Dark Corners is a slow burn thriller with a true-crime podcaster, missing influencer and an inmate/murder suspect about to be released.

Since this is about a serial killer, there's a a bit of a cast to keep up with. Mix in multi-POV characters and varying timelines of murders/missing girls, plus a whole Influencer community and conference drama, I can see how some readers might get lost or overwhelmed. But if you can keep up, I did enjoy the way the storylines come together in the end--guessable, but still rewarding.

You definitely don't need to read Night Swim first to enjoy this. I remember literally nothing from most characters book-to-book and didn't miss anything. Although, I don't remember if Rachel was as frustrating in the first book, but she doesn't always make the smartest decisions here.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have been so fortunate with the amazing books that I have read lately!

This is the second book in the Rachel Krall series. Krall is a true crime podcaster and she’s back to help the FBI search for an influencer who goes missing after visiting a suspected serial killer.

I loved the fact that the story takes place at a social media influencer conference. The twists and connections were very well done. The story alternates between the story and episodes of Krall’s podcast. I listened to it and felt the podcast was done PERFECTLY. When the music that introduced the podcast would start, I got so excited because the podcast felt so real!! I thoroughly enjoyed this and didn’t want it to end!

Megan Goldin is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I've been lucky enough to read The Night Swim and Stay Awake, and both of those novels were completely captivating, so I was excited to get the chance to read Dark Corners as well.
This continuation of Rachel's story did not disappoint. I read a lot of thrillers, and this one is top-notch. Everything about the story, the characters, and the plot development had me completely enthralled, making this a totally unputdownable mystery!

This was a fun and intriguing read! I loved the multiple timelines and the different POVs, it really added to the suspense in trying to figure out who everyone was and how everything tied together. I enjoyed the plot line and how they tried to direct our attention to Bailey and trying to get the reader to think he was a murderer. I figured out a few of the twists about half way through the book but i didnt mind! I loved Rachel's character and how hard she tried to figure out who was behind the disappearance of Maddison. I also liked that they threw in other deaths to try and derail the plot and make the reader think they were all connected when they really werent. i thought the end was rushed and i wouldve liked to have seen and heard more about McCoy in the end and where more of his rage and anger came from, or if it was just from his medical condition. His mindset really creeped me out and i really despised hm, i didnt feel sorry for him at ALL. Overall, it was a good book filled with twists and turns and great plot that came together in the end! 4/5

I love Megan Goldin’s books. I was so excited when I saw that NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press sent me this digital copy and immediately downloaded it. Dark Corners was everything I needed/wanted and more! Megan Golding knows how to keep readers wanting more as the story goes on. This physiological thriller was unputdownable, twist and a lot of fun. I loved not only seeing Rachel Krall back, but also meeting new characters. Thank you Megan Goldin, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this great arc!

Dark Corners is the fourth book (second in the Rachel Krall series) that I’ve read by Megan Goldin and, once again, I couldn’t put the book down. Goldin really does put the thrill in the thriller genre.

There are three storylines that are contained in the book; what is happening in the present with Rachel and the investigation, the serial killer doing serial killer things, and the podcast helping the reader with the flow of past events. These three aspects of the book help to keep it moving along at a fast pace and gives the reader just enough tantalizing information to get them intrigued before moving onto another point of view.

There were some coincidences in the book that helped to throw suspicion in other directions which I really enjoyed. This had me thinking various things for awhile, and then, Bam!, total change of direction… which was fantastic. Some books use coincidences to try and help the book fill in consistency holes, but Goldin used them in a masterful way to enhance the story.

If you enjoy thrillers, you will not be disappointed with Dark Corners or anything else Goldin writes.

I was a little leery of this once since I liked the first in the series (Night Swim) but didn’t think it was anything amazing. I liked the format, but the story didn’t really keep my attention. However, I read Dark Corners in two days because I just didn’t want to put it down!

First of all: serial killer. Anytime a book is about one, I’m going to toss anything else to the side to read it. Second: podcast. I really enjoy the format of regular chapters and then the special report podcasts thrown in.

I figured out what was going on pretty early in the story and couldn’t figure out why the people in the story were not following the clues. But… it’s a good story, and obviously it would have been a lot shorter if they had. 😂

It was difficult to read some parts because words/dialect, etc. didn’t match the setting. I later realized the author is from Australia, but the setting of the book is Florida - so it’s a little “off” at times. It didn’t take away from the overall story, it just made me pause sometimes.

