This was a great book! I love reading and watching documentaries about court cases and unsolved crimes, so this was right up my alley. It was reminiscent of the Apple TV+ show, Truth Be Told, in which a woman hosts a true-crime podcast and wants to help prove an innocent man was behind bars.

This book, however, deals with two crimes, both of which occurred in the same small town of Neapolis and have startling connections. Rachel Krall, who hosts a successful podcast, is in town covering an upcoming rape trial, but mysterious letters keep finding there way to her regarding a girl named Jenny who drowned twenty-five years ago...but Jenny’s sister is convinced she was murdered.

At some point the past and the present collide, and I was shocked by what was revealed. This was a suspenseful read and it kept me in the edge of my seat until the very end. I look forward to reading more from this author!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3354782942

The story looked at an interesting and sometimes polarizing topic but described the point of view of the victim so vividly that it left no room for doubt. I was disappointed by the ending though - a bit anticlimactic.

I really enjoyed The Night Swim. It was the perfect book to read over the Memorial Day weekend. The book is about a current time rape trail and an investigation of a drowning/murder that took place 25 years ago. The book focuses on Rachel Krall who is doing a podcast real time on the rape trial so the listeners can decide guilt or innocence. The historical investigation is into the drowning or murder of Jenny Stills. The two stories do have parallel themes and some cross over of people that were teens 25 years ago and respected members of the community in current times.

I don't want to give anything away. This book is a good summer read. It moved along quickly and kept my attention. This book does have rape, cancer, and child abuse that could be triggers but I did not feel they were gruesome descriptions. Enjoy this book at the end of summer when it is published on August 4, 2020.

This book was shared with me by #NetGalley for an honest review. #MeganGoldin #TheNightSwim

The Night Swim tells the story of a popular podcast host who is delving into a rape case in North Carolina for her third season. While there she finds herself receiving notes about a young girl who died in the same city many years in the past. I read this book in a single day. It is not your typical thriller, because it really delves into what a trial for rape looks like and how the system can be detrimental to victims. I really enjoyed the podcast angle as it goes back and forth and includes the episodes of the podcasts as chapters. If you can handle tough topics, this is worth a read.

I absolutely adored “The Escape Room” by Megan and when I found out about this book I was so excited to read it. This was a completely different tone from the previous book. This was much more of a dark court drama mystery and I have a lot of feelings after finishing it. I really liked our protagonist Rachel and liked the format of being able to read between the interchanging views of Rachel and Hannah, and also Rachel’s podcast. Big trigger warning: graphic descriptions and rape. Oh good god, reading this had me equal parts frustrated and angry whole also enthralled. The main themes of this book deals with the treatment of rape victims from society, to within the courtroom, and how just fucking frustrating it is. I felt so much for Kelly and Jenny and what was done to them, the way they were treated, the things they had to endure, the aftermath and everything in between. This was a rough book. It is not for the faint of heart and it’s not some thriller like the first book. It was an excellent story and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

I’d like to thank St. Martin’s press and Megan Goldin for the opportunity to read and review this book. With the weather in the northeast starting to get nicer, I would find myself reading this book outdoors well into the evening. Thank goodness for my E reader! The Night Swim by Megan Goldin is a mystery thriller. In this story the main character Rachel Krall is a journalist and podcaster, who attends court cases, gathers information and broadcasts it to her audience. She wants her listeners to feel like they are in the jury box. The current court case is set in a small town where everyone knows everyone, the type of town where families have lived for generations. The current case Rachel is following is that of a 16 year old girl raped by a slightly older very popular college student. He is a star athlete in the town with aspirations’ to go to the Olympics someday. As a result of Rachel’s popularity as a podcaster she has been approached by a woman, Hannah, who is asking her for help to help find the person who raped, brutalized and eventually murdered her sister many years ago in the same town the current trial is being held. There are several similarities in both cases.
I did enjoy this book. I found the main character very likable and committed. The story weaves in and out making you think you might have figured everything out when you soon find out you haven’t. I would recommend this book to those who like a good mystery that will keep you reading well into the evening or to enjoy under your umbrella at the beach.

A compelling look at how some crimes don't happen in a vacuum; instead, they're often baked into a community's culture.

I throughly enjoyed Night Swim it was a fast paced, engrossing couldn’t put it down book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️This was a really emotional and heart breaking story, you are reading about teenage girls going through traumatic experiences and injustice.

