This was so good! I love January LaVoy’s narrating in general, and I loved hearing the podcast sections of this aloud. Some of it felt predictable to me, I wasn’t terribly shocked by any of the reveals/twists, but I thought the perspectives of a true crime podcast host and sister of the victim was fun and different from what I’ve read in the past (where it’s primarily a victim or cop). The author’s other book was already on my TBR list, but I think it will be moving up, as I really enjoyed this one.

I seriously tried to like this book. I can see where the author was going but it had so many trigger points in it. I feel like every other word was rape. I think I got to about 75% and just had to put the book down. I didn’t want to give it 1 star because the narrator did a fantastic job. This book just wasn’t for me. I do think that girls are blamed so much and their victims aren’t. This book did need to be written, I just couldn’t handle it.

“She walked down the street toward the path she’d taken that afternoon. This time it wasn’t dusk...it was nearly midnight. More dangerous than ever. It’s a calculation women make all the time. Should she walk home from the bar or take a taxi? Should she cut through the park or take the long way around? Should she speed dial 911 when she thought someone was following her? Should she..? Well, you could go on endlessly. Women, girls, we make these decisions all the time. Convenience vs. safety. Most of the time things work out fine. Occasionally, something terrible happens...”

Another new release that lends itself to audio format! Whenever there’s a podcast in a book, always try audio over print...it’s a no-brainer. I have to admit I DNF’d Megan Goldin’s Escape Room last year 😬 I read enough to know it’s a popcorn thriller, filled with unlikeable characters. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦, however, is a completely different animal. It’s a mystery with a touch of suspense. There’s nothing new in regards to the plot (Golden Boy is accused of rape in a small but divided town; some believe the victim & some sympathize with the boy). I’m going to make this sound more complicated than it is, but trust me when I say it’s not confusing while reading. Rachel Krall is a podcast host & heads to the town of Neapolis, where she’s attending the trial of an accused rapist. As the trial unfolds, Rachel begins her 3rd season of her true crime podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty - the podcast that puts you in the jury box.. So basically she attends the trial during the day & broadcasts her podcast at night about the days events in court. While there, she also ends up investigating another rape that occurred 25 years prior in the same town...There are 3 POV’s & 3 different narrators. One is a third person narrative of Rachel’s investigation, read by Samantha Desz; another is the podcast episodes, with January LaVoy as Rachel herself (there are 12 episodes throughout the book); finally, we have Hannah, the sister of the rape/murder victim from 25 years ago, read by Bailey Carr. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦 is an intense examination of a rape trial & it’s not an easy read but I loved the way it unfolded. This one will stick with me for a long time. If you are at all triggered by sexual assault and/or rape, you may want to skip this one. If not, I can’t recommend it enough. Place your holds & preorders for this one! Available 8/4

***Many thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.****

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC-Audio. The narrators did an amazing job bringing life to this story. (hence the reminder it is a book) They did a fabulous job differentiating between the different characters of the story. The chapters where Rachel was airing her True Crime Podcast was so like listening to a real podcast. This audiobook is different from other audiobooks which is why it was so amazing.. I would definitely recommend this audiobook to friends.

This is a gripping story about a podcaster following a rape trial in Neapolis, North Carolina, a creepy little town that has seen more than it's share of crime. I could not stop listening to the audio-book, and the format of the book really drew me in. Some chapters were excerpts from the podcast and it sounded like a real true crime podcast that I would love to listen to. Others were letters to the podcaster secretly sent from someone who lived in Neapolis years ago, and I could feel her pain and fear through her voice. The story kept me guessing right until the end. The only thing I'd like to warn readers about is it does have some triggers - there are a few descriptions of sexual assault, rape and victim blaming which some readers may find disturbing. They did bother me a bit but I still enjoyed the story and wanted to find out what happened. After reading this book I would like to read more by Megan Goldin.

I loved this book. I was obsessed with all the characters and did not want to put it down. There were a couple parts where I was wondering where and how the two murders would intersect but never felt that I was not bought in. I am also obsessed with true crime podcasts so this layout and idea of the book being a podcasters journey of investigating and also putting together the show was so cool. Highly recommend. Does have some rape and sexual content as a caution. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ok I need to first say, this was the best AUDIO I have ever listened to. The narrators, producers, authors & everyone involved did an amazing job. I felt like I was listening to an actual podcast. I felt like I was watching a tv show. I FELT LIKE I WAS THERE. There were birds chirping in the background. There was music at times. There were cars driving by when needed. The courtroom scenes felt life like. This audio felt like there was SO much work put into it! And I LOVED every single second of it.
I am SO happy I decided to listen to this instead of reading it. Because the experience was a thousand times more intense. At one point in this book, when Rachel was telling a story about one of the girls getting raped and murdered, I was listening so intently, I completely stopped putting away groceries, sat down at the kitchen table and just listened for 10+ minutes. I forgot what I was doing because I was so immersed in the story. That is exactly why I love reading and what it is all about right there.
This story GUTTED me. It was heartbreaking. It was utter desparing. All the rape stories. But the main ones. About Kelly and Jenny. They just broke my heart. The courtroom scenes about the Scott and Kelly case...WOW. It was just so REAL. I felt like I was watching a tv series. It was like I was binging a tv show and couldnt/wouldnt stop. I am normally strictly JUST a romance reader. Dark romance, contemporary romance, reverse harem, paranormal romance, MM romance, ALL romance. This was a mystery thriller that had you thinking, had you shocked, had you reeling & made you want to tell EVERYONE about it. Makes you want to fight for womens rights. One of my favorite audios of 2020 and my favorite non romance book of all time. Definite 5 stars. Thank you for writing this story, keeping me guessing the whole time and on my toes.

