Glitter and Gold

by Jill Beissel

A suspenseful, female-driven adventure mystery set in the Arizona wilderness, Glitter & Gold explores friendship, betrayal, and a deadly treasure hunt—perfect for fans of Danielle Trussoni.

After her mother's death, Delaney Byrne faces escalating debts and a sister to support. Their home is burglarized, hinting at her mother’s obsession with a hidden treasure in Arizona's mountains. When her estranged best friend, Joss, proposes one final treasure hunt, Delaney is skeptical but desperate.

As they delve into the wilderness, Delaney and Joss navigate a maze of old betrayals and hidden dangers. Each clue they uncover draws them closer to the treasure but deeper into risk. Delaney vows not to repeat her mother’s mistakes, but the mountain’s perils are relentless, and trust is scarce.

Blending the gripping suspense of Erica Ferencik's The River at Night with the psychological depth of Andrea Bartz's We Were Never Here, Glitter & Gold is a tale of survival, secrets, and the lengths we go to for family and fortune.

375 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Amanda Alviz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. If The Goonies and National Treasure had a baby- this would be it! This cover + treasure hunt in the desert, sign me up! As soon as I read the premise I envisioned "The Lost Dutchman's Mine". For those that don't know- it's a supposed hidden gold mine in Arizona surrounded by tales of curses, treasure, and mysterious disappearances.

The desert can be an unforgiving place and I was hoping that the author would delve more into the scenery of the desert landscape. Because I live in the desert, I was able to envision it rather easily. But I can imagine if you are not familiar with the landscape here, you would be missing out on being able to place yourself in the scene. The strongpoint of this author is the character relationships and development. I enjoyed and appreciated the exploration between mother-daughter relationships as well as friendships. I would say while there is some mystery and suspense, the main underlying theme is attributed to the characters and their relationships.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. | Rising Action for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Noelle Kranz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Beissel expertly weaves dual timelines throughout her story to vividly enhance the lives and details of the characters. With robust vocabulary rivaling Moira Rose (IYKYK), she truly takes you deep into the entire atmosphere of this story. The rag-tag team of The Goonies mixed with the adventure and suspense of Indiana Jones; this novel really keeps enticing you along.

I was thrilled with the sweet touches of young adulthood romance thrown in as well. The female lead is met with such strong obstacles; you can’t help but keep reading and cheering her on as you follow along her journey. The millennial nods to pop culture of the past were such an unexpected gem — those little references made me smile every time. Glitter and Gold is an excellent debut novel, I cannot wait to see what Beissel writes next!

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart-pounding adventure with complex characters you can’t help but root for. Delaney and Joss—former best friends, but estranged for years—decide they must try one last time to unearth the treasure that Delaney’s mother, recently deceased, spent her entire life searching for. Hidden deep in the Arizona desert, the treasure will demand everything they have to give, and more. The landscape felt like a character in and of itself, equally demanding and often cruel. This story had me spellbound with its fast-paced action, a complex mother/daughter relationship, the slow rebuilding of a close friendship gone awry, and a tender romance with the one that got away. Well-crafted, psychologically astute, and beautifully written. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this treasure hunting story more than I did.

I love movies like National Treasure and The Goonies. Any storyline featuring a hidden treasure and people looking for it captures my attention. This one just didn't deliver for a few reasons.

Delaney's mother spent her entire life and most of the family's money on searching for the treasure rumored to be hidden in The Lost Dutchman's mine in Arizona. Now her mother is gone and Delaney finds a journal that she is certain will lead to the treasure. Joined by a group of people who don't trust each other, Delaney heads off to see if she can find the treasure and put everything to rest. But many people and dangers stand in her way. Who will come out alive, much less find the treasure?

This book is divided into two timelines, one in the past and one in the present, both groups searching for the treasure. This is what made the book not flow so well for me, because just as I was getting invested into what was happening in the present, we get pulled back to the past and have to learn what happened then to understand now.

There is a lot of character discovery--Delaney discovering things about her mom, her friends, and other people around her. Some of the "twists" were so laughably obvious, I honestly could not understand how Delaney didn't question some things rather than get caught up in the emotional drama of it all. I found the entire treasure hunting story and the fact that so many people had been meticulously searching for so many years and no one had found anything to be really puzzling. I mean, the person who hid the treasure actually left markers to follow! There's zero probability with all of the technology and money in treasure hunting shows and podcasts that this treasure would not have been found before this ragtag group stumbles their way through the clues.

Overall, I was entertained, and I know other reviewers have liked this more than I did. Maybe give it a try for yourself if you like a good treasure hunt.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This caught me by surprise! I don't always love stories about hiking, the outdoors - the descriptions of the surroundings can get long and boring. Not in this book though! The author really focused on the characters in the setting versus the other way around.

I fell in love with the relationships that the characters had with each other, and the end of every chapter had me freaking out and wanting to find out what happens next. While I could figure out most of the twists before they happened, I was so very captivated and loved the devotion that the main character had to her family. Even when things got life or death kind of hard, she did the right thing and never changed who she really is.

[Emily Novakovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glitter and Gold is a gripping, well-written read that kept me fully engaged from start to finish. The pacing is strong, the tension never lets up, and I found myself constantly visualizing what was happening — the setting and emotions felt incredibly vivid throughout. It’s the kind of book that pulls you in quickly and keeps you turning pages without effort. A really impressive and immersive read — highly recommend.

[Kristyn Dayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tense, twisty treasure hunt with two gloriously flawed women at the center. I devoured the drama between estranged friends Delaney and Joss, and the Arizona wilderness was basically a third character: beautiful, stressful, and trying to kill everyone. Deliciously chaotic, fast-paced, atmospheric, and super bingeable. 4 stars!

[Inga Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes the readers on a journey of friendship and wilderness. If you like treasure hunts, complicated female friendships, second-chance romance, and gorgeous prose, Glitter and Gold will be one of your favorites.

[Ashley Detweiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Beissel is such a talent! I couldn’t love her writing or characters more. Glitter and Gold captivated me from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down.