Rachel Krall has a successful true crime podcast. For season three, she knows she has to up the ante and she opts to cover the rape trial of a young woman in small town NC. As soon she heads to the town, she begins to get notes from Hannah, asking her to investigate her sister’s murder from 25 years before. The notes become more and more insidious, the whole thing becoming almost a stalking issue.
Told not only from Hannah’s and Rachel’s POV but also transcripts of Rachel’s podcast episodes, the book moves at a swift pace.
As Rachel says, rape is the one crime where the victim is often just as blamed as the perpetrator. No one ever blames a murder victim, but it’s almost a given that a rape victim will come in for scrutiny. The podcast provides Goldin a means of fleshing out those thoughts and ethical dilemmas. The podcast also ignites strong opinions on both sides. “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.”
Goldin has structured the book to keep the reader off balance. For each testimony that would seem to be proof of the rape, there are extenuating explanations that could mean it wasn’t. She shows how much of a trial is based on personalities as much as evidence.
Turns out, the ongoing trial isn’t the only rape. Hannah’s sister was also raped, but that one got swept under the carpet.
This isn’t an easy read. I don’t think any book that has rape as its theme can be considered easy. But it is a good one. I did find it slightly unbelievable that Rachel would spend so much time investigating Hannah’s story during the ongoing trial. But that’s a minor quibble.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

The Night Swim is an important read, one that delves into the heavy topic of rape culture and what that means for our generation versus previous ones. It's a courtroom drama mixed with podcast media which equals heavy emotions and disturbing content. I will be recommending this to some of my book club readers and library patrons.

A thrilling and interesting read full of great writing and well developed characters. I would take this book anywhere, good for a rainy day or a beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! This is the second book that I read by Megan Goldin. It was well-written & kept me guessing! I found the main character, Rachel, a true-crime podcaster, to be very likeable. This would be a great beach read!

well done. great characters, likable, relatable. was caught by surprise at our villain, although it may be obvious to others. ah, small towns...

p.s. thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the advance copy.

I don't believe in giving any of the story away because I believe the reader deserves to take the journey by themselves. So, I will say this is a tale of 2 rapes 25 years apart in the same city and unbeknownst to us, many of the same players.

It is truly heartbreaking what the victim of rape must endure. First and foremost is being raped, called a liar, and in most cases being labeled a liar/whore and having their reputations tarnished. Second, in order for a slim chance that their accuser will face punishment they must get up on the witness stand and relive every single vivid detail, but this is the way the system works.

If you have any triggers with rape than this is not the book for you.

#NightSwim #NetGalley #Rachel #Hannah #Jenny #Kelly

I wanted to like this more than I did. I like the idea of confronting our ideas about rape; appreciated that Goldin was so clear and explicit in presenting them, and their potential to hurt rape victims, and privilege (male) aggressors. I liked the idea of a podcast host as the main protagonist.

But ... nothing much grabbed me or surprised me while reading this. It's okay; it's mildly satisfying; it's just unremarkable. That said, I will still maybe check out Goldin's other books; maybe this one just wasn't my thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced thriller with its many dark secrets and characters. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the opportunity to read this new to me author.

So good. So So good, but definitely not for the faint of heart.
I knew when I saw Megan Goldin had a new book coming out, I had to read it. I enjoyed the previous book (The Escape Room) by this author. That book was unique, well thought out and well written. SO I just glanced at the synopsis of The Night Swim and dove right in. I basically went in blind. Not sure if I should have, but if you do the same, just know that it isn't a psychological thriller like that book. It will touch on more of your emotional side and may be hard to read at points. But it is realistic and very timely. Whose side will you pick?

The Night Swim is a mystery/suspense set in a small town. It focuses on a rape trial where the victim is 16 and the accused is the town's golden boy. He has his future ahead of him and is bound for great things. But that's not it. This crime is eerily similar to something that happened 25 years ago in the same town. As a reader, we almost get two intertwined stories with a splash of a true crime podcast. And it is genius. I mean, with our current obsession with true crime, this book is for that audience.

Told in Rachel and Hannah's POV along with the podcast snippet, this book was well written and flowed so well. I got to know the small town, it's characters and the way things were overlooked because of the people in charge. We all turn a blind eye when we are told to. SO many grey spots in crimes and life when people just want to see black and white.

Even when this book was hard to read because of the content, I was gripped to the page. I needed to know what the outcome was going to be. Who did what and would the truth ever come out? In both cases. Now and 25 years ago. Rachel's character was just what I would imagine for a hard core investigator/podcaster that would bring her audience into the court room. I was always waiting with baited breath on what was going to happen. AND Megan Goldin did not disappoint! Her sophomore effort was amazing and I can't wait to see what she'll come up with next. Nicely paced and well written with characters that fit into the story seamlessly. A top mystery/suspense read for me this year.

Rachel, the host of popular crime podcast “Guilty or Not Guilty” heads to Neapolis, NC to begin season 3 of her famous podcast, which revolves around the rape trial of a local girl and a star athlete that returns home from college. On her way there, she receives a letter from a Neapolis girl who left years before after her sister and mother both died. Hannah, the girl who leaves the note, is convinced her sisters death was not an accident, tries to enlist Rachel to help her get to the bottom of her sisters death. Switching point of views, as well as the podcast transcript, leaves the reader trying to find the connections between the case and Hannah’s sisters death, as well as how Rachel will become increasingly involved in all the crime surrounding Neapolis, both past and present.

