I absolutely loved the night swim. One of my top books of the year. I loved the small town location and the podcast within the book. I can’t wait for more from Megan Goldin!

This was an emotionally challenging book to read. However, no matter how heavy and trauma-absorbed the story, the author does a great job of addressing the difficult aspects of rape in a sensitive manner. The two thread of the two cases are woven together and ultimately affects the trial and the lives of the individuals involved. Twists and a great ending make for an interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Loved this book! I enjoy alternating time lines. It kept me guessing all the way through.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book, the chapters alternating between past, present, and podcast kept me thoroughly engaged. The storyline was great with the similar cases and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't guess what was coming.. I recommend this to thriller/podcast lovers.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

Rachel Krall is the host of a true-crime podcast, choosing to go away from her usual content to follow devastating rape trial in a small town. Not usually recognized, Rachel is stricken to find a personal note on her windshield, begging for help solving a cold case. As the author of the note persists, will Rachel decide to use her investigative skills and uncover the town's secrets?

Having read other books by this author, I was expecting a good mystery thriller with a twist at the ending. The plot of The Night Swim was too thinly veiled, as the ending was hinted at throughout the book. There were aspects of the book that were completely realistic, regarding the coverup of past events and the use of the media in the present. Prior to the Me Too movement, victims of assault often did not disclose their trauma, as they were often victimized by those in authority in the aftermath. The heavy dose of reality also ushered in a bit of implausibility, especially regarding the size and scale of the secrets. Although I did like the podcast being used as a vehicle to tell the story, I would have liked more of Rachel's personality to shine through. Overall, The Night Swim is a good mystery thriller and one that I would recommend to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Night Swim by NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press. The choice to review this novel was entirely my own.

I’m selective about the crime fiction I read, but I knew this was for me when I read the synopsis. Rachel has a true crime podcast, and for her latest series she goes to North Carolina where she’s asked to investigate a cold case murder. The courtroom scenes were gripping!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing and was really suspenseful. I rarely give five stars to a book but this one deserves it. Highly recommend!

4.5 stars_How many times can I say atmospheric in my reviews?! But honestly, books that are atmospheric just get me! I enjoy them so much more, and this one is no different.

I loved the short chapters! It always makes me read more in a short period of time since it’s easier to just be like “one more chapter”. In addition to short chapters, we get two different POVs! Which makes the story more suspenseful, in my opinion!

I really loved the podcasts part of the book, it made me even more curious and not want to put the book down!
I don’t want to get too much into details because there are twists and turns along the way; I don’t want to spoil anything! Especially the ending!

Having read both The Night Swim and The Escape Room, I’m a Megan Goldin fan! Both books were great! Highly recommend her books!

The book is about a true-crime podcaster who is investigating a present-day rape case on trial in a small town. In the meantime, she is followed around by Hannah who is the sister of another woman that was murdered in the same town 25 years ago. Are the two cases connected? What will be the outcome of the rape trial?

I expected more of a thriller and this was more a slow-moving story. The subject was triggering and difficult. The ending was predictable and underwhelming. It ended up being somewhat disappointing.

Really enjoyed this one! It revolves around two stories; one from the past and one in current time. The main character is named Rachel Krall, who does true crime podcasts. Her first season was a huge hit which set an innocent man free, and now she has a third case involving a rape case trial in a small town called Neapolis. While investigating the accused rapist (the towns golden boy, a swimmer destined to go to the Olympics) Rachel finds a note on her windshield from a woman who wants Rachel to investigate her sister’s death that happened over 20 years ago. The two cases collide as Rachel starts her investigation of both cases.
I thought this story was well thought out and written. Very original. Great storyline for me as I love anything to do with true crime podcast books (fiction ones that is). It held my attention from start to finish! I read the kindle version and purchased the Audible version so when I couldn't read, I could listen to the book being read. The narrators (Bailey Carr, Samantha Desz, and January Lavoy) were the best! Both stories are sad, but the 20-year case I found disturbing and sad. I think that's the only reason I didn't give it five stars. I highly recommend this book or audio book to anyone who enjoys a good Mystery, Suspense & Thriller, just know it has a disturbing rape content. I liked this book so much I went back and purchased another audible book from this author and I can't wait to listen to. This one was definitely one credit worthy.
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

I circle back to this book and how phenomenal it was all the time. It is in my top 3 favorite books I read last year. As a journalist, I always feel like authors really miss the mark when they stereotype us. Megan is a phenomenal writer and I will pre order all of her books.

