The Night Swim was thought-provoking mystery/thriller that revolved around two rape cases, its investigation, and a trial. It was about judicial system, rape and sexual assault, views of people and prejudice.

Writing was flawless, engrossing, and emotive. The setting of Neapolis was atmospheric. Description of Morrison’s Point jetty, cemetery and scenic and historical description was fascinating to read. It made me think how such peaceful and beautiful town can give sinister and tense vibe. It was written in first narrative from mainly Rachel’s and occasionally Hanna’s perspective. Plot was intriguing. There were two rape cases told alternatively through letters, investigation, podcast and trial.

One was ongoing the Blair case, Rachel was following for her third season of Guilty or Not Guilty podcast. As soon as Rachel reached town and started interviewing and telling people about what happened to Kelly Moor, a teenage girl raped by Scott Blair, it was clear Blair was culprit and yet it was shocking to read how people and his parents were turning him victim just because he was most talented and famous swimmer of the town. Even though we know who was guilty, it was uncertain to tell who will win the case till the end. I was curious to find out how prosecutor was going to fight the case.

And the other was 25 years old cold case– Jenny’s case- that Hanna, Jenny’s sister forced Rachel to follow by sending her letters. Rachel’s voice was famous but not her face and so somebody putting a letter on her car’s windshield in middle of nowhere was creepy. Jenny’s story were told in letters from Hanna’s perspective and through Rachel’s investigation. Like Rachel I was curious to find out what happened to Jenny all those years ago.

All characters were interesting to read. I admired Rachel for her work. She was brave, inquisitive, and strong who plunged into cases putting her life in danger, even though she got many hate mails and threats. Her voice and insights were powerful. I also liked Pete, Mitch, and even judge Shaw. Kelly, Hanna and Jenny were strong in their own way. I hated or disliked every other character but they all were realistic.

Trial started at 40% of the book. By that time we know Rachel’s background story, how she started podcast and worked with her boss Pete, how she gathered information on case, recording podcast about it being neutral all the time, and how she received letters from Hanna without getting any lead for Jenny’s case.

It got more interesting once trial started. Court room drama and Rachel’s podcast about it was my favourite part of the book. Witnesses and experts were called, evidence presented, and yet each time defence was dismissing all the facts and evidence like it was nothing. I liked reading the details of rape kit process as I didn’t know much about it until I read it. It was horrible to read what happened to Kelly. It brought tears to my eyes and outrageous towards defence and that boy for doing that to girl. I agree with everything Rachel said in podcast about why a girl needed to relive the horrific event to prove she was raped and it was not consensual!

The more letter Rachel received, more information she got on Jenny’s case, some led to dead ends while some gave leads but it was her secondary case and so it was slow and took time for Rachel to solve the case.

It was most distressing to read what happened to Jenny and even more disturbing was 10-year-old Hanna saw what happened, not all but most of it, not how she died. A kid who couldn’t understand what those boy were doing to her sister but saw her pain, withering and dying inside every day, not knowing what she could do to stop her pain or how she could help, not until she was old enough to understand, not until it was decades later she found Rachel, face the place where her sister died again, and asked for help by telling Rachel bits by bits what happened as she recalled all events. It was heart wrenching and soul shattering to read those letters.

This was definitely not easy read. If you are sensitive to rape or reading about, I would say this isn’t for you. The rape scenes were disturbing, not exactly graphic but still not palatable. It was most outrageous to read the way people acted, those monsters raping a girl with all conscience and without any guilt, regret, thinking they could get away, ruining girls’ life and most of all those sick parents of boy protecting their son turning blind to girl’s pain and suffering and believing their son is all innocent! How could they do that!

Both mysteries were well written. I didn’t have a clue what will happen with both cases. Climax was interesting. Author cleverly connected both cases with a new information that turned the tables in Blair case. Another letter from Hanna, she finally coming out was most interesting part. I couldn’t say who killed Jenny till the face came to light. I had my guesses but I was totally wrong about it. End was perfect.

Overall, The Night Swim was captivating, though-provoking and heart wrenching mystery thriller with realistic characters and atmospheric setting. I highly recommend this book.

It’s rare these days that I devour a book in 24 hours. The Night Swim pulled me in from the start and I was both taken by the alternating POVs and captivated by the trial, podcast episodes, and long ago mystery.

