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Need another change of genre …. Reading things too heavy emotionally lately 😑

#WICKEDWHIPSERS
@Eggs
@AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks

TODAY‘S PROMPT: GRUESOME

DARK CORNERS is an edge-of-your-seat thriller for readers who enjoy pairing social media with crime investigation, gruesome scenes, and shady characters.

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/3d3z3cfu

I really liked The Night Swim and I was excited to read this one. It started off super strong and I couldn‘t put it down and then about halfway through it started to lose me and I had a hard time finishing it. It was good, but I didn‘t feel like it had much that was unexpected or exciting. I felt like I knew exactly what was going to happen the whole time and that made it a little bit slow.

You know, it was ok. It‘s a very quick read, since the chapters are short and each one is a cliffhanger. But there we are WAY too many red herrings, and the climax was so short compared to all the buildup. The romance was forced and felt like an afterthought. So, I‘d give it a “meh.”

2.5⭐
Maybe it's me..but I am so tired of mediocre thrillers. I spotted the twists in this one from a mile away. They were so obvious!
The podcast element that lured me into this story was lacking and maybe I should have never read this book at all knowing the synopsis, but the whole influencer angle is getting so old. A bunch of completely unlikeable people at the center of a mystery that I couldn't care less about.
I also found the MC grating.

Starting this tonight!

I'm having to bail at 24% as I just can't with this one. Has the main character had a personality transplant? Rachel has gone from being perfectly normal in the first one to being rude & obnoxious in this one. My patience ran out when she barged her way onto an active crime scene.

My thanks to #NetGalley & publisher, Canelo, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

#35 of 2023! #BOTM July 2023 Rachel Krall No. 2. Really enjoyed this one!!
Started: 10/28/23
Finished: 11/11/23
15 Days

By has good as The Night Swim, but another entertaining murder mystery featuring a true crime podcaster. This time she finds herself entangled in the disappearance of a van life influencer and her connection to a convict. The journey through the mystery is fun, though I guessed the ending fairly early. I definitely recommend this one on audiobook. 4⭐️
#Scarathlon #HHC 86 Word Search words, 5 hours reading
⬇️

Really enjoyed this one! 🎃 #scarathlon #teamBOOklovers @Bookwormjillk

Made a bookmark card to track my word search progress!🎃👻😈 #scarathlon #teamBOOks @Bookwormjillk

I love the podcast element in these books.There were some moments that felt unrealistic & I didn't really need the romantic aspect, but overall I enjoyed this quick paced read. There's a lot of great character work & the organization of the plot is well executed. I enjoy how Goldin's writing feels natural & unpretentious while still remaining somewhat authoritative in the feel. I'm looking forward to the potential of continuing installments.

A camper van is found with signs of a struggle and a missing occupant, but no one knows who to be looking for. This event sets this book in motion, with true crime podcaster getting involved through an interesting route. I really enjoyed this one. However, I wish Goldin or her editorial team would do a little more research. Americans don‘t say “aircon” or “flat white” (the second is in a previous book from her).

Rachel Krall is back, this time looking into a string of killings that the police believe to be connected to a man about to be released from prison. I enjoyed unraveling the mystery w/ Rachel &getting the multiple POV allowing for us to have more insight into what‘s happening.

I had to laugh that the last two mysteries I read had a character w/ a rare medical condition that made them smell. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen this in a book before now.

Overall I liked the Rachel Krall and Terry Gonzales story. My problem is with other parts of this story. I have a hard time connecting when the influencer (‘er content creator) trope is written into a story because the characters are most often painted as shallow and narcissistic with no societal value-add. Once in a while a plot twist changes that perception, but I got bored with the influencer build-up too early to care.

There are quite a few characters in this book. Not in a confusing way but as main and secondary characters. I enjoyed getting to know five or six of them. Rachel and Maddison the two influencers/podcasters. Thomas McCoy the ride share guy. Terrance Bailey the prisoner. And Joe Martinez the FBI agent.

Full review: http://tinyurl.com/yc6cx45n

Rachel Krall, host of a popular true crime podcast is enlisted by the FBI to look for Maddison Logan, an influencer who goes missing after visiting suspected serial killer Terence Bailey in prison. Although the beginning was somewhat intriguing, this one was all over the place. I wondered how it would all tie together and by the middle I just did not care. Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin‘s for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Krall, podcaster, is back, and she is working with the FBI. Out of the blue, Terrance Bailey, suspected serial murderer is due to get out of jail and he wants to meet with Rachel. At the end of their meeting, he seems to threaten her, and the story takes off from there, interspersed with podcast excerpts that slowly explain the plot. The side story is an influencer convention. An entertaining read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝟑.𝟕𝟓⭐
This was good, but not as good as The Night Swim. The podcast element was overshadowed by the influencer element…and I‘m not sure I was completely there for that. The overarching mystery was solid and the wrap-up was also quite good…but I really liked the format of the first book and wanted it to be more like that. The narration was fine.

I really enjoyed The Night Swim, so I was excited to see that podcaster Rachel Krall was back! This was such a great read, from beginning to end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3hrs22m in, and the first book is done. Time for small break and then straight into the 2nd book of the day. #rushathon

This sequel to THE NIGHT SWIM opens up not long after the conclusion of Rachel Krall‘s last podcast investigation in North Carolina. A cryptic call from the FBI brings her to Daytona Beach to help find a missing social media influencer & see if a soon-to-be-released felon & suspected serial killer is somehow connected. I appreciate the interludes of the podcast transcripts & didn‘t expect the romantic subplot. I‘m curious for the series continue!

