This can be read as a stand-alone as references to the first book are usually briefly explained.
This book was very very similar to Carol Wyer’s A Life for a Life. I rated that one about the same as this one which isn’t too shabby! So if you read and enjoyed that book you will probably enjoy this one too.
Although I mostly enjoyed it, my biggest criticism would be the unnecessary length as I felt there was a ton of filler as well as predictability. A few of the ‘twists’ weren’t twists at all to me since I spotted them a mile away and I feel most readers probably would too.

This is a book which grew on me. In the beginning, I was not that I liked it and kept finding other books to pick up and read. When I got around the 35-40% mark, I was fully invested, and it became a riveting page turner for me! This book won me over and left me impressed.

I enjoyed how everything came together and fell into place. This was an interesting one. The social media influencer angle was interesting but man most of them were vapid, arrogant, and so unlikeable.

I really loved The Night Swim - it was one of my favourite books of 2023, but this one didn't resonate quite as well with me. I'm not a fan of insta-love and I didn't like Rachel as much as I did in The Night Swim. She seemed to be over-confident in her abilities and her lack of concern over her own personal safety was, well, concerning. I didn't mind the social media influencer angle, although I'm not too engaged with it myself. I'm assuming the author did a good job with illustrating the dog-eat-dog world of influencers.

I still really enjoyed this book, it just fell a little flat after how much I really liked Rachel in The Night Swim. If THIS book had THAT Rachel, it might have been closer to a 5 star read. As is, it's a 3.5 bumped up to a 4.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed Megan Goldin's novel Night Swim and was super excited that this has been turned into a series. When I was approved for an advanced copy of this book, I couldn't wait to get started reading. I was a little bit underwhelmed. This book centers around the world of social media influencers and how "regular" people can get really invested in influencers lives. It takes place in Florida at an influencer convention called Buzzcon. Because of that, I didn't find the storyline to be that engaging for me personally. I enjoyed Night Swim because of the podcast episode interludes, the courtroom scenes and descriptions, and this book had none of that, as Rachel was really there helping the FBI, not really working on a new season of her podcast.

Overall I think this was a pretty solid mystery, but not as engaging as the first in the series. I think that there will be many people who enjoy it and for good reason.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Megan Goldin is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors. I love the podcast within a book concept, This story has a definite "ripped from the headlines" vibe, with a pretty young influencer suddenly missing. Journalist/podcaster Rachel Krall is on the case, even though she doesn't want to be, thanks to a prison inmate with a looming release date. Taking a peek into the world that is the life of an influencer, Goldin lays the plot out for us at the perfect pace, keeping me reading well past my bedtime. Can't wait for Rachel Krall's next adventure!

I loved Night Swim and was thrilled to see a second book featuring Rachel Krall. For me, Dark Corners was even better than Night Swim. I thought the plot was great, especially with the main focus being social media influencers and a huge social media conference. It's such a popular industry currently and the idea that high-profile people were seemingly disappearing, and yet people weren't shocked by it, was fascinating.

I enjoyed getting to know Rachel's character more too. I won't share spoilers, but it had an ending that made me cheer for Rachel, and also for a third book featuring her.

This was such a fast-paced read with twists and turns with every chapter. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed The Night Swim, and I love how this one picks up right where her last book ended. An influencer goes missing and Rachel agrees to work with an FBI agent to help solve this case. This book was fast paced and really kept. you guessing. If you like books about podcasts and true crime I highly recommend picking this book up.

While I still liked this read, it was a bit disappointing for me when comparing it to the first in the series! I still loved Rachel’s character and the podcast theme, but I wasn't as captivated by the thriller plot itself as much in this one. I also hated the ending, but I'm still looking forward to more potentially in the series and would read anything that Megan Goldin writes! It still was 4 stars, don't get me wrong... The Night Swim just worked better for me in comparison.

This book had an interesting premise, but it didn't really capture my attention as much as I had hoped it to. I enjoyed certain elements of this book, including the fact that the suspect is in prison - adds a lot to the mystery aspect of the book - and that the victims are influencers. In my opinion, targeting influencers is an interesting approach to murder victims. This turned out to be OK for me. It didn't wow me, but I did have a good time reading it.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4 ⭐️
DARK CORNERS 🎧
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller
📖 352 pages
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 😱🎙️🚔⛺️

💙𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲💙

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy!

From the gripping opening to the shocking conclusion, DARK CORNERS delivers an adrenaline-pumping thrill ride that keeps you hooked until the very last word.

