Shaken to the core! This book will haunt me for a while to come. I’ll definitely need to read a light romance now, LOL. The narrations are captivating, I was pulled from the first chapter. Strong 5 stars!

The blurb, title, and cover really caught my attention for this one. I was pleased to receive an eARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for review consideration.

The Night Swim is, hands down, the best book I've read so far this year.

When a famous podcaster comes to the small town of Neapolis to cover the live trial of a controversial rape case, she is thrown into another mystery. Mysterious letters, emails, and cryptic messages lead Rachel down the rabbit hole of a decades-old case involving the death of a young girl.

For me, everything about this book worked. Separated into letters from Hannah, the sister desperate to prove her sister's death was more than an unfortunate accident, Rachel's experience in Neapolis, and several podcast segments where we get the presentation of facts and observations, we get to experience the events from all angles, all perspectives, evaluate the evidence, and form our own opinions.

Utterly unput-downable.

What struck me most was Goldin's brilliant, fearless, and insightful handling of the topic of rate. So often discourse focuses on blame. Guilt. And, yes, there is definitely that aspect in The Night Swim, but it is so much more. It's a conversation on society's stereotypes of rape victims. It's a dialogue about not just the trauma victims face in the moment, but also the continuing trauma they're forced to endure after. Anyone who's seen a procedural is familiar with what happens after a victim reports a rape. This is not brand new information, a point I can't stress enough. We know these things, we understand these things, but we've become numb to these things--and Goldin isn't afraid to remind us that rape is much more than he said, she said. It's people, and communities, and catastrophe that ripples through lives and years.

Goldin doesn't shy away from details. She takes the readers through the painstakingly broken down process, from witness to testimony, to personal statements, evidence collection, and pressing charges. We see not only the emotional and physical toll the crime takes on the victim, but the lives of everyone around her. The accuser. The accuser's family. The town. The national stage where Rachel's audience is captivated and polarized.

It's exhausting and necessary and incredibly relevant.

The parallels raised between the old case and the new case drive home the importance of this dialogue. Things haven't changed in Neapolis, but have they really changed in the world? Archaic systems, unabashed judgment, grudges held through generations, the ramifications such a crime takes on all involved. This book is full of fallout and closure, devastation and redemption. What it is not full of is sugar coating or timidity.

Reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird in a modern timeline, I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, with a trigger warning about sensitive material and rape scenarios.

Night Swim is a good story but not a great one. It is totally plot and message driven. There’s next to no character development and very little in the way of credible human relationships. Fortunately the plot is intriguing and the topic of rape is one that needs to be considered and discussed more openly.
Of the three points of view in the book, the podcast transcripts ring the most true. This is where Rachel the podcaster (and Megan Goldin) gets to report what’s been happening with the case at hand, as well as inject commentary on the divisiveness of rape prosecutions. She very effectively lays out why such cases are so difficult as she relates the progress of the case to her listeners. Those chapters really carry the book.
The Rachel and Hannah chapters are way too third person, a bit Nancy Drew-ish even, making their characters hard to relate to on a human level. Stories are stronger when we are shown the nature of the characters, not just told. The Vince Knox character in this book is the only one who delivers on that, in my opinion.
In summary, it’s a good read that would be better if readers had more of a relationship with the characters and the opportunity to do a little more thinking for themselves.

*Thanks to NetGalley + St. Martin's Press for the ARC!*

First up: trigger warning for rape, which appears in more than one storyline in this book.

Okay so! This story is told with three, rotating POVs (podcast host Rachel, her podcast, and Hannah, sister to the long-ago murdered girl), two of which are present and one in the past, which keeps things interesting. Hannah's POV is communicated via letters she writes to Rachel, and then the podcast episodes are written transcriptions. I really enjoyed this format, as while this book was still very much the standard thriller that's popular right now, the three POVs definitely gave it a unique twist.

This book was really challenging to read, honestly. Many of the scenes were more implied than graphic, but don't take that lightly! I'm glad I read this one in chunks rather than straight through, as I think it would've been too tough to read all in one go.

