What I Like:
✨Rachel Krall: I loved this badass true crime podcaster in Night Swim (book one and one of my favorite thrillers from 2020), and she doesn't back down in Dark Corners. She’s tough, methodical, and passionate about righting injustices. She works with Detective Joe to help solve a missing persons case. A romance develops between them, which feels a little like insta-lust. Personally, I could do without the romance, but I know other reviewers love the romantic suspense element.
✨Twisty Plot: Goldin plants plenty of red herrings. Some of the twists I guessed; others, I was dead wrong. I do think the reader needs to suspend some belief to make the twists work.

Dark Corners
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Megan Goldin

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley. St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his freedom approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? Why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krell herself. Suddenly a target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

My Thoughts: This is book no. two in the Rachel Krall series. I listened to “Night Swim” a few months ago in anticipation of this novel. Rachel has a true crime podcast that has blown up since we last met her, she is even famous, so much so, that she has to keep a low profile. Rachel gets a call from FBI to assist them without any details over the phone, just the name Terrance Bailey. Rachel’s interest is piqued and after an interview with nothing gained, the FBI is sending her back home. Rachel does not do well being told what to do and decides to hang out at BuzzCon to get some additional information on a missing influencer. BuzzCon is a huge convention for influencers and also where they announce the influencer of the year award, which comes with a financial awards, a streaming platform, and bragging rights for a year. The further Rachel digs, the more danger she is in. A danger cat and mouse game ensues.

The story is narrated primarily by Rachel with some other surprise narration. In the beginning, Rachel seems very defensive, lacks situational awareness, engages in unnecessary risky behavior, and even at times, was unlikable. However, towards the end, she warmed my heart again. The characters were created with depth, with our MC being expanded on, had some witty moments, were mysterious, creative, and intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, a little fun, while still suspenseful and twisty, and engaging. The story unfolds by introducing and building up our characters, layering the plot in twisty ribbons weaved throughout the story with a fabulous ending. Goldin has a way with words that pulls you in and you just get lost in the story, she is brilliant, and intelligent.

I had the privilege of having the ARC for both the digital and audio formats. I got a little behind on reviewing when I had surgery but am almost caught back up. I adored the first one but I felt like this one did not live up to the first one. Do not get me wrong, it was still a good read/listen that I enjoyed, I was just hoping for more. However, I would definitely recommend this one and “Night Swim” to other readers.

This novel is perfect for fans of the show Criminal Minds! For those readers who devour mysteries and thrillers and love the feeling of beating out the clock on solving who the murderer is. This book is for them.

well known true crime podcaster, Rachel Krall, is summoned by the FBI down to Daytona Beach, Florida in the hope that she can help solve the disappearance of a popular influencer by speaking to a soon to be paroled killer. Of course Rachel is ready to do her part, but she is not about to leave once the prison interview is over. With the help of Special Agent Joe Martinez, Rachel feels the need to follow the clues all the way to the end of the story.

Megan Goldin's second Rachel Krall novel is one of the best mysteries of the summer of 2023! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this novel.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read. There were lots of characters to keep track of, they were dealing with a possible serial killer so the names of possible victims were often mentioned. I liked the main characters well enough. The story moved at a pretty good pace. I got sort of bored with the influencer angle just since those characters were annoying as are most influencers.

This said it was the second book in the series. I didn't read the first and was still able to follow the story so it seems like it can be done as a stand alone.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the Arc! Unfortunately, I didn't make it more than 15% in to this book before I had to DNF. The writing seemed juvenile to me, and I really didn't have any interest in reading further. I also never read the previous book, which made reading this one a little confusing.

Fairly entertaining, fast paced thriller but unfortunately, I just didn’t feel the plot was as cohesive as the author’s prior novels. It fell a little flat for me with unsurprising twists even though I am typically a big fan of Megan Goldin. I am still looking forward to reading more about Rachel Krall’s adventures in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read a digital ARC copy in return for my honest review.

