This was a wild ride!!!! Right off the bat I was fully engaged into the storyline and loved the premise! Gimme a serial killer plot any day!!!!

I really enjoyed Rachel - she was quite the badass and very much a level headed fmc!!!

i did think the “bread crumbs” that were provided to us by the multiple povs were *slightly* predictable - but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this!

I always enjoy books that are centered around social media - so the fact that this one had an influencer subplot was so so so much fun!

I did find the romantic aspect of this story unnecessary…to me, it added “fluff” to the story

This was definitely a solid read - it lacked an OMG jaw dropping ending but I still recommend it!

SIMONE SAYS READ THIS IF YOU LIKE

multiple povs
serial killer plots
podcast format
badass mc’s

thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

what is your favorite social media platform?
I’m team IG!

I just finished Dark Corners by Megan Goldin and here are my musings.

The FBI needs help. Flying Rachel. A true crime podcaster who has been known to solve crimes and free innocent men to speak to an inmate. An inmate that gets no visitors until a young influencer shows up, they talk and then she leaves. Hours later the influencer disappears but on the CCTV of the exchange between Maddison and Terence Bailey shows he has written something on the table. Rachel's name. It’s the only lead they have.

Maddison is an anomaly. She lives in her van in a nomadic lifestyle with no friends or family. Why did she visit Terrance? A man in prison for breaking and entering and who the police believe is a serial killer. To find out more Rachel goes undercover at Buzzcon, A social media influencer mecca. The longer she is there, the more she realizes something shading is happening in the world of backstabbing influencers.

When the police discover a dead body with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, it is the same tattoo Terrance has…. It brings the FBI to a chilling realization. Terrance has an accomplice and Terrance is just about to be released from jail and Rachel is now in the crosshairs.

I know this is book 2 of the Rachel Krull series but it worked as a standalone really well. Megan knocked this book out of the park. I could not put my kindle down until I was done. I found the storyline fantastic! A glimpse into the world of influencers and how cut throat it is really rounded out the storyline for me. The story was really quite clever. The story of missing teens, dead prostitutes and a man who does ride sharing for a living. It's fantastic how it all fits together.

Rachel is brilliant and I loved reading about her. The sparks between her and the FBI agent…. (fanning myself). I needed a bit more of that! That is my only complaint but the book was so close to perfect!

Everything pieced together like a beautiful jigsaw puzzle and I was guessing right up to the very end! My heart was racing so hard I could barely stand it! I was so sad when it was over but I am excited for the next installment.

5 stars! Best book for me of the year!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy!

I always enjoy Megan Goldin's books and Dark Corners was no exception. It was a solid mystery with a couple of good twists. I hope she continues to write more with Rachel Krall. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Podcaster, Rachel Krall is drawn into another case in an unusual way. Rachel is asked by the FBI to come to Florida. Once there they begin to question her as her name had come up during an investigation.

Social media influencer, Maddison, went missing shortly after meeting with Terrance at the prison. He was charged with breaking and entering and will be released soon. The investigators think Terry is also responsible for several murders, but don't have proof.

This one grabbed me right from the start. I love that! Rachel is an interesting character who just wants justice. The story is told by Rachel, a ride share driver and another man from long ago.

Even though I knew who the culprit was, (or thought I did) I couldn't read fast enough to find out how it all ended.

Another great one from Goldin!

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

This just wasn't what I was expecting at all when I picked this book up. I absolutely loved "The Night Swim" and was so excited to read the second book, but it fell flat. The book just felt like a very dry police procedural that had almost no stakes. I can't even really explain why I didn't love it, other than that it was just so cut and dry, focused more on Rachel and her love life than the actual story, and just felt like almost nothing happened. The mystery wasn't even that intriguing and the whole "missing girl influencer" thing has been done before a million times at this point. It just didn't feel original and it didn't tug at any heart strings like I was expecting. I just needed a lot more from this book and it's a major disappointment.

I'm basically not going to remember this book past tomorrow.

Megan Goldin does it again!! This was such a great book. I was hooked early on and honestly didn't want to stop reading this. I have loved all the other books by this author and this one was for sure a winner. I kept thinking I knew how it would play out and then boom another twist!!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the chance to read and review Dark Corners. Ms. Goldin did an amazing job, once again, on a thriller suspense book. This book kept me highly interested throughout the entire book and even had my jaw dropping a few times. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this brand new thriller!

