I really liked the book. Love the podcast aspect. I liked the ending too. I hope there is another one in this series.

Dark Corners is the second book featuring Rachel Krall, a podcaster who is roped into an FBI investigation about a missing influencer. The pacing was great, and it was just creepy enough. Megan Goldin is one of my go-to mystery writers, and I will definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to @netgalley for an eArc of this book. I loved the first Rachel Krall book. I had even wrote in my review that I would like a sequel! This book is about a podcaster, influencers and murder. It is an “easy” read for thriller lovers.

"Always know what you're walking into. Dark corners can be danger points."

Another great installment in the Rachel Krall stories! I love that Rachel is a Podcaster who covers very dangerous, very relevant cases. I like that she is so independent and has such good instincts. I like that she can get just about anyone to talk to her.

In this one, Rachel is pulled in to a case of a prisoner about to be released bringing up her name. She's pulled in and suddenly, in the middle of it all. I liked the twists in this one. I didn't guess most of them and I had a lot of ideas. I loved meeting weekly with my book club and we all hashed out our ideas.

I loved the added dose of influencers in this story, too. It added an air of levity, at times, and gave a different world for Rachel to be in - not court, not with detectives or talking with survivors, but mingling and making friends!

I really hope this isn't the end for us and Rachel Krall. I will definitely be looking for a book 3!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I don't think I even read the synopsis before requesting this one! I enjoyed THE NIGHT SWIM and was so excited to get more of Rachel and her podcast. Unlike others who may be sick of this particular trope or plot device in mystery books... I am all about it. Give me all of the true crime podcasters. I also know many weren't in love with the idea of a companion/second novel, but I think it's great - the idea of following this podcaster through multiple cases and stories sounds awesome! It's no different than following a detective, PI, etc. for multiple companion novels.

Anyways, all that to say... I was pumped for DARK CORNERS! I received an egalley and also selected the finished copy as my BOTM pick for July. I was able to read both versions since I like reading my Kindle before bed in the dark :) I found it to be a great choice for my final book of Summerween because it was really tense and addicting!

The story, from the synopsis, seems a little convoluted but it was easy to follow and made sense once you get into it. Rachel heads to Daytona to help the FBI with a case - an inmate being released in two days is asking for her. Enter in a missing influencer, a potential serial killer, a creepy symbol, and a whole lot more. I really enjoyed how many layers there were to this book and found it really compelling. The changing POVs (which I won't necessarily spoil) definitely added to the tension and helped mix things up. Being inside different people's heads was interesting and made me consistently wonder how everything was connected.

Some of the early reviews had people disliking Rachel now or thinking she changed as a character. I didn't remember enough of the first book and her personality to come to the same conclusion but I loved that she was often a dick to cops. No issue for me there! There was one thing I didn't love later in the book for Rachel that just didn't feel necessary but I won't spoil it here.

As I said, I spent a lot of time trying to put a ton of pieces together between all of the different characters. I figured out a thing or two that seemed obvious but the rest of the connections weren't clear to me, which made for a fun ending! The final chapters of this book were extremely tense and reminded me why I love thrillers (and should read them more often - I find myself as more of a traditional mystery girlie most of the time). Some things got explained or wrapped up in a weird way or a little too rushed, plus the last chapter and very end of the book were pretty abrupt. Not a huge issue when the rest was twisty and intriguing!

If I could add another complaint, the dialogue was weird at times - Rachel and Joe (the FBI) agent used each others names all the time throughout conversations in a way that is not how real people talk at all. Once I noticed it, I couldn't ignore it. I usually/otherwise really like Goldin's writing, which is why she's easily become an auto-buy author for me ever since I first read THE NIGHT SWIM.

All in all, this was a really good thriller and exciting companion follow-up. Another unpopular opinion here after finishing the book: I could definitely go for more books in this series! I want to see Rachel continue to solve more cases.

Rachel Krall returns in Dark Corners by Megan Goldin for another gripping novel. I will admit it took me a little bit to get into this book but after about the halfway mark I found myself unable to put this book down.

Rachel Krall is the host of a true crime podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty, and this time instead of trying to catch a serial killer it turns out that the serial killer is trying to catch her.

I definitely likes the storyline of this novel better than The Night Swim, which introduces us to Rachel and her podcast but it does feel a little like Rachel became a different person in Dark Corners. She is more aggressive and confrontational in this novel which I actually prefer for her character. Although I was able to predict who our serial killer was I thought that this novel did a great job at keeping my interest with its plot alone.

