I wasn't planning on picking this one up, as I'm not a big fan of legal thrillers, but I'd seen so many rave reviews that I decided to give it a chance and I am so glad I did!

THE NIGHT SWIM is one of the most incredible books I've read in a while. If you haven't heard of this one yet, it follows Rachel who's come to Neapolis to follow a rape trial on her podcast. Whilst there she also begins to get letters from Hannah, who is seeking justice for her sisters murder 25 years ago.

This book pulled me in right from the beginning, the writing is absolutely excellent and Goldin does a fantastic job in handling such a harsh topic with sensitivity. This one is heavy though. I did have to make myself put this one down a few times just because it was getting to me so much.

I don't remember the last time I felt this much of an emotional connection to a thriller but this one truly did get me, I was so furious throughout a vast majority of this novel but also deeply saddened.

The reason this one affected me so much is because it felt so real. Goldin has clearly spent a lot of time researching how rape trials play out, including how jury's are chosen, how victim blaming plays out and how the likeability of prosecutors and witnesses affect a case.

This was my first novel by Goldin but she's definitely an author I'll be reading more from in the future. The Night Swim is one of the best novels I've read this year and I know I won't be forgetting this one anytime soon.

In a small coastal town, two crimes need solving but only one is on trial. The book is from the perspective of Rachel Krall, a crime podcast host, who is in town to cover a rape case, she quickly gets distracted by letters from a women who needs Rachels help to solve the murder of her sister from 25years ago! The two stories flow well alongside each other as you wait for the truth to find its way out. I have got my fingers crossed for a sequel 🤞

The Night Swim follows podcaster Rachel as she visits a small town to cover a trial of a popular young man, who is a rising star and potential Olympic swimmer, who is to stand trial for rape. The young woman who is the alleged victim has had her life ripped apart. Although she has not been officially named, everyone in the town knows her identity and she has been vilified. The trial is dividing opinions as to whether or not the man should be on trial and whether or not he can have a fair hearing.
Whilst Rachel is in town, she is contacted by Hannah, a woman whose sister, Jenny, died in the same town 25 years ago. The death was recorded as accidental, but Hannah believes she was murdered and would like Rachel to help her to prove this.
With a trial to cover and a potentially suspicious death to investigate Rachel has a lot on her plate. Will she be able to complete either task satisfactorily whilst she is in town? Will justice be done at the trial? Will Hannah finally get answers about what happened to Jenny 25 years ago?
The Night Swim is a great read. I really enjoyed both of the aspects to story and kept wanting to read the book to find out what the conclusion would be for all of those involved.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for granting me access to this prior to publication in exchange for my review. Having just finished, I feel emotionally wrecked - and though the subject for this book will be a trigger for some readers, it’s a must-read in my view.
The first thing I have to make clear is that fans of The Escape Room, or anyone who’s picked this up because it’s marketed as a tense thriller could well be disappointed. It’s tense on occasion, but this struck me as a more complicated mystery and it would be such a shame for readers to feel put-off as they expected something different.
Something I have to state early on is that I loved the narrative of this. Our main character, Rachel, is producing her third series of a popular crime podcast. She has attracted many fans, so for this series opts to head to a small town to cover a live case...that of a potential Olympic swimmer accused of raping a sixteen year old girl known only as K. It poses risks - and as the book begins we sense there’ll be more to it, but I was quite taken aback by the links between this case and one from twenty-five years earlier.
I really don’t want to say too much about either case, as I think the success of this novel depends on us establishing the facts of each case as they’re revealed and - like Rachel - slowly piecing together the links.
I hurt reading this, and that’s no bad thing. Reading the details of the events described, and the behaviour of those in court was tough. Necessary, but draining. I cannot emphasise enough how much I think this book - awful though the subject is - should be read by everyone.

