Wow, I’m so upset with myself for not reading this sooner. I originally read the first few pages and found it pretty dark so didn’t continue but wanted to eventually go back to it. Once I did get back into it, I could not put this book down!

This was so well-written with fantastic pacing that keeps you hooked into the storyline, moving between a podcast transcription, letters, courtroom proceedings and real time narrative.

There should definitely be content/trigger warnings for this book in regards to descriptions of rape and sexual assault, but I do believe that it was handled rather well by the author.

I will definitely recommend this book to friends looking for a gripping mystery!

I got sucked into this story pretty easily, and I thought the two storylines were handled very well. It weaves back and forth effortlessly, and I really wanted to know what was going to happen in both of them. It's a painful read at times, especially when Hannah is remembering things. Definitely worth the read, though!

A super big thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! :)

Emotional novel about a rape trial in a small tight knit community. Rachel decides to cover thIs trial for her podcast season. There’s two sides to the case and all of the locals have their own opinion. There’s the young man who everyone thinks is a model good guy. There’s the young woman who says he raped her. Both sets of parents want their own justice for their child. Both attorneys are the best. Running parallel to the case, Rachel learns about something that happened to another young woman years ago from her sister. It was said she died in a swimming accident, but her sister feels she was murdered. There are a lot of unknown relationships between the characters and there’s more about the past that people have kept hidden for years.

I received this book "The Night Swim" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. This was an interesting book. Lots of twists and turns and fast paced. I like to read mysteries and the courtroom, podcast, letters to Rachel aspect was great. This book will hook you from the first page!

This was a fast paced thriller about a trial. Throw in a podcast host and a secondary case and it was extremely up my alley. CW: the trial is about a rape case.

This book was really different from any other book and I really enjoyed the podcast format of it! Overall really good book!

Wow! I finished reading The Night Swim with head spinning and heart hurting. What can I say about a book that absolutely slayed me? Pushed all my buttons? Well-done, Megan Goldin! The Escape Room was fantastic, but this book left me speechless. I'll attempt to organize my scrambled brain and share my thoughts about this five hundred star book.

Rachel Krall is well-known for her highly successful true crime podcast and her uncanny ability to find justice for people that the system failed. While her voice is easily recognizable, her face is not which is why it spooked her to find a note tucked under her car windshield wiper while parked at a remote truck stop. No one should know her whereabouts as she's on her way to record her next podcast in the small town of Neapolis, N.C. The note implores Rachel to look into the old case of a girl named Jenny Stills who died twenty-five years ago in the same town, and it's signed by Hannah, Jenny's sister. The story that unfolds is told through two compelling points of view - one from Rachel as she covers the rape trial of the town's golden boy swimmer who stands accused of raping a high school girl only identified as K. and at the same time pursuing leads in the old case of Jenny Stills and another pov through Hannah, as the heartbreaking story of what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago comes to light. It is absolutely riveting reading the letters Hannah writes Rachel as she pours out her heart revealing past tragic events as are the chapters of Rachel recording her crime podcast of the trial and interviewing witnesses. I couldn't stop reading as I focused on both characters and cases which play out through dual timelines that are flawlessly woven throughout. Through skillfully placed twists and turns, the reader, along with the jury and the podcast audience is charged with deciding Guilty or Not Guilty?

Goldin expertly draws readers into the small town environment of have's vs. have-not's, showcasing the way privilege and reputation can sway or redirect the delivery of justice. With care and grace, the author delves into the heartbreak and brutality of rape and its devastating, life long effect on victims and their families. It allows readers to get an up close and personal view of how rape survivors are often treated - shamed, shunned, and unfortunately many times "raped" again during agonizing court testimony only to watch their attacker walk free. I can't say enough about the author's skill in delivering this mesmerizing story through characters that broke my heart. Moving from courtroom scenes to podcast transcripts to Hannah's letters to Rachel's investigation, I was fully engaged from page one forward. The Night Swim is a heartbreaking, gripping, totally captivating suspense thriller that I highly recommend. Another book for my 2020 Favorites Shelf!

This book is a great Thriller. Centered around a rape trial. it examines the ins and outs of the case and the various relationships that are formed in a small town. I found the story to be very interesting and the story moved along at a great pace. I recommend this story

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin combines a fictional true-crime podcast, a rape trial case, and a twenty-five-year-old murder. Rachel is a podcaster who is in town to cover the rape trial case in a North Carolina town. While in town she begins to receive mysterious letters detailing the murder of a teen girl twenty-five years prior. Rachel begins to dig deep into the unsolved murder case and is soon unraveling many secrets that some would prefer never to see the light of day. Lots of drama and intrigue to read and enjoy!

I was provided with a free copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two cases 25 years apart from one another. One we are lead to assume that there was foulplay in what the entire community is calling a drowning and the other is a r*pe case actively in court.

The writing is clear and descriptive without being trite or too much. The characters are relatable and flawed, but I found myself routing for some and wanting to see how their stories played out.

