In The Night Swim, we are introduced to Rachel, the host of a popular podcast where the listeners determine if they think the defendant is guilty or not guilty. Rachel has historically presented old cases in her podcast. However, at the start of her third season, she decides to do something different and present a current trial as it progresses. She chooses a controversial trial where a young woman has accused a local swim hero of rape. Of course, he denies it and insists everything was consensual.

In addition to following the current trial, Rachel is contacted by a woman named Hannah who asks her to investigate her sister's death from twenty five years ago. What Rachel finds is a tragic miscarriage of justice where law enforcement failed to properly investigate this young woman's death and there was no-one to advocate for her at the time. The book goes back and forth between the present day rape trial and the past incident. The story is told from several viewpoints. It is told from that of Rachel. It's also told from letters Hannah sends to Rachel and lastly every few chapters has Rachel's podcast entry.

This is such a timely book. Not only from the podcast perspective, but in dealing with rape cases and how the women are shamed and put on trial themselves. It's such a galvanizing topic. People feel very strongly where cases like this are concerned. It can truly divide entire communities.

In addition to reading the book, I also listened to the audiobook. I love to be able to bounce back and forth when I'm reading between these two mediums. I've also found that any book involving a podcast lends itself well to audio narration. I found the narration of The Night Swim to be extremely well done. Because of it, I enjoyed the book even more.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

THE NIGHT SWIM By Megan Goldin *Review*

What an incredible story! I did not want this book to end. I listened to the audio version and it is fantastic. The narrators did a phenomenal job and the podcast portions sounded like the real deal.

The Night Swim is difficult to read at times, as it is about two rapes that happen in a small town, 25 years apart (Trigger Warning: rape and violence against women). The crimes are not described in excruciating detail but you get the picture clear enough and it is both sad and alarming.

Plot: Rachel is a successful podcaster covering a rape trial for the 3rd season of her popular true crime podcast. Nobody knows what Rachel looks like, and she always keeps a low profile. Regardless, Hannah somehow tracks her down and delivers a series of letters about her sister’s murder that happened 25 years earlier, and asking for Rachel’s help to solve it. Secrets are uncovered as details and twists from both crimes emerge.

The chapters switch back and forth between Rachel as she sits in on the court proceedings and makes her podcast, while simultaneously trying to figure out Hannah’s mystery, Hannah, detailing their lives leading up to the death of her sister in letter form, and the podcast, which is such a fun touch.

I listen to true crime podcasts and watch shows like Unsolved Mysteries, so this book was right up my alley. If you like to listen or watch those, I think you’ll love this book. I thought it was intriguing, amazing, and so well done!

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Megan Goldin for the advanced audio version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

| Story Review |

The Night Swim from Megan Goldin was on my radar from the moment I read the blurb. Much like everyone else these days, I really enjoy a podcast component, and I like the sleuthing that goes on with this one. And I particularly liked that it was a woman here doing the digging. There was so much going on in this book that I don’t even know where to start, and I mean that in the best way possible. This story focuses on two timelines - a current rape trial, and the mysterious drowning of a woman decades prior. We see the current timeline from Rachel’s point of view as she follows the case and updates her podcast, and the past is relayed from Hannah, the sister of the woman who died years before, as she communicates with Rachel via letters. I liked Rachel as the main focus of this story. I like that she tried to be neutral when it came to interviewing parties of both sides involved, but thought it was only natural that she’d gravitate towards the young woman. And I really like how, as the trial progresses and assault is examined, that she reflects on things that have happened to her in the past that could be considered assault even though she didn’t see it that way at the time. I thought it added another element to the story, and it really made me, as the reader, think of past instances where I felt the same. I found Rachel to be so relatable. Hannah was our other main character, and honestly, my heart broke for Hannah, Jenny, and their mother throughout this story. What Jenny went through, how it went beyond bullying and catapulted straight into taunting and terrorizing absolutely gutted me. Even though I knew what was going to happen to her, I kept hoping she was going to make it.