This was a highly anticipated release for me after seeing it featured on a few booktube channels.
It follows the story of Rachel, a podcaster who hosts a series on true crimes and finding proof when the wrong person has been convicted (think ‘Making a Murderer’). For her third series she wants to do something a bit different and so chooses to report direct from the trial of a popular school athlete accused of rape. At the same time she is receiving notes from a mystery woman about a death in the same town 25 years before.
The book covers some current and important topics around rape allegations and the burden it puts on the victim to go through a rape kit and a trial, and mirrors recent news stories about popular young men from wealthy backgrounds emerging relatively unscathed from being found to have attacked women.
I enjoyed the format - present day at the trail, podcast transcripts, and letters that flashback to 25 years ago in the same town.
This was on track to be a solid 5 star read but I’ve taken off a star for the super hurried ending. There was a lot of build up and then within a chapter everything was done (and not very satisfactorily)!

I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for a fair review.

This story weaves two tales, it follow Rachel a investigative journalist who through her podcast has become famous for seeking justice. The main storyline we follow her as she puts her listeners in the jury box for the trial the rape of Kelly. We follow her trying to figure out what really happened to her, but the mysteries don’t stop there Racheal is being urged to investigate a death ruled an accident by Hannah. Hannah’s sister Jenny fell from the jetty hitting her head and then drowning but Hannah says that’s not all to the story.

The narratives in this book is great Racheal is a character who makes you want to continue reading i goes that’s why her podcast made it so big she has an allure and better than that she get results. I would honestly follow multiple books at her at the forefront and investigating different cases because she’s a strong lead. The mystery pulls you in straight away. You want to know what happens with the trial, if the ‘golden boy’ really did assault Kelly or if he was involved somehow. The real mystery that keeps you guessing is Jenny. Hannah is the other narrator swapping out when is necssary this was a good choice in my opinion, if Rachel is the cool edged investigator determined for answers then Hannah is the one who give you the real emotion of the story. She was broken by the death of her sister and then destroyed when her mother was taken by cancer. She is a somewhat unreliable narrator because you never know if she’s telling the truth but she does make you want to find out what happened.

The story follows a very sensitive subject but i believe it was handled well, yes there is slut shaming and there is girls actions being used against them but it was all well handled by Rachel. This is one quote that really syuck with me, to be honest the whole narrative did. We have to stop blaming victims and using the phrase "if only" it's ablesist language and should never be used when talking to/about a victim of assult.

‘When school kids are shot by a random shoot, nobody asks whether the victims should have taken more precautions. Nobody suggest that maybe the victims should have skipped school that’d day. Nobody ever blames the victims. So why is it that when women are attacked, the onus is on them? “if only she hasn’t walked home alone.” “If only she hadn’t cut through the park.” “If only she’d taken a cab.” When it comes to rape, it seems to me “if only” is used all the time. Never about the man. Nobody ever says ‘if only” he hadn’t raped her. It’s always about the woman. If only...

Overall i really enjoyed this book which feels weird saying considering the subject matter but it was well written, the mystery drew me in and the characters were great to follow. I would love to read more about Racheal following different cases and i think that says how much i liked the writing and the leading character. If you're in to mystery book i would defiantly give this a try although i implore you to look up all trigger waring before reading.

The Night Swim is Megan Goldin’s third thriller and I enjoyed it equally as much as The Escape Room. It is a contender for my list of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read this year; an addictive, wonderfully written story that immediately grabs your attention and won’t let go.

This intriguing, and atmospheric story uses a podcast and a rape trial as its bases but, for me, the characters and their experiences made The Night Swim really special. The dual voices of Rachel and Hannah worked wonderfully in this emotional, haunting, nightmarishly realistic tale. As past and present mingle, the believable, twisting narrative slinks to an eventual and heartrending conclusion.

Although this powerful novel is not an easy read as it has rape at its core, it's a great one to choose if you enjoy slow burning mysteries and can cope with graphic, disturbing content. I have not read Megan Goldin's first novel, The Girl in Kellers Way, but I am now adding it to my reading list.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Mirror Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I previously read The Escape Room and enjoyed it so was keen to read the author’s new novel. This one follows Rachel who makes a true crime podcast, and her new season is following a rape trial in the town of Neapolis. We see Rachel’s investigation and also snippets of her podcast, which I enjoyed. Alongside this Rachel is getting letters from a young woman called Hannah, who wants Rachel to investigate the murder of her older sister 25 years ago. This book was one I enjoyed but I did find that the first half was more engrossing and intriguing to me. I saw where the book was going from halfway and I was so hoping for a twist on what I expected to happen. I would still recommend this one because it did keep me reading. I enjoyed following Hannah’s story and I would love to read more featuring Rachel and her podcast!

