Megan Goldin's Dark Corners brought me into the world of Influencers and podcasters in this very intense crime novel. Maddison Logan is a vlogger who reports her journeys in a camper. The book opens with her camper in complete disarray, and Maddison nowhere around. The FBI is brought into the case and attempts to track here activities before she went missing. Among the evidence is her visit to a prison, where she met with Terry Bailey, an alleged murderer who is about to be released in a few days. The FBI brings in Rachel Krall, a true crime podcaster, who also visits Terry Bailey, and records the session to see if she can shed any light on Maddison's disappearance. She receives a chilling warning after the meeting - The scariest monster is the one hiding in plain sight. Although she is supposed to return home, Rachel instead does some searching of her own, and joins a conference of influencers at a nearby resort.
This book had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put the book down. The situations were chilling, the plot was expertly woven, the characters were all too real, and many were frightening. The author built a side story and developed the back story and brought everything together in a creative unexpected way.
I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and the opinions expressed here are entirely my own. I highly recommend this book with 4.5 stars.

Book: Dark Corners
Author: Megan Goldin
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Release date: 08/08/2023

The follow up to the Rachel Krall series is here! I really enjoyed this character when I read The Night Swim and again, loved her in Dark Corners. Although it’s technically book 2 in the RK series, you could read as a stand alone if you wanted and would still follow the story just fine.

I found this book highly enjoyable with some mystery, suspense and an inside look on the (not so) fabulous life of influencers. I’m going to miss Rachel’s character but I’m hoping we get even more in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this early digital copy in exchange for my thoughts.

#NetGalley #DarkCorners

I always enjoy this author's books. This is considered a "sequel" to Night Swim but I don't think you need to have read that one to enjoy this book (but it's really good so you should!). I definitely recommend this book and look forward to the author's future books.

I don't think that Megan Goldins' books are for me. I was frustrated with the writing style and could not do it anymore. Every chapter ended on a cliff hanger and would switch to a different part. I get that it's a mystery/thriller but the frequent scene changes were very annoying and ruined the flow of the novel.

I really enjoy mystery/thrillers with a true crime podcast. This one was really good. This is more about discovering WHY vs WHO as the reader knows pretty quickly who the killer is and we are along for the ride. I hope the author does more with this character because I really enjoy it and the audiobook with the podcast format

I feel like the setting on this book is a bit forced (influencer competition, true crime podcaster gets called in to help solve a mystery and since she’s an influencer she kind of gets the inside scoop), but the actual story is interesting and caught my attention, far fetched and all.

I loved the Night Swim and was really excited to read a follow up novel that featured podcaster Rachel Krall. While I enjoyed Dark Corners, I found I didn’t like it as much as her previous works. In the Night Swim, I loved the podcast element and that was largely missing in her newest book. Instead, there was a large focus on social media and the influencer life. I also felt that part of the storyline drew from the Gabby Petito disappearance and death and I didn’t care for that. There was also a romance storyline that felt unnecessary and sometimes the writing felt juvenile. I’m sure I will pick up the next Megan Goldin book, but this one has been my least favorite so far.

Our favourite true crime podcaster is back for an encore!

In this book, Rachel Krall, whom we met in The Night Swim, is on another case. Rachel Krall’s name has come up in an FBI case. Terrence Bailey, who’s in jail for armed robbery but suspected of being a serial killer, mentioned her name to a social media influencer who visited him in prison. And now that social media influencer is missing.

This book is fast paced and has a lot going on. The chapters are short, so it’s easy to fall into that trap of – “Just one more chapter!”

I love Rachel as a protagonist, and it was fun to watch her progression as a character. While this is the second in a series, there are only a few brief mentions of the first book. You definitely don’t have to have read (or remember) what happened in that book to enjoy this one.
One of my favourite parts of this story was how we’re treated to chapters written from the point of view of a strange character who–at first–seems to be unrelated to the storyline. I, of course, had my suspicions, and I adored how those chapters unfolded. That said, the length of the chapters, while serving to propel the story forward, did make it a little harder to follow. The author darts about from POV to POV, each chapter ending abruptly, with a quasi-cliffhanger, and the disjointed narrative was a tad confusing at times.

