I was so excited to get access to this audiobook! Hillier’s prose is almost poetic, and her books are so creepy! Wonderland looks like a super happy amusement park… but there are so many secrets and shady characters. I simply could not put this down. Deputy chief Vanessa was a strong, complex main character, and the book seemed to gather such pace as more twists were revealed. So good, and the narration was stellar.

Let me start off by saying I am writing this review T I R E D because I stayed up WAY too late finishing Wonderland. Wonderland has been on my list to read for some time now but I'm actually glad I waited and got to experience it first on audio -- the audio is EXCELLENT! Well-acted, good pacing, nothing distracting you from the story and performance.

Wonderland is all of the adjectives you want in a thriller - thrilling, suspenseful, engrossing, fast-paced. I binged it in two evenings; I absolutely could not put it down.

The story itself is dark so please check trigger warnings before reading, but if you're like me and you're a fan of horror movies and dark thrillers, dive right in and enjoy this WILD ride.

This book was fantastic! I loved the narrator. This book kept me interested and guessing the entire time up until the very end. I haven't read a Jennifer Hillier book that I did not love! Cannot wait to read more by her.

Welcome to WONDERLAND. Jennifer Hillier blew me away with THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK, so when I saw this audiobook arrive on my NetGalley front stoop, I couldn't say no. This has been on the shelves for quite a few years now so I'm surprised I've never picked it up until now, and let me tell you, I. Was. Missing. Out.

WONDERLAND is a campy horror/thriller following Vanessa Castro, Seaside, Washington's very green chief of police, and the insidious happenings that occur around the orbit of the community's infamously creepy amusement park, Wonderland. Stakes are raised extra high when Vanessa finds her work blurring with her personal life.

I loved the atmosphere, I loved the writing, and I loved the rollercoaster drop moments that this book gave me. Another big win from my girl Jen Hilly!

I have read several of Jennifer Hillier’s books, but I hadn’t read this one and was excited to see it was going to be released as an audiobook. I really loved the narrator, I thought she brought the characters narrating to life. I did think the story dragged a little in the middle, the ending was exciting enough to make up for it. I will admit there was a twist at the end I didn’t see coming. I thought the characters were well written and developed, even the ones that were impossible to like. I love when a book includes an amusement park and the fictional Wonderland in this story seemed really awesome. Even though the fictional Seaside in this book was set in Washington, every time they mentioned Seaside I pictured it as the Seaside in Oregon but adding in a giant amusement park which was cool because I had a preset build for the small town setting. Deputy Chief Vanessa Castro has left Seattle to take a job in Seaside because her career had hit a few bumps in Seattle. Her teenage daughter isn’t thrilled but she is excited to work in the amusement park. Her son is excited but he’s much younger and easy going. Vanessa is happy to let her daughter Ava work at the park, but on her first day a body was found at the park and the more Vanessa looks into the case the more concerns she has with Wonderland. But the park and it’s CEO are like royalty in this town because without them the town would die so not everyone wants Vanessa to solve the crimes she finds.

Dear Wonderland,
I just love the suspense that Hillier builds into her stories. While a lot of the plot twists are not difficult to figure out, they are satisfying when they happen. There was one big twist in your story I did not predict and was a present surprise for me. I loved the shifting perspectives and how social media played a big role in the mystery. I needed the ease of your story right now, and I feel like I breezed through you. I was really interested in the fact that you were a re-issue of an e-book and I got to listen to you on audio for the first time. I loved the deputy chief and the dark history she had. I would.love to read more stories with her as the detective.

I liked the plot and the narrator. I forgot how good this book and the author is. I read this book years ago on ebook but didn't realize until now that it was the same book. I still reread it because I loved the book the first time around.

This is an excellent, complex, well-crafted thriller. I was hooked from the beginning. The characters are fascinating and compelling. Everyone is flawed, even the protagonist, and the story is riveting. I finally figured out the culprit, but not after falling for one of the red herrings. This is just so well done. I could have done without the steamy sex scenes. The story didn't need it.

I was listening to the audiobook version, and the narrator, Eunice Wong, was fantastic. She not only portrayed the distinct voices of the characters well, but she did a great job of building suspense. I will seek out her narration again.

