When they look my way they're always looking down: DARK CORNERS.

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read a few not-so-positive reviews for this book, so I wasn't expecting a lot. Happily, I found it to be an enjoyable read. DARK CORNERS is a follow-up to Goldin's book THE NIGHT SWIM, featuring podcaster Rachel Krall. It starts off with a bang, with the FBI summoning Rachel to a prison to see an inmate, Terrence Bailey, and to ask about a missing travel influencer, Maddison Logan. With Bailey about to be released from prison, despite being a suspect in the murders of six women, and Maddison, the only person to ever visit him in prison now missing, the FBI is at a loss. Rachel's name has come up in their investigation, and Agent Martinez reluctantly asks for her help.

"Always know what you're walking into. Dark corners can be danger points."

CORNERS keeps up a brisk pace, telling the story from Rachel and Martinez's points of view, along with bits of her podcast and the POV of a rideshare driver. All these short snippets build up the suspense and tension. You find yourself wanting to know what is happening and how everyone is connected. Further, Rachel and Martinez's relationship deepens and they have a bit of tension between themselves too (if you catch my drift). There are some major dark moments and gruesome places--be prepared!

Rachel winds up going undercover at a social media conference to seek out information about Maddison. As she does, Goldin gets in some not so subtle digs on the artifice of the influencer life and social media. There are some great characters introduced via the other influencers--some of them are quite humorous. We hit on all the latest trends in social media: influencers, travel bloggers, podcasts, and true crime.

This is still a mystery at heart, and it's engaging and interesting. There's never a huge twist, and I had a decent idea early on about a big piece of the plot, but I still found the book to be quite compelling. Rachel Krall is a very smart and intriguing character--and it would be fun to see Martinez again, too. 3.75 stars, rounded up.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review.

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But you fell asleep and your dreaming brought the nightmares: STAY AWAKE.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Liv wakes up in a taxi, she has no idea where she is or how she got there. As she arrives at her apartment, she realizes strangers are living there. She finds a bloody knife in her pocket and writing scribbled all over her hands with phrases like, "STAY AWAKE." Confused and afraid in New York City, she sees reports of a murder on the news with the same phrase, "STAY AWAKE" written at the scene. Liv starts to fear that she was somehow involved, but how can she figure out what happened when she forgets everything when she falls asleep?

"The last thing I remember before opening my eyes was working at my sun-drenched desk by the office window until I was startled by the sudden ring of my desk phone... Everything after that is a blank, until now."

This is a really exciting read that moves at a fairly breakneck pace so that you feel as if you too are not sleeping and racing around in New York high on multiple caffeine drinks. Liz forgets the last two years of her life every time she falls asleep. The forgotten memory piece can get a little old (as Liz wakes up yet again and makes the same discovery over and over) and Liz can drive you a bit wild with her poor decisions. But this is a really fast-paced and thrilling book filled with fun twists. It's necessary to keep with the then and now timeline, which can get a bit confusing from time to time.

I loved the police in STAY AWAKE--Halliday and detective Lavelle. I think Halliday was probably my favorite character, a cop trying to get a place on the detective squad with Lavelle. I would truly love to see those two in another book. Halliday's portions gave the book a police procedural sort of feel, which is always a plus for me.

There's a ton of false lines and red herrings in AWAKE and it will certainly keep you flipping the pages. It covers timely topics such as female stalking being ignored by the police, which was a nice serious aspect to a slightly bizarre plot. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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In heart-stopping waves of hurt: THE NIGHT SWIM.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dark, timely and propulsive thriller

Rachel Krall, from the popular Guilty or Not Guilty true crime podcast, finds herself in the town of Neapolis, North Carolina for season three. It's the first time she's covered a live trial, and it's a divisive rape trial no less. A high school girl "K" has accused popular swimmer Scott Blair of raping her. It's set the town on edge and brought up lots of questions about reputations and who can be believed. As Rachel arrives in Neapolis, she's shocked to find a letter on her car--rarely is the radio host recognized in public. But someone in the town wants her help unlocking the mysteries of what happened to her sister over twenty-five years ago. Jenny Stills' death--at sixteen--was ruled a drowning, but the letter writer insists she was murdered, and they want Rachel to help her find the killer. Quickly the past and present intertwine, as Rachel realizes the two cases may be connected.

"That's why I'm writing to you, Rachel. Jenny's killer will be there. In that town. Maybe that courtroom. It's time for justice to be done. You're the only one who can help me deliver it."

Goldin offers us an excellent thriller with a pervasive eerie feel. While, for the most part, I find myself tired of podcast tales, The Night Swim offers an overall fresh take on the genre, weaving in Rachel's episodes about the trial with her own investigation into both the current case and the Stills drowning. We also hear from the past, giving us even more insight into what happened to Jenny all those years ago. The result is a spellbinding, sometimes heartbreaking, read that's nearly impossible to put down.

I highly enjoyed putting the pieces together on this one--as they filter in via our various narratives. I had an early guess that proved to be right, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book in any way. The ending was a little different, but overall, I was a big fan of the intersection of the two cases and the dark and timely themes this book brought up--rape, assault, and more. It offers an unflinching look at what women experience: and how rarely they are believed, trusted, or can turn to anyone.

Overall, this is an excellent, fast-paced thriller with two storylines that work well together. It's creepy and dark, with a strong, unforgettable message. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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You may never hear the angels sing: THE ESCAPE ROOM.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

My rating: 4+ of 5 stars


Sylvie, Sam, Jules, and their boss, Vincent, receive a generic meeting invite to an escape room challenge on the eightieth floor of a large building. All come with little question, as they have a slavish devotion to their firm, Stanhope and Sons. They make a lot of money for the firm--and in turn, they make a lot of money for themselves. But lately, their team has failed to secure two major deals in a row, both of which have gone to a key competitor, who had inexplicably undercut them each time. The team is trouble. Their revenue is lower than it has been in years. They know their jobs are in trouble, and bonuses are being issued next week (along with notices). However, it quickly becomes clear this may be more than a typical team-building escape room challenge. The group solves a clue related to Sara Hall, a former analyst on the team who died. Locked together in an elevator, the competitive quartet starts to turn on each other.


"There was only the message on the television monitor. 'Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.'"


This was a really fun, bizarre read that I very much enjoyed. I had no idea where it was going for much of the book, but that was totally okay. It's told in very short, quick alternating chapters between members of our elevator group and then Sara Hall herself, back when she was alive and well and working at the firm. The result is a fast-paced read, as you wonder what on earth happened to Sara, whom actually seems like a human being compared to the four others. Our four trapped analysts, however, range across various levels of despicable--liars and cheaters all devoted to making money at any cost.

Truth be told, you can only feel so sorry for them to be trapped in this elevator in the dark, at the mercy of a screen doling out clues. Once in the dark, they turn violent at times: empowered against their boss, Vincent. You realize that they've sacrificed so much for their company that they basically have nothing left on the personal front.

It's a fascinating, gripping tale of what people will do to succeed, for revenge, and what they'll do when pushed to the brink. It's a really fast read. Is it a plausible story? Probably not. Is it fun, enjoyable, and full of twists and turns? Oh yeah. I could see this one as a movie, for sure. Definitely just a thrilling read to get lost in a for a couple of hours, especially if you enjoy the dark and twisted world of finance. 4+ stars!

I received a copy of this novel from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in return for a honest review (thank you!); it is available on 7/30/2019.

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