I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel parallels somewhat the story of a distinguished swimmer who rapes a young woman and then receives unparalleled community support to "save" his reputation and career. The plot twist at the end was satisfying.

This is an excellent book for teenaged girls to read as a cautionary tale and for teenage boys to read as a warning of the devastating results of "boys will be boys" behavior.

This book! it captivated me, it was so intriguing. I love that it dealt with a pod cast about true crime, that seems to be the "in" thing now. It basically has 2 storylines/timelines with Jenny and Hannah in the past and the present with Rachel covering a rape trial for her podcast. They come together for a horrifying climax. I so felt for Hannah and Jenny and their sad path. This is a definite must read for this year! Thank you to St Martins press for the book to read and review.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of The Night Swim by Megan Goldin.

This story took me through many emotions. The mental, emotional, and physical effect of rape on the victims and their families was shown with sensitivity. The depiction of what the victims went through and how they were treated in the aftermath wrenches at the heart.

The two cases, which happen decades apart, are revealed to be connected in a twist I wasn’t expecting.

The suspense in the story was maintained throughout and it was hard to put down as I wanted to see how the story would resolve.

Wow! The Night Swim but Megan Goldin is an emotional roller coaster of a thriller. I'm a big fan of true crime podcasts and the author did aN excellent job incorporating that into the story. I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down until I was finished.

Wow what a stunning book of psychological suspense!! This book draws you in on the very first sentence and doesn't let go until the shocking conclusion. Two rapes twenty five years apart. Are they connected or no? You won't know until the suspense filled conclusion. I loved this book! I loved this Author's first book, but this book takes it to the top!!!!!!

A quick read with two mysteries! This was a fantastic story and I was surprised by how engrossed I was in it! Short chapters (score!) and multiple POVs (yes!).

Another winner by a great author who really knows how to tell a story using the most popular activities in this time. A podcast host is ready for her third season to be a hit just like the last two, Rachel who is known by name and voice is staying in the small town of Neapolis to cover the trial of a rape of a young girl. She is going with the intent to be impartial and get statements from both sides as she sits in the courtroom by day and interviews those involved by night along with updating her podcast with her findings. While in this small town, Rachel starts to receive letters from someone on her windshield or left in different places specifically for her to find. The writer wants justice for her sister Jenny who died 25 years ago of what was ruled an accident but what she insists was murder. Rachel is intent on covering the trial while also finding out all she can about Jenny and what really happened. When Rachel starts asking about Jenny, she finds that the past and the present are intermingling and the secrets being revealed will change the fate of those involved from the past and present.
I was shocked by the ending but that is what makes a great read! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review and thanks to the author for another great read! Looking forward to what she writes next!

Whew! What a roller coaster ride and compelling journey that granted me a good deal of sleepless moments while glued to the pages. It was ingeniously crafted in the form of a podcast with alternating chapters of the podcast host's voice. Rachel Knoll is the chronicler of a true crime series that invites the reader in to examine the evidence but this time she decides to chronicle a trial set in real time. It involves a teenage swimming champion who is adored by the girls but is accused of raping a 16 year old girl in his hometown. Very explicit issues of what happens to a rape victim are discussed which actually turned my stomach. It is a wonder that any woman comes forth when you realize the distress she is put under during a court examination. In the meantime, Rachel is being sent letters in various locales by an unknown person who is desperate for Rachel to help her uncover the mystery of her sister's death years ago. It has haunted her for years and made her unable to have closure in her own life. The entwining of the two stories is performed masterfully and the ending blew my socks off. Go for this one guys! You will not be disappointed.

I can promise all of you that at the end of this year this will be one of my favorite books of 2020.

Two rapes happened 25 years apart. One to a poor girl who might just have gotten mixed up in some bad company, said to have committed suicide. Another being covered by Rachel Krall who has a popular podcast.

This book jumps between Rachel's point of view, Rachel's podcast, which is focused on the court case of the rape of Kelly Moore, and letters from Hannah, whose sister died 25 years ago in the small town of Neapolis.

