Dark Corners takes us back into the world of true crime podcaster Rachel Krall. This book could be read as a standalone there were no spoilers from The Night Swim though having read that previously made you feel more familiar with the main character. This was a quick read once it got going a little slow in the set-up. I enjoyed all the behind the scenes looks at the influencer life and felt it was a solid mystery. Would rate it 3-3.5 stars and would definitely recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Corners is the second book focusing on the popular true crime podcaster Rachel Krall. Rachel is called to Florida by the FBI to assist in a case of a prisoner soon to be released, who is suspected to be a serial killer. When a popular van life travel influencer vanishes after visiting the prisoner, Rachel puts her own life in peril while she races against time to outwit the deadly criminal. Will she be able to find the missing influencer and stop a killer?

What I liked about the book:
-the glamorous, posh setting of an influencers conference in a luxury Daytona beach hotel
-the world of influencers
-strong female character of Rachel Krall
-snippets of the podcast added dimension to the storyline
-multiple POV
-misdirection coupled with twists and turns
-the killer’s medical condition and POV
-enjoyed the ‘monster in plain sight and dark corners’ aspect in book

What I disliked about the book:
-at times it was suspend your disbelief but it still managed to keep me entertained
-unnecessary romance that didn’t add to the storyline

My rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5 I took a ½ star rating off due to the unrealistic romance storyline

My final takeaway: Megan Goldin created a fun, thrilling read that immerses the reader into the world of podcasts, influencers, and serial killers. I recommend this for fans who like twisty thrillers, with strong female protagonists.

Trigger Warning: gore, violence, stalking, abduction

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC which will be published August 8 2023.

A prisoner getting close to being released sends an influencer to Rachel Krall dragging her into a long running missing women case. I enjoyed learning about the influencers world and become engrossed in the missing women's story. Looking forward to the next story for Rachel.

This is an adult, mystery thriller set in today’s world of podcasts, social influencers, and many of the dark places on the internet. If you like crime thrillers this one will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Terror surrounds Rachel Krall when the FBI approach her for assistance in solving a series of murders linked to a prisoner who is about to be paroled from prison after being convicted on a charge of breaking and entering . The FBI is certain he is involved in the murders of t least six women. They are working tirelessly to prove his guilt but are missing badly needed proof. Did he act alone? Terence Bailey is brilliantly created and the story evolves that will totally absorb and frighten the reader. All of the characters are carefully created and deeply involved in the story. Megan Goldin is a super talented author and will have you guessing all the way through the book. If you like crime novels you will not want to miss this one. I did think it ended abruptly and it left me wanting more but I do recommend this one.

I wish to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Absolutely Brilliant!!!

I was given the opportunity to read an early copy of this book and what a absolutely brilliant book it is!

This is the second book I have by Megan Goldin and both books exceeded my expectations! I loved The Night Swim and Dark Corners was Absolutely Brilliant!

I hope Megan continues with Rachel Krall’s stories! I’m rapidly becoming a fan!

Storytelling at its Best! This book has it all, witty banter, suspense with a sprinkle of romance and incredible character development!

This masterpiece that kept me engaged the entire time!

Pick up this Phenomenal book today!

No spoilers with my review! This is a must read for 2023!

If I could give more than 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ I would!

The second Rachel Krall novel does not disappoint, if I had to say, it's even better than the Night Swim. A social media van influencer - you know the type that roams without abandon in their camper van from coast to coast with tiktoks of sunsets and perfect photos of breakfasts, goes missing after visiting an inmate in a prison. The only thing? The inmate mentions to bring Rachel in. The FBI gives Rachel backstage access to podcast her little heart out during the investigation to find the girl, there's more twists in this than a pretzel. I was thoroughly impressed with the pacing. I read it in one sitting. I would love to hear the audio book (the podcast portion would probably be awesome) This thriller keeps you on your toes and itching for the next page.

Thank you to St Martin's for the galley! (it in no way affects my review, I legitimately love Megan Goldin's writing style)

𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀
• influencer life
• fast paced
• fade to black romance scene
• you already know whodunit but the characters don’t

I dove into this book immediately after devouring The Night Swim so I was fresh off the Rachel Krall “Guilty or Not Guilty” Podcaster/journalist/cold Case solver. These two stories can definitely be red stand alone, as there aren’t any spoilers from the previous.

I would say Dark Corners was a tad disappointing next to The Night Swim. I felt a little all over the place with Dark Corners and the mystery here wasn’t so tied together, so it took some time to warm up to. It was a fast read with plenty of “huh” moments, but the romance seemed a little thrown in and wooden. It was all a little disjointed, and a lot of names thrown around as if to try being obvious red herrings. I also preferred the way the podcast chapters were organized in the previous book so if you’re listening on audio, you might get caught off the first couple times it switches.

