Authors of thrillers take note: THIS is what a thriller should be! A coherent plot with a boatload of twists, some of which I figured out which kept me engaged, but the overall arc kept me guessing throughout. The ending was satisfying as hell. A little romance thrown in because we love that. Characters with personalities that I give a crap about. Writing strong and gripping. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I’m sad it’s over. I wish I could read it again! I loved Night Swim and I was psyched to be approved for Goldin’s next book, and I am beyond thrilled that she knocked this one out of the park as well.

A thriller through and through. Still waiting for my heart to return to its normal rhythm. 5/5 stars and already can’t wait for Goldin to publish again 🤣.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Dark Corners takes place right after The Night Swim as Rachel is called down to Florida to help the FBI with a complicated investigation. Murders, influencers being having badly, hunky FBI agents and more show up in this mystery, making it a little convoluted. This book has less of a focus on the MC's true crime podcast, which is one of the reason's I enjoyed the first one so much.

I enjoyed how easy it was to read and it did keep me wanting to know what the heck was going on with all these people and how they were connected. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Rachel and Joe, the FBI agent. That being said it wasn't twisty or thrillery to me and some of the chapters flash forward to the future as Rachel talking about what happened on her trip but it took several paragraphs to orientate yourself in those chapters.

Overall this one was decent and I'm glad I read it but it didn't pack as much of a punch to me as some of her other books.

This could definitely be read as a standalone story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Corners is the sequel to The Night Swim. Once again, we get to see true crime podcaster, Rachel Krall in action! This time, instead of following a trail, she's got a front row seat.

I enjoyed the look into the world of influencers. I found the narcissistic and cutthroat persona quite entertaining!

I was very satisfied with the storyline and the ending. I can't wait to see what Megan Goldin has in store for Rachel Krall next! I have my fingers crossed a certain FBI Agent will make an appearance.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this eARC.

This one had me intrigued from the moment I started.
Rachel Krall, (#2) is a true crime podcaster that is summoned by the FBI for help in the case of a missing social media influencer, Maddison. The FBI thinks Maddison’s disappearance is linked to a suspected serial killer. The only problem, he’s currently behind bars. Rachel inserts herself into the influencer world in hopes to help the FBI with the investigation.
This book will keep you turning pages right up until the plot twist. I hope Goldin continues the Rachel Krall series, I really enjoy it!

Thank you @stmartinspress and @megangoldinauthor for this gifted copy! It was the perfect motivator for my early mornings on the treadmill.

Rachel Krall is the familiar voice behind a well-known true crime podcast, whose name comes up during a visit between Maddison, a popular social media influencer and a prisoner suspected of multiple murders. When Maddison goes missing only days later, the FBI call Rachel in for questioning. Determined to find Maddison before it's too late, Rachel follows her investigation to dangerous places, drawing the monster's attention right to her.

Like so many others, I am a true crime podcast fan, so I was definitely into this. The writing moved along at a nicely quick pace and a good amount of characters - but not too many! - are introduced, keeping it interesting the whole way through. I was kept guessing to the end and loved being pleasantly surprised at who was/was not involved. (Let me tell you, I was wrong!) There's even a bit of romance in here so lovey-dovey readers aren't disappointed.
If you love crime thrillers/mysteries, I totally recommend!

Megan Goldin has given us another wonderful book!
Rachel is a famous crime podcaster. When she’s asked to come to Florida for a meeting with the FBI, she learns about a convicted serial murderer who has requested an interview with her.
Thus begins her search for the victims, and truths.
As a serious reporter, she gets involved with some interesting scenarios and scary people.
This book was well written, kept me involved, and was told by several different characters.
I enjoyed it immensely! 4 stars! Thank you NetGalley and St Martins press for the ARCcon return for my honest review.

I tried to start this book several different times but struggled to get into it. I ended up DNFing. I did not read the first book in this series and I think that was the problem. The first chapters all reference back to prevoius events and I didnt feel like I was able to get a good feel for the main character. I do plan to go back and read the first book, then will give this another shot. I loved her book Stay Awake, it was one of my top reads of 2022.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a follow up novel to Megan Goldin’s Night Swim. There’s always something about a podcaster investigating vs a cop or detective novel.

Rachel Krall delves into the world of social media at BuzzCon to find out what happened to Maddison Logan when Maddison disappears after meeting a convict in prison who is set to be released soon.

Rachel teams up with an FBI agent who surprisingly needs Rachel’s help navigating the world of influencers. When another body surfaces Rachel finds herself at the center of it all.

I have to admit that I don’t normally like sequels compared to the first especially in novels that could also stand on their own but I’d argue that Dark Corners is better than Night Swim. It’s been a while since I read Night Swim so I can’t honestly say you don’t need a reread or to have even read Night Swim if you want to dive into Dark Corner.

I’m hoping Megan has more in store for Rachel.

I loved Megan Goldin's last few books, so was very excited to get my hands on her new one early! This was a quick, twisty story that I flew through because I had to know what was happening. I read (and loved!) The Night Swim a couple of years ago and didn't remember much, but found it easy to pick back up with Rachel. She was less likeable in this one, but I still enjoyed her unraveling of the mystery and her rapport with Joe. Different POVs sometimes feel clunky, but I think this one worked! There were some red herrings, and while I guessed one of the twists, it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. Ultimately, there were a few unresolved/disjointed plot holes that are driving me nuts, but I definitely enjoyed this one and can't wait to see what the author comes out with next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Loved this tale and the parallel world of true crime podcasting in the midst of an active crime spree. Gripping and dark, I love the hardened female character.

