This was a good, solid suspenseful story that kept me engrossed all the way through to the end. I didn't find anything especially surprising here, but it was still entertaining, and should have wide audience appeal. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little skeptical of this book based on the synopsis, I feel like I’ve read many where the main character is a true crime podcaster. But, this one lives up to the hype!
Since this a now a Book of the Month there is a lot of buzz and for good reason. Twisty storyline without being scary. Additional storylines to throw you off track. A little romance- it had it all! I would have loved a little more wrap at the end but maybe that’s how it was intended. Overall this is one of the best thrillers I have read in 2023!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press(Erica Martirano) for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

True Crime podcaster, Rachel Krall returns as she is summoned by the FBI to a prison where inmate Terence Bailey will soon be released. Although Terence has done time for breaking and entering, the FBI believes him to also be the serial killer they have been hunting. Although confused as to why the FBI believes that she can be helpful, Rachel soon learns that Terence's last visitor, a missing social media influencer, Maddison Logan, has gone missing. Intrigued, Rachel decides that she wants to help out with the case. But the person who has Maddison is also watching Rachel and the FBI and this case might just get bigger before it is solved.


What I thought
Admittedly, this one took a few chapters before I felt that it held me in its talons. I think I desired more on the solving of the case rather than chapters devoted to Rachel Krall's dalliance with an FBI agent. The story is told from multi-character perspectives and sometimes transitions weren't always that smooth. I liked Rachel Krall very much in Book 1( The Night Swim) but there were parts of her personality that shone through in this one that I didn't like as much.

I guess you could say this one fits into the 3.0-star category.


Expected Publication Date 08/08/23
Goodreads Review Published 05/07/23

I did not know that was second in a series surrounding Rachel Krall. However, that did not impact my ability to remain engaged! This was so great! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The way the characters and POVs intersected was flawless

The sequel to Megan Goldin's "The Night Swim" but not be as great of a story, but it's still a compelling book. Rachel is back again with another season of her acclaimed podcast — this time trying to find out if Terrence Bailey really did kill all the people that the cops think he did. Unlike the first book, the podcast isn't as big in "Dark Corners," you only get a few chapter snippets and I don't feel like you got a good ending on it. The book has some decent twists, but most that you saw coming (i.e. the killer). Overall, a good 4-star read, especially if you liked The NIght Swim.

I was so very privileged to have been given the opportunity to read and review this book prior to release by NetGalley! Megan Goldin is an amazing writer and while Night Swim was not my favorite, I thoroughly enjoyed Escape Room and was thrilled to get an advanced copy of this novel.

While the storyline kept me engaged and I enjoyed how she tied many pieces to the puzzle/case into different storylines at the end, not allowing her story to be too predictable, I did feel like the writing style and the composition of the sentences was a bit juvenile at times. I don't claim to be any better myself but I was surprised by it coming from this author, not remembering her writing being this way previously. It often read like a YA novel, many phrases repeating and the ending chapter felt like a let down after such a fast moving climax.

I loved the short chapters and I liked the incorporation of social media.

I did feel like some of what occurred in the storyline was just a little TOO convenient...

All in all I rate this book 3/5 because, while I have many good things to say, there are just as many draw backs. I wanted to love it, but in the end I was just able to finish it, which is a win.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! What a great mystery/thriller!
Character development was spot on. Felt they were all so real.
Highly recommend!

3.5 stars-I had such high expectations for this book after reading The Night Swim….I liked the mystery part of the story and the way it unfolded was interesting. Also the inspiration for the title, the most dangerous spot is around a dark corner. Now I am going to get a little tangenty here with the I did not likes. First, I AM SO OVER the hot FBI agent with demons falling for the hot (fill in the blank.) I like my thrillers without the complications of hot people always having sex. Personal opinion. I also couldn’t handle the social media influencer aspect to this book. I know way too much about the influencer world, again, my opinion. I am not big on social media so for me this was just an annoyance. The story was ok, but it felt very formulaic. I’m not giving up on the author, but this was not a favorite of mine. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc. As mentioned all opinions are my own.

I loved this book! Even better than the first one and the ending I didn’t see coming. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I've been a Megan Goldin fan since her debut book The Escape Room. She weaves a story that is equal parts twisted and captivating and Dark Corners was no different.

Dark Corners is the return of famed character, Rachel Krall from The Night Swim. Although this is the second book in what they are deeming a series, they are both total standalones. Rachel is the famous podcaster that investigates true crimes. She is now brought into Daytona after a very high profile social influencer goes missing and Rachel's name is brought up. With short chapters and multiple POVs, this story keeps you glued to the pages from the beginning to the end.

With all the characters, initially it was a little difficult to keep some of the names straight, but the characters were all so vividly ALIVE in the story that it didn't take long to differentiate between them. They all carried important pieces to the puzzle of solving the missing person case and intertwining it with social media influencers, evil lurking in plain site, the release of a prisoner and Rachel and her developing relationship with her FBI contact.

Overall this was an engaging and dark book that held my attention throughout. I loved being back in Rachel Krall's world and having her still be a strong and confident woman. I hope we get more of her and perhaps see her relationship with Joe grow. What case will she take us on next??

"We're so desensitized to evil, so obsessed with finding out what makes the likes of...tick, that we forget about the victims. Not just those they kill, but those they leave behind."

