4/5 stars for the audiobook narration
3/5 stars for the story itself

This is my second Kiersten Modglin book. I was excited for this one because like Hemlock, this book was more of a romantic thriller:

I wasn’t a fan of the story because the characters had no personality. I had no idea what the characters wanted or even what their jobs were…they only existed within the romance, but the romance itself was boring.

There was too much focus on the high school timeline that wasn’t interesting.

I honestly didn’t even find this book thrilling at all. Anytime we would get anywhere with the suspense, it’s like the author just info-dumped the whole murder mystery rather than actually showing it.

I did like the dual narration, and would listen to both of the narrators again!

I just think this book was trying to be both a thriller and a romance, and it failed on both fronts.

I like this author and really enjoyed this book. Romance and mystery blended so well! The pace of story, cliffhanger chapter endings, double POV reel you in. Absolutely recommend it :) huge thanks to @dreamscape_media for my advanced copy ♥️

Where The Darkness Goes is a romantic thriller that was an absolutely delightful ride. KMOD always knows how to satisfy my itch. Although this is leaned more towards romantic suspense than thriller, for me I was entirely fine with that, it is one of my fave genres and she does it flawlessly. If you have enjoyed her books such as Hemlock and The Hollow you will definitely like this one. I thought it was a perfect blend of both genres and it did a great job of keeping me hooked and engaged.

I loved Tessa, Garrett & Will. Their relationships together were very heartwarming, I loved how close they all were. The romance between Tessa & Garrett was enjoyable, I loved the alternate timelines and dual POV's. It made me get a deeper dive into their emotions and feelings for one another. The suspense was felt throughout with the secrets, the lies and it made me race to the ending that much faster.

A very satisfying read that I had a great time reading with a final twist that left me shocked. Another hit from KMOD!

🎧 The narration by Ellie Gossage & Jay Myers was great. They truly did a fantastic job at portraying the characters and showcasing their emotions. Their voices were great to listen to, with great tones. Very good listen!

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia & @kierstenmodglin for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Dark and twisty… this one just keeps leading you along and just when you think you know what is happening comes a curveball that keeps you shaking your head. This one should probably come with some trigger warnings, but that spoils the fun for some.

A long lost daughter returns home for her best friend’s funeral. Her mom is in long term care and her brother is mostly absent. What is one to do?

Thanks to NetGalley for this read! It was a fun ride!

Returning home was never on Tessa Becker's to do list, but when her childhood best friend passes away she has no choice but to hit the road and head back. Facing a devasting loss, a dark history, and a lost love she still pines for, Tessa Becker has to figure out how to make peace with all of it.

I abolutely loved this one!. From the beautiful cover to the excellent narration, to the suspenseful, twisty writing I could not pause it. Tessa is a really belieable character and anyone who has ever moved away from their hometown will 100% understand the conflicting feelings returns leaves you with. Both the past murder mystery storyline and the romantic storyline and written perfectly and weave together seamlessly. I will say there was definitely more graphic sex in this one (not over the top but definitely more than in most of her books) so if that's something you're squeamish about maybe pass, but other than that I can't think of a single reason I wouldn't recommend this one, I've already made all my friends add it to their TBRs so we can talk about it.

Modglin definitely knocked it out of the park with this one!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for the book #WhereTheDarknessGoes by #KierstenModglin. This book is packed with drama, secrets and murder and I loved every second. Tessa has returned to her hometown to attend the funeral of her childhood best friend. Not only is her mother in the hospital recovering from an accident, she has to stay with her brother and her high school love, Garrett. She never understood why he broke her heart all those years ago. As she and Garret try to make sense of this murder and ones from years ago, pieces start to fall into place. Can she survive long enough to find out the truth?

Kiersten Modglin has done it again with Where the Darkness Goes! Where the Darkness Goes plunges readers into the lives of two strangers, Emma and Caleb, whose worlds collide in the most unexpected way. Emma is fleeing a dark past, desperate to start anew, while Caleb harbors secrets that could destroy them both. As their paths intertwine, a chilling game of trust and betrayal unfolds. With danger lurking at every corner, Emma and Caleb must navigate a web of lies and deceit, but nothing is as it seems. The question remains: Who can you trust when the truth is darker than the lies?
This story had me hooked from the start, and just when I thought I had everything figured out, the plot took a totally unexpected twist that left me stunned. Modglin masterfully builds tension, crafting a narrative that keeps you guessing at every turn.
This gripping thriller by Kiersten Modglin delivers a compelling narrative packed with suspense and surprises. The dual-perspective storytelling adds incredible depth, allowing listeners to see the story unfold through Emma and Caleb's eyes, each bringing their own secrets, fears, and motivations to light. The narration of the audiobook is exceptional, with two voice actors perfectly capturing the distinct personalities and emotional nuances of the characters. This format made the twists and turns hit even harder, immersing me in the story to the point where I couldn’t stop listening.
Just when I thought I had everything figured out, Modglin pulled the rug out from under me with a totally unexpected twist that I didn’t see coming. It’s rare for a thriller to surprise me like this, and it made the story all the more satisfying.
If you’re a fan of psychological romantic thrillers with dual narrations, rich character development, and twists that will leave you reeling, Where the Darkness Goes is a must-listen. Highly recommended!
Thank you, Kierstin Modglin, for such a great read and thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC and provide my honest feedback.

