This book is one I hope to come back and read sometime but right now I am very deep into fantasy and romance and this is a book that is just not captivating me at the time.

A quick and easy thriller/mystery - more mystery than thriller. Rachel's true crime podcast is in the throes of success - so she travels to a small town ready to cover a rape case for her next season. The story has echoes of the Chanel Miller/Stanford swimmer Brock Turner rape case - the golden child could never do it (insert eye roll). But someone is following Rachel, leaving notes for her, encouraging her to investigate a rape/murder twenty plus years back. The current and past timelines switch seamlessly. I thought this was a better book than Goldin's previous book The Escape Room which really dragged. The past and present converge in the later chapters as connections between the small town cast of characters are made. Definitely an interesting take on the new podcast culture and a necessary look at rape culture then and now and sadly what little has changed.

I am sorry I was unable to review this title. It had nothing to do with the story or author. At the time in 2020 I took a break from NetGalley. I hope this doesn't keep you from allowing me to review titles in the future.
Thank you
Lana Cole

This book is an underrated gem! I loved it and I’m surprised to not see it talked about more. The book is about crime podcaster Rachel Krall as she follows a rape trial for the new season of her podcast. While in town for the trial Rachel begins receiving letters asking her to look into a death that happened decades earlier where a young girl was found dead at the beach. I loved the dual timeline of this story as we learn about the past through the letters as a girl remembers a summer from her childhood, all while the trial for a rape is going on. Usually with dual timelines I’ll prefer one over the other. Not this time! Each were equally engrossing and I couldn’t wait to find out more.
So many things I liked about this book. The writing, the crime podcast element and how some chapters were written as episodes from the podcast, and the dual timeline. What I loved most about this book was the author’s writing on how we as a society view rape and rape trials. We can all agree that murder is bad, but when it comes to rape it falls into a grey area. There’s no black or white with rape or sexual assault. We see excuses and victim blaming and the victim is made a victim again through the trial and even when undergoing a rape kit at the hospital. I really respect the message the author was trying to convey in this commentary and found the book to have a lot of depth.

I was eager to read this new title from Megan Goldin since I thought her debut, The Escape Room was very well done. There are two storylines at play that Rachel Krall is investigating for her popular podcast. One is the rape trial of a local boy accused of raping a high school girl. The second storyline is more mysterious and is slowly revealed through letters Rachel receives from “Hannah” who thinks her sister was murdered 25 years ago.

Rachel is an interesting main character and it’s a clever concept to have her investigating by day and recording her podcast by night.

This is not a fast paced title and I didn’t feel the same tension as with her previous book. I felt a lot of empathy for both of the victims but I didn’t connect with Rachel like I wanted to. It was difficult to believe that everyone was so willing to give her information about the case and I didn’t get a real sense of Rachel’s personality.

The subject matter was handled respectfully and sensitively and there is an important message about victim blaming, but I was hoping for a more powerful resolution.

TW: graphic descriptions of repeated gang rapes and victim shaming

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Super fun thriller. I really got hooked in and did not want to put it down

This was a very interesting read.
I loved the story and the twist was awesome. Such a quick and easy read.

This was just okay for me. Goldin's debut was much more thrilling, and I expected something a bit more fast paced than this. The Night Swim is definitely more of a detective novel/mystery, which isn't bad! But I just didn't love the main character, and found it odd how easily everyone would just spill the town gossip with her. I also just wanted something a bit more thrilling and mysterious!

I absolutely loved the night swim. One of my top books of the year. I loved the small town location and the podcast within the book. I can’t wait for more from Megan Goldin!