This was very difficult to read at times (CW: the story centers around a rape trial and a past group sexual assault and death) but, also necessary. Goldin excellently handled the depiction of trauma and re-traumatization of rape victims: from the actual crime, to rape kit, to law enforcement interviews, to being shamed by peers/community, and the eventual trial, testimony and cross examination.

I really must stop myself . While a quick read, it really didn't hold my interest and found myself putting it aside to read something else. Typical and predictable.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for sending my Goodreads win and sharing an e-book on Netgalley of The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. Content warnings in this book for sexual assault, trauma from past sexual assault, rape trial discussions, bullying, and a close family member with cancer. My review touches on some of the discussion so warnings for that as well.

The Night Swim is a drama that reaches into the past at the same time as dealing with a case in the present. Rachel is the host of a popular true crime podcast and has chosen to follow the trail of a small town rape case for her 3rd season. Hannah’s sister died in this town 25 years ago and Hannah thinks Rachel might be the only one to help her find the truth. The Night Swim is told mostly from Rachel’s point of view but also includes chapters that are transcripts of the podcast and also letters that Hannah writes about her sister and what happened the night she died. Some of the scenes are in the courtroom as well. I thought all the different formats worked really well for keeping the story moving as well as keeping the timelines separate. The letters and podcast had a very different tone so they were easy to keep separate.

I found The Night Swim a very different tone than Megan Goldin’s first novel, The Escape Room, but I do like that she’s continuing the discussion of rape and rape culture and how the victims are treated. The court case chapters were my favourite but having Rachel research outside the courtroom for her podcast showed some of the media bias for these cases as well.

⁣The Night Swim is a fast paced thriller but still weighs heavy because of the material. It could be ripped from our daily headlines. Rachel is a podcast host in town to cover a rape trial. She starts to get letters from the sister of Jenny Stills who died 20 years ago in the same town. Hannah Stills pleads with Rachel to help her find out how her sister really died. The story unfolds in different types of chapters: 3rd person following Rachel, Rachel’s podcast episodes, and letters from Hannah to Rachel. My heart raced as I read Hannah’s account of the events leading up to Jenny’s death. I don’t think I have ever read a thriller novel that elicited such a physical reaction. This layout of the novel and the podcast element were fresh and unique and really what I liked best about the novel. ⁣⁣
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At some point I did guess the ending but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. The story was well told. The subject material was very heavy, intense and heartbreaking. I think fans of true crime documentaries and podcasts will enjoy this one. ⁣⁣

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced egalley of The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. ⁣⁣

Night Swim is a well-written and enjoyable genre blend of a legal thriller and a murder mystery. Rachel is the host of a popular podcast, and for her upcoming season she decides to cover the trial of an elite Olympic bound swimmer accused of rape. The book is not a slow burn per se, but Goldin takes her time getting the reader acclimated with the small picturesque town where the rape of K occurs. And the reason this was not a slow burn is that before Rachel gets to Neapolis, she gets a request from a podcast listener in the form of a note on her car from Hannah asking her to research the mysterious death of her sister Jenny. So the book is told from two POVs, Rachel as the primary narrator and investigator as well as Hannah who tells the story of her sister Jenny's short and tragic life, through that original letter and others forms of communication, as memory best serves her. Jenny's story was just so heartbreaking. So along with this melancholy murder mystery, Goldin gives the reader a legal thriller which includes, some really intense and well written courtroom scenes. I am not a lover of legal thrillers but I was riveted reading these scenes and the breakdown and overt commentary on the legal system through the eyes of Rachel just fascinating. Trigger warning if you are a victim of sexual assault parts of this book may be too much for you, I myself had to stop several times because Goldin did a solid job of portraying the trauma of sexual assault, she hits you hard without pulling any punches because Jenny's story is just as heartbreaking as K's testimony. All I can say is Megan Goldin really put me in the jury box with this portrayal of a courtroom trial. In sum, The Night Swim is a thriller, which I think expertly handles painful and relevant social justice issues, such as abuse of power by the police, toxic masculinity, bullying, rape, poverty, as well as psychlogical trauma that accompany dealing with those issues, in the past and present. Yet despite tackling those serious social issues, The Night Swim still delivers as a suspensful thriller right up until the very end. This book was a 5 star read for me. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Goldin's work.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin has a message to send. It's an important message, but it overshadows the rest of the book. This novel isn't about a mystery; it's about standing up for a cause. Ordinarily, I wouldn't mind, but this book's outlook on men/woman relationships is so grim that I walked away thinking that every man is a rapist and every woman a victim. I wish the book had come with a trigger warning since the graphic depictions of rape will, unfortunately, haunt me forever.


