This book was everything and more!!! I had read the description of the book, but I was still unsure how the story was going to unfold while I started reading it. I actually listened to this one on audio. This was my first audiobook through netgalley and I was not disappointed at all!!!! I found myself so captivated within the story that I actually finished it in one day! To say the least, The Night Swim had me hooked. My favorite part of this book was that there was a podcast within the book!! Like what!?!?!?!? I thought the writing within the story was brilliant! I felt like I was within the story myself. Although this book does talk about some heavy and touchy topics; I felt myself amazed and captivated by the story. I found myself getting all in my feelings because of how emotional I was getting. I found that I was getting angry with some of the accusations and statements that were being said in order to 'defend rapists.' Although it is sad, some of these statements are true and what people use even in today's world.

I am not normally one who runs for the latest thriller but if all thrillers are like this, then sign me up!!

If you love a good thriller, are a fan of true crime and love podcasts then I highly suggest you read/listen to this one.! And if you don't like any of that., then I suggest you still give it a try because I can guarantee you will probably like The Night Swim!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this free arc and audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion!!

What an excellent book. I think the best way to describe the storyline is solid. I was hooked from the very beginning and stayed engaged the whole way through. The two alternating storylines of Hannah/Jenny and Rachel/Katie were both very well written, and wove together very intricately throughout the book with a nice twist at the end. I really thought I had this one figured out, but was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong! Both Katie's and Jenny's stories are absolutely heartbreaking, and also extremely timely. I thoroughly enjoyed the podcast aspect of this story, and the audiobook captured it perfectly. From the intro music to the change in narrator voice, I literally thought I was listening to a podcast during Rachel's show sections. Excellent use of the audio aspect. I'd recommend this book in general, but especially the audiobook. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC of this title. All thoughts and opinions are 100% unbiased and my own.

3.5 stars

I'm not sure I've ever read a book quite like this one. It takes the ever popular true crime podcast, and incorporates it into a domestic type thriller. I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged from start to finish, and I think the snippets into the podcast really helped the pacing. I was never bored, and I was eager to pick it up. I liked the atmosphere and thought Goldin did a really good job putting the reader in the courtroom and trying to figure out how the two cases intersected.

While the enjoyment of this book was top notch for me, I can't overlook the fact that it had a lot of problems. The writing style is overly tell not show, and that made Rachel (and many of the other characters) extremely bland. I wonder if this story would have worked better in first person perspective so we could learn more about Rachel. I was also irritated by the fact that she boasts her ability to be impartial in the case and that was expressed time and time again. Yet, she was obviously in favor of the victim and clearly thought the defendant was trash.

The audiobook was great, and I think the narrators really brought the story to life. The voices added to the atmosphere along with the music leading into Rachel's podcasts. I would definitely recommend listening to this book.

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

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 was a great book! And I am so glad that I listened to this audiobook, as I feel that platform was especially appropriate for this story. The story focuses on a reporter investigating a small-town rape trial currently happening. In the process, she gets drawn into also looking into another case from years ago. The reporter, Rachel, interviews and interacts with so many different characters during these investigations, yet I did not have a hard time following. This book was intriguing, and kept me guessing throughout. I did not have the ending figured out, but it was really well thought out and done. I truly cared about the characters and what happened. It was not an easy story to read, but it was so well written.
The audiobook format was fantastic for this book, as it even brought in music and a great intro each time the chapter moved to a podcast episode. It enhanced the experience of reading this book, and I highly recommend it!

Amazing work, pleasant voice! I'm very picky with my audio book narrators but this was perfect! 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!

“Let us not diminish the impact of a sexual assault on a victim’s life”

My day has completely gotten away from me, but I am so excited to say HAPPY PUB DAY to this recent 5 star read.

Before I get into it, let me first say… I read a lot of audiobooks (listen to a lot of audiobooks? What is the correct verb here?). Many times I am grateful for the format of audiobooks because it gives me the opportunity to read way more books than I could in traditional means. Sometimes I read an audiobook and I think hmm, this could have been better as a physical book.

