Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed Night Swim returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.

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?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to BuzzCon, 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. Suddenly a target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Expected publication August 8, 2023 

by St. Martin's Press

4/5 stars

Dark Corners though the 2nd book in the Rachel Krall Series definitely works as a stand alone.  I loved The Night Swim and eagerly awaited this the sequel.  For me this was a different Rachel verses the one I met in book 1.

Rachel is called to Florida by the FBI after her name is mentioned by a convict long suspected of murder.  Lacking evidence for a conviction or even charges, can Rachel uncover clues to the unsolved murders of young women.

Told from a couple view points made this an addicting read.  I was lucky to get both the audio and digital arc.  A road trip had me binge listen, I was am to finish in a 24 hour period.  So worth it!

This was a wonderfully mysterious, suspenseful story.  It showcased influencers in their glory (or rather addiction to social media).  It was intricately woven with twists I didn't see coming and an ending that I liked.

The audio narrator was spot on, a pleasure to listen to.  Both versions are available for preorder now with an August 8th release date.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillian Audio for advanced copies in exchange for a honest review.