I didn't love the plot in this one like I loved The Night Swim which came before Dark Corners. The subject matter felt extremely different, which is good on the one hand because it's a series of separate stories following the same character, but it felt a little odd after the events that happened in the first book. I also didn't really care for the romance that happened in this book. The plot was generally a fun time but not a favorite for me. I will continue reading from this author but I'm not sure about in this series.

Megan Goldin is an auto-buy author for me since her very first book. While Dark Corners is billed as the second book in a series, I’d say it reads more like a standalone book featuring the same lead, true crime podcaster Rachel Krall. The first book we saw Rachel Krall in was Night Swim and I recommend it (fair warning, it does cover on more sensitive topics than this book), though you don’t need to read both books to enjoy them.

In Dark Corners, Rachel Krall becomes involved in a new case helping to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared live on stream. Absolutely gripping

The opening chapters start with a fascinating twist. Podcaster Rachel Krall is called in by the FBI to interview a man who is set to be released from prison. At first, Rachel is confused why they are asking for her help, but it soon becomes clear that Terence Bailey has a lot more to him than the breaking and entering charge that locked him up. Law enforcement suspects him of murdering at least six people. Even more troubling, days before his release he was visited by a popular social media influencer, Madison Logan.

I won’t spoil it, but there is a reason Rachel was called to assist on a case about two very different people whom she has never heard of. Terence Bailey may be suspected of being a serial killer, but he was never convicted making him less known outside of his geographic region. Madison Logan had inexplicably visited him just before her disappearance. Meanwhile there are few people who are less interested in influencer culture than Rachel Krall. Despite hosting one of the most popular true crime podcasts out there, Rachel has carefully scrubbed her face from the public eye after her last case sent floods of convicted prisoners her way hoping for her to cover their case. She hasn’t heard of Madison Logan before, so why is she being asked to talk to the FBI?

The more Rachel looks into the missing Madison Logan, the stranger the young influencer seems. Despite having a huge following, beauty, and charisma, Madison seems to not exist outside of her social media account. Her content contains no photos of her with family, friends, or a significant other.

One aspect of the book that I enjoyed was learning more about the influencer culture, as Rachel Krall goes “undercover” at BuzzCon. Rachel uses a fake influencer account called @runninggirlrachel to be present at these necessary events without disclosing her true identity and opening herself up to unwanted attention or safety concerns. The world of BuzzCon exposes the dark side of influencer culture, where competing with others for opportunities and followers is thinly veiled by joining exclusive pods of influencers to promote one another.

After learning about the request for her to speak with Terence Bailey, it’s clear Rachel is in danger, especially if her identity is revealed. The events of the mystery unfold rapidly, and each new twist and turn heightened the tension. These are two seemingly separate cases that are linked due to the visit at the prison, but no one can find a link between Madison and Terence.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller even more than I enjoyed The Night Swim. Each book works as a standalone, and there is very little linking the two other than the main character Rachel Krall (and of course, the global spotlight she gained through her work covering the case in the prior book). Readers can easily read the books in either order.

I loved the mixed-media format of the book. The podcast episodes intersperse between the main events of the novel. If you do the audio format of this book, the podcast episodes enhance the story by using different sound techniques and voices for the characters. Rachel is highly detailed and talented at her job. Rachel is professional, empathetic, and sharp. There is a mystery narrator who becomes more relevant as the book goes on. A small romance subplot definitely will please those who are always rooting for love!

I was hoping for more. I felt this book really dragged on and on. Her first book I could not put down!

More like a 3.5.
I really enjoyed the first 25% and the last 25% of the book. The middle seemed a little repetitive, but I really love Rachel's character.
I didn't like this one as much as Night Swim, but it was still a good mystery. I was really engaged the last 20% of the story to find out what was going to happen to the very end!

so good! I loved this sequel it had a lot of suspense and I could not put it down. this is great for thriller fans

Social influencers and podcasts are all the rage.
Dark Corners involves both plus a lot of introspective investigation into a serial murderer, wrongful imprisonment, and the search for the truth.
It’s action packed and suspenseful. I felt sorry for Bailey because he was served with the raw end of the deal.
The ending was left in limbo as to the future of the relationship between Joe and Rachel. I prefer a more solid ending.

This was okay at best. I think if it was a standalone and I wasn't forced to compare this to the Night Swim I would have enjoyed this more. Rachel is NOT Rachel anymore. She acted different! Also what is with the ROMANCE!!!??? Why must there be a romace!? I guess it was okay!

In this book: FBI, investigation, true crime, podcast, influencers, influencer’s party and influencer’s world ‘exposed’, murder, Daytona Beach, Florida, campsite, luxury resort, prison, Trimethylaminuria (body odor condition / smells like rotting garbage).

