I really enjoyed the first Rachel Krall book and was really excited for Megan Goldin's follow up. For this book, Krall heads to Florida to chase a new story after being summoned by the FBI to meet with a prisoner. Like the first book, Goldin weaves multiple storylines together with a masterful attention to atmosphere and place. This book adds some new fun: a side mystery that occurs within the timeline of the book, a tiny bit of romance, and all the messiness of influencer culture. A quick, twisty, and engaging read. Five stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61884922-dark-corners

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

This is the second in a series about true crime podcaster Rachel Krall. I really enjoyed the Night Swim and will definitely continue reading these books if there are more coming! This one is about a missing influencer named Madison who is somehow connected to a potential serial killer who is set to be released form prison in a matter of days.

Although I found some of this one far fetched (is the FBI really allowed to disclose that much detail of a case with a reporter?) and some big coincidences that seemed unrealistic, overall I was still sucked in to the story. I was surprised with the ending and found it to be unique and interesting. The narrators were captivating and helped with the pace of the story. I was definitely on the edge of my seat in some moments!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the audiobook and @stmartinspress for the ebook! This one is out on August 8th!

I really enjoyed The Night Swim, so I had high hopes for this second book featuring the same main character, podcaster Rachel Krall. I love books that feature true crime podcasts and this plot, in theory, should have created a lot of suspense. Unfortunately, Rachel felt like a completely different character this time around, and Dark Corners lacked the depth that made me appreciate The Night Swim. I know many others are really enjoying this summer thriller, but it just didn’t work for me.

This second installment of the Rachel Krall series does not disappoint. In fact, many new elements are introduced which keeps this novel fresh and different from the previous book which is nice. The fact that the protagonist is embroiled in a multifaceted investigation allows the reader to glimpse parts of her that we had not seen before. The pacing of the novel is fast but never feels rushed. The fleshing out of the main character is one of the best parts of this book and I hope the series continues for a long time.

I didn't read the Night Swim, didn't realize this character was introduced in that book. Having finished, I don't think it's necessary, as I feel like this is written as a standalone, but I will go back and read it cause I enjoyed this book.

Rachel Krall is a former investigative journalist turned podcaster and this was written in a style similar to police procedural just from a journalist/podcaster POV instead of a cop. She's been brought in by the FBI to talk to an inmate who mentioned her name while visiting with the only visitor he's had in 6 years and that visitor mysteriously has now gone missing. This leads to Rachel knocking heads with almost everyone as people try to tell her what to do but she insists on doing her own thing, lol. When she decides to try an infiltrate the influencer world at a nearby conference to get more answers I feel like we are left with even more questions! What's connected and what isn't?

Overall I enjoyed the story, the mystery sleuthing that was done, and the twists till the mystery was solved. My only complaint is that if Rachel is a main character and possibly a series character I really wish the author would flesh her out more. Other than a slight romantic connection, I don't have any insight to her character, much of her past, or what makes her tick. Maybe that was covered in The Night Swim, but if so, I would expect the author to continue to expound on her character and personality and not leave her so flat and emotionless. I want to like Rachel but this book left me feeling indifferent to her. It's the mystery solving that would have me going back to reading The Night Swim, not the character herself.

Good - a smidge too many characters to keep track of but overall I enjoyed this. Definitely didn’t have it all figured out.

*ARC provided via netgalley

Thank you, St. Martin'e Press and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up

I read The Night Swim by Megan Golding a couple of years ago and loved it. I was super excited to get my hands on an early copy of Dark Corners. I loved this book even more! The chapters were short and concise. It made the flow of the book perfect. I like how chapters jumped from different perspectives and storylines. I think there was the perfect amount of suspense leading up to the end where some readers may have guessed it, but others might take longer to get the twist. The only complaint I have was that the podcast aspect felt glanced over. There were about 5 chapters where she was filming the podcast. I would have loved that incorporated more. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to any mystery fans.

A famous podcaster is on the trail of a serial killer after the FBI reaches out for her help finding a missing influencer.

“The scariest monster is the one that hides in plain sight.”

I loved it! Dark Corners kept me hooked from the very first page!

