First of all, I love the badass character of Rachel. She is smart, relatable, kind hearted, and doesn’t take any shit. I enjoyed this story! It had different components of it that made it stand out such as the health condition. I also love a serial killer story.

I really enjoyed The Night Swim by Megan Goldin so I was excited to read this sequel. While both books had a suspense-filled storyline, The Night Swim was executed much more convincingly and realistically.

Dark Corners started off well enough, drawing me in with the mystery of unsolved murders, missing persons, and a general investigative atmosphere. While most novels of this type usually require some suspension of disbelief, Dark Corners became increasingly unrealistic to the point where I just couldn't really enjoy it anymore. Law enforcement behaved extremely unprofessionally and were totally inept. While the main character, podcaster Rachel Krall, started out likeable, mature, and intelligent, by the end of the book she felt unrealistic and inconsistent. It seemed too convenient multiple times in the story where other characters simply told Rachel things no one would say to a stranger in real life, simply to advance the plot and illustrate how well Rachel was as an amateur investigator. The flow of the story was also extremely "choppy" to me, with chapters ending so abruptly I wondered if something had been cut off in my e-copy. Maybe there will be more editing to make the story flow better before publication?

In the end, while Dark Corners was still a quick read with suspenseful aspects, it felt much less refined, believable, or engaging than The Night Swim. While I wouldn't be opposed to a third book in this series and would probably still read it, I'd hope it would be grounded in more realism and return to what made the first book so much more enjoyable and believable for me.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

What do you get when you cross an influencer event with a true crime podcaster? Dark Corners.

This was an interesting take on social media influencers, in my opinion. This book showed the darker side of what (I would imagine) it takes to be a popular, successful influencer. There are events, there are cliques, there are rivalries, there are politics, there are secrets, there are ill-intentions and actions. Not everything is as picture perfect as it seems on social media.

I don't know what it was that drew me into this book so much. I have read both of Goldin's other works, and enjoyed them, but this one was different. Maybe it was the social media influencer angle that hooked me, since that is something a bit more "realistic" that I could connect with. I thought it was very interesting to see the darker side of influencing and the toll it can take on someone after a lengthy amount of time. Mix that with a serial killer and a true crime podcast and I'm fully invested.

When I actually had time to sit down and read this book, I devoured it. I think I would binge a couple hours at a time each time. Overall I gave this one 4 stars. Definitely a unique twist to a thriller, it's one I'll be thinking about for a while!

Rachel Krall is back in this 2nd installment of Megan Goldin's popular podcast detective series. I liked 'The Night Swim', but think I liked this a bit better. First of all, Rachel wasn't writing a podcast at the same time, so the story didn't go back and forth between a podcast and the action of the plot. Second, there are no long drawn out court scenes that read like a John Grisham book. This allows you to focus on the mystery at hand, the disappearance of social media influencer Maddison Logan, that may be tied to some other local murders.
We get reacquainted with Rachel as she is winding down from the last case and decides to take some vacation. However she gets an urgent call out of the blue from FBI agent, Joe Martinez, who asks her for help with a current case. Intrigued by what he implies, she agrees to fly out to Datona Beach, to meet incarcerated prisoner, Terrance Bailey, who may be a suspect in 2 local murders and the missing Maddison.
Soon Rachel is thrown in the midst of it, refusing Joe's advice to fly home multiple times, as she may be targeted for the next victim.
Instead, with the help of her partner Pete, she decides to go undercover at Buzzcon, the influencer conference that Maddison was attending before she disappeared.
Here we get introduced to the most vapid, narcissistic, and self involved people around, social media influencers. With a fake instagram account, Rachel gathers information about what they know about Maddison and others attending the conference.
This book had more suspense and danger for Rachel, as well as romance. Will this romance continue with future books? We'll have to see. All the loose ends are tied up nicely, and as a result of the outcome, Rachel decides to create a podcast that focuses on the victims of the crimes, instead of analyzing the motives of the killer. Some of the situations Rachel gets into indicate she has no regard for her own safety at times, and some are implausible. All in all it's a good thriller with an unexpected outcome that makes you want to see more of this plucky detective.

