I really loved this! Rachel Krall is an amazing character and while I will read future books by Goldin, it will be an absolute must read if Rachel returns and I’m hoping for a series around her!

I loved the storyline, the thrills, the mystery. All of it!!

This book was so good! The premise of a serial killer chasing crime podcasters/influencers is a next level premise. Executed nicely and it was good to see Rachel back in action!

As a big fan of The Night Swim, I was beyond excited for more Rachel Krall. Shockingly, I somehow loved this one even more. Serial killers, social media slaves, and a story that I truly couldn’t piece together until the end. The perfect mixture! I am so excited to see where this series (hopefully) continues!

As soon as I received the email for Megan Goldin's next book, I KNEW I had to request on netgalley!! & oh boy I'm so happy I did!

This 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. Rachel Krall gets a call from FBI about meeting with a prisoner (Terrance Bailey) to help with a disappearance. A few days prior, an influencer Maddison met with Terrance Bailey in prison and went missing hours later. Why is Rachel Krall, the podcaster called into the investigation? It just so happens that Rachel's name comes up during Terrance's and Maddison's discussion in prison... interesting, but this is just the beginning... Here's the catch, Terrance is scheduled to be released in just a few days so the pressure is on for Rachel and the FBI.

Honestly, there's so much more than this one mystery going on in this book which made you want to CONTINUE and find out how the pieces connect. I love how there are two different POVs to have an understanding of what is going on from different perspectives, and a few chapters are told in the POV of the podcast. What's not to like? I wasn't thrilled with this ONE part towards the ending and wish a particular situation was played out a bit more.. Other than that, I LOVED the writing and the plot line behind it. I'm usually not a huge fan of multiple plotlines happening, but I found it wasn't overwhelming since everything was explained and the author did a fantastic job at organizing the plot.

If you enjoyed the last book featuring Rachel Krall, you'll definitely like this one (if not more). There are no scenes placed inside a courthouse which was pleasant & each chapter ends with you wanting to know more. There was even a bit of *romance*, thinking about it makes me ECSTATIC for the next book... UGH I can't believe I'll have to wait another 1-2 years for another book in this series.

I’m excited about the next one with Rachel Krall!

*Drop the mic* -Stage Exit Megan Goldin

Wow! Yes! Thank you Goldin for this book! This was the thriller I have been looking for. I loved it! From page one you are sucked into the story and know you will not be able to stop reading until you finish. (Okay, confession I had 15% left on my final night, I stayed up late reading and fell asleep--BUT, I woke up around 2:30 am to go to the bathroom (TMI?) and ended up finishing it--so worth it!)

I am surprised I enjoyed the book as much as I did because the plot revolves around social media influencers , very snow flakey millennial types. Goldin captured the typical stereotypes in a nice balanced way, not over the top annoying, yet believable.
As a dietitian myself I enjoyed reading all the food they consumed...Maddisons raw diet no carb diet did have me major eye rolling (people here is my free piece of advice--please eat carbs they are delicious! *Check with your Dr*)
I do wish there was some more "podcast" in this book, like there was in Night Swim. But I love Rachel as a character and look forward to many more in this series!!

Thank you Net Galley for this advanced copy read. I was not reimbursed for my honest review.

This book will work for fans of the Night Swim. It was great being back with Rachel and inside her twisted brain. While I enjoyed this book, I think the influencer subplot is a little tiresome. A lot of time was spent ruminating on this thread that I did at times lost interest. The social media mention is so prominent in thrillers nowadays, but I can understand it’s feature here considering the content of the first book. Goldin does a STELLAR job weaving a twisty tale and the short chapters - my favourite! This was a fast read that still kept my attention. Can’t wait to see what Goldin gives us next.

I loved this book! I kept trying to figure out the angles of the different points of view until my suspicions were confirmed in the last chapter. Loved her night swim book and k couldn’t put this one down

I loved Night Swim which also featured Rachel but this one just didn’t do it for me like that one did. I felt like it was some what predictable and had a lot of unnecessary details.

I absolutely loved this one. It had me fully immersed into it since the very beginning. The plot was so intriguing that it had me sat on the edge of my seat. I loved the elements of thriller too, and some of tide twists I didn’t see coming. All in all, it was a full 5 stars read

This is the second in the Rachel Krall series. I really enjoyed The Night Swim and was excited to read Dark Corners.
Rachel Krall is a true crime podcaster but in this book it is not an important part of the story. The addition of text of the podcast seems like an after thought.
Dark Corners is also about social media influencers …not a plot line that interests me.
The best part of the book is the when the story finally resolves itself … that worked well.

