Social media influencers, inmates, and true crime podcasters, oh my! The latest Rachel Krall thriller explores the glitzy and hyper-competitive world of influencers amid the disappearance of Maddison Logan, a top travel social media star.

I was fascinated by the cutthroat culture of social media influencers revealed through Rachel's undercover investigation. It's a stark juxtaposition with the past and present circumstances of inmate Terence Bailey, suspect number one in Maddison's disappearance. The slow build and expertly crafted tension keep the pages turning as the search for Maddison uncovers a truth well hidden by a clever killer.

Thriller lovers will revel in this fast-paced, of-the-moment story. It draws you in and keeps you hooked, just like the social media algorithm. So be sure to clear your calendar before you crack this one open because you'll want to put the world on hold until the very last page.

4.5 rounded to 5

Dark Corners is the second book to Megan Goldin's Rachel Krall series. Admittedly, this is the first book I've read in this series although I am not unfamiliar with Goldin's writing. I read Stay Awake last year. As soon as I heard she was coming out with a new book I jumped on the chance to read it.

Maybe it is a bit premature to say that Megan Goldin is one of my new favorite thriller authors since I've only read 2 of her books but my oh my do I have a fun time when I read her books.

In Dark Corners Goldin brings back a character from one of her previous books - The Night Swim. Rachel Krall is a journalist/podcaster of a popular true-crime podcast with massive success. She gets called in by the FBI on a missing girl's case. Maddison was last seen visiting Terence Bailey in prison and now she is no where to be found. Bailey will be out in a few days and as the clock ticks down Rachel is on the hunt for the missing pieces that will hopefully lead her to Maddison.

Megan Goldin does a fantastic job creating a compelling thriller that blends true crime, journalism, procedurals and complex narratives. She expertly weaved disparate storylines that come together with a BANG at the end. I was constantly on my toes and at the edge of my seat.

I will admit I figured out the premise at around the 60% mark of the book. In no way did this dampen my reading experience. Although it is primarily plot driven I enjoyed Rachel as a character and watching her put all the pieces together.

BRB while I go and read Goldin's backlist.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Krall is back from the Night Swim and I enjoyed this one almost as well. She is asked by the FBI to interview a man in prison expected to be a serial killer when an influencer goes missing after visiting him. There was a lot going on in this book but it flowed quickly and kept me guessing on how the missing influencer fit into this plot. Great summer thriller. Hoping for a #3.

I love Megan Goldin. This book is the second book featuring Rachel Krall. I find Krall to be a compelling character and I would love to hear more stories with her as the protagonist. I also love the podcast within the book trope. The influencer aspect of the story was less exciting for me. I think that I preferred the first Rachel Krall book. However, if you enjoyed the Night Swim you will enjoy this follow up.

I really enjoyed the Night Swim by Megan Goldin so I was very excited to read the ARC of the sequel, Dark Corners. Dark Corners didn't disappoint. This was a smart, twisty, fast paced and suspenseful thriller. The multiple POVs is well done and the story was really well laid out. I listened to the last part of the book on audio and I highly recommend that format as it will give you goosebumps. I hope that this isn't the last we see in this series. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I’ve read two of Megan Goldin’s books before and enjoyed the fast paced plots. Dark Corners, however, fell a little flat for me. I really liked the protagonist, podcaster Rachel Krall, and the FBI agent Joe Martinez, but the story seemed to take a while to get going. The plot centers around missing women and an influencer conference, the latter of which seemed abit too one note to be true. I thought I was getting an insight into the world of content creators, but there wasn’t much nuance in how the were described. The other thing was that you can guess what’s going to happen quite early on, so it’s just a matter of waiting for all the reveals. The alternating POVs were good and the author succeeds in creating a menacing atmosphere. I’ll still be reading more of Goldin’s works as I do enjoy the variety of her plots.

The writing in this thriller is quite good, but I didn't find the plot compelling enough overall to want to keep reading after a few chapters. I didn't really connect with the main character in the first book and struggled the same way this time.. This would be a good read for someone who is very into true crime podcasts and enjoys a documentary-style novel with audio transcripts included, and who doesn't mind a bit of a slow start to a thriller.

Told in 1st person POV from Rachel & 3rd person from alternating POVs and podcast (Rachel Krall Special Report). Loved the podcast element. This book had me engaged the entire time and I absolutely loooved Rachel’s character.

Night Swim kept me guessing and Dark Corners did too! Until the end of the book, I thought I had everything figured out. This book also portrayed the good and bad of being a social media influencer. Worthy sequel!

