Terrence Bailey has spent years of his life in prison for a somewhat minor offense, but even though suspected of killing six women, he is soon to be released. He asks for Maddison Logn, an influencer, to visit him before his release and she acquiesces. After visiting Terrence, Maddison mysteriously disappeared.

So the story begins. Calling in Rachel Krall, another influencer, becomes an undercover agent i as she joins and attends BuzzCom, a place where other influencers has joined. Rachel joins a world where it is a fully well world of rivalry and dog eat dog environment.

Meanwhile, police find the body of a woman with a coiled snake eating its tail, which leads them back to Terrence Bailey who they feel must have a co murderer on the outside.

Rachel becomes embroiled in the drama, immersing herself into danger and the fact that the murderer (s) might just go after her.

This was an interesting story, coming after the author's Night Swim (which I really liked) The world that influences has created in one of competitiveness and vying for the "likes".

Thank you to Megan Goldin, Macmillan Audio, and Net Galley for a copy of both the kindle and audio copy of this story.

Dark Corners is the return of Rachel Krall, the investigative podcaster from Night Swim. Night Swim is one of my most recommended thrillers, and I was happy to see that this book has a lot of the same elements: short chapters that make it hard to put down, alternating between different POVs and the podcast, and a mystery to puzzle over. While the POV stays mostly with Rachel, there are also chapters from the perspective of Joe Martinez (FBI), and Thomas McCoy (rideshare driver). The audio version played theme music and started podcast chapters with "A Rachel Krall Special Report," which I thought was perfect. The elements of this book that didn't work for me were mostly just about Rachel herself. Rachel, who investigates crimes against women and knows that the world is dangerous, takes a lot of unnecessary risks in this book and is often acting directly against FBI directives. I also can't write about this book without talking about the BuzzCon social media influencers conference. I'm sure that this sort of thing exists but what a group of self absorbed, vapid people! Yuck.

The bottom line is that I enjoyed this book and I'm glad to have not seen the last of Rachel Krall. I hope to see more books about Rachel and her podcast from Megan Goldin, following this same addictive format.

Famous true crime podcaster Rachel Krall is back to help solve a new mystery. Rachel is summoned by the FBI to talk to a prisoner who spoke to a Maddison Logan, a popular but mysterious influencer, hours before she went missing. Rachel is unable to find Maddison by meeting with the prisoner, but she takes an opportunity to go undercover at the influencer convention Maddison was attending. Once there, she begins playing a dangerous game with the power-hungry influencers and the reasons behind Maddison's disappearance.

I did not love The Night Swim, but found myself enjoying Dark Corners a lot more, and looking forward to the next Rachel Krall story. The focus on influencer culture and the competition for fans online, along with a unique and terrifying villain made this book a lot of fun to read. Megan Goldin does a great job moving between Rachel's story, her podcast, the perspective of the FBI agent helping Rachel, and the dangerous individual on the edge of the story. I enjoyed a lot of the twists in the final act and enjoyed the surprising ways a lot of the plot threads intersected. The many moving pieces and short chapters made for a very fast and easy read.

The audiobook was very well done. The multiple audios and podcast production were very fun to listen to and elevated the multiple storylines of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of Dark Corners in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ALC of this book. I haven't read the first book in this series but this one worked well as a standalone.
This was an engaging suspense/ thriller about a serial killer and a podcaster who helps the FBI with the case. She also goes semi-undercover at an influencer conference which was entertaining. There were a few "twists" that I guessed from a mile away, but that was ok. It held my attention and I may read another of her books in the future!

📚Synopsis:
When True-Crime podcaster Rachel Krall is invited to assist the FBI in an ongoing investigation, she eagerly accepts. What awaits her is an inquiry into a suspected serial killer, an active missing person case, and a mystery that links her to it all. Eager for answers, but dismissed by the FBI, Rachel decides to run her own parallel investigation and goes undercover as a social media influencer to gather clues before someone else goes missing.

