3.5 Stars

Rachel, a podcaster, is called in by the FBI to assist on a case. A serial killer, soon to be released, has a visit from an Influencer, who ends up going missing. Rachel’s name is brought up in that visit. Is Rachel in danger? What is the connection to the killer? The influencer?

Again, I jumped into Book 2 without reading Book 1, Night Swim. I’ve heard great things about Night Swim. Definitely can be read as a stand-alone. So much happening in the book so it was fast paced enough keep me interested, maybe because I was going to discuss as a Buddy Read. There was a storyline or two that I found irrelevant. Ending was pretty much as I expected. Characters were engaging enough to keep the flow of the story going. I definitely want to read Night Swim now more than ever.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

The Night Swim was one of the best books I read in 2021, so when I found out Dark Corners was its sequel, I had to have it!

When influencer Maddison Logan disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer in prison, Rachel Krall is called in by the FBI to help when her name turns up in their investigation.

Megan Goldin sure knows how to write a twisty thriller. We are thrown into the world of influencers, who are obsessed with cultivating the perfect life, but also have their own secrets. The story was fast paced with multiple layers that somehow all came together perfectly. There were also some pretty smart red herrings that constantly had me shifting how I thought things were going to go. Finding out the true story was such a shock and it really had me feeling emotional for one of the characters.

Dark Corners was a great addition to the Rachel Krall series. Here’s hoping we’ll be seeing more of her in the future!

Dark Corners is the second book in the Rachel Krall series by Megan Goldin. This is a relevant, timely thriller surrounding the release of a serial killer from prison, the attendees of an influencer convention, and a rideshare driver with a unique and unfortunate medical condition.

Rachel Krall is a true crime podcaster who is known for getting to the truth when others can’t, and occasionally turning convictions around when someone has been wrongfully accused. She has an uncanny ability to solve crimes and therefore is called in to have a conversation with Terence Bailey who is about to be released on parole. She comes away with nothing useful, but a string of missing women and Rachel’s cryptic link to them draws her into an investigation alongside a reluctant FBI agent, Joe Martinez. The two work together well and form another attachment, one not of the crime-solving nature.

This story is compelling and multi-faceted with many layers to the crime. It also offers a sad, probably exaggerated, but also eye-opening commentary on social media influencers and the pressures they face. I didn’t love the romantic angle because it felt rather sudden and unexpected, but I enjoyed the overall story with its twists and turns. I found that I didn’t want to stop reading, intrigued to see how it would all play out. Thought a part of a series, this story can easily be read a standalone.

Dark Corners (Rachel Krall #2) by Megan Goldin is a dark and edgy thriller that encompasses the world of influencers and the story's podcast foundation. I just loved the relatability of the influencer world and getting a peek behind the curtain. Though I guess I am already a bit behind the curtain with my bookstagram account as it tends to be a microcosm of the bigger influencer world.

I did a part read/part listen, and I just loved the narrators of the audio version - Samantha Desz and January LaVoy. Since the story kept referring to Rachel Krall's voice as silky and sultry, it was essential to have a narrator with that type of voice, and I think they found just the right one. And I especially enjoyed the podcasts interjected at points in the story as they give a more personal perspective than the narration, which is in the first person in Rachel and sometimes the bad guy's POV.

I also enjoy Rachel as an MC. She has an air of confidence that I gravitate towards, and she keeps her cool even in the most tenuous of situations. I also enjoyed that she got a love interest in this story. It humanized her, and I thought that was needed.

Lastly, Dark Corners is the second book in the series, but any reader can easily read it as a stand-alone. You know who did it early on, but there are a bunch of twists and turns in other aspects of the story that keep the suspense high and the pages turning quickly. I loved how focused and fast-paced this story read. That's how I love my thrillers, and this one didn't disappoint!

Rachel Krall, true crime podcast journalist from The Night Swim, returns in Dark Corners and travels to Florida at the behest of the FBI. Terence "Terry" Bailey is scheduled to be released in a few days. Terence is suspected of being a serial killer, and with the help of an accomplice, is possibly involved in the disappearance of a travel influencer named Maddison after she visits Terence in prison. As Rachel's name comes up during this fateful visit, the FBI asks Rachel to talk to the inmate to see what he knows. What happens next makes for a very interesting read.

