Rachel Krall, a successful true crime podcast of Guilty or Not Guilty is on her way to Neapolis to cover the trial of Scott Blair who is accused of raping a 16 year old girl . When she stops for a coffee break she finds a  note  left for her on her car from Hannah who believes that her sister Jenny was murdered 25 years ago. Could there be a connection between the two  cases of rape even though they are two decades apart ? 

The Night Swim is a compulsive courtroom drama , told by different POV’s .It’s so hard to put this book down and is  full of suspense and tension but there are trigger issues such as rape and sexual abuse. Cannot wait to read the next one by Megan Goldin!

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

I took my time with this one, and not because I wasn’t enjoying it, I just haven’t been finding long periods of time to sit and read. I chipped away little by little each day. If I had the time for it, I could have devoured this in a day or two. I enjoyed the short chapters, and the two storylines that ran parallel. I guessed the main major twist early on, but that’s only because when I read thrillers now my brain automatically will not stop guessing what the twist could be. It’s so frustrating!! But regardless, it was a good one!! Definitely recommend this one. I’m also a huge fan of true crime podcasts so I was super digging that part of the plot.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Podcaster Rachel Krall has found great success doing a true-crime podcast, especially after her in-depth reporting ended up setting a man free. For her much anticipated season 3, she decides to follow a story live. She travels to a small coastal community to cover the trial of a promising young Olympic-level swimmer, well-known and popular, who stands accused of raping a local high school girl. On her way there, she finds a long letter tucked under her windscreen. She’s used to being recognized for her voice not her face, and this letter gives her pause.

The letters keep coming, with the writer preternaturally aware of Rachel’s every move. Hannah, the writer, claims that her sister, Jenny, was murdered in the same town 25 years earlier. When Rachel begins to investigate, she is told that Jenny’s death was just a tragic drowning, with a possibility of suicide. Jenny was an easy girl, she’s told, the town slut. Only her sister remains to fight for her, and she stubbornly refuses to come to light.

Meanwhile the trial has started, stirring up strong feelings in the entire town. How much responsibility should the victim bear, given her actions that evening? How much was consensual? How can a jury know, when it’s his word against hers?

Rachel has also become very intrigued by Jenny. Urged on by the letters from Hannah, she keeps going although she is stymied at almost every turn. Someone wants to keep what happened to Jenny hidden, and is willing to go to great lengths to do so.

The Night Swim is well-written and exceptionally plotted, keeping you in its iron grip through twists and turns. It’s the kind of book that is very hard to put down. Additionally, it takes a thoughtful look at a broader issue very pertinent to our time. An excellent read; highly recommended.

After reading The Escape Room by this author, I was looking forward to reading her newest book, it's another good one!
Rachel Krall has a successful true crime podcast. Trying to top season one, which helped free an innocent man, she heads to the small town of Neapolis to cover a rape trial.
Scott Blair, the prized local superstar and Olympic hopeful swimmer, is accused of raping a sixteen year old hight school student whose grandfather just happenst to be the chief of police.
With a well known voice, not face, Rachel is not used to being recognized. But someone does. They leave a note for her on her car windshield. Hannah Stills wants her to look into the supposed drowning death of her big sister Jenny, twenty five yars ago. She swears her sister was really murdered and the town is covering it up.
As Rachel investigates, the two cases begin to intertwine and she makes some dangerous connections.
This thriller kept me on edge the whole way through, I had a tough time putting it down. It was so well written, I liked how it seamlessly went from Rachel, Hannah and the podcast transcripts with short, concise chapters.
But it was a dark story of sexual assault, it felt heavy to me at times, and at the end it wrapped up a little too neatly.
I would love to see Rachel in another book, continuing her podcasts.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. This is my second book by this author and I was hoping it would be just as good as The Escape Room. I was NOT disappointed. Rachel is a podcaster who reports on crime and "Puts the listener into the jury box". She is covering a trial about a young girl, K, who was allegedly sexually assaulted. However, while Rachel is in this town, she begins getting letters from Hannah, begging her to help solve the murder of her sister Jenny years ago. Jenny's death was ruled an accident or possibly even suicide, but Hannah knows that can't be. This book is told through dual point of views. We hear Rachel's side of the story (and her podcast - which I wish they would turn into a real podcast. I would listen to the heck out of that) and we also hear Hannah's story told through her letters. There were times that I was pretty sure I knew where the story was headed but I definitely did not see the ending coming how it did. Megan Goldin really covers her bases and connects the dots to make her story come together.