This was so much more than a thriller, and I love when that happens. I don’t really have the right words for this one, it was heartbreaking, smartly done, thought provoking, but it was not what I would call a psychological thriller in the sense of what I am used to reading, so just be prepared for that. Rather, the focus is on a current day trial, where the town’s golden boy has been accused of raping the granddaughter of the police chief. Rachel Krall is a well known podcaster that gets a note on her car asking for help in finding out what happened to her sister Jenny Stills 25 years ago, in the same small town, who was also raped and later allegedly drowned. As Rachel investigates and realizes the cases may in fact be connected, it culminates in an ending that I was not expecting.

This is a tough read and there are trigger warnings throughout, one obviously for rape but two also for abuse, and so you should be aware of this going into it. But I thought this was well done in how the topic was handled, and the audiobook is fantastic, I do think it is the way to go if you can read it that way.

I really enjoyed Goldin’s first book and thought this was equally as good, so she is moving into autoread status for me at this point. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy to review.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the podcast aspect, but also that the whole book did not follow that theme. I liked the two cases that the main character was involved in and how they were tied together in the end. I would give it a solid 4 and would definitely recommend!

The Night Swim is a story about rape - the violence of the event, the trauma of the aftermath, the horror of the trial and the gauntlet women are forced to go through to achieve justice. While the details are not graphic, the brutality of what happens within the story is distressing enough that those who are triggered by this subject should probably not read the book.

Rachel Krall went from small-time reporter to household name when she started the podcast Guilty or not Guilty? which "puts the listener in the jury box". During her first season she helped an innocent man go free and her second season was just as successful. Podcasts are a hot commodity however, and with copycat casts appearing everywhere, Rachel is concerned for her ratings. Determined to stay on top, she and her editor Pete decide to cover a rape trial and show how differently they are handled to those involving murder. Which is why Rachel is traveling to Neapolis, NC - to do programs about the trial of the town's local hero, Scott, a national championship swimmer bound for Olympic glory who allegedly assaulted a young girl named Kelly.

The trip gets off to an eerie start. Stopping for a caffeine fix and a rest room break at a small diner, Rachel returns to her car to discover a letter left on her windshield. The note, from someone named Hannah, tells Rachel that the woman has contacted her twice and resorted to this method of communication because Rachel has not responded to her previous correspondence, and Hannah is desperate for her help. Hannah’s sister Jenny was murdered twenty-five years earlier in Neapolis and the case was never solved. It wasn't even a case - the police insisted Jenny drowned. But Hannah knows better, and she needs Rachel to get justice for her sister.

As a radio personality who doesn't do television interviews and whose publicity stills are fuzzy shots taken by her ex close to a decade ago, Rachel should be unrecognizable, so it disturbs her that Hannah somehow knows who she is. It troubles her even more as the notes continue to appear - on Rachel’s car, at her hotel room door, dropped off at the courtroom where she is covering the trial. But even as Rachel worries about her stalker she becomes increasingly interested in Jenny. It quickly becomes clear that whatever happened two decades before was no accidental drowning. So why was there no police investigation? Why do the townspeople act so strangely when she asks about it? And why is everyone so anxious to blame Jenny for her own death?

This slow-burn, low key mystery is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. I feared at first that I would find Rachel off-putting, that she would be so focused on her ratings and success that she would use either the rape case or the Jenny case to get where she wanted to be and trample everyone who got in her way. Instead, I found Rachel to be an amazingly kind, compassionate and considerate person who is persistent in tracking down information but not at all callous about it. She doesn’t expose the people who help her, doesn’t promise Hannah solutions she can’t give her, and doesn’t railroad witnesses. In short, Rachel is a decent human being who knows how to do her job and does it well.

I liked that there was no love interest in the book. Rachel is exploring two cases - Jenny and the Scott/Kelly trial - and spends all her time working. I thought this was realistic - she has limited time in that community and needs to focus on what she wants to accomplish.

The look at how justice regarding rape works - from the blame-the-victim mentality of many people to the devastating toll it takes on those involved (the father of one of the witnesses loses his job, Kelly's family feel forced to leave town, the accused loses his scholarship and his chance at the Olympics before the trial even takes place) was fascinating. While I don’t think the author gives a balanced view - she doesn’t seem too concerned about innocent until proven guilty - I did appreciate the effort she expends in showing the domino effect of the assault and how a lot of innocent people are damaged by it.

I also really appreciated how a string of normal occurrences on Kelly’s part turned into a crime. She gets into a fight with a girlfriend and as a result, is forced to leave a party in the middle of the night with no real safe way home. She finds herself seeking help from people whom she considers allies who abuse that trust. It’s all very normal and underlines the vulnerability women face when we aren’t hypervigilant of our surroundings and suspicious of everyone we see.

While she is a key figure in our story, we meet Hannah only through her letters till the very end. These missives track what she, as a ten-year-old, witnessed in the weeks leading up to Jenny's death. Ms. Godin nails this portion of the narrative, capturing perfectly how a young child could be witness to crucial events/conversations and never realize the significance and meaning of those occurrences until she is much older.