I felt so many feelings reading this book. Anger, hope, love, sorrow, hopelessness, vindication, despair. Often when rape is involved there are many feelings. Unfortunately as a woman it is easy to either have gone through some form of sexual assault or to know someone who has. And both cases in this book reminded me how much gray area there is when it comes to rape, however the victim oftentimes has to prove what happened, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

It took me awhile to read this book, not because it was bad, because like I said, it's one of my favorites of this year so far. The reason is because there was so much heavy material that needed to be unloaded. Nonetheless I devoured it - I had to know how the case would turn out for Kelly Moore. And I had to know what happened to Hannah's sister, and if the two cases were somehow intertwined.

This book is heavy. But it is SO DARN GOOD. I would absolutely recommend it.

This was a WOW book from start to finish! I really looked forward to reading it because I had read THE ESCAPE ROOM and loved it. In her latest novel, Megan Goldin did an even better job of drawing me into the swirling waters of her plot and trapping me there. I loved every minute that I spent with Rachel, Hannah, Jenny and K. Rachel is a podcaster, in town to cover the rape trial of swimming champion Scott Blair. She is an investigative reporter who knows how to do her research and to track down witnesses. In the middle of her podcast that is a do or die for her career, she is contacted by a girl named Hannah who wants her to look into the death of her sister Jenny, a young teen who supposedly drowned twenty-five years ago. Rachel is interested in the rape trial, but she is totally absorbed by the tragic death of Jenny. I enjoyed the pacing of the plot, the different points of view and especially the transcripts of the podcasts. Everything was very realistically and sometimes graphically displayed. There were twists that were expected and then some that were total surprises, which made me rate the book even higher. If I could give it more than five stars, I definitely would! Fans of psychological drama and suspense will love this book!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Recently. I feel like there have been more and more fiction books about podcasts (i.e., Are you Sleeping). I really enjoy that type of plot and if you do as well, than this is going to be a super enjoyable book for you.

I immediately found my groove with this book. It happened on page 5, which is very, very fast for me. I feel like if a book can hook me between pages 1-10 than it has done an excellent job. The telltale sign of an incredible book is whether it's a pageturner. Suffice to say, this book was certainly a pageturner. I was hooked and couldn't stop reading all the way through. I also thought the characters were relatable. The plot arc was done timely.

I couldn't have asked for a better psychological thriller. I can't wait to talk to my customers about this whenever the COVID pandemic ends! This book promises to be a fast sell!

This is my first book of this authors. And I absolutely loved it! I loved the format! True crime podcasts are my favorite and I loved how it was woven in! Never saw the ending coming! Highly recommend this one!!

With true crime podcasts being "all the rage" now, I was intrigued by the storyline of this book. This book had two mystery storylines that were well blended together into the one book and I enjoyed the author's writing. This book does have some topics than can be considered trigger warnings for some people, rape being the main one in this book. But I loved the story! I found it hard to put down. I always wanted to know what happened next and what really happened with the two different mysteries that we read about. This was a great book!

Having had a chance to previously read an ARC of Goldin's <b> The Escape Room </b>, I was <i>thrilled</i> to get my hands on an ARC of <b>The Night Swim</b>.

This is the story of two different rapes, told 25 years a part, in the same small town. Podcast host Rachel Krall finds herself in the town, to give her listeners an unabashed front row seat in the courtroom as the drama unfolds during the trail. Alongside the trial, she's also getting notes and messages from a former town resident, begging her to look back into the mysterious death and rape of a young woman from 25 years ago.

The story is gripping and one that is both relevant to the interests of today's readers - old and young. Once again, I found myself spellbound by the fast paced plot that Goldin weaves and could not get through this book fast enough. Five Stars again, Ms. Goldin!

Rachel Krull, controversial host of the Guilty or Not Guilty podcast, “the podcast that puts you in the jury box”. For season 3, she wants to go bigger and better for her audience so she heads to Neapolis, a small coastal town to cover the trial of Scott Blair, a former Olympic swimmer accused of rape and is a part of the wealthiest family in town.