While the story starts slow, it definitely picks up speed and will keep you guessing to the end. I think this was a great follow-up to The Night Swim and many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

We get to return to true crime Podcaster Rachel Krall's world in this follow up to "The Night Swim." This time, her name pops up in an FBI investigation, and Special Agent Joe Martinez flies her down to talk to an inmate in Florida suspected in several murders. Rachel then learns the suspect's last visitor has gone missing, and also reached out to Ra hwl for help finding her friend's killer. She feels the need to investigate the disappearance of this person who had reached out to Rachel for help.

This book is told in three POVs with three different story lines that all come together. It wasn't confusing at all and it was interesting to see the plot from each of their prospective. Rachel and Joe are very likable characters. It was also interesting to see the lives of influencers. The pacing is excellent and I only put this book down when I had to. It's not necessary to read The Night Swim first, but there are spoilers for that book in this one. I would recommend this to true crime podcast fans and lovers of a good mystery.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, author Megan Goldin and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I love the main character, Rachel Krall. She's dedicated and does not give up when she's trying to help someone or solve a case, even if it means personal danger. This time she gets pulled into a missing persons case by FBI Special Agent Joe Martinez by peaking her curiosity and playing her masterfully, but he's trying to find a missing girl. After an unsatisfying visit with a prisoner, Rachel is summarily dismissed by Joe, but Rachel is intrigued by the case and does some snooping of her own. She's an excellent investigator. Her character makes smart moves and asks realistic questions that should have been asked by the local police. Between that and the smart chapters of her podcasts, it feels like you're reading a nonfiction crime book. I like how the book ended and would love to see more of Rachel and Joe, as he grounds her, so she seems more human and not a super hero.

I received an ARC of this book. Excellent suspense novel. This book has lots of twists that kept me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this book. I love that it delved in to the dangers of trying to be an influencer and overall dangers if social media. The suspense was great. Some parts were slow but the end was hard to put down for sure. Thank you so much for this ARC!

I really enjoyed reading Dark Corners from start to finish. I was very engaged in the book. It had a lot of twists and turns and kept me on my toes.

Love how Rachel was so determined to find out what happened to Madison, even though she knew she was in danger. She didn't care.

Let's not talk about the ending! I was not expecting that twist at the end—who was really Maddison, and how did Bailey help Maddison that awful night.

I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Rachel and Joe develop through the story. They made a great team. I hope to see more from them in the future.

I totally recommend this book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC of this great book!

Dark Corners kept me on my toes and will keep you connecting the dots until the end! Rachel Krall is such a badass female lead and we need more of her!

I will say that I did not get the chance to read the first introduction to Ms. Krall, but I didn’t need it since Megan Goldin does such a great job giving us details on the characters. (But I’m definitely going to back track and read The Night Swim, okay?)

I devoured this novel from beginning to end. I loved how it jumped right in to Rachel being called to essentially help the FBI with very little information. I felt like I was watching an episode of The First 48 and the clock was ticking down towards Terence Bailey’s release from prison and Maddison Logan’s chances of being found alive.

Dark Corners had me intrigued from start to finish & if you enjoy thrillers/mysteries, then it will likely hold you captive as well!

I really enjoyed this newest mystery/thriller featuring Rachel. This time she's lured by the FBI into a case that puts her directly in danger. A certain FBI agent wants to keep her safe even if he was the one to drag her into this.

This influencer aspect of this book was interesting. The behind-the-scenes of this world were really cutthroat and I'm sure some of those things really happen.

I enjoyed this book from cover to cover and those last few chapters kept me on the edge of my seat.

Terence Bailey is set to be released from prison in a few days. Initially, arrested for breaking and entering, but local authorities have always suspected him in the murder of six women. Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a young and popular social media influencer. Hours later, she disappears and police fear she's been kidnapped or worse.

Seeking answers FBI reluctantly contacts Rachel for help in finding Maddison. Maddison only seems to exist on social media, there are no family or friends to contact and the people she does interact with are casual acquaintances. Using an old Instagram account Rachel goes undercover at Buzzcon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry.

The FBI must also consider the possibility that Bailey had an accomplice on the outside, further placing Rachel in danger. The monster could be hiding in plain sight as Rachel faces the very real dangers that lurk in the dark.

