I was hooked on this book from the very first page, and loved every bit of it. Hannah Stills is convinces her sister, Jenny, was murdered 25 years ago. Everyone else claims Jenny drowned. Hannah teaches out to Rachel Krall, a journalists who hosts a podcast “Guilty or Not Guilty”. Rachel is in town to cover a rape trial. Scott Blair, rich boy and competitive swimmer, is accused of raping Kelly Moore.
As Rachel learns cv more about the trial, she is drawn deeper into the mystery of Jenny’s death. Things don’t seem to add up.
There are many parallels and overlapping stories between the two cases. While I was not surprised at the ending, I still enjoyed this tense story. This book reminded me a bit of the Channel Miller/ Brock Turner case, as he was a swimmer who took advantage of a drunk girl. I loved how the book used the podcast form.
Thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss for the ARC.
#TheNightSwim #MeganGoldin #Macmillan #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #Edelweiss

This book was an interesting read for me because I don’t read a lot of books with a podcast element however I really enjoyed this one. This one will take you on a journey following a current court case and you get to decide for yourself how you would vote if you were on the jury. You also get to follow the podcaster Rachel as the follows a cold case. This is quite a journey on both cases and I enjoyed it.

This is a very well written, with the sensitivity the subject of rape deserves, novel that leaves you shaken and thoughtful in its wake.
Rachel is the host of the popular Guilty or Not Guilty true crime podcast. She's come to the small seaside town of Neapolis to cover the trial of the local Golden boy who's been accused of raping a sixteen year old girl. While on the way there, Rachel finds a note stuck on her windshield from a girl named Hannah who's sister was possibly murdered twenty-five years earlier in the same town and is pleading for Rachel's help in uncovering the truth.
Part courtroom drama, part mystery, this compelling story is told from the POV's of the two women and the transcripts of the podcast. The timelines are the present and twenty-five years ago. This intricate tale weaves a web so compelling that it's hard to put down once you've started. Expertly crafted, the two storylines come together with a twist I didn't see coming. Rachel's character is very well developed, intelligent and personable, while Hannah's is told through her memories and letters. Although the subject matter may be triggering to some, I found it easy reading and well paced. I only have high praise for this one and recommend it to those who enjoy a well told mystery.

Thriller that will keep you on guessing. The Night Swim centers around Rachel a famous true crime podcaster who goes to the small town of Neapolis to cover a major rape trial. The accused rapist is a rich kid from town who was on track to become an Olympic swimmer. The rate victim is the former police chiefs granddaughter. As soon as Rachel gets close to town she receives a letter from someone named Hannah with information regarding Hannah’s sister Jenny’s death 20 years prior. The death has always been deemed a accidental drowning, but Hannah knows that was not the case. With pressure to make this season of her podcast a success Rachel is set on putting her all into the case, but as she continues to receive more letters from Hannah she is pulled into trying to find out what really happened to Jenny. Rachel soon learns there are things people don’t want her to find out, and the desire to keep small time secrets hidden is at play in Neopolis. Ultimately Rachel can’t help but try to solve Jenny’s death, while also trying to make sure her podcast goes off without a hitch. The story shifts between the past and the present.This book will keep you at the edge of your seat wondering if the cast of characters are who they really seem.
Thank you @stmartinspress for this ARC. (less)

Wow! This book just blew me away! I was just expecting something different, I’m not sure what. Maybe more of an always running from the killer kind of story, but this was something totally different, and I loved it!

The main character runs an extremely popular podcast series where she covers crimes and has solved one for her past two seasons. This year, she decides she’s going to cover a live trial of a rape case and update her followers daily so they can feel like they are a part of the jury. Just before arriving in town, she receives a mysterious letter on her windshield that leads her down a path to 25 year old death that she can’t let go. She finds herself balancing the current case with this old case that no one seems to want to talk about.

The characters created by Megan Goldin make this book so hard to put down. The main character Rachel is so smart and headstrong, and I just loved her so much! I enjoyed how she balanced the old and new cases, always following her gut instincts. She is just a main character that I really want to read more about! All the supporting characters created mystery and big personalities. It made the overall story just perfect!

Overall, I really absolutely loved this book! I loved the dual storyline and the choices the author made in when and where information was revealed. It was all masterfully pieced together, creating the perfect story. I REALLY hope that Megan Goldin creates a series out of this!

