It’s hard to review this book without comparing it to its predecessor, THE NIGHT SWIM, which had that rare five-star magic. This one, however, fell a bit flat. The main character just didn’t seem herself, and the story lacked depth. I still have hope for this writer and series, though, so I’ll continue reading.

I loved Megan Goldin’s last book so when I got a copy of this I couldn’t wait to start reading. Rachel Krall from the previous book is the main character in this book. I felt this book had a little bit different feel than her last book. It was a super fast and thrilling read but I did prefer Night Swim a little better. This one did have some good twists towards the end and was very fast paced and engaging throughout the book. I would recommend it for sure.

Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press for the ARC for my honest review.

Dark corners is a psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes from beginning to end. I read this as a standalone, I did not read the first book (The Night Swim) and I did not feel confused at all! This book was engaging and full of twists and turns.

This book was interesting...

Rachel the true crime podcaster from Night Swim returns with a new case when the FBI lured her to Florida to meet with an inmate who was set to be released in two days. All this because Madison, social media influencer went to a lot of trouble to visit the inmate in question Terrance, has gone missing. Shortly after her visit Madison went missing leaving behind her camper van with signs of a struggle. Though Terrance is in prison for a break in not murder the police have long suspected that he is a serial killer. Maddison going missing makes it seem like maybe he had an accomplice. The only part of his conversation with Madison that anybody could figure out was about contacting Rachel. Thus the FBI getting her involved... of course once she is involved Rachel can’t walk away. Especially when a body is found. While continuing her own investigation Rachel finds out that Madison had been at an influencer event so she attends semi-undercover to see if maybe there is a clue there since nobody was going to talk to the police about anything. But the death of one of the influencers seems to indicate there is danger everywhere...

From the start I could guess the truth about Terrance though the level of nonsense and clear police corruption that kept him in prison for 6 years for basically doing nothing was crazy yet sadly believable. The cops made up their mind with absolutely no evidence and just decided he was the killer. Meanwhile had they put any effort into finding out anything about him other than a troubled childhood they might have done something useful. But just like how they didn’t bother to look for Aysh or Hailey. Seriously Rachel found out more about all of them in two days than anybody else bothered to. The fact that they called the FBI in when Madison went missing says a lot about their priorities and is rather ironic considering how things end.

One thing I didn’t get was why the killer went after Aysh and Hailey in the first place. They didn’t fit the profile of his other victims... they were just two teenage girls working and minding their business. From what they said all the other victims were sex workers or runaways. There were 3 personal kills he made but these girls don’t fit as they were just regular people. It couldn’t have just been opportunity since he was ready with the water and he likely was the one to slash the tire so he planned it. Two bottles indicates that he meant to catch they both... I suppose he could have seen them both together but still even so neither of them really fit. Hailey had a troubled family yes but she had moved out on her own so... Also why was he killing peoples in the first place? Was it just anger over his condition? So he took it out on completely innocent people who had nothing to do with him but I guess reacted to his condition?

The funny thing about this whole story is that had the killer not tried to cover his tracks he would never have been caught. Had Madison not gone missing nobody would have ever known except for two people who couldn’t do anything about it and had no idea he was in fact a serial killer. It’s always the cover up that gets them.

I liked this it was a bit less gruesome than most thrillers tend to be. I don’t really remember Night Swim I may have blocked it out for so many reasons. I would definitely read more about Rachel and her podcast. I’ve read all but one of the author’s books.

This book has made me weary of drinking water offered by drivers and using their phone chargers. And being an influencer seems like a terrible thing to do.

“Always know what you’re walking into, dark corners can be danger points”

“The scariest monsters hide in plain sight”

To be truthful, my experiences with the author’s books have been uneven. When I look at the way I’ve rated her prior books, they range from 2 stars up to 5 stars. This is a very solid 4 star read.

I really liked our main character and found myself really engaged in the mystery.

The podcast chapters did definitely take a few before I liked them (I was a teeny bit bored by these chapters at first), but I soon found myself looking forward to them.

And I definitely got a kick out of our influencer convention.

The author does a great job of amping up the suspense and even throws in a red herring or two that will get you looking at things in the wrong way. Love that.

