Member Reviews
Having not read the first book in this series, I was surpised to be able to follow along so well without prior knowledge. Fast paced, the thriller was nice
Rachel travels to Florida to meet with FBI agents and a prisoner named Terrance Bailey. Popular Instagram influencer Madison has disappeared and she was last seen in the prison meeting with Terrance. Rachel conducts her own investigation into Madison's disappearance, finding clues and information that the FBI didn't know. Will they be able to find Madison before she is killed? This story was fast paced and kept me wanting more.
Loved this book!
Such a gripping read, I couldn’t put it down. The twists were unexpected at the end, and although there were some parts that were predictable it still kept my attention until the very end. Another great read from Megan Goldin. Highly recommend.
I loved it. It was very fast paced. I loved the podcast parts of it where she's a podcast journalist. I loved the characters especially Rachel. Had a lot of twists and turns. I liked the killers povs.
There have been several books and TV shows featuring the host of a true crime podcast as a detective of sorts. And here's the thing, I've loved all of them! Rachel Krall is another podcaster, hot on the tail of an exclusive story to feature in her podcast's next season. And there's a lot at stake here. A woman is missing and a probably serial killer is about to get out of prison.
The woman missing is Maddison, a hot young influencer who travels the U.S in an R.V. and share her experiences on social media., think Gabby Petito but without the murderous fiancé. So when she goes radio silent and her R.V. is found infested with snakes, authorities know she's been the victim of foul play. The weird thing is, the FBI brought Rachel in because her name came up in the case.
Can Rachel get to the bottom of what is going on, get the convict to talk to her and find Maddison in time? And stay alive while doing it?
Dark Corners is an enthralling whodunnit that will keep you guessing until the very last page. This one is out August 8.
I enjoyed taking another journey with the podcaster Rachel Krall from Ms. Goldin"s previous book Night Swim.
Reading about the social media influencers was informative and entertaining. I was never bored as the pacing was good and the twists were not predictable.
Hopefully, there will be more books about Rachel and her podcast subjects in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
I kept trying to finish this one but I got half way and just couldn't do it. It was just not for me.
Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
I really enjoyed the behind the scenes look at what some social media influencers go though.. I just didn’t get the “thriller” vibe from the story & think mystery would be a better description.. With that being said, I did like the story & most of the characters.. Most of them.. You know who you are.. lol
Solid 3.5 stars!
Rachel Krall a famous podcaster has been called to assist the FBI in Florida but what she doesn't know is that the man who requested her help might just be the one behind a string of murders and the last person who visited him has disappeared right before he is to be released from prison. In a race against time with Bailey's release, Rachel is told to return home and forget the case before she might be his next victim.
It was interesting to read a story set in the world of social media influencers. I enjoyed guessing throughout the book and getting (some) things right. I enjoyed reading about the characters and loved the connection between them.
Overall, I’d give this book a 3.5 out of 5 star rating just because I feel like it didn’t have the same captivating quality as The Night Swim.
It felt like this was a story that the reader didn't know the ending before the characters which made for a good story. Along with the brief look at vapid Instagram influencer success and the pressure to stay on top added to the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am looking forward to more books with Rachel and her podcasting world.
I absolutely loved The Night Swim, and I went into this, expecting the same enjoyment. I did enjoy it, but it didn’t wow me. It fell apart from me about halfway through when all of the writing became about social media influencers. I also really didn’t connect with any of the characters. I might be in the minority, but this was only a three star read for me. But I will always pick up books by Goldin,
Such a great mixture of crime, whodunnit and strong female character.. Rachel Krall, our focal point, has a history of bringing justice through her smart evaluation of the facts of criminal cases; so much so that prisoners want her investigating their cases to get the right result. The FBI brings her in hoping she has insight and the story just snowballs from there. I love it. So much page turning!
In a nutshell: Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster, returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.
My thoughts: Thoroughly enjoyed this one, maybe just a smidgen less that the first book but that’s not even an issue. I had no issues. There are differences between both books so if you’re looking for a repeat of book 1, you won’t get it. Dark Corners had no court room scenes and the podcast was not featured here, although there are some transcripts of the case throughout the book. Loved the plot, the social media influencer angle, and a little bit of a romantic aspect (juicy Joe). Am I making this weird 🤔. Overall this was another winner for me and I’m really hoping for book 3! 4.5⭐️
My Review 🫧
📖 Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
Sorry @thisguybooks, I loved it. Give me an amateur detective trope wjth multiple POVs and a law enforcement POV that has me confused the whole way and yet wraps up every single loose end and you have my literal crack. I loved this book. The ONLY reason it didn’t get 5 stars was for an unnecessary plot line (iykyk)
Book 93 of 2023
I really enjoy this author's work and was excited to see something new. This story was as fabulous as the last. Great plot and a twisty turny mystery that keeps you guessing up to the end. Waiting patiently for the next installed with this main character
After reading The Night Swim, I really hoped there would be another book with Rachel Krall and her podcast. I love how bold and strong she is as a main character. She has a propensity for making sure justice is served, and served correctly. I feel like there isn’t much she wouldn’t do to uncover the truth.
