Rachel Krall returns to assist the FBI in investigating a case. A true crime podcaster is missing & the main suspect is a suspected serial killer about to be released from prison. The victim was his last visitor and the FBI is confident he has help on the outside.

I really enjoyed this book! The twists, the suspense, bad ass characters, social media influencers, true crime podcasters & a bit of romance.

Megan Goldin returns following The Night Swim (5 stars) with the second installment in her popular Rachel Krall series, DARK CORNERS —a crime podcaster gets caught up in the search and mystery surrounding a famous social media influencer who disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer in this riveting 'thrills by the minute' electrifying masterful suspense!

Rachel Krall is back better than ever—My Top Thrillers of 2023!

Terence (Terry) Bailey is about to be released from prison; however, investigators have suspected him in the murders of six women.

However, right before his release, he gets a visit from Maddison Logan, a young popular social media influencer. Hours later, she disappears. Was she kidnapped, and what went down with her visit with Bailey? Are the two events connected? Do they know one another? What is going on at the gas station?

After the FBI does not turn up anything, they turn to Rachel for help. Who is Maddison? She is only known by her social media. Is she for real? Rachel realizes too late Maddison left her a voicemail. Rachel is determined to find Maddison.

Rachel goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference in Daytona Beach, FL. (so good). What a world of highly competitive rivals. Here she learns a lot!

The cops find a woman's body with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail. Does Bailey have an accomplice on the outside? Is there a monster hiding in plain sight and the dark corners of the internet? Or is it someone else?

Who receives the most oxygen (voice) in the media— Killers or victims? Are we so obsessed with the likes of monsters we forget about the victims? Not just those they kill but those they leave behind. Eleven victims.

Nothing is as it appears! Twisty, Gripping, Unputdownable!

Gosh, I LOVED this book! Brilliant! Oh, and the audiobook was dynamite! Narrated by André Santana, January LaVoy (fav), and Samantha Desz for a highly entertaining listening experience. I was glued to my iPhone.

I loved The Night Swim, and DARK CORNERS is even better. Complex and multi-layered, I love the way everything unraveled. I adore Rachel and hope we see her again for #3! She is too good to end. She is sharp and tenacious, and a pro.

Goldin is ON FIRE and at the TOP of her game! Her best yet. I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan for an ARC and ALC via NetGalley for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
Pub Date: Aug 8, 2023
Aug 2023 Must-Read Books

My MG My Reviews (see blog):
STAY AWAKE
NIGHT SWIM
THE ESCAPE ROOM
THE GIRL IN KELLER'S WAY

#AuthorElevatorSeries Interview:
Q&A with Megan THE ESCAPE ROOM

First of all, although this is the second of Goldin's books that features podcaster Rachel Krall, you definitely don't need to have read The Night Swim before reading this one as it completely stands alone.

This is a decent read, don't let my 3-stars sway you. It means that I liked it, I just didn't love it and want to gush about it. I listened to the audiobook and January LaVoy does an amazing job with her narration as usual. She kept me invested in the story more than I probably would have been otherwise.
This is a full cast audiobook with other narrators, but LaVoy was the prominent and best one. The podcast segments, while there weren't very many of them, were enhanced by listening to the audio version.

The main premise of this story is that Rachel is flown to Florida by the FBI because they want her to interview a prisoner about a missing woman who had come to visit him shortly before her disappearance. She is a social media influencer involved with a huge event called BuzzCon. Rachel decides to attend (she's really famous you know, they wanted her to come to the conference but until now she has refused) so she can investigate the disappearance and try to figure out what is going on.

Overall this book turned out to be okay, but there's nothing very surprising about what happens. The reader knows the identity of the villain throughout, we get his POV and backstory revealed as the tale progresses. I honestly didn't really like Rachel very much either. She comes across as a know-it-all daredevil who feels way above everyone else.

While I thought the parts about social media influencers (ahem, I mean content creators) was interesting and enlightening, it got old after a while. I don't think the general fans who fawn over these people will get the sarcasm and snark and eye rolling the author is trying to convey when talking about them, those of us who are reading the book already know what she's saying.

I'm glad I read this one, but I probably won't remember much about it after a while.

