be a lot of secrets and a hint of a cover up. Can Vanessa sort out what is happening and solve the murder as well as the cold cases?

After reading and listening to Wonderland, I won't ever think of theme parks in the same way. This was a very creepy story, partly due to the setting, but also the well developed and villainous killer. There were so many possible culprits that I had no idea who had kidnapped and murdered at least one, maybe more young men. The innocence of Vanessa's daughter was even more pronounced when it was up against all the weird and creepy characters. She doesn't feel right about certain people, but is easily convinced to give them a chance. As the story unfolds, it becomes very tense and I was on the edge of my seat. There are some great characters including the father of one of the missing boys, the head of security at the park, who Vanessa has a one night stand with and one of the police detectives that helps Vanessa crack the case. This is one of the first books Jennifer Hillier wrote and I have read several others that followed this one. I enjoyed them all and recommend this author if you enjoy creepy, twisty, thrillers. The narration of the audiobook was performed by Eunice Wong. I believe she is a new narrator to me and I was very pleased with her performance. Her tone, expression and voices made this one even better and creepier for me.

This book is a re-release to audio book, and I was SO happy to be able to read this. Although I am sure it is labeled in the "horror" genre, this book is really a combination of a police procedural, a mystery thriller, with elements of horror. I (mostly) enjoyed the characters in this book, with only a few issues with the main protagonist (at times, she seemed a little whiney and annoying to me.) The horror elements were just right, and not too over the top or gory.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. This is my first book written by Jennifer Hillier, and I will definitely read more!

I love Jennifer Hillier and this was the perfect amount of suspenseful and creepy. I couldn't wait to get into my car to listen to this every day. The narration added to the atmosphere. Such a great one!

Wow! This was such a ride- the old amusement park setting was perfectly
Creepy then add in dolls and clowns and the atmosphere was set. This author knows how to right a spine tingling thriller and Inlived every page!

Oh how I loved this crazy intense thriller from Jennifer Hillier. I can always count on her to create a web of twists in whatever she writes.

Eunice Wong was outstanding at narrating the audiobook!

Thank you, Jennifer Hillier, Macmillan Audio & Netgalley for my audiobook! All opinions are my own.