Megan Goldin continues the trend of unputdownable books with Dark Corners. Rachel Krall, star of The Night Swim and host of a popular true crime podcast, finds herself at the center of a mystery surrounding missing girls, influencers, and a person in prison. Dark Corners delivers an electric storyline, where page by page the puzzle slowly comes together.

I read through most of Dark Corners quickly, and unintentionally found myself slowing down towards the end because I didn’t want this to be over. I loved the switching POVs, giving us as readers insights the MC didn’t have. I also appreciated the subtle, romantic undertones in this story, providing a little light and joy to a dark and stressful period of time for Rachel. As always, Megan Goldin provided us with a wonderful twist at the end, and I personally cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Maddison Logan is a popular influencer, but no one knows anything about her apart from her glossy public persona. Thus, when she vanishes shortly after visiting prisoner Terry Bailey, the FBI have no leads but Rachel Krall, a true crime podcaster the pair discussed. The feds soon come to regret bringing Rachel into the investigation, since she digs in with speed, tenacity, and no regard for her personal safety. Going undercover at an influencer convention, Rachel uncovers vital clues amid the toxic narcissism. A fast-paced thriller with no more than the usual number of preposterous life choices.

3.5. I wish this book had been a stand alone instead of the second book - I really didn’t see Rachel as the same character, she felt completely different. I didn’t love the timeline and all the back and forth. The romance was pretty weird and unnecessary

"The scariest monster is the one that hides in plain sight."

Read this book if you like:
-True crime podcasts
-Social media influencers
-Murder mysteries
-"Only Murders in the Building"

Terrence Bailey is 48 hours away from being released from prison for breaking and entering, but he is a suspect in the unsolved murders of six women. Before his release, Bailey gets a surprise visit in prison from Maddison Logan, a popular social media influencer. Hours after their meeting, Maddison disappears. While investigating the suspected kidnapping, the FBI finds a connection to a famous true crime podcaster, Rachel Krall, and reluctantly asks for her help. Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel goes undercover at a popular influencer conference where she discovers the fierce—and possibly deadly—rivalries of social media influencers. Then, police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, identical to one Bailey has. The FBI must consider the possibility that Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and an obsession with social media influencers, including Rachel. Finding herself the target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in dark corners.

"Dark Corners" is told mainly from Rachel's perspective and artfully weaves together multiple storylines that finally merge in a shocking turn. It is a gripping story that takes on the true crime trope in an intriguing way. This twisty thriller kept me on my toes from the very first page until the surprise conclusion. My only complaint is that I thought the story could have been condensed a bit. There was a lot of filler and repetition, and there was an entire storyline that, in my opinion, could have been written out entirely. This is the second book in the Rachel Krall series, but you do not need to read the first book to understand the storyline. Hopefully there is a third Rachel Krall novel in our future!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The scariest monster is the one that hides in plain sight."

3.75 stars

Dark Corners is a mystery/thriller about a serial killer and a missing influencer.

When Maddison Logan, a famous influencer, goes missing after visiting a suspected serial killer in prison in Florida, the FBI is at a loss. The only clue links to podcaster and former investigative journalist Rachel Krall. The FBI brings Rachel into the case as a pawn in a bigger game, but she jumps in and begins to dig, and rather than become a case that she bases a podcast on, she becomes part of the story, leading her into grave danger.

The narrative alternates between Rachel, FBI Agent Joe Martinez, and the killer. The killer is depraved, and his character freaked me out. I enjoyed his chapters, even though they are dark and twisted. Martinez’s character is not fully formed, but it wouldn't surprise me if we get more out of him in future books.

Some readers have noted that Rachel’s character is harsher than in The Night Swim. I didn’t mind this about her, and nor did I find her off-putting; rather, I saw her reacting to the way she was being treated by others.

Readers are not privy to Rachel's podcast on this case, but one can imagine how the story would go.

Although this is the second Rachel Krall book, it can be read as a standalone. The events of the previous installment are alluded to, but they are not critical to enjoying this one.

I went into this with low expectations based on some negative reviews, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The pacing is slow, yet I found it compulsively readable. The mystery behind Maddison’s disappearance kept me intrigued, and I couldn’t quite figure out how all of the pieces connected. While they come together in the end, the ending is where my main gripes lie.

For such a tense and taught build-up, the ending was anticlimactic. The reader is told what occurred instead of allowing them the opportunity to see the events play out. I was also annoyed by the constant references to the characters by their full names multiple times within the same paragraph and/or page.

Overall, this is a tightly wound, suspenseful read that kept me guessing. I am looking forward to seeing what is up next for Rachel.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

Megan Golding is the best. I absolutely love her writing style. Her ideas are brilliant and she is definitely one of my favorites. While this one might not be my favorite book from her, it was entertaining seeing how the FMC had a live outside of her job. Nice touch there, but that is just me. I’m a sucker for love.

