📖🎧 Dark Corners by: Megan Goldin | 📅 Pub Day: Tuesday August 8, 2023

(Swipe⬅️ for the synopsis)

Let me start by saying this book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, after reading
(AND LOVING) The Night Swim (the first book in the series) in 2020! Unfortunately this book fell a little flat for me. That being said the audiobook definitely saved this one from being a DNF for me as the narration was just too good to not continue on!

Some pros:
✨Absolutely loved the clear delineation of the podcast parts! (🎧📖)
✨Super fast-paced (📖)
✨I loved the “meta-ness” of the podcast, the influencers, the whole internet world inside the book (actually my favorite part and what made it such an anticipated read for me)(📖)
✨The true crime aspects were extra sinister and creepy thanks to the audiobook and the narrators.(🎧📖)

Some cons:
✨ There were a lot of different characters, elements and plot points introduced at any given time, making it hard to keep track of what was really going on and what I should focus in on(📖)
✨The FMC and detective Rachel Krall as a character, seemed like a completely different person from books 1 to 2 which was in the back of my mind the whole time and added to the disjointed nature of the whole book for me (📖)
✨It just simply felt long and was kind of repetitive when reality it was no longer than any run of the mill thriller book


All in all, the book was definitely entertaining and I did want to keep listening to see how the book would end! I’d definitely recommend this book (the audiobook in particular) would be great for people who like a fast paced suspense thriller, with slowburn mystery aspects, set in the current social media climate of (Instagram vs reality), and then a dash of a true crime documentary podcast! I was also able to adequately listen at 2.0x speed which for me is a hallmark of a great audio book!

And though this book wasn’t for me this time, I will for sure continue reading and listening to Megan Goldin books and audiobooks because I am a sucker for her writing!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review


3.25⭐️

Audiobook: 3.75⭐️
Book Content: 2.75⭐️

Ooooooh this one was just as good, maybe better than book 1: The Night Swim. I highly recommend this audiobook. It is a whole experience. There are extra sounds like the crunch of pine needles while they are hiking in the woods, heavy breathing, the sound of waves, etc. You feel like you are there. I love how some chapters are Rachel Krall’s podcasts. If you love murder mystery podcasts, you will love this audiobook. Sometimes Rachel’s unsafe decisions bothered me, but it made the book more excited so she is forgiven. My biggest question is, what happened to the puppy?!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved the podcast aspect. It really gave the book character and I felt more in tune with the story because of the podcast. I love that there was some romance in it even though it shocked me a bit with how intense it is was with trying to determine where a character was and the murderer, etc.

I listened to the audiobook version and it really had me immersed into the story. The narrator did amazing with the different voices and even the spooky mysterious voice for the podcast chapters. The narrator did amazing!

I recommend this to anyone who loves a good podcast but is also a reader. If you love disappearing people and helping the FBI solve a case then this is it for you!

Last year, Megan Goldin’s novel was one of my favorite summer reads. I was SUPER excited to see she released a new book Dark Corners, based around the same main character Rachel Krall. I was lucky enough to listen to the audio book which I LOVED and HIGHLY RECCOMEND DOING because it really feels like you are listening to a true crime podcast instead of a traditional audiobook. In my opinion, it really brought the book to life.
Rachel Krall is the host of a true crime podcast, and when a famous influencer is assumed to be kidnap, FBI brings in Rachel’s investigatory skills to help them. The last person the famous influencer visited was Terrence Bailey, who is currently in jail patiently awaiting his time of release. Is Bailey being wrongfully suspected? Or does he have help from the outside? Rachel and her true crime followers are motivated to solve this crime.
Although I am glad, I listened to the audiobook, this story felt a little long to me. It is a slow burn and repetitive throughout most of the story, and all the action happens at the end. I love Rachel’s character; however, I could not connect with any of the other characters. I also could not get into the influencer characters and portion of the book. 3 out of 5 stars.

Dark Corners is one of the best thrillers I have read this year! I loved that scripts from the podcast were included in the narrative, I appreciated the ending, and I really liked the characters. This was a suspenseful read and while I had successfully predicted one of the twists, there were several others that took me by surprise. This was a super enjoyable read!

I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator and the way they dogs the audiobook. It wasn’t that she had a a bad voice or did anything annoying. It was more that she sounded like she was using a performer voice and it felt off. The story itself was interesting and kept me listening. It was my first book by this author and I think I’ll read the next one instead of listen. I’m sure the book was much better that way.

After loving and completely devouring The Night Swim, I knew immediately I needed to pick this one up ASAP. Once again, I was not disappointed. Megan might have just placed herself up there with my top authors.

