Thank you to the publishers for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book. It had a great story line, great perspectives of both people and an awesome twist I didn't see coming!

Thank you again for letting me read this, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This book is fantastic. It is perfect for fans of true crime podcasts. It could hear the "podcast" playing in my head. It kept me interested the whole time and the format was digestible and intriguing. I wanted to keep reading. I liked how the 2 stories of girls were layered together into one. Rachel was a great, strong narrator. I could see this becoming a series following Rachel's podcast.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins press, and the Author Megan Goldin for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
This book had sounded intriguing, so that's why I requested a read and all I can say is WOW!!!
I absolutely loved it. I felt like I was with Rachel throughout the book.
I loved everything about it, the 2 main protagonists- Rachel and Hannah the town it took place in and especially the way it was written. I almost wish there was a real Rachel who's podcast I could listen to.
This was my first read from Megan and I immediately added her other two books to my TBR list.

Podcast thrillers are somewhat of a popular trend in thrillers lately and I have to say I'm loving this style of storytelling. The Night Swim is part legal thriller with a podcast aspect - a perfect combination to keep me on the edge of my seat!

I must admit, I am not really the type to pick up a novel like The Night Swim. One of my greatest reasons being the whole small-town rape trials tend to have a Lifetime Movie Network feel. They also have been done so many times that if you’ve read one of them, you’ve read them all. Now don’t get me wrong, the elements, scenarios, and scenes may differ, but the theme remains the same. For this reason, I was very hesitant to request this novel. Yet, Megan Goldin wrote a story last year that I described as “fun as hell”. Given how I felt about her previous novel, I went ahead and made the request. And I am not disappointed.

I won’t describe the story. As I mentioned, this story is incredibly familiar. I’m not meaning to give any spoilers, but this novel does not stray away from what you’ve read before. It simply doesn’t. There are elements such as the podcast and an extracurricular disappearance/murders that provide the novel an edge. And I will admit it does the novel a service and adds to the reader’s enjoyment. But again, you’ve read this story once (Beartown) or if you’ve watched any LMN Original Movie, you’ve in turn read The Night Swim.

While it wasn’t anything new or profound, I actually consumed the story like an alcoholic on a bender just after being released from a stint in jail. Started it in the AM and was done before my early ass bedtime. While my notes on lacking originality seem negative, I still found myself unable to put this story down. This speaks volumes to me. Clearly, it was enjoyable otherwise I would not have had the patience to consume it as I did. To me, this means that Goldin is fucking talented. I came into this story with an attitude of it being overdone but still caring about the author. Picked up the novel getting exactly what I expected, and I wasn’t even disappointed. I don’t know how that happened, but Goldin can perform this voodoo black magic on me anytime.

So, is it similar to those Lifetime Movie Network Originals that you watched with your mom on Saturday and Sunday growing up? Yes.

But is it fucking addicting and somehow exciting? Yes.

I’ve learned a very valuable lesson from Goldin. Request Megan Goldin’s books even when you truly aren’t interested. The bitch has some surprises up that sleeve.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this novel.

First Megan Goldin book I've read and I enjoyed it, but I felt everything fell together a little too easily//perfectly.
It was twisty with a good story that kept me reading, but things were just a bit too convenient in the end.
Loved the premise: Rachel is podcast journalist currently staying in a small, coastal town while covering a rape trial. Hannah is trying to prove her sister was murder in the same small town two decades before.
While the story is quite good, having lived my young life in a small town....some things were slightly off.

Bottom line: This one will be easy to recommend, just twisty enough to keep readers interested and guessing until the end. Just a little too convenient of an ending for my taste.
Actual stars: 3.75.

I'm surprised this was written by the same author as The Escape Room. Even though both books are thrillers, The Escape Room was pure entertainment--a high-concept roller coaster ride that required the reader to suspend disbelief. The Night Swim is much more serious in tone, and it capitalizes on the #metoo movement to shine a spotlight on the injustices of rape.

