As always, a Jennifer Hillier book comes with all the triggers. I think this is what I needed last week to feel some feelings. But the biggest takeaway was... anger with a side of wtf?

First, I’ll say the narration was great. Eunice Wong is super versatile and switches between points of view seamlessly. She makes the reading experience, hands down. Thanks to macmillan audio for the free review copy via Google Play. It’s 11 hours and 39 minutes and I listened at mostly 2.5x speed.

It’s set in a fictional Washington state town where everything revolves around a giant amusement park. It has a creepy clown/doll museum. Missing employees. A dead body. You’d think it’d be perfect for a thriller setting. But all of the adult characters are terrible people. Like, no redeeming characters. A gross history of sexual abuse at the park. A boss who grooms her young employees. Cheaters. Liars. Don’t get me wrong. I love a dark and gritty book with characters that can be hard to root for. This was… more than that.

Toward the end, a main character deadnames a trans person who is apparently a “good friend” multiple times. It’s sort of challenged by another character but like… why is this part even included? I had no idea this was an audio release to a book that came out several years ago. So… this could have been an ideal opportunity to update that specific part… This is one of those scenarios where not checking Goodreads first came back to bite me. Five stars for audio. One star for story.

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Jennifer Hillier's tense and twisty amusement park-set Thriller, Wonderland, was first published in 2015. I've had this on my TBR for years, but just never picked it up. Now, for the first time ever, it is being released in audio format via Macmillan Audio. After graciously being gifted a copy by the publisher, I excitedly read it and loved it!

This story follows Vanessa Castro, the new deputy police chief of Seaside, Washington, home to Wonderland. Vanessa is a lady with a past, that is clear, but all isn't revealed to you right away. She's a mystery unto herself.

Vanessa has moved to Seaside, along with her two children, after the death of her husband and a corresponding scandal at her old department. Vanessa is hoping for a fresh start and her older child, Ava, is almost excited to be working at Wonderland for the Summer.

Vanessa's first day on the job kicks off with a bang, after the decomposing body of a homeless man, dubbed Homeless Harry, is discovered on the main causeway of the park just before opening. Who is this man? It's clear he didn't die in the spot where he was discovered? Why would someone deposit his body there? What's the message?

On the same day, prior to the body discovery, a disgruntled employee, a self-proclaimed free climber, scales the Wonder Wheel and photographs himself giving the middle finger in his Wonderland uniform. He posts the image to his socials and it goes viral. After he posted, he disappeared. What is going on at Wonderland?

Homeless Harry and the Wonder Wheel Boy all in one day. Vanessa is left scratching her head and is about to get a quick lesson in how things work around Seaside. Wonderland is by far the largest employer in the town. Not only that, it brings in huge amounts of money as a well-known and hugely popular tourist attraction. Because of this, the powers that be at Wonderland hold quite a bit of sway within local politics and law enforcement. While Vanessa isn't necessarily surprised by this, she is surprised by just how deep that river runs.

I loved Vanessa. She wasn't perfect. She has a history, she has a dark past and it's something that she struggles with at times throughout the novel. So, even though she has a successful career and is a great Mom, she can still have her own personal demons.

To me, that kind of character is so much more believable than the main characters who are perfect in every way, have it all, and just terrible things happen 'around' them, but not necessarily to them, or because of them.
Vanessa Castro is the type of character I would go to bat for. I think she was great at her job and did the best she could balancing her work and home life. For that, I give her props.

I also liked Vanessa's daughter, Ava's, role in the story. The dynamic between them, as well as what was going on in Ava's private life added a lot of tension to the story. Even though they have that mother-daughter relationship and lived together, there were still quite a few secrets between them. The transition to the new town wasn't easy for Ava. At her age, I think she was 14, almost 15, that type of move will always be rough and I thought Hillier did a great job exploring that.

Ava's work at the park was interesting as well. She ended up working in the Clown Museum and it sounded totally nuts. Definitely something I would have wanted to do at that age.

Overall, this is an engaging Mystery, with strong Police Procedural aspects and a ton of tension. I loved the pacing of the reveals as secrets come to light and I found the setting to be eerie and interesting. I couldn't believe how quickly this drew me in.