First off, I listened to this on audio. The audio was so immersive and consuming; the sound effects tipped this one over the edge. I felt like I was present within the story. The narrator did an amazing job at telling this story.

I was invested in the plot. I was so curious as to what happened to Maddison and how Terence Bailey played into it. I love how there was a POV from the murderer himself. It interesting to get inside the head of a murderer.

I love Rachel’s character and I can’t wait to read more in this series. I’m eager to pick the next one up immediately.

This was another great twisty thriller from Megan Goldin. Rachel Krall is back and feistier than ever. This time, she finds herself in the thick of it as she is called down to assist the FBI when a social media influencer goes missing after meeting with an inmate and her name comes up in that meeting. Rachel has never heard of Maddison or the inmate, Terrance, but can't resist doing some investigating of her own even when the FBI asks her to leave the area, believing her to be in danger. Terrance is about to be released and they believe that Rachel is his next target. She and the FBI are working to solve Maddison's disappearance as well as several other young women before Terrance's final days behind bars are up.

This book kept me interested and the pages turning. There are a lot of pieces to this story that all line up in the end for a very satisfying conclusion. While some may take issue with Rachel intentionally putting herself in danger and being more on the scene during an active investigation, I enjoyed the dual perspectives of what she uncovered vs. law enforcement. Rachel is clearly not one to back down easily and this actually helped in the end. It also made the story more tense as it was ongoing as the book unfolded. The social media influencer aspect was intriguing and I enjoyed the relationship between Rachel and one of the FBI agents.

The audio for this book is fantastic and, I believe, enhances the experience of the book. There are sections where Rachel does interviews for the podcast and background noises to bring you more into the story. I found it well done and impactful to the story overall.

While this one definitely has a different feel than Night Swim, I do believe fans of Rachel Krall will like this one. It is a good psychological thriller with many twists and turns.

I think I enjoyed this as much as I did solely because I had the audio version. The podcast clips and different narrators made the story a lot more engaging. The storyline itself just wasn't really that engaging for me. The influencer bit didn't really grab my attention, but that's just my personal preference as it relates to the entire existence of "influencers" and the serial killer plotline was a bit predictable, unfortunately. If I had read the material instead of listen to it, I gather it would've lost my attention.

Full review to come, but absolutely LOVED this book! I thoroughly enjoyed The Night Swim, so was anxiously awaiting this book to see what Rachel Krall was up to now that her podcast had taken off! This one was filled with twists and surprises and really loved how it came together and wrapped up!

Dark Corners is the second in the Rachel Krall series. Continuing as host of the Guilty or Not Guilty podcast, Rachel has been drawn into another case by Special Agent Martinez. There are at least six dead women in addition to a few more missing as Rachel becomes further involved by effectively using her social media ties at BuzzCon to continue to gather information on what is going on. There are multiple threads and possible suspects throughout the book. I particularly enjoyed Rachel as the main character as she is smart and capable in her role. Special Agent Martinez grew on me as the story went along and several other secondary characters were memorable and truly added to the plot. The pacing was excellent and I was completely swept up.. Although the main plot was easy to see early on, how the other threads came into play was really well done and I appreciated that there was the possibility for hope and healing in many of the character’s storylines. Narration by Andre Santana and Samantha Desz were great, but the real shining star was January LaVoy and the additional sound effects with the podcast excerpts. It really pulled me into the story and created an atmosphere of realism and tension. Enjoyed this one even more than the first. Keep them coming, Megan Goldin!

Wow! I’ll still be thinking of this one for a while. This makes it two for two for Megan Goldin reads.

After reading The Night Swim I was so excited to dig in to the next of Rachel Krall’s adventures. This time Rachel headed to Daytona Beach after receiving a request from Special Agent Martinez to meet with a very specific inmate and help them find a missing influencer.

What unfolds are a number of twists and turns, and even a surprising romance! Each time I thought I had things solved, the plot pivoted and I was back to square one with my theories. Megan’s writing is sharp and quick and is similar to the style of The Night Swim.

My only critique would be that there could have been more podcast chapters. I thought that was really clever in book one of the series and found myself missing those scenes in Dark Corners.

Overall, I’ll definitely be recommending Rachel Krall!

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Goldin and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy. This is my honest review. This review will be posted on Instagram (@hungrybibliophile) July 27, 2023.

This was a solid mystery/thriller! I loved the influencer aspect of the story, and the podcast portions were great, too. This was perfect as an audiobook— easy to listen to, and the podcast chapters made it feel like an actual true crime podcast.