If you love a little romance with your thrillers (or a little thriller with your romance), Where the Darkness Goes by Kiersten Modglin might just be your next obsession—it was definitely mine. It’s got secrets, mysterious murders, and a whole lot of unresolved feelings. What’s not to love?

Tessa Becker returns to her hometown for her lifelong best friend’s funeral, and suddenly, everything she tried to avoid comes crashing down. Add some present-day murders and flashbacks to high school drama, and this book is off to the races. I felt like I was solving two mysteries at once: Who’s behind the crimes? And what the heck happened between Tessa and Garrett back in the day? I NEEDED answers to both, and that tension kept me highly vested.

I finished the audiobook in less than 48 hours. Yes, I have a life—but I’m also a sucker for dual narration with great narrators and dual timelines, and this book has all of that.

Modglin’s mix of romantic suspense is quickly becoming my favorite, and this one perfectly blends small-town thriller vibes with romance that keeps you hooked.

If you want a story that’s twisty, fun, and was impossible to put down, grab this one.

It’s a yes for me!

DeAnn
@deannsdailydrop 🖤

Thank you Dreamscape Media, NetGalley and Kiersten Modglin for the advance listen copy in exchange for my honest review.

Omg Kiersten Modglin: you did it again!! I love the extra spice in this one! Full of twists and turns!

This is a romance thriller and sometimes I can live with them or without them – however, this one I loved – I loved how the storyline informed us past vs present and how it folded together in the happening events and being wrong in my guessing doesn’t even begin to cover it! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC #KierstenModglin #Wherethedarknessgoes #NetGalley

Kiersten Modglin is an auto read/listen author for me. She does such a great job with mysterious with a dash of romance. This book was a 4.5 star read!

Tessa has to return home for thr funeral of a friend. Upon returning home she finds her brother is living with her childhood love. This throws her for a loop as there is alot of unresolved feeling between them. While in town Tessa discovers that the unsolved murders in her town could still be going on. The murder is still on th loose. Who is it? Why are they doing this?

This was an overall great book and I'd highly recommend it.

This thriller was amazing! The plot twists were so wild, the narration was great, and the romance was an added bonus. They had the Forced proximity, brothers best friend, and second chance romance tropes. I def recommend this if you love spooky and spicy.

Kiersten Modglin has been an instant read for me for her consistent short thrillers. She has some books that break this formula but I’m usually here just for thrillers from her. Where the Darkness Goes breaks the mold for me as this is a romantic thriller and I absolutely loved it.

Tessa Becker left her hometown for a few reasons. When she was younger several murders went unsolved. Now there are more murders, which may be linked to the previous ones. Along with the murders Tessa is dealing with her mom in a nursing home recovering from a stroke and her brother's friend Garret who broke her heart barging back into her life.

While we learn about Garret and Tessa’s relationship we are left wondering what drove them apart. The mystery of the murders and what drove them apart seem like they may be linked. Once this comes to its shocking conclusion you will be left thinking about this one.

Tessa returns to her hometown for the funeral of her childhood best friend, sharing a house with her high school ex, Garrett.

Modglin does it again with an amazing thriller on audio! Here's what I loved:

The darkness: This one has some really dark elements to it, but that's what I love about Modglin. She really gets you into a thriller story and then throws tons of dark twists at you. It's a great combination.

The romance and spice: This one, like most of her books, has a good romance with some good spice involved. Thrillers with romance are my bread and butter. Tessa and Garrett have a great journey together

The structure: Modglin jumps back and forth between past and present, giving you the past storyline at the perfect time to help you try to figure out what is going on in the present. It's all well laid out.

The narration: Ellie Gossage and Jay Myers do a great job with this one! They really get you into the narrative.

