This book was AMAZING! I absolutely loved the story. The location was creepy, the characters were full of secrets, and the twists were great! LOVED IT!

By day, Wonderland is a wonderful, magical place. But before daybreak, it gets an eerie feel. Maybe it's the dead body left for the Wonder Workers to find? Vanessa is investigating the case when a teenage employee disappears.
I loved Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier. That one? Not that much. There was too much foreshadowing, the changes in POVs were confusing at times, and it just didn't grab me as much as some of her other books did. I loved the eerie/creepy/horror-y feel of the story, and the narration in the audio book was great.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am an avid audiobook listener and am so grateful for NetGalley allowing me to listen to Wonderland ahead of its release!

Vanessa, a recently windowed and now single mother of two, needs to find someplace to start over. After being accused of wrongdoing as a police officer for Seattle, an old friend of her recently deceased husband, reaches out to offer her a position as a detective for the town of SeaSide. Vanessa fondly recalls her years as a teenager working for Wonderland, the primary employer for those residing in SeaSide. She packs up her daughter and young son and they cautiously look ahead to the future.

Once in SeaSide, Vanessa has a one night stand which proves awkward on her first day on the job. Also while on the job, Vanessa soon realizes this quiet town isn’t without its mysteries. With a dead body discovered on the grounds, talks of a dungeon under the amusement park, and the disappearance of several teenagers who all work for Wonderland, Vanessa will have her hands full. Closer to home, Vanessa will question her decision to allow her 14 year old daughter to work for the amusement park.

Vanessa thought her life was already in free fall after the sudden death of her husband but she has no idea just how much farther she’ll fall as she walks into a new town and starts digging around at the long held secrets of Wonderland and those who hold those secrets.

I loved the audio version of the book and the narrator does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life. I will always consume anything Jennifer Hillier writes and encourage everyone to check out Wonderland! Definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Welcome to Wonderland"

Ever wonder what it is like to work at an amusement park? It looks fun by day, the lights, the music, the attractions, the smiling people milling around, but at night it becomes a desolate, still, and empty place.

Wonderland has been around for a long time. Most of the town has worked there in some capacity. It makes for a great first job! You learn to work with the public, get along with co-workers and deal with a dead body left behind for employees to see. What!?!

Vanessa Castro is the new deputy police chief and has her work cut out for her when the body of unidentifiable homeless man is found at wonderland. To top it off, a teenager who took a picture of himself on top of the Wonder wheel/ Ferris wheel is missing. During her investigation, she begins to uncover more missing young men that goes back for quite some time. She came to town to escape her past but has brought her family into a nightmare!

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it. I found this book to be atmospheric and creepy. The amusement park was a great setting and really set the vibe. I also enjoyed how Vanessa came up against walls but went through them instead of over them. As she investigated, we learn more about her, her past, and her investigative skills.

This book had me changing up my suspect list and I was certain that I knew who the killer was to be shocked and taking my hat off to Hillier for that reveal. Well played! Hillier has impressed me yet again!

If you enjoyed many of her other books, you will most likely enjoy this one as well. Jar of Hearts remains my favorite of her books but this one was impressive and well written.

Atmospheric, creepy, dark, and well thought out.


#Wonderland #NetGalley #JenniferHillier #MacmillanAudio

audioARC:
Jennifer Hillier always comes out with excellent ideas to draw you into her thrillers.

My only complaint with this book was that it just felt a bit too long. The middle parts, narrating the different relationships between parties, seemed to detract from the real case at hand, which was where are all these boys?

Otherwise, a great finish that it would be hard to see coming!

As per usual, Eunice Wong is the perfect choice for the narration of the novel, and really helped to keep me engaged, even when the story was a bit slow.

First of all, THANK YOU for reaching out to me to review the audiobook for Wonderland. I recently purchased the physical copy, so I was elated to have the audio so I could listen to it at work. I am much quicker to pick up an audiobook bc I have more opportunity to listen than I have time to physically read.

I absolutely adore Jennifer Hillier. This was bittersweet because now I only have one book left of hers that I haven't read. :(

She does a fantastic job at creating characters and setting up stories to keep you reading WAY past your bed time. I had no clue who the killer was. None. My only complaint was the ending. It felt a little rushed and messy, but I still loved it.

I've read several Jennifer Hillier books and she never disappoints. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to listen to Wonderland. This book is an intense, creepy, and dark thriller that I couldn't stop listening to. I loved Vanessa's determination to solve the case but I don't think I would have let Ava work at Wonderland. You can't trust anyone in this small town of Seaside. The twists were shocking! If you enjoy, police procedurals /thrillers make sure to grab a copy. Wonderland originally published in 2015, but the audiobook will be available on April 11th!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for my copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram ( @coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of the audiobook of “Wonderland” that came out 8 years as an Ebook and is finally getting an audiobook. I really enjoyed the narrator and Im a big fan of Jennifer Hillier’s thrillers.

Oh a delightfully creepy piece of art complete with a clown museum! The story begins with a teen climbing the Ferris wheel to take a selfie. Toss a serial killer, a real life doll house into the mix, some teenage angst and you have one heck of a story. Jennifer Hillier does not disappoint! Thanks to NetGalley for the read!

This book is a re-release of the 2015 publication of Wonderland in audio format. After listening, I’m sorry I never got around to reading this book, but I’m also thrilled I was able to listen to it now.

Chief Detective Vanessa Castro has relocated her family to the small town of Seaside, months after the death of her husband. Seaside is the home of Wonderland, a thriving local amusement park. Detective Castro is soon faced with the inadequacy of her predecessor as she uncovers what is most likely a serial killer.