The parts of the story that I found the most interesting were those written from Hannah's point of view. Her story is gripping and harrowing. I felt like I really got to know this character, and I wanted to learn everything about her and what had happened during the summer that her sister died.

On the other hand, I didn't care for the rest of the book. The readers never get to know the main character, Rachel. She's lifeless and cardboard. The chapters dedicated to her podcast are also invasive. I would have preferred not to read them at all.

I had high expectations going in, but this wasn't my favorite book of the summer. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the review copy.

Two out of five stars.

I really enjoyed The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. It was a lot heavier thematically than The Escape Room was, but just as propulsive. The theme of podcasts comes up a lot in books lately. It works well in the context of The Night Swim's Plot.

There are two stories in the book, one present day court case where Rachel, a popular, true-crime podcast host is in the small beach town of Neapolis covering the trial of a popular local swimmer accused of rape. The other story is from the same town 25 years earlier. Hannah tells Rachel the story of how her sister died one summer and wants Rachel to help her expose what really happened.

Trigger warnings all over the place regarding rape. HOWEVER, there is not gratuitous detail here. Goldin in remarkably restrained in that she gives the reader just enough detail in both stories to feel the gravitas of each girl's story, but without giving any more than necessary to make her point.

The current day case was captivating in the sense that it truly felt "ripped from the headlines". The idea that this local celebrity was accused drove the case. There are people who aren't going to believe the victim no matter what, because he was so popular he wouldn't "NEED" to force anyone to have sex. Then, because it is a small town and everyone knows everyone, loyalty runs deep so friends of the accuser's family are going to believe her no matter what. Then there are sadly people who, even if they DO believe the girl was raped, don't think "one mistake" should ruin the talented, promising athlete's career and future. The podcast host presents her audience with the evidence as given in court, combined with interviews she has been able to get with various players in the case. The audience is asked to determine if they believe he is "Guilty or Not Guilty".

The 25 year old case was more harrowing. Along with Rachel, herself, we are given just pieces of the story over the course of the book until the complete picture comes together at the end. Hannah was just about 10 when her sister died. The case was closed as an accidental drowning, but Hannah was there and knows a lot of stuff happened leading up to her sister's death. Her sister was 16, beautiful, and an excellent swimmer. But they were poor kids of a single mother, made even poorer by the fact their mother had cancer and couldn't work. There are people in the two who judged the two girls as problem kids just because they were the daughters of a woman with a reputation for being "loose-moraled". They are viewed as charity cases by some. But by most, they were just overlooked and invisible....making them the perfect prey for someone with a mindset to victimize. The reason this story is a bit harder to take than the current one is that it takes place over a wider expanse of time. What happens to the sister is not a one-moment event. It is sickening and unimaginable.

The stories come together in a very satisfying way. I was completely entranced the whole way through the book and was 100% invested in the outcomes of these two girls' stories.

Rachel is on her way to small town Neapolis to cover a rape trial for the new season of her true crime podcast when she finds a note on her windscreen asking her to help the author of the note find out who raped and murdered her sister 25 years earlier. Rachel ends up becoming drawn into both cases and is determined to find out the truth.

This book was such an easy read in the sense that the writing flowed effortlessly, and I was completely enthralled in the storyline so didn’t want to put it down. However it’s also a really difficult read in terms of some of the subject matter. It’s a powerful book and does an excellent job of highlighting the appalling way rape victims are treated. Some of the chapters are told through podcast transcripts and personally I loved this and thought it was a great way for the author to present the more factual information about the case.
This is a new author for me but I’ll now be sure to read her past and future books!

“Yes, I have been a victim of a sexual assault. Well, probably several really. Funny how we were conditioned to accept these situations as unpleasant instead of outrageous.”