Questions I still had after I was done reading (no spoilers):
1. Whatever happened to the ad the FBI was going to put out?
2. What happened to the kitten?!? 😱 (don’t worry - no animal cruelty here)

Megan Goldin is becoming one of my favorite authors! I requested an advanced copy of Dark Corners knowing nothing more about it than the fact it was written by Goldin. Since I went into reading it blind - I was so surprised to find that podcaster Rachel Krall from The Night Swim is back. I was reading and kept thinking - something seems so familiar to me about this girl. I loved The Night Swim - it has been a while since I read it so I really didn't remember much other than Rachel and a courtroom setting. This time Rachel is assisting an FBI agent in a case. So you could absolutely read Dark Corners if you haven't read The Night Swim. But I encourage you to read BOTH - because they are both so good! This book caught my attention right away and kept me engaged throughout - it got really good toward the end. I do seem to enjoy books that have a podcast element to them. This one also gave a glimpse into the world of influencers as well. Thank you so much St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my advanced copy of Dark Corners.

I did not enjoy this quite as much as Night Swim, but it was still an entertaining thriller. I enjoy our podcaster, Rachel Krall, quite a lot.

In this installment, Rachel is called in by FBI agent Joe Martinez to help with a missing girl. She gets sucked into the world of influencers, and I admit that I don’t enjoy reading about influencers.

Overall the pacing was good, but I predicted the twists pretty early on. That said, I hope we get more books following Rachel Krall, because I’ll read them all.

Rachel Krall is back in another crime novel. This time there are lots of social media influencers and an inmate about to be released from prison. The FBI calls Rachel when the inmate’s last visitor, a #vanlife influencer, goes missing. Rachel’s name came up during their conversation, so the FBI offers Rachel exclusive access to the case if she talks to the inmate. Of course, Rachel becomes involved in the case as more than just a reporter, she may be victim. Readers get insight into many characters through third person perspective changes. Rachel is the main perspective, but readers also see an FBI agent and a shady ride-share driver. The story is very convoluted, but all of the pieces do tie together at the end. This can also be read as a standalone novel; readers do not need to read the first Rachel Krall book to understand this one. Ultimately, mystery readers should try this one.

Loved the podcast format! Rachel Krall is a famous podcaster who is randomly contacted by the FBI to assist on a case. The kicker? The man serving time in prison for murder has never met Rachel, and she has no idea why he would call on her for help. When she meets with him he won’t share very much info. While Terrance “Terry” is incarcerated, the murdered continue, and the FBI wants to know who his accomplice is. Lots of twists and turns, and this definitely stood out with the format. 5 star read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Night Swim and went into this with pretty high expectations.
This was not what I hoped for.
The plot was not nearly as enticing and the characters were kind of detestable.
It just didn't have the same pull as the first book.
Also who the Fudge dyes their hair in a camp ground? Seriously WTF?!
Not only is it absolutely ridiculous, but abhorrent behaviour.
If you are going into this, I would suggest the audio, it was a lot smoother for the podcast transitions.
Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio & St. Martin's Press for my DRCs.

4/5 ⭐️

Book # 2 in the Rachel Krall series. I just want to preface this by saying that I did not read the Night Swim (first book) but this one works super well as a stand alone!

This is going to be the most ridiculous review you’ve ever read because I can’t seem to string together a coherent sentence lately. Have fun! 🙃

💭I really enjoyed this one! I love Rachel’s go-getter attitude and how she pieces together the puzzle with solid investigative and journalism skills. I loved that we even read chapters in the POV of the perpetrator and yet I was still on my toes!
I love how the story dives into the REAL lives of social media influencers & incorporates that into the mystery.(Although there were some parts including the influencers that seemed a bit unnecessary but they threw a wrench in what you thought you knew was going on so it still worked). You think the answers are obvious but they never are. And dare I say I loved the little bit of romance in this?!

The ending had just one little aspect of predictability but even at that, I was still cussing under my breath at the stress of it all.

I’m not sure if it’s because it was an e-book but there was no real distinction between when it was a podcast script or not besides realizing that there is repetition, and the first person writing.
I also find the podcast portion just kind of a recap of what we already know so it’s ALMOST pointless? But I still really liked that aspect?! I’m obviously confused in life LOL!

& lastly: without spoiling, I loved the end because it reminded me of the best parts of “Notes on an Execution.”

