She stood on the edge of the shore, her feet sinking deeply into the silky softness of the sand and the ocean waves crashed against her ankles. She looked out at the expanse of the sea, the edge of the water kissing the horizon. She closed her eyes and flashed back to a moment in time that she was standing right here, but this feeling of calm was not what she felt then. Back then she felt terror as a body was floating in the ocean… her sister.

The Night Swim is a dual timeline thriller presently investigating a rape and in the past trying to hide a so-called murder. Rachel, a podcaster, is in town recording info of a rape trial for her latest season, but simultaneously gets roped into helping solve a twenty-five year old murder.

Listening to this on audio (my first ever!) I really enjoyed the podcast chapters as it sounded like a true crime podcast and the chapters told in Rachel and Hannah’s perspective was neat to get vision into the current time as well as the past. This little town is harboring a lot of secrets! I also didn’t see the final twist at the end coming and I was surprised… I really thought I had it figured out!

If you’re a fan of crime podcasts, small town secrets, and courtroom drama thrillers… then you’ll want to give this one a read!

Wow - this was quite a memorable read and I absolutely love the podcast / court room format that Megan Goldin used. This was a fast paced fictional crime story but it read like the current news of rape culture that we are all so sadly familiar with. To me, it was an important topic and it evoked some very reflective conversation in my book club. I look forward to the author’s future books,

Thank you to the author Goldin, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“I’m Rachel Krall and this is Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box.”

This was my first Megan Goldin book and definitely won't be my last, Told from 2 POV with Hannah narrating a rape in the past and Rachel covering one in the present both occurred in the same town. Is there a connection and will justice prevail for the victims? Both storylines had me riveted to the pages reading it in record time. I loved the true crime podcast format that covers the current trail. Here's to hoping this isn't the last we hear from Rachel Kroll and her podcast, sequel please!

Rachel has a true crime podcast. When one season helps free an innocent man, she begins to get mysterious notes that she needs to investigate the death of a small town girl, When the next season takes her to the very same small town, she learns more and more pieces about the girl's death and the case that brought her to town. Will she learn the truth about both cases, or will she be killed before she learns the truth.

This book was so incredibly difficult to read. It’s very heavily based around sexual assault, and while it’s not quite as graphic as Pretty Girls, it’s immensely sickening and heartbreaking.

It’s done really well though. I enjoyed the mixture of podcast episodes, Rachel’s POV, and the letters from
Hannah. However, I did find Hannah’s letters to be a little odd in terms of how a person would typically write a letter. Yes, she’s telling a story through her letters, but each one just stops and it’s not a natural way someone would end any kind of written note. So while I really liked hearing from Hannah and they stories she told, I really disliked those chapters in general because they were super odd.

The book follows a couple different timelines - present-day and 25 years prior. The timeline for the past felt very predictable, but I actually feel it may have been done that way on purpose. As women, we kind of know what to expect in these types of situations. We typically know who was involved, have a general sense of what maybe happened, and we know that there’s not much we can damn do about it.

I'm not typically one to enjoy the type of book to be analyzed, but I was pretty impressed with The Night Swim. There were so many wonderfully-done parallels between the obvious plot of the story and some of the side situations and plots (like the nightingale situation). It gave me more than I was expecting and it kept me wanting more until the very end.

Another good book by this author. I love how the book is so different from the first one I ever read (Escape Room) and yet as equally engrossing. I think this shows the author's range. This reads more like a drama, no action or wily cunning here (my preference). And it's somewhat predictable (I figured out who the bad guy was) but it was a satisfying ride even for myself, on a slow weekend.
I feel it is necessary to add a warning at this point. This book includes scenes/storyline that could be very triggering for those who are sensitive to issues related to sexual assault/child abuse.
I will most definitely keep reading this author. 3 of 5 stars only because I won't re-read this book or recommend it among other options, but that is influenced by my personal genre preferences. I would recommend the author.

This book is one I hope to come back and read sometime but right now I am very deep into fantasy and romance and this is a book that is just not captivating me at the time.

A quick and easy thriller/mystery - more mystery than thriller. Rachel's true crime podcast is in the throes of success - so she travels to a small town ready to cover a rape case for her next season. The story has echoes of the Chanel Miller/Stanford swimmer Brock Turner rape case - the golden child could never do it (insert eye roll). But someone is following Rachel, leaving notes for her, encouraging her to investigate a rape/murder twenty plus years back. The current and past timelines switch seamlessly. I thought this was a better book than Goldin's previous book The Escape Room which really dragged. The past and present converge in the later chapters as connections between the small town cast of characters are made. Definitely an interesting take on the new podcast culture and a necessary look at rape culture then and now and sadly what little has changed.