The Night Swim was exactly what I hoped it would be. It was a fascinating, interesting mystery based on two crimes set in the same town decades apart. It was not heart pounding or terrifying. It just raised a lot of questions.

Rachel Krall has a true-crime podcast in her third season. Instead of murders like her previous seasons, she decides to cover a rape trial in a small town in the South with a local star swimmer as the perpetrator. As she arrives in the small town, she begins to receive letters from the sister of a girl who “accidentally” drowned in this same small town 25 years ago. She continues receiving letters that tell the story of what happened and why the girl thinks her older sister was murdered. The stories played out side by side, each taking a turn to tell parts of the story of the crimes. I was worried that it might be confusing: two different storylines. But, I had no need to worry. It was very easy to track what was happening, even in an audiobook format.

The Night Swim was the perfect little mystery with some incredibly important messages added in. If you love true crime podcasts, you definitely need to pick this one up.

*TW: rape, gang rape, suicide, anxiety/depression, cancer and death of a loved one

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I really loved the concept of this book. A podcaster making her way to a small town for a rape trial and uncovers a 25 year old secret.
The build up of learning Hannah’s story through letters and random emails was very well done. I loved how the chapters included real time narrative, podcast episodes and letters from Hannah.

But then we get to the ending. I was speculating the entire time on who could have been Jenny’s killer. I did guess wrong, so that was a fun twist. But the ending seems very rushed and a little too easily put together. Hannah suddenly overcomes her contrast grief, the killer finds a way to escape punishment, and the case comes to a close all within a few pages.
I am looking forward to discussing this book with my bookclub on Aug 31st!

Rachel has a very successful true crime podcast but she is known for her name. Few people know what she looks like. Rachel is driving to Neapolis to report on the trial of a local boy when she gets a mysterious note on her windshield about a death from twenty-five years ago. This bothers Rachel particularly because no one ever recognizes her.
The trial is a rape case. Scott, the golden boy athlete in the town, is accused of raping a high school student. Both of their families go back a long time in Neapolis. As the rape case progresses, Rachel continues to get notes from Hannah about her sister’s death twenty-five years earlier. Rachel takes time to look into the earlier death. It was ruled an accident but was it? The more she looks into the old case the more the rape trial and the death seem connected.
I enjoyed this book. It circles back around and solves two cases that weirdly overlap over the twenty-five years. I would recommend it highly.

What started out as a slow burning thriller ended up being one of the most captivating reads I’ve picked up all year.

Rose Kynaston a video journalist has just settled down at the childhood home of her husband in the English Village of Hurtwood.
Arriving at the creepy run down manor, with his hermit-like mother, things do not seem very welcoming. Not to mention the reception she receives from all of the villagers. Apparently there is some type of hidden secret at Hurtwood House from years ago that everyone is aware of except Rose. When human remains are discovered during a historical archaeological dig on the property, Rose and the local police sergeant Ellie Trevelyan start to dig into the past and attempt to find out the truth about Hurtwood House and the Kynaston family.

