Rachel Krall has a popular true crime podcast. Many people know her voice. So one day it shakes her up when she finds a note on her car. It was a listener asking her to investigate a twenty five year old case of which an older sister of theirs had died. Rachel is interested in the story and starts to ask questions and learns that the small town has secrets and many would like to keep it that way.


Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

I absolutely loved this book and the way it was written. It was a different approach to writing and I loved it. The main character is a strong woman and I loved the whole podcast idea. The letters and going back and forth from past to present was awesome. Great read.

I couldn't tell at the beginning if I was going to like the writing style, but it was a excellent book! The story goes back and forth to the past but eventually shows you how the stories are related. I thoroughly enjoyed and read quickly.

This book was about a journalist named Rachel who does a podcast and is covering a rape trial, while covering the trial she starts getting letters from a woman who's sister was killed in the same town year ago. The police called it a suicide but in the letters, Hannah, tells the story from her perspective and and she believes it was murder. So Rachel, while still covering the trial ends up getting caught up in these letters that she keeps receiving in strange places and starts investigating the mysterious death. Hannah's sister's story is very sad and disturbing, the treatment she received from the people of this town is really upsetting. So both stories being told at the same time confused my at first, I had to keep reminding myself about the names.

Fabulous read.


Don’t miss this one, it is one of the author’s best.


Highly recommended.

This book was very readable. I enjoyed the characters and the courtroom/present day parts of the book. I didn’t enjoy the Jenny/Hannah stuff quite as much, although the two storylines were woven together very well.

My only complaint was the dialogue. It seemed unoriginal. Especially the court scenes, they seemed similar to all the hundreds of courtroom dramas and movies I’ve seen before.

Overall, a captivating read that deserves (most of) the hype it’s receiving!

Podcaster Rachel Krall is covering a rape trial in Neapolis, NC for season three of her true-crime podcast. But while she's there, she's contacted by Hannah Stills, the sister of another rape and murder victim. But the rape and murder of Jenny Stills was covered up and ruled an accident. Rachel wants to help Hannah uncover the truth about Jenny's murder.

Night Swim moves back and forth between the current rape trial and Jenny's last summer alive. I felt like the rape trial part of the book moved slowly, and I found myself much more interested in what happened to Jenny. The twist at the end was unexpected. I had thought the two cases would be connected in some way, but I would've never guessed how.

This was a thrilling and suspenseful read, at times heart-breaking, with a lot to talk about regarding how young women can be victims and yet blamed for crimes against them. I think it’d be a good bookclub pick if you like this genre.

To be honest, I had to suspend disbelief a few times as the “mysterious messages” kept appearing almost miraculously. I was waiting for some big twist, etc. but this was a straight forward story focused on righting the wrongs against this young teen and her family.

Rachel Krall is the host of a true crime podcast.

"I'm Rachel Krall and this is Guilty or not guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box."

Hannah is stalking Rachel. She is leaving her notes wherever she goes. There are two different cases. One is an unsolved murder that happened 25 years ago and then the second case is set in the present, two different timelines.

There is a big rape trial going on in Rachel's home town in Neopolis. The accused is Scott Blair known as the golden boy. who is a great swimmer, destined to be in the swimming Olympics.

The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of every one involved.

I loved The Escape Room by this author and I loved this one a lot better. This was a sensational success! I am not a big podcast fan but I was a big fan of this one. It was just so different. It is a legal thriller plus a mystery. It shocked me! I loved the short chapters. It made it a fast paced read. I loved the courtroom drama. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. I thought it was an entertaining read. I felt all the emotions in this one and loved the twists. I thought the characterization was done very well. I just loved Rachel Krall's character.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Raping and Murder are just hard subject matter to read. But I felt that the author did a great job with this and I didn't think that it was graphic. It was done very well.

I want to thank Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Krall, from the popular Guilty or Not Guilty true crime podcast, finds herself in the town of Neapolis, North Carolina for season three. It's the first time she's covered a live trial, and it's a divisive rape trial no less. A high school girl "K" has accused popular swimmer Scott Blair of raping her. It's set the town on edge and brought up lots of questions about reputations and who can be believed. As Rachel arrives in Neapolis, she's shocked to find a letter on her car--rarely is the radio host recognized in public. But someone in the town wants her help unlocking the mysteries of what happened to her sister over twenty-five years ago. Jenny Stills' death--at sixteen--was ruled a drowning, but the letter writer insists she was murdered, and they want Rachel to help her find the killer. Quickly the past and present intertwine, as Rachel realizes the two cases may be connected.

