3.5 Stars. This book is an interesting premise. It’s like Serial covering the Brock Turner trial. Part of the book is 3rd person narrative, part is podcast script, part is fan letters from someone with a family mystery of their own from the 90s. The MC is interesting and tough and realistic (as I’ve been a crime reporter). However, there were parts that killed and I was honestly more interested in the 90s case than the present day case. I think someone who reads a lot of true crime and thrillers may not be super surprised at some of the twists.

Lots of dark subject matter here (rape, influence, crime) but well-written and well-paced enough that it doesn't seem gratuitous. I did not think it was a "thriller" and wish any book that had any mystery or crime element to it wasn't immediately packaged as a thriller. Words have meaning and I think all publishers are doing is setting up an expectation that the books, through no fault of their own, cannot meet.

This dual mystery was addicting and unputdownable! The crime podcast was a nice touch. I was perplexed and invested in the mystery. I loved the strong female lead. The many twists were well executed and timed perfectly. The author wonderfully expresses the small town mentality and it comes through loud and clear on the pages. These were intriguing mysteries and fans of crime podcasts will enjoy the behind the scenes look. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It was a fast paced and gripping and honestly harrowing novel. I will say a big trigger warning is rape in this book so if your at all triggered by that you might want to skip this book.
I love when thriller books combine with podcasts, they just work so well together and it did in this book.
It was an intense thriller about 2 different cases of rape 25 years apart and I loved how we got 2 timelines and 2 cases pretty much.
This book also talks about women and how horrifying rape is and how many people don't believe them and how many times guilty men walk away. It's horrible and it needs to stop.
I would highly recommend this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Night Swim - Megan Goldin (Pub Date August 4, 2020) ⁣
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Thank you @stmartinspress & @netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.⁣
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Rachel Krall is a household name podcaster known for her season that helped clear an innocent mans name from a previously closed case. Rachel is now visiting the small town of Neopolis to cover a controversial rape trial that has the town divided, straight from the jury box. While there, Hannah reaches out to her to try to get her to help find out what happened to her sister Jenny, who died in a “swimming accident” 25 years earlier. As Rachel begins to investigate, she uncovers some striking similarities between the two cases. ⁣
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The Night Swim is an extremely emotional read with very heavy content (trigger warning: rape, sexual assault). This story is absolutely heart wrenching and I’m sure I will carry it with me for a very long time. I love how Goldin intertwines the two mysteries from passed and present. I also enjoyed how she switches between the courtroom, the podcast and Hannah’s letters. ⁣
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The characters all came alive in this story, even though we don’t get to know all of them very well I was fully invested in their outcomes. I truly didn’t want to put it down until I reached the end and picked it up every spare moment I had! This book is extremely well written and I am looking forward to finally digging into her previous novel, The Escape Room ASAP! ⁣
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This book is definitely a much different read than the author's first book. With that said, I really enjoyed it! The book was told from both Rachel and Hannah's perspective as well as thru podcast episodes. The characters were well developed and I just kept flipping the pages trying to find out how the two stories would come together. I would classify this book more as a legal/crime mystery as opposed to a thriller, which usually aren't something I normally read, but I found myself unable to put it down and drawn into the mystery. I could easily see this being adapted to a movie.

**Thanks to the publisher for providing my advanced copy.

This book is compulsively readable. I started it after a hike and it disrupted my plans for a nap AND an early bedtime. It's really interesting to see how the development of the country's true crime media obsession is being integrated into thrillers now. The central character of The Night Swim is a former investigative journalist turned podcaster, a la Serial, who decided to do season three of her wildly popular show following an ongoing rape trial in a small town on the North Carolina coast. There's a lot that goes on, with the trial giving major Stanford vibes (the alleged rapist is an Olympic hopeful-level swimmer) and multiple unfolding mysteries. One thread is the current rape trial, told through Rachel's eyes on the action and her podcast, but there's also death of a 16 year old girl that happened 25 years previously that had been declared an accident... her sister isn't sure and keeps contacting Rachel to try and get to the bottom of what really happened that night. Despite everything going on, it was easy to keep track of the stories and the pacing was pretty much perfect. For me it didn't have a bunch of big twists, but I'm totally okay with that. I'm looking forward to reading what Goldin writes next (her last novel The Escape Room is also a delight)!

I enjoyed this book, but it was a heavy read. It’s probably not a book I would read again. I was a little disappointed that it ended up being more of a crime fiction/mystery story than the thriller it was marketed as. I found myself more interested in Jenny’s story than Kelly’s story in the present.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy.

Fascinating whodunit book.

It keeps you guessing and you become cautious as well as the character. This is my first book from Megan Golding and hope is not the last. I've always enjoyed mystery/suspense reads, and this one is my new favorite to my recent reads.

Rachel runs a true crime podcast that is in its third season and covering a rape trial in a small coastal town. The story intertwines with a brutal assault thirty odd years prior involving a young girl and her sister. This was intelligently put together with a few twists and turns. Although some parts are difficult to get through, this reader thinks it’s important to represent reality in fiction.

I gave this book 4.5/5 stars. The only reason why I did not rate this book as a 5 is because I was able to predict one of the killers in the beginning of the book. However, that did not take away from how much I loved this book. I will have to warn those that read this book that it does include heavy topics such as rape, sexual assault, and abuse.