This book was my first audiobook from NetGalley and it has certainly set the bar high! The theme music for the main character’s podcast and the background noises makes this a neat experience.

Note: I downloaded Dark Corners and then realized it was Book 2 in the Rachael Krall series, so I quickly grabbed Book 1 (Night Swim) and read it just in case. First off, it is not important to read Night Swim before Dark Corners. While the series revolves around Rachel Krall and her true crime podcast, each book is about a different case and can be easily read without the previous book's context.

Rachel Krall is a household name for her true crime podcast “Guilty or Not Guilty” that helped set an innocent man free (think "Making a Murderer" vibes that cause listeners to dig deeper into cases and do their own detective work). People recognize her for her voice, not her face, so she generally lives under the radar which allows her to get inside scoops on cases as generic "media" or just another nosey neighbor in the crowd.

Dark Corners follow two cases - 1. Terence Bailey, a man being released from prison for breaking and entering but suspected of other crimes and 2. a missing influencer, Maddison, who seems to be leading two separate lives. The two cases intersect when we find out that Maddison visited Bailey in prison before her disappearance.

I gave this book four stars! It was a good mix of mystery, character development, and a little bit of romance. Rachael Krall is very likeable and easy to relate to and I would love for her series to continue as I will certainly grab the next book as soon as I can!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and provide my review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook of Dark Corners. The audio was phenomenally done. The narrator did such a good job. I love the extras when it comes to the. Eww reports.

This story was a great thriller. Nice and twisty and kept me on my toes. This is technically book two but it can be read as a stand alone. It didn’t hurt me to not read the first one.

The ending seemed like it happened to fast but it was still a good one

Terence Bailey has been accused of breaking and entering, but the police believe he is guilty of murdering six women. Shortly before his release, he is visited by a young, attractive influencer named Maddison Logan. Maddison goes missing shortly thereafter, and police want to understand her connection to Terence. However, he will only communicate with Rachel Krall, the infamous true crime podcaster who has a knack for solving crimes.

I loved the return of the badass Rachel Krall! I did like Night Swim more, but still really enjoyed this one. If you like true crime podcasts, this is a good one for you. I loved how the reader got the POV of the murderer and all of his twisted thoughts. I also liked the setting of the influencer conference as it added a very modern twist. There was also a touch of romance which I enjoyed. Rachel was kind of irresponsible and stubborn, but that is what makes her, her (imo). The audiobook was phenomenal with a cast of narrators.

This was excellent! The audiobook for this is one of my favorite audiobooks I've listened to this year. I thought the narrator did a fantastic job telling the story both through the podcast and the various point of views. I really enjoyed Megan Goldin's The Night Swim, and I think this book was even better for me. Her writing is engaging and fast paced, and she tells the story in the most approachable of ways. Thank you so much for letting me read/listen to this one!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the copy of this book and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook!

This is the perfect series to listen to on audio - the podcast episodes strewn throughout the book really elevate the experience of this thriller while listening.

Dark Corners revisits Rachel Krall, journalist and podcaster from Night Swim. With a new case, Rachel finds herself in the middle once again, and this time in the middle of a bunch of influencers. I do have to say, influencer storylines are something that I tend to struggle with. While this didn't hold my attention as well as The Night Swim, I do still love Megan Goldin as a thriller author!

Not my favorite by this author. I loved the premise - and Rachel from Night Swim. Such an amazing book - highly recommend.
I did the audiobook for this one - I loved the creep factors, such as male voices during Rachel's podcast and the music. Otherwise, this one just fell flat for me. It lacked the anger and obsession.
Rachel becomes determined to feature the victims - rather than giving anymore energy to the killer, which I hope the author continues.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Megan Goldin for the advanced listening copy!

4.5 stars rounded up.

If you are into audiobooks, I highly suggest giving this one a try! I enjoyed the narrators but especially enjoyed the chapters that were podcast segments as they were fully produced to sound just like a real true crime podcast.

I have been a fan of every Megan Goldin book I've read in the past and I'm happy to say Dark Corners is no exception! I surprisingly liked this even more than book 1 in the Rachel Krall series, Night Swim (which I also loved).

Without giving anything away, the style this is written in can be tricky to pull off for thriller readers, because it may feel like too much has been revealed too soon. I feel Goldin not only pulls it off but she excels in still making the book twisty and suspenseful enough that I never wanted to put it down.

I hope we continue to see more Rachel Krall books in the future! Don't miss Dark Corners on US bookshelves August 8!