When I started this book, I really had no idea what I was getting into. I didn't read the synopsis until I had started it, and honestly if I had known I probably wouldn't have picked it up. Which I am glad I did, but there was times it was a struggle. This book is a trigger warning! I express caution warnings if you have troubles with rape and sexual assault. You may not want to venture to this read.

The Night Swim you follow Rachel, who has a true crime podcast, travels to a town to witness a trial for a rape allegation for her 3rd season. While investigating, attending the trial, and recording her podcast she is sent daunting letters from a girl named Hannah. Hannah's sister had drowned 25 years ago and she wants help to solve it.

This book was brilliantly written. It is told in 3 POVs. You get Rachel, who is told in the 3rd person. Then you get Rachel's podcast episodes. On top of all of that you get Hannah's letters to Rachel. It flowed so seamlessly together and invested yourself into the the female characters.

As I said, this book is about rape and sexual assault. Let me be honest, it can be graphic and detailed. There were times I struggled. It's sickening and disturbing. It's heart wrenching and infuriating.

"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."

Drop whatever it is that you're doing because you need to read this book now. I have been lucky to read some amazing books this year and this is one of them. It just starts out with a bang and it just keeps ramping up and up until iits shocking conclusion which even I didn't see coming. Impossible to put down. Never mind. Don't put it down. An absolute must read. Happy reading!

The Night Swim is the perfect blend of multiple perspectives and timelines without the confusion of switching between characters and times. The story is told mainly from Rachel's point of view in a narrative format as well as her transcripts from her podcast. Although Hannah has her own chapters, they are always directed towards Rachel as a retelling of a story.
The element that I liked the most in this story was the use of the popular trend of crime podcasts. I thought it was a relatable story line that gave Rachel purpose for investigating while also having distance from the actual crimes. This made Rachel a very like-able character to me. I found the narrative to podcast transitions could be a little repetitive at times, it felt I was rereading sections instead of learning new information. A lot of the story plays out in the court room, it is a great example of a legal thriller from the unique perspective of someone in the media instead of one of the lawyers.
Throughout the book I wondered how pieces would fall or connect together. I was guessing until the very last chapters which I love in a thriller. There are multiple twists in this story that hold the suspense of the reader.
The setting of a small ocean town definitely added to the overall experience. It was interesting to see how the small town news and gossip spread around.
Rape is discussed heavily in this book as it is a major point of the plot. This is one of the harder subjects for me to read about, so I did find some of Hannah's chapters to be difficult to read based on that content.

I’ve never read anything by Megan Goldin before this book. But I can tell you, I’ll be reading more of her. If you like books where after only a few chapters you are wanting to cheat and peak at the ending, you will love this. Rachel’s podcast sounds so exciting. I can’t imagine what the stress of finding answers would be. It’s a hard task that hasn’t been done the proper way to begin with. But she doesn’t give up. I felt so many emotions throughout this book. I love a book that brings out emotions. What a wonderful talent to have. The only negative I have to say is it was a little slow moving.

Okay. So. This book is AMAZING. I can't emphasize that enough. Not only is it a well crafted thriller but it's also a much needed commentary on rape culture, how rape cases are handled and why more women don't come forward. And I almost liked that more than the thriller aspect because wow did all of it need to be said.

But let's talk thriller first. So there are two mysteries here, both pretty similar in nature but happening twenty-five years apart. Both are incredibly captivating and well crafted. I was just slightly more interested in Jenny's story because HOW DID NO ONE EVER HELP HER?!? I can't really go into details without spoilers but she was tormented (for lack of better, less spoilery word) for MONTHS. And, yes, Hannah did realize what was going on (kind of??? She was just too young to understand) but how did no one else notice???

Though, I guess Jenny's case was the classic, people noticed but assumed it was someone else's problem. So her story was the one that interested me more. I did end up guessing her killer but it was honestly more of a poetic justice? So I was deeply satisfied. (As I said. Well crafted.)

