This book carries quite the impact. A small town in the middle of nowhere and there are two rapes. One in the past and one in the present. When a popular podcast reporter shows up to cover the current rape, she starts to get letters on a previous one in the same town.The author takes you on a journey through a small town with some very tragic history.

Overall this book keep you guessing and the twist at the end I did not see coming. Although I was so engrossed with the storyline that I really wasn’t putting a whole lot of thought into who done it.

*Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.*

Rachel has a well known true crime podcast. People from all over try to get her to take on old cases regarding their loved ones. On the newest season of her podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty, Rachel decides to follow a rape case.

Hannah is desperate to get help from Rachel to help solve her sister, Jenny Stills case. After Rachel's "people" graciously sent Hannah a rejection letter stating Rachel would be unable to help in her sister's case, Hannah tracks Rachel down and leaves a note on her car. Now Hannah has Rachel's attention.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Other than the beginning being a little slow, the rest of the book had the twists and turns that make a really good thriller. It definitely kept me on my toes.

Rachel is a podcaster who goes to a beach town to cover a rape trial. She receives notes from someone who asks her to investigate a murder several years ago. However, that death was not ruled a murder. Rachel spends time back and forth between the two cases.
The rape trial is so true in today's age .... the female is ostracized, the male is not.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press. for the enjoyable and interesting read.

The Night Swim
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Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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𝙏𝙒: 𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙚, 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩

WOW. This book deserves all the praise and positive reviews. Our justice system does more wrong than good when it comes to rape/sexual assault survivors. It enrages me to know rape survivors are torn apart on the stand, in the public, over media, and for the rest of their life to be honest. I have such a hard time reading about rape/sexual assault. The rapist on trial reminded me of the Brock Turner so I just automatically hated him. Our justice system reminds us of everything a rape survivor does wrong leading up to the assault; victim blaming at its best right. I could go on about this but our MC said something like this in her podcast..“Murder is black and white, but rape is somehow grey.”

I thought Goldin did an amazing job with the different chapter presentations: podcast episodes, letters from a fan, courtroom, and first person narration. I thought it was the perfect blend of legal suspense and investigative mystery solving. Goldin seamlessly blends the dual timelines together across decades. I never lost interest since it immediately grabs you from the first page.

Although this book is fictional, it is a high percentage that it might very well be non-fictional part of another rape survivors life. This was my first Megan Goldin book, and definitely won’t be my last.
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THE NIGHT SWIM had me hooked right away. I love the premise of a podcast within a book.
There’s something I also love about a small town story where the past and present collide. Maybe it’s spending the time trying to figure out how the two time periods are connected? Regardless, I really enjoyed THE NIGHT SWIM. It was the perfect combination of psychological thriller and police procedural. Rachel’s character was a strong female lead, and I could definitely see this type of book becoming a series! I also thought Goldin did a really good job writing about the topic of your small town golden by being accused of rape.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced and suspenseful thriller by Megan Goldin. The main character, Rachel Krall, an up-and-coming true crime podcaster, travels to the small town of Neapolis to cover the court trial of a rape case: the accused is the good-looking swimming champion; the victim is the granddaughter of a powerful police chief. Upon arrival, Rachel becomes immediately drawn into another rape case by virtue of her podcast fame--but this one has been cold for years, and as Rachel looks deeper into it, we soon come to realize how many secrets this small beach town has been keeping for over twenty-five years.

One of the better books I've read this year, The Night Swim will keep you awake all night turning the pages, desperate to find out how it all comes together in the end.

A suspenseful thriller with a powerfully emotional story at its center!
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We all expect murder and mayhem in thrillers. Megan Goldin caught me completely by surprise with the emotions she packed into this book. This was so much more than your typical whodunnit. There were parts that I found so difficult to read that I cried - that doesn’t happen when I’m reading a typical thriller. ⁣
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I knew from the synopsis that the book had to do with a rape trial. I was ready for that. However, there are two mysteries in this book - flawlessly blended, past & present. I was not ready for the parallel storyline of Jenny Stills. It was gut wrenching. ⁣
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This book was so hard to put down that I read it in a day. I loved podcaster Rachel Krall and the addition of her transcripted recordings. I find mixed media in books so interesting. I was so glad I buddy read this with a few book friends. There was so much to discuss - rape, the treatment of rape victims including victim shaming/blaming, sexual reputation, bullying, guilt, abuse, the misuse of power, corruption, wealth, poverty and social standing. There was a lot! Like I said, this isn’t just an ordinary whodunnit. ⁣
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The Night Swim is raw, intense and totally delivers! This is an exceptional read that will haunt me for a long time to come. Although some parts are upsetting she handled these sensitive issues with honesty and respect. I highly recommend this book! The only reason it wasn’t a 5 star read is bc I had the whodunnit aspect figured out. In the end though, the book was so good that I didn’t care I knew who did it from early on. ⁣

