The Night Swim by Megan Goldin reminded me of watching a true crime show. Sometimes hard to watch/read, but somehow, we are still drawn to the story and want to know more and how it ends!

I struggled a bit with The Night Swim in terms of the graphic rapes, and the courtroom scenes. The story goes between a “cold case” that happened 25 years ago, along with a modern day rape case.

My favourite aspect of the story was how parts of it were told in Podcast form. Rachel runs a podcast called Guilty or Not Guilty, and I loved the modern edge it brought to this story. While Rachel is covering the modern rape case between Scott and Kelly, she also decides to help Hannah solve her sister’s case from 25 years ago.

The story was constantly moving and was extremely well paced. Some of the twists at the end really surprised me as well.

This was my first book by Goldin, and I would read more by her. I hear her first book Escape Room is fantastic. If you like thrillers this is a good one, but just be warned of the graphic nature of this story.

I received an advanced reader copy from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

4.5 stars

I knew going into The Night Swim that there were triggers but not to the extent it was, definitely a book that will stay with me.

To say this is an emotional story doesn't really give it the extreme it is due. It's one thing to have the current day story but to add the 25-year-old one really adds that extra punch. Told mainly with 2 points of view, a current day with podcaster (is that a word?) Rachel hides behind a face that is unknown even though her voice is. The mysterious notes and what they reveal go back 25 years where things aren't as they appeared. I’ll admit that the podcast angle isn’t a favorite but with this story, I get the role it played making it a good fit.

The Night Swim is a sad, disturbing, and emotional story that had me frustrated, angry, heartbroken and out for justice. There is some serious subject matter that the author handled authentically with feeling and respect. It is well written with characters that I couldn't help feeling for. I think I read the last 70% in like a day, not only did I need to know what was going to happen but was curious as to the author's direction, I didn't know what to expect with the ending. Maybe I will stop right there before I reveal too much.

Megan Goldin is a new author to me, her novel The Escape Room is getting rave reviews, so that is now added to my TBR pile.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for a digital arc (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Escape Room and Megan Goldin’s next novel does not disappoint either! This book tackles some difficult topics such as consent and rape, but does so in a way where you as a reader are learning more. There are many twists and turns- and just when I thought I had it figured out...something new was thrown our way.

I’m really hoping for some follow ups set in this “world” because I enjoyed the main character (more podcast seasons, please!) and there were several secondary characters I’d like to learn more about! The ending left me wanting more.

Pick this book up - you won’t be disappointed!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What is the price of a reputation?

Rachel Krall is a household name thanks to her true crime podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty. She is used to being recognized by her voice so when she finds a note addressed to her on her windshield, begging for her help, Rachel can't help but feel uneasy.

Season Three of her show takes Rachel to Neapolis, a small town that is divided by a devastating rape trial. The town's golden boy—a swimmer on pace to qualify for the Olympics—is on trial for raping the police chief's granddaughter. Rachel immerses herself into the case by conducting interviews and her own investigation for the podcast. But she still keeps finding more letters in the most unexpected places. She is being relentlessly followed by someone that wants Rachel to look into what happened to her sister twenty-five years earlier. On record, Jenny Sills drowned, but whoever is behind the letters is convinced that it was murder. Rachel starts poking around and asking questions, yet nobody wants to answer them. With the two cases looking more and more similar, the past and present collide in a shocking twist to reveal what really happened to Jenny.

In Goldin's newest thriller, she examines whether or not past wrongs can be put right. Using an epistolary narrative style, the story unfolds through podcasts and letters as well as the actual trial. For the most part, this is effective, but there are times where it felt bogged down.

At times this is a heavy book, especially with the sensitive topic of rape and Goldin handles it with the utmost care. The trial scenes are not for the faint of heart—they are an accurate and necessary comment on victim shaming. This book is raw, it is real, and it is harrowing. What it is not, is a thriller. Instead, it is a slow burn mystery with legal undertones.