Dark Corners did have a few too many suspensions of disbelief/plotholes for my liking, which is what ultimately results in my lower rating. I wanted to provide an example of what I mean that isn’t a spoiler. I don’t know if you’ve ever called a hotel to speak with a guest, but they will never, ever give you the person’s room number. Sometimes they won’t even connect you to the room unless you know both the name and the room number! I can only imagine the security would be even tighter if the hotel is hosting a convention for social media influencers. Social media influencers are minor celebrities. Hotel staff would not freely give away the room number of a minor celebrity.

All in all, this is an entertaining story featuring a strong female lead, and I can’t wait to see what Rachel’s next investigation will be!

I was the lucky recipient of an ARC - thank you NetGalley.

Rachel Krall, the famous podcaster is back. But this time she is caught in the middle of a bizarre social media influencer kidnapping. There’s an inmate who wasn’t charged but cops are suspish that he’s a serial killer. The bodies pile up and there’s plenty of red herrings in the book.
The thing I love about Megan Goldin’s writing is that beneath the plot of the murders and mystery, there’s an actual deeper storyline within the characters. I really and truly hope this is not the last we hear from Rachel Krall.

I very much enjoyed reading this book and I thought it was well executed and detailed. And the ending is good because it’s definitive instead of leaving the reader wondering.

This book also was kind of true to times about social media influencers and how they are living in the public eye on social media versus their real life. Everything is an illusion. It’s important that people especially teens and young adults know that this is not real what they are seeing on the social platforms.

I will also say, it takes writing talent to have a podcast be telling the story in tandem with the actual story. Very impressive and cool. My friend listened to the audiobook and said it was wonderful how that was executed as well.

I give this one 4 stars, and I will impatiently wait for Rachel Krall’s next case and podcast.


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

Such a good book! I was hooked from the very first page! Rachel Krall is a dynamic and relatable MC, and I hope she stars in future stories by the author.

First, special thank you to St.Martin’s Press via Netgalley for the advance e-book in exchange of my honest review.

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin was the second book of Rachel Krall series and before anything else I want to put it out there that its a perfectly good standalone and one does not need to read The Night Swim (Rachel Krall#1) to get the entirety of the plot.

Rachel was called by the FBI to visit a maximum security prison in Florida to interview a prisoner who was believed to be involved in the incident of a missing female influencer who happened to visit the felon.

I must admit, I started this book three times before finally reading through and past the mutli-repeat chapter one. There were books that are just hard to get initial connection to and this was one of them. Normally I would have dropped it but I got invested. This was an okay read. Do not let my three star rating stop you from picking this up. I just felt that I knew all along how the story will go. The culprit was known and it was just a matter of pounding the final nail on the coffin. There was no crazy twists or jaw dropping surprises. I had a love and hate relationship with Rachel and maybe that was because I sometimes do not agree with her moves.

Overall, I would still recommend this book because I believe other type of readers can passionately devour and love the Dark Corners!

This just in - Goldin is on the auto buy list!

Dark Coners was thrilling, mysterious and equal parts creepy and steamy.

Rachel Krall is one bas ass character. Can’t wait for book three!! Please.

Social media influencers, inmates, and true crime podcasters, oh my! The latest Rachel Krall thriller explores the glitzy and hyper-competitive world of influencers amid the disappearance of Maddison Logan, a top travel social media star.

I was fascinated by the cutthroat culture of social media influencers revealed through Rachel's undercover investigation. It's a stark juxtaposition with the past and present circumstances of inmate Terence Bailey, suspect number one in Maddison's disappearance. The slow build and expertly crafted tension keep the pages turning as the search for Maddison uncovers a truth well hidden by a clever killer.