In Dark Corners, Rachel proves yet again that once she’s pulled into a story, she won’t stop digging until she’s satisfied.
I loved the setting! BuzzCon - a conference for influencers to mingle, create content, and compete for a sponsorship prize - sounds like so much fun! It definitely provided the perfect backdrop for some interesting side characters.
This thriller had me on the edge of my seat.
We knew who the bad guy was from pretty early on, but there was still a questions of what role other characters might have.
Podcaster Rachel its woken up early one morning by the FBI asking her to come down to a Florida prison for some reason. By the time she gets there she realizes that she’s been played by them. They want her to interview Terence Bailey, who is in prison for breaking and entering. The police suspect that he might be a serial killer. His last visiter has mysteriously disappeared, and he is set to be released in the net few days.
We know that Rachel is in danger, there are cryptic messages that Terence writes, and the Lead FBI Agent Joe Martinez is really concerned for Rachels safety. Dead bodies keep popping up, people are missing and we just don’t know who could be next.
There also isn’t a lot of evidence that Terence did all the terrible things that they suspect that he did. We have no idea who he really is.
I loved that we get several POVs: We get bits of the finished Podcast, 3rd person POVs focusing on Rachel, Joe, and the murderer. The plot progresses quickly enough and little pieces of information are revealed to build on what we know.
According to Goodreads this is book 2 for Rachel, but it really is a stand alone. I would have had no idea that there was more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book. I think it encapsulated the Rachel Krall we met in The Night Swim and stayed true to her practices and character. The plot was great as well and it felt like the police procedural novel it's meant to be.
I liked how Dark Corners had Rachel's POV, Special Agent Joe Martinez's POV, Thomas McCoy's POV, and the podcast episode snippets. Having the law enforcement and suspect's POVs gave some extra oomph to this story.
I enjoyed the setting of a social media influencer conference in Daytona Beach. However, Rachel attends under an alias.... and the alias is still her same name 🤔 Make it make sense. And then she was surprised when another influencer had a hunch she was Rachel Krall of the true crime podcast..... given Rachel was asking everyone questions about missing person Maddison Logan and talking to police officers. Not a very good alias in my opinion. 🤷🏼♀️
I also struggled with the stupidity of some of these characters just getting into a random man's car!!! Nobody in this day and age - especially young girls - would do that even if they were desperate. I understand how the bad guy was able to lure in sex workers.... and I do get how he preyed on his victims in vulnerable situations, but the thought of a teenage girl getting into his car in the middle of the night with no working cell phone and he offers a free ride?!?! Not believable.
I also struggled with Rachel's theory that there were old paintings on the back of Terrence Bailey's displayed paintings. These paintings were done on canvas, and any artist who has used a canvas knows that the canvas is stretched over a wood frame - meaning there is no backing to paint on, so using the back of it for a painting would be almost impossible.
These are just little things I found do be unbelievable about this book, but everything else was wonderful and I was thrown for a loop when it was revealed who the real bad guy was. Dark Corners kept me on my toes, which is what I want with a book like this.
I'm hoping Megan Goldin releases another Rachel Krall book in the future! I love reading about how she does her podcast research and how the investigation process works.
"Dark corners can be danger points.”
Rachel Krall a famous podcaster has been called to assist the FBI in Florida but what she doesn't know is that the man who requested her help might just be the one behind a string of murders and the last person who visited him has disappeared right before he is to be released from prison. In a race against time with Bailey's release, Rachel is told to return home and forget the case before she might be his next victim.
I enjoyed Rachel's character better in the first book as in this book she seemed like a different person. Overall this book was a bit more modern with the influencer aspect but adding in the hunt for the serial killer made this feel like an episode on Criminal Minds. My rating: 4.5⭐'s
Check out The Night Swim book #1 in the Rachel Krall series while you wait for this to come out in August.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advance copy!
This story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Madison disappears and nothing makes sense.
Buckle up buttercup for a ride that will have you twisting and turning trying to follow all the leads and red herrings.
This book was fine - that's all. I preferred her last novel much more. I often get frustrated with thrillers when I can guess the ending before the book is done, and that's how it felt with this one.