Honestly, I'm a big fan of True Crime podcasts myself so a book about a famous podcaster of True Crime was sure to be a hit for me!

A famous influencer goes missing after she visits an inmate who is suspected of a string of murders from a few years ago, but not convicted. Rachel is asked to step in by Special Agent Joe Martinez from the FBI, as the inmate, maybe the last person to have seen the missing woman, will only to speak to Rachel.

I really enjoyed Rachel's investigation and her infiltration of the big influencer event, BuzzCon. The drama, the possible suspects, the behind the scenes of social media, everything kept me interested!

I also loved working the investigation as Special Agent Joe Martinez from the FBI, following him to the crime scene and working the case.

All in all, this had the perfect amount of mystery and unease, suspects and murders, questions and clues! I really recommend this book for fans of mystery/thrillers!

This book is number 2 in the Rachel Krall series, though it can be read as a stand-alone. The Night Swim is book 1 and follows a different case completely. I read The Night Swim in the past and also gave it five stars!

Rachel Krall is back in action when she’s pulled into an active suspected murder investigation in Florida. When an influencer goes missing while in town for BuzzCon, a huge influencer conference, Krall blends into the group to get the answers that could lead to the FBI finally IDing a serial killer.

DARK CORNERS by Megan Goldin was one of my most anticipated books of the year after absolutely loving the first book set in this universe, THE NIGHT SWIM.

I found the mystery to be intriguing and loved seeing Rachel interact with Agent Martinez! The influencer element was also just such a fun addition.

However, Rachel’s character seemed much more naive in this one and even boy crazy(?), which made me roll my eyes at some of her decision-making. The story also felt extremely repetitive and the podcast element felt really flat in this one.

Not my favorite, but I’m hoping if we get another Rachel Krall book, she’ll be back to who she once was!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: August 8

I was so excited to read this one after loving THE NIGHT SWIM! There’s so much to love about this one: Rachel Krall is back and she isn’t taking anything from anyone. The storyline is different from what I’ve read recently. And there’s enough mystery to keep you on your toes.

While all of that was great, I didn’t feel overwhelmingly compelled by the storyline and I guessed pretty much everything that would happen, so the shock factor wasn’t there. That’s usually okay for me, but for some reason it bummed me with this one. I also don’t looove the influencer storyline, so it was hard for me to become invested.

I also felt the romance was one dimensional and it didn’t really add anything to the story for me, but I appreciated each character as individuals and what they brought to the story.

However this was a solid read and I think anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller would enjoy it!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for this lovely E-ARC in exchange for my completely honest review!! This comes out 08.08.23

This book was so wild!! I loved it! I didn’t find that this book had too many twists and turns as much as it was just Rachel & Joe unraveling the crimes. I loved the Ouroboros aspect and my heart ached for the fictional victims. This felt like a real documentary to me—especially in light of the Long Island serial killer being caught recently. I also enjoyed the multiple POVs. It did take about 40% for it to really hook me.

I own but have yet to read “The Night Swim” and I can say I’m definitely more excited to read that now! I’m eager to see what Goldin comes out with next!

When podcaster Rachel Krall is asked to help the FBI find a missing influencer she is hesitant. She doesn’t know anything about this influencer or the prisoner she visited before she went missing.

I really enjoyed this story. It’s got a lot to it: a creepy bad guy, a podcast investigator, influencers and an influencer conference. There was a lot going on and I was super curious as to how it would all come together. I predicted a few of the conclusions, but not all of them and I was very pleased with the story and the ending.

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

Dark Corners comes out 8/8.

4.5 rounded up!

Dark Corners was a great follow up to the author's previous book, The Night Swim. While I found some parts to be a bit rushed and the social media aspect of the story to be a bit preachy, it still really held my attention and made the story an engrossing read.

It picks up right where it left off (without needing to have read the first book) and does a really fabulous job of not being a repeat of the previous novel. I really loved how we get multiple perspectives here from a variety of characters, not just Rachel, the FMC. It felt like the story was new and different, instead of being too similar to the first book, introducing some new secondary characters that were important and gave Rachel more depth. Instead of being an outsider who is navigating a small town sexual assault case, I learned more about Rachel as a person removed from her identity as a podcaster, which was nice and different. I also thought the story kept me guessing and entertained, which is all anyone really wants from their thrillers!