True crime podcasts are hugely popular these days and Rachel Krall is a very well known podcaster searching for answers to unsolved crimes. She finds a plea for help in a note left on her windshield, which leaves Rachel shaken. People might know her voice, but few would know her on sight. And this won’t be the first note she finds. With season three of her podcast on the line, Rachel begins to look into the case of a popular and well loved local swim star who has been accused of raping a high school girl, who just happens to be the town police chief’s granddaughter. While she tries to untangle the complex and explosive case, Rachel keeps getting notes from someone who wants to know what happened to her sister, Jenny, 25 years before. The official cause of death was accidental drowning, but the note writer knows she was murdered and there may be a connection between Rachel’s current podcast and the truth about what happened to Jenny all those years ago. Readers may make the connection before Rachel does, but this is still an exciting and timely read. A stellar cast of narrators bring this book to life

There are a few perspectives in the book. You have Hannah, the sister of Jenny. You also have a Rachel, whom is following along the trial of Scott for the rape of Kelly Moore. She’s also chasing Hannah’s leads on what really happened to Jenny. Then, you have Rachel in her podcast medium.

If you are not an audiobook lover, but want to try one out,I HIGHLY suggest The Night Swim. I loved the podcast sections! How they were edited, how they had the background noise added in, perfection. (Chef’s kiss)

In some of the court scenes, I started yelling back at the audio just like I do when I listen to my girls at TCO. The defense attorney was discussing all of Scott’s accolades in court, and I blurted out, “I DON’T CARE WHAT HE SWAM! ” 🤦🏻‍♀️ AKA, I don’t care what your awards are, if you’re garbage, you’re garbage. (Garbage bell for sure) Needless to say, this book was written so well, I felt like I was in the courtroom, or listening to my favorite podcast.

This book is very very triggering. While reading it was triggering, the narration in the audio amplified that. If you are triggered by sexual assault, rape, victim blaming, please understand this book tackles these subjects bluntly. It’s such a gritty and raw read, and you will get pissed off. You will get angry, but you have to remember that this really isn’t that far fetched and could easily be something straight from a headline. If you think it’s not realistic, you may want to review your state’s laws. (and then go fight for change)

I enjoyed every page. I had every emotion imaginable. 5 strong stars.

Wow! Just WOW! "The Night Swim" is probably the best book that I have read so far that comes out this summer! I knew within the first 25-30 pages that this was going to be a great book. Goldin expertly weaves the two narratives of the assaults that happened decades apart, drawing the reader in, making it so you just have to know what happened. I would highly recommend it.

The narration on the audio edition of this book is edition was fantastic. Loved the multi-cast narration, and January LaVoy especially is excellent.

Megan Goldin’ The Night Swim is a propulsive thriller made for fans of true crime and podcasts like Serial. Goldin weaves a multi-layered story about a podcast host Rachel Krall, who heads to Neapolis to cover a trial where a town’s golden boy has been accused of rape. While she intends to cover one trial, she discovers that there a deep secrets in this small town, and there is more than one crime to investigate.

This is by far the best thriller I’ve read of 2020 and will be a summer blockbuster.

The Night Swim is a fully-immersive audiobook experience with fantastic narration by Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz. The release date is August 4, 2020 and runs 9 hours 58 minutes.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

I just finished the audiobook of the Night Swim and I had to write my review right away. I came in with high expectations for this book, yet it still surprised me. I expected a good solid mystery, but I didn't realize I would be completely sucked in by this story. It's a quiet book, slowly dropping information with a symmetry between two cases, one unsolved from the past, and one being tried in the present. The parallels keep coming up and making more and sense as the end approaches. You feel completely immersed as if you are right there, trying to figure out the mystery with Rachel, who is researching both cases one for her podcast, one for other reasons. The audio version of the book brings the book a step further as we experience being the audience of Rachel's court podcast, following along. Because it feels so real, this was a tough read, the trial chapters offering a gut wrenching view of the toll of a rape on the victim, the family, and a community. The ending left me breathless, yet it made sense. Excellent book.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOAH! I immediately need to read everything Megan Goldin has ever written.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin follows the true crime podcaster, Rachel Krall, as she is about to begin covering her next story for the third season of her famous podcast. Rachel decides to focus her next case on a rape trial beginning in the small town of Neapolis. Once she arrives in the small town, Rachel starts receiving letters from a woman named Hannah who wants Rachel's help to solve her sisters murder from 25 years ago. The 25 year old murder of Hannah's sister soon intertwines with the current events involving the rape trial Rachel is covering.

