Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

I really liked the Night Swim. I loved Goldin’s Stay Awake. So I was excited and had high hope for Dark Corners but it felt like it was written by someone else! The dialogue was just awful. This is probably why so many have described main character Rachel as aggressive, different, and unlikable this time around. The format of Dark Corners was different than Night Swim as well, told primarily from Rachel’s perspective with less of the podcast episodes. Right off the bat there are too many characters to keep straight. It got more unbelievable/unrealistic as it went on and then there was a random romance thrown in there?!
I think I will still give new books by Goldin a read. To me, this one just really missed the mark.

Thanks so much for the ARC! This novel definitely had some good twists and turns but fell short of the first Rachel Krall story. I missed the podcast chapters from the first story and honestly the ending of this novel fell short for me- I wish they wrapped on something other than Maddisons’s digital detox. Will recommend but think the first novel was stronger!

So unique and captivating that I couldn't put it down. The story was a real page-turner, and I loved how it mixed different elements like influencers, podcasters, vanlife, and true crime. It was a great sequel that truly lived up to the expectations set by its predecessor. Thanks for the advance review copy.

I would give this a 3.75 if I’m being honest.

A podcaster helps the FBI solve a mystery they can’t manage on their own.

There are some twists and turns but most of them are pretty predictable. I enjoyed the book and it kept me at the edge of my seat while reading. The premise of a podcaster being a better detective than the FBI is a little far fetched and cringy but overall it was still good.
I liked the night swim a little more.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Highly recommend on audio - there are snippets from the main character's podcast which are a nice inclusion!

This is the second in the true crime podcaster Rachel Krall series. This can easily be read as a standalone.

Rachel receives an intriguing call from the FBI and drops everything to fly to Florida where she finds the FBI is trying to use her to get information from soon to be released prisoner, Terence Bailey, regarding the disappearance of popular influencer, Maddison Logan. Bailey is believed to be responsible for the murders of some women prior to be incarcerated but now it is wondered if he had an accomplice.

This is very influencer culture heavy - which is not really my jam. The mystery is very solid however I don't love the influencer world and this was a huge storyline in the book. There are a lot of storylines, clues spread throughout the book, and lots of good reveals throughout. Rachel's level of involvement with the FBI did feel a bit out there. I really didn't care for the romance storyline and it really made Rachel's strong perception and investigative skills start to feel sloppy and not typical to her usual character.

Recommend if you enjoy
True crime podcasts
Police procedural
Influencer trope
Solid mystery

Very impressed that this novel, while a continuation of the main character, Rachel Krall, was not told in the same way, but with a fresh outlook on a returning character.

The story takes place with Rachel being called to assist the FBI in the disappearance of a young woman, Maddison Logan, who is seen to be linked to soon to be released prisoner Terence Bailey (accused of the murders of six women). Rachel takes a deep dive into the social media world in order figure out what happed to Maddison. Rachel discovers the competitive and fierce world that Maddison is apart of an unearths many secrets during her undercover investigation.

Although the book is called Dark Corners it did not have some of the same darkness of The Night Swim which I did miss. While the social media aspect didn’t appeal to me I still enjoyed the book as I find Megan Goldin’s writing incredibly engaging.

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press and Megan Goldin for the opportunity to read Dark Corners!

This is the second in the true crime podcaster Rachel Krall series. Although I read the first one, this would work as a standalone.



When Rachel receives an intriguing call from the FBI, she drops everything to fly to Florida. There, she finds that the feds are trying to use her to get information from soon to be released prisoner Terence Bailey regarding the disappearance of a popular influencer, Maddison Logan, who met with him before she went missing. The authorities believe that Bailey is responsible for the murders of some women prior to be incarcerated, but when another body shows up before he is freed, they wonder about an accomplice….and just what does that creepy insignia of a snake eating its own tail which keeps popping up have to do with the case?



Rachel gets caught up in the investigation. Along the way, the reader is introduced to and learns about the shallow world of influencers and soon Rachel is in danger.



This was a fast, engrossing read. There seem to be a lot of storylines going on, but they all come together and are resolved by the last chapter. As with the first in the series, The Night Swim, there is empathy expressed toward victims and their families.



True crime podcasts have become a popular device in fictional mysteries/thrillers and I like that approach, somewhat different from standard police procedurals. Although a bit obstinate, Rachel is a strong, savvy character and I look forward to the next in the series.

I became a fan of Megan Goldin's writing after reading another one of her recent publications, "The Night Swim." I was excited to find out "Dark Corners" would again feature the famous podcaster, Rachel Krall, from the previous novel. The good thing is that if you haven't yet read "The Night Swim," you don't need to read it beforehand to follow this new release.