The Night Swim. I went into this novel pretty blind. All I knew was that it had a rape trigger warning attached to it and that a podcast would be involved in the storyline. I thought the story and the writing was fabulous and atmospheric. It did rile me up quite often because of the subject matter but that’s the point of this book. To challenge your thoughts and the American legal system. This was absolutely a heavy read and it will definitely stay with me for a long time. Give it a read.

The Night Swim - Megan Goldin
Rachael is a pod cast host following a rape trial for season three of her audio platform. Whilst in the town of Neapolis for the trial someone is leaving letters in her car, outside her hotel room and with her PA alluding to a wrongly determined case from 25 years ago.

Woweeee what a read, I was totally hooked from start to finish. It is written very well and I found it easy to read considering the heaviness of the topic And mostly being set in a court hearing. . A unique way to present the plot through podcast scripts and sensitively done.

The best ways to describe this book is raw and real. It centers around two rapes that occurred 25 years apart and the horrible way society treats rape victims. I loved Rachel's character, and the episodes of her podcast were done really well. The story was fast paced while being open and honest. I couldn't wait to find out all the details. The ending wasn't super surprising (though a few of the details did surprise me), but it was all really good. I will definitely read whatever Megan Goldin writes next!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Night Swim by Megan Goldin.

This is a murder mystery that is two fold. The first is a current mystery that is being covered by a very popular podcast (think Serial). The second is a drowning that was swept right under the rug and remembered by no one except the sister. As the podcast host gets closer to the current case, she also slowly begins to uncover what happened to the drowning victim all those years ago.

First off, audio is definitely the way to consume this book. I LOVE when audiobooks incorporate either music, sound effects and more cast members. This audiobook does all of that. It brings the story to life so much more.

But it's not hard to do when you're already working with a great story, which this is. It smacks on a lot of current topics, so it was very relatable and appropriate to today's climate. The pace was great, and I really enjoyed the characters. A great summer read.

This was so good. The storyline is enticing and relevant. I kept wanting to continue reading way past bedtime and that to me means you are so sucked into the story you can't stop. The writing flowed and I liked how the podcast was included but not the main way to read the story.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Last year I read, and loved, The Escape Room by Megan Goldin. I knew I would be reading more from this author, so I was thrilled to be invited to be on tour for THe Night Swim and let me just say...this book is another winner!

I loved the way this book was crafted. The use of the podcast, the courtroom case - it all comes together to create such a thrilling, edge of your seat story that really kept me engaged and captivated all the way through. There were times were I really wanted to skip ahead and just keep reading all the podcast chapters - I was so enthralled with those parts, but I also loved the sections where Rachel was investigating into the older case involving what really happened to Jenny. There was really no part of this book - and there are a lot of moving parts to this book - that I was not interested in.

I loved the intensity of this book and how I could not see which way the court case would go. I also loved the intensity of the mystery surrounding Jenny's death and how this small town became even smaller as Rachel began digging into things. That's the beauty and the curse of a small town.

I wouldn't classify this as a fast-paced thriller, but more of a slow-burner, but it's one that certainly gets under your skin and totally consumes you. I could think of nothing else while I was reading it. And while this is a tough read based on the subject, I do think it would make a great bookclub pick as there is so much to discuss. I definitely recommend picking this one up and I for sure will be putting Megan Goldin on my must-read list.

This book is quite topical, covering podcasts and sexual assault. It is from two perspectives: one is a 'sexy' podcaster who is investigating trials, and the other are a series of letters from the sister of someone who drowned, although the sister believes that she was murdered. She wants help from the investigating podcaster to find justice.

I was a little uncomfortable with the podcaster being compared to the chef Nigella Lawson, who made cooking 'sexy'. Murder can never be 'sexy' in any context. However, the start is very slow with a dragging build up to the investigation.

​Once the story gets underway it becomes quite a good read. The story covers the problems with rape trials, rape myths and modern issues including consequences and reputations. Some of the attempts at suspense were a bit tenuous, (creaking gates, windy graveyards,for example) but despite these it is an enjoyable read with some important messages.

This one took about 50% for me to really get into it - it was a concept that I knew I should like so I was able to push through and I'm so glad I did because it really got rocking just past that halfway point. The ending and execution was SO GOOD, and I'm crossing my fingers that there will be more from this author/concept.