While in town, she is pursued by Hannah, a woman who desperately needs Rachel’s help in uncovering the truth about her sister Jenny’s death, which occurred 25 years ago.

If there was a genre for the “Me Too Movement”, this book would fit perfectly. I feel that some of the things that I didn’t like the book were the reasons it was so good. I finished the 2nd half of the book in one setting because it kept getting better and better.

It was a bit difficult in the beginning for me to keep track of the circumstances of Jenny’s deaths (from Hannah’s perspective), along with the Scott vs. K rape trial. There were several people from both perspectives that I had to keep up with, and keep separate. However, everything came together, unexpectedly and surprisingly in the end.

I didn’t like how Hannah came across as stalker-ish and forceful in seeking help from Rachael; but, it was different so it worked.

I really liked we could see the history of wrong-doings, powerful and prestigous people getting away with their crimes and other injustices in the town.

I felt like the portions from the podcast were a bit preachy and slightly one-sided. However, they were very real, blunt and thought provoking about how the world tends to view rape and the victims of rape. A crucial, plaguing statement that stuck out to me was “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”.

I really didn’t like how things played out in the end, withholding key evidence and testimony because the “right” question wasn’t asked.

Ultimately, this book was gripping, emotional and prevalent. I felt as though I was in the courtroom witnessing the interactions and hearing the testimonies for myself. I highly recommend this, but be warned there are some unsettling rape, violence details/scenes.

Rating 4.5/5

4.5*
Thank you so much to Netgalley!! I LOVED this story. Unique and vividly intense!! The story telling was superb! Highly recommend The Night Swim, and I cant wait to read more by this author.

Fans of Serial and true crime podcasts will dive right into The Night Swim. Rachel, a podcast host recording her third season, is swept into a 25-year-old mystery that occurred in the same town where she's reporting on a rape trial. Multiple suspenseful storylines and a likable main character make this an engaging read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of The Night Swim in exchange for an honest review.

I greatly enjoyed last year’s [book: The Escape Room]. It was an unserious romp of a thriller, predictable but entertaining. When I read the plot of The Night Swim—essentially Sarah Koenig from the Serial podcast covering the Brock Turner rape trial, but with the added twist of also investigating a maybe murder from 25 years ago—I mistakenly expected another twisty fun ride.

However, this book is relentlessly serious. The plot line from the past is difficult to read, as the abuse heaped upon teenager Jenny Stills is simply brutal and monstrous. The plot line from the present is a small improvement, as teenager Kelly Moore at least gets to see her alleged rapist tried for the crime, but the emotional toll on her is not much better. And the message of the book could be read as emphasizing that there’s not much hope for rape victims to get justice through the court system unless they’re lucky enough to somehow have a witness who can break the he said, she said dynamic.

It’s not a bad book by any means. The writing is solid, and the shifting presentations—Rachel’s first-person narrative, Hannah’s letters to Rachel, and Rachel’s podcast episodes—keep the story moving. Just go in with eyes wide open that you’ll likely be a bit sadder and/or madder at the end of this book than you were when you started. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

If you are a fan of true crime podcasts, this book is for you! Megan Goldin's new book The Night Swim takes the reader through two mysteries in one. Rachel's new season of her podcast is about a rape trial in a small town. While she's there for the trial, she ends up trying to solve an older case. Will the two cases end up having a connection? This book was an extremely engaging read, and I thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

After loving The Escape Room last year I was very excited to dive into Megan Goldin’s second book! And I don’t think it disappointed.

The two things I wasn’t a big fan of were Rachel’s seemingly random interest in the letters that very much started off as stalker-esque, and the fact that it took me until about halfway to be really hooked into the story.

Aside from those details, I raced to the end to try to figure out what was going on here. I think the book brings light to some very dark, hard topics and Goldin has an ability to make you deeply feel for her well-written characters. Since we know that child abuse and rape is not just in fiction novels but ever-present in the world, I think she did a great job writing her story around it in a way that helps the reader truly understand.

I enjoyed reading this (somewhat) in sync with my
permanent book buddy Scarlet. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC.