When a true crime podcaster finds herself in the center of a case involving a popular missing influencer who is connected to a suspected serial killer... and the possibility that there is a larger case at hand and that the real killer could still be outside. Rachel Krall is a true crime podcaster who actually helped solve real cases, but then she is suddenly called in by the FBI to help with a case involving Terence Bailey, a man who was put in prison for breaking and entering though he was long suspected of murdering six women.... Terence is about to be let out of prison soon but he got a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot young influencer with a huge following.... who disappears hours after visiting Terence. The FBI ask Rachel to come help because she somehow came up in the conversation between Maddison and Terence, and now Rachel is invested in finding out what exactly happened to Tessa and why she was brought into the conversation. Maddison might be a famous influencer, but there is no real information on her and who she really is outside of her curated social media. More questions begin to pile up as to why both Terence and Maddison have matching ouroboros tattoos and why said tattoo is also found on another victim that has just appeared despite the fact that Terrance is still in prison... which means there’s another killer on the outside. The real question is are Terence and the outside killer working together or is something else happening??? Rachel soon finds herself being the target of the killer, can she figure it out before its too late? This was a really fun mystery and it felt like an episode of Criminal Minds, with how we got the POVs between Rachel, The Killer, and Joe the FBI agent. I liked how the mystery played out and enjoyed that we got background info on the case in the format of Rachel’s podcast throughout the book. I’ve been a big fan of Megan Goldin’s books and this one did not disappoint!

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Full disclosure, I’ve not read Night Swim. I’ve been meaning to but never got around to reading it. I really like Goldin’s writing style and how even with so many plot lines they all converged together in the end. The social media angle was different, but I didn’t care for those chapters. The characters were too vain and unlikeable for me. Overall, if there is another book in this series I would read it.

This second book in the Rachel Krall series was even better than the first. I enjoy mystery/thriller novels, however, I don't want anything that's too graphic. Goldin's story-telling is perfect for my tastes. There is an intriguing mystery, that keeps me guessing, it is timely and relevant (this one delving into the world of "influencers"), and overall a delicious fast-paced mystery. As an IRL fan of true crime podcasts, I look forward to following our protagonist Rachel Krall on future cases!

I think I need to go find Night Swim because so many other reviewers have told me that I should have started with that one even if this one is a stand-alone with cross over characters.

Dark Corners was creepy AF. I wanted to puke with the snakes 🐍 (fear much) and legit this is the reason I stress about social media and influencers and whoever is on the other end of seeing my posts.

The author takes you into the influencer world but I feel like I guessed and knew who the bad guy was from the start so that took a bit of my interest away. But it was decent and I think thriller readers would like this. Just creepyyyyyy and makes me become slightly more stressed about being online 🤯

Megan Goldin has created a wonderful sequel in her Rachel Krall series! I loved the first novel, "The Night Swim", which is why I was so excited when I was granted an ARC copy by the publisher. What I appreciate most about this novel is its straight forward story telling. Goldin isn't trying to trick you with any half baked twists and turns. She does a masterful job of just weaving an interspersing plot along with interesting characters.
I really enjoyed the underlining commentary on influencer culture and what it takes to be a full time content creator. Is it really as glamorous as it truly appears? As the smallest scale book blogger even I can say that I can get carried away in trying to keep up on the social media game, comparing my books read per year, comparing my follower count, the stress of not knowing what to post... And I do this for fun!
Also as a big podcast junkie myself, I still love that our heroin is a true crime podcaster. The chapters that are Rachel talking to her audience are often my favorite. How her tone changes, how the story teller takes over. It is wonderful writing on Goldin's part truly.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of Dark Corners! I loved The Night Swim so I was very excited when I saw Dark Corners coming out! Also just a huge fan of Megan Goldin’s work! This was a very fast paced thriller that I could’ve devoured in less than a day! (Adult responsibilities got in the way of that) The story was gripping and it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering, what’s going to happen next?! All of the main characters were super interesting and I wanted to know all about them, which helps keep me engrossed in a book. The influencer aspect of the story was interesting and I liked how the book focused on how influencers lives are all curated and not natural. I enjoyed the small romance portion of this thriller as well. This book has small quick chapters which is a huge win in my book! Please write more Rachel Krall books!! Thank you again for an ARC of Dark Corners!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Dark Corners.

