I am a true crime podcast junkie, so this book was right up my alley. This is a story of two girls, twenty-five years apart. Both were raped and beaten. Their reputations, spirits, lives destroyed by being blamed for what was done to them. One girl ends up dead, unable to defend. The other speaks out about what was done to her and endures public blame turning towards her.

Rachel Krall's popular podcast "Guilty or Not Guilty" features one trial each season. This season she is digging into the trial of a college swimmer who is accused of raping a girl. The town is divided between the most prominent family in town while the grandchild of the former police chief. A girl's life is forever changed because she can never be the same person after being allegedly brutally raped over and over and then publicly brutalized again, for speaking out.

Hannah is the sister of one of the girl that died may years ago. She believes that her sister was killed and contacts Rachel to help her find answers to what really happened to her sister all those years ago and possibly bring justice. Hannah's sister never got to fight back but instead, the guys who attacked her spread vicious stories about her and her virtue, all lies, but because Jenny was from a very poor family, the rumors were treated as truth.
I love how the two stories intertwine in this quick and easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was slightly underwhelmed by this book due to my own expectations. It seems to be a trend to label a book with any sort of mystery as a thriller now, and I always end up disappointed because the book doesn't live up to the marketing.

Rachel, a true crime podcaster, arrives in a small town to cover a rape trial. The town's star athlete is accused of raping the granddaughter of the police chief, Kelly. Rachel soon discovers she is being followed. Someone is leaving notes for her to investigate the death of a teenage girl twenty five years ago. As Rachel digs deeper, she starts to find shocking connections between the two cases.

I switched to the audiobook about halfway through because of the podcast chapters. I was also having a hard time physically reading this book because I found it quite slow most of the time. The book heavily explores rape culture and really focuses on how rape victims are not only assaulting during the rape but also during the trial is they testify in court. It was heartbreaking to read/listen to Kelly when she takes the stand in court. It was also hard to hear about what happens to a rape victim when they go to the hospital. Literally every inch of the victim's body is examined by doctors.

Overall, this was a hard read that explored an important topic that is sure to spark conversations. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me as far the mystery/thriller marketing of the book, so I gave this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I liked this book much more than I thought I would, but it could still have been much better.

3.5, rounded up to 4.

Rachel commands a true-crime podcast and she's just arrived at a small town to cover the new season when a letter about an older crime in the same town piques her interest. The two stories have in common young girls slut-shamed into going from victims into the town's enemy.

The story pierced me from the beginning, probably. I was expecting one more thriller but this one really got me and I can only blame it on Megan Goldin's style, because the problem with this book is simply that we've seen most of it before. Girl gets raped, the rapist is the town's sweetheart, people hate her (this is the crime Rachel is covering for the podcast, the cold case one is slightly different though yet another well known story about a teenager who ends up dead without a proper investigation).

I think the rhythm, the characters and all in this book were good. I also love it when you get an investigation story and the one searching around doesn't have any specific personal issue getting in the way, no romance with the police or the bad guy, no big trauma distracting us from the main plot... And I especially loved the podcast episodes, it's when we get to hear Rachel's voice and I could see why the series would be so popular. I'm not a fan of any podcast but I'd like to hear that one, she does have a touch. Why am I reviewing a fictional podcast?

My big issue here is that the book wants to discuss how rape crimes are unfair to their victim. Obviously, it's a great theme. So great, I've read about it a thousand times before. Megan Goldin does bring some new light, but I think she wastes an enormous amount of time on what the reader should know already. By the time we get to what at least I consider the interestingly new part of the discussion, we're a little bit tired already. She's not wrong, the victims are victimized all over again by the system, but as I said, this has been said and explored before, so I think she could have skipped all the demonstrations, I'd have believed it anyway, and went on to the not-so old stuff. I don't want to spoil, because I think she did lift some points I hadn't thought much about before, especially about how evidence in trials can go.

