2.75 STARS - Rachel Krall, who we first met in The Night Swim, is a True Crime podcaster. In Dark Corners, the second book in the series, she is asked by the FBI to help on the case of a missing social media influencer by visiting serial killer Terence Bailey in prison to see if she can get info about the missing woman and discover if that case relates to unsolved cases, including a recently discovered charred body.

The premise is strong, and the story starts off with a creepy serial killer vibe, but soon loses steam when readers are told early on who is doing the killing. This means the bulk of this suspense read isn't about figuring out whodunnit, but waiting around to see how the killer is connected to the story. Kind of disappointing.

Unfortunately, I had a few issues with this book. Some were small issues (Rachel was rude and pompous, the forced and superfluous romance, repetitive and awkward dialogue) but one was a big problem - the heavy-handed focus on social media influencer culture.

Too much page time was spent at a conference for social media influencers (who come off as stereotypical, vacuous, self-centred jerks) and despite Rachel being a blogger and podcaster herself, she is frustratingly ignorant about social influencing. I soon started to skim pages and even debated DNFing the book, but instead I switched to the audiobook and things got better - especially the bits of Rachel's podcast which made more sense in audio.

Narration: The audiobook narrators did a good job but there were some odd dubbing fixes to the narration that were noticeable.

I enjoyed The Night Swim but Dark Corners left me with a story that was equally over the top and underwhelming and didn't give me the chilling story I was anticipating.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for the complimentary advanced ebook and eAudiobook of this title which were given to me in exchange for my honest review.

I was a big fan of Rachel Krall's first case The Night Swim and hoped she would get a second book, which she did so yay!!!! Dark Corners was as entertaining as I hoped it would be. Not as good as the first book, but still very much a solid and well performed audiobook.

Although the plot wasn't my favorite. I'm not a big fan of social media in itself and even less so when it's the driving force behind a plot. It's the opposite of timeless and a novel that won't be remembered over time. At least that's my feeling to all things social media influencers and their problems.

But overall I had a good time listening to the audiobook. The podcast part of the book is still the best produced of all, but could have been a bigger part of the story. Because I'm not sure it actually added anything to the book.

The ending, and especially the romantic interest, makes me hope that there will be more Rachel Krall books in the future. I would really love that.

Let me start with the positives by saying first and foremost that the audiobook version is fabulous! Since there is a podcast element, that was really well done and was nice to hear as if it were a real production.

I wanted to like this book, and there were several elements I did enjoy, but overall I was left feeling quite jumbled and overwhelmed. There was a lot going on, and I simply think some of it was not needed. By the time we got thick into the influencer conference and all these additional characters, I was losing ground fast. For me, Megan Goldin needs to work a lot harder at the classic "show, don't tell" writing advice, as I was eventually so tired of hearing that Rachel was so sexy or so beautiful or so badass.

I think my favorite part of the novel was the character of Thomas. I enjoyed the little details that made him come alive, particularly his twisted history and his medical condition. Other little elements such as the mystery of the tattoos and Bailey's artwork were nice touches that kept me interested. I wish the book had more of these shining moments rather than a lot of the pitfalls of sloppy writing or biting off more than the author can really chew as far as the plot is concerned.

Lastly, I want to note that I have not read the first book in this series, The Night Swim, but I was never confused in any way.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, oh wow, did I enjoy Dark Corners. I have read several books by this author and I can honestly say that she is one of my thriller/mystery authors. Something that I specifically love about this book as well as The Night Swim by her is connection to true crime and true crime podcasts. I love true crime and listen to so many true crime podcasts so this added feature in the Dark Corners was a lot of fun for me.

The main character that we follow, Rachel, is a true crime podcaster and she was such a fun character to follow because of her wit and how smart she is. She wouldn’t back down from a challenge which I love. Her banter with Agent Joe Martinez was so entertaining and seeing their connection build during this investigation was A+.

I really enjoyed that the author kept jumping between POVs, including the serial killers POV. The way the serial killer kept going undetected for so many years is terrifying and the way he hunted for his victims was very realistic. Megan Goldin always has several twists and turns in her books.

I highly recommend this book! I can’t wait for more books in this world.

P.S. If you love audiobooks, this book has a great one with an awesome narrator!

Rachel Krall, true crime podcaster, is back to help the FBI search for a social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer in jail.

Megan Goldin has done it again! I’ve loved all of her books and Dark Corners is no exception. The main character is *chef’s kiss* - a smart and determined sleuth who can hold her own against anyone, even a serial killer or the FBI.

This is the third book I've read from this author and this latest release has been my favorite so far. I really enjoy how the podcast element is used to tell part of the story. It works so well, particularly in audiobooks. The characters were interesting and the storyline kept me listening. The narrator was excellent, which makes the experience of listening all the more enjoyable. I would highly recommend this author for all of her body of work. She does not disappoint.

𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜: ‘Dark Corners’ is a follow-up to ‘The Night Swim’ but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. This book focuses mainly on missing people and murder.

This book was so much fun. A little slow in the beginning but quickly picks up; not a dull moment. I loved the MC, Rachel Krall. Some people commented she is snarkier in this book than TNS but I found her reactions to be justified.

To be honest, I do not care one bit about the influencer world, which is a heavy topic within this plot, but the author made it pretty entertaining and I found myself not minding it at all.

The different POVs was a great touch. The narrators’ voices were very fitting and they did an amazing job telling this story. This was a fun, fast, and entertaining book. I was hooked the whole time.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for this ALC! ‘Dark Corners’ will launch August 8th!