Rachel Krall is a famous podcaster, known for her true crime show Guilty or Not Guilty. In preparation for the podcast's third season, Rachel follows a rape trial where the accused is a small Southern town's golden child--a contender for the Olympics and an all-around good citizen. The victim is the granddaughter of the town's police chief. At the same time as the trial, Rachel begins to receive anonymous notes from a woman begging for her help. The notes pull Rachel into investigating another rape case that occurred twenty-five years earlier.

I applaud the book for dealing with a serious theme that needs to be talked about. It might make some readers uncomfortable, much like the Netflix limited series Unbelievable did, but it's an important topic that needs to be discussed. The book isn't perfect, but it is thought-provoking and deserves to be read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Two suspected rapes, one ending in death, are the core of this story. But, the real story is the, as usual, the people. From the accuser to the accused, all have a story to tell, as do their parents and friends. Tight, tense, and enthralling.

This book is gritty and raw. At times its hard to read. Rachel Krall is the voice of the true crime podcast "Guilty or Not Guilty" . This season focuses on a rape trial in the small town of Neapolis, North Carolina. The emotional and physical scars it can leave. How a small town can be totally divided by judging both parties involved.
On the drive to get there she gets a letter asking her to investigate a 25 year old mystery similar to the one that is happening now. You get two stories in one past and present. I did end up liking this book. The mystery comes together in the end but I will definitely be more careful next time. This is not an easy read and if rape is a trigger for you pass on this one.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGally and the St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review

This book was really intriguing to me. It was like 2 mysteries in one. I found it to be a bit slow burning but kept my attention throughout. The ending kind of surprised me - and I can't say I completely understood the very end of this book - I may need to think about it a bit more. I really love this author's writing and can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin, 2.5*.
I had high hopes for The Night Swim by Megan Goldin after enjoying her first novel, The Escape Room. This was despite the fact that title lacked in any “pick-me-up” appeal. Unfortunately, despite making every attempt to like this book, I struggled with the way in which the violent subject matter was handled. I hoped for a twist or something unexpectedly spectacular to happen at the 50% point to make the gruesome reading worthwhile. However, all I got was more of the unremittingly brutal, sad and harrowing depictions of assault and rape on young teenage women, at least one of whom was underage. I was disappointed.

The protagonist, Rachel Krall, runs a popular podcast, ‘Guilty or Not Guilty’. Reading her posts, I couldn’t see how her podcasts or website would exceed the value or interest of any news websites. She is out to follow the trial of Kelly Moore’s allegation of rape case in the North Carolina city of Neapolis.

Hannah Stills, whose account starts the book, lived in the same city as a child. In the parallel storyline, she recounts the murder of her elder sister, Jenny, 25 years prior. What we never discover is how Hannah uncovered Rachel’s identity to stalk her and post letters on her windscreen and elsewhere.

The Night Swim trawls through all the gruesome details of the cold case murder of 16-year-old Jenny Stills, which the police of the time unfortunately failed to investigate then buried. The main story also details the rape trial of Kelly Moore, against Scott Blair, for the protagonist’s podcast.

In the last few pages, there was what was posed as a twist. It was really an unsuspected culprit. Not a twist at all. It didn’t pique my flagging attention, as no clues had been given as to the perpetrators, and no red herrings were set up.

This, around 80% of the way through, sums up my feelings of the reading experience of The Night Swim: “I don’t understand people’s fascination with other people’s tragedies. It’s modern-day rubbernecking. Ghoulish. Podcasts like yours feed that obsession.” Other people’s tragedies are not an obsession of mine, especially when it comes to distressing accounts of rape.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Megan Goldin for the chance to review The Night Swim.

This review also appears in NetGalley, https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-night-swim-by-megan-goldin.html, Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3228919957. It will appear in Amazon.com when the book is published.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC provided.

The true crime podcast host is trying to boost her listeners by covering a trial while it is ongoing. While she is trying to keep up with the ongoing trial, there is another mystery involving Jenny from 25 years ago that requires her attention.

There are many twists and turns and it kept me completely involved. Another hit for Megan Goldin.