Terrance Bailey is soon to be released after serving time in prison for breaking and entering, although detectives have suspicions that he is responsible for the killings of six women. Before his release a well-known social media influencer, Maddison Logan, goes missing and police suspect that Bailey has something to do with it. Lacking evidence, the FBI calls in Rachel Krall to do some digging and even go undercover to see what she can find out about the missing girl.

This was such a fun and fast-paced read and I highly recommend it if you're a true crime junkie like me! Can't wait for more of the series! Thank you to Megan Goldin, St. Martin's Press and #NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to read and review this excellent book!

Rachel Krall, well know true crime podcaster, is front and center in this second book. She is called down to Florida by FBI agent Joe Martinez to visit Terrence Bailey in prison. Convicted of breaking and entering, and suspected and several murders (which the police are unable to prove) Terrence is mere days from being released.
From there Rachel is sucked into the world of online influencers, as the FBI is looking into the disappearance of Maddison Logan, who had also recently visited Terrance, as the FBI wonders if his possible accomplice had kidnapped her for him.
This books kept me intrigued right from the start, the different points of view were interesting and while some of the twists were a bit predictable there were still a lot of fun.
Definitely hoping for more installments in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for and e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DARK CORNERS review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🌳I was soooooo excited when I found out there was another book being released in the same universe as The Night Swim! I couldn’t wait to read more about the adventures of Rachel Krall! However, I ended up preferring The Night Swim over Dark Corners.

🌳Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Rachel’s true crime podcast has exploded in popularity, which leads to her being called by the FBI to fly down to Florida as they work on an active case. One of the inmates in a Florida prison is about to be released but is requesting to meet with Rachel before his release. The last person to meet with this inmate is a popular social media influencer who is now missing. Does the inmate have to do with her disappearance? Is Rachel putting herself in danger but agreeing to meet with him?

🌳I tried to keep my plot summary intentionally vague! I made the mistake of reading the synopsis listed on Goodreads and I think that was what led to me predicting some of the twists. 🫠 I enjoyed this story overall, but thought the romance story/subplot wasn’t necessary. Imo it took away from the thriller aspect of the story.

🌳While this story takes place in the same universe as The Night Swim, it’s not a true sequel. Dark Corners can definitely be read as a stand-alone and there’s no spoilers for The Night Swim! The podcast theme seems to be popular in thrillers lately and I’m loooooving it! If you’re a fan of true crime podcasts you’ll probably enjoy this one!

🌳Thanks to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @macmillan.audio for my advanced copy of this one! It publishes on August 8, 2023!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Copy of Dark Corners by Megan Goldin. It is absolutely a second round purchase for most libraries.

Megan Goldin continues to be one of my favorite authors. I loved "Night Swim" and am so glad she wrote a follow up with Rachel and the "Guilty or Not Guilty" podcast. This is an awesome page turner with great characters (the goodies and the badies). While, for me, there was no great big twist the story is so well written it's just a pleasure to read. Already cannot wait for the next book, Rachel Krall or not, from Megan Goldin.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

Dark Corners
(Rachel Krall, #2)
Megan Goldin
4.5⭐️

“Sometimes the scariest monster is the one hiding in plain sight”

I enjoyed the Escape Room and Night Swim, but this might be a new favorite by Goldin!

Dark Corners was a fast paced page turner. I loved seeing our true-crime podcaster Rachel Krall again and getting more development from her character. There are mysteries within mysteries that keep you fully engaged and I loved the podcast/influencer elements. I was so invested in solving the case I didn’t want to put it down. I couldn’t wait to see how everything played out and to say I was shocked and surprised by the ending tells you just how perfect the twists and turns are in this story! Hoping we get more of Rachel, and also that this isn’t the last we see of Joe Martinez.

What I loved;
True-Crime Podcast
Influencer Elements
Twisty Thriller/Mystery
Romantic Suspense
Alternating POV’s

Readers of Night Swim will love this one. Don’t worry, though this is Rachel Krall’s sequel, you don’t need to have read Night Swim first, but add it to your TBR if you haven’t because its good!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book! It was a slow in areas but overal it it was a 3.75 for me. The night swim was better and hard to beat. In my opinion.

We follow Rachel who is a famous podcaster that is summoned to the prison where an inmate has requested her. The inmate requested Rachel through a girl who is now missing.