This story was completely riveting - at turns both heartbreaking and infuriating, it brought me to tears several times. The two story lines compliment each other well and show that history does indeed tend to repeat itself when certain behaviors and attitudes are deemed acceptable by a community. It's a damning commentary on many small communities -definitely true in the South - where who you are and who you know matters more than the truth, and the victim is always "asking for it." The subject matter is more timely than ever in this day and age and definitely divisive. The writing is also so well done - the author doesn't give any clues away. You can make educated guesses on how certain characters fit into the story - one I did guess correctly on - but there are no details thrown in to confirm (other than for one character), and when all is revealed-even though I thought certain connections may be a possibility-I was still shocked how all of the pieces fit together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advance copy - I will definitely be recommending this one, and I look forward to reading more from Megan Golding.

This was an interesting and enjoyable read. The author did a good job of weaving two storylines into the book.
There were enough paths to go down to keep the reader interested. This is a fun book which I would recommend to others.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin will keep you on the edge of your seat. I was actually thrilled to finish it so I could get to bed early instead of reading far too late into the night! I usually can see where a plot is going and anticipate the twists and turns. The Night Swim one of the few books that surprised me more than once. The subject matter -- rape -- is pretty painful, but it's handled very well. I'm looking forward to reading other books by Megan Goldin!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

So Much Suspense – So Much Depth In This Novel

Stories torn from the headlines 25 years apart. A young woman died, another is raped. Will there be justice in both cases? Rachel has a successful podcast which follows true crime stories. For this episode she has chosen to cover in real time the trial of a young man, an Olympic class swimmer from a prominent family, who has been accused of rape. But mysterious letters suddenly appear, begging Rachel for help in revealing the true cause of death of her sister who died 25 years ago. Rachel continues with the blog on the trial but she is hauntingly compelled to find this woman who is contacting her about the death of her sister. Rachel doesn’t know she will end up being involved in the stunning conclusion.

Weaving these two stories into one compelling novel is brilliant story-telling that produced a book I didn’t want to put down. Dinner was late, clocks reached early morning before retiring and getting up much too late. Maybe a few chores were put off, but in the end it was all worth it. Put The Night Swim on your reading list today.

Thank you Megan Goldin, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Night Swim was a very well written book with a well thought out plot encompassing a double mystery. I don't want to say anything more than what you can read in the description of the book since it is a mystery in addition to being a courtroom drama.

This author is new to me, and I will definitely be reading more of her work.

Please note, if you are triggered by the subject of rape and sexual assault, you'll probably want to pass on this book.

This book is a heavy, somber and emotional read. There are moments that are hard to read. This novel will remain with me for years. It's a raw but powerful and important story.

The Night Swim is part psychological thriller, part courtroom drama- that tackles the sensitive subject of rape culture and the unbearable aftermath of such a heinous crime. The divisive nature of rape is examined, the way society handles the victims is expertly demonstrated. This is a novel that every mom, teacher and young woman should read.

Thought the topic is disturbing, it is expertly handled with sensitivity. The Night Swim is about a podcast host, Rachel, who has come to a small ocean town to cover the rape trial of a young, prominent would-be Olympic swimmer and his accuser the un-named (but everyone knows her) 16 year old girl that happens to be the granddaughter of the police chief. Told in alternate POV's between Rachel, her podcast and the unexpected character who inserts herself and her sister's rape and murder from 25 years ago into Rachel's world, the story weaves the the two rapes into a web of sinister rape cover up that has been plaguing the town for some time. What is Hannah's story? Who is Hannah? She claims her sister was raped and murdered 25 years ago and that Rachel can help her uncover the perpetrator. But Rachel has come to cover 1 rape, not two. Will Rachel be compelled to cover two gruesome rapes? Is Hannah just looking for attention? What is going on in this small town, where the residents are quick to cover anything uncomfortable?
Read the book, it's important, it's necessary and it's relevant!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press and especially Megan Goldin! 4.5 stars

This is a timely book for the #metoo era. An investigative podcaster covering a small town rape trial begins to relieve mysterious communications about a death that occurred decades before. She is intrigued and the parallel stories begin. I liked the way the author gradually revealed the story from the past. It also reflects on small towns and small minds. It would be good for a book discussion.

I can't say how happy I am to have read this book-it was absolutely amazing! A MUST read.

Rachel is a successful true crime podcast host, having completed her first two seasons by proving that the accused in each case was actually innocent-and finding the real perpetrator. For season three Rachel decides to do something a little different. She heads to the small town of Neapolis, to sit in and report on a live rape trial. Upon arrival, Rachel starts to receive mysterious letters from a "fan" of the show who claims that another, similar crime was committed in the town 25 years earlier. Hannah, the person writing the letters, claims that her sister Jenny was brutally murdered-despite everyone in town believing that she had dropped during a night swim. Despite her commitment to reporting on the live case, Rachel can't help but also investigate Jenny's case. She soon realizes that the cases are a lot more similar and interconnected than she first thought.