I was in the mood for a fast-paced thriller and boy, did I get just that with The Night Swim. But I also got so much more because this book dives deeply into rape culture and left me at times furious, flabbergasted, in disbelief and very, very angry.

In brief, Rachel is the host of a popular true-crime podcast (think Serial), in town to cover the rape trial of a 16-year old girl. The accused is a popular young athlete with a promising swimming career and the heft of his family’s wealth to support his defence in every way possible. During her trip Rachel learns about the rape of another teenage girl 25 years earlier in the same town, and which was hushed up by the chief of police. She begins to investigate while also following the court proceedings.

The subject matter of this book is heartbreaking and the story telling intense; the chapters are short and the pacing is fast and I just couldn’t put it down! This book is so topical and aside from the obvious, also deals with questions of gender, class and education. I could go on and on because Megan Goldin examines so many important and difficult questions, but I’ll let you be the judge of her skilful writing.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the eARC
Release date: 4 Aug 2020

The Night Swim is an emotional and unsettling read about a podcast host named Rachel Krall following a rape trial in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Whilst in town she begins to receive letters from Hannah in which she recounts her sister’s story from 25years ago. Rachel now is an ‘observer’ in two cases; one in the court and the other which never made it to the court. The two cases unfold with connections in unexpected way. Will both cases receive justice or is it too late?

The story is told from Rachel’s POV with Hannah’s letters interspersed throughout. There are also chapters of Rachel’s podcast which she says is an unbiased view however, I got to say it really wasn’t.

The Night Swim is a reminder of how society treats rape victims delving into the heavy topic of rape culture. Goldin does great in portraying the technicalities of rape cases, as well as the pressures on the rape victim. However, all teenage boys are painted as devils in disguise fuelled by their unruly hormones.

Overall an exceptional and thought provoking read.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. Rachel has become famous for her true crime podcast after two successful seasons. She is known for her distinctive voice but enjoys relative anonymity in her everyday life. Her current series is following the case of Kelly who has accused the town’s golden boy, Scott, of rape. The small town of Neapolis is divided over the case with strong feelings polarising the locals. Whilst in town, Rachel is perturbed to discover a note on her car from Hannah, the sister of Jenny who was found dead in the water in the same towns years before. Rachel can’t help but become entwined in both cases, which ultimately have a far reaching impact in the small town. The format of this book contributed to the plot, including chapters written as letters from Hannah, the script from Rachel’s podcast and updates on Rachel’s investigations. I can honestly say this book kept me up at night as I was engrossed in the storyline, The format felt really fresh, the characters had depth, flash backs to events from the childhood of some of the town’s big players added layers to the story revealing a rotten core in the history of Neapolis. This is the first book I have read by Megan Goldin but I will definitely read some if her other books. If you enjoyed Conviction by Denisa Mina you will really enjoy this book.
Thank you to Megan Goldin, Mirror Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin is a first class read. Rachel Krall runs a true crime podcast, now in its third season. As an impartial observer, she takes viewers into the courtroom in real-time. Set in North Carolina’s coastal town of Neapolis, she follows the case of Scott Blair — an outstanding swimming star set for the Olympic team who allegedly raped a sixteen-year-old-girl. The victim has been prevented by the court to talk about the case and the bullying she suffers on social media will set your teeth on edge.

The narrative, which balances the past and present, is interwoven with letters from a woman recounting the events leading up to the death of her sister, Jenny, twenty-five years earlier. Letters left in prominent and personal places for only Rachel to find. Not only are they designed to provoke Rachel’s journalistic nature, but they bring to light moral issues disturbingly absent in such a heinous case. The more Rachel investigates, the more startling the parallels become. Especially because Jenny’s incident — said to be a tragic drowning — is slowly beginning to look more like murder. Some townsfolk insist Jenny was a down and out liar, although Hannah’s letters challenge that theory, making the reader root all the more for Jenny and for Rachel to dig deeper. As small town politics take control, you can’t help questioning who or what to believe.