It is also not necessary to read Night Swim prior to this novel to understand and appreciate it, it was just my personal preference to.

This is the sequel to the Night Swim in which true crime podcaster Rachel Krall returns to action in investigating the case of a popular influencer’s disappearance after randomly visiting a suspected serial killer who is scheduled to be released from prison in just a matter of days. Rachel has to figure out why the visit would happen and how they are even connected and then is the influencer’s disappearance connected to the visit to the prison? Rachel gets involved after the FBI call her in when her name appears on some papers in the prisoners room. Apparently he is a fan. Or is there more to it than that? Soon after Rachel meets with the prisoner at the request of the FBI, another body is discovered nearby. Is it the missing woman? The prisoner will be released unless they can tie him to this murder and finally tie him to murders they’ve suspected him of for many years, but there’s so much more to the story once Rachel starts her digging, but Rachel is much less likeable character than in the Night Swim. That being said, you don’t have to read the first to be be able to read this one without any issues.
Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

A very strong procedural thriller. I enjoy this author’s writing style and the way she uses short chapters to propel the story forward. It kept me guessing for a large chunk of the story, which is my favorite part of a mystery/thriller. The blog/influencer angle felt fresh and I like that I didn’t need to remember the first story in depth to enjoy this.

I really dug The Night Swim, which wasn’t labeled as a book 1 when it first released. Though I liked Rachel a ton, I hoped for more from her. So I’m especially pleased that not only is there a book 2, but that I have an ARC of it.

Rachel is the kind of investigative reporter that will stop at nothing to get to the truth. Though some of her decisions feel reckless, she gets results that the FBI and local police do not get.

I love the storytelling style of breaking up the story with snippets of the podcast Rachel produces. I like that she stays objective and goes after aspects that other podcasters might not.

The influencer aspect wasn’t a draw for me, but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book. If there was anything I didn’t love, it was the procedure of police telling mothers with missing daughters to give it a day or 2. That’s not a thing. It hasn’t been a thing for decades, yet authors still write that into their stories.

This book has a different feel from The Night Swim. The single perspective could be why, but I don’t think that’s an issue. Every book shouldn’t sound the same, and I think that’s what makes this as strong a story as it is. This one was a lot of fun. It felt like a true mystery, and as the book progressed, it became a thriller. I am definitely looking forward to more Rachel Krall investigations down the road.

Thank you to #NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Megan Goldin for the opportunity to read an advance copy of DARK CORNERS, to be published 8 August 2023. 5/5 Stars for this well written police procedural/ psychological thriller. Rachel is a Podcaster turned influencer who becomes involved in solving the crimes committed. The book details her Podcast of the events of the case intermittently with the storyline. It was a fast-paced novel that highlighted Rachel’s interaction with the FBI Special Agent Joe Martinez, who initially got her involved in an ongoing case. Great read! #NetGalley. #MeganGoldin. #St.Martin’sPress #DARKCORNERS

Dark Corners

4.25 ⭐️

Megan Goldin writes a really solid thriller. Dark Corners is the second book in her Rachel Krall series, and I honestly think I liked it more than the first!

Rachel is summoned by the FBI to visit a prisoner who is requesting to meet with her. She finds herself in the midst of an influencer conference where several people have disappeared mysteriously.

Even though you know more than the main character throughout, I still found it interesting to watch how it unfolded. The podcast inserts were a little confusing in the first book, but I was expecting them in this one. Definitely a good summer thriller to add to your tbr!

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

Big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Let me start by saying that I loved the Night Swim! So when I received an ARC that continued the story of Rachel Krall, I was thrilled. I could not wait to jump back into her podcast "Guilty or Not Guilty" and solve another mystery.

Maybe this is why I didn't love the book.

Sure, the mystery is there, but the things that drew me into the first book were not.
The podcast chapters gave insight but seemed to be filler to tell the background story. A lot of the characters fell flat for me, and although the story ends with all the loops closed, I still was left wanting more of an ending.

Now, don't get me wrong. I liked the book. It is a quick read full of mysteries and red herrings and a couple of interesting characters. I just wish the podcast was more center stage and that the chapters with alternating characters weaved the story like the first book.

Maybe you will love this book, or maybe you will be a little let down like me. But I still think it's worth a read if you are into thrillers and enjoyed the Night Swim.

Happy Reading!