This is my favoite type of book - great legal drama, a couple of mysteries that need solving, two violent crimes (one current and one 25 years in the past), and a strong female character. What's not to like? Kudos on your second book Megan Goldin!

Rachel Krall has a very popular podcast 'Guilty or Not Guilty'. As she travels to the scene of a rape trial, she receives a letter from a podcast follower who wants Rachel to investigate her sister Jenny's death. Jenny was raped and drowned 25 years ago and her sister believes she was murdered. Both these rape cases are interesting and I was totally engrossed.

Great plot, good characters and a good writing style. I look forward to more books by Goldin. Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Pretty, pretty good..........

The Night Swim is a multi-layered novel with center points drifting from the present and then adeptly pivoting back to a tragedy from twenty-five years ago. Megan Goldin will create parallels between two teenage girls who were caught up in being victims of horrendous crimes. As readers, we will sort through these situations to hold a flashlight on the truth. Are the facts really the facts?

Rachel Krall is heading towards the town of Neapolis tucked away on the North Carolina coast. She's a prior newspaper reporter who now is the lead in an investigative podcast called "Guilty or Not Guilty". She keeps a low profile while her on-air voice is the draw for thousands of followers. As she pulls into the hotel parking lot, her mind is focused on the events at hand. Scott Blair is a nineteen year old man who is renowned locally for his swimming successes. It looks like he may be training for the Olympics with his shining competitive record. But all that may sink to the bottom of the pool. A court case is coming up in days. Scott has been accused of rape and sexual assault by a sixteen year old high school girl who will be known as "K". Rachel will be covering the case for her podcast.

As Rachel arrives in town, she is being sent letters on her windshield from a young woman named Hannah whose sister died twenty-five years ago. Hannah begins to tell the story of her sister, Jenny, whose death was recorded as an accidental drowning. Hannah knows better. She trusts Rachel to uncover the truth. It will be these side-by-side stories that will grab us throughout. Rachel has her hands full, but her curiosity towards Hannah's story is raising her antennae. But is Hannah truthful after all?

The Night Swim deals with rape and sexual assault. If this is a trigger for you, you may reconsider. However, Megan Goldin handles the subject matter in a respectful and honest manner. She approaches this one with leaving many a door open until the very end. The characters reflect the best of the best and the worst of the worst. Goldin knows how to keep the tension taut while the story cranks out at a fast speed. I'd like to think that she has plans for another edition to Rachel's podcast coming up in the next one. This has all the makings of a really good series.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Megan Goldin for the opportunity.

This is my second book by Megan Goldin. Her first, The Escape Room was a truly fantastic thriller. In this book, The Night Swim, she proves again what an excellent author she Is. In this book, she deals with a very difficult matter. Rape of a young girl who has accused a young boy, an Olympic swimmer, from a wealthy family who has his whole life ahead of him looking wonderful. The book is told from two POV’s, Rachel who does podcasts and is following this trial and Hannah, this sister of Jenny who was raped and then found drowned who believes her sister was murdered and did not drown herself 25 years ago. Reading this book was difficult because the topic of rape in both instances is very hard to deal with and it always seems like the girl who is accusing someone of rape is the one who is tortured by the other side and made to feel guilty, as if she asked for this. I just want to say that the two rape cases, the present one where the girl K as they refer to her is alive but tormented through the trial, but the one from 25 years ago is dead and her sister wants to prove that her sister besides being raped was murdered and didn’t drown accidently. I do not want to give away any spoilers but the end really had some twists in it, but the thrust of the book is truly having a front row seat to a rape case. I highly recommend this book. I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC for an honest review. Thank you net galley for this ARC. This is a definite must read book.

This book covers a rape trial in a small town and does a good job tackling a difficult topic to read about. The author makes a lot of really interesting points about how most Americans are anti-murder, but rape is a tricky crime since it becomes a lot of he said/she said. Overall, there's a good balance between the logistics of the trial and the stories of the characters on either side.

One of the best read this summer! Rachel Krall, a journalist who has a true crime podcast, goes to Neapolis to cover a rape trial. As it turns out, there are 2 rapes, 25 years apart, that she becomes involved with. This book will stay with me for awhile. It's haunting, emotional, suspenseful, and has good court room drama. There are trigger points, obviously, so be aware. Excellent writing, likeable characters, and characters you loathe. And, while it wrapped up nicely in the end, it certainly did not have that bow on top, which is my favorite type of ending. Please, read! Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 5 Stars

Wow, one of the best courtroom drama/murder mystery stories I have ever read. The idea of depicting a court room trial from a journalist podcast view, was so original and so well played out. We cover two crimes, one in the court room and another from 25 years prior. Rachel was such a strong character, you could just feel her drive and determination, I can easily see Sandra Bullock playing her character in a movie version. I was completely invested in the story, the characters and the ending was perfect.
Easy to say this one grabbed me with the first chapter and never let go, rarely do I say, “I had a hard time putting this down”, but I can certainly say that this time. There are no con’s to this book, all pro’s. I also loved Megan’s “The Escape Room”. This author has it all going on, she understands how to write and drag you in and not let go. Keep it up, you have my attention!!! Highly recommend.
I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest unbiased opinion. Loved this book, the highest 5 stars!!!

