Review of Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

Whoa – I did not realize that Dark Corners was a sequel to the Night Swim. If you need a refresher on that book, I will link my spoiler post below. But what did I think of Dark Corners? Check out my review of Dark Corners by Megan Goldin.

Written and edited by Jen Ryland. Last updated on:

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

To be published on August 8, 2023 by St Martins Press

Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy which I accepted under FTC guidelines! Please see my Editorial Policy for more details.

Plot Summary for Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women.

As his freedom approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? Why was she visiting him in the first place?

The FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krell herself.

What Else Has Megan Goldin Written?

Her first book was The Girl in Keller’s Way in 2017. In 2019, Goldin capture the attention of thriller lovers with The Escape Room, a book blurbed by Lee Child. (I haven’t read it yet, but I want to!)

In 2020, Golin released The Night Swim, a book that I found to be a tough read, but a good one, about a podcaster covering a sexual assault case in a small town. In 2022, she published Stay Awake, a book that reminded me a lot of the movie Memento.

Review of Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

First off, Dark Corners can be read as a standalone. It does refer to some events in The Night Swim but they are not at all crucial to understanding Dark Corners. However, if you do want a refresher on what Rachel Krall was up to in book one, check out my Spoiler Review of The Night Swim.

What I Did Like About Dark Corners

I liked Rachel in The Night Swim, so I was glad to see her back. I didn’t realize this might be a series, but I am all for it!

Despite the title, Dark Corners covers topics a little less dark (to me at least) than The Night Swim.

As the synopsis suggests, Rachel is contacted by the FBI because they think she might have insight into the disappearance of a young woman who had some connection to a prisoner about to be released. So Rachel flies down to Florida to help out.

There was a plot element about a metabolic disease that reminded me of an old, old Patricia Cornwell book. Anyone remember that one?

What I Liked Less About Dark Corners

Though Rachel is ostensibly recording some things for her podcast, Dark Corners wasn’t as podcast-focused as The Night Swim. (If you are looking for books with podcasting themes, check out this book list of mysteries and thrillers with podcast elements.)

Instead, Dark Corners was focused on influencer culture. The missing young woman was an influencer, so Rachel crashes an influencer conference to collect some gossip. Maybe there are those of you out there who love reading mysteries about influencers, but I don’t. And I don’t think this book brought anything new to the discussion of influencers.

I wish that Dark Corners had focused on podcaster culture. There’s a lot more there: accusations of podcast plagiarism, controversies about podcasters who get close to victims’ families, groups of people who become obsessed with certain true crime cases and go online to attack anyone who doesn’t agree with their take on the case. It can be a lot of drama!

Overall, though, I did enjoy Dark Corners. It was fun to follow Rachel on a somewhat lighter adventure (including a romance!). There were some good twists and turns to the story.

If you liked The Night Swim, or like books about podcasting and/or influencers, definitely check Dark Corners out!