For me, it really was about the way the author made me care about these characters. That’s what made me love this story so so much. Yes, there were twists and turns here, yes, there were close calls, and yes, there were times when I thought I knew what was going on only to realize I didn’t. But those were the backdrop for these vivid characters for me.  In fact, if I had a niggle about the story, it would be that while I cared about what was going on in the present day, my heart was lost to the events of the past. I clearly had a storyline that gripped me more. And also, we never did find out how Hannah knew who Rachel was even though Rachel had done her best not to have pictures of herself available to possible fans or fanatics. But in the end, those things just didn’t matter much to me when the telling of this story outshone them.

I think it’s obvious how much I loved this story. It was so relevant to what’s going on today, and I was gripped throughout the entire thing. I’m calling it now - The Night Swim is going to be one of my favorite books of 2020.

| Narration Review |

The audio of this book was performed by Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz. Honestly, if I had to pick a favorite out of the three, I don’t think I could. I think they all did such a great job with the parts they read. They really complemented each other, and I like that the tone of the story changes with each narrator, because it should. That we aren’t having one person read all the parts means we have three different people interpreting, and it makes each part more vivid and for me, the change of narrator jogged a change of imagery, and it made it that much more lifelike. There couldn’t have been a better audio cast for The Night Swim.

This is a book that needs to be a book club of the month bc you will have to talk about it with someone else!!! Rachel has a true crime podcast that is very well known. This season she is daily streaming about a court case that is happening presently. A young girl has accused a around the town famous local swimmer of rape. While attending these court proceedings, Rachel also comes upon another old crime that happens many years ago. You don't find out the verdict and all the details until right at the end.
Disclaimer should be given that rape is spoken about throughout the book.
I could not stop listening to the audio of this book. Throughout it you fear and also root for different characters in the story.
I again would recommend this for a book club because you will want to talk about it with others.

This book carries quite the impact. A small town in the middle of nowhere and there are two rapes. One in the past and one in the present. When a popular podcast reporter shows up to cover the current rape, she starts to get letters on a previous one in the same town.The author takes you on a journey through a small town with some very tragic history.

I thought the narrator was great although there were times when I had to question who is talking. Distinction between two characters in her voice sometimes wasn’t there. However I did enjoy her very much and I do look forward to listening to a book that she narrates again.

Overall this book keep you guessing and the twist at the end I did not see coming. Although I was so engrossed with the storyline that I really wasn’t putting a whole lot of thought into who done it.

This audiobook has an outstanding narrator who helps bring a very touchy and inflammatory subject to life. A subject that most women are all to familiar with in one way or another. The plot is well written and hits the heart of the matter very well as it brings this fictional story to life in a well thought out and intriguing manner. That subject is rape. In short, this is the story of a fictional court case of a 16 year old girl who has "allegedly" been raped by an 18 year old popular boy from a prominent family. The story unwinds what happens in this case as well as one that happened in the same town 25 years before. For many this will be just another entertaining mystery to enjoy while sipping coffee, driving down the road or whatever else you do while listening to an audiobook. For others, it will drive home the point that when a girl/women is sexually assaulted she not only has to endure the attack, but relive it over and over and over in great detail while being questioned as well as shamed for the decisions that she made that "led up to the rape." The author does an outstanding job of bringing the characters to life and making them relatable as well as weaving a mystery with complicated overtones extremely well. I must say that I am quite looking forward to finding out what else this author has written and hope to find those on audio as well.

The Night Swim is a great summer (or anytime) thriller. It’s great for people who love true crime and courtroom dramas.
•
Rachel hosts a popular true crime podcast that presents evidence to listeners and allows them to act as the jury and decide for themselves if the defendant is guilty or innocent. She travels to a seaside town in North Carolina to cover a rape trial that has the community divided. Did Blair, a champion collegiate swimmer and town golden boy, rape 16-year-old Kelly Moore, or did Kelly ruin a young man’s reputation because she was ashamed of her own actions? As she covers the trial, Rachel is also being pursued by a young woman named Hannah who desperately wants help uncovering what really happened to her sister Jenny, who drowned 25 years ago.
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If you have read Know My Name by Chanel Miller, this book will bring up some of the same themes and feelings (and the alleged rapist has serious Brock Turner vibes, even down to his swimming career). The podcast and courtroom elements work really well. This is one of those books that is entertaining even if you guess the ending. The how and why are the interesting part.
•
I listened to this on audio, and it was a great listening experience. The narrators are fantastic, especially January LaVoy.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE AUDIOBOOK NOT THE STORY