Overall, loved this book because of the interesting format and challenging, make-you-think storyline. I'll definitely be recommending it!

Overwhelmed, frustrated, furious, disheartened, sad, intrigued, fascinated.

These are just a few of the emotions I am still processing after reading The Night Swim by Megan Goldin.

The mark of a great book is if it actually elicits an emotional response from the reader and this one fits the bill beautifully.

Rachel Krall is an investigative reporter with a successful true crime podcast. In order to separate herself from copycats, her most current season will follow a criminal court proceeding in real time. Rachel will attempt neutrality and provide transcripts and information in order to put her listeners "in the jury seat. The crime in question? A local teen accusing another local teen (who happens to be a the son of an old well do to family, and a prominent swimmer with a huge social media following) of rape.

Rape is a divisive topic and Krall documents this throughout her book. Many times it feels like the reader is a listener of the podcast as we learn about how a rape trial is a constant violation of the victim and the gray area of the crime itself. How she or he can be demonized and threatened. She also touches on how the life of the accused is affected in our Me Too society.

But this story isn't just about the one Rachel covers in her podcast. A haunted listener begs Rachel to find out the truth about her sisters death 25 years ago. A death that she believes is a murder despite it being ruled out as accidental. Which coincidentally occurred in the same town where the current trial is taking place.

Ms. Krall will take you on a parallel journey of 2 girls in the same town. Their stories have strong similarities but one of them ends in death. While the town of Neopolis is no longer the sleepy little town where everyone knows each other, many of those locals from the past still live in the bustling North Carolina city. As Rachel deals with the backlash of covering a rape trial, is she also putting herself in jeopardy of angering a murderer? And what happened to Jenny?

This book is simply an excellent read. Well though out plot, parallels to real life, great characterization, and an intriguing subject. Krall puts all of the clues out there for the reader, making the reader both a juror and a sleuth.
While fiction, there is no doubt this may be triggering for anyone that has dealt with rape. It is brutal about the justice system and our own society in the way we regard the prosecution of rape.

Thank you NetGalley and St, Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Megan Goldin is a new author to me and I look forward to reading more from her.
The Night Swim is a very emotional read. It covers two heartbreaking, suspenseful events, one in the present and one in the past. As both stories unfold, there is so much mystery going on, you just can’t stop reading!
The main character is Rachel, a podcaster covering a high profile rape trial in a small town. While there, Hannah, reaches out to Rachel about her sister, Jenny, that was possibly killed or drowned 20 years ago. The suspense mounts as both stories unfold. Are the two cases related? You will be shocked at the outcome.
I highly recommend you read this book, it will draw you in and not let you go until the last page.
Please note: there is sexual assault/rape/violence in the story. If you find this a difficult subject, I do not recommend this book for you.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author, Megan Goldin, for the opportunity to read and give my honest review about this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this novel and the simultaneous delving into two possible crimes, albeit with a 25 year divide. The premise of the podcast was interesting and an unusual sidebar. The rape trial, in my opinion, was presented realistically. Thank you a Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Night Swim centers around Rachel, the host a true crime podcast called Guilty or Not Guilty. In the third season of her podcast, Rachel comes to the small town of Neapolis to cover a rape trial. However, this is not the only mystery/crime that Neapolis is hiding.
This is the first time to read a book by Megan Goldin and I can hostly say that I am not disappointed.
Thank you St. Martin's press, NetGalley, and Megan Goldin for the ARC!

I received an advance reader copy of the Night Swim from NetGalley.

I read Megan Goldin’s The Escape Room and loved it, so I was excited to see that she had another book out. This one is even better, as I found the ending to The Escape Room a little abrupt. The Night Swim tells the story of two rapes that occurred decades apart. The trial for one is underway while the main character Rachel, a true crime podcaster, also receives and analyzes clues to an old crime that resulted in death. A page turner from start to finish, I whole heartedly recommend this book. The characters are relatable and realistic, and the stories will definitely get under your skin. With elements of mystery, the plot is upsetting but satisfying.

