Wow. What a powerful and gripping book that has me thinking deeply. Rachel Krall is a successful podcaster with her ‘Guilty or Not Guilty’ episodes attracting many listeners. She’s in Neopolis for the rape trial of swim star Scott Blair who wealthy family allege ‘K’ is lying. Rachel also gets notes and messages from Hannah whose sister Jenny died twenty five years ago in Neopolis asking her for help to prove her sister was murdered. The story is told from the perspectives of Rachel and Hannah and interspersed with podcasts of the trial.

The dual storyline works extremely well and as Hannah’s, Jenny’s and K’s stories emerge it’s deeply shocking. This is a story of power and those who have more strength and power who take what they want when they want. Their danger and evil is disguised in sharp expensive suits, their coats are arrogant self assurance. They ruin the lives of those caught up in their so called ‘games’ and leave devastation in their wake and lack of justice for their victims. The trial of Scott is mesmerising, harrowing and emotional, provoking many thoughts about victims reliving their ordeal and how for many it’s just too darned hard. The story of Jenny is so tragic, she is treated so shockingly by the community revealing a lot about its attitudes. This is a story full of twists and turns, it provokes a gamut of emotions from vulnerability to burdensome and unnecessary guilt, cruelty and depravity but thankfully also those who are prepared to stand up and fight for victims. There are moments of acute tension and suspense especially towards the end which is very fitting.

Overall, although this is not an easy read in that it has rape at its core, it is also one of the most thoughtful and powerful novels on this subject I’ve read in a while. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Mirror Books for the ARC.

3.5 -I have not previously read from this author before but the premise of the book intrigued me. We follow Rachel, an investigative journalist who has a true crime podcast who is following a rape trial in the small town of Neapolis.

During her stay she receives notes from Hannah who believes her sister was murdered 25 years ago even though it was officially stated to be a tragic accident.

The story was engaging and explores the heavy topic of rape culture and victim blaming. I did guess how the two timelines/cases were linked so had to reduce my rating overall.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Swim grabbed me from page one, kept me firmly entranced throughout and completely floored me with how brilliant the plot and writing is!

Firstly, I LOVED the premise of this novel – Rachel is an investigative reporter who fronts a true crime podcast – the kind of thing I love listening to, so this immediately appealed to me! It’s nice to have a change from crime novels fronted by police or your usual private investigators – Rachel offers a different perspective, and one which I welcomed. There are actually two distinct storylines to this novel – one which focuses on the trial that Rachel is covering in her podcast, and one she is asked to investigate from many years ago by a mysterious woman called Hannah. I loved both storylines – although there were many parts that made for very difficult reading in both, due to the nature of the crimes (rape and murder).

I also really warmed to Rachel as our narrator, and also the voice of poor Hannah as she relays what happened to her sister Jenny more than 20 years ago. The story jumps between the present day, in which we follow Rachel and is told from a third person perspective, and the storyline which tells what happened to Jenny is told from Hannah’s perspective. Finally we also see chapters which are transcripts from Rachel’s podcast, ‘Guilty or Not Guilty’, written in the first person. I loved the mix of voices and POVs.

I was completely gripped throughout and only wish The Night Swim was longer as I’d happily have read more. I haven’t read anything else by Goldin but am now adding her other novels to my TBR list straight away!

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys well written crime, true crime podcasts, or both!

The Night Swim is an emotional rollercoaster that grips you from the first page with it's original and fast-paced plot which keeps you on your toes trying to guess the next twist. Very easy to get absorbed in and read in one or two sittings.

Rachel Krall hosts a true crime podcast ,Guilty or Not Guilty, that has become a sensation after exposing a miscarriage of justice and getting an innocent man set free. As a result she not only makes the podcast massively successful but is deluged with requests to look into other cases. She decides on a different tack for her new series,instead of re-investigating old cases she'll cover an active trial so that her listeners can follow the legal process as it happens and decide on their verdict after hearing the evidence in real time the same as the Jurors.
For this project she decides to follow a rape trial in the small town of Neapolis ,where a young sporting hero is the accused. Even as Rachel travels to the town she finds notes left for her by someone who is obviously following her asking her to investigate a much incident crime in the same town 25 years earlier.

That's the basis of "The Night Swim" by Megan Goldin, a quite stunning book that's part murder mystery,part courtroom drama and a tale of small town secrets, lies and cover-ups. As Rachel is drawn into events surrounding the trial and ,initially somewhat reluctantly, those of the past it becomes apparent that the two are linked.

The Night Swim is gritty and not a comfortable read in places as part of the storyline involves rape and sexual abuse but Megan Goldin uses it,without being "preachy" , via her characters to raise such important issues as the ordeal rape victims suffer during trials, the behaviour women used to be expected to tolerate as now being seen as the sexual assaults that unwanted touching really is and much,much more. I've read a few novels with "a message" where the author forgets that readers are also expecting the plot to continue and have their characters spouting political or social polemic to the point of the reader losing interest. Megan Goldin doesn't fall into that trap and her various messages are very much part of the narrative,giving the reader plenty to think about while not diverting from a very clever plot.

This is a great book,but please be aware of the explicit content and the subject matter as it may upset some people.

Thanks to Megan Goldin, Mirror Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

After reading Megan Goldin's pacey and intense 'The Escape Room', I was excited to read her new offering 'The Night Swim'. I am pleased to report Goldin absolutely delivers a thought-provoking and emotionally stirring narrative. Less of a psychological thriller, this novel is a fusion of crime, mystery and court-room drama, centred around a compelling story which raises some incredibly important issues.

Our protagonist Rachel is already well-known due to the first two seasons of her true-crime podcast. We join her story as she is back for season 3, this time reporting live from a rape trial in the small town of Neapolis. A future Olympic swimmer and local teenage hero is accused of rape in a highly contentious case being brought to trial, the citizens divided between praising the victim's bravery for reporting her horrendous experience and blaming her for lying and threatening this boy's bright future. To add intrigue, on Rachel's journey into town, a mysterious woman named Hannah starts leaving letters for her, begging her to solve the murder of her sister Jenny. Rachel is determined to uncover the secrecy and corruption of the town: who can be trusted? and what are these people hiding?

Goldin writes candidly and movingly about the experience of a rape victim when their case is brought to trial. Details ranging from the rape kit to the cross-examination of the victim shed a harsh light on the treatment of these vulnerable and traumatised people. Across the book, we also hear from the alleged-rapist's parents and friends, shining a light on the all too familiar narrative of the star-athlete threatened by the frivolous accusations and retrospective regret of sexual partners. Goldin does not shy away from her criticism of this prominent narrative of victim-blaming and the reader is left questioning their own prejudices and assumptions.

The narrative balances the voice of Rachel's present, her podcast and the letters of Hannah recounting her past. These are well plotted and the slow-burn mystery comes to a satisfying conclusion. The more of Hannah's story we hear, the more our heart breaks and we understand the reason for her desperate appeals to Rachel.

All in all, Goldin does not shy away from writing about heavy, emotional themes. Do not expect the fun thrill ride of 'The Escape Room'. This is a twisted mystery which will grip the reader but expect to be emotionally wrung out by the novel's close.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.