A note before I get into my review: while this is technically the second in a series, this can absolutely be read as a standalone. There are a few references to The Night Swim, and both stories feature Rachel Krall, but the stories themselves are separate. Honestly, I didn’t even realize this was technically a sequel until after I read it.

An investigation into the missing influencer Maddison Logan, has the FBI calling Rachel Krall to help the investigation. When current prisoner Terrance Bailey claims he’ll only talk to Rachel about the murders he’s suspected of committing, Rachel finds herself at the certain of a story much bigger than she ever anticipated.

While I enjoyed The Night Swim, I liked this story more but liked Rachel Krall less. I felt that she had a much stronger and forceful personality here. Normally I like that in a female lead, but Rachel seemed to just come off aggressive and slightly rude. I just remember her being much nicer and emphatic in the last book, but it has been a while since I read it. Regardless, while we get multiple POVs, Rachel’s narration is the dominate voice and I was certainly hooked on the story.

The podcast format is different in this book compared to The Night Swim. While I read this one, I think the way each of the sections are delivered, it would make a great audiobook.

I could have used less from the Influencer conference and found those portions to run a bit long. They seemed to take away from the greater mystery at play and I could have done without a few of those red herrings.

This was definitely an enjoyable thriller. It’s perfect for summer since it’s set primarily in and around Daytona Beach. Even though I felt Rachel had a different personality, I’ll certainly be reading more future books.


Dark Corners comes out August 8, 2023. Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

I enjoyed this second book in the Rachel Krall series even more than the first. Rachel is a true crime podcaster who became famous after getting a wrongfully convicted man a new trial. Now convicted felons everywhere want her to cover their stories to see if they, too, can get a new trial.

Terrance Bailey has served six years for a B&E. He got a long term for a first offence because cops believe he’s responsible for the deaths of a least six women. But now he’s about to get out. Influencer Maddison comes to visit him just before he’s released. Soon after, she disappears. Does Bailey have a partner on the outside? When cops see that he wrote a note for Madison to call Rachel, they reluctantly bring her in to talk to him.

The FBI can’t find anything about Madison except what she posted online. Before she became an influencer, she didn’t seem to exist. Rachel goes undercover at BuzzCon, a conference for influencers, because influencers only talk to other influencers, pretending to they are all friendly when really they’re just trying to up their “likes” and so on.

The mystery and story is fun and well paced. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 8, 2023.

I LOVED this book! I started reading this one as an ebook and then the audio became available so I switch and I’m SO glad I did. I HIGHLY recommend the audio version of this book. If you read THE NIGHT SWIM by Megan Goldin then you’ll already know our main character Rachel - she hosts a podcast talking about current cases. The podcast aspect gets a little lost in the ebook/physical book but the audio is fantastic! I really enjoyed this book. I’m a sucker for a podcast trope and think it makes for such an interesting read. You do not have to read THE NIGHT SWIM first before this one, although you’ll have a background of the main character.
I love how this story not only follows a podcast but also influencers. It made for a very interesting read and I still didn’t see the end coming.

In the sequel to Night Swim, podcaster Rachel Krall is called down to Florida by the FBI. They want her to talk to an imprisoned man who is suspected of committing many murders. He was recently visited by a famous social media influencer and Rachel's name came up. Now, that influencer is missing. As Rachel immerses herself into the influencer world, she finds that that world is more nefarious than it seems online. Is that why the influencer missing? Or is it connected to the string of murders tied to the man about be released from prison?

I'm really enjoying this series! If you haven't read Night Swim and want to read this one first, you absolutely can. I really appreciate that Golden references that case but doesn't reveal details of it so as not to spoil the whodunit. Interspersed throughout the present day chapters are snippets from the podcast episode that will be released in the future about this case. I thought these were such good teasers. It really helped progress the story along. Also, details that I doubt will be important (like a key character trait of someone you know from the start is bad) ultimately come back to be important later! I'm not sure why I ever doubted because Goldin is becoming a great mystery writer in my opinion. We also get some character development and a potential love interest here maybe for Rachel. I definitely look forward to more in this series!

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

I cannot get enough of Rachel Krall, the character at the center of The Night Swim and now Dark Corners. She is a tough as nails MC who always carries her own against her male law enforcement/FBI counterparts. While she is not in fact a detective, these books feel very much like a detective series in nature. I was enthralled as the case took many different twists and turns, and Rachel became the target herself. I never knew what to expect from moment to moment and could not put the book down. Literally.

The influencer life as a subplot is always fun to read and I love the way Goldin uses it here. The behind-the-scenes aspect of the convention added both to the story, and to the series, as Rachel is in fact an influencer herself. And the FBI agent in charge of the case? This was a subplot I did not know I wanted and it was perfection. I hope we have not seen the last of Joe Martinez, nor Rachel.