I was very excited to read this follow-up to The Night Swim because I really liked Rachel as a main character (and obviously loved that book and gave it 5 stars). I still liked Rachel as a main character in this one but I didn’t like this follow-up as much as I wanted to. In general, this just felt SO different from The Night Swim to me and just felt more like a typical mystery/thriller. I wasn’t pulled into the story and felt really disconnected for most of it. I had no excitement while reading this/no motivation to pick it up until about 70% in. Overall, I was moderately satisfied with the way everything came together in the end and I didn’t think this book was bad, just a lot more average than it’s predecessor.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Megan Goldin for this ARC ebook. Dark Corners (Rachel Krall #2) will be published August 8, 2023 (already available through BOTM).

4⭐️ 📖 Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the anticipated sequel to The Night Swim. I really enjoyed this quick read. Rachel finds herself twisted up in a race against the clock as the FBI races against the clock to prove that an inmate really did murder all the women they think he did—before he is released from prison on a lesser charge. I really enjoy the mix of “story” vs podcast narration. Ready for Rachel #3!

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars

I liked Dark Corners more than The Night Swim! There were differences in formatting between the two. In The Night Swim, we get chapters of Rachel’s podcast which I really enjoyed, but we don’t get that here. This story has a lot more POVs, but doesn’t distinctly say at the beginning of each chapter who it is. I did find that this drew me into the story more. I also loved the addition of the FBI Special Agent Joe Martinez. Overall I just liked the plot a lot more here!

Definitely recommend!!

I have been provided with a review copy of Dark Corners from NetGalley for an impartial review. This book was just so easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

A solid thriller with an enjoyable main character. True crime podcaster Rachel Krall is asked by the FBI to come to Daytona Beach and speak to a prisoner in the hopes that Rachel might be able to help find a missing social media influencer. The story comes together nicely, following Rachel, a killer with an unusual physical ailment, and some unsolved murders and disappearances in the area. As the past and present weave together, Rachel ends up getting drawn into the world of influencers and the investigation until she eventually and inevitably becomes a target. Some of the dialogue felt really stilted and unnatural to me, and there was a bit of romance thrown in that was a little cringey, but I still enjoyed this fast-paced thriller, and I hope Goldin writes more books featuring the character of Rachel. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital review copy.

4 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! First off, I know this book is being marketed as Rachel Krall #2, but reading Night Swim isn’t necessary before reading this (though it’s also a good book!) I actually enjoyed Dark Corners better, I thought it was a bit less chaotic than Night Swim, and I appreciated that there was only one POV. There wasn’t any sort of huge twist, but more of a slow burn mystery that resolved itself nicely. I definitely recommend for a nice little mystery that’s light on gore/horror.

I will never not want this series on audio. The production that went into this book and the Night Swim is beyond! So good! I feel like not only am I following the story I am there listening to a podcast. This is every true crime podcast lovers dream! Definitely recommend this one! Thank you so much to Macmillan audio and Macmillan publishers for the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If Megan wants to continue with Rachel’s story it will be an automatic buy for me!

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

Terrence Bailey is scheduled to be released from prison in a few days. The FBI have long suspected him of six murders but couldn’t tie him to it. Now, social media influencer Maddison Long visits Terrence in prison. He writes her a chilling message: “Bring Rachel Krall to me”. Hours later, Maddison disappears. Could Terrence have an accomplice on the outside? And what does podcaster Rachel Krall have to do it with any of it? FBI Agent Joe Martinez is about to find out. Though initially reluctant, once Rachel is involved she will stop at nothing to find Maddison. She goes undercover at Buzzcon, an influencer conference, and is forced to confront very real dangers lurking around the corner.

“Dark Corners” features the return of Rachel Krall from Megan Goldin’s previous book “Night Swim”. I loved “Night Swim” and was eager to be in Rachel’s world again. Through technically #2 in the Rachel Krall series, “Dark Corners” can definitely be read as a standalone. I enjoyed seeing Rachel still working on her true crime podcast, and got a kick out of the Influencer aspect - I feel seen! LOL Though initially slow to start, once this story got going I couldn’t put it down!! Told from dual viewpoints, readers see Rachel and Joe working the case while the killer is plotting a chilling revenge. I couldn’t figure out just how there people fit together and when it was revealed, I was so surprised! This book was just as great as its predecessor and I am really hoping for more Rachel Krall in the future! Thank you to Netgalley, Megan Goldin and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC! “Dark Corners” releases August 8, 2023!

This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)