If you’ve been craving a thriller with a gripping fast-paced plot, a lot of twists, and really solid writing, you should dash to pick up The Night Swim.
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To sum it quickly, a true crime podcast host is in the insular southern town of Neapolis, North Carolina to cover the trial of the town’s golden boy accused of raping a 16 year old girl. Simultaneously, the host is receiving cryptic messages from a woman who claims her sister was raped and murdered in the town 25 years prior and never received justice for the terrible crime. And so the story is told, back and forth between the present and 1992 where we learn what happened to Jenny Stills through the voice of her little sister, Hannah. These stories of course converge over the course of the present day trial and it is a fast paced, taut ride to that climax.
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In short, I really enjoyed this one. I LOVE a thriller but I tend to burn out on the genre finding them too formulaic, too easy to figure out or just lacking in good writing, my biggest pet peeve. This one was refreshing to me in all of the above. I had an idea of how the stories would converge and while some of my guesses were correct, there was still a big twist. The story also dealt sensitively with the big issues around which it was framed, namely rape and how rape victims wind up the ones on trial, how our legal system will launch a character assassination of women - if they even come forward - in order to protect a man’s “bright future,” leaving them to defend their morals, their worth, more than it puts the man on trial for his terrible dehumanizing crime. Pick this one up if any of this sounds intriguing, it’s a really solid read.

A blistering plot and crisp writing make The Night Swim an unputdownable read. Megan Goldin is a new auto-buy for me. I was engrossed by the world and the characters. A story that is full of small-town secrets, mystery, drama, and intrigue. The Night Swim is the kind of book that will sweep you away and steal your heart, pulling you in like a magnet. The type of story that as soon as you read the first page, you cannot put It down. I highly recommend The Night Swim, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Really enjoyed this book. I don't do podcasts, but I imagine if I did that true crime podcasts would suck me right in. This book was told in alternating viewpoints of Rachel and her true crime podcast and Hannah whose sister died 25 years prior. Rachel is in small-town, NC recording the new season of her podcast with the subject matter being a rape trial. Hannah contacts Rachel for help getting justice for her sister who died 25 years prior in this small town, her death was ruled an accidental drowning, despite evidence to the contrary.

This was a face-paced read for me. I really enjoyed the podcast aspect of the book. It was interesting how the story kept building and all wove together. I will definitely read more books by this author.

A accidental drowning of a teenage girl,
A controversial rape trial featuring a popular swimming star,
Two cases, separated by 25 years,
How are they connected?

"This is Rachel Krall on Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box."

Those are the two things that made me pick up Megan's new book as The Escape Room was a flop for me. This story seemed very real very raw. I truly enjoyed this one and it was a quick read! It sucked me in from page one. I loved following the two cases and feeling as if I was in the court room or as if I knew the case also. I did not once get confused between the chapter with Rachel, Rachel's podcast or Hannah (a woman looking to find the murder of her sisters drowning). There were tow different timelines for this, present day and 1922 which were done so well I had images of the small town Neapolis in my mind! I had visuals of the characters. However, the ending and the who done it felt predictable. I was wanting more but at the same time, I'm not sure what I was wanting!

I got this as my Book of the Month pick for August! I will recommend it every chance I get!

Thank you St.Martins Press and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Rachel Krall's true crime podcast Guilty or Not Guilty achieved a high level of popularity in its 1st season. Now, Rachel is headed to the small seaside town of Neapolis, NC to cover a rape trial for her 3rd season. A 16 year old girl has accused the local swimming phenom of rape. The accused had aspirations of being on the Olympic Swim Team. Many find it hard to believe that this local golden boy would do what he is accused of.

On her arrival in Neapolis, Rachel starts receiving correspondence from a woman named Hannah who is begging Rachel to investigate her sister Jenny's death that happened 25 years ago in the same small town. Jenny thinks her sister was murdered, but the official cause of death was that Jenny drowned while swimming alone at night.

This character-driven mystery's narrative alternates between Rachel's story, episodes of season 3 of the podcast and letters from Hannah. I enjoyed this story as it allowed us to follow two crimes at once. I also loved the inclusion of a true crime podcast. Also, it discusses, the challenges women face when accusing someone of rape. The main female characters were all believable to me.

I listened to an audio ARC from MacMillan Audio and the narration was very well done. The Podcast chapters actually felt like mini-podcasts. Hannah's chapters had a melancholy vibe and Rachel's chapter's were more straightforward. I highly recommend listening to this one on audio.

What to listen to while reading (or taking a break)
(sorry, I had to add the 1st two...they are the first songs that came to mind when I saw the title)
Nightswimming by R.E.M.
Night Swimming by Soccer Mommy
Til It Happens to You by Lady Gaga
Sullen Girl by Fiona Apple
Watering by Big Thief

After reading the Escape Room by Megan Goldin I was excited that she was writing another book. This book is entirely different but excellent all the same. This book has some tough material in the book and if you have had to deal with rape some of the content might be hard to get through but overall I really enjoyed this book. The author makes you feel like you are right there experiencing what the characters are going through. Megan is a thriller writer I will be anticipating future books from for a long time! I appreciate being able to review this book a day ahead of its release date! Go get this book, you will not be disappointed!.