I really enjoyed the Night Swim, but I would say this is a semi-sequel and you don't have to read the Night Swim in order to read Dark Corners. Very little was mentioned about the first book and doesn't ruin anything about this book as it is really a separate storyline. I enjoyed the "influencer" storyline and thought that this story was great. I do wish there would have been more podcast feel like the first book but still enjoyed it and maybe even more than the Night Swim but for different reasons. I enjoy Rachel Krall as a character and would love her story to continue on. Would recommend. Thanks Netgalley for ARC!
4.25*

Dark Corners was my first read of my vacation week, and I’m not sure how my next read can possibly measure up. Megan Goldin brings back podcaster Rachel Krall from book one in her series, and I’m already hoping she returns in a book three. In Dark Corners, Rachel is recruited by Joe Martinez to help solve the disappearance of a missing influencer, and it’s non-stop twists and reveals that left me frantically flipping wondering how things would tie together. When Megan even tied in the influencer swag, it wrapped it all together in a way that is just oh so entertaining, and I’m left hoping that Joe and Rachel join forces again.

Thank you St. Martins for providing me with an early readers copy of Dark Corners by Megan Goldin. Unfortunately, this story was a miss for me. I didn't really like our protagonist Rachel Krall, even though I didn't have any issue with her in Night Swim (which was excellent). She felt a little out of place in this novel.

Anyway, Rachel, a true crime podcaster, is tasked by the FBI to speak to a criminal who is about to be released from prison. A popular social influencer has gone missing and he was the last person who spoke with her. After Rachel speaks with him, she attends an influencer conference nearby to go kind of undercover and learn more.

The story felt convoluted and full of tropes. I would skip this one if you're a Megan Goldin fan.

I really enjoyed this due to its fast pace! I was disappointed that everything was tied off very quickly and I would have enjoyed more suspense near the end. I felt the romance storyline was unnecessary.

Dark Corners is the second in the Rachel Krall series. Rachel is a podcaster who focuses on true crime. I really enjoyed the first book, The Night Swim. But this one was much less believable and therefore, less enjoyable.
The book is all about people making bad decisions. The book starts with an unbelievable premise - that the FBI would knowingly risk the life of a civilian. Oh, this suspected serial killer is in prison, so she’s safe. The fact that he’s getting out in two days doesn’t raise a concern? Really? And they even whisk her away from home without giving her time to think things through. And then, after a few hours, then they’re all concerned about her safety and want her to go back home? Flip side, Rachel took a lot of risks that made me cringe. Goldin was trying to portray her as independent, but she came across as bullheaded.
Terence Bailey has been in prison for six years without a visitor. Earlier in the week, Maddison Logan, a “hot young influencer”, had come to visit him. Right after, she goes missing. So the FBI has the bright idea to have Rachel visit Bailey to see if she can learn anything. It’s not giving anything away that the blurb doesn’t already say to indicate there’s a potential accomplice.
The story is told from the perspective of Rachel and Tom, an Uber driver with an unfortunate health problem. I’m not a fan of being privy to the culprit’s thoughts and actions. I much prefer a straight investigation.
I loved the scenes that dealt with influencers. I don’t follow any and having read this book, doubt I ever will. What a group of egos!
If you’re willing to suspend belief and just want some entertainment, you’ll probably enjoy this book. My Type A personality struggled with it. Another reviewer (thank you Girlwiththepinkskimask) mentioned the poor writing/editing here and she was spot on. There are numerous contradictions and repetitive clauses. It made for a very awkward read.
Despite being the second of the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Dark Corners is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Dark Corners asap.

3.5 stars rounded down to a 3!

Dark Corners is the second installment in Megan Goldin's Rachel Krall series. In this novel, Rachel is asked by the FBI to come and talk to Terence Bailey, an incarcerated suspected serial killer who was visited by van-life and now missing influencer Maddison Logan. Rachel's investigation takes her to BuzzCon, where she'll have to brush elbows with micro and mega influencers who mostly care about followers and what they can post to get the most traction.

I just read The Night Swim earlier this month, and quite enjoyed it, so I was pretty excited for the second installment, especially considering I liked Rachel in the first book. Unfortunately, this book fell into one of my least favorite tropes where you kind of know what's going on the entire time and are just waiting for Rachel and the FBI investigator on this case to realize it as well. I think, like all of Megan Goldin's books, this was written very well and I didn't have a hard time reading it, but I was constantly ready for it to be over. Between the potential serial killer, a creepy ouroborous symbol shared by multiple influencers, and the strange almost postmortem podcast clips, there was a lot going on and I can't say it all worked.

Also in case anyone was wondering, I don't feel that it was necessary to have read The Night Swim before this, but I found The Night Swim to be much more enjoyable than this installment.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an e arc in exchange for an honest review!

When I found out that Megan Goldin was writing a sequel to The Night Swim I was HERE FOR IT. And I'm still here for it, because it lived up to every single expectation I had. Rachel is amazing, and she's what every podcaster dreams they were, quite frankly. Two thumbs way up on this one.

Terry Bailey is about to be released from prison. There are some that aren’t ready for that to happen especially given that women are continuing to disappear and they all have connections back to Bailey. Throw in a conference of social media influencers and it is prime hunting ground for Bailey or whomever is causing women to disappear.

This is one that tosses in some mystery/thriller elements. A bit of romance, and connecting to the social media influencer community. There’s a bit for everyone, but that is why I gave it 3 stars. It felt like there wasn’t a target audience and at times it bored me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for this book.

LOVED this story! Likable characters, a well-written plot with some unexpected twists and turns. I loved the investigative report sections and what they added to the story. I don't believe I've read from this author before, but will certainly seek out her work in the future! Well done!