I loved Night Swim by this author & was excited to see where podcaster Rachel Krall’s next case would take her.

Dark Corners is a bit different than your typical who-dun-it because we know one character is rotten very early on. The mystery really is what happened to influencer Maddison Logan & who is really involved?

This book did dive in to the world of social media influencing-so if that’s not your jam you may not enjoy the book as much as I did. Personally, I liked diving in to the chaotic sometimes, back-stabbing, world of content creation.

The story has tons of sub-plot-including romance! Although, I was left a little unsatisfied with the abrupt ending on the final page of the book. Though I do have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of Rachel Krall.

Dark Corners is very different from Night Swim, but well worth the read!

Thank you to @stmartinspress & @netgalley for the ARC of this new thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley for both the audio and digital copy of this book. I had enjoyed Megan Goldin's previous Rachel Krall book, so looked forward to this one. It didn't disappoint. This book is dark, and at every turn it kept me guessing and wondering more and more what had happened to the missing influencer, Maddison Logan, and what an imprisoned Terrence Bailey had to do with it.
I really enjoyed this one, perhaps some of the additional influencer story line could have been left out, it didn't really have much to do with the main story. The back story of both Terry and Maddison made this book so intriguing.
I like Rachel's character, she's got spunk and she's not afraid of the dark places she investigates for her podcast. There is a bit of a romance, and it was fun, but also not a big part of the story.
The audio narration was very well done by Andre'Santa, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz. LaVoy's voice is so smooth and comfortable!
Thank you again to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio. I look forward to more books from Megan Golden!

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin is a crime thriller. Rachel is a crime podcaster and unknowingly gets involved in a case. Rachel has to work with the FBI to figure out if a person behind the bars who will be released soon is a serial killer and if an upcoming influencer is involved in the crimes.

I have not read the first book of the series, so I read this particular book as a stand-alone. Since I was not comparing the previous book to this one, I quite enjoyed it. It's been quite a while since I have not read any crime thriller, and this fits the genre perfectly. Some of the plot initially was a little confusing to me, but all the plotlines are tied up very nicely at the end and make complete sense. The world of social media influencers and the idea of perfectionism has been tackled by the author extremely well. I enjoyed this story a lot.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press for this book. All opinions are my own.

CW: Any warnings will be a spoiler, so a general warning that this book is a crime thriller and has a lot of elements of this genre.

The Serial Killer and the Social Media Influencer

The FBI has a suspected serial killer in prison, but they can’t continue to hold him because they only have evidence of him breaking and entering. They contact Rachael Krall because she was mentioned by both the suspect and social media influencer, Maddison Logan, who has subsequently disappeared. They’re hoping Rachael can help them get information from the suspect, Terence Bailey, that will help them find Maddison before it’s too late, and get some item that will help them keep Terence behind bars.

Rachael doesn’t know either Terence of Maddison, but when the FBI calls, she flies to northern Florida to assist in the investigation. At the end of the interview with Terence, he warns her that killers are often hide behind a normal facade. She doesn’t understand the connection to Maddison until she opens a voice message and finds that Maddison contacted her to see if she could help find her friend. With the veiled threat from Terence, the FBI wants her to fly home where she’ll be safe, but now she’s interested in the case and decides to stay and investigate.

This is the second Rachael Krall mystery, and she is even more determined than in the Night Swim, the first book. This book is rather different from the previous book. The book is told from Rachael’s point of view, but she’s not writing podcasts. She’s investigating. I liked seeing her in action and interacting with the FBI agent, Joe Martinez. Sparks fly, but there is also a deep attraction. If you enjoyed Night Swim, this is a good addition to the series.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this review copy.

Rachel is summoned to Florida by the FBI. Meeting in a correctional facility outside Daytona Beach, she is told that her name came up when a well-known influencer visited an inmate. Shortly after, the influencer disappears, and the police and FBI believe the inmate is somehow responsible. Rachel is soon undercover at Buzzcon, an influencer conference, and learns how cutthroat influencers can be. With their suspect released within 72 hours and the body count increasing, Rachel and the FBI must join forces to track down a killer’s possible accomplice. Will Rachel be able to crack the case? Or will she end up a victim?

