My Thoughts
I was honored to review an ARC of The Escape Room by Megan Goldin back in January 2019 and I absolutely loved that book. As soon as I noticed her upcoming book was available on NetGalley I immediately requested it and was approved! This book is simply phenomenal, but be aware the story does discuss rape and abuse in a very raw and real way. Here are my pros and cons for The Night Swim:

Pros

1. This book tackles a very tough and polarizing topic and I thought the author addressed the issues delicately and compassionately.
2. The author’s writing style is amazing! Much like The Escape Room, I was drawn in, mesmerized, and completely engrossed in this story from the very first page.
3. I loved the parallel storylines! Rachel was following a current event (rape trial) for her podcast and she was also a bit unwillingly drawn into investigating a past event (officially a drowning, but possibly murder) that occurred in the same town. The story also had a past and present narrative (the current period with Rachel, and the past from the POV of the drowning/murder victim’s little sister). I felt like this book was going in multiple directions at once – and it does! – but it was 100% captivating and written so well that I had no problem following everything. The plot was intricate, realistic, heartbreaking, tense, and honest and the narratives ultimately blended together seamlessly.
4. The past narrative felt so hopeless. We learn about the sisters (Hannah and Jenny) and how Jenny allegedly died. We also learn a lot about their lives and how they were perceived and treated by more well-to-do and prominent people in their town. It almost sounds crazy to say this, but it was hard to read about Jenny and Hannah at times because it made me feel helpless, just like the girls, and it was very emotional to experience. It is an absolute testament to phenomenal writing when I am this emotionally connected to fictional characters.
5. A big part of this book is about perceptions, reputations, and opinions and how they impact how a person is treated, believed, and understood.

Cons

1. I felt like the ending was a little abrupt, albeit satisfying. I honestly think I felt it was abrupt because I was super invested in the characters and their stories and I didn’t want it to end.

Summary
This book will absolutely make you think. It will make you analyze the difference between right and wrong. You will think about how the rich and poor are treated differently in many circumstances. It will make you reflect upon how rape survivors are treated and what they have to endure in a trial, how those accused are entitled to a fair trial and defense (innocent until proven guilty), and how perceptions and opinions cloud everything. This book will also make you understand that what you believe with your whole heart can sometimes be very far from the actual truth.

I will read anything Megan Goldin writes. I am absolutely mesmerized with her books.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Interesting fact:Nightingale male birds sing at night to mark their territories to find a female mate...⁣
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Night swim was power, emotional and gut wrenching. Two young girls were raped and violated on a beach at night 25 years apart. Their lives were ripped out from underneath them.⁣
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Rachel who is an investigative journalist/podcaster follows the trial of K who was sexually assaulted by a “golden” boy one night in Neapolis. While visiting this small town to report the trial on her podcast. She receives letters from a fan Hannah, who’s sister Jenny 25 years prior was found dead from a drowning, case closed on the same beach. ⁣
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However, Hannah was there and knows her sister was murdered and wants Rachel to dig up the truth. Hannah’s letters to Rachel are heart breaking and difficult to read.⁣
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Rachel’s podcasts following the trial are so well written you can’t put the story down.⁣
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This was an excellent story filled with twists, turns, raising awareness to sexual assault and the trauma victims go through trying to seek justice. It was beautifully and sensitively written. ⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC for my honest review. ⁣
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#bookstagram #books #thriller #crime #TheNightSwim #sexualassaultawareness⁣
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3.5 stars.

Megan Goldin's new novel, The Night Swim, is part courtroom drama, part mystery, part thought-provoking exploration of how horrible society and the criminal justice system treat those who have been raped.

Rachel has gained notoriety as the creator and host of a true crime podcast. While the first two seasons focused on past crimes—and helped a man go free—this time she’s focusing on a rape trial, covering it from the small town where it happened.

The son of the town’s wealthiest family and a prospective Olympic swimmer is accused of brutally raping a teenage girl, the granddaughter of the former police chief. The town is torn apart by the case, with some thinking the girl “deserved” it and is lying, while others think he needs to be punished.

Meanwhile, Rachel, who is known more for her voice than her face, is being followed around town by a woman who says her sister was murdered in the same town 25 years ago, but the police refused to investigate, calling it an accidental drowning. This woman, Hannah, wants Rachel to tell the true story of what happened to her sister, even if it riles up old ghosts.

What will be the outcome of the rape trial? What was the truth behind Hannah’s sister’s death? Rachel will find herself in the middle of both cases, with their similarities and overlaps.