This may be one of my favorite books I have ever read. It seems almost confusing for me to say that about a thriller/suspense novel. In the past, I could gush about many books of this genre, but it was always about the element of surprise, the quality of the writing, or the plot twists. This book though, this book will stay with me.

Once I picked it up, I didn’t want to stop for anything. I enjoyed Goldin’s debut novel, The Escape Room, but for me, The Night Swim is unparalleled. The plot is divided between two cases. Rachel Crowl is an overnight sensation with her true crime podcast guilty or not guilty. For her upcoming season she needs something unique to continue to set her apart from the other podcasts. She has chosen to cover a live trial. The trial she’s covering is deemed controversial, but for Rachel, she can’t understand how society agrees murder is wrong but somehow rape is up for discussion. An Olympic swimming prospect is accused of raping a 16-year-old high school student. The “small” town is divided on their public verdict.

While Krall is in the town of Neapolis to cover the trial, she is approached in an unorthodox way by a listener who has suffered a trauma of her own. As a child she witnessed her sister’s murder and she painstakingly rehashes the events leading up to her sister’s death.

The podcast host is torn between two volatile cases: one unfolding in real time and one being uncovered from the past.

Megan Goldin delves into rape cases and trials and sheds light on how traumatic testifying against your rapist can be. This is one reason why many rapes are not reported. As a victim, you have to prove what you are saying is correct, you have to prove against another person’s word that you did not consent, that you were attacked. This involves going into great detail of your attack, specific and cloying questions that make the victim relive the assault over and over again. Goldin chose a powerful topic that is unfortunately very relevant in today’s society and in civilization’s history. While this was at times difficult to read, I felt it was also extremely important. I couldn’t help but be reminded of a prolific rape case involving Brock Turner, another instance where our justice system failed a victim.

Without explicitly stating this, golden also demonstrates rape culture and how we continually blame the victim often labeling women as promiscuous, easy, as “asking for it,” instead of holding men accountable for their heinous actions. It made me have uncomfortable realizations and memories of my younger self not stopping rumors about women instead of questioning whether or not something was consensual. This is exactly why we need to change. I firmly believe women when they say they have been assaulted. As Goldin denotes in The Night Swim, what does a woman have to gain by coming forth as a victim of rape? On the most minor scale, enduring judgment and ridicule and on the other end of the spectrum exasperating their trauma. As Goldin’s character also mentions, if you reflect on your own life, can you recall your own experiences with sexual assault? Most women I know can.

This review is posted on my blog, https://angelasepilogues.wordpress.com/2020/08/12/the-night-swim/.

Thanks to St Martins and Netgalley for the advance copy of this one.

I enjoyed this story. This centered on Rachel, a true crime podcaster with a popular show. She is covering a rape trial in a small town and during her time there gets contacted by a woman whose sister was killed 20 years earlier and never investigated. The story weaves the old case with the new case.

This was part courtroom drama which I’m not a big fan of. Despite that, it was a pretty good story and I kept turning the pages.

**I was given an e-ARC of this novel by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Powerful. That is a word I would use to describe The Night Swim by Megan Goldin.

This psychological thriller follows the host of a popular true crime podcast, Rachel Krall, as she broadcasts live coverage of a rape trial. Neapolis, North Carolina is a small town whose residents are divided over the case—some in support of the teenage victim, and some in solidarity with the popular swimmer, legendary in the town, who allegedly raped her. In the midst of Rachel’s work to cover the trial, she begins to receive mysterious letters from a girl who claims that her older sister was murdered in Neopolis years earlier. Rachel can’t resist investigating the twenty-five year old crime and soon startling parallels between the two cases begin to show up.

This book is well-crafted and engrossing. Information is presented to the reader in different ways...some chapters are from Rachel’s point of view, some chapters are the transcripts of her podcast episodes with coverage of the rape trial, and other chapters are letters written by Hannah, which describe her memories of what happened to her sister, Jenny, twenty-five years earlier. I really enjoyed the different storylines that were entwined through the book and piecing together the information presented. This book offered a moving portrayal of the effects of rape on the victim’s personal life, and the added trauma of reliving the rape in court. It is something that will stick with me for years to come.

You will not regret taking the time to read this book! But be prepared to read it from start to finish, because you won’t want to stop once you get started!