But the main focus of this story was the trial and that was handled SO WELL. I loved feeling like we were right there in the courtroom (no matter how frustrating that might have been) and I really loved following the entire story through that lens.

So. This is an absolutely wonderful thriller. Definitely one of my favorites of the year. It is incredibly well written and the ending is so worth it. Plus two mysteries for the price of one, a podcast, some legal thriller aspects. This book has a lot to offer!!! I HIGHLY recommend if you're looking for a good thriller!!!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this one!

I really enjoyed this book. The story pulled me in right away. The topic of how we perceive rape victims was illuminating. The book has more than one storyline going on. I liked both narrators. The switch of storylines was smooth. It was extremely interesting to learn both stories and how things have and haven't changed over the years. I liked Rachel a lot. She was a great lead for this story. The book had some surprises and a good conclusion. I would love to read more by this author and even more that had Rachel as the lead. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Part court room drama, part Nancy Drew-esque mystery solving, The Night Swim gave me so many different types of storytelling that I continuously wanted to keep reading and listening (I had both audiobook and e-reader versions). I also really enjoyed the Podcast segments that truly brought a different medium to the writing.

While listening to the audiobook, my only issue was the narrator choice. She was quite monotone and didn’t help me differentiate between the characters in the story. I did enjoy the podcast moments though with the theme music added in.

The whodunit element of The Night Swim was perfectly written and the mystery leading to the reveal was not too slow that the story felt like it was lagging. I am very happy to say this is a 5 star read for me!

TW: Rape

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is my first Megan Goldin book and I can't wait to see what else she has written. This was an exceptionally well written book that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat! Goldin grabs a hold of you and pulls you right in to the book. Hold on tight because the ride may be a little bumpy. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy! 📚

For some reason whenever pop-culture shows up in fiction I find it a little jarring. The Night Swim centers around Rachel Krall who runs a true crime podcast. Each season, she focuses on a different crime and the subsequent trial. The season in question takes place in a beachside town during a rape trial. Simultaneously, Rachel begins to get mysterious letters from a listener, begging her to look into the drowning of a young girl in Neapolis years before.

The book goes back and forth between both victims, Kelly and Jenny. Each of their experiences are heartbreaking and disturbing. Their accounts are interspersed with episodes of Rachel’s podcast. The format was very different from other thrillers I’ve read, but I didn’t love the podcast segments -- they felt very cut and dry.

There was a twist in the story toward the end, which absolutely shocked me, but much of the violence (gang rape, physical abuse, etc.) was hard for me to get through. The story sheds a strong light on victim blaming, and reputation during rape trials and the mental and emotional tolls on both girls were heartbreaking. If you like true crime, and true crime podcasts in particular, I think you’d enjoy The Night Swim.

Review Posted 8/4/20: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDe1sdegITp/
https://treatyourshelf.home.blog/2020/08/04/the-night-swim-by-megan-goldin-book-review/

Links to added when posted in early August

“If every woman who felt afraid called nine-one-one, the switchboard would melt. That is what women live with every day of our lives.”

Holy. Crap. The Night Swim was a gripping psychological thriller with some courtroom drama and mystery mixed in. I’m not usually big on courtroom stories but this book really got me.

CW: rape, sexual assault, cancer, death

The Night Swim is a story of two rapes set 25 years apart in the small coastal town Neapolis.

Rachel is the host of the hit podcast “Guilty or Not Guilty.” Her new season is covering the trial of a well-known swimmer accused of raping a local teenage girl.

While covering the trial for her podcast, Rachel receives mysterious letters from Hannah. Hannah’s sister Jenny drowned 25 years ago, or so they say. But Hannah has reason to believe Jenny was murdered and needs Rachel’s help to uncover the truth.

The Night Swim alternates between Hannah’s letters, podcast episodes, and current time. I really enjoyed that format and looked forward to the chapters that contained Hannah’s letters.

This book is heavy, especially because it seems to ring true to many similar cases over the years. It focuses a lot on the additional trauma a rape victim goes through if they choose to testify. It was heartbreaking to see it set in a small town where everybody knows everybody and is so quick to judge.