Dark Corners is formatted into a true podcast format during certain sections (complete with intro music if you listen to the audiobook), which gets lost on the printed page. Further, these sections do not really make sense, nor seem to fit, until you understand they are in fact, part of her podcast. I would recommend reading this book either as an immersive read, using both the physical/ebook and the audiobook or just listening to the audiobook.

Read if you like:
•podcast style books
•strong MCs
•romantic suspense
•serial killer plot lines
•the influencer life

Thank you {partners} St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies.

While the first book., The Night Swim, held my attention and kept me enthralled the entire time, I struggled to push through this one. There were so many characters and different directions things were going that it took me way too long to actually have a clear grasp of what was going and and by the time I did, I didn't have much incentive to care about the characters.

I feel like this story could have been just as effective if it were half the length that it is.

I listened to the audio version and I definitely appreciate the podcast segments (just like The Night Swim) and the narrators did a fantastic job. I'm not sure I would have finished had I been reading a physical copy.

I'll still read whatever Megan Goldin writes next, but hope this is the end of this series and that she writes more standalones!

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC/ALC.

This book will be available for purchase on Aug 8th.

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

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed The Night Swim, returns to search for a popular influencer who disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer, and eventually finds herself on the suspect list. Rachel is recruited to assist the FBI in the where abouts of influencer, Maddison Logan. Krall uncovers the cut-throat world of social media influencing, leading to clues that help solve decades old murders.

The fast paced, short chapters make for a quick read. We get more of a glimpse into who Rachel Krall is, which I enjoyed. I will say that the story line around The Night Swim felt more robust. The main suspect was easily identifiable from the start however the plot (with a small twist,) and momentum of the storylines carried me through.

Unfortunately this book didn't do it for me. I remember enjoying The Night Swim but honestly had forgotten the character, Rachel Krall, which is the same narrator in this book. There was too many characters to keep a handle on for me and too much back and forth. Not a bad review. Just not my personal preference. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book early.

When true crime podcaster Rachel Krall’s name is dropped by a suspected murderer who is soon to be released from prison, special agent Joe Martinez flies Rachel to Daytona to talk to the prisoner about a missing influencer who visited him. Soon bodies begin piling up and Rachel assumes an influencer alias at BuzzCon to get to the bottom of it.

This was an interesting mystery but it felt obvious and the constant bashing on influencers is very played out. There was also quite a bit of repetition that was not at all necessary.

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin is book 2 in the Rachel Krall series. I absolutely loved The Night Swim which was book 1 so I desperately requested an advanced copy of this book. It did not disappoint. I really enjoyed this book because of the well-developed sequencing, hot and cold trails as well as the relevant subject matter, and intrigue. I hope there is a book 3.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I didn't love this one as much as The Night Swim, but it was still entertaining. I did get a little bored in the middle, and I wasn't impressed with the portrayal of the influencers. The twists weren't particularly shocking, but I did enjoy them. I was excited to see Rachel's character back in action, and I hope her story continues in a future book.

Influencers, ride-shares, Murder, secret societies, serial killers, podcasts- what didn’t this book have?

I loved Night Swim and book two did not disappoint. Rachel Krall is back and better than before.

As I did before, I absolutely loved the podcast style. I got to listen to this in addition to reading the physical copy and there were moments literally felt like I was listening to a real true crime series.

I will say that the ending was a little abrupt and I could have used some more, but hopefully this means that we’ll get more of Rachel in the future.

4.5 stars rounded

I wasn't sure if Goldin could follow-up The Night Swim but I'm happy to report that I really enjoyed Dark Corners.
While there weren't a ton of twists and turns and "OMGs" there was enough action in this book to keep me engaged and excited to pick it up. The only part where I struggled with this book was reading about the lives of influencers - but that's not because it wasn't represented accurately or written poorly, it's because so much of that lifestyle is unappealing to me.

For those that are wondering - you would not need to read The Night Swim prior to reading this book to enjoy it.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Review is late - I read this in December - but I got it here just in time for this to out this summer.

When I was approved to read this story - I downloaded it immediately. I was not going to waste another second waiting to read Megan's newest novel. I mean was reading this on my phone while sitting in the sun in Mexico the easiest way to read this -- no. But it was worth it as Megan has created a fantastic story once again.

I do reccomend all of Megan's novels but the "Night Swim" was the first that I read and similar to "Dark Corners" I devoured it. I was so excited to have Rachel Krall back as our main character as I loved the podcast style of story.

This story lived up to the first one. We have twists and turns and it kept me guessing. I loved the influencer piece of the story as it made it feel very current.

Definetly check this one out! -- actually just add all to your cart. You won't regret it.