Edit: I hear the audio and finished copies have better indicators of when the podcast chapter is so that’s great!

I was a big fan of The Night Swim and was very excited for Dark Corners. Unfortunately, it just didn't have the same feel as the first one. The story was a bit drawn out at times, and other times things just didn't make sense. Maddison's whole backstory makes little sense when you get all of the information (spoiler: why would someone who knows a potentially killer is after them take on an online persona?). I am hopefully that a third in the series get back the magic of the first one!

Rachel Krall is back again in this fast paced thriller by Megan Goldin!

Rachel, a famous true crime podcaster, heads down to Florida to assist the FBI on a high profile case. A missing woman with no traceable past and a handful of unsolved murder cases has Rachel fighting the clock to put the missing pieces together before the suspected killer is freed from prison.

I really enjoyed “Dark Corners”! It was fast paced with lots of action that kept me guessing until the end. The romance at the end felt very forced. It felt like it was just out of the blue and didn’t totally make sense to me. There was also a few loose ends that seemed to be rushed in the ending.
Personally I enjoyed “The Night Swim” (#1 in the series) more than “Dark Corners”. But I’m excited to read more of Rachel Krall!

Note: you do NOT have to read “The Night Swim” first. There are a handful of references to it at the beginning of this book but you won’t be confused if you read “Dark Corners” as a stand-alone.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC of “Dark Corners” by Megan Goldin.

This was one of my anticipated reads of 2023 - I read The Night Swim with my book club, loved it and was excited to hear a second book was coming out featuring the crime podcaster Rachel Krall.

I ate this book up - I went between the ebook and audiobook at first but in the end opted for the audio because of the podcast element. The podcast wasn't as present in this one but I still liked that it was included. The narration of this book was also excellent!

I always get sucked into Goldin's books and I like how her books are all very different (well the ones I've read are so far anyways lol). Here we get to experience how social media fame isn't always as glamorous as it seems and I think the influencers were a fun touch to this book. We definitely have some stereotypical behaviour there but it brings up a lot of good discussion points about the impact social media has on our lives and the idea of image versus identity.

I've been seeing several reviews mentioning how rude/grumpy Rachel is in this book versus The Night Swim but I didn't feel this way. There is also a romance aspect to to this book, which I didn't hate but also didn't feel like it was entirely necessary.

All in all the story is fast paced, twisty and a good read. I'm definitely hoping there's going to be another book in this series but if not, looking forward to what Goldin will write next!

Content warnings: Murder, kidnapping, drug abuse, stalking, confinement, suicidal thoughts, grief.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio, St-Martin's Press and Netgalley for the audio and ARC copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I got pretty excited realizing this was going to be a sequel to Night Swim! It did not disappoint! I think it started a little slow and I was a little confused with timeline at first but as I continued to read it all fell into place. I can’t say I was super surprised by the reveals at the end but it was very well executed. I also loved the tiny touch of romance and I’m advocating for more of Rachel and Joe!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐⭐⭐/5

• influencer thriller
• unlikable FMC
• fun misdirection

I'll preface this by saying: I wasn't the biggest fan of Stay Awake (⭐⭐) and I haven't read The Night Swim (the first book in this series). It was an intriguing premise but I felt it was repetitive at times. I switched between the digital copy and the audio - I enjoyed the audio, especially the podcast chapters. They felt so real!

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley, St Martins Press and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book via both gifted eARC and audio! All opinions are honest and my own.

"Dark Corners" by Megan Goldin is one wild ride! Though it is a follow-up to "The Night Swim," it can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel. I don't typically read thrillers, my preferred genre is literary fiction, but her novels are not run-of-the-mill thrillers; Goldin's novels are well-written with finely-crafted characters and deeply-developed, multi-layered storylines. I think this is her best novel yet! I was thoroughly entertained and the twists and turns kept me guessing and turning the pages; I didn't want to put this book down! Rachel Krall is a great heroine and I hope to see more of her in future books.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Megan Goldin for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this riveting book. Five stars!

Incredible Book! One of my favorites this year. Can't wait to recommend this one to others! Megan Goldin has become my new must-read author.

Positives:
A strong female protagonist
Terrific setting with an exclusive "influencer" conference at a 5-star resort
Mutiple perspectives with the podcast and the current mysterious timeline
The theme of "dark corners" and "scary monsters in plain sight" reoccurs throughout
All around entertaining and everything is tied up neatly in the end

Negatives:
A bit of suspension of disbelief at the end-but it did not ruin the book for me.

