I absolutely loved the book. It grabbed my attention from the first page. The story increased with tension as the story progressed. Unpredictable plot and twist.

I loved the first book in this series, the Night Swim, and was so excited to receive the arc of the second. I was not disappointed! This is a gem of a series with amazing, complex characters. The plot has lots of layers and intricacies but is not too complicated. The protagonist podcaster Rachel is a highly intelligent badass and I can’t wait for Goldin to write the next in this series! Perfect for fans of Joanna Schauffhausen and Allen Eskens.

Bravo…Another outstanding book by Megan Goldin! Dark Corners is the second book in the Rachel Krall series (the first book is The Night Swim), but this book can be read as a standalone. After reading and enjoying the last two books by the author I was super excited to read her newest effort. Dark Corners is a riveting, unsettling, twisty psychological thriller. A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press, the author and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of the book.

True crime podcaster Rachel Krall is back in action once again after she gets a grudging phone call from the FBI wanting her help on an investigation. Rachel finds herself searching for a popular social media influencer, Maddison Logan. She vanished after she visited Terence Bailey.

Terence Bailey has been in prison for breaking and entering, but is a possible suspect in the murders of six women and he is about to be set free. Rachel goes on a deep dive into the world of social media influence. She goes undercover trying to find out what happened to Maddison. But is this popular influencer the person who everybody thinks she is? With her fake social media account created Rachel steps into the world of influencers where there is ferocious jealousy and vicious rivalry. And soon she will discover what really creeps around in those dark corners of the internet.

Dark Corners is an electrifying, immensely captivating, suspenseful thriller. A book definitely not to be missed. I highly recommend it.

Rachel Krall is fresh off the success of her podcast's coverage of a hotly debated rape trial in Neapolis, North Carolina when she receives a call from the FBI asking that she fly to Florida to meet with an inmate suspected of being a serial killer. Terence Bailey was arrested for breaking and entering after the police failed to find the evidence to make a case for murder. He's served more than three times his original sentence after catching an assault charge while on the inside. In six years he's only had one visitor, uber popular travel influencer Maddison Logan. The police are unable to find any connection between the two, and the only usable audio they have from the visit is Bailey's demand that Maddison find Rachel Krall and bring her to him. When Maddison disappears from her trailer in the aftermath of their visit, the FBI reluctantly calls Rachel in to see if she can convince Bailey to talk. Rachel quickly finds herself sucked into a world of influencer intrigue where no one is as they seem and the only thing more cutthroat than the release of a potential serial killer is the influencers themselves.

I was so thrilled by the return of Rachel Krall, and enjoyed the format of this novel compared to the first. It read in a completely new and exciting way. I appreciated the intrigue of the mystery at the heart of the novel, and can't wait to see where the relationships that begin in this novel will go in the next installment. "Dark Corners" manages to obliterate the idea of a series' sophomore slump and will have readers riveted from the very first page.

"Dark Corners" is perfect for fans of Riley Sager, Shari Lapena, and Stacey Willingham. It would make the perfect late summer book club book. It will spark conversation, both about the crime at the heart of the novel and the consumer culture built around the influencer model. I'd recommend it for anyone who religiously follows a true crime podcast, everyone whose favorite character on Criminal Minds is Aaron Hotchner, and for anyone who wants to feel vindicated by their innate distrust of ride share drivers. Special thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Dark Corners" in exchange for an unbiased review! I'll be counting down the days until Rachel's next adventure!!

Once again, Megan Krall finds herself at the center of solving a crime thanks to her podcast. This time she’s a person of interest after influencer Maddison Logan goes missing after visiting suspected serial killer Terrence Bailey in prison two days before he is scheduled to be released. The real twist? Megan’s name came up in Terrence and Maddison’s conversation and the FBI wants to know why. Once they call Megan in, there’s no stopping her from trying to find out more about what is happening, even when they ask her to stop. But will she be able to get answers before something happens to her too?

While I didn’t adore this one as much as I did The Night Swim, I did fly through it in a day and really enjoyed it. Once I was in it, I couldn’t stop - I needed to know what was happening - from the smelly Uber driver, to the convicted serial killer about to be free, to the wild world of the influencer convention, there were so many layers to this story that held me engaged from start to finish. Although Megan is not always likable, and some of the twists were predictable, the exciting storylines made up for it. I was able to switch between audiobook and physical book and both options were great!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

An interesting look at the influencer scene mixed with a true crime podcast. This was a solid mystery that kept me engaged throughout.



I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars - Dark Corners is the second in the Rachel Krall series and it had me hooked from the very beginning!!
I remember loving the podcast aspect of the first book and it still made for great reading in this one! The way the book moves from reality to podcast is so good and I thought it was very smart the way things are revealed. The twist ,for some reason, I did not see coming and it really got me! I was completely entertained and could not stop reading until the very end! I was halfway through this book and started recommending it to my friends! I may even like it better than the first one. Some might say Rachel places herself in bad situations but then what kind of book would we be reading? When I think of Thrillers, I think of fast paced, heart beating nonstop action haha! I want a crazy, bonkers somewhat unbelievable story that has me racing to the very end and this book delivered!! Megan Goldin has become an auto buy author I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of her books.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for a very honest review.

