I judged a book by its cover, and I loved it…. Then I realized it was a follow up to another book that I really enjoyed. This book was just great from beginning to end. It had me guessing the whole time trying to uncover the who, what, where. I really hope Megan continues to write about Rachell. The character has truly developed into one of my favorites… and I don’t normally read series’s.

I am a fan of Goldin and really enjoyed the first round of Rachel and her podcast in The Night Swim. As for round two- it was almost as good. You get sucked in with what seems to be a podcast of what is to come and the story is enthralling. I was a bit disappointed in this one because I didn’t get any more of Rachel. I didn’t get who she was or more of her actual character but instead just more of her “police work” and then an underlined romance was thrown in which felt off kilter. Besides that the actual story she fell into was great! I was invested in all the other characters and then the nice surprise at the end had my full attention. I’ll definitely be reading the next series in the one I just hope that it gives us more insight on Rachel as a person and not so much love story and insignificant details that bring it down a notch.

Megan never fails to disappoint. We return to Rachel Krall our favorite true crime podcaster (night swim) as she’s called to Florida by the FBI after a convict is seen on camera with a popular influencer and her name is brought up. Exploring the underbelly of social media influences and the rising popularity of the elite influencers is Rachel able to navigate a missing person search or is she the one in danger. As always Megan’s books are fast reads beautifully written and keep you wondering till the end. If you’re a fan of Night Swim you’ll definitely want to read this. 4⭐️

LOVED this book! I can't wait to start recommending this to people.
Rachel Krall is BACK! A popular podcaster returns with a brand new mystery to solve. When a popular instagram influencer visits Terrance Bailey in prison, he scratches Rachel's name into the table. This begins Rachel's story with the FBI, who bring her to the prison to try to find out why. They influencer has since gone missing, and Rachel is determined to find out what happened.
You do not have to have read Rachel Krall #1 to enjoy this book!
Read it!

This book was great! It was unpredictable in all the right ways and I loved the characters. I didn’t see the ending coming! I had no idea that the huge cast of characters would interact in the ways that they did.

My only complaint was the romance that seemed wholly unnecessary and predictable. I didn’t feel like it added anything to the story, it just seemed cumbersome and reductive. I really could have gone without that part altogether!

I really had no idea that the ending would be as twisty and surprising. I also loved the use of the rare genetic disease to add to the plot. I’m a frequent user of NORD (Rare disease collection) and I loved learning about a new one! Rachel is a phenomenal character and I loved her working with and against the FBI to solve the crime. Wonderful work and I look forward to seeing more from this author!

I liked this book a lot. It’s the second book I’ve read recently that’s about “influencers” and the world of social media, but it still felt fresh. It took me a little while to get into the flow of the writing. And if I’m being honest, I didn’t love the way points of view changed with no indication. It was a little confusing until I realized the different narration. But, overall the storyline was interesting… the plot played out well. There were maybe a few things that I thought, “well that wouldn’t happen in real life”, but it’s not real life, it’s a book. Overall a 8/10. I would love to see a Rachel Krall series!

What a wild ride with this one. I have thoroughly enjoyed Megan Goldin's writing previously and this book is no expiation! What a heart pounding thriller, so intricately woven together.

Rachel Krall, the famous podcaster, returns to search for a famous influencer who suddenly disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer in prison. I absolutely love Rachel's tenacity and tough mindset as she will never take no for an answer.

This book takes a deep look into the lives of influencers, showcasing how difficult it is to maintain a seemingly perfect life. I personally follow a few popular influencers and have wondered how it is possible to curate their entire life into a perfect reality show.

Definitely 5 stars for this one, Megan Goldin has become an automatic must-read author for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This book is out August 8th, 2023! Mark your calendars

I love the way Megan Goldin tells a story. I did not realize when I requested this that it was a sequel to The Night Swim, which is by far my favorite of her tales. Imagine my delight to find Rachel Krall once again front and center!

This was a wonderful story and she is a wonderful protagonist. She is sassy and strong and relentless and her daredevil attitude leads her into some Insane adventures that would send me running for the hills in real life but are phenomenal to encounter in a novel! Goldin does a fantastic job painting her protagonist with a colorful brush while never making her too good to be true. The Supporting Cast is equally strong and really rounded out the novel. I must confess that I found the romance angle a little unnecessary, but I am generally in the minority in my feelings about the incorporation of a love interest in a woman-led series, so that's not unusual. It wasn't presented in a way that detracted from the central story too much, which helped. Still, I do hope the tenor of the series will remain entirely Rachel-focused, as I'm looking forward to many more True Crime investigations with my favorite podcaster!