This is a very slow burn of a book and it’s definitely not the thriller Goldin’s first novel, The Escape Room, was. That being said, it’s a compelling and emotional story about rape and reputations in a small town, and the scars we bear.

NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The book publishes 8/4.

Rachel has a popular podcast where she revisits crimes of the past & has even had cases reopened & solved,gaining justice for wrongly convicted.
When Rachel heads to Neapolis to cover a current rape case she finds a letter left on her windshield detailing a murder case from over two decades before.
Rachel witnessed & broadcasts the day to day of the rape trial while simultaneously delving into a mysterious case that she just can’t put aside.
Two stories in one,mixed and twisted together in ways many won’t see coming. “Night Swim” is an excellently written story,I throughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

This book captivated me from the start. I mean come on? True Podcast/Thriller book combo. Genius!
Was so hard to put this book down and really wish I could actually listen to regularly to;
'This is Rachel Krall on Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box.'

This is the story of the ugly truth on how rape is perceived in a court of law. A story of intimidation, fear and the sad truth behind reputations, regardless of their truth and why most rape victim’s voices go unheard.
Synopsis
Podcast Rachel Krall host, covers a controversial trial in a small town and becomes obsessed with a brutal crime that took place in the same town years before.

When she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help. She’s freaked out considering she is recognized for her voice, not her face.
While interviewing and investigating her current rape case in the small town of Neapolis North Carolina, the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places with regards to a past unsolved case in the same town.. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago.
The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

Thank you to NetGalley & St-Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
This was a first Megan Goldin read for me and won’t be my last!

Megan Goldin is quickly becoming a favorite as she’s two for two on addicting thrillers/mysteries. And she does so in such a well written and unique manner. This story is told in three different perspectives that are easy to follow yet deep and complex. Told from Rachel’s perspective, who is a successful true crime podcast host that has come to a North Carolina town to cover the alleged rape of a 16 year old girl. Second perspective is through Rachel “speaking” to her podcast audience which is just genius and very modern. Lastly, we hear about Hannah, a woman who knows of Rachel’s podcast success and follows her, leaving her letters asking for her help in solving her sisters murder 25 years prior. Hannah’s sister death was ruled a drowning but as Rachel reads each letter and does her own investigation, she begins to think not only was it not an accidental drowning, but it may be connected to the current case she’s covering. I have to say, didn’t see this ending coming. It had some very well weaved twists! Give me all the Megan Goldin books!! More! More! Definitely recommend this one. Put it on your list to buy and devour come August!

Rachel is a true-crime podcaster. Her popular and award-winning podcasts put listeners in the jury box to decide for themselves whether or not justice was served. Rachel is able to maintain a proper level of distance to the cases that she shares until she begins to investigate the trial of a young man accused of raping a 16-year-old girl in a small North Carolina town. Was this a case of consensual sex that was immediately regretted by the girl or was she genuinely accosted? Is it fair for rape victims to have to relive their trauma through their testimony and questions? When Rachel begins this investigation, she cannot imagine the consequences in her life or the lives of others. The Night Swim will provoke readers to ponder tough issues.

Thank you to Megan Goldin, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

What a fantastic read!! I really enjoyed "The Escape Room", so I was super excited to read this one. "The Night Swim" was a million times better than "The Escape Room"! Rachel is a fantastic character, with an intriguing podcast. Some of the material in the story might be sensitive to some people (rape, teenager death) but man, was it an interesting story. I can't wait to read more by Megan Goldin!

I believe that this book has the potential to get very mixed reviews only because of the subject matter. It is the story of the rape of two separate, non-connected (sort of) girls, 25 years apart. With the topic being traumatizing for some, I can see a bit of disdain from some who read it.

That being said, I thought the book was very, very good! This is now the third book that I've read in the last 6 months that the story is built around a podcast format. Perhaps it is because I LOVE podcasts - even more that I LOVE true crime podcasts, that I REALLY ENJOYED this book! It felt like listening to a podcast series almost more than reading, which made for a very cool experience.

This is a very good, quick read if you can get past the subject matter. There are no overt or brutal scenes, by the way, more innuendo than anything else.

Thank you to the author, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book! This review was also posted on Goodreads.

A common story (boy rapes teen girl and then blames victim) told well. A popular crime podcaster comes to a small coastal town to report on the trial. While there, another case comes to light, so the book is really two stories side by side, one present the other decades old. The book is certainly topical with the #metoo movement currently taking place. I liked the alternating chapters the author used, I thought the podcast chapters well done. And I was surprised with the surprise and believable ending. My only complaint is I thought it could have moved a bit faster than it did. I devoured the author's prior book, The Escape Room. Of the two, I liked that one better. I will definitely read further books by Ms. Goldin.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with this advance copy to read and review.

