Dark Corners was a suspenseful, tense procedural thriller with fantastic character development. It’s told from 3 different perspectives: the killer, Rachel and the detectives searching from the killer, and Rachel’s podcast. Goldin’s writing flowed effortlessly between each perspective. I would recommend this book to fans of true crime, dark thrillers, and police procedurals.

4.5/5 stars

Dark Corners is book two in the Rachel Krall series. It is a thriller that can be read as a standalone.

The main character of this book is Rachel Krall. She was the lead character in Night Swim. The case in Dark Corners is completely self-contained in this book. It can be read as a standalone. However reading the first book will give readers a better understanding of Rachel and her podcast.

Rachel is the host of a hugely popular true crime podcast. She is asked by the FBI to go to Florida.

The key characters are: inmate Terence Bailey (who is believed to be a serial killer), Instagram influencer Maddison Logan, FBI agent Joe Martinez, and ride share driver Thomas McKoy.

This book was so good! I really enjoyed it. The case is so fascinating and creepy. Rachel herself is amazing. And the sparks between the FBI agent and Rachel were off the charts. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller.

WOW! Love this author and this book. Sometimes in a series of books I find myself losing interest as the story progresses and I start to dislike the main character. This is not the case with this series. This is a great one even as a stand alone book. Looking forward to the next edition. One of my favorite mysteries this year!

After the incredible debut of Goldin’s book the Night Swim, I had high hopes for Dark Corners!

Rachel Krall is back, and this time she’s not just a podcast host, she’s also a homicide investigator? After being responsible for proving someone was innocent on her podcast, everyone wants Rachel to prove their innocence. This includes serial killer Terrence Bailey. A popular influencer visited him recently, and now she’s missing. The last thing he told her was to contact Rachel. What transpires is a rollercoaster of events as Rachel attends BuzzCon, a convention for influencers, in order to find the truth.

What I liked:
- Strong female leads
- Podcast style books
- A look into the reality of an influencers life
- Differing POV’s, including the serial killers
- Somewhat of a happy ending
- The notion that horrible people “are hiding in plain sight”, and the reality that just your ordinary Uber driver can be an absolute homicidal maniac 😅

What I didn’t care for:
- The sudden romantic plot line that didn’t have much context
- The story was a quick read, but it wasn’t very riveting. The “plot twists” didn’t cause me to gasp, and just felt a little, well…meh
- Somewhat of a happy ending, but the last few pages were just rushed and corny

HOWEVER, although not as good as the Night Swim, Dark Corners had great aspects and do I look forward to reading more of Rachel’s journey!

Rating: 3⭐️

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Dark Corners, in exchange for my honest review :)

Megan Goldin has become a must-read author for me, and this is the much-anticipated sequel to the fabulous The Night Swim. This time around, Rachel is a rockstar podcaster, and she's the go-to person for the wrongfully convicted. Megan is an expert of crafting a clear mystery, and I'd recommend this to anyone new to the mystery/thriller genre. However, the obvious climax and reliance on by-the-number tropes keeps this from five stars.

True-crime podcaster Rachel Krall, has been called in by the FBI to aide in the case of missing social media influencer, Maddison Logan, who disappeared after visiting inmate Terence Bailey. Bailey was convicted of breaking & entering but investigators believe he is connected to the several brutal murders and is about to be released. The FBI can’t prove that he is a murderer or that he had anything to do with Maddison’s disappearance but Rachel is hot on the case!

This was an exciting, fast-paced thriller full of red herrings and side plots that kept me guessing. I loved the Florida setting in this book which made for an atmospheric read. This is the 4th book I’ve read by Megan Goldin including Night Swim which is the first book in this series. Rachel’s character seems a little edgier in this book now that she’s older and has lived a little since book one.

(Spoilers Ahead)

This book was good but not great. It felt superficial, even for a genre novel. There was not enough character development and some of the situations felt very contrived. Why wouldn’t Rachel have shown Grace a picture of Maddison? That seemed like it would have connected some dots faster. And why was Terry such an ominous presence? It didn’t align with how the book ended. I liked the plot but thought there were a lot of areas for improvement.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Dark corners can be danger points."