I really hope this "series" continues

Rachel Krall became a podcasting sensation for her reporting on innocent men behind bars and a more recent case. Prisoners are reaching out to her in hopes that she’ll feature their story and perhaps find another wrongful conviction. When she gets a call from the FBI to go down to Florida to meet with an inmate she is pulled into a cold case for a killer who may still be on the loose.

I enjoyed the first Rachel Krall book, but this one felt strange to have her a part of. I don’t feel like her past/history did anything to help the story along and she seemed to get in the way more than help. I think this could have been a book separate from her with different perspectives and I would have liked it more!

Madison Logan, a travel blogger, has gone missing and true crime podcaster Rachel Krall has been called by the FBI to come to Florida to help. Soon it becomes clear to the reader, a serial killer is at large and while the FBI’s focus is on Terrance Bailey, a felon being released imminently from prison (and someone Madison visited right before she went missing), the reader has the perspective of an additional narrator, a sociopathic Uber driver with an odd affliction - body odor that smells like rotting garbage.

I went back and forth between the audio and the book and really enjoyed it since this book was based on a podcaster and the “special reports” were much more fun on audio. That being said, I was glad I had both since there were a lot of details that I think would have been lost if I just had the audio. I enjoyed the investigative aspect of the book and thought the pace was right on track. I did not realize this was the second in a series (I don’t think they need to be read in order) and I will definitely be reading the first book.

This was a 3.75 star book for me, rounded to 4

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review

Dark Corners is book two of the Rachel Krall series and while I’ve not read Night Swim, I didn’t feel lost at all. A spin on true crime podcast host living a real life detective moment, the story takes you on a series of twists and turns that leave you trying to piece the puzzle together.

In a world so immersed in social media, this was incredible relatable and harrowing to navigate. With three story lines woven together, the journey flows well and was able to be picked up quickly.

The second installment in the Rachel Krall series, Dark Corners takes you on a chilling journey through a maze of secrets and deception. I opted for the audio version, expertly done by @macmillianaudio, while simultaneously reading the e-book. Let me tell you, it was an immersive experience that I highly recommend!

The narration was captivating, bringing the characters to life and amplifying the tension in every scene. If you're looking for an audio experience that enhances the story, Macmillan Audio won't disappoint.

Dark Corners was my first foray into Megan Goldin's writing, and I was thoroughly impressed. The plot felt like a true crime podcast, with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Goldin's ability to craft suspense and evoke a sense of being a fly on the wall is truly enjoyable.

What made Dark Corners even more enthralling is its relevance to the age of social media and influencers. The story revolves around a string of murders and an influencer who mysteriously disappears. Goldin expertly explores the dark underbelly of social media and the consequences of living life in the spotlight. It's a timely and thought-provoking theme that adds an extra layer of intrigue, especially to this book influencer wannabe. 😂

I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Rachel Krall series. Megan Goldin has gained a new fan in me, and I can't wait to explore more of her thrilling and addictive storytelling. If you're a fan of crime fiction, true crime podcasts, or just enjoy a gripping page-turner, this book is a must-read!

This was my first Megan Goldin book, and as soon as I finished this one I ordered The Night Swim! Rachel Krall is a crime podcaster who is investigates unsolved or unique cases. She is flown down to Daytona Beach, FL by the FBI to assist with a missing persons case and it was a wild ride from page 1. At first I was worried there might be ‘too much’ happening because there were current and past cases being explored, but Goldin kept the writing clear and brilliantly wove together the mixed plot lines and narratives. I especially enjoyed having the unique serial killer POV! Part thriller, part police procedural, part romantic suspense, part social commentary on the dark side of being an influencer; I loved every twisty, turning, pulse-pounding page of this book! I highly recommend listening to the audiobook while reading as you get the unique ‘live action’ podcast segments for extra affect!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copies in exchange for my honest review. Social Media post will be made closer to pub date.

Thank you to Netgalley, Megan Goldin, and ST. Martins Press for an advance copy of Dark Corners in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely devour anything Megan Goldin writes and I was so excited to once again get to hang out with Rachel Krall from The Night Swim. I truly love the podcast element in books and this one was no exception. I loved that Goldin brought in elements of life today (social media influencers, podcasts, social media brand events, etc) into this novel. I totally thought I had the book figured out about halfway through but of course I didnt and I was thoroughly pleased with the twist. This one needs to join your TBR and bookshelf when it comes out on August 8th! 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for GR.