Dark Corners is the second book in the Rachel Krall series, the first book being The Night Swim. I am a huge fan of The Night Swim, as well as Megan Goldin’s other standalone thrillers so I was very highly anticipating Dark Corners. In Dark Corners, we are following the same podcaster, Rachel Krall, as she tackles a new case which hits much closer to home. After essentially being tricked into flying down to Florida to assist the FBI with a case they’re working on, Rachel is questioned and then left in the dark about their true intentions. But Rachel being Rachel is not one to back down from a challenge and she vows to help the missing influencer. Now that Rachel has gained a ton of notoriety from the case she cracked in The Night Swim, she receives countless requests from people hoping to have theirs or a family member’s innocence proven. In Dark Corners, Rachel gets involved in a very interesting case. A suspected serial killer who’s been in jail for years for another crime gets his first visit from a well known influencer just days before his release. In the next handful of hours, that influencer disappears. While the FBI knows that Terance has been in jail, they can’t help thinking he’s somehow involved in Madison’s disappearance. What’s also interesting is that we get the perspective of an unnamed protagonist who operates a rideshare vehicle and enjoys murdering people on the side. Sadly, this book did not do it for me. While I continued to enjoy Megan’s writing style, I had a number of issues with the story. First and foremost, I felt like the perspective of the killer took away from the suspense of the story overall. I also took issue with the distinguishing characteristic of the killer. Without getting into spoilers, I felt that using an uncontrollable medical condition was an unnecessary way to go about differentiating someone. Understanding that their treatment during childhood (as a result of their condition) led to them turning into a cold blooded killer felt mean spirited. My second gripe is with the portrayal of influencers. 99% of the influencers in the story are vapid, self-obsessed, airheads and while I’m certain that could be the case for some, it came across as a very generalized characteristic amongst the community at large. Rachel is technically an influencer via podcasting, but she’s completely ignorant to everything on the social media side of her business. At one point in the book, Rachel attends an influencer convention called BuzzCon and she very strongly gave off “not like other influencer” vibes. There was also a clear shift in personality and ton in the Rachel we met in The Night Swim versus the Rachel we spend time with in Dark Corners. I also thought the added romantic plotline was unnecessary. I did enjoy the unraveling of Terance’s story and the search for Madison, but the other factors impacted me too negatively to warrant a higher rating. If you’ve never read Megan Goldin before, this is not the place to start. I highly recommend her other books which are all 4-5 star reads (and likely contributes to why I felt so disappointed in this one). I'm still very much looking forward to whatever Megan publishes next!

Rachel Krall is a true crime podcaster that helps solve crimes and cold cases via her podcast. I didn’t read the first book where she was introduced but that didn’t take away anything from Dark Corners.

Rachel is working with the FBI to try to find an Instagram influencer who has gone missing. She inadvertently filmed her abduction and now the hunt is on for her. FBI thinks that Terence Bailey, a convict about to be released from prison, has something to do with it. Connection has been established that maybe Rachel can help.

This was a twisty plot with a few narrators in it. I wholly enjoyed it and unraveling the mystery along with Rachel. The ending wrapped it up and didn’t leave me wanting more.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. Dark Corners is out now.

4.5 stars
Another winner by Megan Goldin! I loved the first book in the series, especially the character of Rachel Krall, and the second one did not disappoint. The writing is terrific, the characters are interesting, the plot was twisty and all of this added up to a book I absolutely could NOT put down. I read 70% of this book in one sitting! I felt that the ending definitely set it up for more books in the series, and I am totally on board with that. Keep writing this character!
HIGHLY recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

I love how Megan Goldin writes. You can sense all different real true crime stories woven into her stories. I think I preferred how she narrated the first book over this one, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I did enjoy that we had the mysterious ride share driver as a narrator, it gave it a little more thrill and mystery. Megan Goldin is a great thriller author though!!

Renowned podcaster Rachel Krall is back, this time looking into a string of disappearances/killings that the police believe to be connected to a man about to be released from prison. I enjoyed unraveling the mystery with Rachel and getting the multiple point of views allowing for us to have more insight into what’s happening.