✍️ My Thoughts…
About The Narration:
The narration on this book was quite fun with moments sounding more like a classic radio-show with different voices and background sounds. Definitely recommend the audio version.

About The Book:
This book started off pretty strong, had interesting elements, and some good twists. In the middle there is quite a lot about social media influencers, beyond what was needed for the the plot of the novel (but if you’re looking for a crash-course in how influencers make money - this could be interesting to you). Some good twists for the ending, overall an ok read for me.

💕You might like this book if:
🔹 you enjoy the world of social media / influencers
🔹 you like sifting through crime details and clues along with the characters as they try and solve a case
🔹 you like tension between characters

I loved this book. I adore a good thriller, and Megan Goldin delivered an enthralling story filled with murder, mystery, social media influences, a true crime podcaster, a sexy FBI agent, and a serial killer (or two?).

The storytelling was phenomenal. I definitely recommend Dark Corners for anyone who enjoys crime thrillers.

3 stars

Like many folks who will pick up this book, I came to this one after thoroughly enjoying _The Night Swim_. Upon finishing this follow-up, I'm feeling a bit let down.

Rachel, the m.c., is a podcaster who is also somehow an incredible asset to the FBI. I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts - like an almost (but not quite) embarrassing amount of them - and the idea that any of those hosts are somehow showing up people who are trained to do this work is just wild. One must suspend disbelief on that front alone. That noted, Rachel is mostly insufferable (and repetitive - I am surprised by the writing and breezy editing here, even in the advanced copy form). Thus, it MUST be her skills that get her the big invites. I don't think it's her sparkling charm.

I really enjoyed the way the pieces fit together, but since Rachel is at the center and is a bit tough to read, that obviously made an impact on my enjoyment of this book overall. The audiobook is nicely narrated, and I do recommend that version when and where accessible.

This is my third book from this author (_Stay Awake_, along with this series), and while I'm enjoying the works overall, Goldin is falling more into the *maybe* this will work for me camp as I continue. I hope that turns around with the next effort.

Fantastic audiobook. I loved the format. The book itself was just ok but the audiobook brought it to life.

I really liked Night Swim and was excited to see a second book involving Rachel Krall.

Rachel, a true crime podcaster, goes undercover at an influencer convention to help find a missing influencer named Maddison. Maddison went missing after visiting Terrence Bailey in jail. Bailey was in prison for breaking and entering, but the police thing he could be involved in the murder of several women. Rachel hopes to help find out if Maddison’s disappearance is related to her visit to Bailey, and if he has help on the outside.

I loved the audiobook. I really liked how they played the podcast intro music, and there was background noise and other narrators to make it sound like an authentic podcast.

I really liked the dual POVs, especially with one being from the serial killer. Some of the dialogue seemed repetitive,

I didn’t like it quite as much as Night Swim, but am hoping there will be more in the Rachel Krall series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story that features a lot of hot of moment themes: influencers, serial killers and podcasts. The book focuses on a Rachel, a true crime podcaster who is tapped by the cops to help them with a missing woman case. We rotate perspectives between Rachel and the killer who is super creepy and evading the cops while they think another guy is the killer. I thought this was an interesting story but like Stay awake I really struggle with this writers dialogue. She calls prison “the slammer” and it always feels like unresearched dialogue of how she thinks cops talk. The audio kept me paying attention because of the story but I didn’t love the narrator. 3.5 stars

I read Night Swim two years ago and according to Goodreads I really enjoyed it even though I remember absolutely nothing about it now. So even though Dark Corners has the same main character, I do feel that it can be a standalone. However, I cannot promise that if you read Dark Corners first and then read Night Swim that Dark Corners won’t spoil part of the first book.

The main character is a true crime podcaster that gets called in to help the FBI with a case that has very few leads. It pushes her into the world of influencers, a current murder, and a cold case that has always nagged at the FBI/police.

I did not predict how this one would end and I truly appreciated the direction the author took. It was somewhat fresh in the world of thrillers and I needed that after a couple pretty meh reads in the genre.

