Megan Goldin used a smart format for this book. Rachel Krall is a pod-caster trying to stay at the top of the game by covering a rape trial in a small town in real time. While this is going on, she is being baited by someone who was involved in another case of sexual abuse over 25 years ago. The story flashes back and forth between the situation 25 years ago and the present day. At the center of both is the issue of plausible deniability.

Neapolis, North Carolina is everything you have ever heard about incestuous communities where everyone knows everyone and their brothers and sisters. Bullies are everywhere. People are easily stigmatized and if you make a misstep life can become a living hell. Jenny Stills was the fly the spider caught in its web 25 years ago and her sister Hannah has decided she finally needs to put together the many pieces of the puzzle. It is time for justice, for the past and the present situation.

The cards are turned over one by one, the participants have memorized their scripts and are sticking to their stories. Most of the time things work out fine but occasionally something terrible happens. When that terrifying thing comes to pass you can bet that you will hear “It was her fault”; it is always HER fault no matter who HER is. Rachel Krall is going to present both sides objectively and put the listeners of her podcast in the jury box. It is up to them (along with the jury) to decided “Guilty or Not Guilty.”

Megan Goldin has created a very intelligent, fast paced thriller which kept me riveted from page one. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy.

This is the first book I've read by this author, and I enjoyed this one so much! I loved the tie-in with the journalistic approach, it really made the story relatable and moving. I will definitely recommend this one to my audience, especially those who love true crime podcasts and documentaries.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read Megan Goldin's The night swim. This book was an haunting tale of two rapes in a small town, 25 years apart, told in two different POV, Rachel's (who is a journalist with a crime podcast) and Hannah's who wants justice for her sister.
The night swim was a solid mystery. The chapters were clear as to whose POV we were listening to; some told as a podcast, some told through a letter, and some just simple observation. I totally recommend this book...one quote from it stands out for me...
"I don't get how we can almost unanimously agree that murder is wrong, yet when it comes to rape some people still see shades of gray."

Rachel is a famous true crime podcaster. She is always on the look out for justice. She is after the truth. This season she is trying to discover the truth about a rape. Did a future Olympic swimmer rape a young 16 year old? Rachel is at the trial to discover what actually happened. But, as she is arriving into town, she stops to grab a bite to eat. When she comes back to her car, there is a letter. No one knows Rachel via her face. They know her voice. So how did someone know where she was or WHO she was???

Rachel continues to get cryptic letters about a murder years ago in this same town. And boy, do these letters open a can of worms and hidden secrets.

This story is packed full of whodunnits! I swear…I did not figure it out for quite a while. The author did a fabulous job masking the real killer. I loved the guessing game and all the tangents she had me chasing. And the ending!!

This novel also touches on the differences between rape and murder in the justice system. It is a tragedy to see what the victim of a rape has to go through to see the perpetrator punished.

This is a tragic, well-written, wonderful story with many unique twists and turns. Grab your copy today. You will stay up late into the night! Do not miss it!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Powerful. This book deals with a hard-hitting topic gracefully and masterfully. This was well-written and evocative. I found it to be a page turner. I stayed up late just to finish this book. The end kept me guessing and just when I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. The style was compelling and the characters complex. This is a great book and truly worth the time spent reading it.

While in town to cover a rape trial for her true crime podcast, Rachel Krall is pulled into an investigation of another death that occurred in the same small coastal North Carolina town 25 years earlier. Goldin’s prose is smooth and she draws the reader in immediately. This is a book that is difficult to put down. She crafts the characters and the story so skillfully that you HAVE to know the jury’s verdict in the rape trial and you desperately want to know what truly happened to Jenny Stills a quarter of a century earlier.

I loved Goldin’s novel The Escape Room, so I was thrilled to be offered the chance to read an early copy of her latest thriller. While not as successful for me as her previous novel, The Night Swim is nonetheless a compulsively readable story. I think, for me, where this falls short of The Escape Room, is that I was able to figure out the whodunnit, and the answer made me both angry and sad. I also think that I’m not in the best headspace for reading books that are so centered around rape. This was a hard book for me to read, for all that it was well-written, but I can’t wait to see what Goldin writes next. I’m sure it will be unputdownable.

𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name—and the last hope for people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.  
  
