Loved this book, loved the resolution. Interesting story of two rapes several years apart. Small town background which helped to explain a connection between the two assaults. My only raised eyebrow involved a series of letters left anonymously for the main character. It took me five to ten minutes to read the content. My mind is thinking, this girl has lots of time and ink, and the flimsy envelope holding the contents had to hold twenty plus pages. Yikes!

Recommend for mystery lovers. Thanks to Netflix for the opportunity to read and review.

This book was incredible. Very well written with a real, compelling story that sucked you in and stayed with you long after it was done.

I love the way the writer masters both the first person and third person style. In this book I especially loved the podcasts. It was literally as if I was listening to one. The book is full of twists and turns and it will keep you guessing until the very end. Both characters, Rachel Krall and Hannah, will take you on a ride of a story within a story that will keep you wanting more but also afraid of what is to come. This book had me in tears to the point I couldn’t even relay the story to another person because it was that powerful.

In a way, I think this is a book that should be read by everyone in order to be able to get in the shoes of someone like Hannah and her sister.

Another amazing book by Megan Goldin and one I will always remember. I definitely hope we have a chance to experience what Rachel Krall has in store for the next season of her show.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I had some trouble getting into this one but once it took off, I couldn’t put it down. Sympathetic and engaging.

4.5 stars
This was a tough read because it deals with the subject of rape. The book explores in depth how society tends to view rape and quite frankly it's depressing. But that's also why I think it is a worthwhile read. This book is going to get labeled as a mystery or a thriller and while it certainly has those elements, there's substance here so it might be best to just want to read a story that addresses an important topic rather than just expect a page turning novel full of twists and turns to keep you entertained.

Rachel Krall hosts a successful true crime podcast and for the current season she will be covering a rape trial in the small town of Neapolis. A college swimmer from a prominent family has been accused of raping a female high school student. Rachel will spend each day in court and reporting back to her listeners everything going on in the trial. After receiving some mysterious letters from a woman wanting justice for the death of her sister in Neapolis twenty five years ago, Rachel starts digging into that case as well. This town is full of secrets.

One of the things the author explores is how accused rapists are viewed by society when they fit the so-called "golden boy" criteria. And I liked how it was addressed in the story that everyone can agree murder is wrong but yet when it comes to rape it is such a controversial topic. My blood was boiling as I read this book and that's a compliment to the writer. In my opinion it was a spot on depiction of what happens when a person accuses someone of rape. Because much of the story was told through courtroom testimony and interviews Rachel was conducting with key people in the case, you got a lot of different opinions. And while you might not agree with everyone's viewpoint, it felt realistic. That's why this is an uncomfortable read, it hits too close to home.

So there's basically two things going on in the story. There's the rape trial, but also you have Rachel slowly learning the details about the death of the sister so many years ago. Both cases added value to the story and I found at times getting emotional while reading. By the time I got to the end, I found the story to have some elements of predictability but also some stuff that was a bit surprising. But again, don't go into this one wanting some type of popcorn read as this is a story dealing with a heavy subject.

This is the second book I have read by the author and I'm once again I am impressed that she is able to incorporate relevant issues into her stories. I'm anxious to read more from her in the future. Highly recommending reading this one if you think you can handle the subject matter.

I received a free advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Night Swim. A + thriller! It's a solid story that is very topical in this day and age. A true crime podcast host (I'm a huge fan of true crime podcasts!) takes on an "in the moment" trial where a hometown hero is accused of raping and sexually assaulting a teenager. I had read Chanel Miller's "Know My Name" memoir, and I felt that this story paralleled what happened to her.

While Rachel, our podcast host, is preparing for the trial, she comes across a note written to her asking for help in solving a 25 year old mystery surrounding another teenager who was found dead in the sea. The writer for the note tells Rachel it was a murder, and she needs Rachel's help to bring the killer to justice.

The story really gives you a fair look at both sides of the case, as well as including some creepy moments that leave you guessing. I couldn't put this one down!

Rachel is a podcaster covering a trial of a young rape victim. While in town covering the trial, she gets sucked into another incident that happened twenty-five years earlier. These 2 stories converged in a shocking twist that left me flabbergasted! This is a heavy book centered on rape and I was emotionally drained when I set this book down. Words such as heartbreaking, distressing, disturbing, and all the other synonyms for heart wrenching went through my mind as I read this! Well-written and definitely a fan of this author!

This is the second book I have read by Megan Goldin, the first one, the Escape Room was very good.
This one is about Rachel a podcaster covering a rape trial in a small town. While there Hannah asks her to investigate the death of her sister who died in the same town. This story is about one in the past and one in the present.

The book is suspenseful, and we follow along with both cases unfolding with clues that make the reader think they know what is going on. The writing is very well done and works very well.

The ending surprised me which is a good sign. Thank you, Net Galley, for the advanced copy for an honest review.

The Night Swim, was EXCELLENT! Megan Goldin really impressed me with her writing, this was a well-crafted, smart novel. Many authors would have gone into graphic details to catch the readers attention but not Goldin, she kept it at a minimal. I cannot wait to go back and read, The Escape Room, and I look forward to whatever she puts out next. A true author to lookout for.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of The Night Swim.

I see I’m in the minority on this one but this book did nothing for me. I could not connect to the characters and the podcast bored me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. Not for me.