Rachel Krall is drug into an FBI situation involving a missing influencer and a suspected killer behind bars. Rachel is a true crime podcaster whose recent fame has enhanced her reputation as an investigative reporter. She flies to Daytona Beach to visit the convict who's about to be released after an incarceration for breaking and entering -- they couldn't make a murder charge stick. But, Maddison Logan, the young woman who has disappeared, had visited him right before she vanished.

The first thing the reader must do is accept that the FBI would ask Rachel Krall to be involved in this case and provide her with all the pertinent details. I found that aspect a bit hard to swallow and so i did not like this second installment as much as I did the first as it just seemed too outlandish. Rachel was far removed from her podcast role.

The plot was OK, the weirdness that was trimethlylaminuria was quite interesting (it's a rare condition that makes someone smell horrible, and is sometimes called fish odor syndrome). I did not find this to be much of a suspense thriller, more a mystery that sort of hopped and skipped all over the place. Not a fan of the instant romance either. Was never satisfied with the information finally revealed about the killer.

Frankly, I was really bored by the influencer angle. I am sure others might disagree, but I am so over this constant self-obsession and the competition for followers and viral posts. What I think is really meant is that there is danger in the dark corners of social media.

Will I read another installment in this series? Probably, but I sure hope that the author returns to the writing style and format with the podcasts, scripts, etc. that made the first better for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review.

The Night Swim is one of my all time favourite thrillers that I’m constantly recommending so when I found out it was getting turned into a series, I was so excited!

This one takes a bit of a different approach than the first as instead of the podcast angle, we dive into the social media world and get an influencer trope. While I did find this element quite intriguing and really liked the BuzzCon idea, I did find myself missing the podcast and therefore it felt like a little of the magic from the first one was lost.

Goldin continued with a dark and sinister theme and provided us with an abundance of compelling red herrings and misdirections! Rachel continued to be the strong and determined protagonist that we originally met and I enjoyed following along with her journey and investigation.

While the plot was quite complex at times, I liked that I didn’t get confused and I applaud Goldin’s stellar writing for this!

While this can certainly be read as a standalone, by no means do I recommend passing up on reading The Night Swim first!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Megan Goldin, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of Dark Corners in exchange for an honest review!
Description:
Dark Corners follows Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster that we all came to love in the Night Swim. This time, Rachel is called to help the FBI when her name is brought up by a prisoner, Terence Bailey, who is soon being released from prison after serving time for breaking and entering. Although that isn't the worst crime that the FBI believes he has committed. Terence is suspected of killing six women and the FBI want to make sure he isn't released from prison and able to harm any other women. When famous influencers from the BuzzCon event that Rachel is partaking in keep going missing or are found dead, the FBI and Rachel begin to suspect that Terence is not working alone.
Review:
I have read all of Megan Goldin's books and have absoutely loved them all. Dark Corners was a highly anticipated read for me. First, I loved getting to know Rachel even more in this book after the Night Swim. I had some issues with the pacing of this one compared to the Night Swim. I felt it was a lot slower paced and slower to capture my attention, but it finally picked up around the 60-70% range which is when I truly became invested in the story. I loved that we actually knew the perpetrator very quickly on and were able to get into his disturbing head. We also got to find out the tricky ways he was able to disguise himself which was fascinating. I would have liked to have an epilogue; I felt like the book abruptly ended.
All in all, I would recommend to others and cannot wait to read Megan's future releases.
3.5 star rounded up to 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and. St. Martin’s Press for this ARC of Dark Corners by Megan Goldin. This book is a twisty story about a Podcaster and the dark side of being a social influencer. Rachel Karll gets pulled into an investigation that she can’t resist. While digging deeper into this case, she learns more about the world of being a social influencer and what it takes to make it in this career. Is this world so cut throat that the cost is your life?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am loving this series and would love to see it continue. Social media influencers and podcasters are a dime a dozen these days but this story felt fresh and unique. I love when an author not only tells us about the crime but takes us along the journey of digging to the bottom of the story and revealing the truth! With twists (and Wei by guesses by the reader) along the way. 4 stars.