I have some other problems but the way things were solved was my other bigger issue. It all rested on one piece of information, some fallen-from-heaven plot twist and it didn't sit well with me. Yes, it did explain every little thing I was wondering about, but it left me with a question of: "So is that it?" To make things worse, I felt it was quite bitter about who caused things to end well, too. I'm doing my best not to spoil anything but I didn't like the ending much. There was the good side of it explaining it all but I wish Goldin had come up with something better.

I do think this thriller was above average. I enjoyed much more than it painted to me I would. I don't recommend it to anyone who feels rape is a sensitive issue. Megan Goldin did a very good and sensitive treatment of the theme, but this book is still about rape. Aside from that trigger, I think anyone looking about a good thriller, especially one involving court trials should consider this one.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

This is my first Megan Goldin story. What drew me to the book was the description of a true crime podcaster as the main character. I have been really into true crime shows and podcasts for a long time.
This character is following a teenage sexual assault case, when the sister of another teenager that died under a mysterious situation, starts leaving messages for her that makes it seem that the two cases are connected.
I really enjoyed this story until it got a little too predictable about what really happened during the mysterious death of the teenager. It was a quick easy read. The character's were a little cliché, but believable.
I would recommend this book who likes just plot driven thrillers.

Megan Goldin does it again!!!

Rachel Krall is the creator and host of a hugely successful True Crime podcast. During her first season, evidence she procured through her work was subsequently used to free an innocent man.

Now a household name, with a reputation as a tireless truth seeker, many people reach out to her with cases they think she should investigate next. A lot of these people feel they have no other options when searching for justice for a friend or loved one; that the system has failed them and Rachel is their last resort.

These letters for help generally come in the form of email or through more traditional post. Therefore, Rachel is surprised when a letter ends up stuck under her windshield wiper at a remote rest stop. How would someone even have recognized her? People generally know her voice, not her face?

When she receives the first mysterious note, Rachel is on her way to Neapolis, where a high profile rape case is currently dividing the small coastal town. For the latest season of the podcast, Rachel will be looking into the case and attending the trial.

In the ultimate, her story versus his, the victim is the granddaughter of the police chief, and the accused
perpetrator is a golden boy, local-celebrity champion swimmer. As Rachel throws herself into her investigation, the mysterious letters continue to show up in unexpected places, including her hotel room.

The author of the letters, a young woman named Hannah, pleads with Rachel to look into the death of her sister, Jenny, 25-years earlier in Neapolis. Rachel admittedly finds Jenny's case interesting. A reported drowning, Hannah insists that foul play was involved.

Y'all, I loved this book! The format Goldin chose to tell this story was absolutely perfect. We get multiple perspectives, past and present timelines, and full episodes of Rachel's podcast! The way that Goldin was able to weave these two mysteries together was flawless. I found myself so invested in both the current rape trial and the historical perspective of what actually happened to Jenny.

I was blessed enough to have received both an e-copy, and an audio copy, of this from the publisher to read and review. I started it off switching back and forth between the two, but ultimately stuck with the audiobook. The audiobook is so well done. The podcast chapters are incredible! I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't actually listening to a podcast, that it was fictional. It's that believable!

I was already a fan of Goldin after the release of The Escape Room last year, but this one, The Night Swim takes it to a whole new level. Megan Goldin is for sure an autobuy author for me!

In addition to the fabulous presentation of this story, I was also impressed with the commentary regarding rape culture and the treatment of victims of rape and sexual assault. I love when a Thriller can not only be surprising and immersive, but also when it has something to say on real world issues. I think it opens up so many great discussions that are important and impactful.

In short, if you have not picked up The Night Swim yet, please do so. I particularly recommend the audiobook, although the story is fantastic regardless of the medium.

A heartfelt thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with the opportunity to read this early. It will definitely be making my Favorites List for 2020!!!