Additionally, the audiobook is absolutely terrific. I cannot recommend it enough. The narration by Eunice Wong brought this story to life for me. I was transported while listening to it. A++ job!!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm so happy that I finally had the chance to read this one. It's a great reminder of why I love Hillier's work; so good!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

While Wonderland was released as an ebook in 2015, I had never read it before and would definitely suggest listening via audiobook.

Amusement park, dollhouse, clown museum, serial killer, inappropriate affairs, scary underground dungeon, missing teens, bodies. Is there anything this book doesn’t have? There were so many twists and turns and I truly didn’t see the end coming.

Definite TW/ CW.

Happy (audio)book birthday to WONDERLAND by Jennifer Hillier!

I did not realize Wonderland was first released in 2015 as an ebook and today is the day it’s available for all the audiobook lovers. As always, Jennifer Hillier pulls you in from the beginning and gives you a great plot full of mystery with a good mix of creepy. From the Clown Museum to the House of Horrors, Wonderland is the perfect backdrop for all the funhouse and amusement park creeps. It’s Vanessa Castro’s first day as deputy chief when a dead body of a local missing boy is discovered at the amusement park. As she investigates, I appears other local boys who have gone missing may be linked to the case. Let the horrors begin. 🤡

Hillier has not yet disappointed me and has become an auto-read author. She has a great way of mixing suspense, drama, mystery, and a little gore into her plots. Eunice Wong does great narration in the audiobook too and I felt she delivered the story perfectly.

Thanks Macmillan Audio for this early listening copy and bringing this book to audio!

Now is the perfect time to dive into Jennifer Hillier’s backlist! Super creepy and twisty!
Our story begins with Vanessa Castro moving to seaside to escape her past. As Deputy Chief of Police in a very small town, she really wasn’t expecting a lot of action. But on her first day on the job, there is a dead body found at the Wonderland. So many twists unravel from here. Highly recommended audio!

Jennifer is truly a master at character development. There are heroes I rooted for and absolutely psychotic characters to which I screamed “WTF” constantly. I was sucked into the world of Wonderland from the very first page and looked at every single person with suspicion. Even though I’m experienced with Hillier’s writing, she blew my mind once again and I have learned to expect nothing less.

Read this book if you like:
🎡 fast-paced thrillers.
🎡 a good mix of characters you love and characters you hate.
🎡 short chapters that keep you reading late into the night.
🎡 police procedurals in a unique setting.

I’ve been waiting for this since 2015 when I stumbled across this new author and didn’t know a thing about ebooks. I didn’t have a kindle and was completely unsure how read a book that way - well I have I learned a lot in the last 8 years. But audiobooks are still me preferred method!

This book doesn’t disappoint, most of you know Jennifer for “Jar of Hearts” or more recently, “Things We Do In The Dark”, both great thrillers. Well don’t miss out on this older book!

Eunice Wong does a fabulous job with the narration and brings this book to life. I’m so grateful to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the audiobook and the opportunity to turn back time to teenage summers and hometown vibes, mixed with suspense, lies, and secrets. This is a bone-chilling dark thriller that gives you all the reasons you can’t sleep!

I liked all the layers and characters and how it came together after so many years!

I enjoyed this story but didn’t really feel drawn in the way I have been with Hillier’s other novels. The setting was great and the mystery unfolded slowly, keeping me invested but I kept waiting for a big twist and it never came. I did like Vanessa Castro and her daughter, Ava, but never felt connected to them, or any of the other characters. This was entertaining but not what I was expecting at all. The carnival setting gives the opportunity for some really creepy and gruesome scenes but none of those came about. This was not my favorite but I have enjoyed all the others I have read of hers.

"After a personal tragedy and professional scandal forces homicide detective Vanessa Castro takes a new job in Seaside, Washington, determined to make a fresh start for herself and her family. The small beach town, best known for its popular amusement park, Wonderland, seems like the perfect place to raise her young son and teenage daughter.
But it's not that easy starting over, especially as the town's new Deputy Chief of Police. When a dead body turns up at the park her first day on the job, and then a teenage Wonder Worker goes missing, Vanessa's investigation is met with resistance. A scandal that hurts the park hurts the town, but the more questions Vanessa asks, the more questions arise . . . The deeper she goes, the more she begins to suspect that the terrifying rumors about Wonderland's dark past might actually be true."