I think everyone who can should read The Night Swim. I know I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time.

The Night Swim was one of the best books I’ve read this year. Two rapes 25 years apart what are the odds they may be related. Follow alone with the trial with Rachelle and her podcast. She will give the play by play of everything that is going on but can she also help solve the 25 year old case as well. From the first page I was drawn in and couldn’t put it down. I was able to finish this in one sitting. If you haven’t already added this to you TBR then you are missing out.

Thank you NetGalley and Megan Goldin for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

5 Intense Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free- A Quick Review
I am doing a quick review because there are too many excellent ones out there for you to read. It was because of all those detailed, well-done reviews I found this on NetGalley.

This story covers so much and in a layered way. It is not something to skim through, it will not let you. Be prepared for our characters to challenge each other and question why they are doing what they are...

Thank you for this experience, Megan Goldin, I will remember it well.


A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin is told from two different timelines that weaves around some disturbing and brutal instances of sexual assault. I was so intrigued by these two storylines that I couldn’t stop listening. There was a really cool podcast element to the storyline too that added so much to this audiobook. It was like listening to an actual podcast. I would love for the author to actually write more stories around this podcast! It could become a great series.

I really enjoyed this story. Definitely loved the mystery that’s weaved throughout this story.

Some trigger warnings: sexual assault, victim blaming, death / suicide.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to reading more by this author. This story was truly mesmerizing. Definitely a great book to listen too.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin ⠀
🌟🌟🌟🌟 🌠- 4.5 /5 ⠀
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Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense ⠀
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"𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆-𝒐𝒏𝒆-𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅. 𝑰𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆-𝒐𝒏𝒆-𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔."⠀
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Review:⠀
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👍🏻⠀
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- Alternating perspectives from Rachel, Hannah and the third season of Rachel's podcast. ⠀
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- That there is a true-crime podcast. 😍 Rachel puts her listeners in a Juror's seat as they follow along with a court case. ⠀
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- The way she covers how some view rape is realistic. ⠀
" To tell you the truth, I dont get how we can unanimously agree that murder is wrong, yet when it comes to rape, some people see shades of grey." ⠀
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- The courtroom scenes. Not usually my favourite, but the description of the scenes were so well done that it felt like I was there. ⠀
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-It is an emotional read, it wasn't always easy to read, but I was hooked right away. I would get really heated in areas of the book and then feel sad and then heated again. It was an emotional rollercoaster. ⠀
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- It is very well written, and Goldin also covers a lot of societal issues. I.e. Social standing, rich vs poor, rape etc. ⠀
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- It is classified as a thriller, but I feel that it is more of a mystery and suspense novel. ⠀
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I really liked this book. As I said, it wasn't always easy to read. It goes into graphic details about rape and assault. However, I feel that Goldin depicts, unfortunately, a realistic societal view of rape. There shouldn't be so many shades of grey around a case of rape. A rape victim shouldn't have to take the stand and relive and defend themselves in front of so many people. ⠀
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I dont think I will ever forget this book and I hope there is another book on the way. 😉⠀
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A huge thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartin for a free E-ARC of this book.⠀
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TW: Rape, physical assault, victim shaming

Happy Publication Day to Megan Goldin for her new novel "The Night Swim." A big Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy! Wow...The Night swim was fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this slow-burn legal thriller. This brilliantly written story is told in dual narratives and timelines. The storyline kept me interested and engaged the entire way through. An emotionally intense, very compelling and engaging story. If you love a great courtroom drama this unputdownable read is definitely one to be added to your reading list.
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Book Synopsis: After her true-crime podcast became an overnight success and actually help set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name—and the last hope for people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.
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The new season of Rachel's podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. A local golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season 3 a success, Rachel throws herself into her investigation—but the mysterious letters keep coming. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insist she was murdered—and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody in town wants to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases—and a revelation that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

My thoughts: This reminds me of a grown up version of Good Girls Guide to Murder! Nothing wrong with that, but that’s all the vibes I was getting. You get the podcast of the trial throughout, Rachel’s POV, and then the POV of Hannah. This is a sensitive topic, but I feel the author did a great job shedding light to what victims of rape/sexual assault go through. There were parts in this books that definitely made me mad, but I feel that was the point. This book did a great job sparking the conversation, just like it meant to in the “podcast” in the story. While non of the twist took me by surprise, I still enjoyed every bit of it. & I always love a bit of legal drama in books. Definitely recommend this one and I would love for a second one!