The narration was well done but the production of the audiobook was even better.

GET THE AUDIO! 🎧

The audiobook of this is so good and immersive. It was so well done that I bumped this solid 3 star story up to 3.5 and rounded to 4 for this review. The story has a true crime component and hearing the recording portions narrated made for a very fun listen.

If you were a fan of this author’s previous thriller novel, The Night Swim, you’ll wanna get this. The true crime podcaster MC of that book, Rachel Krall, is back! This time she is trying to solve the case of a popular online influencer who has gone missing under strange circumstances that involve a man suspected of the murder of 6 women…

There was a little aspect of this that I couldn’t take seriously and was sort of silly and took away from the scare factor for me…curious to discover what other readers think of it. 😆 I also didn’t feel attached to any of the characters, unfortunately. Despite that, I still enjoyed the crime solving aspect and the author’s writing style was solid.

Thank you @netgalley for the early audio and ebook of Dark Corners! I enjoyed this crime thriller and think it will be great for fans of Jennifer Hillier and Karin Slaughter (but less graphic than her books typically are).

3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 for the review

Rachel Krall, a true crime podcaster, gets asked by the FBI to meet with inmate Terrance Bailey who is set to be released from his prison sentence in the next few days. Terrance’s last visitor before Rachel was influencer Maddison Logan- who has just gone missing. As the FBI struggles to find leads, they begin to work more closely with Rachel as she goes undercover at a popular influencer convention that Maddison was attending. Rachel is on the hunt to uncover how everything is tied together.

I absolutely adored the narration in this audiobook. The way that the podcast interludes tied into the rest of the novel was done excellently. Megan Goldin did a fabulous job keeping me on the edge of my seat and unable to stop listening. Lots of twists and great characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC audiobook to review!

Highly recommend on audio - there are snippets from the main character's podcast which are a nice inclusion!

This is the second in the true crime podcaster Rachel Krall series. This can easily be read as a standalone.

Rachel receives an intriguing call from the FBI and drops everything to fly to Florida where she finds the FBI is trying to use her to get information from soon to be released prisoner, Terence Bailey, regarding the disappearance of popular influencer, Maddison Logan. Bailey is believed to be responsible for the murders of some women prior to be incarcerated but now it is wondered if he had an accomplice.

This is very influencer culture heavy - which is not really my jam. The mystery is very solid however I don't love the influencer world and this was a huge storyline in the book. There are a lot of storylines, clues spread throughout the book, and lots of good reveals throughout. Rachel's level of involvement with the FBI did feel a bit out there. I really didn't care for the romance storyline and it really made Rachel's strong perception and investigative skills start to feel sloppy and not typical to her usual character.

Recommend if you enjoy
True crime podcasts
Police procedura
lInfluencer trope
Solid mystery

DNF @ 16%

At first I thought I didn't like it because so much time was used "replaying" vlogs by a social media influencer. I loathe social media and influencers so I found all her posts annoying and not something I was interested in reading. I figured eventually the investigation team would stop reading/watching so I tried to push through but NOPE.

I also think the editor might be in the wrong line of work... eek!!

Rachel Krall, well know true crime podcaster, is front and center in this second book. She is called down to Florida by FBI agent Joe Martinez to visit Terrence Bailey in prison. Convicted of breaking and entering, and suspected and several murders (which the police are unable to prove) Terrence is mere days from being released.
From there Rachel is sucked into the world of online influencers, as the FBI is looking into the disappearance of Maddison Logan, who had also recently visited Terrance, as the FBI wonders if his possible accomplice had kidnapped her for him.
This books kept me intrigued right from the start, the different points of view were interesting and while some of the twists were a bit predictable there were still a lot of fun.
Definitely hoping for more installments in the series.
Narration was excellent.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

DARK CORNERS review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🌳I was soooooo excited when I found out there was another book being released in the same universe as The Night Swim! I couldn’t wait to read more about the adventures of Rachel Krall! However, I ended up preferring The Night Swim over Dark Corners.