I enjoyed the first book in the series so I was excited my request was approved.

Dark Corners isn't my favorite book in the series for one big reason: you know who the bad guy is right from the start.

This eliminated any suspense, any drama, and even though you get clues to figuring out whodunnit, who cares since the reader already knows?

Second, seriously, a romance between Rachel and Joe? Is that necessary?

Third, I'm not a fan of influencers and the whole social media nonsense so that part of the plot really zapped my energy and attention

Fourth, it was hard to suspend disbelief, at times, with Joe sharing confidential information with Rachel.

I understand he needs her help but in real life I don't believe law enforcement, especially a federal agent, giving a podcaster so much information, even if she hosts a popular crime show podcast. Very inappropriate.

What I did like:

The police procedural; the investigation, Rachel and Joe pounding the pavement and interviewing witnesses, potential suspects, and reviewing cases and clues.

I like how all the murders are tied up but I'm always disappointed when the author reveals the identity of the killer, right from the start.

And we don't even know why he did. Just because?

I do look forward to the next book featuring Rachel Krall.

I adore Megan Goldin! The first book I read was Escape Room and that was killer. This did not disappoint. It was suspenceful and twisty! The perfect combo in a thriller book.

This was an interesting twist on influencer culture, running away from your past and creating a new identity. Rachel Krall, a successful podcaster, is brought into an FBI investigation when Maddison Logan, an influencer, disappears after visiting Terence Bailey in prison. Rachel is asked to speak to Bailey in prison and is immediately left with an ominous threat. The police suspect Bailey in the deaths of several women, so the FBI wants Rachel to return home and get out of harm's way. She'd rather continue her investigation and decides to go undercover at BuzzCon, an influencer conference, to learn more about Maddison and how she might be connected to Bailey.

There were quite a few twists and turns that kept me quickly turning the pages. Megan Goldin is easily becoming a must-read author for me. Each of her thrillers has a unique premise and a fast pace, which makes the reader keep coming back for more. I loved the introduction of FBI agent Martinez, and hope that Megan continues having him and Rachel investigate more crimes.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin is a twisty true crime thriller you must add to your list!

Dark Corners is the second book in the Rachel Krall series. The series follows Rachel who is a true crime podcaster/journalist as she uncovers a case of a potential serial killer.

Without any spoilers, I felt Dark Corners is very current and was a lot of fun to read! There were several different story lines that all intersect in the end.

I’ve been a big fan of Goldin’s writing since her first novel. I find her writing gripping and fast paced from the first page and Dark Corners was no exception; I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great read. I enjoyed the storyline. Yes the end was very predictable but I enjoyed the ride. I loved that the characters were young influencers. I even enjoyed the little surprise spicy part..

I read this straight after The Night Swim & I have to be honest; it’s just not it for me.
Dark Corners took me a hot minute to get into due to the dialogue being so clunky. I didn’t feel like this one flowed well & there was just too much going on for me to get a good grip. Rachel, honey, what happened to you? Girl was MEAN in this one and it bummed me out because I loved her in The Night Swim. I also was bummed out because the podcast wasn’t really a front running element in this one, we just get Rachel’s perspective. Overall, I’m bummed out. I’ve loved Goldin’s work prior to this one but unfortunately it was a miss for me.

So a lot of this murdery thriller following a true-crime podcaster took place around Daytona Beach. And as a more or less lifelong resident of the place (I moved away last year), I was curious to see if they could convey the true and utter nastiness and skeeziness of the shitty little town I grew up in. I don't want to give the author too much of a hard time or focus on the wrong thing here. but a major plot point was an "influencer convention" that was being held at a hotel in Daytona, and the main character was unable to find a room anywhere because there were IT, energy, and medical conferences being held in town at the same time, and all of the hotels were full. Yeah...no. No one will ever have an IT, energy, medical, OR influencer convention in Daytona Beach, FL. Bikeweek? Sure. NASCAR? Of course. Anything that requires a few more IQ points is most assuredly not going to happen in Daytona. And the influencer convention would have to take place somewhere much more glamorous than the sandy cesspool of Daytona could offer. All that aside, the story of this podcaster getting pulled in by the FBI to find a missing influencer was compelling enough to tear through it in a few days, and while I found the writing and the language to be pretty plain and simple, no bells or whistles, the pieces of the story came together in a satisfying way in the end.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the digital ARC!