I wanted to love this one so much after Night Swim, but it was just ok. I really liked the beginning and was super excited about where it was going, but by the middle I was annoyed at the characters and a little bored. The end does pick up and throw a few curve balls but not enough to redeem the middle. It was a middle of the road thriller.

I was super excited to learn that Megan Goldin had another Rachel Krall novel in store for us. I have enjoyed all of Goldin's work, especially her latest, novel Stay Awake - so much so that I had forgotten how much I like Rachel's character. She's smart, quick, and down to earth. We meet up with Rachel again as she's called down to Daytona Beach to help with an ACTIVE FBI investigation. She isn't given any details until she arrives at the state penitentiary, where she meets with lead FBI Agent Joe Martinez. Her name came up in a conversation between Terrance Bailey, an inmate convicted of breaking and entering set to be released in a couple days (who is suspected of killing many young women but the case lacks the evidence to charge him) and mega influencer, Maddison Logan. Not only did Rachel's name come up in their cryptic conversation, but the next day, Maddison goes missing. As the investigation into her disappearance continues, it seems Maddison's entire online persona was fake. In order to help the FBI scramble to find Maddison, Rachel joins in at #BUZZCON to get the inside scoop from fellow influencers who knew Maddison. But the questions continue to pile up with very few answers. There's so much going on in this novel, and it is deliciously fun. The thrill of trying to figure out just what is going on last through to the very last page: who is that extremely yet subtly creepy character who keeps showing up, just who is lying, who is capable of murder and why, was there even a murder at all, how many bodies will turn up, and will Joe allow himself to have actual feelings?!?

A HUGE thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this novel! And thanks to Megan Goldin for giving us more Rachel Krall! :) Thanks also to NetGalley!

I loved the Night Swim so much, and the way that the true crime podcast was used to solve a crime so when I saw that Rachel Krall had a new story coming out I was so excited! This book follows Rachel as she is searching a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer. There were many times throughout this book where I felt as though I had everything figured out, but I was steered in various different directions. This book had a more dangerous and intertwined story line than Night Swim, I absolutely loved it! These are definitely my favorite types of books.

Very grateful to have been gifted this arc! The night swim was definitely a favorite read for me so I was super excited to start this.
This book shows the world of influencers and podcasters. It’s not always as it seems on instagram people ok?
This book was told in 3 different perspectives which can get confusing at times but it starts to fall into place. There’s A lot going on here with characters and different victims so you have to really pay attention. Despite there being no big twist I really enjoyed this slow reveal. I love how determined and driven Rachel is as a character. This is my third by Megan and I haven’t been disappointed yet!

Get it when you can!

Pub Date: August 8, 2023

Special thanks to #netgalley and #st. martins press for an arc of Megan Goldin's latest novel, coming August 8, 2023.

What a great book. Unputdownable mystery thriller. Character development is great, love all the characters and the side characters. Hoping this becomes a series.

It was especially nice to read a thriller that wasn't steamy or full of foul language.

One of my new favorite authors.

I will never look at social media and influencers the same way again. That aside, this book is a fast-paced mystery that I had a very difficult time putting down. The writing is captivating, the chapters short, the mysteries enthralling. I kept thinking, “how does this all tie together?” Don’t worry. No loose ends are left.

Rachel Krall is such a great character. Strong, smart, independent and thoroughly likable. I enjoyed the first Rachel Krall book, The Night Swim, as well. But dare I say this one is even better! Love, love, love the true crime podcaster element. I’m a big podcast fan so I find it tremendously engrossing.