Rape cases are always difficult to hear/read about regardless of whether they happen in real life, or in books. I think this book had such a strong impact on me because it reminded me a lot of the Brock Turner case. Whether that was the intention or not, the similarities were unmistakable.

Aside from the difficultly of the topic, I really enjoyed this book! I’ve been really into true crime podcasts lately, (check out @crazyeyespodcast 🤓) so I had been looking forward to reading this. I loved the setting of this book & that it took place in a small town where everyone knew everyone. Although Rachel was working on two different cases while in Neapolis, it didn’t make the story confusing, & the author did a great job of connecting both cases. The story kept me guessing throughout the whole book and the ending left me shocked, surprised & wanting more.

Rachel Krall is the host of the popular podcast Guilty or Not Guilty: the podcast that puts you in the jury box. The upcoming season of the podcast brings her to the town of Neapolis to cover a rape trial. While there she begins to receive messages from Hannah Stills urging her to help shed light on the death of her sister Jenny, which took place decades before.

The Night Swim is a gripping novel that masterfully ties these two cases together and will have readers guessing how they are connected. With twists that I didn't see coming, it kept me intrigued until the last page. A must read for thriller lovers!

This is my first book from Megan Goldin. I love a good book that you can jump right in and get to know all the characters and the details of what going on are just enough to feel like you are actually there. I like how this book is set up and tells you the transition between who's talking and what is taking place. Also this isn't a light read for the topics involved. There are triggers of rape and abuse. The trial part might be hard for some to read. Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading others from her.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin Finished March 19, 2020 4+WOW Stars ~ rounded up!
This is a psychological thriller about a rape trial in a small community but another story immerges. … current and past… current is a rape trial and the Past is the death of a high school student 25 years ago.

I have had this novel for a couple weeks and kept putting it off as I feared the rape might be too graphic. Also knew that there was a negative message in the way society treats rape victims. Beliefs that women put themselves in bad situations…..Didn’t sound like an enjoyable read ….However….
I was curious and I like courtroom drama so thought I would give it a try. SO glad I did!

CURRENT ~ Story starts with true crime podcast investigator Rachael Krall sitting in the courtroom taking notes for her podcast of the trial of Scott Blair.
Sixteen year old Kelly Moore is accusing 19 year old “golden boy, Olympic hopeful swimmer, college student Scott Blair of raping her.
In this trail, Scott’s roommate Dwaine is called to testify and stated he and Scott rated their conquests.
I was so pleased that the sleazy rating was not verbalized nor the nasty “colorful” text messages.
…...I have a good imagination and certain didn’t need to read what I was imagining.

PAST ~ Hannah Stills contacts Rachael Krall and asks for help. She believes her sister Jenny was murdered 25 years ago and her death was not an accident.
Rachael is a good investigator and is torn between keeping focused on her current podcast and delving into Hannah’s concern.
Curiosity gets the best of Rachel and she agrees to meet Hannah at Morrison’s Point jetty... the spot when her sister Jenny drowned. All the while, Rachel is telling herself that she was breaking a cardinal rule for true-crime podcasters: Never rendezvous with fans who leave notes on your car’s windshield Never!

Hannah is still experience trauma and doesn’t show up. But while Rachel is waiting on the jetty,
she is approached by a homeless and man. She mentions the drowning and he states ….no way was her drowning an accident as she was an excellent swimmer plus there are no rocks in this deep part of the ocean.
Soooo Rachel is hooked and the investigation begins.

There is no doubt each story had a hold on me: disturbing and emotional, totally a page turner. I did have to take a break after reading some parts. I hung in there as I was hopeful for justice.
I was pleased that storyteller author, Megan Goldin did a great job dealing with this difficult topic with sensitivity.

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review.

NOTE: I read an early “Uncorrected Digital copy” which did not have an “Author’s Acknowledgments” yet. I am hopeful that Ms. Goldin will include resources in this section for those suffering from sexual abuse as well as bulling. This disturbing and emotional novel is perfect for a teen group discussion and the resources would add to the discussions.