One thing I am not as big of a fan of with thrillers is when the whole “twist” is explained out at the end by a character, its less work for the reader and I’ve found that even thrillers I’ve enjoyed up until the end fall flat when this happens.

I’d recommend this book, it is one of the better thrillers I’ve read recently.

// 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 / 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝗪 //⁣
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⁣
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Thank you so much @netgalley and @megangoldinauthor for my {gifted} copy of #TheNightSwim ... this book sat way too long my #TBR list and I am KICKING MYSELF for not starting it sooner.⁣
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Anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely adore a book that is written like a podcast and this one was written FLAWLESSY. I am actually sad that I didn't listen to this as a podcast because I think I would have adored it even more (and I hear that the production is fantastic, so may need to check it out in the future). I was completely engrossed throughout the entire book and Goldin did a FANTASTIC job of writing multi-dimensional and multi-layer characters that had heart and depth. I am also a huge fan of police procedural cases and while this didn't focus heavily on that, I still appreciated that the reader was experiencing 2 similar cases, 25 years apart, being solved in tandem.⁣
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Trigger warning - this book focuses heavily on rape and it is extremely disturbing in parts. I will give Goldin a lot of credit for handling this subject matter with tact and grace though. The reader knew what was happening, but a lot of the graphic details were skimmed over, making it a bit easier to stomach. There were many points in this novel that I had to stop and walk away because I was sick at how horrifically these women were treated. My only gripe may have been how "justice was served," as the end was a bit anti-climatic for the one case, but nonetheless, this gets a massive 5 stars from me.⁣
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If you're free, @candidwithcourtney and I are going live on IG to chat about this book today (8/9/20) at 2pm ET. We have a lot to unpack and I'd love to hear your personal thoughts on this story. What a ride this was ... and definitely a book I'll be recommending to all of my friends and followers!

● THE NIGHT SWIM ●

THE DETAILS⇣
❱ A MYSTERY WITHIN A MYSTERY
❱ A TRUE CRIME PODCAST
❱ RAPE & RAPE CULTURE
❱ TIMELY & POIGNANT WITH A SATISFYING ENDING
❱ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 9 HOURS, 59 MINUTES
❱ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY DESPITE HAVING AN ARC VIA NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR A HONEST REVIEW


MY THOUGHTS⇣

I am a fan of any kind of Podcast element added to a story. If I read the word "podcast" in the synopsis...I'm totally there for it. I actually should have read this since I received an ARC...but since The Covid hit, I haven't been able to read much of anything...but I've still been listening to a boatload of Audiobooks, almost double what I had been. So, I recommended this to my library to purchase and I was the first one in line for it.

I'm super glad I went with the audio because the narration was perfectly performed by all three narrators. I'm also relieved that I didn't have to complain about how it needed more narrators because I'm beginning to feel like a broken record on that one. If you're put off by the reviews that say this is slow-moving...you should try it on audio...because this story was made for that format.

The Night Swim is more of a mystery than a suspense thriller...actually, a mystery within a mystery, both of which take place in the same town. One currently, which is the courtroom drama of a rape trial and the other one in the past which was never reported or looked at as a crime. Overall, this is equal parts slow-burn mystery, courtroom drama, and a girl trying to get justice for her sister. It deals with rape, slut-shaming, and being poor in such a realistic and heartbreaking manner that this should not be missed or overlooked. Whether you read it or listen to it...although obviously, I definitely recommend the latter.

BREAKDOWN⇣
￮ Narration Rating ⇢ 5 STARS
￮ Plot ⇢ 5/5
￮ Characters ⇢ 5/5
￮ The Feels ⇢ 5/5
￮ Pacing ⇢ 5/5
￮ Addictiveness ⇢ 5/5
￮ Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 5/5
￮ Originality/Believability ⇢ 5/5
￮ Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 4.8/5
￮ Ending ⇢ 5/5
￮ Summation ⇢ 5 STARS

TW: Sexual assault, rape

I love when books include a podcast angle in the story, so this one was right up my alley. And it was a true crime podcast, my favorite! I knew I was going to enjoy this book as soon as I read the synopsis. However, it does hit on the tough subject of rape and sexual assault, and does so in a way that shows just how wrong some people are about the victims and abusers. I think this book does a wonderful job of showing just how much rape can affect the life and mental well-being of both the victim and their families.

I found the story itself to be fascinating, but at the same time shocking and hard to read due to the violent content. However, I’m glad the tough stuff was included because Megan Goldin does a wonderful job of getting the reader to understand just how negative the effects of a rape can be on the victim and the victim’s family. She created a realistic story (hello Brock Turner) that, sadly, needs to be told and read. Also, a round of applause to Megan Goldin for showing how backwards some people’s thoughts are about rape! It was sickening to read how some people were defending the rapist, even with all of the fairly clear evidence that he did it. And to think that actually happens! This book told a gut-wrenching story that hooks you from the very first page. I had a hard time putting this one down.