Thank you so much to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

When true crime podcaster Rachel Krall was awakened from a deep sleep by the FBI to come to hop on a plane to Florida, she didn’t really know what to expect. She had just gotten home after spending time in North Carolina, at the rape trial of a champion swimmer. She was exhausted, but it was the FBI asking for her help. She packed a small bag and got dressed for when the FBI agent knocked on her door to take her to the airport, where they had a commercial flight waiting on her before it could take off.

It wasn’t until later that day, when she’d had time to wake up and think about what she had done that she had seen just how the FBI, notably agent Joseph Martinez, has set her up to make her agreeable to all his requests. And then he asks for the big one. There is a prisoner in the Central Florida Correctional Facility who is a very dangerous man. And Special Agent Martinez wants Rachel to talk to him.

Terence Bailey was set to be a free man in just days. He had served six years in prison, two for the breaking and entering charge he was convicted for originally, and then another four for a fight that he had gotten into in jail. But his time was almost up. In those six years, he had never had a visitor, until the previous day. A content creator, a travel influencer Named Maddison Logan, had lied to get in to see him. The microphone that was supposed to record their conversation was malfunctioning, so the FBI didn’t know what they’d said. But at one point Terence had used a small pencil to write a note on the table for only Maddison to read. However, there was a camera that caught the note also. After leaving the prison, Maddison had disappeared.

“Bring Rachel Krall to me. Do whatever it takes to find her. It’s time . . . “

When Agent Martinez shows Rachel the note, she has no idea what it could mean. After her podcast Guilty or Not Guilty had become a surprise hit, she’d been contacted by many people convicted or suspected of crimes. They all wanted her to take on their cases, to show that they are innocent. But she’d never heard from Terence Bailey before. And anyone searching for Maddison Logan couldn’t find anything other than her carefully curated #vanlife Influencer posts. The FBI was running out of time to find Maddison, and they had very little to go on. So they had found Rachel and brought her down to Florida to talk to a prisoner, a potentially dangerous killer.

Rachel could be putting her life in danger by doing this. In fact, when she did talk to Terence, he warned her, telling her, “The scariest monster is the one that hides in plain sight.” And when the dead body of a young woman turned up in the woods nearby, the FBI and Rachel fear the worst for Maddison. But what they find is far more complicated, far more depraved than what they originally thought.

Dark Corners is the deliciously creepy thriller from Megan Goldin, whose book Night Swim first brought us the character of Rachel Krall and introduced us to her podcast. And like that novel, this one is masterfully written, with layers of secrets and truths that are uncovered slowly and carefully by the podcaster’s insatiable curiosity and her skillful reporting.

Be careful with this book. It’s not one to be pulled out for a quick break or to distract you as you have to stand in line for a few minutes. If you’re anything like me, as soon as you start in on chapter one, you’ll need hours to immerse yourself in the story, in the words, in the chills and surprises that make their way through the lives of these characters and bring together all the breadcrumbs of the different stories into one cohesive whole, so the truth can come out at last. Dark Corners is breathtaking, and I for one will be waiting impatiently for the next season of the podcast, to see what story Rachel can piece together next.

Egalleys for Dark Corners were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I was surprised that this took place right after the first book since it's been three years but I didn't mind. What I was mostly worried about was how the mystery would go about in this one. I did like the connection of having multiple cases happening at once where there's a smaller case that the reader is trying to solve alongside Rachel while the main case the book follows we know who the murderer is (even if the other characters didn't). I also really like the addition of all new characters other than Rachel; it felt both separate but part of the same world.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the critique of influencers only being self-centered throughout and there was a weird aspect near the end where Rachel and another character are talking about how they are so used to this line of work that they don't see the victims as real people with an impact anymore, but I'm pretty sure the reasoning behind Rachel being a popular true crime podcaster (other than her bedtime voice) is cause she focuses more on the victims and their stories.

Throughout the book I noticed important facts about the case would be brought up multiple times. Like a character would tell another character about what they've learned and it would do the typical '_ told _ about everything they learned' but then would make a point to purposely reiterate one detail which got real annoying real fast. I guess that makes sense since most readers don't binge the majority of the book in one day so it wouldn't be noticeable and would be so they'd have details they'd probably forgotten, but it still personally bothered me.

I may have complained a lot in this book but it was mostly nitpicky stuff. Overall I really enjoyed the book, the return of Rachel, and the writing (most of the time) and I honestly would love it if there were two more books with air and fire aesthetic covers (the green foliage doesn't even really match this book since it mostly takes place near the ocean but whatever).