Was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Rachel Krall is a true crime podcaster who is well known for having helped free an innocent man. Now she gets lots of requests from inmates to look into their cases as well. But this time around it's the FBI who call her in, asking for her help. A popular social media influencer has gone missing after meeting with an inmate who is set to be released soon and while he couldn't have been responsible for her going missing since he's in jail, he may be connected. Not long after the meeting a body is found, again it's possibly connected to the inmate Rachel has only recently talked to and so she decides to get involved and see if she can help discover what is really going on. Tight/intense story with great characters. This one kept me reading late into the night. Turns out this is the second book in a series so I intend to read the first book soon, though you don't need to have read it to enjoy this one. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-corners-megan-goldin/1142234097?ean=9781250280695&bvnotificationId=780f4c92-3631-11ee-9587-0efa3d55d50b&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/254943864

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

The Night Swim was one of my favorite books of 2020 so I was so excited we got another book about Rachel but this one was a bit of a disappointment. The first half of the book was fast paced and enjoyable but after the 50% mark things started falling apart. For a true crime reporter Rachel made some dumb choices and the one big reveal made no sense. I rounded by rating up since I did read this one fast and will probably read the next book in the series if it continues but hopefully that one will be better.

Dark Corners is a great sequel to one of my favorites, The Night Swim. I love Goldin's ability at creating tension and suspense in her novels. You never really know where the story is going to go, and the plot of Dark Corners was no different.

Rachel Krall is called by the FBI to talk to a convicted criminal, Terence Bailey, on the eve of his release from prison. Terence asked the travel influencer, Maddison Logan to bring Rachel to the prison to meet with him. Now Maddison is missing, so Rachel must go undercover at Buzzcon, an influencer conference in order to try to find out what happened to her.

This book has a lot of twists and turns. Some characters I liked more than others, and you could kind of see where the ending was headed, but overall it was a great thriller. I couldn't wait to find out what happened and if Rachel and the FBI could find some justice.

I’ve enjoyed Megan Goldin’s previous novels especially The Night Swim and Stay Awake. Both were five star reads for me.

I had the ebook and audiobook of Dark Corners to review and was looking forward to hearing more from Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster first introduced in The Night Swim.

“I’ve been looking for a predator. It turns out that a predator has also been looking for me.”

Since Rachel Krall’s True Crime podcast “Guilty or Not Guilty” helped a previously convicted killer get a new trial, she’s been receiving letters from others convicted of terrible crimes. Now she is visiting a Central Florida Correctional Facility with two FBI agents to see an inmate named Terence Bailey.

“Your name came up in an FBI investigation. I need to ask you a few questions.”

It seems that a popular travel vlogger, Maddison Logan has disappeared after visiting suspected killer and inmate, Terence Bailey. Maddison is popular on all platforms - Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. She has almost half a million followers.

“What did a successful social media influencer want with a serial killer?”

Terence Bailey is either a petty thief or a cold blooded killer responsible for abductions and murder of young women.

So why did Maddison visit Terence Bailey in prison? And more importantly, what happened after that caused her disappearance?

And why is the FBI telling Rachel that her name has come up in the investigation?

After reading mixed reviews for Dark Corners I was a little worried about what I would think of the second book in the Rachel Krall series. I shouldn’t have worried. I really enjoyed this one too. Some parts were a bit over the top and readers definitely have to suspend disbelief at times. However, I was engrossed and excited to read what would happen next.

I noticed that some readers really didn’t like Rachel’s character. I could see how she might rub some people the wrong way. She could be pretty snarky. But I kind of liked how she didn’t let anyone push her around. She stood up for herself and what she believed in.

Being able to switch back and forth between audio and ebook is always good. I thought the audiobook was also well performed with great sound effects and narration.

Much of the story takes readers into the world of influencers. A bit of a peek behind the curtain. The competition for awards, sponsors, deals, and followers.

Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable domestic suspense novel. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Megan Goldin.


I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this follow up to Night Swim. It kept my interest throughout the story. I love the podcast angle in thrillers. I hope to see more Rachel Krall in the future, the ending felt like it left off with room for more from Rachel and the Hot FBI guy. I’m hoping they team up again.

3.75 stars

Dark Corners is the second book in the Rachel Krall series. It's been a few years since I read the first book, Night Swim, so I was fuzzy on details other than remembering Rachel is the host of a true crime podcast. Thankfully, the author made things easy for new readers and this book can easily be read as a standalone novel. However, the first book is good and you'll have more insight into the character if you just start at the beginning of the series.

The FBI has an odd request for Rachel as they want her to visit Terrance Bailey in prison. She's never met him before but the feds are hoping a chat with him might give them some leads on a case. Of course, Rachel is a naturally inquisitive person and that leads her to do some investigating on her own.

The story explores the world of social media influencers and there is some food for thought there. So often a picture perfect online persona isn't exactly a true depiction of real life. I appreciate how Megan brings depth to her stories so they aren't totally mindless thrillers. (I do enjoy those type of reads as well but it's nice to read something with substance in this genre.)

