When they look my way they're always looking down: DARK CORNERS.

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read a few not-so-positive reviews for this book, so I wasn't expecting a lot. Happily, I found it to be an enjoyable read. DARK CORNERS is a follow-up to Goldin's book THE NIGHT SWIM, featuring podcaster Rachel Krall. It starts off with a bang, with the FBI summoning Rachel to a prison to see an inmate, Terrence Bailey, and to ask about a missing travel influencer, Maddison Logan. With Bailey about to be released from prison, despite being a suspect in the murders of six women, and Maddison, the only person to ever visit him in prison now missing, the FBI is at a loss. Rachel's name has come up in their investigation, and Agent Martinez reluctantly asks for her help.

"Always know what you're walking into. Dark corners can be danger points."

CORNERS keeps up a brisk pace, telling the story from Rachel and Martinez's points of view, along with bits of her podcast and the POV of a rideshare driver. All these short snippets build up the suspense and tension. You find yourself wanting to know what is happening and how everyone is connected. Further, Rachel and Martinez's relationship deepens and they have a bit of tension between themselves too (if you catch my drift). There are some major dark moments and gruesome places--be prepared!

Rachel winds up going undercover at a social media conference to seek out information about Maddison. As she does, Goldin gets in some not so subtle digs on the artifice of the influencer life and social media. There are some great characters introduced via the other influencers--some of them are quite humorous. We hit on all the latest trends in social media: influencers, travel bloggers, podcasts, and true crime.

This is still a mystery at heart, and it's engaging and interesting. There's never a huge twist, and I had a decent idea early on about a big piece of the plot, but I still found the book to be quite compelling. Rachel Krall is a very smart and intriguing character--and it would be fun to see Martinez again, too. 3.75 stars, rounded up.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review.

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