Dark Corners is the second novel Megan Goldin has written featuring True Crime Podcaster, Rachel Krall. Even though this is the second book with Rachel as a main character, in my opinion, this can be enjoyed as a standalone. I would recommend the first novel though, The Night Swim, because it is such a great story. Additionally, I would recommend the audiobooks for both of these titles, as the podcasting elements translate so well to that format.

This story begins shortly after Rachel finishes up her investigation that was covered in the first book. She has just returned home and is ready for a little R&R. It's at that time, of course, that she receives an intriguing call from an FBI Agent located in Florida. He's working an active missing person case. It's a bit of an odd case and he is seeking Rachel's help. Unable to resist temptation to learn more about the case, Rachel agrees to meet with him. She packs her bag and heads out.

The missing person in question is Maddison Logan, a young influencer with a huge social media following. She had recently been to visit a man, Terence Bailey, imprisoned on a B&E charge, but long suspected of actually having been responsible for the deaths of six women. Shortly after leaving the prison, Maddison disappears. The FBI have hit a dead end. Maddison's life is a complete mystery. She doesn't even use her real name. How are they ever going to find out more about her?

Thus, Rachel gets shoved into the world of high-profile influencers. Creating a fake Instagram account, Rachel is able to infiltrate BuzzCon, a popular influence conference, which happens to be underway in the local area.
There Rachel learns more about the influencer culture, Maddison and the people she associates with online. Per usual, Rachel is like a dog with a bone when it comes to investigating crimes. She won't give up until she gets answers. The FBI definitely called on the right girl.

I really enjoyed this one. I was a bit nervous going in, because I had read some less than stellar early reviews, but luckily, for me, this was a hit rather than a miss. I became invested in the mystery early and felt the audiobook was an incredible way to experience it. I liked the examination of influencer culture and the convention was a great way for Rachel to immerse herself in that community.

I also found the mystery involving Terence Bailey and Maddison's disappearance so interesting. There were a lot of moving pieces and it wasn't always as easy to make out who was who, but I feel like it had a way of working itself out. There were moments where I would start to get confused amongst the characters, but overall, I feel like Goldin pulled it together as the reveals were starting to happen.

There was a romance subplot, which I'm on the fence about. I could have taken it, or left it far behind. I ended up really liking the love interest, so I'm ultimately okay with it and actually hope they are in future books. With this being said, at no time during The Night Swim did I ever think, 'you know what would make this better? If Rachel had a man?' Never once.

Of course, if that is my biggest meh-moment with this story, I would say that's pretty good. I'm not sure what the plans are for Rachel Krall. If there are going to be more books in this series, or not. I certainly hope so.
I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys taut and compelling mysteries, with a True Crime podcast element. I think these mysteries are well plotted and there are exciting twists and turns along the way.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I look forward to more from Megan Goldin!

Megan Goldin is a beautiful writer. I really love her thrillers and I find myself sucked into her plots and her characters. Hope we get more Rachel and Joe in the future.

This book was twisty and had me engaged the entire time. Even though we had a good idea who did it, it was fun to see how it played out and everything fit together. This was a very satisfying ending. 4 stars!

"The scariest monsters are the ones who hide in plain sight."

Or hide in dark corners! From the start the entertaining often anxiety inducing Dark Corners by psychological thriller author Megan Goldin had my full attention.

Follow closely because the plot is simple in some ways but a bit of a twister (see what I did there 😉). Terence Bailey is getting out of jail for violent crimes in 2 days. A popular media influencer, Maddison visits him and right after goes missing. Now FBI agent Joe Martinez knows Terence didn't take her but maybe an accomplice helped him. See, Joe believes Terence is a serial killer but he can't prove it. He wants to keep him from leaving jail. He brings in true crime podcaster Rachel Krall, who we met in the author's previous thriller Night Swim, because her name came up between Terrence and Madison.

From this point all hell breaks loose, people die, and Terence gets out of jail. What I enjoyed in between reading this standalone book 2 of the Rachel Krall series, was listening to the audiobook where we get Rachel's POV through her podcast. It felt like a real true crime podcast.

Narrators January Lavoy, Andre Santana and Samantha Desz are flawless in their roles definitely amping up the tension. Now there are twists you will see coming but one you will not. The killer's POV is chilling in his belief in the necessity of these murders. He made me shiver.

The chemistry between Joe and Rachel was explosive and I appreciated their moments as a breather in the midst of all the commotion. A lot is revealed at the start of this story but beware, "Always know what you're walking into. Dark corners can be danger points."

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Happy to be back with Rachel Krall, but missed the podcast element that took a backseat in this one.

Good story, a little long in the build up for my liking.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

The podcast thriller is really having a moment. It seems like every other thriller I pick up is about a podcast or features a podcaster solving crimes, and Megan Goldin’s Dark Corners is another title to add to that list.