Deftly plotted and well-sculpted, this is a solid sophomore effort from Megan Goldin.

This book was very interesting, quite different for a storyline. Actually there were two cases to solve. Rachel Krall does a true-crime podcast and is very adept at investigation. Her insight into the trial of a town's college-aged, golden boy accused of raping a sixteen-year-old girl are fascinating. The extra investigation of a cold case was intriguing. This was a super read and I am sure fans of crime stories will really like it.

Having this ARC in both book and audio form, I chose to listen to the audio and I’m so glad I did. The production was done extremely well with the use of different narrators and the use of music. So many times it’s difficult to differentiate the story from the backstory or in this case Podcast in an audio book. This book was written perfectly with the backstory in letters and the music separating the Podcast from the ongoing story.
“Guilty or Not Guilty, the Podcast that puts you in the jury box.” Rachel is a reporter/investigator. After her phenomenal podcast success, she’s set for the start of Season Three, an explosive rape case in the town of Neapolis. The town is divided as they are either for Scott, a decorated college swimmer on his way to the big leagues or Kelly, a high school girl from a good family. As Rachel prepares, she finds herself distracted as she keeps getting letters from a person named Hannah. Hannah wants Rachel’s help solving her sister’s murder 25 years prior. The only problem ... her sister drowned! As Rachel delves deeper into Hannah’s claims, she decides to help her even while she’s embroiled in her Podcast and the rape trial. Goldin does a great job keeping the reader/listener completely engrossed with two different cases intermixed with a riveting podcast. A truly fascinating tale that will keep you captivated until the last word.

Rachel is an investigative journalist with a successful podcast called Guilty or Not Guilty. She focuses on provided an unbiased look int he crime and allowing the viewers to act like the jury. Her first two seasons were a smashing success and she is ready to start season three with something new, a rape case between two teenagers (one from a well-known and loved family). However as Rachel is covering this case, there is another person, Hannah trying to reach out. She wants Rachel to reinvestigate the murder of her sister from 25 years ago. Hannah needs closure for what was treated as an accidentally drowning and she will do anything to get Rachel interested.

I really enjoyed the format of this book. It felt as if the whole book was written in podcast form, not just the chapters that were meant to be the podcast episodes. We learned information as Rachel also learned information and got to play the role of jury that she gives her listeners. It was an interesting concept to not only cover the rape trial but to follow the investigation of Hannah's sister at the same time.

Megan Goldwin’s The Night Swim gets raving reviews, so I can already tell that I’m in the minority on this one... overall found this one a little slow and a little predictable. I’ve gotta say, I enjoyed Goldwin’s writing and will pick up another one of her novels in the future.

My opinion may be swayed by the fact that I’ve read a lot of incredible books the past few months, definitely hard to compete with; had I read The Night Swim earlier this year, it probably would have warranted a higher rating.

This one just wasn’t for me!

This is a great thriller novel! And guess what? There's also a bangin' podcast element that fuels my little podcast-loving heart. This books is also terribly emotional and unsettling. It's a true psychological thriller about a rape trial in a small town. Prepare yourself.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin is one of the best murder mysteries I have read! Captivating from the first chapter and keeps you guessing until the end! I read this in less than two days because I had to know what happened. I am a fan of podcasts and this just fueled my interest in this book even more. I felt like I was listening right along.
Rachel is a journalist that recently found fame in her podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty. She has come to Neapolis to cover a rape trial that turns a town against each other in a he said, she said battle. While trying to cover the trial in the most impartial way she can, giving both side the same dedication; letter begin to show up on her car first. A murder/ accidental drowning happened years ago and someone knows exactly what happened. Hannah reaches out to Rachel in hopes of finding her sister's killer from long ago. Neapolis has it's own secrets trying to stay covered up but Rachel tries her hand at uncovering them.
The Night Swim covers two different crimes from two different time periods. At times, I did mix up some of the evidence between the two crimes but the story was still amazing and I devoured it!
I will be recommending The Night Swim to others and I will be looking for other works by Megan Goldin. Special thanks to NetGalley, Megan Goldin, and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #NetGalley

Rachels pod cast is an instant success she is now known for helping to solve a crime. Can she make this something she does again?