I loved The Escape Room, but sadly, did not love this one. In the end it turned out to be a good book, but it took too long for me to really get into it. I didn't love the chapters detailing the podcasts - maybe because I am not an auditory person and they were (obviously) written in an auditory way.
The ending was good though and that made it worth the read!

I was so happy when I received an ARC of The Night Swim. The premise was intriguing and I’ve enjoyed previous novels with a podcast at the center of them. I couldn’t wait to dive in.

And dive in I did. I was immediately pulled in to both Hannah’s and Rachel’s stories. These two women were at the center of the novel. Hannah has spent the last twenty-five years plagued by her older sister Jenny’s death. She believes Jenny was murdered even though the official cause of death was ruled a drowning. Jenny, having been a seasoned swimmer, would not have likely drowned, so naturally Hannah doesn’t buy it.

Enter Rachel. She’s in Neapolis, Hannah’s hometown, covering the trial of an Olympic-bound swimmer accused of raping a local sixteen-year-old girl for her wildly popular podcast. Before Rachel even gets to Neapolis, Hannah leaves a note for her on her car, begging her to look into her sister’s death. Despite her misgivings and the need to focus on the trial, Rachel pokes around and immediately finds inconsistencies in the case.

Seeing as this novel does not come out until August, I won’t say any more about the story itself, other than that it is well-written, fast paced, and full of moments to make the reader question themselves and what they think is happening. I’ll give Megan Goldin credit. Dale is not an easy subject to write a about. It is a delicate topic that needs to be handled with the utmost care. That being said, I think she did a great job handling it with her writing, there are no vivid descriptions, though it is heavily alluded to in the moments that leave the reader with no doubt whatsoever. Goldin also does a good job in her writing when one of the characters mentions how rape is one of those subjects that divides so many people. It is a problem that Goldin brings an awareness to in a delicate way.

All in all, a great and powerful read that I cannot wait for mystery-lovers to get their hands on in August. I will definitely look forward to more of Megan Goldin’s work in the future.

*i was given a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I freaking loved this book!!! What a story! I wasn’t a fan of The Escape Room so I was excited to give this one a shot.
2 girls, 2 rapes same town-25 years apart. The story about Jenny and K are heartbreaking. The twists and turns and who done it left me guessing the entire time. I though I knew but I had it wrong! Loved the podcast concept and Rachel was a fantastic lead.
Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy! Put this on your TBR for August 2020!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC provided.

Oh this book, I had a mix reactions after finishing it. Tense, curiosity, sad, shocked, winning, upset and relieved. Each pages successfully brings me to higher level of those reactions above. Rape issue has been growing high enough nowadays and this book bring that issue, how us the readers able to understand the feelings as the victim and how to voicing it out without being judge, how and the reason why the rapist done that, and how the justice system works for all of them.

Had three different parts of Hannah, Rachel and podcast listener, I put as a victim, the reporter and the jury which all leads with a same story. I personally enjoyed “the podcast” chapter, Megan Golding can make me imagining that I’m listening to a podcast episodes about crime case for real! The plot is clear, great narratives, intriguing, and since this is about justice for woman whose been raped, had sexual assault, I’m SO MUCH hooked. The trial part also successfully brings tense feeling, how the judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, jurors, all well written without being overly graphic.

There are two cases, two crimes happening in this book, but Megan Golding able to bring the whole story all connected, moves along chapter by chapter without stopping, element of surprises are also works very well. Really enjoyed this book from the beginning until the end...and much surprisingly I did cried for Hannah’s part.

Memorable quote : Sometimes a man has to speak up or be responsible for the repercussions of his silence - Rachel Krall

Recommend this book who enjoy gripping thriller story, solving mystery type, true crime reads.

It’s a superior novel!!

This story is told in several concurrent streams; from letters to podcasts to narrative. Its ok, but does take a little getting used to picking up the threads of one to another.
There are some credibility issues for me about Rachel, and the quality of narrative the letter writing seems extraordinary- I supposed this is the way to keep the story going.
There are many poignant elements- the ignored victim, the privileged and protected bad guy and crushing secrets.
The writing is interesting and keep me intrigued.