I had mixed feelings with a subplot although by the end I guess my feelings were leaning more positive. Not a favorite trope of mine in this genre but yet it might open the door for future books so in that case, I'm fine with it. I do hope the author has more books in store for this character as I'd love to keep reading about Rachel.

It took me a little while to get into it, but once I did I really enjoyed Dark Corners! It’s a serial killer mystery with various side plots that keep it interesting and then tie up in a really satisfying way in the end. This is the second book in the Rachel Krall series. I haven’t read the first (The Night Swim) but she’s a strong enough character that I may. Rachel is a true crime podcaster. I’ve read a couple books recently with a similar element, and even as someone who isn’t really into true crime, it is a fun twist on the detective mystery. I read Stay Awake by Megan Goldin, and I like how fast moving and intense her plots are!

Do you ever feel burned out from posting on Instagram? Does it make you wonder about the influencer world? The folks that have millions of followers. And what their life would be like to always be trying to stay relevant, record everything and make the perfect post (though they get paid a ton to do a fraction of the work as a 9-5 person, so there is that).

Dark Corners is the chilling tale of Rachel Krall, a podcaster (remember her from Night Swim?), who gets caught up in the disappearance of an influencer after said influencer met with a prisoner and mentioned Rachel and her podcast. This book is dark dark dark. The characters range from creepy to creepier to obnoxious influencers. It so twisted with so many turns that when you think you understand, something comes out of left field. I was totally enthralled and terrified by all of it and I did yell at Rachel a few times for making stupid decisions.

I really enjoyed both the Night Swim and Stay Awake, but Dark Corners was not for me.

True crime podcaster Rachel Krall is back, this time assisting an FBI investigation into the disappearance of a social media influencer.

The podcast element added to the Night Swim, but seemed to take away from Dark Corners. It interrupted the narrative's flow more often than not, and also made for a lower-stakes situation later in the novel.

My biggest issue with this book is the plot. There were just two too many major plot points requiring me to forget what I already knew about these characters. And then some of the writing in the tail end of the novel drove me nuts, though it's possible I was extra sensitive after all the eye-rolling I did thanks to the plot. It's not often I feel this disappointed in a mystery/thriller - even when they're predictable, I can enjoy them - but this was a miss for me.

I read the first 37% prior to switching to the audiobook, which I thought might improve my reading experience (as the podcast chapters are edited to sound like they're podcast episodes, whereas in the text they kept interrupting my flow). I liked the tone of voice used for narration and Rachel, but to be honest wasn't a big fan of how the narrator voiced Joe. I'd have preferred another narrator for chapters from his perspective.

I half listened and half read this book. I definitely enjoyed this more as a book than an audio book. Part of the book was fascinating and kept me on the toes. I was intrigued by the influencer and prisoner aspect. I also found the book to drag on and be unrealistic and predictable in other parts. I found Rachel to be hard to like in the book and some of her decisions were very questionable. I also found it hard to keep track of all the victims and characters in the book at times. However, I was also into the book enough that I never considered putting it down or not reading it. 
Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison, despite being the suspect of murdering 6 women. He gets a visit from Maddison Logan, an influencer with many social media followers and she disappears shortly after.  Rachel is asked to help with the investigation by the FBI and she finds the influencer world to be lethal. Does Bailey have an accomplice on the outside? Is he obsessed with influencers, Rachel included?
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader (audio) copies!

In book #2 of the Rachel Krall series, the FBI reluctantly contacts Rachel, needing her help in a missing persons case. Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge following on her social media account @JustMaddie had come to Daytona for the influencer conference BuzzCon,. While in Daytona, she went to the prison there, and met with inmate Terence Bailey. Terrence was about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. Hours later, Maddison disappeared, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? And why was she visiting him in the first place When they review the footage looking for any clues they can find, they discover Terrence wrote a cryptic note to Maddison telling her to get in touch with Rachel.

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel Krall’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems to only exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her.. Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel goes undercover to BuzzCon, 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—identical to a tattoo Rachel had seen on Bailey’s hand—the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside. Suddenly the 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.

I am a big fan of this author's books and this is definitely my new favorite. It was psychological suspense at its best. You don't know for almost the entire book if Terrence Bailey is part of a serial killer duo, or if he was being framed, or what exactly. You do know who is currently doing the kidnappings and murders, and he will make you cringe. He is one of those that you think is harmless until it is too late. Throughout the book are snippets of the past. so you can slowly put the backstory together. Oh, and the relationship between Rachel and FBI Agent Joe Martinez was just the cherry on top. Yes, this book was gripping, and I didn't want to put it down. Now I want you to experience the same excitement I did. Go check it out!

I listed to this on audio but also had the E-Arc
I loved this follow up to The Night Swim. I loved the narrators and the story. I was truly invested I the characters of this one.
I thought this was a faced paced who done it. Criminal Minds esque book that was just really awesome.

Dark Corners follows Rachel Krall as she gets called down to Florida to help the FBI with a missing persons case. I really enjoyed this book. There was a slight twist but overall fairly predictable. I still was eager to read through this book and race towards the ending.