Content Warnings:
The current case as well as the previous case that are being investigated are rape cases. There are detailed accounts of what the victims went through during and in the aftermath.

To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend The Night Swim to any reader that enjoys a strong female lead, a mystery, and some legal/courtroom drama!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

This novel is a slow paced one with dual mysteries. Rachel has a successful investigative crime podcast. She investigates a rape case, submitting her daily insights from interviewing people and then sitting in on the trial. She has also been receiving notes from Hannah, a woman who claims her sister was murdered twenty-five years ago. The death of the young sister had been ruled accidental but Hannah wants Rachel to look into it and find the person she is convinced murdered her sister. Hannah remains out of sight and Rachel tries to find out more about her and eventually force a face to face meeting.

The narrative varies from Rachel's inquiries to the texts of the podcasts to the communications from Hannah. As the plot progresses, Goldin does a good job of keeping readers wondering if the current case is really rape or a false accusation. There is the same kind of wondering about the true circumstances of the death of Hannah's sister.

While this novel is a bit slow going, it is an interesting study on character and how our opinions about a person can change, depending on who is conveying opinions. It is also a reminder of the power of wealthy people or politically powerful people in affecting the outcome of a possible crime. It is also a challenge to stand up for the truth. The pace might have been slow but it did keep my interest, reading to the end.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

If you are a fan of true crime podcasts, and I know many people are, then this book is for you! Rachel, the host of a popular true crime podcast, is in the town of Neapolis for a rape trial that will be the subject of her highly anticipated third season. The book covers the trial and all the emotions and nuances that come with it, but while Rachel is there she is contacted by a fan who wants her to help Rachel solve her sister's decades-old murder.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the advance electronic readers copy.

Trigger Warnings: Rape, sexual assault, abuse

In a perfect world, justice would be black and white. You either did the crime, or you didn’t. A jury either finds you guilty or not guilty but as evidenced in this book, that doesn’t always work. Justice has shades of gray and people who do bad things sometimes go free while people who are innocent are sometimes punished.

The Night Swim tells the story of Rachel, a criminal journalist who goes to a small town in order to produce her 3rd season of her podcast covering a rape trial. You would think that a rape trial would be an easy one with the rapist getting maximum sentencing and the victim getting justice for the crimes against her but.. nope, rape cases are described as being in shades of gray. Women are put at fault for instigating rapes; for “leading the man on”, for being drunk and “basically consenting” while the man.. well, his “poor” life will be ruined cause “boys will be boys”.
This story left me in shock for days as I was reading it because in the end not only is one rape case solved, but two with each turning more and more insidious as the chapters went by.

A definite must read, it was unputdownable from the moment I started!

This was an interesting read. I loved the podcast entries to see how she was telling the story. I got a little confused at times when she was talking about the trial, the current case, and a past case, trying to keep names straight. Rachel was very good at getting information to solve the crimes. I enjoyed her bravery as well as her straightforward attitude. Overall, this was a good book, and I recommend this story.

I received a copy of this story through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

The premise of this book -- a podcaster drawn to a coastal town to cover a rape trial -- is both timely and personally appealing to me. I've seen lots of books about traditional journalists, but never any about podcasting (as it's a relatively new medium that's grown in popularity in the past couple of years). There's also plenty of mystery novels about murders, but very few about rapes.

"The Night Swim" is a slow-burn suspense story that unfolds through podcast host Rachel Krall's personal experiences throughout the trial of a champion swimmer charged with raping a high school student, "transcripts" of each podcast episode, and letters and emails from a mysterious listener who has her own haunting tale to tell about the death of her sister. Rachel knows she needs to focus on the trial, but the under-reported story of Jenny Stills' drowning in 1992 keeps nagging at her.

This is easily one of my favorite mystery/suspense reads of 2020. It's relevant in its subject matter, and challenges the reader with the question, "What does consent look like?" Megan Goldin did an excellent job of creating complex characters that I actually cared about. The story flowed well and kept me guessing until the end.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Megan Goldin, and @netgalley for my gifted copy of The Night Swim! This book follows Rachel, the host of a popular true crime podcast as she covers a rape and sexual assault trial, and ends up following a second, much older murder case that was brought to her attention by the victim’s sister, Hannah.