This was my first Jo Furniss book, and I have to tell you her writing is phenomenal. Her ability to pull you into a story is sleek and effortless, with characters that are so genuine that you become 100% vested in their struggles. This story became a page turner and kept me up all night reading as I tried to figure out what really happened at Hurtwood House. There is an eerie aura about the book that keeps it constantly mysterious with multiple unexpected surprises, building to the unexpected thrilling ending. This has all the markings of a great dark psychological thriller with perfect doses of suspense and mystery. Grab your hot cup of coffee (or drink of choice) and settle in with this one, you will be glad you listened to me when you are done.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I am a fan of Megan Goldin! I got a chance to read Escape Room and enjoyed it. The Night Swim is even better. Holy cow! 4.5 big stars. I listened to this one on audio and I must say I think it added so much to the experience. I felt as though I was listen to Rachel's podcast and kept forgetting I was listening to a book. Rachel's true crime podcast is a huge hit and for her next season she is following a high profile rape crime in a small town and broadcasting as the trial is happening. While in the small town, she starts getting messages to check out another crime that was covered up in the town 25 years ago involving the drowning of Jenny Stills.
The connections start piling up and it looks like there may be something amiss in this town. This novel was fast paced and a phenomenal story. I truly think the audio added so much more to my experience. 4.5 stars!

A true crime podcast host covering a controversial trial finds herself drawn deep into a small towns dark past and a brutal crime that took place there years ago. Twenty years ago a woman was found dead and now today in that same small town another woman is attacked.

My Review:

Wow, wow, wow!!!!! This is definitely going in my top ten favorite books of all the year list. It was just that good. This is my first book by Megan Goldin and boy she sure didn’t disappoint with this one.

This book was about a Podcaster named Rachel who covers the trial of rape. The victim and the alleged rapists were both young so was it really a case of rape. Rachel was also receiving notes everywhere she went about another rape from many years earlier. What did both these rapes have in common? Were they really rapes? Were they just one night passions of regrets? You find these answers and many more by the end of the book.

I want to start off by saying that I would definitely not pass this book up. I’m in awe at how well written this book was especially when you are covering the topic of rape. You have to be very sensitive and this author does that throughout the book. She really made you feel what the victim felt and how awful a rape can be even when it’s over. So with that being said this book is not for the faint hearted. I really loved the fact that this was a courtroom drama as well. I haven’t read one of those books in a while and realized how much I missed them. I’ve missed the ins and out of the courtroom. I also missed hearing both sides of the story not just one. I’ve always loved the You Be The Jury books when I was a kid and this reminded me of those. My favorite part of the book though was that shocking ending. I didn’t see that one coming at all. I thought it was going one way but then it went straight into a different direction. I absolutely loved that and the whole book in general.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This was my first Megan Goldin book and I went into it with high expectations after seeing a lot of hype over it and seeing it as a Book of the Month pick. The book did not disappoint. Although I would have liked a little more suspense, this was a great little mystery and I liked that it followed a (seemingly) unrelated court case at the same time so you kind of got two stories within one. I will definitely check out her other books.

I loved this book. It handled a touchy subject extremely well, yet the book was still exciting. Definite must read.

Wow! I devoured this book! I was drawn into the story immediately, and ended up finished the whole thing in one sitting. Although the rape scenes may be triggering for some, I felt that the topic was discussed tactfully. With stalkers, letters, podcasts, and a court case, this thriller has it all! I loved it!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I truly appreciate it!

This book was very "middle of the road" for me. It's definitely more crime than a thriller. I love the podcast segments and it had lots of great moments but the book felt longer than it ended to be. I wish it were more concise. Thanks for the ARC.

There is so much love for this book, and I only wish I could share it. Overall it was just an okay read for me, and a book that I put down quite a few times because I found it drawn out and a bit tedious, especially the recap of the trial in the podcast posts.

Rachel Krall is a podcaster who investigates crimes that have captivated the country. She is very reminiscent of Sarah Koenig. For this season of the podcast she is in a small North Carolina seaside town to report on the trial of a potential US swim team member accused of rape by a local teenage girl. While entering the town she is contacted by Hannah, about the murder over her sister that was covered up by the town 25 years prior. The book moves between the current trial, podcasts, and letters from Hannah. Eventually the two plot lines intersect, and Rachel must decide if and how she can help Hannah, while still continuing on with the trial and podcast.