Loved The Escape Room by Megan Goldin and was super excited to read this book by her. It is an intense page turner that sucks you in from the beginning. I loved the modern aspect with the podcast and how it switched between present and past. It kept me guessing the whole time and I was very happy with the way it all came together.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin is a nail-biting thriller. This book completely hooked me and I didn't want to put it down.

While Rachel is working on the third season of her true crime podcast, she receives a letter from a woman who wants her help in finding out who murdered her sister 25 years ago. Rachel receives thousands of letters from families in the same situation, but this one catches her off-guard. The sender recognizes her, maybe is even following her.

Rachel's podcast will cover a rape trial live in a small town. It's a classic he-said, she-said case. This time Rachel isn't there to discover the truth, only cover the trial and decides to dig into this old case just a little bit. Maybe she will find some answers, find out who the woman is who is writing her and maybe solve a murder.

There are obstacles in this small town - the teenager drowned, wasn't murdered, years ago. The girl was loose, gave her favors away to too many boys. Other teenagers were killed in a car accident that same night from prominent families, they are remembered while the slutty girl was forgotten.

Rachel tries to find out if there is any crime to solve at all. Why is everyone so forgetful about that night and no one wants to talk to her?

The Night Swim is a classic thriller that will keep a reader glued to the book. It will definitely keep you up late at night to read "just one more chapter." Highly recommended.

Rachel Krall visits the small town of Neapolis to cover a trial that is the next season of her popular podcast; the case of a star athlete accused of raping a local girl, known only to the listeners as “K.”

Upon entering town, Rachel begins getting disturbing letters from Hannah who claims to have previously tried and failed to get her attention. She wants Rachel’s help solving a mystery. Decades earlier, Jenny Stills (Hannah’s sister) is said to have drowned. Hannah is convinced her sister was murdered.

Rachel reluctantly gets drawn into a past/present investigation that, ironically, involves several similar key players.

As a reader, there’s a fine line when an author writes concurrent stories. There’s an off chance that two different storylines can be executed flawlessly, but there’s a likelihood that one might just fall flat. Unfortunately, this is the case for me with The Night Swim. Hannah and Jenny’s story so completely overshadowed the cliché trial of the town’s swimming star that I had to fight the urge to skim read the parts of the book pertaining to Kelly Moore.

That’s not to say it was poorly written, but that there were no real twists to Kelly’s story, which the author attempted to use, I believe, as a device to garner sympathy and draw parallels to what happened to Jenny Stills. Maybe vise versa. Either way, the coincidences of key players having played a role in not one, but two alleged rapes makes Neapolis either the rapiest town out there, or makes these two cases the world’s biggest coincidence. By the revealed ending, I’m like, uh, no.

It probably sounds like I enjoyed the book less than I did, but I’m on the fence. It’s a fast read. Perhaps even a beach read for folks who like crime stories. Well written and constructed neatly, the pacing of the “K” trial is what really put me off. That, and it’s predictability. Jenny’s story, on the other hand, is a reason for me to give The Night Swim four stars. Half of this one is a really great book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an Advance Reader Copy of this novel.

When it comes to books that utilize the existence of podcasts-- I seem to be a huge fan! I feel when authors bring in this aspect to a novel it creates a more intense atmosphere and plot that isn't just driven by one thing. 

Not only that but I love when a suspense novel can take me by complete and total surprise. And Megan Goldin's writing and story-telling sealed the deal for me in this one.

It was intense and vivid and I loved every minute of it. Through all of the letters, the investigations, the podcast episodes, alternating POVs, past and present tenses, two women-- the story unravels into such a beautiful story all the way around. The author doesn't stray, she doesn't ramble, and she makes a point with everything that she comes across in this novel. 

Seeing as I didn't love The Escape Room, the fact that I devoured this one gave me great joy! I love when author can mix things up, write the opposite of what they've wrote before, and be dynamic and captivating at the same time. The Night Swim is definitely an intense read-- but I promise the message that it delivers will stay with you.