Wow. This book was amazing. The writing was great, it was just detailed enough that I had a clear picture of what was happening throughout but wasn't bogged down. The story was paced perfectly and the multiple narrators and moving from Rachel as herself to podcast host all worked perfectly. I was engaged in this book from the first page and couldn't wait to finish it. The author really takes the reader on a journey, one that is hard to read, but so interesting and touches on many topics that are widespread in today's world. I loved the characters, Rachel was such a great leading lady, she was inquisitive and smart. She followed her gut and made things happen, she was emotionally invested in just the right ways. I loved following her along. It was a hard read, because of the subject matter, but the author handled it very respectfully and empathetically. This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster.

Read this book-you won't regret it!

Rachel Krall’s podcast, Guilty, Not Guilty, became a national sensation when she exonerated an innocent man convicted of killing his wife. Similar success in the second season made her a beacon for those seeking justice because they were wrongly convicted or sought justice for unsolved cases.

For season three, though, Rachel decided to cover a trial live, and chose the Scott Blair rape case in the coastal North Carolina town Neapolis. Scott, a college student, champion swimmer, and Olympic hopeful, was charged with raping “K,” a sixteen-year-old, and the case largely would come down to who the jurors believed. By reporting daily, Rachel wanted to put her listeners “in the jury box” with them.

However, even before she arrives in Neapolis, Rachel becomes distracted by a note left on her car windshield at a rest stop. In it, Hannah claims her sister, Jenny, was murdered twenty-five years ago, and that the malfeasance was covered up by a finding of accidental drowning. Hannah leaves a series of letters for Rachel to find—on her bed after turndown service, in the check presenter after lunch, and stabbed to a board on Morrison’s Jetty. Though Rachel knows this behavior crosses a line and might even indicate a stalker, the harrowing and devastating story Hannah metes out entangles Rachel, and when she begins to ask questions, the residents clam up, making her even more curious.

As she covers the Blair case and investigates Jenny’s death, she finds the shadow of the past in the events of the present and learns that some people will do anything to keep their secrets hidden.

The Night Swim is a great mystery, with three voices: a third person account presenting Rachel’s point of view, letters from Hannah to Rachel, and transcripts of the podcast. For me, this combination worked well—I liked how the different stories twined together and relied on each other. Be forewarned, though, that it is emotionally wrenching as it traces the impact of sexual assault on the victim and her loved ones to those in expanding circles around her as well as the cruelty of teenagers.

While reading, I thought of Chanel Miller’s Know My Name, of course, not just because of the similarities between Brock Turner and Scott Blair but because of the details in how the rape victim’s body becomes a crime scene as the rape kit is processed, a continuing trauma. Additionally, this reminded me in some ways of The Broken Girls by Simone St. James in the depiction of the insular and protective nature of small towns.

I thought this book was superior to The Escape Room, which I enjoyed, and recommend it to mystery and thriller fans who are prepared for the difficult and important themes it presents.

This one was really good! It was like a fictionalized version of the Brock Turner case but with the twist of murder and a hint of the My Favorite Murder-esque thrown in. It’s told in alternating views of Rachel who hosts a successful podcasts on crimes where it gives its listeners a chance to be the jury and Hannah, the sister of Jenny who died tragically so young and whose case so closely mirrored the one Rachel is covering. Using her investigative skills, Rachel tries to solve the mystery behind Jenny’s death while also watching the big rape case in town play out.

This one was well written and I felt like I was reading a transcript of My Favorite Murder which I love

A podcast host/journalist, Rachel, travels to a small town to cover the trial of the alleged rape of a 16 years old girl at the hands of the town’s star athlete. Like most trials involving rape, it ends up being a “he said, she said” situation where people start taking sides. And while all these is going on, Rachel also starts getting letters asking for help into the death of another girl 25 years ago. As we start getting all the details of these two cases, we are confronted with how we, as a society, as individuals, across generations tend to deal with the very emotional, upsetting, unsettling, political attitudes towards rape. This is a thought provoking, well written book. It is my first book from this author and I will definitely be checking out her other books.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free review copy of this novel.

This is a very interesting book that kept me intrigued the whole time. Rachel Krall is a girl who has a podcast in which she narrates real and atrocious crimes that have been committed, in order to seek justice for those innocent victims. Her podcast became very popular after the end of the first season after she set a guiltless man free. Now, she is the last hope for thousands of people who are seeking justice. One day she found in her car a note addressed to her, asking for help. She learns about a terrible crime that has been committed in the small town of Neapolis. The town's star boy is about to represent the Olympic team, but he has been accused of raping a student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. A super interesting book since the author describes Rachel's perseverance to solve this mystery. It is the first book I read by this author Megan Goldin. The author's ability to narrate is incredible because every time she mentioned Rachel's podcast I imagined her voice. I desperately wanted to know the outcome, so I couldn't put the book down. Megan, you've written a great book. I thank St Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.