It was a slow burn, and a bit too mundane for my tastes. I kept waiting for something more thrilling to happen, and it just really didn't pan out. The story is fine, just wasn't the excitement I was looking for.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

🌊BOOK REVIEW🌊⁣
⁣
WoweeeWow this book! I alternated reading this on kindle at the gym and hardback at home and it was the best experience. I absolutely LOVED this court room thriller. ⁣
⁣
The Night Swim follows a rape trial in Neapolis, North Carolina. Rachel, is covering this trial for her popular true crime podcast. Is golden boy Scott guilty or not guilty of the charges against him? At the same time there is another story happening. Someone is leaving Rachel letters asking if she will help solve her sisters murder. This ‘murder’ happened 25 years ago and has been confirmed an ‘accidental drowning.’ Can Rachel help solve this case as well? ⁣
⁣
I loved that this book was like two stories in one. Both cases were so interesting! The writing was outstanding and I really had NO IDEA how it would all wrap up at the end. ⁣
⁣
Readers beware that this story talks A LOT about rape and abuse and the biases that are thrown at rape victims. It’s unsettling and uncomfortable at times. The he said, she said, etc. ⁣
⁣
When I read the Podcast sections I imagined Phoebe Judge from Criminal. I have to admit that I don’t really listen to podcasts (no time!) but I have heard a lot of that one. My husband plays it on long car rides. Maybe not the best one for young ears in the backseat... 🤷🏼‍♀️⁣
⁣
Thank you so much to @netgalley, @megangoldinauthor and @stmartinspress for the digital copy and also the gifted print book. I don’t have words to describe your thoughtfulness! ⁣
⁣
💙💙💙⁣
⁣

The Night Swim tackles rape and the stigma attached. This story is heartbreaking. I felt angry and vulnerable as I read this book. The two rapes twenty years apart are at the center of this story. Rachel Krall comes to Neapolis to report on the rape trial of Scott Blair. He's accused of raping a high school student. The town is in turmoil over the case. Some blame the victim and some the defendant. What is the truth? I don't usually read books that focus on rape, but Megan Goldin's writing pulled me in. The mysterious death of Jenny was told in bits and pieces by her heartbroken sister. I couldn't put this book down until I knew what really happened. I wanted justice for Jenny. I doubted that would happen. Power triumphs over truth. When I finished The Night Swim I felt emotionally drained. I had my answers but there was no reason for celebration.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.

This book had me shook!

I loved the Escape Room and couldn’t resist the chance to read Megan Goldin’s new title. This was such a brilliant, enthralling memorable read. It is well written though it’s the kind of story that you can’t really say that you enjoyed because of the heavy themes.

At the center of the story is a rape trial. Megan Goldin tackles the subject of rape with so much sensitivity and respect. Without taking attention from the unfolding drama, she posed some very important questions about rape. One question that has stayed with me is about the divisiveness of rape. Murder is straight cut but rape sparks so much debate and more often, victim blaming. People do not often ask what the murder victim had done to ‘warrant’ being killed. However, they do ask about rape victims. What were they wearing? Why did they put themselves in such situations? This book sure did make me angry. It made me confront the injustices of rape and think about the victims. It also made me think about the justice system especially when it comes to rape victims testifying. There is a lot to be angry about.

The idea of podcasts is not new to me. I am yet to listen to any podcast though I have read other books that feature them. Never before have I been captivated by a podcast like this. I was so eager to follow Rachel’s podcast and enjoyed reading the chapters covering her reporting. They were so intense and suspenseful. Other narrative styles used in this story include flashbacks, letters and of course, the present narration. All were equally good. I was captivated by each one right from the start.

This book got to me. I was drawn in right from the first chapter. I loved and loathed the setting in equal measure. I loved the idea of the ocean and beaches but I wasn’t a fan of the small town’s residents and the evils that took place there. I loved so many of the female characters especially the Still sisters, K and Rachel. I wanted to hug them so that we could cry together. I also admired the MC. Her strength, astuteness and determination to get to the truth was a joy to read about. This is one book that I couldn’t stop reading although at the same time, it turned my stomach a couple of times.

Night Swim is a complex book to review. A captivating yet tough read. This book, phew…it certainly was something else and I mean that in a positive way.