Member Reviews
I loved the first Rachel Krall book and was excited to dive into her next adventures. While she still brought her same inquisitive and insightful nature to the case, the departure of the settings from the quiet and intense small town to the shallower and more glitzy influencer world felt like it took away from what make Rachel's perspective special.
Loved this one! I loved getting another story from the MC, she is such a well written character that I’d read anything with her as the star! The true crime podcast host is a modern twist on the crime reporter. She is unwillingly dragged into a current investigation and she’s doing the job better than the cops. We are sucked into the crimes just like Rachel is and I love ‘working the case’ along with her. There are a lot of little complexities that make this a great case to follow. A big part of the plot takes place at an influencer convention and that was another fun setting! There’s a lot of deaths, secrets, and lying which keeps the plot moving fast. There are multiple povs which are all great and give more to the story. The ending was amazing and I loved seeing how everything connected (or didn’t..)! There is a bit of romance in this one, but I don’t think it was too much or take away from the overall story. As a sequel to The Night Swim, you don’t necessarily need to read the first to understand this one.
I enjoyed The Night Swim & remember liking the MC Rachel Krall from that book. But unfortunately in DARK CORNERS Rachel was almost unlikable and a bit boring. The premise sounded interesting but the "influencer" angle in books doesn't usually work for me unless done very well. I felt like too much was going on in regards to this aspect and I felt the need to suspend my belief one too many times. Just didn't feel like the same author wrote this book.
I loved The Night Swim and was neutral about Stay Awake, but Dark Corners unfortunately missed the mark for me. It was an interesting story, but lacked the twists and big reveal that usually wraps up a thriller. Even Rachel felt like a whole different character to me. I look forward to reading future books by Megan Goldin that keep me guessing like The Night Swim.
I really enjoyed Night Swim so I was very excited to pick up Dark Corners! This book was twisty and unputdownable and I really enjoyed it.
This was my first Meg Goldin book and it won’t be my last! It was a solid thriller and I was on the edge of my seat! I mostly stick to romance so it was really nice to branch out and go to something different. Loved the twists and turns and I was guessing until the end!
Been in a huge slump so this might be more of a me problem! Didn’t love the influencer storyline and Rachel seemed more annoying than I remember from TNS. Absolutely hated the romance storyline. Quick chapters though!
Wow! Megan Goldin has outdone herself this time. I loved her previous novels and was certainly excited to read Dark Corners. Goldin hits the ground running with an atmospheric crime scene on the outskirts of a local prison. Rats and snakes abound, but a body is suspiciously absent. Enter podcaster Rachel Krall and more questions than answers quickly present themselves. Mix in a creepy driver for hire at a popular vacation destination for the spring break crowd and the plot thickens. Goldin weaves an intricate web at the speed of light. The plots are riveting to the point of distraction. I honestly couldn't walk away from Dark Corners, even with a to-do list a mile long. If you love thrillers I highly recommend you give Dark Corners a read. I can't wait for the next Goldin experience!
Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.
I read The Night Swim when it came out, and although I don’t remember a lot about it, I gave it four stars, so I must have enjoyed it quite a bit. So when I saw there was a new book about the same main character, Rachel, Krall, I was excited to revisit this awesome podcaster. However, this book definitely fell flat.
Rachel is summoned by an inmate who tells her cryptic information. The FBI believes this man, who is incarcerated for breaking and entering, is actually a serial killer. Rachel and the FBI come up with a plan to send her to an influencer convention to dig into that world, who seems to have a connection to this inmate. Still with me??
This book relies way too heavily on convenient plot points to make connections, then in the last few pages, all the loose ends are tied up, rather than while the plot is happening. This book really made no sense in parts. The law enforcement characters relied on a random podcaster to do their work for them. And parts were like the writer knew an end point but had no idea how to get there, so invented random things to draw them together. I was just really disappointed with this one.
Rachel Krall is back, she takes on another role in this book as more of an influencer. I kind of miss the more podcast driven narrative. I still want to read this and find out what happens. The audio book is better.