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin takes place in the small town of Neapolis being torn apart by the devastating rape trial of a 16 year old girl by the town’s golden boy, headed to the Olympics as a world class swimmer. Rachel Krall has become a new sensation in the true crime podcast world, and heads out to the trial for her next season as it plays out in real time. Rachel is surprised when she arrives as she starts receiving mysterious letters left in places she frequents begging for help for in solving the case of a drowning of a 16 year old 25 years previously. Although it was classified as a drowning, the sister of the deceased is certain it was murder. As Rachel finds herself drawn to the mysterious drowning of Jenny Stills, and starts asking questions around town, she is quickly shut down by residents not wanting to get involved. The letters are being sent by Jenny’s younger sister, Hannah, who remembers certain events that took place before her sisters death, and as she is desperate for answers and justice for her sister, Rachel starts to uncover connections between the past events, and the present trial that will change the course of everything and everyone involved.

This book is about so much more than just a rape trial. It is deep...very deep...it exposes the divide in small towns, and large, all throughout the country where how much money you have determines how you are viewed by society. If you are wealthy, you have a sterling reputation seen by everyone, even if that is the furthest from the truth. The truth is more than likely the fact you have the money and the power to hide your misdeeds and convince people to look the other way. If you are on the other end, poor, low income, you are often viewed as having a less than desired reputation, often being seen as a slut, or a life worth nothing. The mystery surrounding Jenny Stills’ death is the perfect storm of injustice in this type of society. The book will look into the rape of two girls and how the reputations of these victims is usually destroyed regardless of the circumstances surrounding the crime. It will take you inside the court proceedings of the current trial case, where you once again see how the victim of rape is often victimized again and again, there really isn’t any justice for them. And my favorite new past-time, besides reading books, listening to true crime pod casts. It will take you into this new world of “talk radio” of the past generations. I was captivated from the first page.

I really loved this book. It touched on so many of my favorite things. The rapes were a little difficult to read, but not because of details, it really just broke your heart for what these girls had to endure, before, during and after the attack. It was thought provoking, an inside look at the criminal justice system, and while we have come so far, we still have so much to do as far as the mental health of victims. We need to stop seeing them as victims, but we need to see then for the strength they have after enduring such horrific life changing events and empathize with how they handle every day life. We can’t continue to look down on them, we need to empathize and raise them up. This book was emotional, it made me angry, it made me want to scream out for the injustice of the underdog, it made me want to cry for the life taken away from Hannah when she was so young. I continued to think of this book days after I finished it, it was that good.

I would like to thank Netgalley, St Martin’s Press, and Megan Goldin for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I truly hope this becomes a series of books based on future pod casts. Hint Hint...

The Night Swim, by Megan Goldin

Short Take: A delicious double scoop of intrigue.

(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

Good mornings, my lovely nerdlings! We are right in the thick of the hottest part of the year, and it’s been a record-setting scorcher in my little corner of the world. And I don’t know about all of you, but as much as I hate freezing my soft parts off, I’m starting to not like summer very much either. I usually love lazing around in the sun like a pasty lizard, but multiple weeks of 90+ days are just too much. Can’t we just have some normal-hot days, instead of this-is-miserable-I’m-never-going-outside-again weather?

There are advantages to staying inside, however, namely catching up on my reading (duh) and today we’re going to talk about Megan Goldin’s The Night Swim.

Rachel Krall is a getting-seriously-famous true-crime podcaster who is headed to the small east coast town of Neapolis to cover a rape trial which (as such trials tend to do) is tearing the town right down the middle. It’s a sadly common story - a mousy teenage girl has too much to drink, an encounter with the local football hero happens, and it’s left to the legal system to determine whether or not a crime was committed.