A thousand thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping thriller about a podcaster covering a rape trial and a decades-old mystery in a sleepy, seaside Carolina town.

Right off the bat, I was hooked! The story wastes no time getting going, and it doesn’t let up from page one.

I particularly enjoyed the way the narrative was laid out: Rachel’s third-person present POV is one, Hannah’s letters about the past are two, and then we’re also treated to Rachel’s first-person present “podcast” coverage of the rape trial. Lately, I’ve become wary (and weary) of dual/multiple narratives, but here, Megan Goldin makes it work... and to great effect! I found the pacing done well, the writing clean and efficient, the characters intriguing, and the mystery/mysteries enticing.

Rachel Krall—our podcaster/investigative journalists— is a character I’d love to see more of. She’s clever, pragmatic, empathetic, and tenacious... Goldin also gives us the Producer, Pete, who’s never physically on the page, but there in spirit; Rachel and Pete’s professional relationship is neat and the podcast could (and should) be turned into a whole series (please, Ms. Goldin!).

There is one thing I found slightly incomprehensible, and that is how Rachel’s anonymity remains just that: anonymous. As a renowned investigative journalist and podcaster, you’d think people would eventually find out her identity and what she looks like... because she’s interviewing people and having numerous face-to-face interactions. I didn’t find it very believable that she’d have that level of anonymity in her field. It didn’t detract from the story, but it still bugged me. And then there came a few other instances where I had to suspend my disbelief—that Rachel would overlook something fairly obvious.

This book has left me feeling energized; Having found a worthy crime/thriller after so many mediocre ones is so damn satisfying! While not perfect, The Night Swim had me wholeheartedly invested in the criminal trial, as well as the older mystery, and is certainly worth the read.

I found this to be a gripping novel of mystery plus a very topical subject. The author employed the devise, a novel one, of a podcast investigative journalist doing the newest season following the actual trial of a rapist. Although she says she tries to be nonjudgmental I feel she is clearly on the side of the tape victim. At the same time the sister of a past victim is trying to get her help in proving her sister was murdered to cover up her rape. It sounds complicated and hard to follow but it wasn’t and I found it extremely well done. This one will stick with me and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Brava to Megan Golden for #thenightswim and thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to read it ahead of publication.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for a copy of The Night Swim.

Although this wasn't an enthralling thriller, I'd say more along the lines of an unfolding mystery, it was good.
This definitely takes on a hard topic, that being rape. While there are 2 victims, 2 stories, 2 different timeframe, it's easy to follow along and the doesn't get convoluted.
Overall it was good, though a little ordinary. I wasn't at the edge of seat, but I was interested in the story.
3.5 rounded down.

This was a great read and very timely with the #metoo movement and the Harvey Weinstein trial. I didn't find it to have any particularly intriguing plot twists and don't know that I would consider it much of a thriller but definitely an enjoyable read and left me hoping there would be a sequel with the same protagonist.

This is a riveting novel about two stories, years apart--one a controversial rape, and the other a suspicious drowning. Protagonist Rachel hosts a podcast that puts the listener "in the jury box" as she transcribes both sides of a trial. In this case a local "golden boy" is accused of brutally raping Kelly and leaving her alone on the beach. The defense argues the sex was consensual. Where does the truth lie? During the trial, Rachel begins receiving letters from the mysterious Hannah, sister of a girl who drowned years ago. Intrigued, Rachel follows up and attempts to uncover the truth behind Jenny's death. Both crimes unfold slowly with a great deal of suspense and tension. Certainly not for the faint of heart, this book sucked me in from the beginning and held my interest until the end!

Thanks for the ARC Net Galley

Two rapes, two crimes, two victims separated by years and shame. I like the character Rachel as she searched for truth. I really liked the way the author presented the story in grays, not that it is not a crime but in the fact that there are so many victims and so many sides and everyone gets hurt for a very long time.

Well done.