Thriller lovers will revel in this fast-paced, of-the-moment story. It draws you in and keeps you hooked, just like the social media algorithm. So be sure to clear your calendar before you crack this one open because you'll want to put the world on hold until the very last page.

4.5 rounded to 5

Dark Corners is the second book to Megan Goldin's Rachel Krall series. Admittedly, this is the first book I've read in this series although I am not unfamiliar with Goldin's writing. I read Stay Awake last year. As soon as I heard she was coming out with a new book I jumped on the chance to read it.

Maybe it is a bit premature to say that Megan Goldin is one of my new favorite thriller authors since I've only read 2 of her books but my oh my do I have a fun time when I read her books.

In Dark Corners Goldin brings back a character from one of her previous books - The Night Swim. Rachel Krall is a journalist/podcaster of a popular true-crime podcast with massive success. She gets called in by the FBI on a missing girl's case. Maddison was last seen visiting Terence Bailey in prison and now she is no where to be found. Bailey will be out in a few days and as the clock ticks down Rachel is on the hunt for the missing pieces that will hopefully lead her to Maddison.

Megan Goldin does a fantastic job creating a compelling thriller that blends true crime, journalism, procedurals and complex narratives. She expertly weaved disparate storylines that come together with a BANG at the end. I was constantly on my toes and at the edge of my seat.

I will admit I figured out the premise at around the 60% mark of the book. In no way did this dampen my reading experience. Although it is primarily plot driven I enjoyed Rachel as a character and watching her put all the pieces together.

BRB while I go and read Goldin's backlist.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Krall is back from the Night Swim and I enjoyed this one almost as well. She is asked by the FBI to interview a man in prison expected to be a serial killer when an influencer goes missing after visiting him. There was a lot going on in this book but it flowed quickly and kept me guessing on how the missing influencer fit into this plot. Great summer thriller. Hoping for a #3.

I love Megan Goldin. This book is the second book featuring Rachel Krall. I find Krall to be a compelling character and I would love to hear more stories with her as the protagonist. I also love the podcast within the book trope. The influencer aspect of the story was less exciting for me. I think that I preferred the first Rachel Krall book. However, if you enjoyed the Night Swim you will enjoy this follow up.

I really enjoyed the Night Swim by Megan Goldin so I was very excited to read the ARC of the sequel, Dark Corners. Dark Corners didn't disappoint. This was a smart, twisty, fast paced and suspenseful thriller. The multiple POVs is well done and the story was really well laid out. I listened to the last part of the book on audio and I highly recommend that format as it will give you goosebumps. I hope that this isn't the last we see in this series. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I’ve read two of Megan Goldin’s books before and enjoyed the fast paced plots. Dark Corners, however, fell a little flat for me. I really liked the protagonist, podcaster Rachel Krall, and the FBI agent Joe Martinez, but the story seemed to take a while to get going. The plot centers around missing women and an influencer conference, the latter of which seemed abit too one note to be true. I thought I was getting an insight into the world of content creators, but there wasn’t much nuance in how the were described. The other thing was that you can guess what’s going to happen quite early on, so it’s just a matter of waiting for all the reveals. The alternating POVs were good and the author succeeds in creating a menacing atmosphere. I’ll still be reading more of Goldin’s works as I do enjoy the variety of her plots.

The writing in this thriller is quite good, but I didn't find the plot compelling enough overall to want to keep reading after a few chapters. I didn't really connect with the main character in the first book and struggled the same way this time.. This would be a good read for someone who is very into true crime podcasts and enjoys a documentary-style novel with audio transcripts included, and who doesn't mind a bit of a slow start to a thriller.

Told in 1st person POV from Rachel & 3rd person from alternating POVs and podcast (Rachel Krall Special Report). Loved the podcast element. This book had me engaged the entire time and I absolutely loooved Rachel’s character.