I was definitely intrigued by this book the second I received it from NetGalley! You don't (or at least I don't) read a lot about celebrities and influencers. Especially not in a murder mystery book! I was super surprised with how detail and thorough everything was. I loved learning even more about Rachel's character and growth. I recommend reading the Night Swim for a better look into her character! Full of twists, super engaging plot! I loved it

A thriller about a serial killer that is set at an influencer convention? Fun!

While this didn’t live up to The Night Swim for me, I think this was a unique setting and a well-paced thriller. Megan Goldin is definitely becoming an automatic grab for me.

Wow ok I think Megan Goldin is gonna be an auto-buy author for me from now.

I read Megan the first time last year with Stay Awake and the story really stuck with me, which is rare for thrillers.

I finally read Night Swim earlier this month and LOVED it, and while Rachel Krall was a main character in Night Swim as well as in Dark Corners, these are two completely separate stories so you don’t need to read Night Swim before reading Dark Corners.

I enjoyed Dark Corners but prob liked Night Swim more. Dark Corners is fun, and while Goldin already revealed much most of the mystery halfway through the book, I still can’t wait to see how everything connects together.

I like that Rachel herself was much more involved in this case than Night Swim, but there are also certain aspects of the story and extra mystery elements that I didn’t care about. Still a really good mystery read that I’ll highly recommend, especially if you already read Night Swim!

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin’s for the e-ARC in exchange of my honest review

This was such an intense mystery. I loved the inclusion of influencers and all of their image manipulations. Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy.

This thriller features podcaster Rachel Krall, previously seen in Goldin’s book The Night Swim, though this book can definitely be read as a stand-alone. At the start of the book, the FBI summons her to Florida, because her name was mentioned in a videotaped meeting in prison between a missing social media influencer and a prisoner the feds have been watching.

I loved The Night Swim, but sadly this one was a miss for me for so many reasons. First, I found it really slow to get going and an excessive amount of perspectives, one of which was really not necessary. Second, there was just so much going on in this book - maybe too much - a possible serial killer in prison and another possible serial killer not in prison, a variety of missing and/or dead people in both the present and the past who may or may not be related to one or both of the possible serial killers, the podcast (which weirdly unlike in The Night Swim, doesn’t seem to made contemporaneously but sometime in the future and just feels oddly exposition-y), satire of the world of social media influencers, and even a little totally unnecessary romance. But on top of all that, the writing was just so clunky and in need of a good editing. It did keep me reading to see how it all resolved though.

I didn’t love Goldin’s last book Stay Awake either, but I liked this one even less - in fact I’d go so far as to say it was one of my biggest disappointments of this year. Maybe it’s time for me to quit her books.

2.5 stars

Dark Corners

Thank you netgalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I’m sure by now you have seen this one all over bookstagram, but I cannot get over how much I loved this book! I know there have been so many mixed reviews with this one and it seems like people either really like it or didn’t like it as much as the first book in the series, The Night Swim. I actually haven’t read the n first book yet, so that could be the reason for why I enjoyed this book so much. I will say that you don’t necessarily have to read the first book, as I feel like you are still able to understand the characters and what all is going on in the book.

I really enjoyed the influencer aspect of this book and I feel like that has been a hot trope that is being used more and more and I am totally here for it! There were some parts that didn’t seem as believable, such as the lead detective sharing sensitive case information with Rachel (I.e. showing her pictures of one of the victims). But I feel like if you can semi put that aside, then this is a quick read that you might enjoy!

Dark Corners is the second book featuring Rachel Krall. Rachel is a true crime podcaster and has been asked by FBI agent Joe Martinez to visit a prisoner who they suspect of being behind the disappearance of several young girls, even though they happened while he was in prison. The prisoner, Terrance Bailey, mentioned Rachel’s name to another visitor that came to see Terrance. That visitor then also disappeared.

Rachel has a knack for being able to help solve crimes and works with Joe to help solve the disappearance of the girls.

There also happens to be an “influencers” conference taking place in town while Rachel is there. The life, good, bad and ugly of influencers is discussed in the story, which not knowing much about this I found interesting.

While Dark Corners was not as good as Night Swim, in my opinion, it still kept my interest. Although it’s the second book in a series, it makes no difference if you haven’t read Night Swim, although I do recommend that you do read it if you haven’t.

I loved Night Swim so I was so excited for the return of true crime podcaster Rachel Krall in Dark Corners.

