What do you think?
Rate this book
Heart of Glass: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 25 Aug 26A 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.
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
Expected publication August 25, 2026
13825 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Hillier
14 books18.2k followersJennifer Hillier imagines the worst about people, and then writes about it.
She's the author of seven psychological thrillers, including the USA Today, Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail bestselling Things We Do in the Dark, winner of the ITW Thriller Award for Best Audiobook. Described as “an intoxicating thrill ride” by the New York Times and “propulsive and chilling” by People magazine, it was a Book of the Month Club selection, an Indigo Top Ten Best Book of the Year, an Amazon Editor’s Spotlight Pick, a Loan Stars pick, and her third consecutive novel to be honored as a LibraryReads pick, which places her in their Hall of Fame.
She's also published six other novels, including the USA Today bestselling Little Secrets (finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Anthony Award), and Jar of Hearts (winner of the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel and shortlisted for the Anthony and Macavity Awards). She also wrote Creep, Freak, The Butcher, and Wonderland, which have been recently reissued by Gallery Books in beautiful trade paperback formats. Her books have been published in twenty-four languages so far.
Jennifer is Filipino-Canadian, born and raised in Toronto, but she spent eight amazing years living in Seattle, which is where she first became a published author. She's a Seahawks fan who married a Packers guy, and they have a son in middle school who wishes she wrote books like Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (she does too, kid, she does too).
She's afraid of the dark and can’t sleep unless she's checked the locks on the doors several times. She loves writing when it’s raining, sleeping when it’s sunny, and reading after everyone else has gone to bed. She's a cat person without a cat, which makes her sad. But she's now back in the Toronto area permanently with her family, which makes her happy.
Heart of Glass, her newest thriller, will be coming August 25, 2026 from Minotaur Books.
She's the author of seven psychological thrillers, including the USA Today, Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail bestselling Things We Do in the Dark, winner of the ITW Thriller Award for Best Audiobook. Described as “an intoxicating thrill ride” by the New York Times and “propulsive and chilling” by People magazine, it was a Book of the Month Club selection, an Indigo Top Ten Best Book of the Year, an Amazon Editor’s Spotlight Pick, a Loan Stars pick, and her third consecutive novel to be honored as a LibraryReads pick, which places her in their Hall of Fame.
She's also published six other novels, including the USA Today bestselling Little Secrets (finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Anthony Award), and Jar of Hearts (winner of the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel and shortlisted for the Anthony and Macavity Awards). She also wrote Creep, Freak, The Butcher, and Wonderland, which have been recently reissued by Gallery Books in beautiful trade paperback formats. Her books have been published in twenty-four languages so far.
Jennifer is Filipino-Canadian, born and raised in Toronto, but she spent eight amazing years living in Seattle, which is where she first became a published author. She's a Seahawks fan who married a Packers guy, and they have a son in middle school who wishes she wrote books like Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (she does too, kid, she does too).
She's afraid of the dark and can’t sleep unless she's checked the locks on the doors several times. She loves writing when it’s raining, sleeping when it’s sunny, and reading after everyone else has gone to bed. She's a cat person without a cat, which makes her sad. But she's now back in the Toronto area permanently with her family, which makes her happy.
Heart of Glass, her newest thriller, will be coming August 25, 2026 from Minotaur Books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Want to read
November 24, 2025My fave is releasing a new book!
I cant wait to get my hands on this one!
I know its going to be a five star read!
💙🤍💙🤍
I cant wait to get my hands on this one!
I know its going to be a five star read!
💙🤍💙🤍
February 22, 2026
Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier. Thanks to @minotaurbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Twenty five years ago the Carnival Killer was arrested and confessed to murdering five teenage girls, including Barb and Nicolette’s best friend, Lorelei. Now, he’s recanted his confession. Barb and Nicolle have moved one, one as a journalist and one as a reality tv star, but his recantation will shock their world especially as a new body washes up.