Thank you NetGalley, st Martin’s press and Megan Goldin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I vacillated between audio and digital on this one. For my last book, the narrator made appreciation of the book a challenge so I was extra aware that this narrator did a great job with intonation and differentiation of characters. There were references to the podcaster/main character having a sultry voice and the narrator did. It didn’t always fit what I envisioned and sometimes was slower than i would have liked. In terms of the story,
+ I love a good podcast incorporated into a book
+ excerpts from the podcast along with music were fun to break things up and move the plot along
+ the setting of the influencer conference was unique, fun, interesting, and informative!
+ the characters were, on a whole, likable
- typically not a fan of detectives as book leads
- without giving a spoiler, there was one big gap in wrapping up the storyline and connecting characters. Maybe it was addressed so briefly that I missed it???
Ultimately, I enjoyed this more than I expected. I rated it 3 stars when I have given other books by the same author 4 but I think that’s a me thing and not a her thing; the bar has been raised.

fast paced thriller that i couldn't put down

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the copy for review

If I enjoyed Night Swim, Rachel Krall’s first adventure, I liked this second volume even more. The chapters are short and end in cliffhangers that pushed me into the “one more chapter” rabbit hole that made this a very quick read. This time, Rachel is called by the FBI to interview a prisoner and suspected serial killer who is about to be released. There are historical murders and new victims, one of which is an influencer who’s gone missing. Rachel will have to infiltrate a “content creator” convention to try to find out more. Incredibly, even if in real life I think that influencers are a sign of everything that’s wrong with the world, the author made them all complex enough to be interesting, so that I was not only rooting for Rachel but invested in the missing blogger’s fate, as well as the side stories. The chapters transcribing Rachel’s podcast are written in a different style, so it’s fun to see how the tone changes from the novel to the fictional podcast. The plot is tight, suspenseful and, as mentioned before, super-addictive. Most of the twists were unpredictable and the loose ends are all tied up in a way that made sense. I hope that there will be more books, I like this series and these characters.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#St. Martin's Press!

*****Publishing August 8, 2033*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rachel Krall, a popular crime podcaster, is back, but this time she is trying to figure out why a popular social media influencer, Maddison Logan, goes missing.

Just one phone call changed Rachel Krall’s life. When the FBI called to ask Rachel to fly to Florida to help out with an investigation involving Terrence Bailey, who is about to get released from jail for breaking and entering. But in fact, he is thought to be connected to 6 women’s deaths, but nothing has been proven. Maddison Logan goes missing after visiting Terrence Bailey. Will Rachel be able to help or will she take it too far and end up with her life on the line?

Definitely a page turner, with an unexpected plot twist that will keep you guessing until all is revealed! A highly entertaining book, so perfect for any vacation!

Even though this book is number 2 in the Rachel Krall series, it can easily be read as a stand alone.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, I was provided an ARC of Dark Corners by Megan Goldin via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading The Night Swim and Stay Awake by Megan Goldin and loving them, I was excited to get an advance copy of Dark Corners. Dark Corners reunites readers with Rachel Krall, the podcaster from Night Swim. This time Rachel dives into the world of influencers and the idea that people aren’t always what they seem. I enjoyed this book from start to finish especially the emphasis on remembering the victims rather than glorifying the killer. There were several twists I wasn’t expecting and the book was made even creepier by the idea that all of the events in the book can and do happen to women every day. I enjoyed getting to revisit Rachel and I hope Goldin writes more books featuring her in the future.

Rachel Krall is flown to Florida to assist with a prisoner questioning and ends up staying in town to do her own investigation. You find some twists which can be a bit expected with the multiple perspectives used in Dark Corners but overall the book was paced really well. I would reach another book in the Rachel Krall series!

Dark Corners
By: Megan Goldin

Maddison Logan is a social media influencer and she wants to interview a newly paroled Terrance Bailey. He was suspected of killing several woman. After they met and he is paroled she comes up missing.

Did Bailey kidnap her? The FBI hire Rachel to locate her but she seems to not have any connections other than online.

Rachel goes undercover online. Things really heat up and there is more than meets the eye. Did Bailey have an accomplice?

This is the 2nd in the series of Rachel Krall. I highly recommend Night Swim as well.

Thank you St. Martins Press, MacMillion audio and Netgalley for this advance copy o our August 8, 2023.
#darkcorners, #megangoldin, #stmaetinspress, #netgalley,#bookreview, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50