I am sorry I was unable to review this title. It had nothing to do with the story or author. At the time in 2020 I took a break from NetGalley. I hope this doesn't keep you from allowing me to review titles in the future.
Thank you
Lana Cole

This book is an underrated gem! I loved it and I’m surprised to not see it talked about more. The book is about crime podcaster Rachel Krall as she follows a rape trial for the new season of her podcast. While in town for the trial Rachel begins receiving letters asking her to look into a death that happened decades earlier where a young girl was found dead at the beach. I loved the dual timeline of this story as we learn about the past through the letters as a girl remembers a summer from her childhood, all while the trial for a rape is going on. Usually with dual timelines I’ll prefer one over the other. Not this time! Each were equally engrossing and I couldn’t wait to find out more.
So many things I liked about this book. The writing, the crime podcast element and how some chapters were written as episodes from the podcast, and the dual timeline. What I loved most about this book was the author’s writing on how we as a society view rape and rape trials. We can all agree that murder is bad, but when it comes to rape it falls into a grey area. There’s no black or white with rape or sexual assault. We see excuses and victim blaming and the victim is made a victim again through the trial and even when undergoing a rape kit at the hospital. I really respect the message the author was trying to convey in this commentary and found the book to have a lot of depth.

I was eager to read this new title from Megan Goldin since I thought her debut, The Escape Room was very well done. There are two storylines at play that Rachel Krall is investigating for her popular podcast. One is the rape trial of a local boy accused of raping a high school girl. The second storyline is more mysterious and is slowly revealed through letters Rachel receives from “Hannah” who thinks her sister was murdered 25 years ago.

Rachel is an interesting main character and it’s a clever concept to have her investigating by day and recording her podcast by night.

This is not a fast paced title and I didn’t feel the same tension as with her previous book. I felt a lot of empathy for both of the victims but I didn’t connect with Rachel like I wanted to. It was difficult to believe that everyone was so willing to give her information about the case and I didn’t get a real sense of Rachel’s personality.

The subject matter was handled respectfully and sensitively and there is an important message about victim blaming, but I was hoping for a more powerful resolution.

TW: graphic descriptions of repeated gang rapes and victim shaming

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Super fun thriller. I really got hooked in and did not want to put it down

This was a very interesting read.
I loved the story and the twist was awesome. Such a quick and easy read.

This was just okay for me. Goldin's debut was much more thrilling, and I expected something a bit more fast paced than this. The Night Swim is definitely more of a detective novel/mystery, which isn't bad! But I just didn't love the main character, and found it odd how easily everyone would just spill the town gossip with her. I also just wanted something a bit more thrilling and mysterious!

I absolutely loved the night swim. One of my top books of the year. I loved the small town location and the podcast within the book. I can’t wait for more from Megan Goldin!

This was an emotionally challenging book to read. However, no matter how heavy and trauma-absorbed the story, the author does a great job of addressing the difficult aspects of rape in a sensitive manner. The two thread of the two cases are woven together and ultimately affects the trial and the lives of the individuals involved. Twists and a great ending make for an interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Loved this book! I enjoy alternating time lines. It kept me guessing all the way through.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book, the chapters alternating between past, present, and podcast kept me thoroughly engaged. The storyline was great with the similar cases and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't guess what was coming.. I recommend this to thriller/podcast lovers.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

Rachel Krall is the host of a true-crime podcast, choosing to go away from her usual content to follow devastating rape trial in a small town. Not usually recognized, Rachel is stricken to find a personal note on her windshield, begging for help solving a cold case. As the author of the note persists, will Rachel decide to use her investigative skills and uncover the town's secrets?

Having read other books by this author, I was expecting a good mystery thriller with a twist at the ending. The plot of The Night Swim was too thinly veiled, as the ending was hinted at throughout the book. There were aspects of the book that were completely realistic, regarding the coverup of past events and the use of the media in the present. Prior to the Me Too movement, victims of assault often did not disclose their trauma, as they were often victimized by those in authority in the aftermath. The heavy dose of reality also ushered in a bit of implausibility, especially regarding the size and scale of the secrets. Although I did like the podcast being used as a vehicle to tell the story, I would have liked more of Rachel's personality to shine through. Overall, The Night Swim is a good mystery thriller and one that I would recommend to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Night Swim by NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press. The choice to review this novel was entirely my own.