Dark Corners is a thriller novel that sucks you in right in the beginning with its now iconic main character, Rachel Krall, her podcast, and different point of views in a fast-paced chase to save lives - as a potential killer is being released from prison.

Following a thrilling book like Night Swim, Dark Corners had big shoes to fill. I thoroughly enjoyed the more classical thriller elements, social commentary about law enforcement and its limits, and writing, even though the latter was a tad too didactic at times.

The novel does step into the world of social media and influencers, which is a difficult subject to grasp, thus resulting in many stereotypical judgements that seemed superfluous in the story. Rachel was (weirdly enough) less present in this story, which was a bummer in my opinion, as I really enjoyed her character in Night Swim.

Minor spoiler: [Friendly reminder that people's medical diagnoses are not plot twists. They just exist. (hide spoiler)]

I did not care much about the romance subplot. I thought it was an unnecessary addon.

Overall, Dark Corners tried to be many things and achieved a few of them, but missed a few marks. This is a very good book to read if you are looking for something lighter but still thrilling.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin was very popular and the first book in this series. You do not have to read the first book to pick up this novel and understand what's going on. Rachel Krall is a popular podcast host. Like most podcasts of this nature, each season is built on a new case, so other than a few early references to her prior work, this novel moves forward with a completely new situation. I'm not saying don't read book 1, but you can start with this one first if you choose, and honestly, I liked this one better than the first.

Rachel gets pulled into a missing person's case because the FBI thinks she has information that could be valuable to them. After using her to their advantage, they try to ditch her when they feel she's no longer useful. Ever the journalist, Rachel decides to investigate on her own by attending an event for Instagram influencers which the missing woman was supposed to attend.

I like Rachel. She's smart. And while she is investigating for her podcast, she keeps the FBI agent up to date with her findings and agrees not to divulge any information until the case is solved to avoid hurting the investigation. It's also fun being brought into the world of the insta-famous who revolve their world around content for the gram.

This book moved at a deliciously fast pace with twists and turns. I loved the ending, though I did have suspicions that it may turn out that way.

I recommend reading Dark Corners! Pub Date 8-8-23.

Thank you NetGalley, Megan Goldin and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! Review to be posted to Goodreads, Bookstagram, Amazon & Barnes and Noble.

I was so excited for this one after absolutely loving The Night Swim but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. It truly did not even feel like the same Rachel in this book. I love the podcast aspect of a book and this one basically has nothing to do with that and all to do with Rachel herself, which I guess I just wasn’t expecting as the 2nd book in this series.

I adore Megan Goldin, and I'm so thankful that you sent this my way. This was another great one to add to her list!

I loved "The Night Swim" by this author. I liked that book better but I still enjoyed Dark Corners as well. It was an interesting story. I felt like there was a lot of repetition of facts. Most of the dialogue was not how people really talk in real life and that got annoying too. Overall, it was a decent story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Dark Corners" and all opinions expressed are my own. I loved "The Night Swim" by this author. This is the second book with Rachel Krall and I think it was not as good as the first book. I did like it and it was an interesting story. Maybe it was the influencers aspect of the story, which I don't find appealing. I thought overall it was a good read, fast paced.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC of this title for review. All opinions are my own and are honestly given.

In the second installment in this series, Dark Corners follows investigative podcaster Rachel Krall as she looks into the disappearance of influencer Maddison Logan, Maddison’s connections to a soon-to-be-released felon, and the monster hiding in plain sight who has been preying on young women in Florida’s party town beaches.

Dark Corners was fantastic– definitely one of my favorite thrillers I’ve read so far this year. In my opinion, it deftly pulls off an interesting sleight of hand in which the major antagonist(s?) are introduced early in the story, but the reader is still never quite sure how the whole picture fits together. Dark Corners is much more interested in getting readers to puzzle over the How and the Why of these crimes than the Who. The writing is tight and engaging, and I found myself totally sucked in and staying up way too late to finish the story. For returning fans, they will get to learn a bit more about Rachel Krall and to see some new relationships that may continue after this story. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll get more books in the Rachel Krall Investigations series, and I’m very much looking forward to what Goldin writes next. Dark Corners is a great fit for our collection, and I’ll be sure to recommend it to our patrons who love mysteries/thrillers. 5 stars.