"I'm Rachel Krall and this is Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box."

I am a true crime junkie and I love true crime podcasts! When I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to read it - no questions asked! This is my first book by Goldin and it did not disappoint! I enjoyed it immensely!

The Night Swim tells the story of Rachel Krall who runs the successful true crime podcast - Guilty or Not Guilty. Looking for a new story for her show's third season, she goes to a small town called Neapolis to cover the controversial rape trial of Scott Blair. He is the town's swimming star and is accused of sexually assaulted a high school student, who happens to be the granddaughter of the town's former police chief. While researching and covering for this story, Rachel also has been receiving mysterious letters asking her to look into the death of Jenny Stills which happened 25 years ago in this town. The letters insisted that a murder was committed, although official records stated that Jenny died from drowning. Rachel is determined to seek answers and as she unravels the mystery, she begins to see how the truth may impact everyone involved, including the trial.

What I enjoyed about this story is Rachel's investigations of these cases - Blair's and Stills'. Goldin's storytelling makes me feel like I am solving the cases together with Rachel. The complexity and twisty turns of the cases just kept me turning the pages! It's absolutely riveting! I also enjoyed the courtroom drama. It's been awhile since I read a legal thriller, so I truly enjoyed this part of the story. What is absolutely intriguing about this book is the podcast chapters! It's so refreshing and different from other thrillers I've read. It is brilliant!

This is a fast paced story and very plot driven, which also means that there is not a lot of depth in the characters. Since there are two cases in this story, I have to admit that I was confused at times and it did take me some time to get used to it.

Overall, this is one intense, suspenseful read! Heads-up though, the crimes in this story are quite disturbing and may not be for everyone. The ending is so good and I loved it! A must read if you are looking for a great mystery/thriller!


Pub. Date: 4 Aug 2020

***Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed in this review are my own and was not influenced by the author, publisher or any third party.***

4.5 Stars


Rachel Krall has drawn fame from her podcast Guilty or Not Guilty that allows her listeners to be in a virtual jury box to draw their own verdict. Season Three will be focused on a controversial rape trial in the small town of Neapolis. Neapolis is a community where everyone knows everyone, and when the town’s “golden boy” is accused of raping a high school girl, a line is split down the town. Rachel knows doing a rape trial my cause stressful and emotional triggers to her listeners, but she feels that it’s important for them to hear both sides. What Rachel didn’t count on was receiving a letter from Hannah…a letter with a plea for help in finding justice for her sister Jenny Stills, who had a “drowning” accident 25 years earlier in the same small town. Between the trial and the notes left by Hannah, Rachel starts drawing her own conclusions…and as she follows the bread crumbs Hannah leaves, she soon discovers that not everything is what it seems…

Megan Goldin has written a dark and emotional thriller that will keep you turning the pages desperate to find out what really happened to Jenny Stills…



**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

"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."

The story follows a successful true-crime podcast host, Rachel Krall, covering an ongoing trial for rape in a small town while being drawn by a mysterious letter into the town's past and the mystery of a girl's death almost two decades before. The parallels between the two rape cases here serve as a unique outlook on how some things never change especially in a small town where everyone knows everyone enough to make one malicious word about a certain person spread like bushfire and condemn that person to a label that leads to a horrible fate. As a result, this story becomes a timely investigation in rape culture, small-town politics and judicious systems that, in many cases, do not deliver a modicum of justice.

The podcasts chapters I was especially fond of. It added a layer of social commentary that I would have found otherwise intrusive and clogging if it wasn't done with such finesse that made me look forward to the next podcast. The brevity of the podcast and Rachel's character offered a suitable leeway for reflections on how rape, rape victims and the various degrees of sexual assaults women encounter are perceived. Had this been a real podcast, it most certainly would have been addictive. But my stomach started to tie in knots in the chapters covering the victim's testimony and what the long-ago victim must have suffered. If this is the kind of effect it has on me, a reader, I wonder what it was like to write about it--hell, I wonder how it was like to live through it alone then relive it as one try to render it as an objective account among total strangers to judge.