For those who read Wonderland, you’ll be excited to go back to Seaside! While not a sequel, it takes place in the same town, so you don’t have to have read the first book. If you have, you’ll know that something just isn’t right with the town. I liked this one a lot, especially the reality tv show background and wish it got even more into that! The dual time lines were great, although the past chapters were few. I liked the twists that occurred. They weren’t mind blowing for the plot, but the perfect amount for keep suspense and a feeling of unease. The tense kidnapping chapters were also amazing. So many different things were going on that it was impossible to be bored with this plot. I loved the ending as well; very satisfying for the characters.
“She wasn’t my victim. But invite a stranger in, and strange things will happen.”
Read if you like:
-Kidnapping plots
-Reality TV tropes
-Friendships gone wrong
Heart of Glass comes out 8/25.
Twenty five years ago the Carnival Killer was arrested and confessed to murdering five teenage girls, including Barb and Nicolette’s best friend, Lorelei. Now, he’s recanted his confession. Barb and Nicolle have moved one, one as a journalist and one as a reality tv star, but his recantation will shock their world especially as a new body washes up.
For those who read Wonderland, you’ll be excited to go back to Seaside! While not a sequel, it takes place in the same town, so you don’t have to have read the first book. If you have, you’ll know that something just isn’t right with the town. I liked this one a lot, especially the reality tv show background and wish it got even more into that! The dual time lines were great, although the past chapters were few. I liked the twists that occurred. They weren’t mind blowing for the plot, but the perfect amount for keep suspense and a feeling of unease. The tense kidnapping chapters were also amazing. So many different things were going on that it was impossible to be bored with this plot. I loved the ending as well; very satisfying for the characters.
“She wasn’t my victim. But invite a stranger in, and strange things will happen.”
Read if you like:
-Kidnapping plots
-Reality TV tropes
-Friendships gone wrong
Heart of Glass comes out 8/25.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝...𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝'𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨.
I knew within the first few chapters that this one was going to own me. HEART OF GLASS pulls us back to Seaside, Washington, where twenty-five years ago three teenage girls met a charming drifter at the Wonderland amusement park, only for one of them to end up dead in a flooded cranberry bog. The man they knew as Sam was dubbed the Carnival Killer, and Barb and Nicolette have spent decades trying to move on. But when he recants his confession and a new body washes ashore just as Wonderland prepares to reopen, the past comes rushing back. While this isn’t a direct sequel to her previous novel WONDERLAND, it exists in the same universe, and I loved being back in that shadowy corner of Hillier’s world. It absolutely stands on its own, but returning to Seaside added an extra layer of excitement and familiarity for me.
What really made this a dynamic read was how invested I felt. The dual timeline works so well here, shifting between the girls as teenagers and the women they’ve become, and every jump back in time added another piece of emotional weight. I didn’t just want to know what happened; I needed to understand how it shaped them into the women they were in present day. There’s something about the way the author writes female friendships that feels unflinchingly honest without turning sentimental, and I found myself thinking about Barb, Lorelei, and Nicolette even when I wasn’t reading.
On a structural level, the pacing is tight and the reveals are perfectly timed, but honestly? I was just obsessed. I didn’t want to put this book down, and I definitely didn’t want the story of these women to end. I loved the atmosphere, the emotional undercurrent, the way everything slowly clicked into place without ever feeling forced. I think what I loved most is what I learned about nostalgia. I watched a YouTube video that began with, "Nostalgia is a beautiful liar. It shows you highlight reels while hiding all the reasons things ended" and I can't think of a more apt way to end my review. I wanted impatiently for this book, and Jennifer Hillier proves once again why she'll forever be on my auto-buy list. Many thanks to Minotaur Books for this early copy that will publish August 25, 2026.
I knew within the first few chapters that this one was going to own me. HEART OF GLASS pulls us back to Seaside, Washington, where twenty-five years ago three teenage girls met a charming drifter at the Wonderland amusement park, only for one of them to end up dead in a flooded cranberry bog. The man they knew as Sam was dubbed the Carnival Killer, and Barb and Nicolette have spent decades trying to move on. But when he recants his confession and a new body washes ashore just as Wonderland prepares to reopen, the past comes rushing back. While this isn’t a direct sequel to her previous novel WONDERLAND, it exists in the same universe, and I loved being back in that shadowy corner of Hillier’s world. It absolutely stands on its own, but returning to Seaside added an extra layer of excitement and familiarity for me.