I was so excited to get this ARC of the second installment of Rachel Krall's story. Overall, I enjoyed this story but it took me a while to get into it. I had a hard time keeping track of the multiple story lines and who was who. Because of that, the first half felt slow but it picked up in the second half. I missed the podcast angle of it this time around. This story is also based in the world of being a social media influencer, so if that is a topic that interests you, I would recommend you picking this one up. I enjoyed the first book more than this one but overall it was a 3/5 for me. I'm not sure if I would read a next one, it would depend on the topic.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review. My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

I very much enjoyed this! I remember liking Rachel Krall book #1 but not sure if I loved it. This (to me) was better; maybe because it is more fresh in my mind. Would recommend if you like police procedural, influencer trope, & an all around good mystery. This starts off as a missing person case and becomes so much MORE.

This has a police procedural aspect. Although Rachel isn't a police officer she is doing her asking around & digging as if she is. At times she finds out more information than the FBI working on the missing girl case. I liked when she would get together with Joe to share information (swoon -- wait, don't forget this isn't a romance novel, Dani LOL).

The audiobook narrator kept me immersed in the story and I didn't struggle to stay focused. I read this as a hybrid audio/ e-book: I listened to the audiobook for a while and then skimmed thru the e-book later to be sure I didn't miss any important details (or I'd simply have the audiobook playing as I was reading thru the ebook as well, probably super strange I know haha).

The relationship between Rachel & Joe was so surprising but made me HAPPY. I hope we haven't seen the last of Joe in this series (I hope there is more to this series too)!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for the widget to read & review the ARC!
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the approval to read & review the ALC!

⭐️Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

What did I just read? Meh. Blah. Average. Boring. I read Night Swim and loved it so much I was recommending it to anyone who asked for a rec. So when I got approved for this, I thought luck was on my side! It took me so looooong to read this book. I. Did. Not. Like. It.

The main character, true crime podcaster Rachel Krall, is requested to come to Florida by the FBI to help them with a case. Why? Why would they do that? She really had no business being there. And then when they didn’t get the results they wanted, they tried to get her to go back home. Yeah right. She’s a true crime podcaster and you just dangled a carrot in front of her face!

The case: missing social media influencer Maddison (I already forgot her last name.) First, why is Maddison with 2 d’s? But I digress. While Rachel is in Florida “helping” the FBI she gets an invite to attend BuzzCon, a special event for influencers. Rachel has a random account that may or may not be about running that she barely uses that has gotten her this weird invite -- although no one else thinks it’s weird. The whole influencer storyline, which really had nothing to do with anything, was so cringey and icky.

Then we have the fact that Rachel just keeps sticking around, assisting the FBI…ugh. Like no! There’s just no way. Her involvement with the case was just so far-fetched.

I will say the twist at the end about Terry caught me a bit off guard which was a really nice surprise. The rest of the ending…meh. And the romance came out of left-field.

Additionally, I felt like this book was an afterthought. Maybe she had such success with Night Swim that she thought she could extend that success into a series. All that happened was a confusing, bummer of a story, and the creation of an unlikeable character -- Rachel was great in the first book and awful in this book. The story bounced around like it was written by two different authors. It would go from great, well-structured story-telling, to mediocre, novice writing. Often I felt like I was being told what was going on like I was a 5-year-old.

Overall, this was a complete disappointment. I’m sorry Megan…I only finished it so I could write a review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

I have been a fan of Megan Goldin since i read Escape Room. This book did not disappoint. I love true crime podcasts and it was a fun read to follow the perspective of the podcaster helping the police solve the crime.

I was so excited to find out that this author's newest release was a sequel to Night Swim and I was not disappointed! I really loved this book and I'm thrilled to have been given an early release! Thank you to Megan Goldin, the publisher, and Netgalley! I appreciate the podcast format, which is embedded so well into the main story. It was really engaging and suspenseful. Great story!

Wow wow wow! This second Rachel Kroll book is excellent. There are mysteries within mysteries and so many hot, current topics throughout Dark Corners. I always enjoy a true-crime podcast storyline and I’m really digging these influencer main characters and this book is full of both.
I really enjoy Rachel as a character in general. She’s not an unrealistic sleuth putting herself in danger or getting herself into unnecessary pickles. She seems very level headed and genuine, considering she had a popular Instagram, she fit right in at this influencer conference and was able to do some easy investigating. Maybe the police work was a tad unbelievable- as an avid true-crime consumer, they don’t always seem to work so fast or care so much and especially may not open up to a podcaster IRL.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was already apprehensive about ride-shares and I’ll definitely never drink provided bottled water again (if I ever did before). I also enjoyed the little added lover story in this one - Dark Corners may overall be even better than The Night Swim! I definitely recommend to any fans of true-crime, influencer life, and an overall excellent mystery.