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wild ride!!!! Right off the bat I was fully engaged into the storyline and loved the premise! Gimme a serial killer plot any day!!!!

I really enjoyed Rachel - she was quite the badass and very much a level headed fmc!!!

i did think the “bread crumbs” that were provided to us by the multiple povs were *slightly* predictable - but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this!

I always enjoy books that are centered around social media - so the fact that this one had an influencer subplot was so so so much fun!

I did find the romantic aspect of this story unnecessary…to me, it added “fluff” to the story

This was definitely a solid read - it lacked an OMG jaw dropping ending but I still recommend it!

SIMONE SAYS READ THIS IF YOU LIKE

multiple povs
serial killer plots
podcast format
badass mc’s

thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

what is your favorite social media platform?
I’m team IG!

I just finished Dark Corners by Megan Goldin and here are my musings.

The FBI needs help. Flying Rachel. A true crime podcaster who has been known to solve crimes and free innocent men to speak to an inmate. An inmate that gets no visitors until a young influencer shows up, they talk and then she leaves. Hours later the influencer disappears but on the CCTV of the exchange between Maddison and Terence Bailey shows he has written something on the table. Rachel's name. It’s the only lead they have.

Maddison is an anomaly. She lives in her van in a nomadic lifestyle with no friends or family. Why did she visit Terrance? A man in prison for breaking and entering and who the police believe is a serial killer. To find out more Rachel goes undercover at Buzzcon, A social media influencer mecca. The longer she is there, the more she realizes something shading is happening in the world of backstabbing influencers.

When the police discover a dead body with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, it is the same tattoo Terrance has…. It brings the FBI to a chilling realization. Terrance has an accomplice and Terrance is just about to be released from jail and Rachel is now in the crosshairs.

I know this is book 2 of the Rachel Krull series but it worked as a standalone really well. Megan knocked this book out of the park. I could not put my kindle down until I was done. I found the storyline fantastic! A glimpse into the world of influencers and how cut throat it is really rounded out the storyline for me. The story was really quite clever. The story of missing teens, dead prostitutes and a man who does ride sharing for a living. It's fantastic how it all fits together.

Rachel is brilliant and I loved reading about her. The sparks between her and the FBI agent…. (fanning myself). I needed a bit more of that! That is my only complaint but the book was so close to perfect!

Everything pieced together like a beautiful jigsaw puzzle and I was guessing right up to the very end! My heart was racing so hard I could barely stand it! I was so sad when it was over but I am excited for the next installment.

5 stars! Best book for me of the year!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy!

I always enjoy Megan Goldin's books and Dark Corners was no exception. It was a solid mystery with a couple of good twists. I hope she continues to write more with Rachel Krall. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Podcaster, Rachel Krall is drawn into another case in an unusual way. Rachel is asked by the FBI to come to Florida. Once there they begin to question her as her name had come up during an investigation.

Social media influencer, Maddison, went missing shortly after meeting with Terrance at the prison. He was charged with breaking and entering and will be released soon. The investigators think Terry is also responsible for several murders, but don't have proof.

This one grabbed me right from the start. I love that! Rachel is an interesting character who just wants justice. The story is told by Rachel, a ride share driver and another man from long ago.

Even though I knew who the culprit was, (or thought I did) I couldn't read fast enough to find out how it all ended.

Another great one from Goldin!

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

This just wasn't what I was expecting at all when I picked this book up. I absolutely loved "The Night Swim" and was so excited to read the second book, but it fell flat. The book just felt like a very dry police procedural that had almost no stakes. I can't even really explain why I didn't love it, other than that it was just so cut and dry, focused more on Rachel and her love life than the actual story, and just felt like almost nothing happened. The mystery wasn't even that intriguing and the whole "missing girl influencer" thing has been done before a million times at this point. It just didn't feel original and it didn't tug at any heart strings like I was expecting. I just needed a lot more from this book and it's a major disappointment.

I'm basically not going to remember this book past tomorrow.

Megan Goldin does it again!! This was such a great book. I was hooked early on and honestly didn't want to stop reading this. I have loved all the other books by this author and this one was for sure a winner. I kept thinking I knew how it would play out and then boom another twist!!