I hope there are more books I the series because I’m definitely on board.

• ARC via Publisher

Although this is listed as Rachel Krall #2, it can be read as a stand-alone. I loved this fast-paced mystery with the podcast element. It was fun to read back and forth between the story and the podcast transcript.

This was very well done and I look forward to read more of Rachel Krall books if there will be more.

I was super excited to see that Rachel Krall was coming back after I read and LOVED The Night Swim. Unfortunately, this might have been my least favorite Megan Goldin book so far. I liked it enough to keep reading and finish it, but idk Rachel’s character felt so flat? Her whole personality was about exercising, with some horniness and being exhausted by people thrown in. I don’t recall being as weary of her character in TNS, or maybe the story was good enough for me to overlook it, and this plot was just so-so. I’m still a huge Goldin fan, this one was just a miss for me!

It’s been a while since I read The Night Swim. I do remember how much I liked it, so I was excited to receive this ARC. Podcaster Rachel Krass is summoned to the Central Florida Correctional Facility to be questioned by the FBI. She’s dismissed by them but now her interest is piqued. She decides to hang around for a while to do a little digging of her own.

Dark Corners is told in alternating chapters by Rachel and the possible serial killer. I enjoyed reading as Rachel investigated her own leads. I think this was a solid mystery/thriller. I would love to read more and hopefully meet up with FBI agent Joe Martinez again in future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After enjoying The Night Swim, I was excited to receive an ARC for Dark Corners. In this second Rachel Krall novel, Rachel is summoned by the FBI when a social media influencer goes missing after meeting with a prisoner in a Florida penitentiary. The prisoner is a fan of Rachel’s true crime podcast and had asked the missing influencer to set up a meeting between him and Rachel. Soon after Rachel meets with the prisoner, a woman’s body is discovered nearby. The prisoner is set to be released in 48 hours unless the FBI can finally tie him to the previous murders they suspect him of and possibly link him to the death of the young woman.

I was ready to love this novel, but it was just okay at best for me. I was disappointed in the character development of Rachel. The Night Swim Rachel was more likable and effortless. This Rachel seemed to try too hard to be tough and some of the dialogue reads a bit like an old episode of Dragnet. The plot unfortunately ended up being a little too far fetched for me and the explanations at the end required a lot of suspension of disbelief.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: Expected August 8, 2023
Pages: 352

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this much anticipated book in exchange for my honest review.

After thoroughly enjoying Megan Goldin's The Night Swim, I was really looking forward to reading Dark Corners. Unfortunately, I didn't find this novel to be nearly as engaging as the aforementioned. Although the villian's character was exceptionally eerie, the other characters seemed slightly one dimensional to me. Even MC Rachel Krall was portrayed differently this time around.

I'll admit that my expectations for this book were especially high because The Night Swim is one of my top thriller reads, but I'm sad to say that this one let me down.

Overall, I enjoyed the premise but would have preferred much less influencer/podcast subject matter. I found it really took away from the chilling thriller ambiance.

This was a good suspense/thriller. I requested this book based on how much I enjoyed Night Swim by the same author. The style of this book was a little bit different, it was not told through the actual podcast as the story was happening in real time. I do think that I might have enjoyed it more if the podcast would have played more into the storyline. This was a really intriguing plot that dropped hints that I thought were going to turn out one way, but it definitely kept me guessing, which I love about this genre of novel. I will definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a thriller/suspense.

Rachel Krall is back in Dark Corners, Megan Goldin’s sequel to The Night Swim! The Night Swim is one of my all time favorite books, so I knew I had to request an ARC of its sequel!

When Terrence Bailey, about to be released from jail, receives a message from his first visitor ever to contact our famous podcaster, Rachel comes flying in to assist the FBI but also to take the case into her own hands. Things get complicated when that same visitor, a popular influencer in town for an influencer convention, goes missing that same day. What happened to her and will they find her in time?