The follow-up to Night Swim, Rachel Krall gets brought into an FBI investigation when an influencer goes missing after visiting an incarcerated man about to be released, Terence Bailey. Bailey mentioned Rachel, so the FBI isn't sure if she's involved, or possibly at risk once he's out.
*
This was a fun read! Multiple POVs, very quick moving, and an interesting investigative process, as Rachel ends up going kind-of undercover at an influencer conference. I didn't necessarily love it as much as Night Swim, but it kept me very engaged.
*
Right from the start, it's very clear that something more sinister is going on, with the POV of a really creepy rideshare driver. So the question isn't so much who is responsible for certain things, but how are all the suspicious people connected? It came together in a way that I didn't expect and also had a twist I did not see coming, so really enjoyed that!
*
It did lose a few points for me for the romance, which felt kind of forced, and there were a few things about the ending that don't quite make sense to me. So maybe didn't exceed Night Swim, but still a very fun and engaging thriller!

I really enjoyed The Night Swim, so when I saw this I knew I had to get it. This one was a bit of a slow burn for me. I wanted to know what was going to happen but I wasn't fully invested in the story. I did enjoy the ending though. I highly suggest listening to the book if you want to read it. It helps with the podcast parts.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the copies of this book.

A thrilling page turner about a social media influencer that goes missing. Could there be a connection to a serial killer that is in prison?
Rachel Krall is asked by the FBI to help them out figuring out what is going on.
The ending makes everything come together and make sense.
Recommended reading for fans of psychological thrillers.

A missing influencer, the prisoner she visited before she disappeared, and the social media conference she was attending take center stage in this second novel in the Rachel Krall series. Full disclosure: I haven’t read the first book in this series, but I had no trouble mentally hopping on the plane to Florida and joining true crime podcaster Rachel on the case.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. There are multiple points-of-view, twists and turns, an underlying creepiness factor, and some heart-pumping moments. There’s even a hint of attraction between Rachel and another character that was enough to satisfy my inner romance reader.

I received an advance copy of the book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I have to admit, up front, that The Night Swim (Rachel Krall #1) has been languishing on my TBR since it was new, and I have yet to get to it. After reading Dark Corners, the second in the Rachel Krall series by Megan Goldin, it has leaped to the top of my list...now, to get to it!

I love Megan Goldin's writing, and Dark Corners is like many of my favorite mystery/thriller series--strong female lead with an interesting occupation, a romantic interest with closed door intimacy, and a really evil bad guy along with a slew of interesting side characters. Goldin masterfully pulls in red herrings and mixes in a heaping dose of suspense. I really enjoyed this novel as well as Stay Awake, and will be working on Goldin's backlist ASAP.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of Dark Corners by Megan Goldin. The opinions in this review are my own.

This one just wasn't for me. I think the true crime podcaster premise is becoming a little bit tired, and the pacing of this in terms of plot just wasn't where I wanted it to be. I've seen this done better, unfortunately.

An incredibly interesting and dark storyline that I found myself eager to know what happened and whodunnit.

I had high hopes for this one after reading and loving Stay Awake. I desperately wanted to love this one because it had so many things I enjoy in a thriller but I found myself bored, and skimming at times.

What I enjoyed:
✨True Crime Vibes
✨Strong Female Lead
✨Influencer Plot
✨Justice For The Victims

What I disliked:
✨The Pacing (it’s a quick read with short chapters, but it took so long for any sort of twist)
✨Romance Subplot (felt unrealistic and forced, wrapped up very quick)
✨True Crime Podcast (I LOVED the idea of it, but wanted more of it involved in the storyline)

I am still very eager to read The Night Swim, and The Escape Room.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Dark Corners is expected to be published August 8/2023.

Read if you like:
🎙️ Podcasts
🚫 True Crime
🔍 Playing Detective
🔀 Twists and Turns
#️⃣ Multiple POV

I just have to say, I really love the way the Rachel Krall books are written! I love how they jump back and forth between the ‘present day’ pov and the podcast pov to tell the stories. The way the two elements of present day with various perspectives and the podcast come together absolutely hooks me and makes me not want to stop reading the books in this series.

This one was extra fun to follow as this second installment is surrounding an influencer conference when one of them goes missing, old unsolved Murder cases, a suspect in jail, and a very creepy POV from a serial killer.

I personally am fascinated by the connections that big name influencer make with each other and the podding they do to build themselves up, so using that element for this book was juicy, fun, and just the right amount of drama filled to help along the plot.

All in all, this was another phenomenal thriller and I really hope we get more Rachel Krall because I’m obsessed and want to see where she goes next!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!

After reading The Night Swim and absolutely loving it (along with having an elevated heart rate the entire time) I was extremely excited to read the follow up with Rachel Krall, Dark Corners.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for the ARC!

As mentioned, Dark Corners follows podcaster Rachel Krall as she sets out to investigate another case following a missing influencer, Maddison Logan and the #1 suspect, Terrance Bailey.

