Twenty-five years ago in Seaside, Washington, Sam met three inseparable teenage girls at the local amusement park. Days later, one of them was found dead in a flooded cranberry bog, and Sam was arrested as the Carnival Killer. Best friends Barb and Nicolette moved on with their lives, one staying in Seaside as a local reporter and the other chasing fame in the city. But when the Carnival Killer recants his confession and a new body washes ashore on the eve of Wonderland’s grand reopening, the secrets they’ve worked so hard to bury start surfacing, threatening to destroy everything they’ve carefully built.
I love Jennifer Hillier’s books. Jar of Hearts and Things We Do in the Dark are just so, so good, so I went into this one with high expectations. I didn’t realize until after I started that this is unofficially a sequel to Wonderland, which I haven’t read yet. I don’t think it hurt the story not having read the first one, but it would have added some extra context since the Wonderland scandal is mentioned multiple times throughout. That said, I read it as a standalone and it worked just fine on its own.
I liked this one a lot. There is so much going on: a recanted confession, a reality TV show backdrop, dual timelines, a kidnapping subplot, and decades of best-friend drama; and somehow it never felt overstuffed. It was impossible to be bored with this plot. The reality TV element was one of my favorite parts and honestly I wished it got even more into that because it was such a fun and unique layer to the story. The dual timelines worked well, although the past chapters were fewer than I expected. The twists weren’t mind-blowing but they were the perfect amount to keep the suspense building and maintain this constant feeling of unease throughout.
The kidnapping chapters were genuinely tense and some of the most gripping sections of the book. Our characters were extremely distinct and I loved the teenage best friend bickering energy between Barb and Nicolette even as adults, and the way their friendship was complicated by years of secrets and resentment felt very real. The documentary-style elements woven into the story worked seamlessly and added another layer I always enjoy in thrillers.
My one issue is that I didn’t fully love the motive behind everything. When it all came together I felt like I needed a little more there. The why didn’t land as strongly as the how and the who. But that’s a small complaint in an otherwise really entertaining read. I don’t think it’s Hillier’s best book, but it’s still thoroughly enjoyable and I loved the mix of reality TV, expectations, friendship, and small-town secrets all layered on top of each other.
Four stars. I’d absolutely love another book set in this world. Give me Cole and Barb and Cameron next because I’m not ready to leave Seaside yet. Guess I have to go read Wonderland stat now. If you’re a Hillier fan this is a must read, and if you haven’t read her yet, start with Jar of Hearts and then come find me so we can talk about it.
Other Jennifer Hillier Reviews
AMAZON | GOODREADS | ★★★★
Heart of Glass comes out August 25, 2026! Huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.  If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.
