St. Martin's and MacMillan audiobook, thank you for Megan Goldin's amazing thriller. I am such a fan of this writer and this might be one of my favorites from her. I love the true crime podcast format and that readers get to return to Rachel Krall (Night Swim main character); Rachel is smart, empathetic, and strong, the perfect main character to drive this suspenseful examination of social influencer lives, murder, and the darkness of being "internet/influencer famous". I love stories that examine social media and influencer themes and in the hands of a kind of behind the scenes true crime podcast trope... oh yes please!

Goldin understands how to make a thriller work: she uses pacing well, brings in effective changes in tone/style for the podcast chapters, and drops in twists and reveals that keep the plot moving without ever feeling like the twists and reveals are out of left field (which I hate in a thriller). Part of the fun of this book is also seeing how the story comes together, how seemingly unexpected connections make sense and how reveals bring the reader into the story.

I want to say that the audiobook production, from MacMillan, is outstanding for this book. The podcast chapters sound like a true crime podcast and the narration from André Santana, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz is excellent (this book really benefits from the different narrators to really bring the podcast and thriller plot together).

I am never bored reading Megan Goldin's books and I really love that we got more of Rachel Krall. Recommended for fans of the author and for thriller fans in general. A strong recommendation for mystery and suspense fans and book clubs, I am thinking of adding this to one of my own book clubs for a change up from the usual historical and contemporary fiction reads.

NOTE, I would recommend reading Night Swim first but there are no spoilers in this book (I am just a traditionalist, I read in order as I like to see character growth, etc etc).

After loving the Night Swim, Dark Corners was one of my most anticipated summer thrillers. Unfortunately it was a bit of a let down for me.

The podcast in this isn’t seamlessly integrated to the story, I guess it’s supposed to be something recorded after the story took place and just randomly dropped in between chapters 🤷🏼‍♀️ It was hard to know that it was a podcast in the ebook bc it wasn’t marked with any information or font change and it wasn’t until I switched to audio that I understood.

I don’t know what happened to Rachel Krall from the Night Swim but Dark Corners Rachel is arrogant, stubborn and kinda rude. Her “I do what I want” attitude was annoying. I found the plot to be pretty far fetched and the POV of Thomas McCoy felt unnecessary for the majority of the book. There was an unnecessary romance that felt super forced. The dialog felt clunky and unnatural. There was too much use of names in it and no one talks like this, it’s just so awkward sounding and completely pulled me out of the story. The book also uses the full names of characters sporadically throughout, like “Joe Martinez was relieved when Rachel Krall agreed to meet with Terence Bailey.” I can only assume was a style choice by the author, but it was super distracting to me.

There is also repetitive info and phrases throughout, included the same descriptions used by two different characters a few pages apart. There were some minor plot holes and perplexing choices made by a professional journalist. The ending didn’t fully add up for me. I was invested enough to want to finish it, but was a bit let down because of how much I loved The Night Swim. I’d definitely read more by the author, but this wasn’t the book for me.

Thanks to St. Martins Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC/DRC.

Omg where I do I start with this review?!?! I LOVED IT!

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

Let me tell y’all that Megan Goldin writes my kind of “true crime” books. The characters are just creepy enough without being scary and the suspense here is chef’s kiss. Add in some mini cliffhangers and you won’t be able to put this one down. The mixed media format of a podcast is so fun and really makes the book come alive. Highly recommend the audiobook for a fully immersive story.

Thank you @stmartinspress for the E-ARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC! Dark Corners is out 8/8/23

What was the last book that creeped you out?

This was so, so good! I’ve been wanting to read “Night Swim” for a while and when I received an audiobook of “Dark Corners” from @netgalley, I was all in.

This has it all. Great characters and a well-layered thriller/mystery that keeps you hooked til the end. It was an excellent book!

Themes: 🤳🎆🕵🏻‍♀️🎙️👀🔦🔍

My thoughts: 🥸🤓🫡🫢🫣🫠😁👍🏻👍🏻

#netgalley
#audiobook
#goodreads
#bookofthemonth
@bookofthemonth
#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
#mybookoshlife
#readersofinstagram
#bookstagram
#bookstagrammer

*4.5

Rachel Krall is back and recording another season of her true crime podcast. This time is different. She has been summoned by the FBI to assist in the case of a missing influencer. Rachel has no idea who the girl is nor has any connection to her. Days before the Maddison (the influencer) goes missing she visited with an inmate, Terence Bailey, who is about to be released. Bailey was arrested for breaking and entering but investigators think he was involved in the murders of 6 women. It is up to Rachel, with the help of the FBI, to figure out what happened to Maddison and to determine if Bailey the one who is behind it all.

I did not realize this was the second the a series so I immediately went and picked up The Night Swim. That being said I don't think is 100% necessary that you read it first but you might get a little spoiled for the case Rachel covers during the first book.

This story was SOOOO good and the audiobook was *chef's kiss*. I think I will listen to anything January LaVoy narrates!