"That's why I'm writing to you, Rachel. Jenny's killer will be there. In that town. Maybe that courtroom. It's time for justice to be done. You're the only one who can help me deliver it."

Goldin offers us an excellent thriller with a pervasive eerie feel. While, for the most part, I find myself tired of podcast tales, The Night Swim offers an overall fresh take on the genre, weaving in Rachel's episodes about the trial with her own investigation into both the current case and the Stills drowning. We also hear from the past, giving us even more insight into what happened to Jenny all those years ago. The result is a spellbinding, sometimes heartbreaking, read that's nearly impossible to put down.

I highly enjoyed putting the pieces together on this one--as they filter in via our various narratives. I had an early guess that proved to be right, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book in any way. The ending was a little different, but overall, I was a big fan of the intersection of the two cases and the dark and timely themes this book brought up--rape, assault, and more. It offers an unflinching look at what women experience: and how rarely they are believed, trusted, or can turn to anyone.

Overall, this is an excellent, fast-paced thriller with two storylines that work well together. It's creepy and dark, with a strong, unforgettable message. 4 stars.

The Night Swim is a thriller that keeps you reading for more. While podcaster Rachel Krall is working on her third season based on a real-time rape trial. It is the first time that she has done this type of format. As the town begins to get ready for this all consuming trial, an individual contacts Rachel with notes left on her car. This individual had been in touch with her prior with no luck. She would like Rachel to look into the mysterious death of her sister that occurred twenty-five years ago. This person believes her sister was murdered even though it was reported that she drowned. As the author goes back and forth between the real-time trial and the twenty-five year old case, you begin to see somethings that connect them. Very contemporary read with the podcast.
I really liked the writing from this author, very easy to read and follow. Now I want to read one of her older books, The Escape Room.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy (as well as an audiobook) of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I both listened to and read this book and was happily surprised by the quickness with which I became enthralled in the story. The flashbacks usually annoy me, but I was surprised at how much I wanted to learn more.

*Trigger alert*
There is a lot of rape and sexual assault that may be too much for some readers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rating.
This book was a wonderful surprise for me. I went into this book not really expecting much but it completely impressed me. I loved reading this both physically and listening to the audiobook at the same time. There are podcast elements in this story and those specific chapters were awesome.
Another thing I loved about this book is that there was such a controversial topic and it brought light to the topic of rape culture. Because the main character had to stay neutral to court trail taking place, you got to see both sides of it and how people perceives the ones involved in a rape trail.
Unless your triggered by this, I would highly recommend picking this one up

QUICK TAKE: I was lukewarm on Goldin's previous book, THE ESCAPE ROOM, but found myself really enjoying THE NIGHT SWIM. The mystery was engaging, the characters well-written, the suspense palpable. I love a good small town mystery and this one really delivered.

This was an excellent thriller! The Night Swim has a unique premise: a true crime podcaster goes to a small town to observe and report upon a rape trial and then, notes begin appearing and offer snippets of information about a crime from years past. Suddenly, the podcaster finds herself looking into more than one crime.

What I really liked about it was not just the unique premise, but the fact that Rachel (the podcaster) could be being gaslit or not. There have been many books of late about women being gaslit, and I was pleased to see the result of this one. I appreciated the nuanced view of the rape trials, and the frustration that I think many women feel when a rape is on trial. Overall, well done. Highly satisfying!

I loved this thriller!! I will definitely be looking for this authors books in the future. The audio book was fantastic.

The Night Swim is one part Mystery, one part courtroom drama, and one part social commentary that I found really hard to put down.

Our main character, Rachel, is the host of a successful true crime podcast who is covering the Scott Blair case in Neapolis for season 3 of her podcast. Scott is accused of raping and sexually assaulting Kelly on the beach one night. The once small town is divided over the guilt or innocence of Scott Blair. We are taken through the research prep Rachel does for the trial, as well as seeing how the trial unfolds.