For those used to the frantic pacing of books in the current thriller market, this story might seem a bit too slow. I would disagree though – this book has a true to life measure that makes it more chillingly realistic than a lot of the more frenzied offerings currently on the shelves.  I would recommend The Night Swim to anyone who enjoys mysteries.

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I absolutely love true crime podcasts so naturally this book fit right in with me. I love a good who dun it? This town has a rape/drowning/murder tragedy that pits two prominent families against each other. The town is taking sides. Enter Rachel, the podcast host. Rachel is convinced to take on a somewhat detective role in this case. Rachel discovers a lot more than she thought she would. Her own family history becomes intertwined with this case. If you like suspense, twists, and true crime podcast detectives, you will love this book.

After reading Escape Room, I knew I had to read The Night Swim because Mean Goldin is a genius. Will be purchasing for the library's collection and recommending for book discussion groups.

Finally, a readable, interesting, engaging mystery!!! These days, the bookshelves are full of mysteries and thrillers, but these are weak in the department of intelligent writing. Not "The Night Swim"! And I am now a fan of the authoress.

The novel deals with one of the most cruel, devastating and disturbing crimes - the rape. And with the aftermath of this despicable act/acts - what happens when the victim does not stay silent.

Popular true crime podcaster Rachel Krall is staying in the small town of Neapolis to cover the real-time trial where the local golden boy is accused of raping a young girl. It is the case of he said/she said - and also what everyone else is saying, and opinions are divided.
Rachel is also approached by a woman asking for her help with the older, forgotten case.
What is the price of going out into the light with the truth?

The topic weighs heavily on my mind. Rape is such an evil act, such a destroyer of people's souls - and also their lives and the lives of their dear ones. Such a multitude of pain affects the victims. Ah.
And the brave ones to come out often also pay the price of public shame, the loss and even invasion of their privacy, the ugly reactions of mob.

Ms Goldin is very good at covering all the shades and nuances of what happens. The violent acts themselves are described with capable hand, the pain is visible, yet the descriptions are not disturbingly graphic. She also uncovers the atmosphere of shaming/slut shaming, where the (mostly unprotected) girls might be shamed into the silence and submission.

Of course, not everything is 100%. To be honest, there is a slight aftertaste of "the boy/man is very, very probably guilty". Which is not always the case. But in the most cases, it IS the truth. The truth shall prevail in any case is a good answer to this polemics, which Ms Goldin does not oppose in my opinion.
Also, there is a character that is both victim and perpetrator (in staying silent). His suffering should not be forgotten - but also not his silence.

Having said all that, I simply hope that there will be a series with Rachel! Such a well-built environment should be continued.

This is a rich, multifaceted read that aspire for the best mystery read position of this reading year!

The Night Swim was a frustrating, maddening, sad and satisfying read for me. Please note, if you do not like reading books that describe sexual assault or rape, then stay far away from this book.

There were really 3 storylines presented to the reader in this book. One for Hannah who is telling the story of what happened to her sister 20+ years before, one for Rachel, the reporter who investigates crimes and is being pursued by Hannah to tell her sisters story, and one for the podcast that Rachel presents to her listeners summarizing her investigation findings.

The uniqueness of having Rachel’s story and then her Podcast throughout the book was interesting. I quite liked it as it presented information that the story didn’t cover or it went in to more detail of information already presented to the reader. I truly felt like I was listening to a podcast in this audiobook and that was pretty cool.

The storyline with Hannah was a big bust for me however. Things just didn’t mesh up well. First Hannah pursue Rachel to request her help, then when Rachel gets interested, Hannah backs off. When she does communicate with Hannah, it’s in bits and pieces instead of just telling her the story all at once and requesting her help. It didn’t make any sense. No one would do that in reality. And it was frankly, very annoying. Add to that, when Hannah did share her information, she told it as a story with very specific scenes being fully laid out such as how she picked up a stick and ran it through the dirt as they walked down the road or describing the movie theater they went to, how the food bar was set up, how the popcorn looked like confetti on the ground, etc. If you’re trying to recruit a reporter’s help in looking into an event, none of these things would be part of your conversation. They don’t matter.

I can only attribute the story being told like this as the author wanting to take advantage of the dual timeline trend that is so popular right now. It really didn’t fit this story and felt very forced.

Having said that, the story itself, both timelines, were heartbreaking and gripping. I was so sad. Some of the events are based in reality and are a direct reflection of the failures of our legal system and small town police departments in their inability or unwillingness to hold men and boys accountable for their violent actions.

I would recommend this story but I wish it had been written or packed differently, not using the dual timeline. It just didn’t work for me.

What a difficult subject to cover, but fairly well written. Some parts were difficult to read just because of the subject matter, but overall I enjoyed the book.