Rachel Krall hosts the ultra-popular true crime podcast Guilty or Not Guilty.  For season three, she travels to the small coastal town of Neapolis to cover a rape trial - the town's 18-year-old star athlete has been accused of raping a high school student. After a pitstop en route, Rachel discovers a note on her windshield addressed to her.  This in itself is more than a little unnerving, but even more disturbing is what she finds in the letter itself from listener Hannah.  Twenty-five years ago, in the same little town of Neapolis, Hannah's older sister died a tragic and unexpected death.  A drowning, it was said...but Hannah knows better, and now she's begging Rachel to solve the case of what happened all those years ago.  Past and present collide as Rachel delves into the evils of Neapolis in The Night Swim. ⁣
⁣
⁣This book took a little time for me to get into, but once I did, I was can't-put-it down fully invested. I really liked how it involved two narrators and two cases that shared parallels.  Through Rachel, we experience the present-day rape trial, and through Hannah's letters, we go back in time and slowly learn what happened to her sister.  For anyone who is a fellow HSP, I will say that there were times I struggled with the narrative. Hearing details of rape and brutality and seeing the effects upon their victims was heartrending. It's also the mark of a good writer that I felt these emotions so acutely. As far as the whodunnit in the book, I did figure it out pretty early on, but I don't feel like it was obvious, so it should come as a surprise for many readers.  This was a gripping read.  If you like podcasts, a true crime feel, courtroom dramas, and thrillers, this book should definitely be on your radar.⁣

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⁣

The Night Swim is a solid mystery that also touches on important and timely issues of violence against women. I thought Goldin's writing was fascinating without veering into sensationalist territory. The story moves along briskly, but keeps its message and intent well in sight. The tone is sensitive, but still allows enough room for the characters to eveolve.

A graphic and intense thriller. Very contemporary and well written.
The subject matter is not for the faint of heart.

This book kept me hooked from the first page. Although the story is emotional disturbing, it’s very well written and the descriptions are detailed, allowing the reader to feel the characters pain. The characters are also well developed and the story is very intense. I’d definitely recommend this book and will look forward to other books from this author.

The Night Swim opens with podcaster Rachel Krall driving to a small town on the Atlantic coast to report on a rape trial. While pausing at a rest along the way, someone slips a note under her windshield. It is from a woman named Hannah, a fan of Rachel’s previous podcasts, asking Rachel to investigate the rape and murder of her older sister that took place in the same town some twenty years ago. So we get two mysteries in one book — what could be better? For me it was a great escape read. A place to forget about the real life dramas that are unfolding in our world on a daily basis.

I enjoyed the way the book is structured, with some chapters written from Hannah’s POV, interspersed with transcripts of Rachel’s podcast and chapters from Rachel’s POV as the trial unfolds. Rachel plays a key role in both the unfolding of the trial and in investigating what happened to Hannah’s older sister. Although I sometimes had issues with some of the ways the plot unfolded, I was more than willing to suspend disbelief because it was such an enjoyable read, capped of with very satisfying endings in both cases. Definitely recommend for people looking to escape into an engaging read.

Rachel Krall has a very successful true crime podcast. She takes her podcast to the vacation town of Neapolis, where the town’s Golden Boy, Olympic swimming hopeful Scott has been accused of raping teenager “K”
On the way to Neapolis, she receives a letter from a fan asking her to look into the drowning death of 16 year old Jenny. Hannah, her sister believes Jenny was murdered.
This multi POV story takes us from past to present seamlessly in both Rachel and Hannah’s voices. We also get to “hear” the third season of Guilty or Not Guilty, Rachel’s podcast. This was a genius decision by the author because it fills in a lot of the rape trial’s gaps.
I saw a couple of the swerves (I’m not going to call them plot twists since they didn’t really change the story at all) coming, but they were well played out.
I really loved this book and will give it 4.5/5 stars.
Please be warned that some of the rape discussions can be quite graphic and may be traumatizing to a survivor.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I am speechless.

I should wait to write my review but I have to say The Night Swim is a book that should not be missed.

Two rapes, one at trial, one never acknowledged.

You will cry , you will cheer , you will be bewildered.

A compelling story with twists and turns , didn't see the ending coming.

This book will stay with me for a very long time.

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for allowing me the honor of reading The Night Swim

Wow! I did not know what to expect from the description of the novel, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. As Rachel documents the current trial about a young woman's rape, she begins to discover the story of another woman (from the same town) who was raped and murdered decades prior. Both sexual assaults are covered in mystery and cover ups. I adored Rachel and how critical the author was on how the law is not kind to survivors. Indeed, the author takes care in recognizing the trauma of reliving the violence and the difficulty of breaking the silence to end the violence. Such a great read.

Loved both storylines. Definitely got me fired up for the two female victims. Kept me engaged but with no cheesy, over the top twists that everyone else seems to be trying these days. Just a good little mystery.

This is a great suspense novel with a surprise ending. Rachel is a blog writer who covers crimes. This is her 3rd season and she is going to cover a rape trial. Hannah is a woman who writes to Rachel asking for her help in uncovering her sister’s death 25 years ago. The novel narrative between both protagonists with Rachel investigating Hannah’s story while reporting on the rape case and Hannah remembering her life and the life of her sister. The endings of both stories are surprisingly joined. This novel would be great for those fans of the suspense genre. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rachel is featured in a sequel. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Rachel Krall, the host of a popular true crime podcast, gets more than she expected she begins to investigate a rape trial in a small town. A mysterious woman named Hannah is stalking Rachel, leaving her notes begging her to investigate the death of Hannah's sister twenty-five years ago. Could that cold case be connected to the current trial?

Captivating from start to finish, Goldin has penned a likely bestseller. The coverage of the rape trial gives the feel of a good legal thriller, keeping you wondering how the jury will decide. Add in the cold case, and you'll be guessing how the two cases connect. I was impressed with the ending, and predict people will be talking about this August book release.