Meanwhile, on her way to Neapolis, a strange letter is tucked in to Rachel's windshield wiper from Hannah, who is still reeling from the death of her sister in what was deemed an accident 25 years before asking Rachel to look into the death of Jenny as she believes it was murder.

The author does a great job of shifting timelines and POV as we see glimpses of the trial, Hannah and Jenny's story, and episodes of the podcast. I think adding the element of the podcast episodes was brilliant. The characters are well developed and I enjoyed reading about them.

The book also looks at the way sex crimes victims are treated in the US justice system in the way that Kelly is treated. She is also the only witness to the crime and must relive the trauma she experienced the night she was attacked. She also sees her reputation tarnished in how she is viewed in the court of public opinion. The book asks, "is there a better way to prosecute rape trials without the victim also being on trial?"

My appreciation to St. Martin's Press, Megan Goldin, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A solid story involving the trial of a teenage boy for rape that divides the town of Neapolis, while resurrecting the death of a high school girl twenty years earlier.

The writing flows easily between the time frames and POVs. Bits of correlating evidence between the cases are dropped here and there, interspersed between the trial, Rachel’s experiences and Hannah’s story. Adding Rachel’s podcast to the mix is genius. It pulls together the facts for the reader, forcing them to contemplate the guilty or innocence of Scott Blair several times along the way. With evidence being disclosed throughout the story, the readers opinion may change in the same way as the residents of Neapolis.

The narrators of the audio version were superb. Each was able to become their own character while also blending with the others into a seamless telling of this highly enjoyable novel. I was fortunate enough to receive both the digital and audio copies. When the audio version stopped working, the words from the narrators continued to be read in their voices in my head. It simply couldn’t read any other way.

One of my favorite books of 2019 was Escape Room. Megan Goldin has continued her superior writing with The Night Swim which is now one of my favorites of 2020.


I received a digital ARC from St. Martin Press and an audio version from McMillan Audio through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

The Night Swim is an emotional thriller that tackles rape. It shows the life of rape trials and the behind-the-scene of both families (victim and predator).

Rachel Krall is a podcast host of Guilty or Not Guilty. A true-crime podcast and the talk of the town in any social media. For season 3 show, the case is a rape trial in Neapolis–a small town. The first time she landed her feet in this town, she received a letter from Hannah to help her sister(Jenny) murder case, and then one thing led to another. The twist and turn of the events are undeniably surprising.

Rachel’s character is conscientious, she often receives negative feedback from the lawyers on covering the case and she wasn’t bothered by it. Even though she let Hannah down at first, she is now eager to help her and make amends, knowing that it is not part of the case. If you will read this book, be prepared for its page-turner events as each chapter keeps interesting.

K(the victim) and Scott’s(the suspect) case is not new to us. For instance, victim-blaming and slut-shaming are very common in this case, it is always a woman’s fault for triggering someone’s behavior. Women’s life is terrifying. There is a standard on what should or shouldn’t do and if someone speaks up they often deemed as a liar and attention-seeker. In this book, it shows how heartbreaking it was and remorseful to some characters.

“Megan’s writing style is walking you with the whole TV Show vibes so it is easy for any readers to keep up.”

Apart from that, I like how the story unfolds. The ending was like an open-ending moment in a way that readers will ask do we get to see if Rachel and Mitch Alkins will have a thing and chanting I WANT THE SECOND BOOK. Megan’s writing style is walking you with the whole TV Show vibes so it is easy for any readers to keep up.

After I read this book it leaves a gnawing and unanswered questions to me that could relate to real life. How can we ensure the safeness of women and children?

Hey bookworms, do you have any book recommendations similar to this topic or any social injustice I need to talk to?

Any fans of podcasts here? If so and even if you aren’t, I can promise you this thriller will knock your socks off!

Rachel, creator of, Guilty or Not Guilty, has come to the small town of Neopolis, to attend a rape trial. While she’s there, she starts to receive letters from a person named Hannah, begging for her help in finding out who murdered her sister, years earlier. Will she find out the truth of both causes, that are begging for justice?

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read that kept me wanting to read more. I honestly feel like Rachel and her podcast could become a series; Megan, that would be amazing!! Wink wink!

Special thanks to St Martins Press for the physical copy and NetGalley for the ecopy! Highly recommend, especially if you plan on doing any late beach season trips. It’s already out so, go buy it!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️