This was an emotionally challenging book to read. However, no matter how heavy and trauma-absorbed the story, the author does a great job of addressing the difficult aspects of rape in a sensitive manner. The two thread of the two cases are woven together and ultimately affects the trial and the lives of the individuals involved. Twists and a great ending make for an interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Loved this book! I enjoy alternating time lines. It kept me guessing all the way through.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book, the chapters alternating between past, present, and podcast kept me thoroughly engaged. The storyline was great with the similar cases and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't guess what was coming.. I recommend this to thriller/podcast lovers.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

Rachel Krall is the host of a true-crime podcast, choosing to go away from her usual content to follow devastating rape trial in a small town. Not usually recognized, Rachel is stricken to find a personal note on her windshield, begging for help solving a cold case. As the author of the note persists, will Rachel decide to use her investigative skills and uncover the town's secrets?

Having read other books by this author, I was expecting a good mystery thriller with a twist at the ending. The plot of The Night Swim was too thinly veiled, as the ending was hinted at throughout the book. There were aspects of the book that were completely realistic, regarding the coverup of past events and the use of the media in the present. Prior to the Me Too movement, victims of assault often did not disclose their trauma, as they were often victimized by those in authority in the aftermath. The heavy dose of reality also ushered in a bit of implausibility, especially regarding the size and scale of the secrets. Although I did like the podcast being used as a vehicle to tell the story, I would have liked more of Rachel's personality to shine through. Overall, The Night Swim is a good mystery thriller and one that I would recommend to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Night Swim by NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press. The choice to review this novel was entirely my own.

I’m selective about the crime fiction I read, but I knew this was for me when I read the synopsis. Rachel has a true crime podcast, and for her latest series she goes to North Carolina where she’s asked to investigate a cold case murder. The courtroom scenes were gripping!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing and was really suspenseful. I rarely give five stars to a book but this one deserves it. Highly recommend!

4.5 stars_How many times can I say atmospheric in my reviews?! But honestly, books that are atmospheric just get me! I enjoy them so much more, and this one is no different.

I loved the short chapters! It always makes me read more in a short period of time since it’s easier to just be like “one more chapter”. In addition to short chapters, we get two different POVs! Which makes the story more suspenseful, in my opinion!

I really loved the podcasts part of the book, it made me even more curious and not want to put the book down!
I don’t want to get too much into details because there are twists and turns along the way; I don’t want to spoil anything! Especially the ending!

Having read both The Night Swim and The Escape Room, I’m a Megan Goldin fan! Both books were great! Highly recommend her books!

The book is about a true-crime podcaster who is investigating a present-day rape case on trial in a small town. In the meantime, she is followed around by Hannah who is the sister of another woman that was murdered in the same town 25 years ago. Are the two cases connected? What will be the outcome of the rape trial?

I expected more of a thriller and this was more a slow-moving story. The subject was triggering and difficult. The ending was predictable and underwhelming. It ended up being somewhat disappointing.

Really enjoyed this one! It revolves around two stories; one from the past and one in current time. The main character is named Rachel Krall, who does true crime podcasts. Her first season was a huge hit which set an innocent man free, and now she has a third case involving a rape case trial in a small town called Neapolis. While investigating the accused rapist (the towns golden boy, a swimmer destined to go to the Olympics) Rachel finds a note on her windshield from a woman who wants Rachel to investigate her sister’s death that happened over 20 years ago. The two cases collide as Rachel starts her investigation of both cases.
I thought this story was well thought out and written. Very original. Great storyline for me as I love anything to do with true crime podcast books (fiction ones that is). It held my attention from start to finish! I read the kindle version and purchased the Audible version so when I couldn't read, I could listen to the book being read. The narrators (Bailey Carr, Samantha Desz, and January Lavoy) were the best! Both stories are sad, but the 20-year case I found disturbing and sad. I think that's the only reason I didn't give it five stars. I highly recommend this book or audio book to anyone who enjoys a good Mystery, Suspense & Thriller, just know it has a disturbing rape content. I liked this book so much I went back and purchased another audible book from this author and I can't wait to listen to. This one was definitely one credit worthy.
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

I circle back to this book and how phenomenal it was all the time. It is in my top 3 favorite books I read last year. As a journalist, I always feel like authors really miss the mark when they stereotype us. Megan is a phenomenal writer and I will pre order all of her books.