I was extremely excited to read this, and while I did enjoy it, it fell flat for me for a few reasons. I personally didn't enjoy the look inside of an influencer life. While I do love social media, I think in some ways the book would have been better with out that perspective. Maybe because the first book was so heart wrenching to me, this felt a bit shallow. I also could have done without the romance storyline that played out. I personally don't go for thrillers to read a love story.

For me, this wasn't my favorite, but I could see others enjoying it!

✨Book Review✨
Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
This book was definitely one that I thought about between reading sessions, which is always a good sign. I do think it's a little forgettable, but I really enjoyed my reading experience while listening to it.
.
I thought they did a very good job on the audio version. I loved the different voices and the podcast excerpts. I would recommend if you want an entertaining thriller that doesn't go too deep.

I very much enjoyed Megan Goldin’s The Night Swim. The story is back n book two of the series, the story begins with a mystery, of course! After visiting Terence Bailey, an inmate thought to be the murderer of six women, social media influencer Maddison Logan has disappeared without a trace. When the FBI hit a wall in their investigation, they contact podcast host Rachel Krall for help. I love the character Rachel Krall and I'm happy to have her back in my life.

Dark Corners is yet again another solid and twisty thriller from Megan Goldin! I wouldn't expect anything less. I do hope the Rachel Krall books become a solid series.

Dark Corners kept me very intrigued and on the edge of my seat. I am usually pretty good about predicting what is going to happen, but I was shocked on this one! This is a very good twisty thriller and the perfect vacation read. I loved it and look forward to reading more from this author!

Night Swim was such a stellar read and I was ecstatic to see Goldin had made it a series and continued Rachel's podcast/true crime journey.

Dark Corners is exciting and fresh and I loved that this was a complex story and so different from Night Swim.

This book really had it all - a bit of romance, bada$$ FBI agents, dangerous criminals behind bars, social media influencers, and plenty of suspicious deaths and missing persons. It was hard to see how everything would connect and it's safe to say, Goldin totally surprised me in more way than one!

I really appreciate that this can be read as a standalone novel. While there were some passing references to the Night Swim plot, I'm not sure it substantively added to my experience or pleasure reading Dark Corners.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the copy.

Rachel Krall is a true-crime podcaster, we first saw in Goldin's book Night Swim. (It definitely helps to have read the first book in the series.) Rachel is an extremely likeable, smart MC - I enjoyed her sleuthing in Night Swim and was looking forward to this book as well. The sequel does not disappoint!

The FBI reaches out to Rachel after a prisoner writes a cryptic note about her. After pulling Rachel in to meet with him, and the FBI feels like she is not necessary to their missing person investigation, she decides to start looking into the guy.

It's a great psychological thriller with a lot of twists. Overall, a great follow up to the first book.

Dark Corners is the sequel to Night Swim, about Rachel Krall, a true crime podcaster. One does not have to read the first book to enjoy this one, but I do recommend it as both are so fabulous! I really enjoyed this look into the world of influencers combined with the trail of a killer and someone who may have been falsely accused of crimes in the past. Rachel is called down to Florida to assist the FBI with an investigation, and her ability to join the influencers conference to gain more information than the police can leads to one twisty ride.
I am really looking forward to seeing if there will be more in this series!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Read how: 📱
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Setting: Daytona, Fl
POV: 3
Theme: Serial Killer(s), FBI investigation procedures, and Romance

When I got this eARC I didn’t realize it was a sequel to Rachel Krall. If you haven’t read The Night Swim please do. It won’t taking away from this book but why not.
The POV is from Rachel ( Crime Podcast host) and Joe (FBI agent) who are both interested in solving an influencer girl gone missing. Now the case seemed simple but as things progress it becomes more complicated. More people are disappearing or dead but they all have the same tattoos.
I enjoyed reading from the serial killer's pov as well and seeing what triggers him. Now guys I didn't expect the twist at all. I thought I has everything figured out.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

3.5 stars

When I requested a copy of this novel to review I didn't realize this was part of a series (lesson learned). Well this is the second novel in Megan Goldin's "Rachel Krall" Series.

At the beginning I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style, however as I got into the novel, the writing style seemed to change. maybe that was just the way I was reading it, but that's my opinion. That said, having never read the initial intro into Rachel Krall, she seems very stand offish to me as a main character. She doesn't seem like the most friendly person to be around or interact with.

I did enjoy what seems like (and I assume) her second investigation. Each step & question is well throughout as Rachel Krall attempts to figure out where missing Influencer Maddison Logan has gone & the murders of several other women that seem to be connected. This most definitely kept me on my toes, seeing if I could keep up with "Who Dunnit"

Definitely a read I would whole heartedly recommend to any mystery, thriller and crime lovers.