Fans of anything true crime will want to get their hands on this one. If you’re a fan of Serial and Dear John, you’ll enjoy The Night Swim. Goldin does a great job of making you feel like you’re sitting in the courtroom with Rachel as she covers the trial and listens to testimony. I loved the chapters that were transcripts of the podcast - it fell into the plot seamlessly, and made me fall in love with the book even more. Goldin interwove both cases seamlessly through the podcast, in addition to through the plot. Hannah’s viewpoint comes up from time to time, and the transition is smooth and seamless.

The Night Swim is available now, and as usual, I’m always happy to help you find a small bookstore to buy it from.

TW: rape, sexual assault, death of a loved one

4.5/5 stars!

Rachel Krall is the host of a popular true crime podcast. For season three she has chosen to cover a live trial, which brings her to the town of Neapolis. This small town is at odds over a devastating rape case. The town’s golden boy with Olympic swimming potential has been accused of raping a high school student. Rachel has committed herself to not only providing daily trial updates, but also interviewing and investigating persons and facts surrounding the case. What she doesn’t expect to find are mysterious letters about a young girl who died decades earlier left on her car. It seems someone else needs Rachel’s help. With two cases at hand, Rachel finds herself on the hunt for answers that may just entwine the two cases together.

When I first heard the premise for THE NIGHT SWIM I knew it was calling my name. Anyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed with crime fiction and true crime, so a book that combines elements of both is pretty much ideal. What I found was not only a fantastic read, but a book that also had me on the edge of my seat and the hunt for clues of my own, while providing an intense emotional response.

THE NIGHT SWIM is broken down into three narrators, allowing the reader to hear from Rachel, listen to her podcast, and also learn the story of Hannah, our mystery woman who has reached out to Rachel for help. While Hannah’s sections and the podcast excerpts work to build individual storylines, it is Rachel’s narrative that binds the two together. The reader has the opportunity to have a bird’s eye view into the past and the present with Hannah and the podcast, while working to investigate both crimes alongside Rachel. I love this breakdown and felt that Goldin wisely kept the focus heavily on Rachel’s sections to drive the story forward.

The pacing of THE NIGHT SWIM is certainly a bit on the slower side, but I felt that it worked with the plot. This book centers heavily on the topics of rape and sexual assault and the pacing aids Goldin’s choice not to briskly skirt these issues, but highlight how important they are in society. I truly appreciate Goldin’s focus on how society, specifically in America, puts the onus of a rape conviction on the victim. It is up to the person who has already gone through an impense level of trauma to then relive it all over again on the stand.

THE NIGHT SWIM is an emotional and gritty look into rape and how society often shames victims. It is a work of crime fiction that is timely and important for readers to consume and understand the emotions associated with this heinous crime. It is high time that as a society we stop shaming rape victims and it’s books like THE NIGHT SWIM that have the ability to shine that light. While this book has all the great elements of crime fiction I know and love, the emotional response that it drew from me was unlike most books in this genre. I highly recommend placing this book on your TBR!

A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy!

Rachel Krall’s true-crime podcast is extremely popular, but she manages to keep a low profile. She travels to the town of Neapolis, North Carolina to cover a controversial rape case for the next season of her show. Rachel is unnerved when she finds a note on her car from someone asking for help in solving her sister’s unsolved murder case. Rachel tries to balance making her show and investigating a decades old death without becoming too personally involved in either unsettling case.

This book is very different from the author’s first book. Both are suspenseful in their own ways, but this book is more a well-paced mystery than a thriller. I really like the format of this book. It alternates between the points-of-view of Rachel and Hannah (the young woman seeking Rachel’s help) and transcripts from Rachel’s podcast. Much of the coverage of the current case is through courtroom scenes. Most of the flashback scenes are told by witnesses speaking to Rachel so they come alive as well. This is a strong point of the book which is engaging and intense. However, the subject matter is very disturbing so the author’s talent in making things so realistic also makes some of it hard to read. I was equally interested in both the current and the cold case, but sometimes I would get the two confused as I was reading. Bullying, judging others, and blaming the victim are just some of the topics touched upon in this book. I was surprised by the ending and liked that Rachel was able to put most of the clues together, but was still shocked when all of the facts were revealed. There are many heartbreaking scenes in the book, but it still manages to end on a hopeful note.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of St. Martin’s Press. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

4.5⭐
Summary
“This is Rachel Krall on Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts YOU in the jury box.”

Rachel's podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty, became an overnight sensation when she found evidence to set an innocent man free. With pressure to make season 3 the best yet, Rachel heads to small town Neapolis to cover a devastating rape trial that has rocked the city. The town is divided when the local golden boy, and potential Olympic swimmer, is arrested for the rape of a high school student. On top of the trial, Rachel begins to receive frightening letters from a woman named Hannah begging her for help.
"The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved."