Readers, THIS WAS SO DARN GOOD as an audiobook. (*I’m sore it’s also awesome as a regular book*). Ok so let me explain the premise here a little bit so I can continue gushing about this format of this book. This book follows a SERIAL-esq podcaster who is covering a rape case. As a survivor of a sexual assault myself sometimes I stray away from books with this subject matter, but I am really glad I gave this one a shot. The book can basically be broken up into 3 parts:
~The real time of what is happening to Rachel (the podcast host)
~The flashbacks of what happened to Jenny and her sister (someone trying to get the attention and resources of the podcast)
~The podcast

This is why it’s SO cool as an audiobook. The production company even made intro music for the podcast and it was a truly immersive experience. I previously read Are You Sleeping (a similar style book) in physical format, but now it makes me wonder if all of these podcast/crime books are better as audios. Thoughts?

Anyways, I highly recommend this book, but especially recommend it as an audiobook. This is also the book that my bookclub selected for August so I am excited to hear their thoughts too! PS - completely wild that there's a tropical storm in the book AND one on the book birthday.

Pub Day: Today!
Author: Megan Goldin
Narrator: Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, Samantha Desz
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you SO much to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martins Press for providing me with an advanced listener copy of this book. All opinions are my own! <3

The Night Swim is very different from The Escape Room and is more of an emotional read. This was marketed as an edge of your seat thriller, but it felt more like a slow burn crime fiction. ⁣
⁣
The two timelines are captivating, heartbreaking, and suspenseful. This book covers heavy topics including rape culture, victim shaming, bullying, reputation, and credibility well. I loved the podcast and interviews and highly recommend this book on audio. The way the two timelines are connected is very engaging and I was surprised with the outcome. While I empathize with Hannah's concern and questions revolving around her sister's death, I did find her character to be a bit creepy and off putting. However - the two cases still made for a very enjoyable read! ⁣
⁣

Wow! That ending, I did not see it coming. Or rather I should say I didn’t see the person who was involved in that ending.

So, it took me a few chapters to get into The Night Swim. But once I did, I couldn’t stop listening. The narrators were great and the story was really really good. I like how the author interweaves the present and the past. Like I said before, it was quite shocking for the people who were involved and how the story panned out in the end.

Overall I would give this book 4 solid stars. The writing was great and the storyline was intriguing as well. I think the author did a good job of portraying the characters in the rape trial, which is obviously a sensitive subject and you could just feel the inner turmoil from the main characters as the situation elevated throughout the book. This was definitely a good psychological thriller with n ending I thought fit the story perfectly.

I listened to the audio version and I would highly recommend it! I’m a huge fan of audio books and the narrators did an excellent job in The Night Swim.`

Happy Publication Day : Today, Tuesday 08/04/2020!! NOW AVAILABLE!!

Debilitating; Gut-Wrenching.

This reads like a True Crime. HIGHLY recommend the audio version.

Powerful; bold. I’m emotionally shook. I have a major book hangover after this one.

“The Night Swim” gave me “Sadie” by Courtney Summers vibes but EVEN better! Also much more graphic.

“...We make constant calculations in life, [considering] convenience vs. safety. Most of the time things work out fine, occasionally something terrible happens.”

“If every woman who felt afraid called 9-1-1 the switchboard would melt.”

Rachel Krall, co- partner of the radio show “ Guilty or Not Guilty- The podcast that puts YOU in the jury box,” has been known to help police solve crimes before . During her very first season on air, she assisted a man that had been falsely accused, to get acquitted and released from jail. Now, for season 3, she has taken it upon herself to take a closer look into Neapolis’s largest trial involving the town’s “Golden Boy” and expert swimmer Scott Blair. The Blair family, one of the richest in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, cannot fathom that their son could possibly be guilty of such behavior. He’s only 18 years old, and has such a bright future ahead of him, and while he may be “ immature” this hardly seems like Scott’s etiquette.