🌳Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Rachel’s true crime podcast has exploded in popularity, which leads to her being called by the FBI to fly down to Florida as they work on an active case. One of the inmates in a Florida prison is about to be released but is requesting to meet with Rachel before his release. The last person to meet with this inmate is a popular social media influencer who is now missing. Does the inmate have to do with her disappearance? Is Rachel putting herself in danger but agreeing to meet with him?

🌳I tried to keep my plot summary intentionally vague! I made the mistake of reading the synopsis listed on Goodreads and I think that was what led to me predicting some of the twists. 🫠 I enjoyed this story overall, but thought the romance story/subplot wasn’t necessary. Imo it took away from the thriller aspect of the story.

🌳While this story takes place in the same universe as The Night Swim, it’s not a true sequel. Dark Corners can definitely be read as a stand-alone and there’s no spoilers for The Night Swim! The podcast theme seems to be popular in thrillers lately and I’m loooooving it! If you’re a fan of true crime podcasts you’ll probably enjoy this one!

🌳Thanks to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @macmillan.audio for my advanced copy of this one! It publishes on August 8, 2023!

Megan Goldin continues to be one of my favorite authors. I loved "Night Swim" and am so glad she wrote a follow up with Rachel and the "Guilty or Not Guilty" podcast. This is an awesome page turner with great characters (the goodies and the badies). While, for me, there was no great big twist the story is so well written it's just a pleasure to read. Already cannot wait for the next book, Rachel Krall or not, from Megan Goldin.

This series is extra special via audiobook with an excellent narrator and the extras added in to make parts really feel like you are listening to Rachels podcast at points.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

Dark Corners
(Rachel Krall, #2)
Megan Goldin
4.5⭐️

“Sometimes the scariest monster is the one hiding in plain sight”

I enjoyed the Escape Room and Night Swim, but this might be a new favorite by Goldin!

Dark Corners was a fast paced "page" turner. I loved seeing our true-crime podcaster Rachel Krall again and getting more development from her character. There are mysteries within mysteries that keep you fully engaged and I loved the podcast/influencer elements. I was so invested in solving the case I didn’t want to put it down. I couldn’t wait to see how everything played out and to say I was shocked and surprised by the ending tells you just how perfect the twists and turns are in this story! Hoping we get more of Rachel, and also that this isn’t the last we see of Joe Martinez.

What I loved;
True-Crime Podcast
Influencer Elements
Twisty Thriller/Mystery
Romantic Suspense
Alternating POV’s

The audio was amazing. Andre Santana, January Lavoy and Samantha Desz’s narration was fantastic! The podcast chapters are formatted as an actual podcast with intro music and everything. Listening to them was so entertaining for me. Would highly recommend listening to this one!

Readers of Night Swim will love this one! Don’t worry, though this is Rachel Krall’s sequel, you don’t need to go back and read Night Swim first, but add it to your TBR if you haven’t because it's good!.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I very much enjoyed this! I remember liking Rachel Krall book #1 but not sure if I loved it. This (to me) was better; maybe because it is more fresh in my mind. Would recommend if you like police procedural, influencer trope, & an all around good mystery. This starts off as a missing person case and becomes so much MORE.

This has a police procedural aspect. Although Rachel isn't a police officer she is doing her asking around & digging as if she is. At times she finds out more information than the FBI working on the missing girl case. I liked when she would get together with Joe to share information (swoon -- wait, don't forget this isn't a romance novel, Dani LOL).

The audiobook narrator kept me immersed in the story and I didn't struggle to stay focused. I read this as a hybrid audio/ e-book: I listened to the audiobook for a while and then skimmed thru the e-book later to be sure I didn't miss any important details (or I'd simply have the audiobook playing as I was reading thru the ebook as well, probably super strange I know haha).

The relationship between Rachel & Joe was so surprising but made me HAPPY. I hope we haven't seen the last of Joe in this series (I hope there is more to this series too)!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for the widget to read & review the ARC!
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the approval to read & review the ALC!