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster heroine of “Night Swim” returns in Megan Goldin’s “Dark Corners.” Her podcast has made her famous, although she keeps her face off the internet — it’s her mellow, silky voice and intelligent commentary that keep her fans engaged. But she didn’t choose her current predicament — a Florida felon who’s about to be released told his only visitor in years, a mega-social influencer, to contact Rachel. The pseudonymous Maddison Logan/@JustMaddie, of #vanlife fame, never got the chance to talk to Rachel. Maddison disappeared immediately after visiting Terence Bailey in prison. Only because the FBI was watching does Rachel get a plea from them to meet up with Bailey, also a suspected serial killer, to figure out what he and Maddison talked about. Neither the FBI (including Agent Martinez of the onyx eyes and equally mellow voice) or Rachel get much out of the jail visit. Rachel decides to stick around for BuzzCon, a social media influencer/frenemies convention where Maddison was attending in nearby Daytona Beach to find out more. Then a young woman’s body is discovered in quicksand close to the prison. Is it Maddison?

This is a twisty thriller with a solid, strong female protagonist that you can’t help but root for (and also be worried that she's getting into the mystery too deep). I also loved the behind the scenes look at media influencers which was fascinating. I read “Dark Corners” in one sitting — it’s that good. 5 stars!

We definitely need another installment in the series with Rachel and her FBI buddy, Joe. They make a great team!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES The main character, Rachel, has “green-flecked” eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO There are some azaleas being fertilized by a buried body.

I never read The Night Swim, but luckily it doesn't seem that you have to read it before Dark Corners. This book was a little clunky for me, but it was okay. I didn't find Rachel to be a likable character.

(4.5 Stars, rounded up)
I read The Night Swim a few years ago and really enjoyed it; one of my favorite parts was the main character, podcaster Rachel Krall. I was excited to see the return of Rachel in Dark Corners!

I don't want to say much about the story - I came into it not knowing a lot and I enjoyed the ride. This second book is told from several different perspectives, including Rachel's podcast narrative. The mystery is good, Ms. Goldin has a lot of threads going that kept me wondering how everything tied together.

For me the mystery of Dark Corners wasn't quite as compelling as The Night Swim (I had a lot more empathy for the town in The Night Swim than the Influencers we meet in Dark Corners), but I really liked the addition of FBI agent Joe Martinez! I hope his character will be back because he and Rachel are a great investigating duo.

Huge thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for letting me read an early copy of this book!

And my Fellow Readers - Dark Corners doesn't come out until August, so you have plenty of time to read The Night Swim (if you haven't already!) to meet Rachel Krall before publication.

Dark Corners A Novel by Megan Goldin

352 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: August 8, 2023

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Suspense, Serial Killer, Abduction, Kidnapping, Torture, Woman Protagonist, Social Media, Influencers

Maddison Logan is a popular influencer competing for the top influencer award. Terrence Bailey is in prison after a breaking and entering charge was upgraded. Rachel Krall has a podcast called, Guilty or Not Guilty. These three people do not seem to have anything in common, but their lives are about to become entangled.

Maddison meets with Terrence in prison. She is the first visitor he had during his six-year prison sentence. Her van is found at a state campsite and after viewing video footage, it is obvious, she has been taken. Terrence is about to be released from prison and the local police along with the FBI believe he is a serial killer that was not caught. Rachel is contacted by the FBI to provide input after Maddison’s disappearance.

The story had a steady pace, the characters were developed, and it was written mostly in third person point of view. I learned quite a bit about influencers versus real life from this book. It shows people how they want the public to see them instead of their reality. Rachel is the main character, and we see how she thinks and analyzes situations. This is the second book where she is featured. The first is The Night Swim. If you like social media with murder mysteries, you will enjoy this book.

I loved Stay Awake by Goldin and was really excited to get her new book. The writing style felt oddly different from the other book and I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on. I'm not a fan of books about podcasters (I just read another past week) and I don't like stories around social media influencers. Maybe it just wasn't for me. I'd recommend people to read it if they read Night Swim and enjoyed it! But it's definitely a different read than Stay Awake. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book very captivating and thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters. The killer was very predictable, and I enjoy to he kept guessing, but overall a good read. I loved Rachel and Joe.

Really enjoyed this read as it was well written and pertained to present day.. could truly relate to what these characters were going through.

Enter into a world of influencers, podcasts and popularity competitions and you will meet Rachel Krall. Rachel has a popular true crime podcast and she has just been summoned by an inmate who is approaching his parole date. Perhaps he is willing to give her some inside information? I really liked the book in the beginning and towards the ending but was somewhat disappointed in a predictable ending.

Megan Goldin does it again in her next instalment of true crime podcasted Rachel Krall solving cases. Love the mix of podcast and real life crime solving.

Dark Corners is the second book about Rachel Krall, a true crime podcast host. I previously read The Night Swim which first introduced Rachel, but I would have enjoyed Dark Corners just as much as a stand-alone novel.

Dark Corners introduces us to inmate Terrence Bailey who is about to be released after serving an extended sentence for breaking and entering. He is suspected to also be involved with the murders of multiple women, but police have never been able to prove he was involved in the murders. Terrence is visiting in prison by a popular social media influencer named Maddison Logan. Shortly after their meeting, Maddison goes missing. The FBI reaches out to Rachel to assist them in locating Maddison.

Dark Corners held my attention throughout the book, and I enjoyed the pacing and characters throughout the novel. While I’m not overly invested in social media influencers, it was interesting to read about the darker side of this industry. I am hoping Rachel Krall will be featured in Goldin’s future novels at some point!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.