What really made this a dynamic read was how invested I felt. The dual timeline works so well here, shifting between the girls as teenagers and the women they’ve become, and every jump back in time added another piece of emotional weight. I didn’t just want to know what happened; I needed to understand how it shaped them into the women they were in present day. There’s something about the way the author writes female friendships that feels unflinchingly honest without turning sentimental, and I found myself thinking about Barb, Lorelei, and Nicolette even when I wasn’t reading.
On a structural level, the pacing is tight and the reveals are perfectly timed, but honestly? I was just obsessed. I didn’t want to put this book down, and I definitely didn’t want the story of these women to end. I loved the atmosphere, the emotional undercurrent, the way everything slowly clicked into place without ever feeling forced. I think what I loved most is what I learned about nostalgia. I watched a YouTube video that began with, "Nostalgia is a beautiful liar. It shows you highlight reels while hiding all the reasons things ended" and I can't think of a more apt way to end my review. I wanted impatiently for this book, and Jennifer Hillier proves once again why she'll forever be on my auto-buy list. Many thanks to Minotaur Books for this early copy that will publish August 25, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🎢 🩸 ARC REVIEW 🩸 🎢
PUB DATE: Aug 25th 2026
My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4 Palpable Bingeable Stars
Did you say Serial Killer Vibes ? Sign me Up
Did you say Reality TV ? Yes Please
Did you say toxic friendships? I’m there
Did you say unputdownable? Count me in
I really had fun with this one , the little town of Seaside in Washington had my full attention from page one !
I loved the inserts with the interviews with the serial killer bringing an added realness to the story .
When a local Barbie who writes for the local paper sees a common thread with some celebrity reality TV Stars go missing , she takes it upon herself to do some sleuthing 🕵️
What we learn is not only the town of Seaside hiding some secrets but the cast and crew and locals like Barbie have unspoken sins and if they’re not careful they could end up being the next victim and their truths buried with them!! 💀
With its dual timelines, multiple unlikable characters, flares of documentary vibes Heart of Glass is your next summer BINGEABLE BLOCKBUSTER .
What I liked was the book had some darkness to it, keeping it from being a popcorn thriller with elements of toxic drama. The author used a real life reference in the story which is well known on the coast here 🦶 which I thoroughly enjoyed !
You can’t go wrong with twisted confessions, betrayal and small town vibes , the setting is sure to blow you out of the park 😉
Thank you NetGalley , St. Martin’s Press and Jenifer Hillier for this THRILLING ARC!
PUB DATE: Aug 25th 2026
My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4 Palpable Bingeable Stars
Did you say Serial Killer Vibes ? Sign me Up
Did you say Reality TV ? Yes Please
Did you say toxic friendships? I’m there
Did you say unputdownable? Count me in
I really had fun with this one , the little town of Seaside in Washington had my full attention from page one !
I loved the inserts with the interviews with the serial killer bringing an added realness to the story .
When a local Barbie who writes for the local paper sees a common thread with some celebrity reality TV Stars go missing , she takes it upon herself to do some sleuthing 🕵️
What we learn is not only the town of Seaside hiding some secrets but the cast and crew and locals like Barbie have unspoken sins and if they’re not careful they could end up being the next victim and their truths buried with them!! 💀
With its dual timelines, multiple unlikable characters, flares of documentary vibes Heart of Glass is your next summer BINGEABLE BLOCKBUSTER .
What I liked was the book had some darkness to it, keeping it from being a popcorn thriller with elements of toxic drama. The author used a real life reference in the story which is well known on the coast here 🦶 which I thoroughly enjoyed !
