This was one of the best and most shocking books I read this summer. I loved every minute of it and Megan Goldin is quickly becoming a must read author for me!

This was my first book of 2021 and it did not disappoint. I think the fact that I was coming off a reading rut is the only reason this got 4 stars instead of 5. I just had no drive to read but this book kept me wanting me.

I really enjoy investigative books so I thought this book was perfect and the podcast aspect was super interesting. It was also very eye opening on just how brutal rape trials are for the victim. It made me really angry and hopefully things will change in the future so victims don't have to go through such a trauma gauntlet.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for a galley of The Night Swim in exchange for my honest review. I was incredibly stoked to receive a copy of Megan Goldin's latest after enjoying The Escape Room so much. I find it very clever that the author made the main character, Rachel, a true-crime podcaster and used letters and podcast episodes to unfold the past in an otherwise chronologically written story. TW: The author tackles difficult subjects of sexual assault and rape and touches on the harsh realities of how the victims can be torn apart on the stand, in the media, and by a community. I found a surprising (yet appreciated) depth to this suspenseful whodunit that you just don't find in a lot of thrillers. Two homeruns in a row have made me a Megan Goldin fan and I look forward to reading what she puts out next.

I loved the premise of this book! Such a fun and unstoppable read! This one kept me hooked from the beginning!

I loved the Escape Room by Megan Goldin, so I was super excited to read The Night Swim-and I have to say, it's a superb follow-up and one of the best books that I read in 2020. From the moment I picked it up until I put it down, it was completely enthralling!

There are two storylines in the novel: one about a young man, an Olympic hopeful, accused of raping a young girl and the other about the death of a local girl, Jenny 25 years ago whose sister is convinced was murdered although the town is convinced she drowned. Rachel, the host of the podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty, goes to the coastal of Neapolis to cover a rape trial and becomes involved in looking into the death of Jenny by her sister Hannah. Is there a connection between the rape case today and Jenny's death in the past? If so, how and why? This is definitely a suspenseful read that will have you searching for answers as the tensions mount, shocks keep coming, and the conclusion will leave you stunned.

What I really, really loved is the podcast chapters since it made me feel like I was listening to Rachel's podcast! That was such a clever device for the novel. Overall, the novel is excellent, with a fabulous plot, wonderful characterizations, the two storylines work well together and converge beautifully. This is a heartbreaking book on several levels.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for this book. It was awesome and I will now always read all off this author's books as they come out as the writing is easy to read and just a nice pace. I feel giving too much information in thrillers is very spoiling so let me not disappoint. Get out and get this one to read it!! thanks again NetGalley!

Great crime/thriller novel! 👀

This book tells two stories - one, a rape trial currently taking place; and two, a “murder” that occurred 25 years prior. The story is clear and alternates between chapters of the two plots. Of course, these inevitably intertwine.

There could have been more detail, or at least some foreshadowing of the conclusion. Even though the ending was abrupt, this was a fantastic story that I definitely recommend! *Warnings for sexual violence and rape*

*Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel Krall, the main character, has gotten pretty famous for her addicting crime podcast. No one knows what she looks like. When she is covering a rape trial, she starts to receive mysterious letters begging for her help to solve a crime years ago.

Overnight Rachel Krall's name, and voice, have become recognizable by millions of people. Her podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty, has become a pop-culture phenomenon ever since she helped to prove a convicted man was innocent. Her new season is going to focus on the rape trial of a future Olympic athlete. He is young, handsome, and quite privileged. Rachel isn't in town a day before she finds a plea for help in the form of a letter on her windshield. And just like that, Rachel is pulled into another woman's story and a woman who dies twenty-five years ago. Will Rachel be able to find out what happened to Hannah while keeping a partial eye on the trial that brought her to town?

It has only been in the last couple of years that I have started listening to podcasts. There is something about the tone of a lot of podcasts that make them seem calming. The steady cadence of the narrator is almost hypnotizing. I was able to listen to The Night Swim in audiobook and I loved hearing that "tone" in this book. Rachel Krall had a very calming tone to her. She wasn't really looking to be pulled into helping Hannah, but she couldn't resist. The rape case ended the way that it should have, but Hannah's story was a little more shocking. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.



Bottom Line - The Night Swim tackles a really relevant topic in a really relevant way through the use of the podcast. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for a good read.