My rating for the narration is 5 stars. My rating for the story is 4 stars. The total overall rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to five on sites with no partial star option.

I received a free copy of this book from MacMillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I don't know what it is about Jennifer Hillier's writing style that draws the reader in right from the beginning. In this well-narrated story, Vanessa Castro's first day on the job in this fictitious Seattle suburb is anything but routine. I was skeptical going in after a cliche one night stand with a stranger who of course, she will have to work with being as she's the new deputy police chief in town. Hungover and being summoned on her first day in Seaside with a body being found at the Wonderland amusement park is an auspicious start to her new position. The story progresses at a quick pace, revolving around Wonderland, where all the teenagers want to work every summer, including Vanessa's daughter. The story picks up speed as it develops and you can't help but become emotionally invested in the lives of her characters.

“If it were up to me, I’d move.”🎢🤡


Seaside, Washington is a small and picturesque town and is home to "Wonderland" the Northwest’s largest amusement park. Many residents of Seaside work for the park in some capacity. Many young folks have a summer job at the park, they're called "Wonder Workers".

I really enjoyed this atmospheric crime mystery novel by Hillier! Back when I was in the horror movie-watching phase, theme park horrors are my favs. Although, "Wonderland" is more mystery/thriller than it is horror, scary attractions like House of Horrors or Clown Museum add creepy vibes to the stillness of the park at night.

Vanessa Castro is the new deputy police chief of Seaside. She and her 14-year-old daughter Ava moved to Seaside from Seattle much to Ava's dismay but Ava does look forward to working at the park in the summer. When a homeless guy is found dead and a teen whose last selfie was climbing the Wonder Wheel has gone missing, Vanessa's new job just got a lot more interesting!

Originally published in 2015, Wonderland's upcoming audiobook read by Eunice Wong is excellent. I enjoyed her voice and ability to tell different characters apart. It's also easy to listen at a fast playback speed. (11H 39M)

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for my audio listening copy.
Expected audio release on April 11, 2023!

TW: Descriptive sex scenes

There is something strange going down in the small town of Seaside, Washington and it’s creepier than the clown museum at the local amusement park.

A disgruntled employee decides to end his tenure at the park by posting a daring social media stunt. Several hours later that post goes viral and the body of an unidentified man is discovered on the midway, igniting scandal and scrutiny that can't be avoided.

Wonderland is now not only the focus of a high-profile murder inquest but also seems to be the last known location of several missing individuals. Follow Seaside's new Deputy Police Chief, Vanessa Castro, as she investigates. It is said that we all have skeletons in our closets . . . it seems that the small community of Seaside may have a few more than most!

This was one of my first experiences with audiobooks and it was an incredible ride! Not only was the story well-written, but the narration was also quite entertaining. If you enjoy thrillers and police procedurals, this one is a must!

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of Wonderland for my unbiased evaluation.  4.5 stars

I was so excited to be approved for wonderland on audio I read it years ago as in ebook and absolutely loved it and I think the audio does it even more Justice it was such a worthwhile listen fast pace dark everything you want in a thriller

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I ended up DNFing this one. I loved the setting of the WONDERLAND amusement park. Ii was really intrigued by the synopsis so I thought I'd give it a try. The narrator was fine, but the story was just too predictable and I was bored. I ended up listening until 33%, but wasn't looking forward to continuing, so ultimately just decided to stop. I loved this author's previous books Jar of Heart's and Things We Do in The Dark, so I will still read other books in the future!

5/5 stars!!!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

When Vanessa Castro moves her family to Seaside, Washington to escape their recent tragedy, she could never predict the complexities that will await her. On her first day at her new job as Seaside's deputy police chief, a dead body turns up at the amusement park that the entire town is centered around, Wonderland. When other bodies, missing persons and mysteries continue to turn up in Seaside, Vanessa suddenly finds herself at the center of a very complicated series of events.