Goldin does a great job with tying everything together, but where this book struggled was in its character development. Only toward the end of the book did Rachel (or any of the side characters really) begin to show some growth. Rachel in particular seemed mean and frigid, which I don’t recall from the first book. It’s a good thing I came for the mystery, and it was fun seeing how all the different parts came together in the end! If you come in with an open mind and don’t compare it to The Night Swim, you’ll hopefully really enjoy Dark Corners!

Megan Goldin is back with one of my favorite characters of hers, the true crime podcaster Rachel Krall with her latest pulse pounding thriller!

Krall is pulled into an FBI missing persons case when Maddison, a social media influencer, disappears after visiting suspected killer Terence Bailey in prison and they discuss Rachel Krall. Rachel doesn’t know Maddison or Terence, and has had no contact from either. She cannot imagine why they were discussing her or how she could be connected to these two individuals. However, with Maddison missing and Terence Bailey, a suspected murderer, about to get out on parole, the clock is sure ticking!

Dark Corners is told in alternating timelines. We get pieces from present day with Rachel and the FBI’s missing person investigation, and also another storyline with another murder that occurred nearby. The chapters don’t make clear when we are switching timelines, so the reader has to piece it together, which is easily done from the different characters. The mystery of how this other timeline connects continues to draw the reader in. We aren’t sure if this is related to the missing persons case, a past murder, or something that will occur later in the main timeline of the story.

Bodies keep appearing. Will the FBI or Rachel get to the bottom of this puzzle before Terence is released on parole and could possibly murder more women? Or will Terence continue his reign of terror after being released from prison?

Pre-order this heart stopping thriller from Megan Goldin right now!! Twists galore and an ending that will surprise even regular thriller readers like me, you won’t want to miss this one!!

The story is set in the midst of influencers, attending a convention, and all the stereotypes of what that might be are alive and well! A podcaster finds herself partnering with a handsome FBI agent to solve a missing persons case (and maybe a serial killer?). Fun read.

This is the second book in the Rachel Krall series, but it could easily be read as a stand alone. This is a mystery/thriller that is well written. Rachel Krall is a true crime podcaster. In this book she is pulled in to an investigation by the FBI to help with a missing persons case.

Description:
Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his freedom approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? Why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, 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, the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krell herself. Suddenly a 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.

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed Night Swim returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book as much as I did the first in the series, [book:The Night Swim|51169341]. This was an entertaining read with a few twists, some predictable and some not so much. I found the social media conference interesting. I can't imagine putting one's life on display all the time though. Rachel came across as defensive in the book, and I get it - she got pulled in somewhat underhandedly. I enjoyed the hint of romance in the book. I kind of hope to see more of Agent Martinez in future installments of the series. Terence Bailey came across as evil early on as everyone suspected him. He seemed like the dangerous killer they expected him to be.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 8, 2023.

I really loved The Night Swim (Rachel Krall #1), and was excited to read this second book. Needless to say, I liked the first book better. In Dark Corners, Rachel Krall is helping the FBI, but she seems more full of herself. In The Night Swim, she was very likeable. In this one, not so much. Thank you to NetGalley, publisher St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. There is still time for Rachel Krall to redeem herself!! 3.5 Stars

A great thriller that I can see being a big hit with book clubs.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

True crime podcaster, Rachel Krall, is back again! After reading “The Night Swim” and loving it, I was so excited to get my hands on this one. Rachel is asked to help with the FBI in finding social media influencer, Maddison, who has gone missing after a visit with a suspected serial killer in prison.

I did find the story to be a little far fetched at times, and the social media influencer aspect was not very appealing to me. However, I loved how everything pieced together in the end. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

“𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐. 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒔.”

Terrence Bailey is about to be released from prison despite being a suspect in the murders of 6 women. Rachel Krass is a podcaster of a popular crime show. Maddison is a popular influencer. The three are about to be connected in more ways than one. When Maddison is kidnapped shortly after visiting Terrence in prison. Rachel is determined to figure out what happened before Terrence gets released from prison.

Megan Goldin does it again with this fast paced, dark, and unique storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There's a lot of moving parts in the story but it all comes together nicely. This is a follow up to Night Swim but can be read as a stand alone. I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't read the first book in the series but I didn't need to. Definitely recommend this book!!