The reliving of testimony on the witness stand is the part I found the most traumatic. As the defence continues to paint the victim known only as ‘K’ to be a liar and delves too deeply into every tiny detail, you know her life will never be the same. Whether or not the jury will be persuaded to believe her word against his remains to be seen. But you also know she is lamenting the day she ever met Scott. I know I would.

Having read The Escape Room, I knew Night Swim would be a smooth, twisty ride. Goldin writes poignantly and skilfully on the victimization of women in a rape trial. Warning to other abuse/rape survivors, the explicit content will leave you pretty raw. Goldin doesn’t sugar-coat any of the details of both these cases and for many this will not be a comfortable read. Sexual abuse and assaults that were once considered harmless are brought to the fore. None detract from the pacey and clever plot, and all controversial issues are delivered sensitively.

It’s an outstanding read, masterfully plotted with a unique premise. Will Rachel’s podcasts become a series? Who knows? I would definitely enjoy reading another of her cases.

Many thanks to author Megan Goldin, St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan and Netgalley for the privilege of reading this advance copy.

The Night Swim follows Rachel, host of the 'Guilty or Not Guilty' podcast, as she begins the third season of the show. This time she is following a current trial, preparing a podcast at the end of each day so her listeners feel as if they're sitting in the jury. The case is that of a rape committed by the town golden boy on a quite teenage girl, and it has the town divided. When Rachel begins receiving vaguely creepy letters from Hannah who claims her sister Jenny was killed in the same town 25 years ago, Rachel finds herself unable to ignore the clues.

The Night Swim was absolutely gripping, a combination of short chapters and varying POVs (we had Rachel's POV, Hannah's letters, and then podcast episodes which I imagine would be great on the audiobook) meant I had to keep turning the page, and I found myself unable to put the book down. In fact when I finally did put the book down, unfortunately exams are looming and revision has to be done, I legit could not stop thinking about this book and where it was going to go. So if you're looking for an unputdownable mystery this one may be for you.

I think I would probably put this more in the mystery genre than the thriller genre. In fact I was thinking of what other mystery/thriller books I had enjoyed as much as this and the one that came to mind was Miracle Creek, I suppose they have some similarities a focus on the courtroom drama, with some background more personal chapters. So if you enjoyed Miracle Creek I'd definitely recommend.

I thought there was a great mix between dropping lots of clues and keeping the mystery alive. I think I'd pretty much figured out one of the twists but I wasn't entirely sure on it, and a few of the others I didn't see coming but made a decent amount of sense. I do think my one issue with this book was that the ending didn't entirely click for me, I'm not sure what that means exactly but I think something about the ending left me not quite satisfied and I'm not sure what, I don't think it necessarily felt rushed but I think perhaps the ending didn't elicit quite the same emotions in me that the rest of the book did.

Overall though this was a gripping mystery and was on my mind the whole time I was reading it, and to be honest it is still. If you want strong characters, a good mystery with plenty of twists and turns, and a bit of a twist from the usual books in the genre (I know podcasts have done before but it's still an interesting element to have) then I would really recommend The Night Swim.

Just realised that I have read this book before. My review is below.

This is a heartbreaking story about 2 girls being raped 25 years apart. It is hard to read in places and harrowing. The plot is brilliant and really cleverly written. This is definitely a memorable story. There is so much packed into it and a shocking end. It is a compelling read from start to finish.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I love me a good darn mystery thriller. However, there are times when one comes along and shakes me to my core. This is that book for me.

When I saw all the hype this book was receiving, I immediately went in search for it. I hand out my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this to read and review. Thank you so much!

Long story short, this book is brilliant. Read it.

The writing is beautiful, the story just flows creating a seamless reading experience and the crime dealt with in this thriller affected me quite heavily. I felt the anguish, trauma and pain that the characters experienced. It’s a devastating tale of his word against hers and it is one that will stay with me for a while.

Obviously, I ain’t giving anything away because if you are familiar with my reviews, I don’t reveal anything regarding the plot of mystery thrillers as going in blind is part of the allure. However, I will say that there are trigger warnings for rape and sexual assault.

Lastly, I have learnt that I am developing a love for mystery thrillers that take place or are centred around courtroom cases. I don’t know why but I find it fascinating making this story extra great for me.