The story is also multifaceted; not only does it explore the shady areas between consent and rape, but it also explores the legal tricks and theatrics used by lawyers in court to paint what is clearly black or white in a darker/lighter shade of gray, thereby swaying tenuous opinions in favour or against a certain point, swaying it enough to convict a victim and free an assailant. Not only in the courts of the legal systems but also in the court of public opinion.

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.

Oooh this book is very good. If you loved The Escape Room, you will love this book. I will have to caution you that this book talks very heavily of rape and it goes into a little too much detail for me. I would say 75% of this book is about two different girls getting raped. Part of the book is about Rachel Krall covering the court case of Scott being accused of raping Kelly. The other part is about Rachel investing Jenny Stills murder (she was also raped). This book is very heavy, but very well written.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this new book by Megan Goldin. It is my first time reading this author, but it won't be my last. Her writing flows well and her plot lines are easy to follow. The story itself is highly engaging and interesting. Overall, a great read!

The main character, Rachel, hosts a podcast that follows criminal cases and explores the guilt or innocence of the people on trial. In the third season of her podcast, she chooses to cover a rape trial. While attending the trial, she also encounters an unsolved mystery from the past that she works to unravel. These two plot lines weave together seamlessly. I enjoyed following Rachel as she delves into each criminal case. The letters from the elusive Hannah reveal an intriguing and also upsetting story of a horrible crime from the past. While reading, I felt great compassion for the victims in this book. I feel that Goldin presents the topic of rape in a sensitive manner.

The structure of the story is well thought out and cohesive. The chapters alternate between narrative about Rachel and the trial, letters from Hannah about the crime from the past, and podcast episodes in Rachel's voice. I like the alternating structure. It keeps it interesting. I never found myself getting bored with the story. I always wanted to continue on to the next chapter.

This is a truly engaging and enjoyable crime mystery/thriller. I would highly recommend it to those that enjoy the genre.

Another formula book again not for me. It’s like many others like it court room, murder, rape. Nothing that interesting or unusual

Thanks for letting me read it however

Amazing! I read Escape Room last year, so I really wanted to read this title. The Night Swim is even better than Escape Room! The plot is a lot stronger, and even though there are a few viewpoints throughout the story I never felt confused or like I couldn't follow the different threads.
The ending was perfect - neat enough that I felt satisfied but it didn't feel like I'd been duped throughout the story. I look forward to reading more by this author!

4 stars. I couldn't put this book down. I wanted to know who killed Jenny more than I wanted to know how Kelly's trial was going to turn out. The writing was easy to follow and I loved the back and forth between the past and present, but through the eyes of Jenny's sister, Hannah. The secrets and lies and cover ups were too much to bear.
This book deals with the harsh reality of rape. It was dark, but not too dark that you wanted to close your eyes. Megan put just enough detail to pull you along without turning you off.
If you like court room dramas then this is the book for you. It will have you on the edge of your seat. Even though I like court room dramas, I've gotten bored with them recently. That is one reason I gave this book a 4 star review. The creativeness of the author twisting together two crimes 25 years apart was ingenious and kept you turning the pages.
I loved the ending. I loved who did it (even though I guessed it). I liked Rachel's crime podcast, but I cant put my finger on why I didn't fall in love with this. Maybe it was the topic of rape that is so disheartening (nothing to do with the way the author wrote about it), but in general.
I think its just that I am tired of reading court room dramas that lowered my rating on this one.

#netgalley #thenightswim

I went into this thriller blind. It was
good. Parts of it were even really good, but I didn’t have the compulsion to keep turning the pages. I live for that urge and if a book doesn’t give it to me, it’s hard for me to rave about it.



Rachel is a true crime podcaster (think Serial) who is covering a rape trial in a small town. While in town, she begins receiving mysterious letters about a crime (rape / murder) that took place 25 years earlier - the death of a young girl, Jenny Stills. That death was ruled an accidental drowning, but the writer insists it was no such thing.


As Rachel follows the breadcrumbs left in the letters, it becomes clear that people want to forget the past. There are questions people don’t want to answer and the past and present are not so different from one another. This town has secrets and no one wants them uncovered.



