An excellent follow up to The Night Swim. Rachel Krall is one of my favorite modern female characters. Goldin would do well to continue this series. Clear your schedule before starting this one because it will pull you in from page one and leave you guessing until the end. I loved it.

I loved Megan Goldin's novel The Night Swim and had hopes that the continuing story of Rachel Krall would be as enthralling as the first installment. This book was not written in the same style as The Night Swim with the multi-points of view and the Podcast transcripts. Dark Corners stuck with just Rachel's point of view and really had nothing to truly do with her hit podcast. She was in the middle of the action, including an in depth look at the world of social media Influencers. Some may find this interesting, yet I find the world of Influencers to be abhorrent and obnoxious. I had no ties to any of the characters, and even the personality of Rachel seemed a bit arrogant and off balance. It was interesting to see how the mystery unraveled but there were no strong feelings from me either way. #darkcorners #megangoldin #netgalley #goodreads

I was very excited for this one! I loved Night Swim and this one didn't disappoint. Albeit slow at times, I found it overall very entertaining. 4/5 stars from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for a gifted arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: August 8, 2023

This is my second book by Goldin and it didn't disappoint! This book gave off "The Last Housewife" vibes along with Ashley Flowers vibes too.

I loved that this book focused on the true crime aspect of a social media influencer and how you don't really know who the "monster" is. One thing about Goldin is that her writing sucks you right in plus the short chapters will have you reading past your bedtime. This book isn't really full of twists but more in the vein of fast paced mystery. I also loved that Goldin had transcripts from Rachel's podcast throughout the book too.

The only main thing that didn't make this a five star read was the multiple POV plus the short chapters. It made me as a reader feel discombobulated at points. I think if it was just one POV with the short chapters then this definitely would have been a five star read!

Perfect for fans: popcorn thrillers, true crime, mystery, Ashley Flowers, Ashley Winstead's "The Last Housewife"

I love the decision to turn this into a series. I enjoyed Rachel Krall's investigatory skills in ‘The Night Swim,’ so I was excited to see what case she would crack open next!

But I didn't quite enjoy this as much as the first book. However, it's really only because of personal preferences. I don't really understand the hype around social media influencers, so I didn't find the core content of this story that engaging. I thought the courtroom scenes and drama in ‘The Night Swim’ were super strong, so I was bummed that didn't occur in this sequel. And this particular mystery begins with telling the reader the identity of who is behind the murders, so the only thing the reader gets to discover is how that person is connected to other characters, and that's not the kind of narrative I like in my thrillers. I prefer a bit more unknown and reveals.

All that aside, the pacing is fast and there are a lot of little tricks thrown in along the way to distract the reader, which I thought was fun. So anyone looking for a relevant true crime mystery novel that is quick to read can look forward to this one!

I thought the overall story was fine. I did like how this story talked about and focused on influencer culture, a topic that is currently relevant in society. I also liked that it mentioned how the public treats missing person cases differently between white and black women and even men. Then there is also the issue of the delay of police searching for teenagers because they may have run away in the past and how that can affect the outcome of their case. I do think the twists, while not predictable, they were a bit over the top and there was a romance included in this that I don’t think was needed. I did like Night Swim better, but if there is another book that includes Rachel Krall, I would pick it up.

Spoiler- Free Review
I had mixed feelings about this read. In some aspects I enjoyed the variety of plot points, but overall it felt incredible disjointed. I didn’t like the way everything came together at the end. It felt sloppy to just write off so much of the plot. Some things were hinted at very obviously and characters didn’t figure it out until the end and some things were not hinted at at all and felt like they pulled them out of thing air to tie up the plot.

Additionally, the tone felt odd. It may have been due to the changing narrator, but as a whole it felt discombobulated and didn’t come through for me.

Although this was not my favorite I really do think this would do well as an audiobook. The podcast chapters would lend themselves to the audio form nicely and I think it would help with the tone differences between narrators.

Nit-picks - Spoilers
They talk about how the victims don’t match for the killings and then they end up being done by the same person.
The influencer deaths felt really stupid and took away from the overall plot for me.
The romance aspect between the leads was very misplaced and unnecessary.

I was very excited to read Dark Corners (Rachel Krall #2) by Megan Goldin. I really enjoyed the twists and the surprises. In the middle it kind of took more time to get to a point, but still got me hooked and I couldn’t put it down.