But, what is he guilty of you ask? The rape and sexual assault of “K” ( name withheld for privacy reasons), after she left a party at her friends house, visibly intoxicated. K ,our 16 year old “alleged victim,” claims that she drank several cups of soda while trying to sober up and was not aware that they had been spiked. Witnesses of the party, and video footage on social media show K losing her balance and bumping into people shortly before Lexie, the party host, throws her out of the house. She is forced to walk home. Before she leaves, a male friend Harris Wilson, is seen offering to walk her home. But, the two decide to make a pit stop at his house along the way. After he runs in his house to get a few “ things” he returns to find K missing. He yells for her, but she’s nowhere to be found.

“Rape is devisive.”

“Everyone seems to have an opinion, but no one has facts.”

“Rarely are there witnesses other than the parties themselves.”

Rachel, tries to maintain anonymity due to the nature of her job, but is shocked when she stops at a truck stop for breakfast and returns to her vehicle with a note on the windshield. How could anyone have known that she was going to stop here? The letter is from a woman named Hannah who claims that she is the sister of Jenny Stills, a 16- year old girl that drowned in the jetty after hitting her head on jagged rocks 25 years ago, in 1992. But Hannah stresses that Jenny’s death was not an accident and that Rachel is her last resort and the only one that can help to avenge her sister’s murder. But, how can Rachel help Hannah when she has such a big story already on her plate? She tries to ignore the letters but they continue to come, in the most surprising of places; even in her locked hotel room.

What do K and a Jenny have in common? How does what happened to one teenage girl relate to a car accident that killed two boys that were just as young? Why is it that when a girl is raped, that many turn a blind eye or suddenly recall that she had a salacious “reputation?” What could the homeless man who lives in the boat shed know ?

“I screamed, but not a sound came out.”

“I was shocked how he went from being nice to aggressive.”

“He told me that I’d go home when he was ready for me to go home.”

“The only way to keep my good girl reputation was to shut up.”

“It was more convenient for people if that girl’s death was put down as an accident.”

“This girl was met with extreme violence before her death.”

Before Chapter 39, take a deep breath in and prepare yourself because you’ll need it.

“She was hyperventilating on the stand. Then she made a primal sound that I’ve only heard once before, at a slaughterhouse. It was a deep, wrenching howl of pain that sent chills up the spine.”
Right up up until the shocking conclusion you will have no clue what is going on in this town. My mind has officially been blown.

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱 5 stars !


This book will hit you all the way to the core.

A VERY difficult read at times 💔💔💔

👏 👏 👏👏👏👏👏👏 A new fave!

I own “The Escape Room” and now I am FLOORED to read it.

Thank you to Megan Goldin, Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
TRIGGER WARNINGS : rape, sexual misconduct, sexual abuse of a minor, child abuse, graphic content.

* Note to Netgalley- these chapter numbers are off in sequence by 1.

Currently reading "The Night Swim" as an e-book (which I also got via NetGalley) and decided to listen to some parts of it on audio, as well (mainly so I can continue "reading" it while working LOL). There are certain times I really love the audio, such as the podcast chapters, because they make the narration so authentic sounding - especially with the addition of all the great sound effects!

My only complaint is that the narrator who reads for Hannah sounds oddly robotic at times (not all the time, which is the weirdest part), and I find myself pausing the audio so that I can go back to reading the e-book... BUT besides that, the narration is great! Love how much work went into making this such an entertaining audiobook - as it makes for an awesome listen.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t remember even reading what The Night Swim was about once I understood that the story followed a true crime podcaster. Over the winter, I got sucked into Up and Vanished at a friend’s suggestion and this book sounded like it would fill the hole finishing season 1 left. Listening to the audiobook for Megan Goldin’s The Night Swim was not only like another season of Up and Vanished and Serial put together, but with added, distanced perspective.

In The Night Swim, the main character’s podcast’s tag line is how they put the listener in the jury box. Goldin does this for her audience as well: by offering up not just the podcast episodes, but the investigation and work that goes into putting the podcast together in a different perspective completely. This mixed media approach to fiction is something I’m noticing a trend in this summer and honestly, I love it. In the audiobook especially you can feel the difference, not just because of the change in third to first person, but because there’s even a different narrator (and intro music and even a different quality to the audio).