I’m a thriller/mystery reader above all other genres. So trust me when I say this one does not disappoint. I can’t wait to see what Megan Goldin brings us next time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

Megan Goldin never disappoints! Her newest book, Dark Corners, brings back Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster/investigator from Night Swim. This time Rachel is summoned to Florida by the FBI. She has no idea what is going on. She is brought to a prison and asked to assist them with an investigation. It seems that one of the prisoners, Terence Bailey, is being released in a few days. An Instagram influencer with seemingly no connection to him, Maddison Logan, had just visited him recently. Now she is missing. Upon further investigation, it seems that Maddison and Terrence were talking about Rachel when she visited him. The FBI needs Rachel’s social media expertise to help find her.
This was such a fun book to read. I love the way the author creates a story that weaves past and present together. Rachel is such a great character too. We learn a lot more about her in this book. The bad guy in this book is terrifying and so creepy. The events the author writes about I could actually see happening in today’s world. I cannot wait for the next entry in the series! Thank you to the publisher in that gallery for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

In less than one week, with an infant and toddler in tow, I read this book- which I think goes to show how captivating it is. Goldin does it again- weaving an enthralling story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

“Dark Corners” is a follow-up to “The Night Swim” featuring Rachel Krall. However, even if you haven’t read “The Night Swim”, you can still read this book! But I’d recommend you read both! Krall’s character: her no-nonsense nature, strong will and determination is appealing to me- I enjoy seeing her strong stance and also loved the added layer of seeing a romantic relationship begin to brew. I would love to see what happens next with Krall, and hopeful we see more of her in future books from Goldin!

I pride myself on guessing what’s really going, but this plot twist threw me. If you are a fan of thrillers, definitely add this to your list for 2023! It will be available August 8, 2023!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and the author, Megan Goldin, for this Advance Review Copy. I can’t wait to read what Goldin writes next!

I devoured this book in just a few days. I love the comeback of Rachel Krall and really hope we get more and more of her in future books!

The pace of this story was a huge reason I enjoyed it, along with the alternating perspectives. I just never got bored. I found myself trying to play journalist and detective along with Rachel and the other characters and was still left with such a satisfying feeling when the big twist came and I hadn’t caught on quite yet.

Such a great read!

“Dark Corner” is Megan Goldin’s second novel that focuses on podcaster, Rachel Knoll, (from “Night Swim”). Here, the FBI has contacted Rachel to determine what has happened to Maddison, a well-known social media influencer. Rachel is asked to reach out to Terence, a suspected serial killer, whom Maddison visited right before her disappearance. Hence, she heads to an influencer conference (is there such a thing?) to investigate further. Meanwhile, she (and FBI agent Joe) discover leads to other missing girls who have ties to Terence.

I admit I could not get into this book the same way I did “Night Swim,” which I read over a weekend as I could not put it down. I was interested in the story, but Rachel got on my nerves in a way she did not in the previous book. I still found her spunky and liked her interactions (though they were a bit predictable) with Joe. I missed the narrative style of “Night Swim,” which was told not just in Rachel’s point of view but also that of the sister to the book’s victim. Despite this, I enjoyed the narrative, though I have read so many novels about influencers that it’s starting to feel like an overdone plot devise. I would still gladly read another Rachel Knoll novel.

Three and a half stars.

Thanks to Megan Goldin, the publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒃 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔...𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏. 𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐. 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒔."

I was so excited to see podcaster Rachel Krall from THE NIGHT SWIM back in a new thriller. 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?

This book had a variety of layers to it and nods to current events. Maddison and her perfectly curated social media presence reminded me so much of Gabby Petito and her cross-country adventures before her life was cut short. The FBI asks Rachel to assist, and she goes deep undercover at an influencer event, and every single word about how competitive that world is rang true.

The plot unfolded at a brisk pace, and Rachel really came to life for me in this book; however, she remains guarded and mysterious, and I hope the plan is to feature her in more books. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this early copy that ended up being my first read of 2023. DARK CORNERS will publish August 8, 2023.

3 influencer stars

I was so excited to have the chance to read this one as an early reader as I loved the earlier book featuring true crime podcaster Rachel Krall.

This time Rachel isn’t following a trial and recording a podcast, she’s got a front-row seat to a missing person’s case with the FBI. Joe Martinez, FBI agent, brings Rachel in to meet with a prisoner just about to be released. This prisoner had a surprise visit from the missing person, Maddison Logan, just before she disappeared. The FBI is hoping that Rachel can talk to the prisoner, Terence, and get some clues about what happened to Maddison.

Rachel doesn’t get far with Terence, but she’s quickly invested in the case and the influencer conference that is happening in town. She makes a lot more headway with the influencers than the FBI has done, but I wanted to shake her to keep her from going into dangerous situations.

There are bodies that turn up and the case gets complicated. Further complicating things is a romance that just didn’t ring true to me.

Maybe my expectations were too high, this second Rachel Krall didn’t wow me like the first book. I’m hoping that if there is another one in the series the character and story structure returns to more of what we had in the first book.