Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier

A serial killer recants his long-ago confession regarding a small-town high school girl—and her then-best friends are forced to confront what really happened that night and what's happening now.

Twenty-five years ago in Seaside, Washington, a charming drifter named Sam met three inseparable teenage girls at the local amusement park. Days later, one of them was found dead, her body surfacing in a flooded cranberry bog not far from where she was murdered.

Barb and Nicolette were shocked to learn that the man they all met at Wonderland was the Carnival Killer. After he's arrested for the murders of five young women – one of whom was their best friend, Lorelei – Nicolette moved to the city to pursue her dreams of being famous. Barb stayed behind in Seaside, eventually becoming a reporter for the local paper. Their past safely behind them, they’ve both moved on with their lives.

But when the Carnival Killer recants his confession and a new body washes ashore on the eve of Wonderland’s grand reopening, the secrets that Barb and Nicolette have worked so hard to bury begin to resurface, threatening to destroy everything in their carefully constructed lives.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Audiobook, 25 hours 57 minutes

Expected publication August 25, 2026

 by Minotaur Books

4/5 stars

Canadian author Jennifer Hillier is an auto-read author for me, Heart of Glass is a perfect reminder of why.

I'll be honest,  I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately, this is the book that pulled me out of it. From the characters to the many layers woven through the story, Hillier had me completely hooked.

A quick note for anyone wondering, while this book connects to Wonderland, which I read a number of years ago, the details came back to me quickly and I don't think it was necessary to have it fresh in my mind going in. It works nicely on its own.

The premise is gripping from the start - a serial killer recanting his confession 25 years later raising questions that refuse to stay buried. I loved how smoothly the flashbacks were handled, they added depth without ever feeling disruptive to the flow.  With the different pov's it also didn't feel bogged down but added more intrigue to the story.

As for what is happening now in Seaside, very interesting...how it connects to the past, also very interesting.

As for the ending, while parts I might have seen coming ultimately it was a surprise. I pride myself on figuring things out before the big reveal, so when a book manages to genuinely surprise me, that says a lot.

I did a hybrid read, I highly recommend both formats. It's still another 6 weeks before Heart of Glass hits the shelf's, go ahead and preorder.

My thanks to the St. Martin's Press/Macmillan Audio (via NetGalley) for a digital/audio ARCs in exchange for a honest review.