This book was hard and challenging to read but at the same time very rewarding. I loved whenever there were chapters that were simply Rachel's podcast. I could not put this book down and would highly recommend this to people who want to try venturing into the mystery/thriller genre.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Swim is the story of two rape victims, 25 years apart with locations and some characters connecting the two crimes. While the subject matter is difficult to hear at times, the author did such a great job interweaving the stories using the viewpoints of Rachel, an investigative journalist following the trial of the more recent case for the newest season of her true crime podcast, and Hannah, the younger sister of the first victim who is looking for the truth. Interspersed with first person narration from both women are episodes of the podcast. This style lends itself incredibly well to the audiobook format and meshes well with the current true crime podcast popularity.

Megan Goldin was a new author to me, but I'll definitely be searching out more of her books. This would be a good match for anyone who enjoys a bit of mystery in their fiction.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this (audio)book since "The Escape Room" was one of my top listens of 2019.... and I'm just as BLOWN AWAY.

Rachel is a famous true crime podcast creator who's divorced and basically married to her job. One day, she travels to a small town of Neapolis, North Carolina, to do research on a famous rape case which may or may not have been fabricated; the victim was the granddaughter of a police chief and was allegedly raped by the Olympic swimmer Scott Blair. But after she comes back to her from a diner, Rachel finds a note begging for help uncovering the truth about the drowning of Jenny Stills whose case is filled with so many holes that it looks like a possible murder. While Rachel is indifferent to the note at first, her innate curiosity takes the better of her and the investigation begins... Only it looks like the two Neapolis cases may actually have more in common than it seems.

I am shaken, unsettled and very emotional after listening to this. "The Night Swim" is not a light psychological thriller you could pick up for your beach read; rather, it is a serious exploration of the topic of rape, which is certainly a potential trigger. However, Goldin tackles this difficult topic with a sensitive and objective outlook. There is also a strong theme of guilt associated with rape.

Overall, I'd HIGHLY recommend this audio/book not only for its quality thriller value, but also the literary exploration of our society's rape culture. Its not easy, but it pulls you in from the beginning. 5 stars.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

Rachel has found fame since starting her podcast "Guilty or Not Guilty" She helped to free an innocent man after her first season and now with season 3 beginning she is researching a rape trial. When she relocates to the small town where the alleged rape occurred she starts receiving letters from a woman, Hannah, who wants help with finding her sister's murderers..a murder that took place 25 years ago. As the reader, we find ourselves in the middle of two unsolved cases.. the recent rape investigation that Rachel is researching, and the long forgotten death of Jenny Stills. 

Wow I loved this thriller! This felt like such an original idea. True crime podcasts are all the rage right now so this felt so real and timely. The audio book was fantastic! We alternate to the story in real time and Rachel's podcast. Because we get to hear the podcast, it really brings life to the story. There was even music when the podcast was starting and ending to help the reader differentiate between the podcast and the rest of the story. It felt like I was really listening to a true crime podcast. 

This is a definite must read if you love true crime and thrillers. I could not put it down!

The Walking Book Club highly recommends The Night Swim, especially as an audio book because of the inclusion of a "podcast" within the story. Our community of book lovers in sneakers moves while listening. Goldin's latest thriller kept us motivated to be active to discover the truth about what happened 20 years ago and how it relates to Rachael Krall's latest podcast. Great narration enhances the experience and Bailey Carr, January Lavoy and Samantha Desz bring the characters to life.

The Night Swim is a dark, unsettling psychological thriller examining two cases 25 years apart. Goldin exemplifies what a rape trial looks like- the jury games, victim shaming/blaming, the storyline of “do we want to ruin this promising young mans life”. She handles it with sensitivity and an honest portrayal.

The Night Swim is more than just a psychological thriller. It’s a relevant and timely look at our society. It was thought provoking and emotional. While this book is fast paced and sucks you in, it’s not an easy read. It’s a heavy read and it’s not for everyone- this book may be triggering for many. However, it is well done and handles the subject matter appropriately.

I loved the narration of this audiobook. Especially the podcast portions that sounded like an actual produced show with intro music. It was a really nice touch that added something extra to this audiobook.