Great thriller, easy to read, nice little twist, and good ending. This book is just how I like it, without the author’s political views being pushed unto us, just the story being told as it ‘happened’. Love it! I read the Night Swim a while back and I got interested in this book because of the author and because of Rachel Krall, the podcaster from the previous book. In this book, Rachel Krall is called to go to Daytona Beach, Florida because her name popped up during an investigation. As she arrives, the FBI asks her to go to prison to talk to an inmate. The inmate is Terence Bailey, that is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, and is also a suspect of killing several women years back. Bailey Had received a visit a few days back from Maddison Logan, a young influencer with a huge social media following and right after the visit Maddison disappeared. The FBI is looking for Maddison and they believe that Bailey is involved. As Rachel hunts for clues, she’s also being hunted.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

The Night Swim is a favorite of mine, and I recommend it regularly. So, it's an understatement to say I was excited for another Rachel Krall book. I was not disappointed. It's fast-paced, has well-timed twists, and includes the villain's perspective. This suspenseful, dark psychological thriller was an entertaining read!

Loved that Rachel Krall was back in another story/podcast. There are a lot of twists and turns with who is the killer. Liked how the author intertwined how social influencers truly are in the mystery. I hope Rachel will be back again in another podcast/storyline.

This one just absolutely did not work for me. It felt like Rachel was a completely different person in this book but it takes place right after the night swim so it just makes no sense. I hated the whole hating on influencers thing like why? I am disappointed

The Midnight Swim is one of my all time favorite thrillers. So I was very excited about this sequel! I did not love this as much as The Midnight Swim, but it will still be a top thriller of the year for me as well. In true Megan Goldin fashion, I was very surprised & never saw the ending coming!

It took me a couple tries to truly get into this book, and although I found it (appropriately titled) dark, I did enjoy it. I did feel there were some parts at the end that could’ve been wrapped up differently- but that’s just my opinion. I look forward to another book from Goldin- I enjoy her storylines and writing style.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

One thing about this author's books is once you start reading it is hard to put the book down until it's over. Dark Corners was no different. A great mystery read that keeps you guessing until the very end. I recommend to anyone who enjoys thriller mystery novels and true crime podcasts.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was book two in the Rachel Krall series, I loved the first book, it was so good. I was excited to have the opportunity to read book two, I found it just wasn't as good as the first book. I did enjoy the story and found the introduction of FBI agent Joe Martinez a wonderful addition to the story. I wish this book had more of her podcasting but I did like the storyline. Lots of twists and a few storline surprises.

Looking foward to the next in the series.

Maybe the third time's the charm? The second installment of Rachel Krall failed to captivate me like The Night Swim, the first of the series. Rachel's unlikeable this time around, and that's okay, but the personality change does make connecting to the story more challenging than previously.

If you want continuance in the character. Fine. Read the book. Unfortunately, I'll recommend the first one instead.

2.5/5

Another Rachel Krell true crime podcaster book! I really loved that Megan Goldin has continued the series with book two.
In this one we find Rachel working together with the FBI to find a popular influencer on social media who has gone missing. Her name is Maddison Logan, who was last seen visiting Terence Bailey in prison before heis going to be soon released The FBI believe he is responsible for killing six women.
Rachel goes undercover to a BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, and creates a fake Instagram account to get closer to people who might know more about who Maddison really is… and so the mystery begins.
Good writing, character development and story. Great build-up and had me guessing who the killer was until the end.
Just as good as the first Rachel Krell book. I liked the book so much I purchased the Audible version, so when I couldn’t read, I could listen. Great narration from Andre` Santana, January LaVoy and Samantha Desz. Love this series so far and I hope Megan Goldin continues on with a book three.
A special thank you to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster, returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.

This book worked great for me. I like the alternating POVs as it helped to weave the story in an intriguing way that kept me always wanting more. I always enjoy being in the mind of our antagonist. In particular, the car scene at the beginning with the bee really highlights that we're dealing with a serial killer! As with Night Swim, I enjoyed the podcast element of the book and felt it was interspersed well throughout. The one thing that didn't work out super well for me was the slight romance. It was fine, but felt more like an afterthought. I personally didn't need it there.

If you like serial killers, influencers, true crime podcasts, and an FBI POV then this book's for you!

It’s been a while since I’ve read The Night Swim and was afraid that I would be at a deficit for it-but this sequel didn’t piggyback too much from the original without explaining itself. Megan Goldin is a fantastic writer and this was no exception. It had me guessing the entire time and I was thrown by a lot of the twists!

Rachel Krall is back, and this time she's taking on TikTok! Our heroine dives deep into the world of influencers and all that goes along with it -- real and just for show.

I think this appeals to a very specific reader, and unfortunately, I don't fit that description. I couldn't get into it, and it emphasized the parts of The Night Swim that didn't appeal to me, plus a heaping helping of social media. Not for me.