Dark Corners is a totally acceptable thriller. It has some twists, a plucky protagonist, and a concrete resolution that will leave you feeling satisfied. But I found myself wanting a little more from this story – a little more from the podcast element, a little more from the romance that was somewhat randomly included, and a little more from the mystery after such a long build up to the reveal.

I think this is a great book to throw in your bag if you want an easy to read thriller for the final pool/beach days of the summer, but I wouldn’t say this is a must read in my opinion. If you’re interested in checking out Goldin’s work, I’d suggest The Night Swim or Stay Awake instead.

Dark Corners is out now. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kudos for the return of podcaster Rachel Krall! So glad to see this character back again as I was a big fan of Night Swim. The plot for Dark Corners is equally suspenseful and unique. I enjoy thrillers like this one when authors think outside the box and it's not the same cookie cutter whodunit. And the creep factor was definitely there as I can almost smell the Rideshare driver...yuck. Looking forward to the next Rachel Krall book! My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A solid mystery with its own clever twists. Rachel Krall is the main character in this novel and this is the second book that she has starred in. I enjoyed Night Swim a great deal. Even though Dark Corners didn't mesmerize me quite as much, it's still a good read.

This story revolves around the world of influencers. A young influencer is missing and Rachel is pulled into it when she finds out that the girl had left a message for her. Things only get more interesting when there are links made to a man getting ready to be released from prison. Could he be related to the missing influencer? There seem to be too many coincidences.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also received an early copy of the audiobook and really enjoyed listening to this book. This type of story really lent itself to this format and the narration felt spot on. 4 1/2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both early copes of the ebook and audiobook.

I have become a fan of Megan Goldin's ever since her first novel, The Escape Room. Each book she has written takes us to the underbelly of society and the crimes they commit. 

This is a follow-up book to The Night Swim. While you don't have to read that book to enjoy this one, it might give you a little more background on Rachel Krall. However, the author does provide quite a bit of history on Rachel so that the reader does not feel lost.

I was drawn into the story when Rachel is flown to Florida, by the FBI, for a reason that we don't discover until later. However, this sets off a chain of events that put her life and others in danger. 

I found the world of influencers very interesting and probably very true. Nothing they post is real. It is all staged. It makes me wonder why people give so much power to these people. But it was also intriguing to get a glimpse into that world.

Rachel is a smart investigative investigator, and that might be how she was able to uncover information that the FBI couldn't find. A lot of it comes down to trust and the fact that she is not part of the government. I enjoyed the special report that was shared every few chapters that reflected what she learned about this situation.

As I read this novel, I wondered if Terrance (Terry) was guilty, or was it circumstance? Was there a partner, or was he working on his own? There are many holes in the case against him, but what was fact or fiction was buried until Rachel starts digging into the missing persons case and his case. 

There were many twists and turns. Some I expected, and many I did not. I had a hard time putting the book down, wondering what could possibly happen next. 

Overall, we give this book 4 paws up.

Rachel Krall is a famous podcaster who has helped mini suspected criminals prove their innocence and when a famous influencer name Madison goes missing after going to see us suspected serial killer in prison the FBI want her to help. The suspected SK who’s name is Bailey ask the influencer Madison to get in touch with her but when she arrives he doesn’t have much to say. Rachel quickly gets drawn into the case and learns that it has a lot more to do with the world outside of prison then The man who’s in it she finds herself getting involved with the world of influencers in those and the tripping community but when someone else is murdered and then tries to kill Rachel it all becomes way more personal than any other case. It doesn’t help that she finds herself very attracted to special agent Martinez and although they share a night together she is leery because he is still mourning the loss of his own wife. Are usually love meg golden books but I can’t say I was overly excited about this one are usually love books having to do with podcasts, influencers in the young adult community but I found myself bored at times and even figure out the killer long before I was halfway done aspire all that though I do still recommend this book because I am usually an outlier when it comes to opinions and have always thought Megan Golden to be an awesome writer so maybe it is just my frame of mind at the moment. I want to thank Net Galley and Saint Martin’s press for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Here we go again! Rachel Krall is back!

This time, the FBI needs her help with a case and Rachel can't help but be intrigued. That is until, Terrence Bailey, the suspect Rachel is tasked with interviewing is released and appears to be hot on her tail. Rachel however, doesn't back down. Why? Maddison Logan, a social media influencer has gone missing and Rachel feels compelled to help, even if it costs her.

A thriller that keeps you on your toes, Megan Goldin, knows how to keep readers gripped to the pages. While this wasn't my favorite book by her, I enjoyed it.

A buddy listen with Kaceey.
3.5 Stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the arc and Macmillan audio for the alc.