Details:

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
On Twitter
Pages: 352
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 8/4/2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Krall, the host of a true crime podcast has found a controversial case for her 3rd case. Scott, a college swimmer and an Olympic hopeful, has been accused of raping a high school girl, and the coverage by Rachel’s podcast shoots the trial to national headlines. At the same time, someone is following Rachel, begging her to investigate a drowning case that is 25 years old. The farther Rachel dives into this small town, the more she realizes the court case she’s covering and the drowning case may not be unconnected.
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I looooved THE NIGHT SWIM by Megan Goldin so much that I listened to the audio book at the same time as reading the physical book. I could not get enough, so of course I finished this very quickly. I wouldn’t say it ended on a cliff hanger, but it does seem open ended enough that I’m really hoping for another book following Rachel Krall!
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A big thank you to the author (@megangoldinauthor) the publisher (@stmartinspress) and @netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (less)

WHY DID I LISTEN TO THE NIGHT SWIM BY MEGAN GOLDIN?
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin was pitched to me as a book that explores rape culture. To me, that topic is interesting and tragic. And well, something that I think a lot of women can relate to unfortunately. So, I decided that I would absolutely give The Night Swim a chance, even though I don’t really read a lot of adult books in this genre. Seeing the audiobook show up on Libby made me prioritize this all the more and I am so glad I listened to the audiobook.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Rachel Krall is a podcaster whose show went viral in the first season. She’s a household name and recognizable by her voice, not so much by her face. When she stops at a diner, she goes back out to her car and sees a note addressed to her on the windshield. It freaks Rachel out because she’s been so private about her appearance. Rachel has come to the small town of Neapolis to base her podcast around a small town rape trial. This trial is about the town golden boy who has been accused of sexual assault by the granddaughter of the police chief. While Rachel is investigating and podcasting, she receives these letters asking her to find out who murdered Jenny Stills, twenty five years ago. You see, Jenny’s death had been written off as an accident due to her taking a night swim. But the letter writer, Jenny’s sister, believes it was murder and wants to find justice for her sister.

WHAT DID I THINK OF THE NIGHT SWIM?
The Night Swim was different from how I expected. It ended up being really engaging and making me think. Obviously, the theme of the book is a big issue in our society today. The whole golden boy swimmer thing could be ripped from headlines, right? I thought that Goldin handled the topic with sensitivity and was really thoughtful in her writing. It didn’t feel like she was sensationalizing sexual assault.


HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The format of The Night Swim was perfect for audio. It’s a story told using podcast format for some chapters, others are told by Rachel, and others are essentially narrated from the past. Now, the audiobook does the podcast portions like a real podcast which was really cool. It also utilizes three narrators – Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz. The three narrators do an excellent job. This audiobook is 9 hours and 59 minutes long – yet the ten hours goes by so quickly and it is absolutely due to the audiobook production and narration. If you are going to read The Night Swim be sure it is in audiobook format.

Great book! It started off a little slow paced but quickly picked up! I was reading non stop until the very end of the book.

Loved the true crime podcast theme of the story!! Excellent book!! One of the best I read this year....

Rachel Krall has become pretty high-profile since her true crime podcast has become so popular. But it’s still unsettling when she finds a note on the windshield of the care asking for her help.
She has come to a small town to follow the trial of a young man, a swimmer who was supposed to be heading for the Olympics one day, who has been accused of raping the granddaughter of the local police chief. She begins investigating that case, and also the case of the young woman who asked for her in finding out what happened to her sister 25 years prior. It turns out that these two cases may be connected in spite of the number of years between them.
I’m looking forward to the next book.

What a fabulous book! The premise really intrigued me as I am addicted to both true crime books and podcasts. The author kept the story going at a quick pace and the characters were interesting. I would definitely read more books by Ms. Goldin and I would recommend this to anyone who likes intriguing mysteries.

Rachel Krall goes viral when her true crime podcast sets an innocent man free, prompting someone from a small town to reachj out to her regarding a trial for a golden boy accused of raping the police chief's granddaughter. As she investigates, detailing progress on her podcast, she's returned to the night her own sister disappeared through inextricable links to the present trial. Goldin expertly shifts the story back and forth, not only between the past and the present, but between the innocent and the guilty. This is a worthwhile read for the shades of gray characters, tension-filled storyline, and superb storytelling. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy from the publisher St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this one! It's a very tough read, with lots of rape descriptions. However, I really thought it was a interesting read. It kept me guessing throughout the entire book. I really liked the dual storylines and how they ended up connecting in the end. This may be my first time reading a Megan Goldin book, but it certainly won't be the last. Highly recommended!!

The Night Swim is an interesting mystery with a true crime podcast focus. In this book, podcaster Rachel Krall finds herself spending a few weeks in Neapolis, North Carolina to cover the Scott Blair trial. The “golden boy” swimmer of this small town, Scott has been accused of rape by a local teenager, which he denies and many in the town are vilifying his accuser. While in town, Rachel begins to get notes from Hannah Stills, begging Rachel to help her find the truth of her sister’s death in Neapolis 25 years ago. As the trial begins and Hannah’s letters continue, there are many parallels happening between the two cases.

The Night Swim is well paced and well written, but as a warning to readers – I found it at times to be an emotionally difficult read. Ms. Goldwin wove these two mysteries together throughout along with episodes of Rachel’s podcast Guilty or Not Guilty to create an engaging story. This one is another read that will keep you turning pages late into the night.

I am a sucker for any book that includes a podcast element. Megan Goldin has done it well here, and I was definitely intrigued by the way the alternating timelines tied together at the end. No real surprises, but well written and sad throughout.

THE NIGHT SWIM is raw and real. It felt like something we’d hear about on the news today, specifically the trial scenes. The writing and the pacing were great. I felt it was a little slow to start, but the result was well worth it.