Overview
➸ POV: 1st Person, Rachel's POV, Hannah's letters, and Guilty or Not Guilty Podcast segments

➸ Rachel Krall: Host of the true crime podcast Guilty or not Guilty, Covering a rape trial in Nepalis

➸ Hannah Stills: Writes letters to Rachel, Sister Jenny was killed at 16, Adopted and left Nepalis after her family passed away

➸ Content Warnings: Murder, Rape, Victim Blaming, Graphic & detailed depictions of sexual assault, Cancer, Suicide, Death, Adoption, Sexism, Drunk driving

My Thoughts
Wow.... This book completely blew me away. I had heard amazing things about this author and the podcast element to this story intrigued me. I had no idea this would become a new favorite mystery/thriller!

First of all, if you are able to access it, I cannot recommend the audiobook enough. This has multiple narrators as well as music for the podcast portions. The audio for this worked so well for this story and really brought it to life. I was completely immersed in this story and finished all 10 hours in 2 sittings.

“To tell you the truth, I don't get how we can almost unanimously agree that murder is wrong, yet when it comes to rape some people still see shades of gray.”


This book is extremely heavy. This deals with so many difficult topics and really highlights the horrors of rape culture and victim blaming. There were definitely many moments that were difficult to read and stomach. So make sure to check out TWs before going into this one! It does not shy away from graphic details. But I also learned a lot about trials and how damaging they can be for victims. Not only was this an amazing thriller, but it has an extremely poignant and important message as well.

I loved watching these two threads unfold and come together. While I didn't find the final reveal to be especially surprising, it was so well written and paced that it honestly didn't matter. I was still blown away by the execution. I loved the format - between Rachel's POV, Hannah's epistolary chapters, and the podcast elements. It was such a unique and effect style. And it brought a lot to the story! Nothing ever felt info dumpy because we were learning everything right along with the characters.

Overall this mystery blew me away. It was an immersive and chilling read that I won't soon forget. I highly recommend checking this out immediately!

This book was everything and more!!! I had read the description of the book, but I was still unsure how the story was going to unfold while I started reading it. I actually listened to this one on audio. This was my first audiobook through netgalley and I was not disappointed at all!!!! I found myself so captivated within the story that I actually finished it in one day! To say the least, The Night Swim had me hooked. My favorite part of this book was that there was a podcast within the book!! Like what!?!?!?!? I thought the writing within the story was brilliant! I felt like I was within the story myself. Although this book does talk about some heavy and touchy topics; I felt myself amazed and captivated by the story. I found myself getting all in my feelings because of how emotional I was getting. I found that I was getting angry with some of the accusations and statements that were being said in order to 'defend rapists.' Although it is sad, some of these statements are true and what people use even in today's world.

I am not normally one who runs for the latest thriller but if all thrillers are like this, then sign me up!!

If you love a good thriller, are a fan of true crime and love podcasts then I highly suggest you read/listen to this one.! And if you don't like any of that., then I suggest you still give it a try because I can guarantee you will probably like The Night Swim!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this free arc and audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion!!

When I read Megan Goldin’s book, The Escape Room in 2019, I knew she would become an autobuy author for me. Little did I know that I would later have the pleasure of receiving a DRC of her newest book, The Night Swim.

The book should definitely be prefaced with TW/CW for rape and sexual assault. The subject of this book is very relevant with the ongoing and powerful #MeToo movement. https://metoomvmt.org/ While I think this subject should definitely be talked about and normalized, if you have personally gone through the experiences talked about in the book, with its vivid descriptions, it may be triggering.

Goldin’s book has it all for me, some thriller, mystery, courtroom drama, family drama, etc. The book felt so full and complete. I didn’t feel like anything was missing. In fact, the descriptions of the town, court room, crime scenes, etc. made me feel like I was right there in the book itself. I felt like I was walking alongside Rachel through Neapolis, sitting next to the courtroom sketch artist, and down on the beaches with Hannah and Jenny.

The book wove together two stories from two different time periods. Rachel/Kelly’s story in the present and Hannah/Jenny in the past. Goldin did such a good job intertwining the stories that sometimes I forgot that they were happening in 2 different times. In some books, this technique can seem choppy and difficult to follow. This was not the case in The Night Swim.