This is my second galley by Megan Goldin (first being The Escape Room) and WOW, why doesn’t anyone give this woman more credit for being a LEGIT thriller writer. This time she brought us into the world of an investigator, Rachel, who runs a crime podcast (major Serial vibes) who is working towards her third season of her podcast and hoping to make it her best one yet. This time, she is doing real-time coverage of a rape & sexual assault trial. Town’s superstar swimmer and Olympic hopeful is accused of raping a 16 year old girl and it has each town taking sides. On top of that, Rachel is given a series of letters from a woman who claims her sister was murdered 25 years earlier. Going between the emotional impact of the present day case and this woman’s account of the raw months leading up to her sister’s death, this book is more than just a thriller…it has you questioning who’s guilty and what happened to Jenny Stills 25 years before. While it is important to note that this book could be a trigger for some, as it discusses sexual assault and can be too much for some readers, it was an outstandingly laid out thriller and I couldn’t put it down!

I received an ARC of The Night Swim in exchange for an honest review. This ranks as one of the better books I’ve read this year. Rachel Krall is a true crime podcaster. She is in the small town of Neopolis to cover a local rape trial. A local golden boy, destined to be an Olympic swimmer, is accused of raping the police chief’s granddaughter. As you can imagine, the town is equally split. While Rachel is covering the trial, she receives mysterious letters from Hannah, asking Rachel to investigate her sister’s death from 25 years ago. Jenny’s death was ruled an accidental drowning, but Rachel has always felt it was murder. The two cases are discussed back and forth in the book, and start to have some similarities. And, the ending is just totally unexpected.

Megan Goldin writes compulsively readable thrillers; this is the second one I've stayed up half the night to finish because I had to know what happened. The Night Swim takes a current rape trial, as seen through the narrator Rachel's (a podcaster/journalist) description, as well as transcripts of the podcast she is broadcasting about it, and combines it with the 25-year old death of a teenager, related in mysterious communications that Rachel receives. The fast-paced sequence of events and the shifting perspectives kept me engaged and guessing right up to the final pages. I also enjoyed the varyious angles included, such as the podcast transcripts and the trial testimony. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!

The Night Swim is without a doubt my favourite thriller of 2020. Even though it was a bit slow-paced, I did not mind this at all because the story never got boring, The book is about the investigation of two different rape cases. One of these cases has an ongoing trial and the other one has officially been closed decades ago. The main character, Rachel, Investigates cases and seeks justice for her true-crime podcast and comes to investigate the two rape cases. I LOVED that the book contained podcast chapters! Next to the podcast chapters, the book had a dual POV; the chapters switched between Rachel (the podcast host) and Hannah (a woman seeking justice for her murdered sister). The narrative of the book was super captivating and kept me turning page after page.

In short, I loved the characters, I loved the plot, and I loved the writing. I definitely recommend this book to all thriller lovers and to fans of Courtney Summer's 'Sadie'. I do have to add that this book contains trigger warnings such as rape and sexual assault.

Look - I watch a lot of Law & Order SVU so I thought I could handle a rape trial. This book....this book goes beyond. This is look at society and the treatment of rape victims.

Goldin has a gentle touch, and yet, she is quickly able to pull in the reader and immediately put them in the center of the story. This is a powerful story and Goldin was able to handle it with gentle powerful words.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

This was such a great read and I really couldn’t put it down once I picked it up. If you are into suspense/thrillers that are well-plotted and make you think, then this is one you want to pick up when it is released. It wasn't a simple who dun it, but rather it incorporated a few stories and weaved them into one great story. It made you think, sometimes about topics and realities that were uncomfortable, but necessary to both think and talk about. Just a great read from the moment you pick it up and I can't recommend it enough as just great summer reading.

Massive thanks to @stmartinspress for allowing me to read this one early and providing a review copy.

To start this review I just need to say that Megan Goldin’s writing in this book is riveting and perfect. Her descriptions of characters were so well done that I could picture them in my mind. It was the same with the settings. I felt like I was there and could hear and see everything. Most of the chapters alternated between past and present stories and the author did a great job of weaving the two timelines together. Other chapters were episodes of Rachel’s podcast and letters written to Rachel asking for her help. As for Rachel herself, I loved her. She’s tough and perseverant and willing to face danger.
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The book revolves around a rape trial and while that was hard to read about, I felt that the author treated the subject with sensitivity. She also brought to light what I’ve heard many times, that rape victims are often treated with suspicion or like it’s their fault in some way. That should never be the case.
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The story was suspenseful throughout as you wait to see what happens with the present trial and the case from the past. It moves at a slower pace but honestly that was how this story needed to be told and it didn’t bother me. I would definitely recommend this book as well as The Escape Room by this author.