I have loved Megan Goldin's standalone books, but this series about true crime podcaster, Rachel Krall, just isn't for me. Rachel is an interesting character, but I'm not a huge fan of police procedurals. In this story, Rachel is tapped by an FBI to visit a prisoner named Terrence Bailey who is about to set free from prison. The FBI is investigated the disappearance of a social media influencer, who visited Bailey in prison and has mysteriously disappeared.

The social media influencer aspect of the story was annoying, which added to my dislike of the story in general. And the mystery wasn't interesting enough for me to recommend this book, unless. you're a fan of this series and/or you love police procedurals combined with true crime.

Rewind to my review of Night Swim - "𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑦, 𝑖𝑓 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑅𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑎 𝑝𝑜𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛, 𝐼'𝑑 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑒-𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘."
Introducing book two review and my thanks to St Martin press and netgalley for this ARC.

We follow a very busy storyline of a social media influencer who is missing. Rachel soon realizes that the influencer conference is a ruthless community as she tries to connect all the pieces together. There is less podcast in this second book but overall - I'm here for it. I love Megan's style of writing and how I honestly get sucked right into the world she is creating.

Also thank you @Megangoldin for making me love my bookish community even more than I already do because these influencers were ruthless!

I enjoyed this book, I went into it with very high expectations, from her past two books which provided a bigger emotional punch for me, so I was a little disappointed compared to that. I did enjoy it though, Rachel, a journalist turned true crime podcaster/crime solver is called upon to meet an inmate who is about to be released from prison. Is he really a serial killer, possibly with a partner, is she in danger and what is the connection with a missing influencer 4.5

I think my students will like this one, the world of influencers explored by a true crime podcasters, two topics that are big with young people Interesting mystery with a little romance

This book was fantastic - Megan Goldin does it again! This was the second Rachel Krall book ( the first was The Night Swim - also a fantastic and highly recommended book) and I was riveted from start to finish! I could not figure out the connections from character to character until right up to the very end. Highly recommended for a read!

In “Dark Corners,” true crime podcaster Rachel Krall is taking a break from talking about the action to becoming part of the action when she finds herself in Florida at the request of the FBI. In this slow-burn follow-up to “The Night Swim,” Rachel helps aid in the search for Maddison Logan, a social influencer who has gone missing after visiting a soon-to-be-released prisoner, Terrence Bailey. Instead of courtrooms, Rachel steps into the world of influencers, pretending to be one herself, at the BuzzCon conference. When she discovers another influencer is missing, Rachel races to discover if — and how — the cases are related and, in the process, becomes a target herself.
I enjoyed this second installment in the Rachel Krall series, although it did read differently than the first book. Fans who loved the courtroom and podcast scenes in “The Night Swim” will not find any of that in “Dark Corners.“ The influencer world scenes were breezy and fun, and there is a little bit of romance, but sometimes the secondary mysteries bogged down the main plot line. It does all come together in a neat conclusion; stick with it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Megan Goldin does it again!!! I was SO excited for this book because The Night Swim was a fave of mine and sentimentally, it was my first review I ever posted on bookstagram. When I saw Rachel Krall was getting another story I swooped on it!

This book takes popular and common tropes and flips them on its head. She tackles difficult topics and writes them in a digestible matter all readers can read and enjoy. I feel like one of my critiques with thriller books that center around investigations is that they sometimes give unrealistic portrayals of police officers and the justice system. Working in public defense, I know that the way some books describe both subjects are vastly incorrect, but I thought Dark Corners did so well regarding both police officers and the justice system. Goldin discussed the difference of media coverage when a young white woman goes missing vs sex workers, Black or brown women or even boys. She also included tensions in the PD dept and how ego gets in the way of important investigations, and how easy it is for someone to be wrongly incarcerated.