I loved each character in this book, no matter how much I wanted to hate some of them too. I felt like the descriptions used by Goldin really helped readers connect with the characters. Specifically for me, I felt like as I was reading the book, I could actually feel the same emotions as the characters.

This book was phenomenal. Like I could read this book again in a few weeks (physical version this time) because I feel like I could soak it in all over again.

If you have not picked up Goldin’s book, The Escape Room, I highly encourage it. I devoured that one in just a few days like this one.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Megan Goldin for this DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This book pulled me in right from the start. The Night Swim is a gritty mystery with alternating stories, both about teenage girls and specifically about rape, which made some parts really hard to read (I cried in more than one part of this book). If you liked Sadie by Courtney Summers, I think you will enjoy the format this book is written in. A good portion of the story takes place around a rape trial and in the courtroom. This part was really well done, explaining the different tactics the lawyers on both sides use and shows how the legal system is unfair to a majority of rape cases. After the rollercoaster of emotions leading to the end, the reader will appreciate how the stories wrap up (or at least I did). I will be looking out for any future work by Megan Goldin.

Night Swim by by Megan Goldin

Young people every day make wrong choices because of peer pressure. How much of that peer pressure is now because of our social media and our new faceless communication? What are we teaching our kids today on social skills? Do we even teach them how to have conversations? Do people even have dinner with their kids without cellphones or Television blaring or music blasting? If you were to go into a restaurant before Covid19 at least out of ten tables I would guarantee that seven of those tables the people would have their heads down looking at there phones instead of looking up at the people that they were sitting with at the table!
In the book, a young girl is raped because two young guys are having a contest as to how many girls they can have sex with in a month and they rate them on a grading scale of A to C! They post this ti their instagram accounts for everyone to see and even if the girls are not wanting to have sex it is not a concern for the one gentleman because he comes from a wealthy family and his father has ties to the police force! This girl was only 16 years old and she was setup by a friend and targeted by this 18 year old man not boy and it’s supposed to be okay and she is raped by the media and social media because she is not allowed to fight back because she had been drinking! Also she is not allowed to talk about the case because it could hinder the prosecution, but the suspect can villefy the victim! That is what social media is doing to our society? You judge read the book, blog, listen, ?
There was another girl killed in the town 25 years earlier, but it was covered up completely? WHY? WHO? Her sister was back trying to find out why and discover what happened and why is it all being hushed up and where is the paperwork? Who is trying to hide a murder and why? Two young boys were killed in a accident the same night, but the young man who did that was imprisoned, but could that have had something to do with the young girls supposed drowning? Was it a murder and not a drowning?
Rachel who was in town for the trial and to do live podcasts decided that she was going to discover what happened that fateful night and was there a coverup? Two birds with one stone, but could she be putting her own life at risk now that it was out there in the open for all to hear that she was now doing digging of not just one rape, but maybe 2? Stay tuned for the listen of our new future!!!
A great read!!! Excellent about our new norm in society and our new world!!!
I received a advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given words thoughts and opinions!!!
Social media-Podcasts- Have we let these types of communication avenues taken over our lives to the point that we don’t let people into our lives except by faceless control? Do we make decisions based on what we hear or see via social media?
I received a advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my thoughts and opinions given willingly.

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. I read The Escape Room and even though I liked it I didn't love it so I was curious how the next book by Megan Goldin would be. Let me tell you, Hands Down A WINNER ! 25 years ago something terrible happened to Jenny. Fast forward to the present and something equally terrible has happened to Kelly. Does the past collide with the present ? 2 different stories and how they come together will blow your mind. I thought I knew who did it, I was wrong. You need to read this book.

A gritty look at a rape trial involving a 16-year-old girl and the popular 19-year-old son of one of Neapolis, North Carolina's most-influential families. 'Rape cases can be more traumatic to try than murder cases because the brutalized victim is there to describe what happened to her. More than that. She lives with the nightmare every...single...day...of...her life.'

Rachel Krall, the creator of the popular true crime podcast called 'Guilty or Not Guilty,' travels to Neapolis to cover the rape trial for Season Three of her program. Rachel soon becomes aware that someone is trying to interest her in investigating a case that happened in the same city 25 years before, a drowning of a young girl. Are there ties between the cases?

These two stories, told concurrently, are very intriguing. The details of rape and the horrifying treatment of young women might be hard for some to read, so be aware.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.