The new season of Rachel's podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. A local golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season 3 a success, Rachel throws herself into her investigation—but the mysterious letters keep coming. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insist she was murdered—and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody in town wants to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases—and a revelation that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.  
  
𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨: Giving this one all the stars! First of all, I just love Rachel {such a strong character} and how the chapters alternate between her investigations {not 1, but 2} and letters from Hannah. I really enjoyed Rachel’s true-crime podcast episodes that were woven throughout the book, and I wish I could have actually heard her narrating them. While this is a tough read due to the nature of the cases being investigated, it all comes together so perfectly in the end. Gripping, well-written, and fast paced! This one needs to be your next read!

I was so excited to receive an eARC of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮 By Megan Goldin. The synopsis had immediately intrigued me as a big fan of podcasts - the book follows Rachel, the host of an immensely popular true crime podcast, as she untangles two mysteries. One, the rape case she is reporting on in her podcast, and second, the mysterious death of a young teen several decades previous.⁣
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The book is tense and the plot is quick so in those regards it reads like a thriller. But it is much more as it deeply explores the ramifications of rape and sexual assault, the ways in which our criminal justice system mistreats survivors, and how perceptions and misogyny/toxic masculinity can shape opinion in these types of cases. The book is part thriller, part courtroom drama, part dual timeline mystery. ⁣
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The book is not necessarily easy to read given the subject matter: the story is often unrelenting. But it is a definite page turner and one which you can’t help but fly through. That said, I finished this a week ago and am still very much processing it. ⁣
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One aspect that didn’t quite work for me was Rachel’s character - I felt like I didn’t know who she was (and perhaps that was the intention, to have her somewhat as an objective narrator much like on her podcast) but I kept thinking there must be more to her story. ⁣
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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 season 1, North Carolina, dual timelines and multiple perspectives. ⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡: crab cake and a gose ⁣
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4⭐️ (Reserve the right to change my mind on this one). ⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the chance to read it! It comes out today. Go get your copy!⁣

The Night Swim is not for the faint of heart. It simultaneously takes you on a courtroom journey through a current sexual assault case while traveling back to a time where justice did not prevail in an eerily similar situation. Both cases will have your stomach doing somersaults as they uncover hidden truths to bring justice to two young girls.

What an incredible READ!!!!!!!
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin was pure magic!

Rachel is the host of a podcast "Guilty or not Guilty". She travels to a small town to cover a rape trial on her podcast that allows all her listeners to essentially be a member of the jury and decide for themselves if the suspect is guilty. While she is in town she is approached by someone that has been following her aggressively asking for her to open a cold case.

This is a fast paced, highly addicting read. The characters were well defined and engaging.
The plot was perfectly paced with some shocking twists.

Highly recommend !

Podcaster Rachel Krall is covering a rape trial in coastal Neapolis without the support of her producer, Pete, who is in the hospital recovering from a motorcycle accident. So she's doubly freaked out when she finds an anonymous note on her windshield. People are supposed to only recognize her voice, not her face.

The note writer wants her to investigate the murder of her sister, Jenny, who died in Neapolis as a teenager 25 years earlier. However, everyone Rachel talks to insists Jenny wasn't murdered. She drowned.

Meanwhile, teenaged Kelly Moore suffers from PTSD after being raped by local heartthrob and rich boy Scott Blair. Scott's parents are throwing huge sums of money into their son's defense, while Kelly--whose grandfather was once police chief--is of much more modest circumstances.

As Rachel gets more involved in the contemporary case, she realizes that in the small town, there are definite ties to Jenny's death 25 years earlier. Can Rachel find justice for both crimes, or will she be too late?

My only complaint about this page-turner is that it's not part of a series. I really thought Rachel's backstory could have been explored more and that I'd missed the first book in the series. But, alas, THE NIGHT SWIM is a standalone novel, but one that is not to be missed. #TheNightSwim #NetGalley

True crime podcaster Rachel Krall travels to a small NC beach town to follow a rape case in which a young college swimmer, Scott Blair, is on trial for the accused rape of a high school girl. While there, Rachel is contacted through letters by a woman named Hannah who is from the town and whose sister, Jenny, died in a swimming accident there 25 years earlier. Hannah is convinced that her sister's death was anything but an accident and wants Rachel to shed light on the case. This book is told in two timelines: Hannah's perspective 25 years earlier when her sister died and the current day as Rachel observes the rape trial.