As a sequel to THE NIGHT SWIM, it stands strong on its own, offering a rollercoaster of suspense, adventure, & unexpected twists. The immersive audio 🎧 experience elevates the storytelling with dynamic sound effects & music, immersing you fully in the world of the narrative. Just when you think you've figured it all out, the plot takes a sharp turn, leaving you on the edge of your seat. Alongside the heart-pounding suspense, there's a touch of romance that adds depth to the characters & their motivations.

Overall, this is a must-read (or listen) for fans of thrillers, delivering a thrilling & satisfying experience from start to finish.

In DARK CORNERS, Terence Bailey, a convicted criminal, becomes entangled in a web of suspicion when popular influencer Maddison Logan disappears after visiting him. With Maddison seemingly only existing in the realm of social media, investigative journalist Rachel Krall is called upon by the FBI to unravel the mystery. Going undercover at a major influencer conference, Rachel delves into a world of cutthroat competition & hidden agendas. When a woman bearing a tattoo matching Bailey's is found dead, the investigation takes a sinister turn, revealing Bailey's potential accomplice & his dangerous fixation on influencers, including Rachel herself. As Rachel confronts the lurking dangers of the digital world, the narrative grips with its chilling exploration of obsession & deception.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ twisty thrillers
◽️ who dun it
◽️ podcasts
◽️ influencers
◽️ a sprinkle 🤌🏼 of romance

The second Rachel Krall book. Rachel hosts a true crime podcast and when a prisoner in Florida requests her to visit him, she begins on a journey she wasn't looking for. I liked the mystery that Rachel unravels, but the social media influencer bits were a little annoying, though that might have been the point. Overall I enjoyed this book and recommend it to fans of the first book.

I really enjoyed this book! It had some twists and turns that I did not see coming! Books that make me want to stay up past midnight reading are the best and this one definitely fit in that category. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book! I will certainly recommend it to all of my reading friends!

This one is a super solid thriller. I was obsessed with being able to go back to listening even during work because I wanted to know what happened. It was fast paced and easy to follow. There are a lot of characters tied into the plot but I found it simple to keep them straight, even on audio which is where I usually struggle. I will say though (without going too much into detail to avoid spoilers) when you get to one twist you will probably say "well that was truly idiotic and maybe they deserved this" but also maybe I'm just judgey and no one will think that besides me. Overall, a quick twisty thriller that I would highly recommend!

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this story. This review can be found on my instagram @manymerrybooks

I was so excited for this one. I loved Night swim. Unfortunately this one was a DNF, I stopped at 40% and I can honestly tell you I have no idea what this book is even about. There’s no “podcasting”like Night Swim and Rachel is a completely different character in this book. She isn’t even likable it’s like she’s a different character from Night Swim. Such a disappointment. I recommend Night Swim to everyone I know.

Anything Megan Goldin writes, I'm going to love! This was no exception. Had me hooked from page one and I loved every minute.

Let's be real - I'll read anything with a true crime podcast host as the main character. I enjoyed Dark Corners even more than Night Swim. I supplemented this read with the audiobook version and that was super fun. Highly recommend the audio!

True crime podcaster working with federal agent to help solve the mystery of what happened to Maddison- a missing influencer. Plenty of twists but a little slow at times.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Thrillers are not my go-to genre, but this is my fourth Megan Goldin novel, and I have enjoyed every one. I especially like the Rachel Krall series. The Rachel Krall character has a way of bringing a human touch to stories that would feel pretty hopeless without her point of view. Rachel is a popular true-crime podcaster whom we first met in The Night Swim, which came out in 2020. In Dark Corners, Rachel is called to help out the FBI by meeting with an inmate they believe is somehow involved in the recent disappearance of a popular influencer. The book ends up being a deep dive into the underbelly of the influencer world. There’s also a lesson that sometimes there are other explanations for what may seem obvious at first glance. As one of the main characters says, “The scariest monster is the one that hides in plain sight.” This book had me hooked from the beginning to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this one. It didn’t top the Night Swim for me but I really liked it. I really enjoy the crime podcast angle especially on audio format.
It was interesting to dive into the social media convention and life of influencers. I also loved trying to track down the serial killer and just trying to piece everything together. I really like Rachel’s character and cannot wait to read the next book in this series!

Thank you so much to the publisher and the marketing team for an early copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review! I have loved working with these teams due to my love of Meg Goldin's "The Night Swim" (one of my favorite thrillers of all time, and the inspiration behind this sequel)

I absolutely loved The Night Swim when it was released, so I was obviously excited to read the sequel. This was a great follow up, and I think it highlighted Rachel’s character very well as a determined, independent woman doing whatever she can to solve this mystery. I only found the talk of influencers/social media to be a little much, particularly because that’s a trope that I don’t tend to like in general.