Find me on IG: coffeebreakwithrachel

Thanks to Netalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the ebook and audiobook arcs of this novel. I loved being able to listen, because the podcast element to this book is so nicely done on audio and the narrators do a great job. I enjoyed seeing Rachel back working on another case, although you do have to suspend some belief in parts of the story. I also could do without romance in my thrillers... but that's just me!

Short synopsis: True crime podcaster Rachel Krall is back investigating a missing social media influencer.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed Night Swim so I was excited to see book 2 come out. My favorite thing in these is the little podcast snippets Interwoven throughout the book, especially on audio!

This was a quick read with some fun points of view: Rachel, the FBI agent in charge of the case, and a hired car driver. We are able to suspect someone pretty early on, but don’t realize the extent of their involvement until the last little bit of the story. I didn’t expect that at the end!

I also liked the social media aspect of it, and the lengths some people will go to for fame and notoriety. Also, the book community is the best community; book lovers are so friendly overall and I just love my book friends!

Read if you love:
* Podcasts
* True crime stories
* Investigations
* Social media
* Short chapters
* Multiple POV

True-crime podcaster Rachel Krall is back in Megan Goldin's new book, Dark Corners.

"Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison. Police have long suspected him of killing six missing women. When influencer Maddison Logan goes missing after visiting Bailey, they wonder if he has an accomplice on the outside. The FBI asks Rachel to help find Maddison. She goes undercover at Buzzcon, an influencer event, hoping to find any information about Maddison. She discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned deadly."

This is a compelling fast-paced narrative from Goldin. There are some interesting observations about Lifestyle Influencers and what that even looks like. (Probably not what you think) There is a lot of misdirection and red-herrings - Goldin keeps you guessing.
Rachel Krall is a little more assertive in this book - it's always good to see characters grow and change.
Like last year's hit, Goldin uses an uncommon condition as a plot device. I've heard of it, but never been around someone that has it.

Great performance on the audiobook from the team of Andre Santana, January Lavoy and Samantha Desz. Lots of characters in this book but the narrators stay on top of them.

There are surprising twists and the ending is wild. Definitely a book that thriller lovers will want to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this audio ARC.

The narrators put on a wonderful performance.

This story was gripping and fun.

Really loved this one. When I first started it I had a feeling Rachel's name sounded familiar, it was. Didn't realize this was book 2 but luckily I read and enjoyed book one already. This story was super twisty. Full of influencers, death, and even some romance. This was the perfect book to sit down with after work and read in one night.

Twisty, riveting and I just could not stop listening until I was done!

Just like the previous Rachel Krall book, Night Swim, I think Dark Corners is best consumed as an audio book. I enjoyed hearing Rachel’s voice because I felt like I was in her head. Also just like the last books, I sometimes forgot that this wasn’t real while listening to the podcast portion.

The peek into the world of social media influencers was interesting and timely.

I thought I knew what was going on in the book, but it turned out that I was wrong. So wrong. I loved how everything connected at the end.

4/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audioARC of this book.

A famous social media influencer vanished after visiting a jailed serial killer, so Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster from Night Swim, sets out to find her. Rachel gets a call from the FBI after she's linked to the serial killer. There are some good eye-roll moments as Rachel searches for clues about the disappearance in the world of influencers.

Throughout this story, Megan Goldin led us down a few red herring paths while creating suspense and tension. Plenty of twists and turns kept me on my toes, trying to figure out who was involved and with whom. I wasn't a big fan of the excessive number of red herrings at times, but Megan pulls it all together with a satisfying ending.

I was lukewarm on the first Rachel Krall book, but this one worked much better for me. Especially near the end, this is a propulsive read about a game of cat and mouse between the podcaster and a suspected serial killer. There’s a second mystery unfolding alongside the main story, adding another puzzle to solve with how the two stories may be connected.

Megan Golding does not disappoint her suspense thriller readers with this one, whether you listen to the audio version or read the book. I love that unsolved mystery podcaster from 'The Night Swim,' Rachel Krall, is back. The story begins when a convicted felon is due to be released in a couple of days and law enforcement would really like to prevent this. Rachel gets invovled in the case down in the Datona Beach area with a bunch of influencers. I really enjoyed Megan's writing style, we readers get to know things first and then watch how the police detectives work their way in that direction. This is an author whose books will always be on my list.

This book was fully enjoyable. It had some interesting characters, a good mystery, and a great twist I didn't see coming.

I enjoyed following Rachel and the FBI guy, I forget his name 😬. But anyway, Rachel was a great MC who was determined to find out what happened to Madison Bailey, which turns into trying to find out what happened to another girl years prior.

I enjoyed watching the mystery unfold and putting the pieces together.

Another great book from Megan Goldin. Definitely an author to watch out for.

really enjoyed the audio experience of this book! The main narrator was fantastic and I loved the other various narrators brought in for other characters. I definitely think audio is the most immersive way to enjoy this book. For the story, I found it engaging and I was intrigued throughout the book.!While I didn’t love the setting of the influencer world, it is a very relevant topic today. I definitely saw one or two twists coming, but not all, which kept me flying through this book! The main character is a really strong, bad ass woman who goes after what she wants, so I loved her just as much as the first book. I would definitely be open to more book in this series, because both books have been very enjoyable! 3.5 stars!

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to listen to and review Dark Corners. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I thought the first 1/4 and the last 1/4 were prettt good but the middle was super slow and uneventful for my likely. With 50% of the book being a meh, I’m giving it 3 stars.

Wow, Megan Goldin does it again with another thrilling ride! I especially loved this one on audio because you get the podcast vibe. Loved it!