Thank you to Netgalley for an audio version of Dark Corners by Megan Goldin. This was one of the better audio books I have heard in a long while. You can tell they cared about how it was going to sound. Not to mention the story was a great story. Full of mystery and suspense. Towards the end I started to figure out how it was all going to tie together but that did not take away from it at all. I wanted to see everyone at the end have some sort of happy story. If you love thrilling mysteries, look no further and get this book. I highly recommend it.

Rachel Krall is back, attending an influencer convention in Florida, but not as you might think. Krall isn't promoting her true crime podcast, she's been called by an FBI agent to help search for a well known adventure influencer who disappeared under very similar circumstances to other young women in the area. Posing as an Instagram running enthusiast , Rachel dives into the world of social media and what people are willing to do for a view.

I listened to Dark Corners in audio-book format, as I previously did with Night Swim, and could not recommend this format enough. Megan Goldin's writing switching from Rachel's perspective to occasional chapters in the format of her true crime podcast episodes really helps bring you into the story and I often forgot that I was listening to fiction and not an actual podcast.


The beginning was a little hard for me to get into, with so many characters being introduced and story-lines seemingly all over the place. However, when I hit the 60% mark everything fell into place and I could not stop listening. Stick with it!

If you liked The Night Swim, definitely check out Dark Corners and vice versa. Rachel Krall is definitely a character to check out, and I hope her story continues on in future Megan Goldin books.

3.75/5

Rachel Krall is back in this podcasting, cold case, mystery. I really enjoyed The Night Swim and was excited to get to know Rachel Krall more as a character. Dark Corners takes on an influencing conference, a string of unsolved murders, a man being released from prison, and chemistry with an FBI agent. It’s all the right ingredients for a fun summer read.

Megan Goldin is an auto-read for me, I enjoy her propulsive stories and can’t wait to see how they end. The podcaster trope can be a little well-worn, but I’ll keep coming back for more. It works as a fun way to structure a narrative, and Goldin really sells it. The audiobook does an immersive job of distinguishing the podcast sections from the rest of the narration. The multicast narrators of the audiobook are excellent and dynamic. Thank you, Macmillan audio, for the advanced audio copy.

I liked and disliked aspects of this.

What I liked:
- I thought that the podcast snippits really worked with the audio format and loved the music / production value.
- the structure in general is one i like; multi media and multi POV
- the deep dive / reflection into influencer culture / aspects

What i didn't like:
- I felt like the relationship between Joe and Rachel was forced and could have simmered a bit more between books
- the dialogue between them was so cheesy.
- the final explanation was a bit unbelievable to me.

This book absolutely 100% lived up to my expectations. This was such a fun thriller to listen to. It was not gripping, fast paced and exciting!
•
What I loved
• The format with the podcast was perfect and was done so well via audio
•POVs from multiple characters including the villain which I also enjoy
•The MC Rachel Kroll is such a well written character and I sure hope Megan Goldin continues with her storyline
•The twists were well delivered and solving the case along with both Rachel and the FBI was a blast

The Night Swim was a solid thriller so I was looking forward to another book featuring podcaster and amateur investigator, Rachel Krall. This time, Rachel is somewhat involuntarily pulled in on an FBI investigation of a possible serial killer who is visited in prison by a popular influencer who then goes missing, days before his release. Who killed the women 6 years ago? And why are influencers going missing and turning up dead?

I really enjoyed this one even though it was overall much less “thriller-y” - this reads more like a police procedural than a psychological thriller, but I personally appreciated that change of pace. I liked following along as new clues were unearthed and figuring out the story as I went along with Rachel and Detective Martinez. Seasoned thriller readers won’t find many unforeseen twists here, but again, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. As long as you go in understanding the pacing, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Also, someone please tell me I’m not the only one who pictured Benjamin Bratt as Detective Martinez? Honestly, with the social media influencer convention and romance subplots, the whole thing was a little reminiscent of a darker version of Miss Congeniality, which is frankly a huge plus in my book.

The audio was great and I enjoyed the “special report” snippets as we follow along with the investigation. I actually enjoyed it so much I grabbed a BotM copy for my shelves.

Pub Date: 8/8/23
Review Date: 7/12/23
Advance Listening Copy received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Corners

Wow I am on a seriously good sprint of amazing thriller audiobooks.

Dark Corners might be one of my favorites of the year so far.

- Police procedural
- Multiple POV
- Serial Killer vibes
- Fast paced

Dark Corners is the second in The Rachel Krall books. I hadn’t read the first and i dont think that you would need to read them in order. I didnt find anything about this to be confusing having not read the first book. I loved the narration and thought the story was amazing too and I couldn’t stop listening or thinking about it all.

Man this one was good. Being my first Megan Goldin book and my 3rd thriller in a row I wasn’t sure I’d be able to really get into it and enjoy it, but it kept me drawn in the entire time. I was given an ARC audiobook from NetGalley so I listened to it all on a road trip. I actually found myself annoyed when we would have to stop for bathroom breaks and I had to press pause because it was just that good. Such a fun take on a mystery with the podcast/influencer trope and storyline. I enjoyed the little splash of romance thrown in as well. The narrators were great and made the author’s talent shine through even more. I can’t wait to read The Escape Room now!