Dark Corners - Megan Goldin

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC of this book.

Those of us who read Night Swim will recognize the return of Rachel Krall (a true crime podcaster) who returns to work closely with an FBI detective to investigate a crime that occurs at a teeth-grindingly annoying influencer's award ceremony (tempting fare for any self-respecting killer).

That a detective would consider a podcaster his equal in crime-solving skills pushes the envelope of reality beyond its boundaries.

The podcaster in this novel was actually far MORE effective in solving the crime than the detective, and every word she said was unquestionably correct in his eyes, the cop NEVER seemed to doubt her, and that just did not "read" as realistic.

Note: If you haven't yet read Night Swim and you enjoy Dark Corners, don't forget to add it to your "to read" book list.

Until next time...

Thank you, St Martins Press, for the gifted copy of Dark Corners {partner}

Genre: Thriller
Trope: Missing Women
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 8.8.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"Dark corners can be danger points."

I read Night Swim by Megan Goldin in 2020, and it has stayed with me. So, when I heard that Goldin was publishing the second Rachel Krall book this year, I immediately requested a copy. Dark Corners had me hooked from the first chapter. It was mysterious and sinister, with countless reminders of the importance of being aware at ALL times.

The book, as a whole, had a realistic tone from start to finish. Of course, the story had some added dramatic flair, but the overall message is — this could happen. There's one point in Dark Corners (and I won't say what happens), but I was holding my breath because I knew what was about to happen, and I've been guilty of the same reckless behavior.

Goldin also takes a hard look at the mega lifestyle influencers of social media and how we should all take them with a grain of salt. It added an intriguing layer to the story as we all follow the influencers with 500k followers who seemingly live glamorous lives - but do we ever get to know them?

I devoured Dark Corners in less than 48 hours. I hope Goldin continues with the Krall series because I need more. She has such a talent for keeping my attention, keeping me guessing, and shining a light on some truly horrific situations.

"Killers receive so much oxygen in the media; it's time to give a voice to the victim."

😍 Romantic aspect (need more in book 3, please)
🤳🏼 Social media influencer angle
🔍 Red herrings
⚠️ Overall message, do not let your guard down

I recommend reading Dark Corners if you enjoy reading Night Swim — the two books can be read as stand-alone, but I have enjoyed watching Rachel Krall's character develop with each book.

When I requested this book I did not realize it was the second in a series. Don't let that deter you, this book can be read a stand alone. I enjoy true crime and listen to many true crime podcasts o that aspect of this story I really enjoyed. It does have you suspecting one person but even with that the story really comes together and was an enjoyable read. I would like to thank Netgalley for a cop y of this book and will be recommending to all my true crime loving friends.

Clunky, Disappointing, Twisty

I read Night Swim and enjoyed it. So I was looking forward to reading the sequel and was excited to get an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. Initially, I was drawn into the story and very engaged. But, there were a lot of characters and a lot going on and it required a great deal of suspension of disbelief. By the end I just wanted it to be over because it became so ridiculous.

Each time I read a Megan Goldin novel, I am instantly impressed! I always get the endings wrong, which I love… it adds to the whole thriller appeal! Her writing is excellent. This one is a must read!

I really love The Night Swim, so i was excited to read the next book.

Social media influencer suddenly disappears after visiting someone in prison. The premise looks so promising.
But unfortunately the book let down my expectation.

The thing is i could predict who was the serial killers. So i don’t get the murder mystery aspect. Then i dont like how the investigation with the lead team Joe Martinez is poor executed. I don’t think he’s an FBI agent with his poor decision. Keep worrying about something without do nothing.

The influencer part it’s not that deep, you can see there’s a bunch of them craving for money and fame. But what really makes them like that, beside of money and fame?

Meanwhile one of the best part of the first book is Guilty or Not Guilty podcast but we don’t get that part in the second book sadly.

I didn’t feel the meaning or connection with the characters. Oh and i didn’t expect this book will contain slightly romance.

I still love the first book more than the sequel.

Thank you St.Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me the copy.

This was a DNF at 19% for me. I remember really enjoying The Night Swim, but definitely do not remember having such a visceral dislike for Rachel’s character. I love a complex, unlikeable female protagonist, but Rachel behaves more like a bratty, hostile teenager in her interactions, which makes the dialogue unreadable.