The Night Swim comes with a heavy trigger warning, though. This isn’t a spoiler alert to tell you the case Rachel — the main character — covers in The Night Swim is very similar to the Chanel Miller/Brock Turner case. Goldin does not hold back in her coverage of the case, either; expect full, clinical detail about a sexual assault from the perspective of a survivor telling her story from the witness stand. It’s very hard to listen to, which is the point I believe Goldin was making with this: yes we devour thrillers and true crime as entertainment and escapism but we cannot forget there are real victims, real people, these stories belong to. I also felt myself questioning how and why some stories get told. What makes people pay attention? And what are they actually paying attention to?

A coastal mystery set in the small town of Neapolis. Rachel, a famous podcast host, is heading there to cover a highly controversial trial: the rape and sexual assault of a minor by local Olympic-bound swimming hero. On her way there, she makes a pit stop for food and gas. On her way back out to her car, she finds a letter addressed to her on her windshield. This sets off a chain of events that pulls Rachel deeper not just into the case she’s in Neapolis to cover, but also into a cold case no one wanted to pay attention to, then or now.

Tense and sprinkled with elements of horror, The Night Swim has everything the perfect summer thriller needs. Not only can you lose yourself in the multiple mysteries Rachel gets caught up in, but there’s a weight to it too: a glimpse, or a reminder, that even though we binge podcast episodes, so many stories are left untold. Cases unsolved. Voices unfairly silenced because they’re not from the right family.

The Night Swim was a total binge read, I may or may not have stayed up until 3 AM to finish reading it because I COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN. (Spoiler, I did and it was 100% worth it.)


The Night Swim really is a bit of everything.

It’s a gripping psychological thriller, with a bit of procedural and some courtroom drama thrown in. There’s both an old case and a current day one, which makes the alternate timelines an easy choice. There are also alternating points of view between Rachel and the woman who is leaving her notes. Goldin executes these transitions seamlessly, and the overall effect leads to a fast and compelling read.

Fair warning, it has basically every trigger warning imaginable, but if you don’t mind the darker content this is definitely a book to send to the top of your TBR.

One big positive is how the book handles the heavy subjects with care. There’s some fantastic commentary on how sexual assault crimes are handled and the stigmas and challenges faced by the victims. I really appreciate that the author took the time to have this conversation, rather than give us a heinous crime for thrills.

Additionally, I listened to parts of the book on audio and the narration is fantastic! It’s a great way to enjoy this story. The chapters which were parts of the podcast really shine in this format.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the advance copy.

Wow. This is one of the most engaging mystery-thrillers I've read in quite a while, and I feel like my bar for this genre has gone up exponentially. The way I see it, this book is simply about rape in a small town, but it's so much more than that. The layers and intricacies that Goldin creates, not just in the myriad gray areas that permeate a rape trial, but the complicated networks of gossip and status that permeate small towns.

Rachel Krall is a true crime podcast reporter - the first season of her show Guilty or Not Guilty was a sensation - her investigative reporting unearthed new evidence in a murder trial and set a wrongly convicted man free. The pressure she feels to find a new case that will keep her audience's attention is immense, and not to mention, she gets hundreds of emails a day pleading her to investigate some personal case. Rachel finally chooses the subject of her next season: a rape trial in the small coastal town of Neapolis, North Carolina. The accused is an all-American swim star, potentially the next Michael Phelps. The accuser is a normal teenage girl who wants to stay anonymous, but the small town rumor mill erases that possibility for her. Rachel is going to Neapolis to watch the trial take extensive notes, and release her podcast episodes in real time - truly letting the

When Rachel arrives in Neapolis, a stranger named Hannah starts leaving notes for her, begging Rachel to investigate the death of Hannah's sister, a teenage girl who was said to have drowned 25 years ago. Hannah insists that her sister was murdered. Rachel initially brushes these messages off, firmly stating that she doesn't have time to go to court every day, record her podcast, and investigate another story. But as she learns more about Hannah's sister and the intricate relationships in this small town, Rachel can't help her curiosity - she begins to investigate. Before she knows it, she realizes that the present-day rape trial is more connected to Hannah's sister than she thought...