The plot of the book is centered around Rachel Krall, a well know crime podcast person. Rachel travels to a small town in North Carolina to cover a rape/sexual abuse case going to trial. As she begins researching the case and trial that is about to being, she soon begins to take on a 25 year old drowning case. Hannah, the sister of the drowning victim urges Rachel to assist her in discovering what really happened to Hannah's sister 25 years ago as she suspects murder. As Rachel follows the trial, she is pulled in to the other case that happened in the past.

I especially loved how each chapter of the book flips back and forth between the 2 cases. Each chapter has me on edge as it gave just a little bit and kept me intrigued to find out what happens next. As the plot thickens and unfolds, the historic case is told bit by bit to bring you a jaw dropping discovery of what happened 25 years ago to Hannahs sister. All the while, the current case is also revealed.

This books takes you on a ride through a trial case as well as a detective type case to discover what happed in the past as well as what happened in the future.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced readers Copy!

The Night Swim is a fast-paced thriller following a true-crime podcast host, Rachel, as she investigates a case involving rape in a small town. She begins receiving mysterious notes on her car, which is odd in itself because people may recognize her voice, but not her face. The notes lead Rachel to look into a twenty five year old mystery involving a drowned girl. Are the cases connected? What is this small town hiding? If you're looking for a riveting thriller that will keep you glued to your seat, look no further. This is one not to be missed!

Podcasts. It has been a long time since I enjoyed one. This story centers around a podcast reporter, who investigates current issues and a past mystery. It is disturbing on many levels as it deals with abuse, rape and the emotional results. This was not a quick read, I found myself putting the book down with disgust, then picking it back up because the story draws you back, but it is a hard read. Add this to your TBR list, it is sad, emotional and will make you angry at the privilege, abuse and the trial by social media.

Wow! This was a gripping read. I truly couldn’t put it down. This book covers a hard topic. A triggering topic, rape. It’s told through multiple points of view , Hannah and Rachel. One present and one from the past. Brilliantly written and an amazing read.

The Night Swim kept me on my toes! I didn't predict the end until the last few pages. It had a different story line compared to other thrillers/suspense I've read. The plot made me think as not only a reader but a human being as to what side of the story I would take. What extent would a person go to protect the ones they love?

I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, person haunted by this book. I was gripped from the first few pages, and couldn't put it down until I finished it. The subject matter is devastating, but the way Megan Goldin navigates it is admirable. As a woman, I'm already familiar with the double standards and gross truths presented in the book. However, she managed to dig deep, uncovering complex layers and allowing me to think differently about how our society treats sexual assault victims.

This was my first book by Megan Goldin and it was a good one! I look forward to reading more from her. Usually I'm not much for books with a lot of court room play by play, but this one kept it interesting and not boring at all. I loved how it was two crimes that linked together that you needed to figure out. It was an emotional read for sure and made you think. This was strong 4 star book for me!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author, Megan Goldin, for the opportunity to read and give my honest review about this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The Night Swim was, in many ways, a pretty typical mystery novel: fast-paced writing, a "big twist," and pretty one-dimensional characters. Although fairly cookie-cutter, I did enjoy that the regular points of view were interspersed with podcast transcripts. I also appreciated the (sort-of) open ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free e-copy.

Coastal courtroom drama that keeps surprising. Crime podcaster Rachel reports on a rape case, while a fan pleads with her to investigate her sister’s murder from 25 years ago. In a small town where everyone knows each other’s business, will Rachel be able to get answers, or will they shut out the outsider?

The Night Swim was a dark, emotional, and compelling read that quickly solidified Megan Goldin as one of my favorite authors of all time. Sensitive, heavy topics such as rape played a central role in the plot, and Goldin addressed these topics respectfully and with painful honesty. Consequently, The Night Swim also provided a social commentary on rape and the subsequent treatment of rape victims, particularly within the confines of a small, close-knit community. It was incredibly eye-opening to read about the unfolding court proceedings in addition to the perspectives voiced by the court of public opinion.

I loved the format that Goldin utilized throughout the book, switching between a traditional narrative structure and a podcast transcript. The latter broke up some of the heavier scenes that were more challenging to read, helping to alleviate the building tension. The novel also provided an intriguing look into the behind-the-scenes of running a podcast, highlighting some of the logistical challenges that aren’t readily apparent from the standpoint of a listener. I enjoyed this unique format more than I had initially anticipated, and it provided a refreshing change of pace.

Goldin’s writing style was simplistic yet captivating, completely immersing me in the tale while I was reading. She very skillfully executed dual perspectives throughout the book, ensuring that each narrator had a distinct, unique voice. Each point-of-view provided invaluable insights into current and past events, providing readers with crucial context and background. The transitions from one perspective to the other were seamless, and their placement within the narrative generated cliffhangers which added to the air of suspense, mystery, and uncertainty throughout the novel.

Furthermore, the inclusion of two intertwining mysteries was masterfully executed, and neither mystery suffered at the expense of the other (as is often the case when authors try to complicate a book by including multiple mysteries simultaneously). The mysteries built upon one another, and each received suitable page-time and attention from the protagonist. Both were adequately resolved by the conclusion of the book, which imparted a necessary sense of closure and finality.

Despite my love for this book, I disagree with its marketing and classification as, first and foremost, a thriller. Very little in this book was truly thrilling, and it read like a slow-burn mystery or crime novel. It was considerably more character-driven than plot-driven, which resulted in slower pacing and minimal buildup of suspense or tension throughout the book. It was written to evoke discomfort and unease in readers, but it was a far cry from a fast-paced, nail biting thriller that had me perched on the edge of my seat and anxious to continue reading.

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.