Now I am a Megan Goldin fan and I hope there will be more of Rachel Krall in the future.

I really recommend this book!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

At first, I didn’t realize that this was the 2nd part of a series, following Night Swim. I enjoyed that one, despite it being a little on the slower paced for me. I was excited to check this one out!

I thought this one was very similar to Night Swim as far as the premise and pacing. I usually gravitate to thrillers that are fast paced and have a lot of twists & jaw dropping moments, so sometimes this was a little too slow for me. But I enjoyed the likeable/unlikeable characters in this one (and the return of Rachel) as well as the character development.

I guessed a few parts along the way and thought the ending was just ok, but overall it was a good read.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Megan Goldin for this e-arc!

3.5 ⭐️ (rounded to 4)

I really enjoyed this book after loving The Night Swim. It was a completely different story but just as intriguing.

Inhaled this one in less than 24 hours. This story moved so quickly and sucked me in from the beginning. Liked the addition of the Detective. But Night Swim kept me guessing the whole time and that last minute twist! Dark Corners wasn’t as twisty, but still a solid sequel.

Excellent book by Megan Goldin ! Very different that most books out there in this genre. This author is very clever in her story writing. Always extremely interesting characters. I usually pride myself on figuring out the plot before I finish the book but this one kept me guessing right up until the end. Highly recommend this book.

Having absolutely loved The Night Swim (Rachel Krall #1), I was so excited to pick up its sequel Dark Corners. Both books follow Rachel Krall, host of "Guilty or Not Guilty" as she investigates crimes and tries to unearth the truth, while putting herself in the middle of the action.

The Night Swim tackles the important and complicated topic of rape culture. In it, author Megan Goldin beautifully weaves together two stories separated by 25 years, shifting between POVs and Rachel's podcast transcript. The novel felt unique in both its subject matter and narrative style, flipping between a classic thriller tale and a courtroom drama. I was sucked into the seaside village where this all takes place and the cast of characters we met along the way.

I was hoping Dark Corners would continue to suck me in and that it would be another five star read for me. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Dark Corners takes place a few weeks after The Night Swim.

Maddison Logan, a popular social media influencer, visits inmate Terrance Bailey in a Daytona Beach prison. Bailey is a suspected serial killer arrested for petty theft. He only has two days left on his prison sentence.

During their visit, the name Rachel Krall comes up. Then Maddison disappears.

Rachel is then lured to Florida. Invited by FBI Special Agent Joe Martinez. Martinez promises Rachel exclusive access to the case if she agrees to help him by meeting with Bailey.

After her meeting with Bailey and being ignored by the FBI, Rachel sets to investigating Maddison's disappearance by herself. She easily infiltrates BuzzCon, a convention for the world's top influencers.

While I have long been a fan of Goldin's writing, this book didn't work for me for a few reasons.

1. I felt like it stepped away too drastically from the narrative structure of The Night Swim. The Night Swim covers a rape trial in seaside Neapolis, the topic for season three of Rachel's podcast "Guilty or Not Guilty". Rachel is an outsider and a journalist gathering facts for her audience. We get her POV of how she gathers the facts and then the actual story she tells her listeners. It doesn't feel like we get that in Dark Corners. There are exerts from a podcast transcript in the book; however, it isn't season four. But a special episode, I guess? I don't know, it didn't feel clear. The whole component of her being a podcaster felt like an after thought in Dark Corners whereas it was central to The Night Swim.

2. We went from something as heartbreaking and nuanced as rape culture in The Night Swim, to tackling the vapid world of influencers in Dark Corners. Imagine if Emily in Paris were a thriller and that would be 80% of this book. Rachel has somehow achieved 19,000 followers on a running Instagram account before she ever started the podcast, but still knows nothing about social media? This following allows her to go "under cover" at the Influencer podcast. When there, each person is as unlikable, shallow, and vapid as the next. While The Night Swim humanized each character especially the victims, Dark Corner paints many of its characters as cartoon characters chasing clout by using social media lingo from 2015.

3. Ultimately, so much of the book is wrapped up in this influencer culture but the actual story has little to nothing to do with it. It felt like a red herring turned into a chance for the author to get on a soap box about how destructive and toxic social media consumption and those who chase it for monetary gain are.