My Thoughts:
This book started off a little slow for me; however once the characters and storyline were set up the pace picked up. Told from multiple POV’s, I really enjoyed the character development in this story…. some you love and others not so much. With a few twists along the way, the overall mystery kept me guessing right up until the final reveal. At one point I think a suspected almost every character.
At the end of the audiobook the author notes that one of the characters in Wonderland is a crossover from her earlier books Creep and Freak; and the main character appears in a book initially published after this one, Little Secrets. I’m excited to read her other books and check back in with these characters.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the gifted copy of this book.

No this isn’t a new book by the author, but a new audio release on a previously published book. I’ve read her last few books and have really enjoyed them, so I dove right in. This one held a lot of nostalgia for me, because my first real job was working at an amusement park. Luckily no one went missing (that I know of).

I really liked that as a twist on missing teenagers, it is the pretty blond boys that go missing. And with plenty of suspects, I did not easily figure this one out. I knew to eliminate the most obvious suspects. The mystery unfolds in a slow methodical pace, but since I honestly did not know who or why. I am not usually a fan of slow paced books, but this one worked for me. Not sure if it was the story, the audio or the nostalgia, but I was never bored.

Eunice Wong narrates this one and I am not sure if I’ve listened to her before, but she nailed it. She kept me interested in a slow paced mystery and brought the story to life.

This should appeal to the author’s fans since in an author's note, she mentions some of the characters appear in another of her books.

This is a creepy, twisty, fun thriller with a bunch of unlikable characters that make you cringe but also make for a really entertaining story. Perfect for those looking for a quick read with some dark themes and fun twist!

Audiobook Review 🎧📖

Happy Pub Day to the talented @jenniferhillierbooks and to one of my most favorite narrators, @eunicewongnarration 🎉🎉🎉

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the audio ARC!

Wonderland is a backlist book with a new audiobook edition out today! I’m a huge fan of both the author and the narrator. If you haven’t read any other Jennifer Hillier yet I recommend both Little Secrets and Things We Do In the Dark (both also great on audio).

I always love to see (and read) a mystery or thriller written by a BIPOC author as the genre is often lacking in the diversity department.

There are a LOT of TWs/CWs here which I’ll list at the caption’s end or in the comments…

I’ll tell ya, I did NOT guess the who of the whodunnit, but I’ll also say: this book isn’t lacking in the department of horrible people.

I loved the MC, Vanessa and her plucky daughter, Ava. Ava is braver than brave: working in the Clown Museum at the amusement park (our main setting) where there’s rumored to be a secret dungeon, and she plays a *doll* in the Doll Room? Whew, that’s a badass! There’s also maybe a serial killer on the loose AND a history of and ongoing abuse of minors/young adults.

I’ve shared the synopsis but I’ll copy it in the comments for accessibility. This book kept me up late! I definitely recommend going the audio route here, Eunice is stellar!

ID: The audiobook cover, then the synopsis against an atmospheric amusement park background.

❓Do you have a favorite Jennifer Hillier book? Do you like amusement parks? How about clowns and/or dolls? 😰

#NetGalley #WonderlandBook #PubDay #MacmillanAudio #AudioARC #PubDayReview #Bookstagram #Audiobookstagram #Audiobookstagrammer

⚠️TW/CWs: Sex abuse and grooming of minors and young adults
(Actual grooming, not the BS conservatives call grooming, and trust me, as a survivor I know the difference), child pornography, drugging, workplace discrimination, fatphobia, racism, classism, mentions of school shooting and rape, child abuse on page, attempted rape, sexual assault on page, infidelity, PTSD and bipolar, death of parent/spouse, vivid suicidal ideation, abortion, transphobia and deadnaming

I discovered Jennifer Hillier just a couple years ago via NetGalley and have loved her ever since, though I had not yet gone back to read any of her books that were written before that point. Wonderland has been on my TBR list for a while, so I was thrilled when I got the advanced audiobook! Wonderland lives up to my expectation of the author as a brilliant writer of thrillers that border on horror without crossing that line. This one came close, but stayed pretty believable for the most part. Some of the amusement part imagery was what straddled that horror line, but it was so appropriate to the story and added a whole new level of fun to the type of thriller I love. Anyone creeped out by clowns will get extra spooked by the clown museum central to the plot of Wonderland. The ferris-wheel opening scene was an excellent way to set this story up to hook the reader immediately. It never lost steam after that. Some of the semi-romance stuff was not my favorite aspect of the book as it bordered on soap-opera-like, but it somehow fir the more juvenile atmosphere of an amusement park and funhouse. All in all, this one was a winner!