You can’t go wrong with twisted confessions, betrayal and small town vibes , the setting is sure to blow you out of the park 😉
Thank you NetGalley , St. Martin’s Press and Jenifer Hillier for this THRILLING ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to @minotaurbooks @netgalley for my free copy. Twenty five years ago Samuel Figg pled guilty to the murder of 5 girls. While being featured on a television series Criminal Confessions, Figg recants his statement that he murdered Lorelei Glass who he had met at Wonderland the day she died. Wonderland is an amusement park that is reopening, while the entire city of Seaside, Washington prepares to welcome back the tourist crowds that were lost when the park shut it's doors, another body washes up on the beach launching an investigation into missing reality stars and how they could be connected to Lorelei's murder. To start I will say that I read Wonderland and loved it, but if you haven't read it you can still read this one. It's not a sequel, just revisiting a place. It might be helpful just to really capture the haunting history of the town and amusement park itself. This was a slow burn thriller that I really enjoyed. There were multiple POV's and a 2001 and current timeline. As with all Hillier books, check trigger warnings if you need to, there are plenty here. If you're a fan of her previous books, or are interested in serial killers, kidnapping, reality tv, and friendships then make sure to add this to your list.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
✨I’ve been waiting three years for a new Jennifer Hillier book. It’s finally arrived and well worth the wait. This is one slow-burn suspense that pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. I was especially captivated by the multiple points of view, dual timelines, and a cast of characters who were largely unlikeable in the best possible way. Packed with building tension, a serial killer storyline, missing reality tv stars, secrets and lies and a town with a history of secrets a mile long, what’s not to love?
✨I should note that the book is set in the same world as the author’s 2015 book WONDERLAND, but you can definitely read it on its own. I haven’t read WONDERLAND yet and didn’t feel like I missed a thing.
✨I think this one is sure to be a summer thriller bestseller when it releases in August, and I can’t wait for the buzz to begin.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Reality TV
✨Small town drama
✨Pacific Northwest Settings
✨True crime documentaries
✨A mystery to solve
✨Multiple points of view
✨Alternating timelines
✨Toxic friendship stories
✨Serial killer thrillers
✨Kidnapping plots
✨I should note that the book is set in the same world as the author’s 2015 book WONDERLAND, but you can definitely read it on its own. I haven’t read WONDERLAND yet and didn’t feel like I missed a thing.
✨I think this one is sure to be a summer thriller bestseller when it releases in August, and I can’t wait for the buzz to begin.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Reality TV
✨Small town drama
✨Pacific Northwest Settings
✨True crime documentaries
✨A mystery to solve
✨Multiple points of view
✨Alternating timelines
✨Toxic friendship stories
✨Serial killer thrillers
✨Kidnapping plots
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I would like to thank edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I am a fan of the author's novels, especially her other book set at the Wonderland amusement park. This time we follow 3 girls 25 years ago, one is murdered by a supposed serial killer who confessed and is now dying of cancer, and is now admitting in a podcast that he did not do it. So who did? The other two have not spoken since that tragic night, one remaining in the small town of Seaside while the other became a famous reality show star. When two other reality stars go missing, the two women connect again after a quarter of a century. What really happened at Wonderland that night so many years ago and how does it coincide with the missing girls of today. An interesting thrill ride that I enjoyed.
February 24, 2026
Thank you St Martins Press for an early copy of Hilliers newest thriller! Jennifer is such an underrated thriller author, and her books always keep me guessing til the very end! The town of Seaside has had its fair share of crime and has rebranded itself after two serial killers have terrorized the town. Barb, a townie who writes for the local paper, is keen to review the new park, only to realize that some of her favorite reality stars keep disappearing without a trace. Could this possibly be tied to the death of her friend that happened when they were just fifteen? While I felt this book could have been a little shorter, I enjoyed all the twists that came up until the very end.
February 22, 2026
Wow, Heart of Glass reminded me why Jennifer Hillier is one of my favourite thriller writers of all time. Returning to Seaside, the small town with a high murder count that was the setting of her book Wonderland, was a great choice. The story was layered and woven together over time and POVs perfectly, as are all of her books.
I feel sad that the book is over and even though this one isn’t out yet, I can’t wait for the next one! Highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.
I feel sad that the book is over and even though this one isn’t out yet, I can’t wait for the next one! Highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.
Want to read
October 10, 2025"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."
it's giving me What Lies in the Woods vibes
it's giving me What Lies in the Woods vibes
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Another fast-paced, page turning book by Jennifer Hillier. The majority of the plot was well-written, the characters were engaging, and I didn’t want to put the book down. It was 5/5 stars until the final 10% of the book. I felt like there were still several loose ends and unanswered questions. The final 10% of the book should be double in length and give more insight on the motives of the perpetrators along with details how the victims were captured.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews