I received the ARC eBook and audio book of The Night Swim. The writing in this was good and the flow was amazing. It kept me intrigued, flowing Rachel while she tried to solve 2 caes. My main hangup with this, though, is the lack of trigger warnings. Now I usually don't say that. I am not one to put trigger warnings in my works, but I felt like this needed one. The violent rape in this book made me so upset, I had to pull over, because i was listening on my way to work. That is the reason I gave it 3 stars.

Oh I loved this book so much! I liked (but didn't love) Megan Goldin's freshman effort, The Escape Room. It had all the right pieces, but something was missing that kept it from being fantastic. With The Night Swim, Megan Goldin knocked it out of the park. A podcast, a rape accusation, a 20-year old mysterious death, all wrapped up in one pretty large package.

I loved the plot and the pacing. The plot kept twisting and turning and it was hard to keep up with everything and how/if they were related. What a fun and wild ride! I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Night Swim is the first book that I have read by Megan Goldin. It centers around Rachel Krall who is the host of a podcast called Guilty or Not Guilty where she has earned a reputation by covering murders and murder trials. In her first 2 seasons, she was instrumental in changing the course of two murder investigations. For her 3rd season, she is following a rape trial in a small coastal town while simultaneously investigating a murder that happened decades before in that same town.

Although it did start off kind of slow, the book eventually got me interested and really started to pick up the pace. The author did a really great job of exploring how class and gender play a role in criminal investigations. Rachel Krall proved to be a very likable and capable investigator in her own right. She truly missed her calling. The book featured an interesting cast of characters that were very hard to figure out until I got closer to the end. I can’t get into any true details because this is truly a double mystery with some compelling plot twists that really made the storyline rather unique. Overall, I did find it all to be hauntingly realistic and relevant to our current climate. I would definitely read another book by this author.

This novel had me absolutely riveted throughout. Both story lines were compelling, but my favorite of the two was the story of Jenny and Hannah Stills.

The book covered many social problems. It spoke to how ‘justice’ can sometimes be bought. That if you want a decent defense you have to pay through the nose. It shows the disparity between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. It also touched on the subject of ‘victim blaming’, a common occurrence in rape trials. It chronicled how very important reputation is to the psyche, and how social media has ascertained that everyone wants to voice their opinion, whether they are based on facts…. or not.

The setting, coastal North Carolina was fabulous and I could almost smell the briny air. The characters were well drawn and the plot tight and believable.

In my opinion, the ending was very satisfactory and it also left the narrative open enough that this could potentially be the beginning of an interesting series – though I have no idea if the author intends to bring Rachel Krall back in further books.

This was an easy 5-star read for me. No question. I’ve not read this author before, but she will now be one I look out for. Highly recommended!

I have been debating on how to rate this book for a while since I finished it. I did not like it at all. The only reason I finished it was because of pure determination to finish a book. The writing felt like the author was watching a PG thriller and copying it down. The characters were not really relatable or likable. The dialogue seemed straight out of the '50s at times. As a whole, it didn't make much sense that characters would do or say what they did.

I found this to be a well-written, fast paced story about two crimes in the same town set 25 years apart. The characters were interesting and the story intriguing. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Goldin always keeps me enthralled with five star thrillers. This one is no different! The Escape Room was just as good as this one, so if you enjoyed her debut, you'll enjoy this one.

This was one of the best and most shocking books I read this summer. I loved every minute of it and Megan Goldin is quickly becoming a must read author for me!

This was my first book of 2021 and it did not disappoint. I think the fact that I was coming off a reading rut is the only reason this got 4 stars instead of 5. I just had no drive to read but this book kept me wanting me.

I really enjoy investigative books so I thought this book was perfect and the podcast aspect was super interesting. It was also very eye opening on just how brutal rape trials are for the victim. It made me really angry and hopefully things will change in the future so victims don't have to go through such a trauma gauntlet.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for a galley of The Night Swim in exchange for my honest review. I was incredibly stoked to receive a copy of Megan Goldin's latest after enjoying The Escape Room so much. I find it very clever that the author made the main character, Rachel, a true-crime podcaster and used letters and podcast episodes to unfold the past in an otherwise chronologically written story. TW: The author tackles difficult subjects of sexual assault and rape and touches on the harsh realities of how the victims can be torn apart on the stand, in the media, and by a community. I found a surprising (yet appreciated) depth to this suspenseful whodunit that you just don't find in a lot of thrillers. Two homeruns in a row have made me a Megan Goldin fan and I look forward to reading what she puts out next.

I loved the premise of this book! Such a fun and unstoppable read! This one kept me hooked from the beginning!

A podcaster, a small town, some old mysteries, some new mysteries. There was a lot to like in this book. Rachel is in town to cover a trial for her podcast when she gets more than she bargained for.

The plot was fast paced and I could not put this one down!

I loved the Escape Room by Megan Goldin, so I was super excited to read The Night Swim-and I have to say, it's a superb follow-up and one of the best books that I read in 2020. From the moment I picked it up until I put it down, it was completely enthralling!

There are two storylines in the novel: one about a young man, an Olympic hopeful, accused of raping a young girl and the other about the death of a local girl, Jenny 25 years ago whose sister is convinced was murdered although the town is convinced she drowned. Rachel, the host of the podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty, goes to the coastal of Neapolis to cover a rape trial and becomes involved in looking into the death of Jenny by her sister Hannah. Is there a connection between the rape case today and Jenny's death in the past? If so, how and why? This is definitely a suspenseful read that will have you searching for answers as the tensions mount, shocks keep coming, and the conclusion will leave you stunned.