I did have to laugh that the last two mysteries I read had a character with a rare medical condition that made them smell. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this in a book before now.

An absolute page turner. A unique thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. This is Goldin's best outing yet.

So good! I want every audiobook to sound like a Megan Goldin audiobook. Really enjoyed this one in large part to the narration, but the story also kept me captivated and I need to keep reading.

4.5 stars rounded up!

This was better than the Night Swim! It felt like a law and order episode, with so many twists and turns. It was paced so well and I read it in under 24 hours.

BUT WHY DOES EVERY BOOK HAVE TO HAVE A ROMANCE????

Oh my gosh the first one was amazing but this one? WOW! Might be my most favorite thriller series this year!

Dark and unsettling, Dark Corners was simply terrific. apt me glued to my couch until the last page. Twists and turns until I got to the jaw dropping conclusion. I'll read anything Ms. Goldin writes!

Wow, Megan Goldin is genius! Another 5 star read for me.

I am so happy this is a series, Rachel Krall is a great character and a little romance thrown into this one was just what I needed!

Dark Corners definitely kept me on my toes and hooked throughout the whole book, Megan’s writing is so skilled.

I can’t wait to read more from this Author and I can’t wait to continue this series!

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster (The Night Swim), returns to search for a popular influencer who disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I have for years been a HUGE fan of Megan Goldin and the thrillers she writes. And this one had ALLLLL the makings of a must-read for me. But this one was a bit off the mark. It was a decent follow up but honestly didn't feel like it was written by the same person. Fingers crossed that this is just a one-off because I will still grab the next Megan Goldin book without a second thought.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

“Always know what you’re walking into. Dark corners can be danger points.”

I enjoyed Night Swim by Megan Goldin and was so excited when she announced another Rachel Krall book.

Rachel Krall finds herself embroiled in the mysterious disappearance of Maddison, a popular influencer. Things get interesting when they discover that Terence, a soon-to-be-released prisoner with a possible connection to the murders of several women, was one of the last people Maddison visited. Stuck in their investigation, the FBI calls Krall. Can she discover Maddison's whereabouts before it is too late?

Dark Corners was a lot of fun. While I did find part of the mystery to be a bit predictable, several things kept me on my toes. The ending was full of tension and a bit of a nail-biter.

I read other reviews that Rachel seemed out of character in this installment, some noting they felt like she was rude. I didn't notice this. However, I read Night Swim a while ago. I am not sure I remember her characterization enough to note any changes.

For me, the downsides were mostly due to my personal preferences. I am not a huge fan of social media/influencers in books. It just doesn't do much for me. One thing I liked about Night Swim was the courtroom drama, and there is none of that here. Also, I do think it was a bit long, and there was some repetitiveness I could have done without. However, I still enjoyed Dark Corners, and recommend it to fans of Rachel Krall, mixed media, true crime podcasts, mysteries, and thrillers.

Further, this is technically book two in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A great follow-up for Rachel Krall and her podcast/cold-case solving abilities.

As the reader, we get to know Rachel a little better. See more of her insight, feelings, and motivations. Rachel is called down to Florida to visit an inmate. This meeting is initiated by the FBI and Rachel is intrigued, yes, but also firmly guided every step down to Florida. The inmate is a suspected killer, a man put away on a technicality really. He's just about to get out and he wants to see Rachel Krall.

Rachel is a podcaster - specifically handling cases of wrongful conviction and cold cases so, she can be in demand by prisoners, each one seemingly wanting their own story told.

To add to the mystery, Bailey recently saw his only visitor, a growing influencer, Maddison Logan. And now... she's gone missing. In a race against the clock Rachel works with an intriguing FBI agent to gather as much information on Maddison Logan and what is behind her disappearance, hoping against hope that she is somehow still alive.

This book was fast-paced, a page-turner. The interspersed "episodes" of Krall's podcast break up the chapters and add to the experience - especially if you're a pocast listener. I found myself piecing some of the story together but left guessing filling in the gaps. If you were a fan of Goldin's prior books, you'll be a fan of this as well.