ARC AUDIO BOOK REVIEW: Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier

Publication Date: April 11, 2023 Format: Audio Genre:  Murder thrillers Narrators: Eunice Wong

Publisher: Macmillan Audio Length:  11 hours 38 min Buy: Kindle | Audio

Synopsis

After a personal tragedy and professional scandal forces homicide detective Vanessa Castro out of Seattle, she 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. After all, Wonderland is the largest amusement park in the Pacific Northwest, attracting tourists from all over the country and providing thousands of jobs for the locals. A scandal that hurts the park hurts the town, but the more questions Vanessa asks, the more questions arise . . . especially when she learns that the missing teenage boy is the not the first park employee to disappear. The deeper she goes, the more she begins to suspect that the terrifying rumors about Wonderland's dark past might actually be true. 

Surrounded by secrets, lies, and corruption at the highest levels, Vanessa's family is now in the center of a serial killer's twisted game . . . and there's nobody she can trust but herself. 

Review: 

I received this book for free from the publisher through netgalley.com.  I am leaving this review voluntarily. 

Holy crap what a wild ride.  There is so much going on in this book.  I loved the narrator and the story line was fantastic.  I love amusement parks but have to admit they give off a spooky vibe as well. Especially clowns.  Clowns are a big no for me. 

In this small town there is so much political maneuvering, secrets, and coverups it's a wonder any police work got done in this town. Wonderland is the biggest revenue draw for the small town and pretty much everyone has worked there at one time or another. It has a tainted past and when the new owner bought it he tried hard to restore its reputation and create something new. 

However the police try hard to keep wonderland out of the papers.  As the biggest revenue provider if Wonderland goes down so might the town so crimes are often mishandled, covered up or brushed off. 

I love the main character as a flawed woman who has recently moved to the area after her husbands death. She isn't going to toe the company line and starts making waves as she starts to connect multiple disappearances within the park. 

Run don't walk to get this book! Thank you @macmillanaudio and @netgalley for providing me a free copy of this audio book. 

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