Happy Audio Publication Day!

Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier was a fun, entertaining and very creepy story.

The narrator Eunice Wong did an amazing job at creating and setting the scene.
I was hooked once I started listening to this story.

I found this book to be fast paced with heart-pounding moments and one intense page-turner.
I was sucked in this story immediately. And if I’m being honest here this was one I didn’t want it to end.
This is a roller coaster of suspense and intrigue.
A tense, spine-tingling chills and twisted ride.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Thank You NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

If you’re looking for a good thriller author, look no further than Jennifer Hillier. While listening to her books I often find myself wondering how she comes up with such unique premises and nail biting twists and turns. This novel takes place in a small town at an amusement park and it’s crazy!

First published in 2015, the audio version of Wonderland packs a wallop! Set in an amusement park that keeps its small town afloat, Wonderland will keep you guessing to the very end. Missing teenage boys, a serial killer (or 2), a corrupt police department and generally creepy characters make this audio book suspenseful and horrific. I enjoyed every minute and was genuinely surprised by the ending.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

This was a bit of a slow burner, but it picked up pace in the second half. I did see a couple of the twists coming, but some of the big ones I was completely blindsided by. That’s the best feeling in a thriller! The narrator did a wonderful job. Towards the end of the book, I even volunteered to fold about 10 loads of laundry straight so that I could finish it in peace 😂 this is my first book by this author, so I had some questions about some cameo by characters previously mentioned, but it won’t be my last!

Deputy Chief Castro moved her family to Seaside, because it had wonderful memories from when she was younger. Not to mention she had burned all of the bridges she had at Seattle PD. So when teenagers start going missing, and it’s linked to the huge theme park that has single handedly saved the town of Seaside, her idyllic and safe view of the small town comes crashing down quickly. With the theme park being virtually untouchable, how is she going to solve this case?

Jennifer Hillier nails it every time. I was over the moon to be accepted to listen to the audio adaptation of one of Hillier’s older works and WOW I loved every second of this. Twisty, dark, smartly written, and I hated every time I had to press pause.

If you are a fan of creepy amusement parks, terrible small towns pretending to be great, and lots of grey characters, listen to this book! Eunice Wong does an excellent job narrating this story, keeping the listener's attention the entire time.

Seaside's new deputy police chief walks into both a dead body and a missing employee on her first day of work and quickly finds more secrets hiding among Wonderland's current and previous employees. Fighting against the company town mentality where even her boss covers for the amusement park, she must solve these strange crimes before allowing the town to get to her own family.

I really enjoyed the entire crazy ride this story took me on and thought the audio made for a great experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced listening copy.

Wonderland (audiobook)
by Jennifer Hillier
Narrated by Eunice Wong
Audiobook Pub Date: April 11, 2023
Original Pub Date: October 15, 2015
Duration: 11 h 39 min
Macmillan Audio
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:
Wonderland is a well known amusement park, on the North Pacific Coast that has a dark history and is the life and livelihood of the small town of Seaside. Everyone knows that the town wouldn’t survive if anything ever happened to the park. Therefore, the town leaders tend to “overlook” a lot of what happens at the park.
After a work scandal and the death of her husband, Vanessa Castro has recently moved to Seaside to become the new deputy chief of police.
On Vanessa’s first day, a body is discovered in the middle of the park. The more Vanessa looks into the case the more concerns she has with Wonderland. However, the park is what keeps the town alive and thriving so not everyone wants Vanessa to uncover the park’s past, and present, while discovering the truth.

My opinion:
Wow, what a wild, dark, and twisty roller coaster ride! I have read several of Jennifer Hillier’s thriller books and have enjoyed them all. Like the others, this one did not disappoint! I thought it was going to be more creepy looking at the original cover but it was more thriller/small town police procedural mystery. I thought the audio was very well done. The narrator, Eunice Wong, had a pleasant voice that helped in developing a variety of characters and creating a vivid picture of the amusement park.


Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Jennifer Hillier for gifting me this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.