This book was exactly what I look for in a fast-moving suspenseful story with a creepy background. It’s more thriller than horror and I loved it! The narration by Eunice Wong was perfect. I’ve enjoyed Jennifer Hillier’s books in the past and now I’m motivated to make sure I haven’t missed any others. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5 ⭐️‘S
When tragedy and scandal strikes the Castro’s, Vanessa moves her family out of Seattle to the town of Seaside. Taking a job as the new Deputy Police Chief, her first day is anything but routine. A body has been found at Wonderland, a retro theme park that boasts the Wonder Wheel, the oldest Ferris wheel in the Pacific Northwest. Wonderland is the main stay of Seaside keeping the town afloat. When things happen at Wonderland they are dealt with quietly and most times not at all. With the body being found under the Wonder Wheel, Vanessa isn’t about to look the other way, especially when she finds out that there are several missing young boys that were Wonderland workers. Are those that are missing somehow connected to the body? Vanessa isn’t going to stop until she finds the answers, but not everyone at Wonderland wants the truth to be discovered. When Vanessa’s daughter, Ava, takes a job at Wonderland, Vanessa’s digging might just be putting her own family in danger! This book was a bit of a wild ride 😉 there’s a host of suspects in an eerie theme park with a creepy clown museum along with a house of horrors, but the real horrors are yet to come!!

I can't stress enough how much I loved this book. It brought me right back to my childhood days of reading Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine, with more adult content.

The book centers around Wonderland, a local theme park, where teenage male workers keep disappearing every few years. You don't know who is in on it because the town seems to be protecting the park at all costs.

When the new Deputy Chief, Vanessa Castro moves to town, she is too new to be caught up in the politics of it all, and is determined to solve the case.

The whole book has that creepy throwback vibe. Despite being originally released as an eBook in 2015, the content holds up very well.

There weren't a lot of POV's, so it was very easy to follow. For the most part, it is told from Vanessa's POV with a few intermingled chapters of the most recent missing boy.

The plot twist at the end was a little meh, but I didn't even care. I was too enthralled by the nostalgia of it all.

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for an ALC of Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier. I've been wanting to read Wonderland and was pumped to see an audiobook version was being released. The narration is on point for this one and made it such an easy listen to binge through!

What's it about?
Detective Vanessa Castro is new to Seaside, making a fresh start for herself and her children following tragedy and scandal she's leaving behind in Seattle. Seaside is best known for Wonderland, its popular amusement park. The roller coaster ride truly begins when a dead body turns up at the park and a teenage "wonder worker" goes missing.

This story takes on so many more twists and turns than I had expected when picking this one up. I want more of Vanessa - Her past story - and future. Multiple POVs are expertly threaded together to unravel multiple storylines. Unique setting - Eeeeek Wonderland is SCARY to me - which is huge for me with thrillers.

As always, a great Hillier read and truly loved listening to this one.

An amusement, park, a dead body, and a cop looking for a second chance in a new town….what more could you want in a thriller?

Vanessa Castro and her two kids relocate to the small town of Seaside, WA. Her first day on the job starts off with a bang, with a body being found, and another boy missing. Throughout the coming days, they soon realize there is more than meets the eye.
This book, keep you guessing. There are numerous people with the motive, that means, and the opportunity.. The question is who can she trust?

I didn’t realize this book was originally released as an e-book, I received an ARC of the audiobook, which I really enjoyed. It was creepy and fun.

What I liked: There were a couple of different stories happening simultaneously, which left you wondering if they were connected or not. I felt that it was a very unique presentation.

What I didn’t like: Nothing! I listened to the entire audiobook in one day because I needed to know the ending. I loved it.

I have read a couple of Jennifer’s other books, and I have really enjoyed them. There are several more that I have yet to read, but after reading this book, I will be reading them sooner rather than later.


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️ Oh what an excellent audio book!! Did not want it to end and wanted to know what happened to Vanessa Castro and her family after the book ended! Wonderland—-has all the creepy vibes, the “wonderland look” boys have been going missing for 8 years and it takes a new police officer to make the connection. Underlying stories that weave this whole book together, told from several characters perspectives but so easy to follow and flows well!! Highly enjoyed other than a few descriptive sex scenes and f**k/go***mn throughout which is just unnecessary to me. Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for my copy in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Jennifer Hillier, and Netgalley for this audio in exchange for an honest review. The narration is awesome, Eunice Wong did an excellent job making the characters alive. In audio, narration can make the book or break it and she definitely made it. With Jennifer’s talent, it made for a fun ride as I pictured myself right there with the characters. The twist at the end was phenomenal. I never guessed who was behind it until it was revealed. A strong 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 solid from me!

Wow! A book full of freaks for sure. This book has so many twists and turns. It will keep you guessing.

Sea Side is a town of dark and messed up people, all circling Wonderland and its tainted and tarnished past. Every horror story you could imagine happens in this book. Creepy clowns, creepy porcelain dolls, dungeons, heights, murder, deadnaming trans lawyers; it’s a true horror show. This book was packed with chaos and mystery. I was fortunate enough to listen to this as an audiobook, and I think that added to the creep element. I really did like it, even if there was a lot going on. But it all came together pretty nicely in the end - with me audibly shouting once the twist was revealed - cementing Jennifer Hillier as one of the greats.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio copy of WonderLand by Jennifer Hillier. I really loved this book. The characters were his, the storyline was good.

Thank you NetGalley Macmillian audio, publisher and the author for the #gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review. I realize now this is a backlist book and that i accidently read a romance book that had rape as a topic but it seems like its being used too often and found that the mcs were swearing for ahock value. I honestly thought thia was an upcoming release and not a backlist book being coverted to audiobook. I chose to gove this a try since the author ir Canadian.