This was such an amazing read from Jennifer Hillier! I wasn't sure what to expect with the creepy clown vibes of an amusement park, but this was one complex and intellectual mystery! EVERYONE was a suspect for me at various points in the book and I love that about a story -- when it keeps me guessing! The switching between characters was semi-chaotic but in a way that really worked for the story. I didn't love the way narration of male characters was done, but I can get past that when the rest of the book is so great. This one really kept me guessing until the very end.

Jennifer Hillier does it again! This book is a mix of mystery, thriller, and horror; and there's a twist too! This is a wild ride that's worth getting on! Hold on tight!

I am a huge fan of Jennifer Hiller and was excited to see some of her older work coming out on audio. I immediately wanted to listen to this one since most of my reading these days are on audio.

Sadly, I just could not get into this one. It was a little too slow to start and never gave me that moment where I wanted to keep pushing through. I may come back to it later, but for now it was a DNF.

A book based at a creepy amusement park? Sign me up! The cover of this book instantly got my attention and the story kept it! Several Wonderland employees have disappeared over the years and a new Deputy Chief comes into town right as a body is dumped at the foot of the infamous Wonderwheel during the night. Once she starts digging she realizes there are several teenage boys who have mysteriously disappeared from the small town over the years and their connections are having blonde hair and being wonderland employees. With a park that has been open for several decades, it means anyone could be behind this. This book sucked me in with the creepy clown museum (I am not a fan of clowns!), old doll exhibit and several spooky employees. I really loved it! Jennifer Hillier is one of my favorite authors and I am glad to add this book as another 5 star from her.
Thank you to Jennifer Hillier, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC audiobook read by Eunice Wong. Eunice Wong did an excellent narration and kept up perfectly with the vibe of the book.

I was intrigued with the story because it took place at an amusement park. What a great setting. The characters made the book a struggle for me. I kept stopping and starting the book hoping for more. I wanted to like this but just couldn’t.

Amusement parks are always a good backdrop for a mystery, so many hidden walls, mirrors and scary clowns.  
   Wonderland has been in business for years and the economic source for this small town. Everyone has worked there at some point growing up, its as as rite of passage . Everyone has a history with it but some memories shouldn’t be revisited.
   Vanessa, the new sheriff, arrives in town, scandal having ended her last job and not off to a great start. Her staff resents the new boss, her teenage daughter resents the move and the nameless one night stand she recently had turns out to be a detective in her department.  A decomposing body on the fairway in her first week just adds to her frustration and the story takes off from there.
   Being such a provider of jobs in the community, the owner/directors of the amusement park also feel as they control everything in the town, including the police, but the new sheriff has other ideas.
   Vanessa discovers there is a history of missing boys, all with associations with Wonderland. People have concluded there was a home problem that caused them to run away but she discovered that wasn’t always the case. If not, where are they?  Wonderland owners had a sexual predator in their family, is this all related?
   The narrator of the book provided the distinction needed between all the character. An absorbing story.

Welcome to Wonderland. By day, it’s a magical place boasting a certain retro charm. Excited children, hands sticky with cotton candy, run frenetically from the Giant Octopus ride to the Spinning Sombrero, while the tinkling carnival music of the giant Wonder Wheel—the oldest Ferris wheel in the Pacific Northwest—fills the air. But before daybreak, an eerie feeling descends. Maybe it’s the Clown Museum, home to creepy wax replicas of movie stars and a massive collection of antique porcelain dolls. Or maybe it’s the terrifyingly real House of Horrors. Or…maybe it’s the dead, decaying body left in the midway for all the Wonder Workers to see.

Vanessa is the new deputy chief in town and a body is discovered at the amusement park on her first day. As she investigates, she quickly discovers more bodies and missing persons. The more secrets she reveals she wonders is there a connection between the missing boys and the theme park? Why does everyone want to keep secrets hidden at Wonderland?

This was such a creepy read, and perfect on audio! I enjoyed hearing the multiple POV of Vanessa, Ava, and more. Between the small town life and the park, the descriptions were perfect and the creep factor was high. Is there anything creepier than a clown museum? Everyone has a dark past and seems guilty at one point or another. Great twisted ride and an ending I did not see coming.

I’ve been hunting this one down for ages, and so thankful to netgalley for my advanced copy!