(Sidenote - As someone who lives very close to Steubenville, Ohio, I can’t say enough about how Ms. Goldin handled this topic. I felt a deeply uncomfortable sense of deja vu while reading, which means that she nailed the small town range of reactions, the ingrained misogyny that runs rampant through people who would deny ever feeling such a thing even as they spew it far and wide. BRILLIANT.)

It’s just as Rachel is arriving in Neapolis, however, that a second case is brought to her attention. Via a series of letters, Hannah Stills tells Rachel the story of her sister Jenny According to Hanna, Jenny was murdered twenty-five years earlier, but the authorities wrote her death off as an accidental drowning.

Despite having plenty to do already, what with the podcast and the actual present-day hot-topic trial happening, Rachel is compelled to look more closely into Jenny’s death. As is to be expected, the town’s Darkl History Comes To Light, and Terrible Secrets Are Revealed. And of course, in the end, it’s all tied up in a very satisfying way.

The Night Swim flips between Rachel’s narration of current events, from both transcripts of her podcast and more traditional perspective, and Hannah’s retelling of events leading up to Jenny’s death, but only through her letters. Rachel’s sections were spot-on, moving at a nice clip, rounding out characters, and giving out important plot points at just the right time to build the suspense and keep me hooked.

The sections from Hannah's perspective, however, were a different story, and my only real complaint with The Night Swim is the writing style in Hannah’s letters. I don’t know if it was what the author’s reasoning was, but Hannah writes like a creepy male stalker, the wannabe sociopath in high school who writes his essay, badly, from the point of view of the serial killer.. Overly descriptive, stilted and pretentious. Trying too hard and overwrought. Her sections felt gimmicky and fake, and I wanted to skip to the end to find out what her real story was, but there was none, just a good writer putting me through too many chapters of bad writing, for no purpose except maybe to draw a clear line between Hannah and Rachel.. The story was fascinating, but the style was grating.

Overall though, The Night Swim delivers for fans of small-town thrillers (read: EVERYONE) and the podcast angle feels like something new and different.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and a nice big margarita. Or five.)

This isn’t the kind of book I usually read, but it was by Megan Goldin, author of The Escape Room, which I found to be a five star book, so I wanted to read this one also.

The story revolves around two different teenagers who were raped 25 years apart, and the podcast reporter/investigator who specializes in crime stories and chose to go to the seaside town of Neapolis to cover the current case. She ends up looking into the one from years past after that girl’s younger sister contacts her about righting the wrong that was done.

Sadly, not only were the girls raped, but they also had their reputations ruined while the boys smugly expected to get away with it. The way the girls were treated broke my heart. This is a difficult book to get through that made me feel emotions from anger to sadness for anyone who not only has been abused, but encounters even more abuse after the fact.

This is another 5 star book by Megan Goldin.

Interesting premise but just did not deliver for me. Repetitive thoughts were a turn off. Slow burner. Far fetched ending. I seem to be in the minority with this one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

It is difficult to rate a book that is as intense and gory as this one. Rape, sexual assault, and physical abuse weave in and out of every chapter in this story. The author does a phenomenal job of portraying the reality of rape cases in the United States. It is sickening and despicable, and if you can tolerate reading about those things then I 100% recommend this book. It is worth the read.

CW: rape, sexual assault, physical abuse

Pub Date: August 4, 2020

Rachel Krall has earned her fame as the hottest true crime podcast host after setting free an innocent man. Now, she is heading to a small town of Neapolis to cover a rape case trial for her Season Three of “Guilty or Not Guilty.
At the same time, she keeps receiving mysterious letters begging her to seek justice for Jenny Stills, who was disturbingly drowned twenty-five years ago…
Rachel is tremendously intrigued by those letters and decides to dig up the past in order to find the truth, not knowing that she would be tangled in the complexity of some heinous conspiracy…
Megan Goldin has a real knack of writing such gripping and chilling crime thriller THE NIGHT SWIM! I am authentically absorbed in its consistent suspense right from the beginning till the end.
I would like to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this fascinating and obsessive read.
#TheNightSwim
#NetGalley