Goldin does an absolutely fantastic job of weaving the stories together, flashing back 25 years ago to a seemingly different time that turns out to be not so different from today after all. As cliched as it sounds, the strange coastal town of Neapolis is as much a character as anyone in the book - the eerie Morrison's Point jetty, the gossipy convenience stories, the hotel with a mockingbird that doesn't sing. The mystery element is perfectly executed; I found myself having trouble stopping the book and desperately wanted to find out what happened next. The most impressive thing I found, though, was Goldin's reflection on rape and justice - how the process of getting "justice" for a rape victim - seeing their abuser go to prison - is extremely traumatic, everything from a rape kit to having to relive these horrific moments in front of a group of strangers and lawyers who try to discredit your character and call you a liar. In the end, justice is a tenuous and messy thing, because the damage done from the repeated trauma of rape and reliving it on the stand could be irreparable.

You will not regret reading this book or listening to the audiobook, hauntingly narrated by two fantastic voice actresses that perfectly capture both Rachel and Hannah, and featuring interludes where you hear the "actual" podcast episodes. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

I really liked how this one started. The podcast part of the book worked really well on audio. But overall I was a bit confused about what was going on and couldn't get into it because of that. I think the different story lines just needed some link for me early on to get it or to keep me wondering "who did it". But there were too many questions and left me confused instead.

This book was the perfect summer read!! There were two timelines but they were both very well done!! The characters and storyline were very well thought out. Once I started reading this one, it was hard for me to put down. I listened to the audiobook as well and really enjoyed the narrator. Overall this one gets 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Trigger Warning: Rape and sexual assault.
Rachel has a famous podcast that follows true crime and trials. For her season three podcast she is following a rape case. Rape cases are basically a he said she said thing and Rachel is sure she will help find the truth on what really happened. However, once she arrives for the trial, Rachel starts receiving letters from a girl named Hannah who believes her sister, Jenny was murdered over 25 years ago. Jenny was said to drown and that was that. But, Hannah believes it was more and recounts that year and that night to Rachel through letters. These letters have Rachel intrigued and she starts to investigate the death of Jenny and makes her believe that Jenny just didn’t drown.
I am love thrillers and tend to be a psychological thriller fanatic. I usually don’t like legal thrillers, but I saw a lot of buzz about this so I decided to request it off of Netgalley with their new audiobook option. The audio kind of sounded echoey, but it wasn’t too bad and I was still able to listen and enjoy the book as I walked Riot. I thought The Night Swim was really gripping and interesting. It made me invested in both cases. I loved the two point of views as well as the podcast chapters. I did feel like with the podcast chapters and Rachel’s chapters there was some repetitiveness from the trial. Also, I guessed who was Jenny’s murder at the beginning of the book, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to me. Still a really good book and it takes in what really happens with rape cases and how awful it is with it being a more he said she said thing and with the victim having to relive their experience over. It is traumatizing. The Night Swim is a real eye opener and I would love to see more Rachel in the future.

wow!
this story rocked my socks off.
it is especially suitable as an audio book, particularly with the inclusion of podcast sessions
an incredibly detailed and descriptive emotional crime story/mystery
sometimes difficult to listen to, due to the graphic nature, of abuse, cruelty and bullying.
i like how all the strings tied together at the end.

Why I Requested This: This is another shot for Megan Goldin whose debut I felt was just misrepresented by what the blurb was. Add in the true-crime podcast backdrop and I am sure that this will make for an excellent audiobook which I was lucky enough to get an early copy of.

Pros:
The story is told in duel-time lines which weave together to tell the story of what happen.
Remember how I said it was partly podcast? The podcast elements weaved into the story at just the right time keeping you just as interested in it as you are the rest of the story.
The type of ending we are given based on the type of character that we follow is perfect.

Cons:
The subject matter is pretty brutal in terms of both sexual assault and violence against women in general. While the author handles this with care, it was tougher to read a times than most.

Overall: If you’re a fan of podcasts in books this is one for you.