Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier

 

Barb and Nicolette's lives were upended 25 years ago when their friend Lorelei was murdered by the Carnival Killer. Now, as part of a true crime show, the dying killer claims that, while he did kill four women, he wasn't responsible for Lorelei's death. And the body of another young woman just washed up on the beach. It looks like Barb and Nicolette's lives are about to be turned upside down once again.

The story is told in two timelines, present day and 25 years ago, and from multiple points of view, including that of the true crime documentary focusing on the Carnival Killer. Barb and Nicolette's lives took drastically different paths after the death of their friend. Barb stayed in Seaside and works as a reporter for the local newspaper. Her dreams of being a big city reporter and a published author were never quite realized. Nicolette left town to pursue her dream of being famous, reinventing herself as Cole and becoming a reality TV star. 

Barb is drawn to the mystery of the dead woman on the beach and keen to pursue the story on that investigation. The murder is inconvenient timing as Wonderland, the local amusement park that closed down shortly after Lorelei's murder is just now reopening under new management. Barb suspects that many Seaside locals, and perhaps the police, are more invested in the park's success than solving the murder.

Cole didn't look back after leaving Seaside. Her world is now the artificial world of reality television where being interesting is the key to success--and getting invited back for a new season. The recanting of the Carnival Killer's confession draws Cole's attention to a place and a past she thought was well behind her. 

Hillier's mysteries are well-structured. There are plenty of clues to be investigated, and there are plenty of red herrings along the way. Deciding if the new discoveries are leading to a solution or uncovering new mysteries is part of the fun. The shifting timeline and the different points of view, particularly from Barb and Cole, highlight how the same events have different interpretations depending on your perspective. The past timeline in particular shows how teenage friendship is wrapped up in loyalty, jealousy, confidence, insecurity and guilt all at the same time. The present timeline shows a more mature perspective on the events, while at the same time, those teenage emotions can come roaring back like a fuse lit on a powderkeg. 

The story told from Barb and Cole's perspective highlight the road not traveled. While each narrative shines light on the mysteries in both timelines, it felt like too much time was spent in their lives, particularly during their extended contemplation of their circumstances. It slowed the narrative down, particularly in the first half of the book. The time spent with the true crime documentary and its narrative was tightly structured. Every moment spent there was filled with anticipation and a feeling of impending discovery. I would have enjoyed more time spent here and less with Barb and Cole.

The audiobook is read by a multicast: Brittany Pressley, Chris Brinkley, Eunice Wong, Ferdelle Capistrano and January LaVoy. The character voices were easily distinguishable, but the performances were seamless enough that I was surprised to discover after finishing the book that there were five narrators rather than one or two narrators handling multiple voices. Each character was distinct and the narration was particularly well-paced in the second half of the book. The sound design for the true crime documentary portions was very distinct and one of the highlights of the book. It sounded like you'd switched on a TV show, and one that hooked you immediately.  

While the story shares the same setting as a previous Hillier book, Wonderland, I hadn't read that book and had no trouble following this story. Hillier writes a mystery that pulls you in and delivers some truly shocking twists and revelations along the way. I did not see many of the answers coming, but the bombshells dropped filled me with excitement, not dismay. Some clues seem to lead you astray, but most tie together and lead to a very satisfying conclusion. There are multiple threads for the story to wrap up. Most are satisfactorily resolved, but some will leave you with unanswered questions. While mildly frustrating, it also felt true to life.  

I like mysteries that make my jaw drop more than once and Heart of Glass does that. If pacing is a concern, you may want to read at least the first half of the book rather than listen to it. The audio performances, particularly in the better paced second half, are definitely worth a listen.

I was provided a copy of this audiobook by the publisher.