Dark corners can be danger points…

Rachel Krall returns to investigate the disappearance of nomad-lifestyle influencer, Maddison Logan. Hours before she vanished, Maddison paid a curious visit to alleged serial killer and inmate, Terence Bailey. After some digging, the FBI finds Maddison’s internet persona is merely a front, and nobody knows who the real Maddison is.

Investigators recruit Rachel to go undercover at BuzzCon, an influencer convention at Daytona Beach, to get information on the missing woman. Then, investigators discover Bailey may have an accomplice on the outside involved in Maddison’s disappearance. The clock ticks, as Bailey’s prison release date is only days away, and Rachel’s safety becomes more threatened.

What I liked:
- There are so many moving parts to this story but they all fit together perfectly in the end
- The twists and turns were so captivating to me. And they were BIG twists that I did not see coming. When an author can pull off shocking twists that well, praise is mandatory
- Rachel and Joe’s relationship was a lovely (albeit short) break from the intense story. I hope to see more!
- The story unraveling through more than one perspective (Rachel, her podcast transcripts, and Thomas)
- Immersive detective fiction that kept me guessing the whole way through. I felt like a detective myself

WOW. This was a 5 star read for me! I was absolutely spellbound by this book and was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I’ve had a few of Goldin’s novels on my TBR but hadn’t got around to them until I received this ARC. Megan Goldin is SUCH an incredible storyteller. Needless to say, I am looking forward to diving into more of her work!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reading copy!

2.5 stars


I am a big fan of Megan Goldin but this one completely missed the mark for me. Such a huge difference between this one and all the others, which I loved. This was hard to read, felt long, boring, I didn't care about any of the characters or the story.

Hoping the next one will be better.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this book!

Thank you Megan Goldin, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

"Dark Corners" is the second book in the "Rachel Krall" series. While I personally so not listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, I found the premise for this book to be interesting. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was fast paced and the story kept me interested. One thing that threw me off a little in the beginning was the different timelines. I was listening to an audiobook of this book, so I'm unsure if there was a better distinction of the time lines in the physical book. However, it was a little confusing as far as the audiobook, until I was a little further along in the book.

As for the audiobook itself, Macmillan Audio always does a fantastic job with casting their narrators
and the casting for Rachel Krall was perfect in my opinion. The narrators in this cast did a great job. I loved the extra attention to detail when it came to adding the snippets of Rachel's podcast into the audiobook. It truly feels like you could be listening to an actual podcast.

I definitely recommend this book and can't wait to see what Megan Goldin writes next!

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thanks to Net Galley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced audio of Dark Corners.

3.5

Rachel Krall, a true crime podcaster, has been summoned by the FBI to speak to Terrence Bailey, a suspected serial murderer in prison for breaking and entering, is due to get out in just a few days. Since he requested to speak to her, she agrees to meet him. She notices he has a unique snake tattoo in the shape of the infinity symbol. After her visit with Bailey, a popular influencer, Maddison Logan speaks to her and shortly after goes missing. Is Maddison's disappearance connected to her visit with Bailey?

Rachel takes it upon herself to visit BuzzCon with a world of social media influencers. She finds out another woman has been found murdered, and she has the same snake tattoo as Bailey. Does Bailey have someone working with him.? In the dark corners of the internet. Rachel investigates, and the danger intensifies.

I couldn't stop listening to the audio of this book, Popular social media influencers, a true crime podcaster, and the FBI searching for a serial killer . I HAD to know what happened! I highly recommend the audio.

Loved this audio! Loved how there were podcast “episodes” throughout that really made the reader feel as though they were uncovering the murder mystery in real time with Rachel. Highly recommend this on audio!

I enjoyed listening to this book! I enjoyed the narrator and the author did a nice job of keeping me guessing. I feel that all was answered in the end. I was a bit confused at the podcast element at first, but then I enjoyed it! I wish I had heard more of the podcast - it seemed that it was unfinished. Thank you for letting me listen to this book. Megan Goldin is on my list of favorites now!

Give me ALLLL the coffee today because I stayed up way too late finishing this thriller!

𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 by Megan Goldin is a fun, (can I say that for a thriller?) and fast paced read that was thoroughly enjoyable!

A serial killer + a social media influencer + a true crime podcaster + a detective + a prisoner = a book that kept me on the edge of my seat!

A few things were predictable, a few things weren’t, but ALL of it was a page turner!

What I loved: The format! The different POV‘s, as well as snippets from the true crime podcast itself broke the book up in a way that kept me invested.

What I didn’t love: The dialogue wasn’t always believable for me, how they kept saying each other’s names and how choppy they spoke is definitely not how people talk in real life, but the plot was enough that it did not bother me by the end!

I’m going to chalk this up to a book you definitely can read on vacation, and if you are not a fan of sleep, then right before bed too 🤣

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC of this book!!

Overall, I give this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and will be published August 8, 2023