It almost took me a while to remember this book was connected to "The Night Swim." I had to go back and refresh my memory on the main character. While I enjoyed Dark Corners, it did not make me feel as engaged as "The Night Swim" did. I did enjoy the social media aspect of the book as it relates to our generations obsession with social media while highlighting that barely anything is real.
Rachel was rude and grumpy. Megan’s previous novels knocked it all out of the park. This was not one for me.
It took me awhile to get around to this one but I am so glad I did.
I really enjoyed the podcast elements of this book, as big true crime fan it definitely helped keep my interest. I found the twists and turns and even the ending pretty predictable but overall I found this to be a decent storyline that kept my interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Dark Corners
Rachel Krall, Book 2
Megan Goldin, author
Loved this romantic suspenseful novel. It kept me on pins and needles the entire time while reading.
I also listened to the audio version of the book. The narrator did an excellent job of telling the story.
Rachel Krall's services were requested by the detective to help solve the mystery of a missing Podcaster. Will she be putting her own life in danger while doing so. Check this book out to find the answer.
I received an advanced review copy from Netgalley, the publisher and the author. I leave this review voluntarily in exchange for the book.
I did not realize when I requested this one that it was a sequel and I have not read the first book in this series. I have read from Megan Goldin before and, although it was enjoyable enough, I would not devote enough time to read two books in a series. For this reason, I was not able to read Dark Corners.
I really would give this book a 4.5, it was amazing. I did not read the first book by Megan goldin, but after reading this i am going to have to. I loved the social media influencer trope and this did not disappoint. Great twists and turns that i did not expect. I was shocked at the way certain things played out in the end, but that is what makes a great book. I highly recommend that you read this book. you will not be disappointed. I have recommended this book to family members and they have loved it as well.
Rachel Krall, a true crime podcaster, begins a search for Maddison Logan, a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer in prison. When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its own tail, the FBI suspect that Terence Bailey, the imprisoned serial killer who is about to be released, has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel herself.
This is Book 2 in the Rachel Krall series and I liked it quite a bit but not as much as the first book. I don't think it's necessary to have read the first book because it's a totally different case she's looking into and, to be honest, Rachel seems like a totally different character. She isn't nearly as likeable as in the first book. I found it interesting to peek into the lives of influencers and what a struggle it is to stay on top. The story itself was okay but it did cause some eye rolls as Rachel seemed to know more about what was going on than the FBI. Also, may I say that I'm so disappointed about the romance in this book. It doesn't seem real and I don't think it was necessary at all. I'm not sure I'd read a 3rd book in this series, if there is one. The ending delivered a bit of a surprise as far as Terence Bailey's involvement. 3.5 Stars rounded down.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for providing an eARC for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
This book was published in August 2023.
I loved the night swim so I was excited for another book by the same author but this one didn’t work for me. I really didn’t enjoy the influencer angle of this one and that got old really fast. I also didn’t like the main character nearly as much as I did in the first book. Here’s hoping the next one isn’t as much of a letdown!
4 stars! Such a fun summer mystery with a fast paced and twisty ending! I hope Rachel is a recurring character in Goldin's thrillers as I love her personality and the way the podcast episodes unfold over the course of the books she's been featured in. My only gripe was the dissonant disdain Rachel's character seemed to have for social media. Like… she relies on socials for the success of her podcast and she created an entire Instagram dedicated to running… yet she hates social media and influencers? It didn't seem to quite track for me. It was also jarring how much Rachel and Joe talked shit about the influencers at the conference. I don't know… it just gave me a weird feeling that this was more author commentary than belonging in the world of the book. Other than that weirdness, I absolutely loved the plot and the atmosphere!
Rating: 4 stars
Pleasantly surprised by this! Definitely more of a mystery than a thriller. If you’re not into crime novels, this may not be for you. I really like the behind-the-scenes detective trope and it played a pivotal role in this book. Oh, and it’s not a sequel. Can read it as a stand-alone and not miss out on anything (same protagonist different case). I think I prefer The Night Swim by this author more, but I thoroughly enjoyed both.