The beginning was a bit confusing but ones you have become intrigued on what is going on currently and what happened 25 years ago you will have to finish the book. The story is very realistic and plays of in a small coastal town where everybody knows everybody. In the 25 years not much seems to have changed in the attitude towards rape victims. The female tends to get blamed. Some of the wealthy population of town feels they are entitled to do whatever, including rape and murder with no consequences. A number of lives got destroyed by the events of a quarter century ago. It is heartbreaking to see how rape victims are treated and shows that or legal system on this subject still leaves a lot to be desired. The mother that blames the girl for ruining the future of her son and doesn’t see anything wrong in what he did. After a very disturbing story I loved the ending with the nightingale showing no lose ends and a hint that live will become more normal for the main characters.

I was provided a copy of The Night Swim by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
⠀
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Title: The Night Swim
Author: Megan Goldin
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 4 August 2020
⠀
This book was far out of my preferred genre and has quite a few triggers in it.
⠀
For fans of crime shows, this will be a good read. Half of the book reads like you're watching a true crime show, which I found fantastic. It's an attention grabber. You are in the trial of a popular boy accused of rape, while still trying to figure out what happened to Jenny Stills. It's a book filled with tragedy and the author points out a few hard, realistic facts about rape and how it is often the victim who is blamed and shamed. As you follow the narrator of the podcast, learning facts as she does, you can speculate and solve the mystery with the main character.
The victims in this story deserved better, like all victims do.
It is definitely a worthy read!

The Night Swim is one of those reads that captivates you from the start and stays with you long after you've (sadly) turned the last page. CAUTION, this book contains graphic descriptions of rape and abuse. If this is a trigger for you, do not even consider reading this book.

This is the story of two young girls (each 16) who were raped and abused multiple times twenty-five years apart in the same town. It is told by alternating among the first person view of Hannah Stills, the younger sister of Jenny, a third person narrative about Rachel Krall, famous host of the cultural sensation podcast Guilty or Not Guilty, and through the 3rd season of the podcast which for the first time features a live trial.

Hannah, age 10, begins telling about the last summer Jenny was alive. The girls live with their mother who is dying of cancer. Jenny has taken on the responsibility of caring for her mother, her younger sister, and the house. Money is a problem, and the family has been looked down on by the townspeople for generations. No one really cares what happens to the Stills family. When Jenny dies, it is quickly declared an accidental drowning. Her mother thinks otherwise, and asks that her daughter's death be investigated. But it wasn't.

Rachel has tried to protect her anonymity from the start of her career. Her voice may be known, but she has done all she, can to keep people from recognizing her. So she is quite surprised when someone starts leaving notes at her door, on her car, addressed to her, asking for her help. She is in Neapolis, NC to base the third season of her podcast on the upcoming trial that is the talk of the town. Wealthy, privileged, nationally known swimming sensation Scott Blair, 18, is accused of raping Kelly Moore. Though Rachel's focus is on the trial and her podcast, she cannot ignore the continuing notes from a woman named Hannah who asks her help in getting her sister's death twenty-five years ago declared as the murder it was. The more Rachel looks into what happened to both Kelly and Jenny, the more connections she finds between them.

The author's writing is so descriptive that she easily makes the reader feel that they are present in each scene. She also seamlessly blends the two stories across the years that seperate them, and handles a difficult subject with great sensitivity. As one of her characters states "I want to make you think about how rape and the threat of rape affects the lives of women in a hundred different ways."

Between the high and heart-rending emotions generated by what happened to Jenny and Kelly, how it affected them and those who love them, the courtroom drama of the trial, and the podcast episodes, this is a compelling though troubling read.

Add this to your TBR (to be read) pile now. You won't want to miss this excellent book!

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.