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!

If you have not picked out your @bookofthemonth for July yet, I recommend choosing Dark Corners by @megangoldinauthor 🖤 You can’t go wrong with either the book or audiobook. I switched back and forth between the two. I loved how the audiobook made the podcast chapters sound like an actual podcast episode! Also, @januarylavoy is a narrator and I love everything she narrates. Seriously, she could narrate my cereal ingredients and I’m going to be entertained!

Dark Corners picks up where The Night Swim left off. Famous podcaster, Rachel Krall, is back helping the FBI figure out what happened to missing influencer, Maddison Logan. Maddison went missing after visiting a murderer in prison. The story has good plot twists, explores the dark side of social media, and has a small dash of romance.

Thank you @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress and @netgalley for allowing me to read and listen to this book/audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

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

Well, if I wasn’t terrified of rideshares before, I sure as hell am now!

What an addictive and fascinating sequel to The Night Swim! Rachel Krall is back as the scrappy and brilliant crime podcaster, being summoned by the FBI for help with a case in Florida.

This story focuses heavily on social media influencers, as Rachel goes undercover at an influencer conference called BuzzCon, to discover what may have happened to a missing influencer. The author gives the average person a glimpse into the world of the highly successful influencer, what successful actually means, what it costs, and significant downsides to that lifestyle.

“Being an influencer is the game of life, Rachel. Until someone finds out you’re a fraud. Then everything falls apart. Then you crash and burn”.

Although there weren’t detailed podcast “episodes” like there were in The Night Swim, there certainly were twists and turns as Rachel uncovers mystery after mystery in this detailed story. You don’t need to read The Night Swim to follow, but the background is very helpful! Overall a very engaging and fascinating read I would absolutely recommend.

*Thank you NetGalley for the advance reading copy of this novel*

For the follow up to the Night Swim, there were a number of positives about the novel which I will start with the mystery. The set up of the novel is on the coattails of the previous story, having our main character only just wrapping up of the last case. Rachel is whisked away from her home at the request of the ominous FBI. Being thrown into an active investigation there is a number of settings such as a prison and an influencer convention. These led to some unique opportunities to make conflict but also led to where some of the plot drug on.

The side romance between Rachel and the main FBI investigator felt a bit shoe horned in plot line. Besides the odd comment here and there, there as not much to speak of to show the attraction especially with the FBI investigator has barely dealt with the loss of his wife a few years prior (to the point of having her still as his phone screen). Likewise there were a few parts that were a bit convoluted, such as the reason some people did not bring up past crimes, the motives of the killer, and so on. Rachel's character in this novel was also a lot less likable compared to previous story, I wanted to like her more.

There were a number of items I did like about the story but there are also some specific instances that I would like to be developed more or adjusted to make sure sense store-wise.

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

My rating:
4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark Corners is the second book in the Rachel Krall series. Rachel is a famous true crime podcaster and is requested by the FBI to fly to Florida immediately when Rachel’s name was brought to their attention by an inmate.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the short chapters with multiple perspectives / POVS. Megan Goldin is an auto read author for me! I think the book came together nicely in the end with no loose ends. I will say I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first book in the series, The Night Swim, but this was still very good!

This book has a little bit of everything, but is mostly a thriller. At times, the story was going in so many directions I was a little confused how it would all come together but by the end I had all my answers!

If you enjoyed The Night Swim, definitely give this one a read. I do think this could be read as a stand alone as nothing about the first book was revealed in this, but I would read the Night Swim anyway because I loved it!

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC! Add this to your TBR now!

When Madisson Logan, an Instagram influencer, disappears after visiting suspected serial killer Terrence Bailey in prison, the FBI asks Rachel Krall for help. Rachel, a podcaster we first met in Goldin's Night Swim, was named by Bailey as someone Madisson should seek out.

I really enjoyed this story interspersed with bits of Rachel's podcast about the investigation into the disappearance. I really liked the character of agent Martinez. I'd like to see more of him in the future.

If you haven't read Night Swim yet, don't fret. This can 100% be read as a standalone.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and Megan Goldin for an advanced copy of this audiobook. I offer my review freely.

Publication date : 08 August 2023

Dark Corners is the second in the Rachel Krall series, but the reader doesn't need to be familiar with the first book to read the second. In this story, the podcaster is brought down to Florida by Joe Martinez of the FBI after an influencer goes missing, after speaking to a prisoner due to be released in a matter of days. When a body is found nearby, law enforcement believes it's Maddison, the influencer, and that Terence Bailey, the prisoner, is an accomplice to someone on the outside. Instead of going home, Rachel decides to stick around during an influencer convention to learn more about Maddison and try to figure out who had motives for her disappearance. During her stay, she learns about two missing girls from years ago that may be the key to figuring out what happened to Maddison, and Bailey's involvement with her. The book is a solid mystery/suspense, as the reader follows Rachel and Joe trying to piece together what happened in the past as well as what's happening underneath their noses. It isn't a story with big plot twists, and the one in there is something that many readers will be likely to figure out on their own. A good solid beach read, but not necessarily one that captures the reader's attention and makes it a "can't put it down" page turner. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ARC audiobook and book provided in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how the narration was performed on this book! The three narrators did a terrific job and with the music and sound effects, it made it engaging and fun to listen to! I really enjoyed the story as well! I really liked the plot of the true crime podcaster getting wrapped up in a missing person case and the story definitely takes you places along the way. It stays extremely relevant dealing with social media influencers and the lives they live behind their personas. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers and mysteries!