Plenty of other reviewers have enjoyed this book, but it didn’t work for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Dark Corners!

I've had The Night Swim on my TBR FOREVER at this point, and after getting an ARC for book two, I decided to binge both books in this series back to back. Because of this experience, I definitely have some mixed feelings when it comes to this book.

On one hand, I enjoyed the plot of this story a lot more. Book one was less about murder and more about an ongoing rape trial. While there was a death that did play a significant role in the story, it wasn't the central focus which was what I expected going in to The Night Swim. So while I enjoyed the way the story was told immensely (through podcast episodes, letters, and coverage over a highly divisive rape trial of a popular teenager), I didn't exactly enjoy the story itself. Book two on the other hand is everything that I was missing from book one plot wise. In Dark Corners, we are back following Rachel as she investigates a missing girl, a murder, and the upcoming release of a dangerous criminal from prison. In book two, the stakes seem higher, the crime is the central focus, there is ZERO courtroom politics to weigh down the plot, and the story moves at a much quicker pace. I read this book in one day I was so intrigued.

However, with that being said, I disliked Rachel A LOT more in Dark Corners than I did in The Night Swim. She almost seems like a different character altogether. She is no longer as soft or likeable as she was in book one. She suddenly is so tough and almost more self absorbed that she doesn't seem like the same woman who read Hannah's letters and went against Pete and her podcast to help a stranger. In this one, it's like she only cares about the case because she was brought in and doesn't want to give it up because she has a crush, not because she was invested in Maddison herself. And for someone who strives to be unrecognizable in book one, I feel like she could have handled many things differently in order to uphold that same pretense here. But instead, it just felt like that entire idea was discarded and she almost paraded who she was in order to gain attention and access.

And that's another thing, I forgot how much I enjoyed having a short mystery novel that didn't need a romance to reach a page count. I have absolutely nothing against the love interest in this book (while I do think he's forgettable, I'm more indifferent to him than anything really) I just didn't think it was necessary for the story. For example, I can assume that Rachel has friends. Take Pete for example. The way they have phone calls, I will assume that in addition to being her producer he is someone she is close to. I could have accepted a love interest in this same manner. What I did not need was fade to black sex scenes that added nothing to an already short story and distracted from what I was really interested in. As a character, Joe adds nothing to Rachel herself and was just there as a man of convenience and in which case, I could have accepted even a quick fling, but multiple paragraphs of mutual pining was not needed in this series or mystery novel in particular. And don't get me wrong, I love romance books, so it's nothing against the genre, I just feel like Rachel was independent and proud and smart, and not someone that would make actual mistakes here because she's suddenly distracted by and obsessed with a man she met less than a week ago.

So while book one had better and more memorable characters and created a more uneasy feeling that has stuck with me as a reader, book two was better paced and had a more interesting plot for what I typically enjoy in mystery novels. I am certain I will continue this series whenever book three is released.

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Goldin, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of Dark Corners. I was SO excited to read this book because I LOVED The Night Swim (Rachel Krall #1). I thought the character was brilliant and the podcast Guilty or Not Guilty sounded like something I would really listen to if it were real. Rachel seems grumpy in this book? It almost put me in a bad mood reading it. I had a difficult time picking it up until I was over halfway through because I was in a funk after reading. However, after reading the book I felt very satisfied. I love Megan Goldin's writing style. It is extremely easy to follow and if there is a third book in this series I would definitely pick it up! 4/5 stars for me!

One aspect of Goldin's writing I always love is how she brings in modern, relevant topics to her stories. From the Night Swim discussing rape and sexual assault, to Stay Awake touching on law enforcement's occasional disregard of stalkers, she always provides great perspective. In a similar vein, Dark Corners looks at content creators and their seemingly glamourous lives. Unfortunately, I just didn't love this book as much as the previous books I mentioned. I loved the Night Swim for several reasons, and many of those aspects were missing in this next installment of the series. First, the podcast seemed a lot less involved. Following a serial killer was somehow less interesting than the active court case in the Night Swim. Second, the tone shift between the books was very jarring and I think many readers will be disappointed by the change. This felt like a police procedural much more than the first book and took a long time to really get interesting (about halfway through the book was when I finally got interested). Finally, the second perspective in both books (i.e. Hannah in the first book) was totally different from the character's perspective in the second book and I don't think I liked the change. Overall, this was an okay addition to the series. In the future, I am hoping Rachel Krall gets back to her podcast instead of getting involved in an active investigation.