What I Liked: When dual timelines and alternating POVs are executed well, I am their biggest supporter, and, in this case, they worked well. I am so, so happy that this book was not told through the perspective of an unreliable female narrator - I am tired of that trope. The author's handling of rape and sexual assault was respectable and did not come off as gimmicky and insensitive, as I often find in other books.

What I Didn't Quite Like: Like some other reviewers have said, this book does move a little slowly and should be marketed more as a courtroom drama and mystery than a thriller.

Recommended If: If you're looking for a courtroom drama or general crime fiction book, you might enjoy this one! I am excited to read more from this author after reading The Night Swim.

Trigger Warnings: Rape, sexual assault

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This mystery was phenomenal: from the strangely beautiful, yet unsettling, scenery, to the compelling group of complex characters. I enjoyed following Rachel as she unraveled the disturbing accusations of rape in a small town. This novel and its author were undoubtedly affected by the countless stories of rape and sexual assault that have been unearthed over the past decades. As I was reading, I couldn't help but compare this fictional case to the very real cases depicted in John Krakauer's Missoula. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of podcasts, true crime, and mysteries.

Hannah continues to silently mourn the death of her 16-year old sister Jenny who died under mysterious circumstances twenty-five years ago. On the anniversary of this tragic event, she decides to be silent no more after she learns that Rachel Krall, the popular true crime podcaster of ‘Guilty or Not Guilty’ will be in her town covering a rape trial. Hesitant to expose herself, she begins leaving notes regarding her sister’s cold case, hoping Rachel will use her investigative skill to expose the potential coverup involving local authorities.

A suspenseful mystery with courtroom drama and a unique spin of character-led chapters alternating with podcast episodes.

Phew! This book is riveting and so very raw. For those who read The Escape Room last year by the same author, expect something very different with this read. This isn't a pulse pounding, fast paced thriller. This is a very heavy and character driven novel touching on the important topic of rape culture.

I'm not a podcast person but this book definitely makes me curious to possibly trying one. I enjoyed the podcast transcripts throughout this read (ok, so if podcasts were written, I'd probably read them but still not listen? Haha - it's so hard to say). I also enjoyed the dual timeline and different POVs. We certainly get an in depth look at rape culture and how different (but also the same) it is throughout the years. It was certainly infuriating to get through some of the moments in these pages.

“To tell you the truth, I don't get how we can almost unanimously agree that murder is wrong, yet when it comes to rape some people still see shades of gray.”

Goldin is clearly a very talented author. I love that the two books I've read so far from her are so very different. I'll certainly be getting The Girl in Kellers Way and keeping an eye out for her next read. I think she handled a very sensitive topic with respect and gave voice to her characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy in exchange for an honest review!
The first thing that needs to be noted is that if you are a fan of books that include a podcast element, PICK THIS ONE UP! I am always captivated by stories that include a podcast within the storyline, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one! One thing to mention is that if you are triggered by rape or sexual assault, I would pass on this book as that is the focus of the trial. If that is a topic that will not cause any problems for you when reading, I highly suggest adding this to your TBR! Megan Goldin’s writing in this story pulled me in from the beginning and I didn’t want to put it down!
The Plot:
The Night Swim begins with Rachel Krall beginning season three of her highly popular podcast the dives into a different true crime case each season. When she travels to the town in which her current season focuses on, she expects to have an easy experience as she attends court cases and reports on the information to her fanbase. Things begin to take a strange turn when she discovers a letter on her car’s windshield pleading for help. While she is supposed to be focusing on the rape trial taking place in the small town of Neapolis, she finds herself distracted by the messages that keep showing up from the mysterious Hannah. Hannah will stop at nothing until the truth of her sister’s murder from twenty-five years earlier comes to light. As Rachel digs deeper into both cases, she discovers that maybe these two crimes are connected?
My Thoughts:
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up The Night Swim. After reading Megan Goldin’s The Escape Room last year, I had similar expectations. I found The Night Swim to be a much different story, and I enjoyed it much more than her previous novel. Goldin’s mystery element in the story was woven perfectly between the two different cases. While one case involved a murder and another a rape, I wasn’t sure if they would end up having any connections in the end. I was pleased to see that they did tie together in some form in the end, which is a satisfying moment for me as a reader. Even though much of the story had extremely heartbreaking moments as the truth slowly begins to be revealed, Goldin didn’t allow for the entire book to feel sad. She kept the pace wonderfully, and I believe having the separate cases added to that suspense. I enjoyed Rachel as a character and her passion for doing the right thing. She felt like the character that I could relate to and it made reading the story a much more personal experience. Overall, I thought this was a very well-written story that kept me interested from the beginning to the end.