4. I saw the ending coming a mile away. Actually, I saw it coming about 300 pages away.

With all this being said, I still enjoyed a lot of the book because I enjoy Golidn's writing. She is able to paint a fictional world that (mostly) feels so reflective of ours. If there is a third book in the series, I will definitely pick it up as well as any other books Goldin releases.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading. Publication date: August 8, 2023.

I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series - I will absolutely be going back to read the first one! I didn’t feel I was missing too much context, as everything felt pretty well explained. Rachel is a true crime podcaster (I am obsessed with true crime podcasts so this is right up my alley) and she gets pulled in to a very convoluted, multi-layer missing persons/homicide investigation. I enjoyed the podcast sections breaking up the story, as well as the changes in points of view. I liked Joe and am curious how the next book will unravel. This felt interesting and like a new take on a detective novel and I really enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

For me, this was a slow-burn thriller with a huge social media focus, and I’m here for it.

Rachel is a true crime podcaster (I imagined Sarah Koenig), with an almost cult-like following. The FBI contacts her when a social media influencer goes missing after meeting with a prisoner thought to be a serial killer. Investigation and action follow. Including an influencer conference, which was endlessly entertaining.

The characters were well-written. They were likeable (or not, you’ll see), developed, neurotic, had their own personalities and demons, and seemed like people I would come across in real life.

Was this book predictable (to me, who reads entirely too many thrillers?) Yes.
Were there any moments where I was legitimately nervous for the MC? Also yes.
Did I love the ending of the main storyline? Also yes.

I didn’t love the final resolution of the side story, but it was as on-brand with an influencer conference as you can get, I imagine. That world seems absolutely nuts to me!

Overall, I was really happy with this read and would recommend it.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for a review copy!

The second story that follows true crime podcaster, Rachel Krall (of the Night Swim). This time she is sucked into the world of social media when an influencer goes missing, and it is suspected she may have fallen prey to a serial killer.

It is clear fairly early who the bad guy is. That works for me if there is some light-bulb moment involved in the big reveal - the big why behind the motives giving new layers to the story just read. This one fell flat. There was a lot going on and I didn't care about much of it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. It was fine.

I LOVED this thriller so much; I'm so glad this author is here! The characters were amazing, the story was so unique, and I devoured this book in a sitting. I think Rachel Krall will be a recurring character; what about you?

📖 DARK CORNERS by Megan Goldin

🕵🏻 True crime podcaster and investigator, Rachel Kall, is back on a case immediately after the events in NIGHT SWIM. The FBI has called her to speak to Terry Bailey - a man who law enforcement suspects of slaying six women - and is getting out of prison in 3 days. A recent visitor of his, Maddison - a big time influencer on social media - has gone missing. Rachel can’t let go of needing to find the truth, even when the FBI sends her away, as she runs around Daytona Beach to find the missing girl and stop a predator before he can do more harm.

👩🏻‍💻 There’s no way to read this book and not think about Gabby Petito. Maddison, the missing girl, is a #vanlife influencer attending a conference for influencers in Daytona. The way she goes missing brings Gabby’s case to mind…sometimes fiction and real life are too close for comfort.

With that said, the book is well written for the first 75%. The last 25% felt rushed and not as strong as the first 3/4. All the ends were tied up and the reader isn’t left wondering “what happened to…” which is excellent and how I prefer my thrillers. I can’t put my finger on what didn’t work for me in the last 1/4 - this is where reading is subjective right?

Overall this was a solid read that kept me engaged throughout and I think that the strength of the first 3/4 is what made the last 1/4 feel disappointing. Despite that, I would still recommend this book to readers who love a good serial killer and/or true crime podcast adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Goldin, and MacMillan for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic!
The plot revolves around a podcaster who was pulled into a complicated cold case of abductions and murders with a link to an imprisoned individual. Pulled into this case by the FBI, she stubbornly refused to leave it and cracked the case wide open! Throw in a little influencer drama and podcaster/FBI romance and I was hooked on the suspense from the moment I picked it up! I liked the interspersed podcast chapters as well - they really helped explain some background.
There were several intriguing plot twists that I didn’t see coming.
I didn’t really find the little side story at the influencer convention necessary, but it was well thought out and added more suspense!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved some characters, got annoyed by others and disliked some. It always great when an author can make you feel like that about the characters!
I loved how this book came together, felt like it really wrapped things up in the end.