Book 2. Book 1 will give you great background!

Rachel‘s a true crime podcaster. FBI is asking for her help again. A possible serial killer w/b released due to lack of evidence in 2 days & a popular influencer is missing, last seen meeting with him.

Rachel‘s going to an influencer convention to see if she can find out what happened to Maddison before a serial killer is released.

Rachel is so not into the influencer scene 😆

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3/4

Really disappointed in this after loving The Night Swim 😕 I thought this was a complete snooze, and the story added nothing to Rachel's character which the first book set up so well. I'll give this author one more try if she puts out any more Rachel Krall books #botm

Review is up! Check it out!

https://reecaspieces.com/2023/08/11/dark-corners-by-megan-golden-stmartinspress-...

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY

What a foursome… a social media influencer, a crime podcaster, a rideshare driver, and a prisoner.

DARK CORNERS is an edge-of-your-seat thriller for readers who enjoy pairing social media with crime investigation, gruesome scenes, and shady characters.

It is a good one and one you won‘t want to miss. 5/5

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/2c28hss9

@megangoldinauthor

Now Available! 🥳🎉📚

Book review- https://www.boleybooks.com//dark-corners/

#boleybooks #darkcorners #megangoldin #bookbeast #bookreview #bookbuds

Enjoyed 'Night Swim' a whole lot more than this one. I am excited about Goldin doing a Rachel Krall series. Plan on continuing series.

Tentative publishing date for August 8, 2023

#netgalley
#stmartinspress

Yay! I‘m definitely in a slump, so this is a must for me 💚 I‘ll tighten up my goals more in the next few days, but my main goals are to clear my #BookSpinBingo & #ISpyBingo boards, as well as to focus on my #Chirp audiobooks. I still have 320ish audiobooks that I‘ve PURCHASED on there… so it‘s time to make a dent. 😬

This book was so fast-paced, sucked me in immediately, and I couldn't put it down! This author is really good at putting red herrings in her book, so you keep yourself guessing constantly. The only reason I'm taking .5 off is because I guessed a lot of the ending early on, but not all of it. 4.5/5

5/5 ⭐
Rachel receives a call from a detective asking if she could come talk to an inmate before he gets release. The police are convinced that Terry could be related to other crimes. While Terry is still in prison, an Influencer, Maddison, is missing. The one who last saw her was Terry.

Currently reading!

Full review and recipe that matches the book: https://bakingthroughbookclub.com/2023/07/15/influencing-a-killer/

Podcast host Rachel Krall is back in this follow-up to The Night Swim. Rachel must investigate an abduction among the glitz and glamor of a conference for mega-influencers. Can Rachel infiltrate the world of picture-perfect yoga poses and insufferable mealtime photographers to find the missing girl?

Second in the Rachel Krall series (following The Night Swim), this was just a soft pick for me (I liked TNS better). Rachel (a true crime podcaster) journeys to FL when her name comes up in an FBI investigation involving a missing popular influencer. There are twists and turns, a little romance and a glimpse into the lives of social media celebrities. I didn‘t get the sense of suspense that I had hoped for on this one and felt some extra drama 🔻

I'm in the mood for a mystery, so I'm going to start this one. #botm

A really great mystery! I love the development of Rachel‘s character in this book and the look into influencer culture was fascinating!

I picked three for my July #botm box.

🌟 JULY #BOTM 🌟
The main choices this month were lacking IMO.
I didn't read Goldin's previous book due to the trigger warning of r*pe, but this one sounded ok. Hope it's good.

The only one I really wanted was Sager. 🙃 I'm very much looking forward to my summer Sager fix!

Anyone else get the same?

FULL REVIEW 8/8

What a foursome… a social media influencer, a crime podcaster, a rideshare driver, and a prisoner.

How are they all connected?

DARK CORNERS is an edge-of-your-seat thriller for readers who enjoy pairing social media with crime investigation, gruesome scenes, and shady characters.

It is a good one and one you won‘t want to miss. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

There were three scrambled word clues on the BOTM app, and looking at them I see "disappearance", "influencer", and "podcast". So my guess for one of the July #BOTM picks is Dark Corners. While the synopsis sounds good, I wasn't a huge fan of her writing style in The Night Swim so I'll probably pass. What do you think?

Tackle the TBR 🤓📚
#boleybooks #darkcorners #megangolding #bookbeast #bookjoy #netgalley #bookbuds

Starting this one today. It‘s a follow up to The Night Swim

This is my favorite Megan Goldin book so far.

I liked the continuation of Rachel's story. Working on a true crime podcast gives her opportunities to investigate many different cases. My favorite part of this book was when Rachel attended the BuzzCon conference for internet influencers. I am always fascinated by that topic, and getting a behind the scenes look is so much fun.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Goldin has outdone herself! Here‘s the link to my Netgalley review: https://www.netgalley.com/book/274293/review/524192

Winding down for the evening after a delicious dinner at La Cocina. Current read : Dark Corners by Megan Goldin.

Wooo, Baby! This was so good!! Already started my Netgalley review. Coming soon. 😃

I love a good thriller. This one is superb. Rachel (from The Night Swim) is called to Daytona by the FBI to visit an inmate suspected of being a serial killer. Because a woman is missing. How's that for a setup?

#BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks

Pub date is 8/8/23 (August? Really? I dare you to ask me about this in 8 months. 😂)
#Netgalley #ARC