This was my first novel by Megan Goldin - Let me just say....it won't be my last! This was such an interesting book for me - I devour True Crime Podcasts but have not read a book based on one -its kind of like having the inside scoop!

This the perfect fast summer read everyone needs in the their beach bag! I feel like this could not have been released at a better time -it is incredibly relevant!

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded down to 4 stars

Trigger Warning: Rape, Sexual Assault

This is the second book in a row that I have read that has featured a true-crime podcast. One of these days I’m going to listen to an actual true-crime podcast! In “The Night Swim”, Rachel Krall is riding the wave of popularity for her podcast, “Guilty not Guilty” which got an innocent man cleared of a murder conviction in its first season. For this season’s podcast, she has come to the small town of Neapolis, NC. She is covering the rape trial of a local ‘golden boy’ swimmer who has Olympic aspirations. He has been accused of raping the sixteen year-old granddaughter of the local Chief of Police.

However, someone in town has another idea of what Rachel should be focusing on while she is in town. Hannah keeps leaving notes all over the place for Rachel. Twenty-five years ago Hannah’s sister died by drowning. However, Hannah is convinced that she was murdered, and she finally convinces Rachel to help her investigate the circumstances of Hannah’s death.

This dual-timeline story is masterfully crafted, and contains gut-wrenching scenes of sexual assault. The inclusion of the assaults were not gratuitous. They moved the plot along its path. However, they were not easy to read. Fair warning, I had to take a break occasionally and come up for some fresh air. This extremely compelling book sucked me in, and made me hold my breath as it moved to an outstanding conclusion.

I would recommend it to readers who like fast-paced thrillers, and courtroom dramas. The chapters were short enough to keep me turning the pages. The writing is creative. It shed more much needed light on sexual assaults, and the ramifications it has on its victims. While this is much different from Ms. Goldin’s earlier work, “The Escape Room”, it is just as compelling in a completely new way.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

I have only good things to say about this amazing book by Megan Goldin. The book has you glued from page one full of twists, thrills, spooks and all that good stuff that thrillers bring into our lives. Megan Goldin is a force to be reckoned with! I finished this in two sittings. I'm shook over this story! I encourage everyone to read this!!

This is a riveting psychological thriller . I loved the author's talent for writing such difficult subject matter with such caring and compassion. This is a story only a brilliant women author as Megan Goldin can write. This is the story of two rapes decades apart . One is in trial , the other unsolved. Its the true depiction of victim shaming at its worse, discriminatory women hating juries and how women suffer through these horrendous events and trials. This is so well written and captivating that you will keep reading until the end .

Podcast host Rachel Krall has a very popular true crime podcast and has just finished a successful podcast dealing with a crime . She finds a note on the dashboard from a women named Hannah who believes her sister was murdered 25 years ago. She wants Rachel to find the killer. Rachel investigates the story and finds herself fascinated by the unsolved case. At the same time, Rachel begins attending the trial of a famous swimmer accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. The two cases soon come together with unexpected results. The trial reminded me of the recent Brock Turner trial , the swimmer who got off with a 6 month sentence. That shocked the nation and created such a outcry that the judge was removed from the bench. This is a similar trial that is shocking in how the victim is blamed and not the rapist. The courtroom scenes are realistic and will shock you to your core. Yes this is hard to read, but the author deftly tells the story of both victims and their stories deserve to be heard. Very well done to the author in handling such difficult subjects . This book is a must read.