Don’t get me wrong. This book was well written and while I anticipated one of the twists, I didn’t figure out the second until it was right under my nose. I think it was the whole cat and mouse game with the letters that I found unbelievable and slightly annoying. Trying to converse with strangers leaving you letters and attempting to meet with them is stranger danger if I’ve ever seen in.



This book is being published Aug 4, 2020. If you’re not as judgmental of characters and their life decisions, this book is a good thriller with a mix of trial elements. It’s an easy and entertaining read.



#thenightswim #megangoldin #stmartinspress #netgalley #thriller #psychologicalthriller #mystery #suspense #fiction #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookshelf #igreads #instareads #booksofinstsgram #bookreview #torontoreads #sloanereads #advancedreadercopy #newreleases

Rachel is the host of a true-crime podcast. She gets frequent requests from desperate people to investigate cold cases. Hannah has written to Rachel, hoping to look into the murder of her sister from years ago. This is a very compelling read. Recommended!

I have read Megan's book "The Escape Room" and I knew I had to read this book as well. Very well written as always and I was hooked from the get go. With the rising popularity of podcasts now, Megan made good use of this trend in her book which was creative in my opinion. Everyone and their mom is listening to one nowadays it seems. With Rachel being the main character, you follow her path to cover a really important trial along with a side project that she didn't ask for. Although, I'm not a podcast fan, I thoroughly enjoyed Rachel's podcast via reading! I would definitely re-read this book again!

First, a huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

The story follows Rachel, a true crime podcaster who travelled to Neapolis, North Carolina to follow a trial for her show. While there, she receives letters from a woman who's sister died in Neapolis 25 years ago and believes it wasn't an accident like everyone says. She is asking that while in Neapolis, Rachel do some investigating on her sister's case. What happens in the trial and does Rachel help the woman in the letters, you'll have to read to find out!

I enjoyed this story and really liked the dual perspectives of Rachel's day-to-day and Hannah's letters/emails. I thought the story was written well and it was wrapped up beautifully in the end. I will warn potential readers, this book's main plot deals with a huge trigger for some people, so just be prepared for it.

This book comes out August 4, 2020, so be sure to get your copy!

True Crime Podcast style books have become increasingly popular in the last couple of years. But, this book goes way beyond that. Rachel is the creator of a new popular podcast and she finds herself in the middle of two interesting cases. The first is a rape trial that is the focus of the third season of her podcast. The second is the death of Jenny her is the sister of one of her podcast listeners. Both of these mysteries are centered in the coastal town of Neapolis. Rape is a very debated topic in today’s society. I am always nervous about going into a book that uses it as a plot device. Megan Goldin did an amazing job of presenting it and what victims of rape and sexual assault experience. It wasn’t tasteless, it raised very poignant questions about how society treats women in general and, specifically, victims of sexual assault.

This book was a true page-turner. I was hooked from the very first chapter, especially by Hannah. Her character is this elusive entity through most of the story. Almost all of our information about Jenny’s death comes from her missives to Rachel. The author does an exceptional job of weaving the story together. I often predict elements of the plot well before the end of the book but that was not the case here. There are some obvious clues that enabled me to guess one twist but the rest of the story was very much in suspense. I also enjoyed the podcast chapters of the story very much. It was an easy way for me to recap some of the information without it being too repetitive.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book. It is one of my favorite thrillers of 2020.

Absolutely loved this read!. So well written, unsettling, captivating. Had a lot of elements within that I do look for within a book. Tough topic, captured perfectly within the covers of a book. I had a hard time putting this one down and have to say, after reading it, I sat there for quit some time think “What did I just read”? How do I feel about this and how do I even attempt to capture my feelings in the pending review I must write.

Well folks....MUST READ and keep your self in an upright position what the tray table put away.....

Thanks Megan Goldin and you amazing folks at St. Martin’s Press. Y’all rocked this one off the pages!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. This did not influence my review in any way.

The premise of this book is that Rachel Krall is a podcast host. She comes to a small town to cover a rape trial and is contacted by a listener to look into a crime from the past. I like listening to podcasts so I thought the format of the book would be interesting. The book was super slow getting started. I almost gave it up but things got more interesting once the trial got started. This was just an average mystery. Nothing special in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A slow burn, genre-bending thriller in the same vein as Sadie, Miracle Creek, and Beartown, all at once. This story features two parallel divisive mysteries in a seaside-town in North Carolina.