The Night Swim is a book that will stay with me for a long time. Megan Golden expertly tackled the incredibly delicate topic of rape, showing the hardships victims face and the issues in our legal system as it pertains to rape cases.

During my entire time reading The Night Swim, I was reminded of what Chanel Miller wrote in her memoir, Know My Name. We, as a society, are so worried about the ruined future of a rapist to the point we give no concern to the ruined life of a victim due to actions that were not their fault. They’re blamed for that night and are a footnote in their own story. This was a recurring theme in Night Swim as podcaster Rachel Krall tries to objectively cover Scott Blair’s trial. She encounters people on both sides- those who believe he is guilty and those who believe his swimming career (sound familiar 🙄) shouldn’t be ruined by the accusations made by a teenage girl.

It’s an incredibly emotional read that did boil my blood a lot of the time. I wouldn’t consider this a traditional thriller but more literary suspense. I was anxious to see the result of the trial and how this would all tie in with the drowning of Jenny Stills. As Rachel investigates these two seemingly separate cases, it’s uncomfortably apparent how little has changed in the perception of rape, sexuality, and a woman’s right to bodily autonomy. It’s a poignant read that everyone needs to pick up. But with caution. While the novel is sensitive it also doesn’t hold back. I’m incredibly grateful that this book featured strong women at its core. This book, yet again, has me in awe of survivors and their strength.

Megan Goldin’s writing was seamless and captivating. I loved the way she painted the à atmosphere of this small beach town. The entire story was written with such emotion that really helped carry the story on.

In this smart, of-the-moment thriller, Rachel Krall is the host of a successful true-crime podcast, who travels to a small town to cover the high-profile rape trial of an Olympic-hopeful swimmer is accused of sexually assaulting the police chief’s granddaughter. But in the midst of covering the trial, Rachel begins receiving strange letters asking her to investigate the decades-old case of a young woman named Jenny Stills who reportedly drowned, but who the letter-writer swears was murdered. Rachel starts simultaneously investigating Jenny’s death, and uncovering some small-town secrets that its residents would prefer to be kept hidden. She even starts discovering some similarities between the two crimes, and maybe even, who is to blame for them. I really enjoyed this story and liked how the book went back and forth between the two crimes and Rachel’s present-day investigation. I was thoroughly engrossed throughout, read it in only a day or two, and was very satisfied with the ending.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Rachel is the well known podcaster that divulges into true crime cases. Trying to stir it up her next season she decides to bring the trial to her listeners, giving them a play by play of what happens in the courtroom. Rachel picks the new rape case that is happening on the coastal town of Neapolis. Scott Blair is a town superstar. Olympic bound for swimming, he and his hundreds of thousands of instagram followers have no where to go but up. However, that all changes when he is accused for raping local girl Kelly Moore. While Rachel prepares herself for this grueling and emotionally challenging court case she begins to find letters and notes left for her at her car and hotel. They are from a woman Hannah Stills who is begging Rachel to look into her sister’s murder that happened twenty five years ago. The record states that the sister, Jenny Stills was a local hussy and died in a drowning accident swimming at night. Well this may be true, they found her body in the water, Hannah knows what happened to her sister that night and it wasn’t a death by drowning. While Rachel is trying to cover the biggest case of her career, she is thrown full steam into another case that hopefully comes to justice.

PSA: This book does deal with rape and abuse. There are several instances in this novel that go into detail about horrific rape scenes.

This was quite the thriller. It was emotional, complex, provocative, all while holding onto it’s humanity. I am someone who has to fast forward rape scenes on a movie because I find them too horrible. I knew reading this book I might have that similar feeling, but the author describes the scenes so skillfully that you’re not traumatized after the fact. You feel the raw emotions but it is done with tact and humanity. I was able to read through the whole novel and not have to skim past anything that made me sick. That being said, it is sad, it’s horribly sad what happens to the girls in this novel, it’s also very accurate and stands up for the victims. This is another book that I fully appreciate the ending. The guilty person was not at all who I thought it would be, and there was no random, outlandish psychological twist that is so popular these days. I really enjoyed that there were two cases in one novel, almost like a bonus book inside a book. I would recommend this novel to anyone who would like a good thriller and can be prepared for what you read.

Rate: 5/5
Fiction-Thriller, Suspense
Pages: 352
Author: Megan Goldin

This book was an incredibly intense ride from start to finish. The topic is timely and really hits on a lot of stories we have been seeing in the news for the last couple of years. It's equal parts heartbreaking, suspenseful, and thrilling. I love the true crime/courtroom element to the story. There are so many levels of injustice in rape cases due to the nature of rape culture and this book just laid them out. There are parts of this book that are hard to read owing to the subject matter but it will definitely stay with me for a long time. Highly recommend.