Overall, a great thriller with some romance

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

This one has a dual timeline and POV! Tessa is back in her hometown because another person is dead, making the number climb since the first murder when she was in high school. Can she figure out why all these women are dying in her small town before it is too late? Her past will catch up to her as she runs into the guy who broke her heart.
This one kept me guessing. We get hints that certain people are involved in something but we don't know what. Once those people share their secrets we get quite the surprise. This one has all the small-town murder vibes and the twist is shocking. There is also a little spicy romance to this one so you get the best of both genres in this one!

I absolutely loved Where the Darkness Goes by Kiersten Modglin—this audiobook was a total page-turner! As always, Modglin weaves a perfect mix of suspense, emotional depth, and unexpected twists. Tessa Becker's return to her hometown to confront old heartbreak, her mother's illness, and the mystery of a long-unsolved murder had me hooked from the start. The complicated relationship between Tessa and Garrett Campbell, her brother’s best friend, added layers of tension and emotion, making their interactions both heart-wrenching and gripping. The small town setting, rife with secrets and lingering fear, created an eerie atmosphere that kept me on edge. Modglin’s skill at delivering twists you don’t see coming is unmatched—just when I thought I had it figured out, the plot took a sharp turn, and I couldn’t stop listening.

This is my first book ive read by Kiersten Modglin and needless to say now i am a fan and will be picking up more of her books.
I listened to this book in one sitting. It was an easy yet exciting listen.
Tessa is heading back to her hometown for a funeral for her old best friend, Brittney. She suddenly finds herself with car trouble and in need of help. When help arrives it turns out to be someone she hasn’t seen in a very long time, Garrett. Tessa and Garrett have a bit of a history and she honestly didn’t think she’d ever see him again.
Not only is Garrett the one to save the day she also finds out that she will be roommates with him while she’s in town. Garrett and Tessa’s brother Will live together, but she didn’t know that.
Upon arriving back she finds out Brittney’s death may not have been accidental as she was told. When Tessa was a teen there were a group of murders that were never solved, could Brittney’s death have something to do with those murders? There is definitely something dark going on in this small town.
I enjoyed the romance aspect of this book and I also enjoyed the thriller portion although I did already kind of had the ending figured out. But all in all I enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and dreamscape media for the opportunity to listen to this Arc for my honest review.

I love Kiersten Modglin’s books, but I have to admit I love the thrillers more than the romantic suspense books. So with that feel free to take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I listened to the audiobook and I really liked the narrator. I thought she did a great job bringing the characters to life, especially the main character Tessa. Tessa has to return to her home town for the funeral of her childhood best friend. She hasn’t really been back since she left after high school but it is time to face what she left behind. Her mother in a care home after a stroke, her brother, and the boy she never forgot, Garrett. The book alternates perspectives between Tessa and Garrett and between the past and present. I liked the mystery which spans over the decades although it moved slowly until the very end. Overall this book was fine, but it didn’t grip me and have me reading it in one sitting like most of the author’s books. I gave it 3.5 stars rounded up because there were a couple of twists.

Big fan of Modglin, maybe just maybe, not so much of this book. This one is definitely heavier on the romance than it is thrilling. I've gotten to love and expect the edge-of-your-seat thrillers I'm used to reading from Modglin, but this one went on a slightly different direction. Don't get me wrong, it was still entertaining and enjoyable, just not quite as gripping. The plot moved at an even steady pace, the characters were well developed and the dual narration was very well done. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had a good time and didn't see it coming!

Publisher's summary
Tessa Becker has several reasons to never return to her hometown:
She will have to face the man who shattered her heart.
She is terrified to confront her ailing mother’s condition.
That is where the murders happened.
Tessa Becker must return home for one reason and one reason alone:
Someone else is dead and it’s time to finally learn the truth.
Ever since the first murder, Tessa’s once charming and safe hometown has been infected with suspicion and fear. Back then accusations were made in whispers, but without proof, the killer still walks free. And now it’s possible they’ve struck again.
If things weren’t complicated enough, Tessa finds herself forced to stay with the one man she had hoped to avoid. Years ago, Garrett Campbell held her heart until he crushed it. Now, he’s a stranger. He’s also her brother’s best friend.
In an all-too-familiar place filled with secrets and devastating loss—surrounded by people and memories she’d rather forget—Tessa will have to discover the truth about what happened back then, and the threat it poses to the town and the ones she loves most before it’s too late.

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

Where the Darkness Goes
By: Kiersten Modglin
Narrated by: Ellie Gossage, Jay Myers
Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
Release date: 12-31-24
Publisher: Dreamscape Media