Once again, like with The Night Swim, I felt the book wrapped up a bit too quickly, which seems to be this author's style now that this is my second book by her. If that is ok with you, then this book was great. For me, it just removed me out of the experience a bit, especially after the reveal. Additionally, the social media influencer aspect of the story, while interesting, felt a bit too preachy in some places, which isn't necessarily bad, but it just felt a bit preachy and on the nose for me.

Overall, I felt this was a really solid thriller and I really enjoyed reading it, especially as someone who hasn't read many thrillers this year!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this review in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars!

Another great thriller by Goldin! I really enjoyed The Night Swim and was excited to read the second book in the Rachel Krall series. I really enjoyed the direction this book went. I thought it was interesting to get a “behind the scenes” look at the lives of influencers. I really liked the chemistry and relationship between Rachel and Joe. The short chapters were perfect and really helped keep this book fast-paced for me. I loved the chapters that were written as if they were taken from Rachel’s podcast. I thought the end felt slightly rushed, but I also couldn’t wait to see what happened once Bailey got out of prison. There were some twists in this one, including one that took me by complete surprise. I had a lot of fun with this one. Hoping we get more Rachel Krall books in the future!

I previously read and enjoyed The Night Swim, featuring true-crime podcaster Rachel Krall. I remember her as being intelligent, with great empathy and investigative skills. This book presents her as rude, stubborn, and rejecting advice. She seems to consider herself invulnerable and takes unnecessary risks when warned of dangers. With these personality flaws, I could not connect with her character or behaviour

The book was well-constructed with short, fast-paced chapters. There were a lot of threads involving living, missing and murdered people, which were cleverly explained and resolved by the conclusion.
Terrence Bailey will be released from prison in a couple of days. He was charged with petty theft and received a sentence of two years. The police have always been suspicious that he was guilty of the serial killing of six women but couldn't prove it. After defending himself in a prison fight, four more years were added to his sentence. A famous popular social influencer, Maddison, visited him in prison recently and vanished after talking to him. The reason for her visit and their conversation was unknown, but he asked for a visit from Rachel Krall.

The FBI's attempt to find Maddison has been futile, and FBI agent Joe Martinez persuades Rachel to come to Florida and interview Terry Bailey. They have no information on Maddison's family, friends, background, or personality. Maddison was a false identity invented for her internet persona, and she gained a massive social media following. If she is still alive, it will be almost impossible to rescue her, knowing nothing about her life except what she posted online. Little was learned from Rachel's interview with Terry; he had made cryptic threats toward her as she left the interview.

Martinez now worries that he may have put Rachel's life in danger and tries to persuade her to return home. Terry will be released from prison in two days and may act on his threats. Rachel argues with him and refuses to agree to any of his suggestions. She decides to go undercover at a conference for social influencers to learn about Maddison.

She enters a world of self-absorbed snobs and witnesses their vicious rivalry, arrogance, and jealousy. Their time is spent with exhausted photographers as they constantly pose for photos to post online. A body thought to be that of Maddison has been discovered sunk in a nearby mud pit, and a male influencer has been found murdered. We learn the story of two teenage girls who disappeared when Terry was imprisoned. Did he have an accomplice on the outside?
In the present, we learn of a creepy man using a drive/share to pick up victims. Surely he is working on orders from Terry? Rachel continues to argue with Martinez, but a romantic interlude develops, which seems out of place in this complex crime story. There are a lot of twists, misdirections, dangers, and surprises leading to clarity and a satisfactory conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this intriguing ARC. The publication date is August 8.

Dark Corners by Megan Golden is a thriller about podcaster Rachel Krall who is asked to help with another crime case that has gone somewhat cold. Terrence Bailey is in prison but almost finished with this sentence, even though he is a prime suspect for a string of killings in Florida. When an influencer named Maddison visits Bailey in prison mentioning Rachel Krall and then goes missing a few days later, Krall seems to be the only person who can help the case. Will Rachel be able to find Maddison before she is murdered like the others? Or is it already too late and a dangerous serial killer is about to be set free?