I am a big fan of Megan Goldin and try to read any of her books that come out. She is one of the few authors that are on my auto-approve list. No matter what book, I will get it and fan girl over it (no shame here!)

Dark Corners main storyline centered around Rachel, the FBI investigation into Maddison’s disappearance, and Terry’s supposed involvement. It was a well-written, twisty plotline that had me guessing and double-guessing everything. And when I mean everything, I mean everything.

A few secondary storylines help flesh out the book’s storyline. The main secondary storylines are Buzzcon, the bodies being found (past and present), and the rideshare driver. Each secondary story is vital to the main storyline, so if you start wondering why the author chose to include it, stop wondering and keep reading. Trust me, everything is brought together and explained at the end of the book.

I liked Rachel. She was just as sharp and on top of things as in the first book. I didn’t agree with her going undercover, not with everything pointing at her being on the killer’s radar. But, I did like the look into the influencers’ lives. What I liked the most about Rachel was that she was human and didn’t catch on to things. That made the end of the book believable to me.

The mystery angle of Dark Corners was well written, and I did believe what the author initially wanted me to think for a while. There was a twist to the mystery angle that took me by surprise.

There was a brief romance angle in Dark Corners that I was a little meh about. I could have done without it. It added no context to the book besides setting up the scene where Rachel was rescued.

The author did have the killer have a fascinating medical disorder. Until this book, I had never heard about it. I did some research after I finished the book.

The end of Dark Corners was interesting. I liked how the author wrapped up the storylines and explained everything. I did wonder if there is going to be a book 3. I hope there is!!

I would recommend Dark Corners to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Megan Goldin for allowing me to read and review Dark Corners. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Dark Corners
By Megan Goldin

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sooooo, Dark Corners started out slow for me. It did get better about half way through as I started trying to piece together who did what, but it just wasn’t one of those thrillers that I couldn’t put down.

Rachel Krall is a true crime podcaster and she gets a call from the FBI to help them find a missing social media influencer named Maddison. At the FBI’s request, Rachel meets with Terence, a prisoner who the FBI believes is somehow connected to Maddison’s disappearance as well as a string of women who have been murdered. After meeting with Terence, the FBI is worried that he has become obsessed with Rachel, which is a problem since he is due to be released in just a few days.

The second half of this book definitely held my attention, and there was a plot twist that I didn’t see coming. PUB Day for Dark Corners was yesterday (8/8), so check it out if it sounds like something you would like.

💬what are you currently reading?

3.5 stars
You don't need to read The Night Swim to enjoy Dark Corners - the twists are waiting and can be read as a standalone.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my eARC for review!
Podcaster Rachel Krall is back, and even more famous since her coverage of the sexual assault case depicted in The Night Swim.
Rachel is asked by the FBI to meet with inmate Terrance Bailey, as her name came up during his meeting with visitor Maddison Logan. Maddison is an influencer and went missing after visiting the prison, and Rachel appears to be the next target.
I've seen some mixed reviews on this one, yet personally I enjoyed it, though not quite as much as The Night Swim. There's a lot going on, from missing persons and murder investigations, a uniquely creepy rideshare driver, BuzzCom event for content creators, and Terrence Bailey's release back into society.
Recommended!
Released on Aug. 8.

This is the second book I've read by Megan Goldin but first in the Rachel Krall series; fortunately, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. And I'll be going back to read the first book since I enjoyed this one so much!
Rachel Krall is an investigative reporter and true crime podcaster who previously helped set an innocent man free, making her popular with every "I'm innocent" convict. When Terry Bailey, a Florida inmate convicted of breaking and entering but suspected of killing six women, asks a young "van life" social media influencer who visits him in prison to 'bring him Rachel Krall' shortly before she is abducted, the FBI arrange for Rachel to fly to Daytona to meet with Bailey to try to find out what he knows. The visit is a bust and the FBI try to pack Rachel on a plane home, but she stays, determined to help find the missing woman even if it may put Rachel in danger herself. I was immediately immersed in this book, drawn to the story and the characters. Goldin is becoming one of my "must read" authors, with her original and compelling plots, and interesting and likeable characters.

I loved the Night Swim so i was so excited to jump into her new book in this "series".