What I really, really loved is the podcast chapters since it made me feel like I was listening to Rachel's podcast! That was such a clever device for the novel. Overall, the novel is excellent, with a fabulous plot, wonderful characterizations, the two storylines work well together and converge beautifully. This is a heartbreaking book on several levels.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for this book. It was awesome and I will now always read all off this author's books as they come out as the writing is easy to read and just a nice pace. I feel giving too much information in thrillers is very spoiling so let me not disappoint. Get out and get this one to read it!! thanks again NetGalley!

Great crime/thriller novel! 👀

This book tells two stories - one, a rape trial currently taking place; and two, a “murder” that occurred 25 years prior. The story is clear and alternates between chapters of the two plots. Of course, these inevitably intertwine.

There could have been more detail, or at least some foreshadowing of the conclusion. Even though the ending was abrupt, this was a fantastic story that I definitely recommend! *Warnings for sexual violence and rape*

*Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel Krall, the main character, has gotten pretty famous for her addicting crime podcast. No one knows what she looks like. When she is covering a rape trial, she starts to receive mysterious letters begging for her help to solve a crime years ago.

Overnight Rachel Krall's name, and voice, have become recognizable by millions of people. Her podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty, has become a pop-culture phenomenon ever since she helped to prove a convicted man was innocent. Her new season is going to focus on the rape trial of a future Olympic athlete. He is young, handsome, and quite privileged. Rachel isn't in town a day before she finds a plea for help in the form of a letter on her windshield. And just like that, Rachel is pulled into another woman's story and a woman who dies twenty-five years ago. Will Rachel be able to find out what happened to Hannah while keeping a partial eye on the trial that brought her to town?

It has only been in the last couple of years that I have started listening to podcasts. There is something about the tone of a lot of podcasts that make them seem calming. The steady cadence of the narrator is almost hypnotizing. I was able to listen to The Night Swim in audiobook and I loved hearing that "tone" in this book. Rachel Krall had a very calming tone to her. She wasn't really looking to be pulled into helping Hannah, but she couldn't resist. The rape case ended the way that it should have, but Hannah's story was a little more shocking. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.



Bottom Line - The Night Swim tackles a really relevant topic in a really relevant way through the use of the podcast. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for a good read.





Details:

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
On Twitter
Pages: 352
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 8/4/2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Krall, the host of a true crime podcast has found a controversial case for her 3rd case. Scott, a college swimmer and an Olympic hopeful, has been accused of raping a high school girl, and the coverage by Rachel’s podcast shoots the trial to national headlines. At the same time, someone is following Rachel, begging her to investigate a drowning case that is 25 years old. The farther Rachel dives into this small town, the more she realizes the court case she’s covering and the drowning case may not be unconnected.
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I looooved THE NIGHT SWIM by Megan Goldin so much that I listened to the audio book at the same time as reading the physical book. I could not get enough, so of course I finished this very quickly. I wouldn’t say it ended on a cliff hanger, but it does seem open ended enough that I’m really hoping for another book following Rachel Krall!
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A big thank you to the author (@megangoldinauthor) the publisher (@stmartinspress) and @netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (less)

WHY DID I LISTEN TO THE NIGHT SWIM BY MEGAN GOLDIN?
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin was pitched to me as a book that explores rape culture. To me, that topic is interesting and tragic. And well, something that I think a lot of women can relate to unfortunately. So, I decided that I would absolutely give The Night Swim a chance, even though I don’t really read a lot of adult books in this genre. Seeing the audiobook show up on Libby made me prioritize this all the more and I am so glad I listened to the audiobook.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Rachel Krall is a podcaster whose show went viral in the first season. She’s a household name and recognizable by her voice, not so much by her face. When she stops at a diner, she goes back out to her car and sees a note addressed to her on the windshield. It freaks Rachel out because she’s been so private about her appearance. Rachel has come to the small town of Neapolis to base her podcast around a small town rape trial. This trial is about the town golden boy who has been accused of sexual assault by the granddaughter of the police chief. While Rachel is investigating and podcasting, she receives these letters asking her to find out who murdered Jenny Stills, twenty five years ago. You see, Jenny’s death had been written off as an accident due to her taking a night swim. But the letter writer, Jenny’s sister, believes it was murder and wants to find justice for her sister.

WHAT DID I THINK OF THE NIGHT SWIM?
The Night Swim was different from how I expected. It ended up being really engaging and making me think. Obviously, the theme of the book is a big issue in our society today. The whole golden boy swimmer thing could be ripped from headlines, right? I thought that Goldin handled the topic with sensitivity and was really thoughtful in her writing. It didn’t feel like she was sensationalizing sexual assault.


HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The format of The Night Swim was perfect for audio. It’s a story told using podcast format for some chapters, others are told by Rachel, and others are essentially narrated from the past. Now, the audiobook does the podcast portions like a real podcast which was really cool. It also utilizes three narrators – Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz. The three narrators do an excellent job. This audiobook is 9 hours and 59 minutes long – yet the ten hours goes by so quickly and it is absolutely due to the audiobook production and narration. If you are going to read The Night Swim be sure it is in audiobook format.

Great book! It started off a little slow paced but quickly picked up! I was reading non stop until the very end of the book.