Megan Goldin is two for two in incorporating current trends into her novels. Rachel Krall is a popular host of a true crime podcast in town for the rape trial of the local swim star. Rachel also finds herself looking into a decades old death of another young girl.

When you discover a new author, you worry a little if the second book will be as great as the first. I found Goldin's second novel to be as thrilling and engrossing as her first, Escape Room. I'm now a dedicated fan.

Story is about Rachel, a woman who operates a successful podcast series and her experience following a rape trial in small town anywhere America (popular boy rapes and community blames victim). My major complaint with the book was the jump between the events in one chapter and then the podcast transcript in subsequent chapter - I am not a fan of this disjointed writing and didn't need the replay via podcast.
Otherwise, thought the book was well written and the various character stories were woven together to strengthen the reader experience. We all wish for the bad guys to get their due and I was cheering for Rachel and the assault victims. to be vindicated. I like the author's writing style more than the story, so 4 stars. But will definitely read more from Megan Goldin.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and Ms Goldin for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Goldin has done it again! I was impressed by her previous book , The Escape Room, and was unsure if she could meet that standard. My final decision was Heck yes! This was a mystery of a drowned girl, who died years ago. Now in our modern age of the Podcast, our MC "investigator" Rachel Krall is dragged back in time to assist in solving the question of whether Jenny's death was a murder or an accident.

Superb mystery! I found Goldin did a great job in moving back and forth from the present day podcast rape case to the past drowning murder mystery. This book had my attention from the beginning and kept it until the very end. It is a talent to move through time without getting the listener lost in details , but this book did a great job and kept the suspense at it's peak!
Recommended for all fans of Thrillers, Mysteries and Crime stories. Move this one to the top of your to-read list, it does not disappoint.

The Escape Room was a good book, but The Night Swim was a great book! Kept me guessing up until the very end. A must read....

This story has several layers going on throughout. One, in particular, was pretty scary. It was the kind of thing that makes the hairs on the back of your neck go up and makes you look around to see if someone's following you. An awful lot of nastiness and just plain evil went on in this story. I had to know how it would turn out. Who did these things? Why? Did anyone know who didn't speak up?

I like books where the farther you read, the faster you have to read. You just have to know. Even though it's "just" a story, it seems real enough that it could have happened.

The ruined lives, the partial destruction of others-- why could these characters have treated their fellow men and women in such an ugly manner?

I liked this a lot. It kept it moving. Tale as old as time but I enjoyed the characters.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For me this started really slow but did pick up later. It has a few twists and turns, and while parts of the story are unique and well done by the author, it just wasn't compelling enough to be a truly memorable or page turning books for me. I'd seek out others from the author since I liked her perspective.

Rachel, a successful podcast star, is heading to a small beach town to cover a controversial rape trial. Little does she know that she will have another mystery on her hands. Hannah is looking for help to solve her older sisters 25 year old mysterious death. With clues from Hannah, Rachel starts digging into a death that some people wanted to keep buried. Will justice be served in both cases? You will be put in the jury box.

This is the first book I've ever read by Megan Goldin and I really enjoyed it! I thought it was a well rounded book. All the characters had a purpose, which I really like. I also liked that there was no loose ends. By the end of the book, all the questions I had were answered. This is a quick read. I finished this book in under 10 hours

Wow I loved this book. It was so creepy and the setting just felt DARK! I was invested and so glad I requested this. The themes were tough and slightly taboo but I had to keep going.

First of all, thank you to Ms. Goldin, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to recieve an ARC of The Night Swim. As an avid reader of mystery/thriller novels, I was very impressed with the plot and writing style of this one. Goldin takes the common, almost cliche plot line of an unsolved murder/cold case and presents it with a very fresh take. Posing the protagonist as a popular podcast host and using the very salient narrative of a rising athlete turned alleged rapist, Goldin gives this genre a breath of fresh air, moving away from the typical "sleuthing detective" aspects of this genre. Its a very 21st century storyline, not to mention the exploration of topics surrounding rape in the 21st century, like consent, revictimization, and equal accountability. These points are what I believe make this novel stand out amongst others in its class. Besides those, I also found that the novel was a real page turner and maintained suspense throughout, which is of course what I would hope for in a mystery/thriller. All in all, I would reccomend this novel to anyone who's looking for a great page turner to read, especially if looking for something refreshing and written with today's culture and events in mind. Thanks again for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide my feedback!