The Night Swim was one of the top books that stuck with me in 2020 and I had the pleasure of interviewing Megan Goldin about it for the Bad Bitch Book Club's thriller discussion group. All that to say, I suspected this would be another home run for me and it sure was. Rachel Krall is such a dynamic character and I was so excited to see there would be more to her story. I loved watching Rachel investigate a new case, this time involving a bunch of a influencers. If you like solving a case through reading alongside a main character I think you would absolutely enjoy this. Happy to say, Megan has done it again!

I am a big fan of Megan Goldin and her coming back to her series about the podcaster Rachel Krall was an excellent decision. Podcasters and influencer characters are all the rage right now and this one is very well done.

I mainly listened to the audiobook for this one and this is definitely the way to go. This audiobook is so engaging and brings this podcast and story to life. I loved seeing Rachel back in action. I loved The Night Swim and was excited to see Rachel dig into another muder.

I love the short chapters and fast paced storyline. A fun page turner but I liked The Night Swim better.

4 Stars

Another winner from Megan Goldin. After reading "Stay Awake" last year, this author was immediately added to my must read list, and, once again, she did not disappoint!

Rachel Krall shot to internet fame with her podcast "Guilty or Not Guilty," so when she was contacted by the FBI requesting that she come to the Central Florida Correctional Facility, her interest was piqued. As it turns out, her presence was requested by Terence Bailey, a hulking prisoner with a temper to match, who was scheduled for release in two days.

The FBI believes that Terence had something to do with the disappearance of Maddison Logan, a popular influencer on IG. They are racing against the clock to not only locate Maddison, but keep Terence in prison,

After a tense meeting with Bailey, Rachel decides to spend a few days in FL and investigate on her own. She infiltrates an influencer convention, where she finds more than she bargained for.

This book was full of twists, with an ending that I wasn't expecting.

Just remember, the scariest monster is the one that hides in plain sight.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC.

As a huge fan of Night Swim, I was excited to read this one that features Rachel Krall (podcaster) attempting to solve another string of murders. This one didn’t disappoint…. It had it all! I felt like I was solving the crimes and looking for clues right alongside Rachel and Special Agent Martinez.

I also really enjoyed learning about the fascinating dark underworld of social influencers. Who knew? Then throw in badass FBI agents and even a little touch of romance - it's a recipe for success. Everything tied together nicely by the end as well.

I also listened to the audio version and loved the real-world podcast recordings as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Megan Goldin's, 'Dark Corners'. I really enjoyed this book, it was quick paced and kept me guessing the entire time. It even had a few twists that I did not anticipate which I typically look for in books.

I am a big Megan Goldin fan, so of course I liked this book. The podcast angle is fun and I enjoyed reading more about Rachel Krall. The book can be read standalone, however it might be a good idea to read the first to familiarize yourself with the MC (I've heard it's boring if you don't). I loved the short chapters and how each one left you in suspense and wanting to read more.

This book was an easy 5 stars for me. It was full of twists I never saw coming and I would recommend it to anyone. I was sure that there was going to be things left hanging at the end, but the wrap up was perfect. If this was a real podcast 10/10 I would be addicted.

Rachel Krall, the podcaster from. Night Swim, returns in Dark Corners, a story that kept me reading well into the night. Rachel receives a request from the FBI to visit Terrence Bailey, currently in prison for breaking and entering charges. He had been visited by influencer Maddison Logan shortly before she disappeared. During their visit Rachel’s name had come up and they are hoping that her visit might provide information that will lead them to Maddison. When her trailer had been found there were signs of an attack and they fear the worst. Bailey is suspected of being a serial killer, but there is insufficient evidence to confirm this. When her visit yields little new information she is dismissed and told she can return home, They don’t know how determined Rachel is when she becomes involved in a story.

Agent Joe Martinez’s investigation has hit a wall. Maddison is not her real name and there is no background on her. Rachel attends a conference of influencers hoping to learn more about her.. There is an attraction between Rachel and Martinez as they cooperate on the case. The more Rachel learns, the more danger she is in. Bailey is scheduled to be released in two days so pressure is mounting to find evidence. Authorities suspected that Bailey may have been working with someone else. Thomas McCoy, a rideshare driver with a distinctive medical condition, is looking forward to Bailey’s release. He is pure evil, but is he Bailey’s partner and how are they tied to Maddison? Before the truth is revealed, Megan Goldin takes you through a number of twists to keep you guessing. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.