I was hoping the idea of mixing the true crime podcast with a current court case might be interesting and it was to a point but the sections detailing the podcast were flat and didn’t add any interest
It was a very quick read but I skimmed through all the graphic rape details so that could be why. I also thought the link between the crimes was too tenuous to be a real thing.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rachel Krall runs an extremely popular true-crime podcast and is on the hunt for a compelling story for season 3. She travels to the small coastal town of Neapolis to cover an active rape trial in real time. The victim is a 16 year old girl, the defendant is a popular 18 year old man with Olympic swimming aspirations, and the case has torn the small town apart. While covering the trial, Rachel begins to receive mysterious letters from a woman named Hannah. Hannah claims that her sister Jenny, who committed suicide in Neapolis almost 25 years prior, was actually murdered. Rachel is drawn to Jenny’s case while reporting on the trial, and soon discovers that the town of Neapolis may be keeping secrets. Secrets that, if brought to light, may rewrite history.

Ooooh this is exactly the book I wanted to read right now. I love a good mystery! Everything about this story was very topical, from the true crime podcast element to the very Brock Turner-esc rape trial. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and flew through it in two sittings. This novel is two stories in one, and they are wrapped together by the end of the book. I will say that I have seen this book advertised as a thriller... it’s definitely not a thriller IMO and those expecting a true thriller may be disappointed. I would consider this book a mystery/somewhat crime procedural, with a podcast protagonist rather than a traditional detective/cop. My one critique is that I thought the characters arrived at major plot resolution a bit too cleanly, which made it a little unbelievable. However, I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it to those looking for a mystery! Thank you @stmartinspress @netgalley and @megangoldinauthor for my advanced reader’s copy! The Night Swim is out now! 🏊‍♀️

Trigger warning: rape and sexual assault on minors

“This is Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box.”

⚠️ Okay so, I’m not giving any spoilers here because it’s the entire premise of the story. But, if rape and sexual assault is a trigger for you I would seriously not recommend this one. The entire book is focused on two separate sexual assault/rape situations.

Now, that being said. This is such a good book! If you love true crime podcasts and shows like Law and Order SVU, you will be super into this book! It is so well written-I sped through it wanting answers. I adore an intersecting story line and this one does it seamlessly. It kept me guessing until the end about what really happened 25 years ago - and it will all tear your heart out.
The plot definitely gives off Brock Turner vibes with everyone more concerned with the image and future of a golden boy swimmer than the victim of rape. But the most important thing that Ms. Goldin manages to do through fiction is address the public humiliation and revictimization that rape survivors must endure. “The victim is treated like a human crime scene” and are violated for a second time in court.

I know this got super long, but I have so much to say. I worked as a SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) nurse and this topic is a big passion of mine. The graphic descriptions of the rape kit process and common injuries that occur to victims were spot on. I appreciate the obvious research that the author put into this story. I have experienced first hand the exact same struggles with the judicial process, I’ve been attacked on the stand regarding my examination findings, and it breaks my heart for these victims.

A HUGE thank you to @stmartinspress and @megangoldin for gifting me a copy of this one in exchange for my review.

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I read Know My Name earlier this year and this book talking about an Olympic swimmer raping a student and this book reminded me how strong Chanel Miller is in sharing her story.

This book is told in 3 perspective: Rachel’s podcast as she covers the trial, Rachel’s research and what happens to her while talking to different parties for the trial and Rachel’s search for a 25 year old case of Jenny Stills. This story kept me interested from the beginning and I wanted to know what really happened the night of the rape and also what happened 25 years ago. This book brought up so many good points as how rape victims are subject to so much emotional scars after the assault and how difficult it is to stand trial and how it impacts the family. ⁣
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Thank you to @stmartinpress and @netgalley for a copy of the ebook. I really enjoyed this one. ⁣