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was fast-paced with short chapters that allowed you to fly through this book. I really enjoyed the influencer lifestyle as an aspect to this book. It was a new and innovative idea for a thriller and It was different from any other thrillers that I have read. I find myself fascinated with the inner workings and lives of the influencer “elite,” so I enjoyed reading the inner workings and even somewhat dark aspects of the life of an influencer.

At first, when I started, I did not realize that this was actually a “sequel” for the book The Night Swim– which is my favorite book by Goldin. It still haunts me. In that book you are introduced to Rachel Krall and her crime podcast. I really did enjoy the references to The Night Swim and enjoyed reading a book with Rachel Krall again. I like her as a main character. I think the books pair well together, however, you can totally read this book as a standalone novel as well, in my opinion.

Despite the fact that you know who the killer is fairly early on, you’re not sure how all of the characters connect throughout the story and there are some twists and connections that I didn't see coming. There was one aspect of the killer (a medical issue) that was a bit over the top for the story especially as a means to catch the killer. Also, at first the timelines and characters were a bit hard for me to follow. There were a few chapters that had a different font and I had difficulty understanding whether it was her podcast? Or just more of an all-knowing narrator. Eventually the story did piece together for me and I really loved how all there were no loose ends at the end of the book.

I have read almost all of Goldin’s books and none of them have disappointed me. I look forward to her next books to be written and she is definitely an auto-buy author for me. I would recommend this book especially if you are fascinated by the world of influencers!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First off, let me say that the twist in the story really did surprise me and that is VERY hard to do. With that being said, I had some issues with some of the plot points in this story.
Rachel is about the dumbest female MC like, ever. She has precisely zero situational awareness and she demonstrates no caution in situations that she should KNOW to be dangerous. However, a huge portion of this book only works if our main character is this dumb.
On the other hand, Rachel is also supposed to be so unbelievably smart in that she's putting puzzle pieces together SO easily. She memorizes massive amounts of information like it's nothing and remembers everything perfectly. Like, really? No person actually has a memory that good.
This is more of a personal preference, but I really dislike romance in thrillers and there is definitely some romance in the book, but I feel that it doesn't add much to the story. If you cut those scenes/chapters you would have essentially the exact same story.
I also got to the end, and kept swiping on my kindle because I couldn't believe the book was over. Extremely abrupt ending which felt a little like whip lash to me. An epilogue would've been really nice for this one.
Towards the beginning, I was confused by the number of narrators and perspective changes we got, but it did start to make sense towards the end. I would say that I also appreciate chapter headings to know if we're jumping back in time, getting a different narrator, or changing scenes. It's not a huge deal, but I think it would've helped me follow the story better.
Overall, I didn't hate this one, but there were several aspects that are making me withhold a four- or five-star review.

This review (or an abbreviated version) will be posted on my bookstagram @leannaslittlelibrary on the publication day 8/8/23
Thank you for letting me read!

This novel keep me guessing until the end on some of its mysteries. The main character is Rachel, a true crime podcaster previously seen in Night Swim. She helps the FBI with a case of a missing influencer. It was interesting to read about an influencer’s conference. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This engaging read starts off shortly after The Night Swim, but it could be read as a standalone because there's enough information included in this one to not be confused.
We meet Rachel Krall again who has been asked by the FBI to meet with Terence Bailey, whom the FBI and police believe to be a serial killer. Another girl has gone missing and Rachel’s name came up when the girl had met Terence in jail. Because of the crime, Rachel decides to do some sleuthing on her own and with the FBI agent Martinez to figure out what really happened to Maddison and if Terence is the killer the police believe him to be.

If you’re looking for…an intriguing mystery with a timely true crime angle, then this one’s definitely for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I could give this book 10 stars it would be this book. Loved this book. Its about a serial killer that they can't seem to find. This book had we in suspense the whole time.
First time author for me. I couldn't put it down. Read it in 2 days, it was that good.

Great job Megan truly appreciate your mind in this book.