The Night Swim was a book about 2 different stories of rape separated by time but brought to light by a Podcaster Rachel Krall. The book covers a trial centered around a rape case and brings to light the hardships women face when coming forward and the unfair way that trials on rape are handled. The book also had a mystery to solve which Hannah hooks Rachel with. Was Jenny Stills murdered 25 years ago? As Rachel looks into the past she finds many parallels as to what is happening currently, except Jenny didn't live to tell and nothing was ever investigated 25 years ago. I really enjoyed this read, I thought it was addicting and had a great mystery and I also enjoyed the trial and podcast aspects to the book. It was such a well written and interconnected story that had me addicted and completely drew me in. I also thought the title was absolutely perfect as the night swim could apply to several different parts of the book, and I thought that was very clever. Megan Holdin truly wrote an amazing book!

This book gave me chills. The content is not for the light hearted. The past and the present have crashed together. This is an amazing story. The build up of the suspense and the tragedy of the story make for a brilliant read.

’Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name—and the last hope for people seeking justice. […] The new season of Rachel's podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial’

THE NIGHT SWIM is the second book that I have read by Megan Goldin, THE ESCAPE ROOM being the first, and I enjoyed reading both.

Goldin does an excellent job of pulling this reader in, her prose tightening around my heartstrings, refusing to let go until I too bear witness to the unpredictable ending she has in store for me.

Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for loaning me an eBook of THE NIGHT SWIM in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent story with a surprising ending and a great build. Looking forward to recommending this book.

The Night Swim follows two women, one of whom, Hannah, lost a sister to what she knows was actually murder and the other, Rachel, a true crime podcast star in town to cover a trial. Hannah seeks out Rachel's help in her sister's case - one deemed an accidental drowning by police 25 years earlier. Rachel is in town to cover the rape trial of the town's star swimmer who is accused of raping an underage teen who also happens to be the former police chief's granddaughter. I'll admit I was skeptical of the pod cast angle as I feel that has already been done in several thrillers recently, but this one has a new take on it as Rachel wants to cover a current case and it's trial as it happens and the case and the characters will definitely keep readers hooked. Throughout the story Hannah leaves letters for Rachel detailing what happened 25 years earlier when her sister was killed, prompting Rachel to try and uncover the truth of what happened to Hannah's sister, Jenny. This is more of a slow burn mystery as Jenny's case is revealed slowly along with the slow nature of many trials, but the format will keep readers hooked on figuring out what happened to Jenny and how the rape trial will progress.

This is not for the faint of heart though - there are lengthy discussions and descriptions of sexual violence and rape which may be difficult for some readers. However, this book brings to light a tough but important topic about what constitutes rape and the true horrors of what victims go through during the investigation and trial. This book will definitely spark important conversations even though some of it was tough to read. I liked the writing style and I also liked the incorporation of the pod cast transcript in to the story. I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers and mysteries who want a unique take on the podcast topic, while also reading about a timely and important topic in our society. The author did a nice job of hooking readers on the two distinct mysteries and brought the small town of Neapolis to life.

I loved this thriller. It was so well plotted that I couldn't figure out the twists and turns before they happened. I loved the story and the characters. Both really kept me engaged and I had to find out what would happen.

Highly recommended.

Wow, what an emotional book! Still pondering this story as I’m sure will other readers, an excellent book for discussions. Such great writing, I was enthralled in the first chapter. Would love to read more about Rachel as she covers another trial for her podcast.

Mega. Goldin is back with a vengeance and she delivers!! I read this in two days and the it’s amazing how she brought a crime from the past and worked It into A crime in the present. BRILLIANT!! Goldin must follow this up with another book featuring podcaster Rachel,!! Thanks for a GREAT book!!

Favorite Quote:

“Objectivity is so last century. Didn’t you get the memo?” said Pete. “These days everybody has an opinion. Whether they know what they’re talking about, or not. Usually it’s the latter.


My Review:


This was clever storytelling. The tension and intrigue were held to a taut and ever ratcheting level throughout this intense and arresting tale. My curiosity was making me itch, as were the realistic, traumatic, and dramatic storylines of the brutality, pettiness, and corruption of small-town living and family drama. The writing was profoundly engaging and action-packed with evocative, striking, and poignant depictions that were maddeningly parceled out, well-crafted, and inhabited by deeply flawed yet compelling and true-to-life characters, some of whom were monstrously all too familiar to me having grown up in a similarly inbred small town. My mind spun with theories and while there was no way the little pea in my brain could have solved this shrewdly plotted and cunning paced tale, and I truly didn’t see this ending coming, I did come close with more than a few bits and pieces in my final hypotheses. Megan Goldin has mad skills and lifelong fangirl.