Troubling and powerful
This is a story ( although had to check it a few times to make sure if was a story as felt so real ) about rape and murder, it’s a 2 pronged look at the subject via a world famous podcaster, Rachel, who is following a current rape case and then features a historical case where the victims sister gets in touch with Rachel to ask for her help in investigating it
Both are harrowing cases, there is no ‘light hearted’ moments as the story is told via podcast chapters, the trial of the current case and the pro active investigation by Rachel into the historical one, both cases are linked, in a way and it is a fascinating if not upsetting story of how they link and what really happened plus the outcome/verdict of the trial
Now this is not easy reading, there is little let up but the author somehow manages to make the book mesmerising ( for all the right reasons ) and you are pulled into the cases and are fighting for justice to be served ( hence I kept checking to see if it was indeed fiction )
Superb writing on a very difficult subject and praise has to be given to the author on what must have been a harrowing time in writing this book

10/10
5 Stars

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Mirror Books in exchange for an honest review.
The Night Swim is the latest in the new popular thriller genre of 'podcast thrillers'. It tells the story of Rachel, a woman who runs a true crime podcast and is hunting for her latest case. She decides to follow the trial of a young swimmer accused of rape but is distracted when she receives persistent notes from a woman desperate for her to solve the case of her dead sister. There are parallels between the cases and, as Rachel gets further sucked in, old secrets get revealed.

Being honest, it took me a little while to get into this book. I think I wasn't in the right mindframe when I first picked it up but, after a short break, I became absorbed by the story. This is one of those thrillers which thrives on simplicity and clarity, and it is all the stronger for it. The modern day case is told through the actual courtroom scenes so be aware of that going in if courtroom dramas aren't your speed. It's also intense in terms of the sexual assault and surrounding examinations (as one would expect) and I imagine this book would be massively triggering in that regard. The podcast element isn't a huge part of the plot, more of a framing device, so don't expect a Sadie-like structure either.

What this thriller does provide is an interesting look at how rape accusations are handled, as well as a fantastic secondary mystery to keep you gripped. The two stories running parallel really say a lot about feminist issues, and the story focused on the past has some good thriller moments to keep you hooked. I loved how the two cases related to each other and I think it was incredibly well done.

Overall, The Night Swim is a deeply sad, gripping and interesting thriller. Rachel was a great POV character and I would love to read more books about her podcast. It has a satisfying conclusion and a lot to say, whilst keeping the tone entertaining and thoughtful. Megan Goldin is definitely an author to check out.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Oh my word I started this book yesterday afternoon and I honestly couldn’t put it down.. Such a fantastic read full of high emotion and excellent characters. I really can’t put into words how amazing if was. All the stars for this one .

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

I loved the flow of this book, we follow Rachel a successful podcast reporter who helps resolve crimes who have long since been left unresolved. For her third season she decides to follow a current case, the alleged rape of a young girl by the local swimming star. Whilst reporting on the case she receives letters from the mysterious Hannah, who claims a similar case happened 25 years earlier in the same town. Rachel investigates both in parallel, will they find out what really happened to Hannah’s sister all those years ago?

This book had me hooked! So many questions throughout, who is Hannah, what happened to Jenny? Who is telling the truth? This is definitely worth a read 💜

5/5 ⭐️
Recommend ✅
#thenightswim #megangoldin #netgalley #crime #mystery #thereisalwaystimeforbooks #booklover #review #bookdragon #reading #bookstagram

Night Swim is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read so far this year -one of those addictive, beautifully written novels that grips you at page one and doesn’t let go.

I’ve been listening to a lot of true crime podcasts recently, it’s a new obsession of mine, so the fact that there is one featured around the edges of this intriguing, atmospheric story certainly helped me enjoy it even more- but ultimately it was the characters and their experiences that made The Night Swim a must read.

At turns haunting, emotionally charged and scarily realistic this book takes some of the definitive socially relevant themes and throws the reader into a twisted and utterly believable narrative where the intricate entwining of past and present leads to a final and heart wrenching resolution. You can’t look away and Megan Goldin’s creative, involving prose holds you in thrall from first page to last.

Highly recommended.