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.
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.
DARK CORNERS
Megan Goldin
One famous podcaster, one missing social media influencer with a multicast narration…
It must mean RACHEL KRALL IS BACK!
I was so excited to read this follow-up to THE NIGHT SWIM featuring Rachel Krall. DARK CORNERS is one of my most anticipated thrillers of the year and it did not disappoint.
In DARK CORNERS we meet up with Rachel shortly after THE NIGHT SWIM, which was a national sensation. She is asked to help with the missing person’s case of Maddison Logan, an influencer. Rachel is to go undercover acting as an influencer to get inside information as to the whereabouts of Maddison.
Rachel is one of my favorite fictional characters. She is a badass and it’s so much fun to follow her and root for her. I loved the plot of DARK CORNERS immediately. It has all the buzzwords I’m currently looking for. Podcasts are hot, social media is hotter…
When you combine those elements with Goldin’s fast-paced, bigger than life, writing you get a thrilling reading experience. I can’t wait for the next installment.
Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copies!
DARK CORNERS…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.
Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.
A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.
Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.
But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.
Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE
Lisa Jewell
I will be reading this book with the UNDER THE RADAR BOOK CLUB this month. If you’re not a member of the club, you are missing out. We read all the best upcoming new releases in fiction and nonfiction.
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE is really good. It may be the best of Jewell’s career which is saying a lot. It’s my favorite of hers and it deserves all the attention it’s going to get this summer and the rest of the year.
Let’s talk about it.
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE is about Alix Summers. Alix is a popular podcaster that features women who have been through transformative moments in their life only to overcome all obstacles and become their best selves. On Alix’s 45th birthday she “bumps” into Josie Fair in the restroom who is surprisingly also celebrating her 45th birthday.
They are birthday twins.
A couple of days later Josie shows up at Alix’s children’s school and proposes that Alix feature Josie on her famous podcast as her life is about to change in miraculous ways.
This is such an interesting concept that Alix can’t stop thinking about it or Josie. She has never approached a subject in this way, and she quickly grasps the idea and agrees. We follow along as Josie shares her story, her life, her everything with Alix. Who unknowingly starts to play a part in her very own podcast.
The way NONE OF THIS IS TRUE unfolds is perfection. There were moments that I literally could not put it down and needed to keep reading to hear Josie tell her story. The writing is smooth and easy to read. I bought into every character and was on the hook the entire time the story was unfolding.
I read this in ebook format and I can’t tell you how long it has been since I’ve read in that format. NONE OF THIS IS TRUE kept my attention the entire time and I found myself reaching for it over other books that I had in my rotation at the time.
If you haven’t picked this one up yet now is the time!
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE is available now as an early release with BOOK OF THE MONTH. And will be available for purchase everywhere else on August 8, 2023!
Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it’s been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from happening.
Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother’s past or background. But when Ruth’s desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth’s carefully-constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception.
GONE TONIGHT
Sarah Pekkanen
This is the first time I have read a book with Sarah Pekkanen writing by herself. It is a different experience from reading some of the books co-authored by Greer Hendricks.
In GONE TONIGHT we’re following mother and daughter, Ruth and Catherine respectively. It has been just the two of them for years. Facing life’s challenges together. They are very close because of that and share a unique bond.
Catherine has decided that it is time to make a new life on her own and has taken a job in a nearby city. This is not the best time for her to leave as Ruth has been experiencing some problems with her memory recently. She has been misplacing her keys, lost a $20 bill, and couldn’t find her way home. This is very concerning to Catherine, who works in the memory wing of a care facility.
We follow as Catherine and Ruth explore what is happening with Ruth and how it affects both their present and future.
I really loved the relationship dynamics between Catherine and Ruth. The tension between them felt authentic, and I felt it was a great exploration into the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. I liked Pekkanen’s writing and felt like I preferred this solo project over some of her collaborative projects.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kate Mara. Listening to Mara while reading heightened my reading experience. Her voice is unforgettable, and the performance was perfect.
I’m so glad to have read GONE TONIGHT and I look forward to whatever Pekkanen does next.
Thanks to Netgalley, St Martins Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies and the opportunity to provide feedback!
GONE TONIGHT…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