Rachel Krall is summoned to Florida by the FBI to talk to suspected serial killer Terence Bailey at his request. Soon she finds herself in the middle of an investigation into a missing social media influencer who has ties to Bailey and attending a convention she wants nothing to do with.

I enjoyed the influencer sub plot. The people at the convention were pretty cut throat and when another influencer ends up dead, things really start to get twisty.

This was definitely an interesting mystery and I was there for the added romance vibes but nothing happened that really wowed or surprised me. I also missed all the fun extras from the podcast we had in Night Swim. Overall, this was good, just not as amazing as Night Swim was for me.

I enjoyed this mystery that built slowly to a suspenseful end. The structure of the narrative is interesting. Rachel has a popular podcast and some of the chapters seem to be the text of a podcast. As I recall, they are in first person. Other chapters feature Rachel's action in real time in third person, past tense. There are several other chapters that seem to be of the villain, these are third person but present tense, setting them off from the others. It seems like a complex structure but once understood, the parts of the plot are easily identified.

Rachel attends a conference of social media influencers. While it was part of her investigation into a missing woman, I learned a great deal about the whole influencer concept and how they create a faux reality. And I found it very interesting to learn about a genetic disorder involving body odor.

I appreciate how all the loose threads got tied up in the end. That was well plotted. Rachel is a good heroine and now we also have a handsome hero. I hope to see them again in future adventures.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I really liked this book! I loved the parts that were in podcast format, I wish more of the book was like that! I did not see the ending coming and the book kept me saying just one more chapter. I would definitely recommend this book! I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I was a little indifferent about this one. I didn't dislike it, but I wasn't crazy about it either. It was a quick and easy thriller, and I liked the multiple POVs in the story. I just didn't feel like there was anything here that wowed me or surprised me. The twists were okay, but some of the plot points seemed really unnecessary.

Overall, I'd say this is an okay one if you're looking for a light, low-stakes thriller. I don't think it's going to stick out as too memorable for me, unfortunately.

3.5 stars, rounded up

🔦Dark Corners ~ Megan Goldin

Podcaster Rachel Krall gets roped into a popular influencers disappearance when an FBI agent request she speak with man in jail thought to be a serial killer. But as more women come up dead, the thought of another killer on the outside becomes more apparent and Rachel knows that this might not only be good podcast material, but she might also be able to figure out who the killer is. *** Ok so I have read all of Goldin’s books and I would describe this one as better than Stay Awake but not as good as The Night Swim. Liked that she brought back Rachel as a character but got kinda meh about the plot about 3/4 of the way through. Some good twists at the end but all in all, just ok - nothing super memorable. (Out now)

Dark Corners was a twisty thriller that pulled me in from the beginning. Rachel Krall, true crime podcaster and journalist, is back and helping to investigate the disappearance of Madison Logan, famous influencer.

There were multiple layers to this story that were expertly woven together. The chapters alternated from different points of view which gives the reader a glimpse into everything that was happening.

Rachel ends up at an influencer conference to find some clues into Madison’s disappearance and I found the descriptions of the influencers humorous but so accurate.

I felt a little disappointed with the ending. All the loose ends seemed to be quickly tied up rather conveniently and the book just seemed to end. I would’ve liked to see a little bit more or maybe an epilogue.

Overall, a decent, enjoyable thriller.

Thank you to Megan Goldin, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ebook copy of Dark Corners for me to read and review. This story was full of so many twists and turns and little details that I was kept engrossed from cover to cover. This is the second book in the series following the main character, true crime Podcaster, Rachel Krall. I read Dark Corners directly following book one and I already am wishing for book 3. That's how much the characters and the storytelling and the plot style have truly hooked me. I love that along the way we gradually find out more and more details about the main character and her personality. This story was filled with so many interwoven pieces of the puzzle that I was kept guessing how they all would fit together. There were a few details that I had figured out or strongly suspected along the way, but the suspense of the story kept me intrigued right to the very end. I am anxiously awaiting book 3.

This second book in the Rachel Krall series was another winner. I think if I HAD to compare, I liked the first one SLIGHTLY more than Dark Corners, but they were both solid 4-star reads for me. I enjoyed the plot being around the world of social media influencers and how followers' perception of who those influencers are differs so much from the reality.

Something I find as a common complaint for me when reading series is that character growth is not demonstrated like I would hope to see if they were real people....which makes me seem a little crazy, but that's ok. Rachel is not a character I really relate with in many ways, so maybe that is why she seems less emotionally intelligent to me than she would to someone who better relates with her. She just seems a little petulant and impulsive for her stage of life, which results in me not loving the book as much as I would if I really liked Rachel more. Again, that's a "me" issue, and I still think 4 stars is a great rating overall.