This book made me so unbelievably angry and sad, but satisfied and disheartened all at once? That being said, this book was enthralling. I ended up finishing it in just one sitting! Not only could I not put it down, I needed to be delivered some justice for our main character.

I wouldn't even refer to this as a thriller, because the character development, setting, and overall writing style was too good. I would say the first half is a hard-hitting contemporary mystery and the second half is a legal thriller? If that makes sense? That being said, don't go into this book expecting some unbelievable characters and a psychological thriller-type twist (I'm looking at you Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen fans).

TW: rape, sexual assault, drug use, abuse

This book was stunning and will stay with me a long time. I ran through a course of emotions while reading it and felt exhausted after. I highly recommend.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great book, I really enjoyed it! I look forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

*My thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley from gifting me with this ARC in exchange for a fair review*

The Night Swim is a brutal, heart-wrenching tale about a current rape trial overtaking the small town of Neapolis, and an old death that was never fully solved there 25 years earlier. Here we follow crime Podcaster Rachel Krall as she covers the case of a 16-year-old girl who claims to have been brutally raped by the town's golden son. It's her word against his, the town is divided, and Rachel is set out to get all the facts of the trial out there for the world to come to their own conclusion about. Meanwhile, she is contacted by a woman named Hannah, who is asking her to help her uncover the truth about her sister Jenny, who died under mysterious circumstances years ago. The town claimed it was an accident. Hannah believes it was murder. As both cases start to unfold for Rachel, she can't help but wonder if there is a connection between past and present.

I wasn't sure about this book at first. We had two interchanging POV's: Rachel's in third person, and Hannah's in first. Rachel's POV was dry, almost clipped. I didn't feel like I knew her at all. Hannah's "letters" appeared to me like a purple-prose writer attempting her hand at writing a book rather than writing a letter to a stranger but around the 15% mark, there was a noticeable shift. Suddenly, Rachel's prompt, to the point manner made sense and carried her investigative scenes quickly. I devoured every clue she came across, took note of every person she weaseled her way in with, trying to see what connected. Hannah's accounts loosened up as well; her descriptions becoming so necessary with all their apparent over-detail, and also entirely painful as we closed in on how her sister had been treated.

Neapolis itself is immersive. It felt like a small town. It felt like old secrets and hidden agendas. The author truly created an enclosed, suffocating feeling at times and it drove the story forward in subtle movements that I enjoyed. By the time we finally arrived at the trial, I was just as breathless with anticipation to hear the evidence.

I was devastated. This book tore the breath from my lungs. It made me rage and cry and demand retribution for the victim. The trial was not only a horrifying account of what that little girl had gone through but also a glimpse into the corruption and politics of our justice system. It placed a blunt magnifying glass on our culture of blaming women for their rape instead of punishing their rapist. Of how we often don't believe them. Of how it is so much easier to say that she made it up, that she wanted fame, that she knew what she was getting into. And it makes you ask yourself why anyone, let alone a child would put themselves through the torture of a trial, and the lead up to it, and the aftermath—for a lie? The fact is, that most people wouldn't come out of it unscathed. They wouldn't.

There were a few small things that bothered me. Threads I thought should have been followed through with were dropped off, missed opportunities by the author in terms of suspects or connections with certain persons, but in the end they aren't enough to get deeply into as the book holds up despite them and not enough to get into spoilers. The Night Swim is certainly not for the faint of heart, and I urge you to understand that while the descriptions of the attacks are not graphic it is all very intense and can be emotionally taxing. However it was a thrilling read, and one that I will likely pick up again. Even if it hurts.

I’m a HUGE fan of podcasts that focus on murders, trials, serial killers and all types of deadly crimes so this book was right up my alley. I enjoyed the podcasts break between the chapters and the development of the story.

I can honestly say I was shocked by the outcome of the mystery that unfolded and I’m normally able to predict stories way before the ending.

This book heavily delves into rape so I can see this being a trigger for some readers. So please use discretion before picking this one up.