A quick read/listen! I really enjoyed this one. I wouldn't classify it as a thriller, but it was suspenseful. The audio version was really cool because of the podcast intertwined into the plot.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I really loved the storyline of this book - the podcast element, the trial, the important issues raised (trigger warning: rape). It was a compulsive and captivating read. I thought the writing was great and I felt connected to the characters. There were a few instances where I thought there was a lot going on and had a little hard time keeping track of the 2 timelines but overall it was very interesting and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book from Megan Goldin. I loved her first book - The Escape Room and was looking forward to her second suspense novel. She didn't disappoint and I really enjoyed The Night Swim and think that this author will become a major force in this genre. It was well written with believable characters and a plot that kept me turning pages to see how it would end.

Rachel Krall hosts a podcast on true crime. Her previous podcast had helped an innocent man go free and now she is working on season 3. She goes to a small town coastal town in North Carolina to follow a rape trial that has the town in turmoil. Scott Blair a beloved town athlete and on the way to becoming an Olympian in swimming has been accused of raping a high school student who is the 16 year old granddaughter of the former chief of police. As expected many of the people in the town don't want to see Scott's life ruined because she should have been wiser and not drinking at a party. It all came down to a he said - she said issue that had the town totally divided. This is the first podcast that Rachel has done that follows a trial in real time and she works very hard to get comments from families and lawyers regarding the crime. While she is in town, she starts to get letters from Hannah - someone that she doesn't know who wants her help solving a murder in the same town twenty five years earlier.

Hannah's story is the second point of view in the novel. During her letters to Rachel, she tells her about growing up poor and about her life with her sister and mother before her sister dies in what was determined to be a drowning accident. Hannah knows that her sister was an excellent swimmer and that she was murdered but she needs proof to have the person brought to justice and she is hoping that Hannah will help her.

Both points of view during different time periods twist together to make this a book that can't be put down. It's a terse story that connects both time periods and in both cases, the reader is eager to see justice done. It discusses the back last many women receive when reporting a rape and what they have to put up with to get their rapist convicted. It was an emotional story about justice and I highly recommend it.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin is a book about justice. Rachel runs a successful true crime podcast. She was even able to find evidence to set an innocent man free. But her new season is coming up and this time she will be on the courtroom when a trial is taking place. This is a rape trial that has the town divided. Rachel is interviewing all the key players and while she is doing that someone is leaving notes on her car asking her to investigate another death in the same down that happened decades earlier. I love how the author is able to tell a much needed story, a story that at times is hard to read, makes you so sad you want to week, and makes you so mad you want to lash out at everyone. She blends two storylines with ease, and I can't wait to read more books by her! 4⭐
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Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Megan Goldin for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was pulled into this story from the very first chapter—actually it was probably that first sentence that did it. I just had to know the circumstances around Jenny's death and why it was so devastating. Little did I know that there would be two complicated crimes that needed to be resolved.

Rachel's journey to Neapolis to cover a rape trial for her popular podcast finds her unwillingly becoming involved in another crime that happened years ago in the same community. She reluctantly finds herself digging into both and trying to make sense of the information she uncovers.

The Night Swim is a story that will grab you from the start and keep you holding on, and guessing, until everything is resolved. And man, what a ride it was getting to the end. You should definitely add this to your reading list—I highly recommend it!

So apparently Megan Goldin is a new auto-buy author for me! I absolutely loved this book! I also completely loved The Escape Room—a book I read a year ago that still flitters in the back of my mind from time to time. The Night Swim has three POVs: Rachel (a crime podcaster), the podcast itself, and then also letters from Hannah. I found myself completely absorbed by the trial and I couldn’t put this book down. The characters, the small town secrets, and interpersonal connects in this book were incredible. I love a good “small town secrets” book and this was perfect!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.