I got an advanced ecopy of this book and still went out and bought the hardback so I could influence friends to read it. I am looking forward to whatever Megan Goldin publishes next, and definitely will be adding it to my TBR list.

I had no idea this was a sequel of sorts to The Night Swim. I was happy to see podcaster Rachel Krall back in action to investigate a whole new mystery.

When an influencer (not a huge fan of influencer stories, but okay) goes missing after visiting a criminal about to be let out of prison, Rachel wonders what happened. She infiltrates an influencer conference in Florida and starts nosing around.

This was a lot less dark than Night Swim and it was great to see Rachel back in action, complete with a romance. Is this a series now? I'm excited if so!

This is a terrific summer mystery/thriller - a great storyline with likeable protagonists with twists that make you turn the pages. My reading life has been heavy on literary fiction, but I love when I can refresh it with a smart mystery/thriller and this new novel fit the bill.
Rachel Krall is a true-crime podcaster who was introduced in Goldin's previous novel Night Swim. I have not read Night Swim yet, but did not feel like it was absolutely necessary to enjoy Dark Corners. I liked Rachel, a smart woman whose podcast about a different case has made her well-known. She is brought in by the FBI investigator to speak with a soon-to-be-released prisoner who wanted to meet with her and who may also be tied to a missing person.
I appreciated that Rachel isn't written as the woman who makes stupid decision and ends up putting herself in stupid dangerous situations. I enjoyed the commentary on social media influencers as a storyline too.
And of course, I plan to read Night Swim as soon as I can.
Many thanks to #Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Novels about true crime podcasts can be so hit and miss. I think that this one was a hit in part because of the fact that I both read and listened to the book back and forth. I found myself especially enjoying the way the audiobook handled the podcast portions of the story. They were very well done. Without the narration, these were still my favorite part of the book. You are listening to the main characters take on what she experiences and it was interesting to see how she put together what she discovered.

Novels about influencers are also a hit and miss with me. I liked the balance of ridiculous and serious amongst the different podcasters. That's not to say there were equal amounts of each, just that there was a view of them that offered some variety.

The story itself took a lot of twists and turns and I was pretty satisfied by the outcome. The action was pretty evenly paced throughout. The only thing that made me slightly cringe was the love affair. It felt forced and unnecessary.

This reads as sort of a popcorn, movie theater, easily consumable thriller novel. In this case, I didn't see it as a negative but I find this didn't necessarily fit in the "Rachel Krall" narrative. This was vastly different from her previous Night Swim, which was miles better. It was better developed, had much more literary elements, and had better characterization.

This was a late-night, kindle read that I scrolled through in the wee hours before I went to sleep. The first few chapters had those dun, dun, duhhhhhhh!!!!!! sort of...over the top "cliffhangers" that kept you flipping pages. Then it sort of fizzled out. The characterization was surface-level...at best. Rachel Krall was an uber-fit, uber-skinny, uber-successful podcaster who weasels her way onto crime scenes because the detective finds her sexy and compelling. I sort of personally HATE those types of thrillers because in what world would this podcaster be given access to FBI crime scenes? But, all that to say, I found the characterization extremely one-dimensional and wasn't a huge draw for me for the novel.


Anyways, this review is coming off a lot more critical than I intended, but I actually did enjoy this book and was compelled to read long into the night when I should have been sleeping...which is what you want in the dead of summer with no responsibilities and no school the next day.

For a super fun, quick, easy read...this book definitely fits the bill. Anything more and you're better off picking something else up.

Y’all. Megan Goldin is an absolute GEM! I will read anything she writes and enjoy all of it!

And I think this might be my favorite yet??? I FLEW through this (but also read this while I was reading a much heavier true crime book so this was a nice ~break from that, even though this has a similar theme.)

I love Rachel Krall and I hope there are more books featuring her! Especially with how this one played out. It felt like it could open the doors for a future, longer series. Which I would totally be on board with!

I absolutely loved the Night Swim but I loved this one even more!! The setting was so fun! (Loved the influencers conference!) The characters are excellent (more Joe, please!) and I just absolutely loved this one!

This is also such a fun format for a thriller and I love the podcast bits that are woven into the story. This was set up so nicely and made for a fun, exciting thriller!! Could not recommend it more highly!!

Thank you to NetGalley & St Martin's Press for allowing me to read this!