This story was told using two POVs, podcast entries, and letters that were written to our main character, Rachel. It is told in chronological order; however, the letters tell us a story from the past and unfold little by little until the end. The chapters weren’t all that short, but they weren’t dreadfully long either. I enjoyed the way this was written and loved the inclusion of the podcast episodes and letters.

If you are a fan of true crime podcasts, definitely check this one out! And everyone else, if it’s not too triggering for you, pick this one up!

*Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

If you read Escape Room last year, this book is nothing like that. It's still a well-written dark mystery, but the similarities end there. The book is told from two POVs. Rachel is a podcaster, who reviews cases and judgements on her show. She is currently covering an alleged rape case in a small town, when she is contacted by Hannah. Hannah believes her sister was murdered 25 years ago in the same small town, although officially it was ruled a drowning. Hannah wants Rachel to get involved and help find out what happened to her sister, Jenny. Both cases are very interesting, yet sad in their own right. Of course, I kept waiting to see how these cases would overlap, and they do in the end. The ending wrapped things up and was as satisfying as it could be. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man this was a good one! I will admit that I am not normally a fan of legal thrillers (and did not realize that this was one) but I ended up loving it! I thought that the characters were well developed and I was so invested in the plot line. You should definitely pick this one up!!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of The Night Swim in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed The Escape Room so i was excited to see Goldin was releasing The Night Swim. Goldin has definitely established herself as one of my favorite suspense/thriller authors.

The Night Swim captivated me from the beginning and I didn't want to stop reading it. At times, the rape elements were hard to read, but it was important that Rachel was addressing the case on her podcast and helping to solve Jenny Stiles' case as well. I really enjoyed the podcast element and the alternating POV between Hannah and Rachel. It was interesting to see the trial play out although it was sad to see what rape victims must go through to have their rapists prosecuted.

I would definitely recommend this to a friend and I can't wait to see what Goldin will write next!

I will update the link when I share on my instagram account.

What a twisty and suspenseful read! I am definitely seeking out more from this author! The connection between two crimes keeps Rachel immersed in solving them. She is the host of a podcast that freed an innocent man from jail. I read this in one sitting because I needed to know what would happen next!

This book completely blew me away, from start to finish. Rachel is a podcaster and she is doing her third season following a rape trial of a teenager. The accused is an older teenager who is a famous swimmer. The town where the trial takes place has a big disparity between the haves and the have nots. Rachel is contacted by Hannah regarding her sister’s murder 25 years before. The story is written in each of their points of view. I don’t usually like this, but in this book’s case it was vital to the story. The similarities in both crimes have a disturbing parallel and the ending….I can’t even describe it! I couldn’t put this book down!

Also reviewed on B&N and Kobo

Rachel Krall knows she has fans. Her podcast has been running for a year and has constantly gained popularity. When she gets a note on her car asking for help, she would rather ignore it. Actually, the sender said this is not her first contact with Rachel. No doubt someone in her staff wrote a polite denial letter. Well, that was not enough, thus the note on Rachel's car.

There is a huge rape trial going on in Rachel's town of Neapolis. The accused is a young man destined for the Olympics. The case is huge and could certainly derail the young man's career. His guilt or innocence is at constant battle for the vigilant lawyers involved. Meanwhile, Rachel continually reports on the progress of the case via her podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty. However, as things progress, Rachel begins having doubts and starts asking questions of her own. Also, there is a cold case of over twenty-five years that cost the life of her sister Jenny. Evidence was murky at best at that time and now that Rachel is digging, she begins to see similarities between the two cases.

When I read the ARC of this book I was intrigued. However, I received an audio ARC of this book and, even though only a month or so passed since my first read, I was just as captivated by the story. The fact that it was narrated by three individuals was wonderful, especially since one of the narrators is someone I have listened to quite frequently, January LaVoy. As far as I am concerned, a familiar voice really lends a lot to what is already a very good story.

The production was remarkable as well. The intro to each chapter was awesome, and the way the narrators handled all of the various characters could not have been done better. Then when you factor in the two storylines - which was done seamlessly - this was indeed an excellent book.

The matters at hand are certainly touchy. Rape and consent were explored and that most definitely had me feeling quite a bit of compassion towards the victims. As this was delivered quite a bit in podcast fashion, well, that was done really well. All in all, Megan Goldin presents a terrific book and I am so glad that I had the opportunity for a reread, via the audiobook program that NetGalley recently adopted.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Five stars! By far my favorite book I’ve read in 2020!! I love true crime podcasts so when I started reading and found this was a large part of the book I was so excited!! The book had twists and turns I wasn’t expecting and kept me guessing the whole time. It was centered on two different rapes that occurred in a small town so could be triggering for some people to read. By far the best thriller I’ve read in quite some time and I can’t wait to see what else is to come from Megan Goldin! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!