Besides the fact that it was accurately representative, this was a thrilling and heart stopping book! I wasn't able to put it down and read it in only 2 days. I literally couldn't stop thinking about it, and I thought the different POVs were engaging and didn't confuse me at all.

4 stars!
I have read Night Swim first before starting this book and I would recommend reading the Night Swim first before this because this book has the same mc Rachel. I would recommend to listen to the audiobook of the Night Swim instead of reading the physical copy because the style of writing works better through the audiobook. I enjoyed this book specifically due to its twisty psychological thriller and the pacing was pretty good. Plot line well written and the characters in this book were interesting and kept me hooked!

I could not put this down!! The different povs confused me for the first few chapters, but once I sorted it out I really enjoyed it. I felt the romance aspect was a little unnecessary in my opinion which is why I’m not giving it 5 stars. Definitely 4.5 stars though! I didn’t read The Night Swim so this was my introduction Rachel Krall, but I had read The Escape Room. Will definitely recommend!!

I loved night swim and Rachel Krall and dark corners did not disappoint. I devoured this book. I enjoy the parts that were podcasts that followed along the story as if everythings happening at once. I truly hope there’s a third story that picks up where this leaves off.

Another great story by Goldin. I was happy that she revisited this character and this world but it was a little slower for me than her first book, which I really adored. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Megan Goldin is one of my favorite authors, i do admit i had to read The Night Swim before i started Dark Corners, I do think that Rachel Krall is one of my new favorite series to read, she just fits right in with everyone and is able to find things out that the police cant.

This story had everything needed to make it great and i really enjoyed how it played out, the big reveals and how all the questions were answered, even throw in a little romance as well. I really thought i had it figured out but was so wrong, the ending also leaves us waiting to see what is next for Rachel Krall.

Megan Goldin really knows how to tell an intriguing story that keeps you guessing. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

This book started out so good! The entire book I was thinking “this is Megan Goldin’s best work yet!“ And, it really was, until the last couple of chapters. Don’t get me wrong, I did like the ending, it was just that the way she wrote it made it seem so rushed. There was so much happening and then just a quick couple of chapters to tie up all of the storylines. It left me a little bit unsatisfied. Especially the storyline between Rachel and the FBI agent. I just really felt like the stories all could have been wrapped up better.

My other suggestion for the publisher would be this: the chapters which are Rachel’s podcast need to have something setting them apart from the others. It was a little confusing at first, realizing this was her podcast after the rest of the story. So either a different font, or a chapter heading letting the reader know they are reading something different than the rest of the story.

Thank you to the author, St Martin’s press, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review. Publication date, August 7, 2023.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Category: Mystery Thriller

Overall: Gripping, Psychological, Immersive

Pros: This was a riveting psychological thriller with well-crafted characters, a haunting setting and relentless tension. The characters are complex and multi-faceted, each harboring their own secrets and motivations. The protagonist, Rachel, is determined to get to the truth, driven, intelligent and fiercely independent. Megan Goldin skillfully explores her internal struggles, which made her a relatable and empathetic character. The suspense in the plot builds masterfully with twists and turns layered throughout. The entire plot is tightly woven, with no loose ends, and every piece of the puzzle fits together seamlessly. In addition to the suspenseful narrative, this book explores themes of deception, trust and the dark side of the internet. It was so interesting to see the behind the scenes world of influencers and everything that comes with it. I also loved the romance escapade between Rachel and the FBI agent. I hope he becomes a recurring character in future books in the series!

Cons: Certain aspects of the plot were slightly predictable. The twists and turns, though well-executed, occasionally rely on familiar traps and conventions seen in mystery-thriller novels.

Special thanks to NetGally and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy!

An interesting mystery which delves into the world of influencers. Not really my cup of tea but the mystery was good and current for the state of social media.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great book! The mystery was great, I liked having everyones point of view & I just over all really enjoyed it and will highly recommend!