For 70% of this story i thought this will be a 5 star book but the last 30% took a drastic turn,i already figured out the big plot twist and the ending felt very rushed even though we got all are questions answered I still missed the Podcast aspect that we got in the first book, but over all i really did enjoy the story.

“The scariest monster is the one that hides in plain sight.”

How are the disappearance of a social media influencer, a newly released prisoner and a podcaster all related? This book will take you on the ride and keep you guessing!


As book 2 to The Night Swim (don’t worry you don’t need to read that one first), I was worried because the first book had weighty courtroom details including rape and more. It was intense and a lot for me to read emotionally. I did not feel that with this one, phew! It definitely did not have as many triggers, in my opinion.

“Always know what you’re walking into. Dark corners can be danger points.”

I’ll admit, Rachel was not the smartest at times. She seemed to have no fear and ran into really stupid situations, alone I might add, all for the sake of her podcast. Ok I get it, you’re making a living, but this is a serial killer, so, really? I felt like I was watching a horror movie yelling at the dumb blonde character to not open that door. Sigh. So I suspended the belief for a lot of her antics and didn’t dwell on them. Because of that, I feel I enjoyed the book more. There were twists and turns and multiple stories going on at once that all crashed together at the end. I was entertained, I enjoyed it and I’ll be reading this author again!

Thank you to @St.Martin’sPress for the copy!

The book releases August 8, 2023.

I LOVED this one!! I was so happy when I got the ARC for it because it also motivated me to read The Night Swim which had been on my shelf for years, and I really ended up loving both! Overall, I liked this story a lot more than The Night Swim. I thought the case was unique and had a lot twists that I didn't see coming at all. I did end up listening to The Night Swim on audio, and ended up loving that because of the podcast element, and I do think that the formatting in this one was a little hard to follow since it didn't really have any sign of when a point of view changed or when it was a podcast episode, but that also may have been just because it was such an early copy of the ARC. Overall I really enjoyed this and it solidified why I like Megan Goldin so much!

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin is the second Rachel Krall book. This story picks up after the events of Night Swim (2020). Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering. He has been a suspect in the abduction and murders of at least six women. In the six years he’s been in prison, he has only gotten one visitor. Maddison Logan is a young social media influencer who goes missing hours after visiting Bailey. Is her disappearance connected to Bailey? The FBI investigation hits a wall, Special Agent Joe Martinez seeks out Rachel’s help. Hoping for a break, Rachel reluctantly agrees. Going undercover as an influencer, Rachel attends BuzzCon where she discovers rivalries that might have turned deadly. When a link between a victim and Bailey raises a chilling possibility: did he have an accomplice? An accomplice who is hiding in plain sight?
I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Goldin’s Night Swim and Stay Awake, I looked forward to reading Dark Corners. I like Rachel as she doesn’t scare easily and has a strong sense for justice, she is able to get information that some cops couldn’t get. Overall, I enjoyed Dark Corners and I look forward to more of Rachel’s adventures. However, it was a bit overwhelming with the sheer number of chapters and the switching between Rachel, Joe, the past and the killer. I was able to figure out some of the twists and the final “battle” with the killer was very fast. Despite all this, Dark Corners was fast paced and I was able to finish it in a few days. Readers do not need to read Night Swim to follow the story of Dark Corners, however, it is a story I highly recommend. If you enjoy crime suspense, I recommend Dark Corners.

Dark Corners is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

2.5
This book started off hopeful as far as the thriller direction it was going…but by the mid-point it stared to taper off and then ended very mediocre for me.

We get to be with Rachel Krall again, the reporter/crime podcaster from The Night Swim. She is requested to fly down and meet with an inmate that has been accused of multiple murders that is soon to be released. She then gets wrapped into this mystery.

1. I have to say, the whole mystery aspect of it was pretty far fetched and did not make sense to me. Too many dead bodies thrown into the mix as if more dead bodies would make the book better?

2. Rachel Krall 2.0 did not feel like the same character from The Night Swim. Seemed to be using her coat tails.

3. Implausible.

4. I really don’t like it when I feel like I’m a better detective in a book when it comes to being more realistic or smarter than the detectives. There were some stupid mistakes made here that annoyed me.

5. Also, all the dead bodies. Dead bodies do not equal more suspense.

All of this said, it kept my attention as I expected and hoped for more. I read this on vacation and I think it was a good spot to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the e-copy of this book.