I really enjoyed this audiobook! Made it feel so real as if it was an actual podcast! I loved the narrator January LaVoy always does well! I also enjoyed the other narrators. This audiobook got me out of my audiobook/ book slump. This audiobook was such a addiction to listen to. I wanted to know what was going to happen during all parts of the podcast and story. I did not once get the voices/characters confused.

I think this audiobook will make people love the story! Us readers love a book with podcast in them especially a audiobook!

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillian Audio for this advanced audio copy! I'm so glad NetGalley offers audio now, they are truly one of my favorite things!

The Night Swim is the first book I’ve read from Megan Goldin but it definitely will not be the last. I listened to this on audio and I will recommend that everyone should listen to it because the audio truly adds a dimension to the story that, in my opinion, would be lacking in the book. This story within a story is told in 3 storylines: Kelly Moore’s rape and impending trial of her accused rapist is the first storyline, told in Rachel Krall’s podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty; then there’s Rachel’s narration as she interacts around town and finds letters left to her by Hannah Stills; lastly there’s Jenny Still’s tragic story of rape and murder told in the letters Rachel finds written by Hannah. The two murders are intertwined in all kinds of very similar ways that ultimately will lead Rachel face to face with Hannah and a killer.

I loved The Night Swim! I’ve recommended it already to a few people. If you are sensitive, especially to sexual predators, rape or assault, this book won’t be for you. If you like a good “who done it” along with a good trial story, this book is for you! And if you loved the podcast, Serial, or any other true crime podcast, listen to this book!

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook of #thenightswim!

Rachel Krall's true crime podcast Guilty or Not Guilty achieved a high level of popularity in its 1st season. Now, Rachel is headed to the small seaside town of Neapolis, NC to cover a rape trial for her 3rd season. A 16 year old girl has accused the local swimming phenom of rape. The accused had aspirations of being on the Olympic Swim Team. Many find it hard to believe that this local golden boy would do what he is accused of.

On her arrival in Neapolis, Rachel starts receiving correspondence from a woman named Hannah who is begging Rachel to investigate her sister Jenny's death that happened 25 years ago in the same small town. Jenny thinks her sister was murdered, but the official cause of death was that Jenny drowned while swimming alone at night.

This character-driven mystery's narrative alternates between Rachel's story, episodes of season 3 of the podcast and letters from Hannah. I enjoyed this story as it allowed us to follow two crimes at once. I also loved the inclusion of a true crime podcast. Also, it discusses, the challenges women face when accusing someone of rape. The main female characters were all believable to me.

I listened to an audio ARC from MacMillan Audio and the narration was very well done. The Podcast chapters actually felt like mini-podcasts. Hannah's chapters had a melancholy vibe and Rachel's chapter's were more straightforward. I highly recommend listening to this one on audio.

<b>What to listen to while reading (or taking a break)</b>
(sorry, I had to add the 1st two...they are the first songs that came to mind when I saw the title)
Nightswimming by R.E.M.
Night Swimming by Soccer Mommy
Til It Happens to You by Lady Gaga
Sullen Girl by Fiona Apple
Watering by Big Thief

Audio: My favorite thing about this audio was that there was a narrator for each character’s chapter. Additionally, I loved that the podcast chapters had a jingle and a MAJOR podcast vibe, which included what sounded like recordings of other people’s interactions. It felt super realistic and believable. It was very unexpected and I was blown away by how well the audiobook was put together,

Story: This is my second galley by Megan Goldin (first being The Escape Room) and WOW, why doesn’t anyone give this woman more credit for being a LEGIT thriller writer. This time she brought us into the world of an investigator, Rachel, who runs a crime podcast (major Serial vibes) who is working towards her third season of her podcast and hoping to make it her best one yet. This time, she is doing real-time coverage of a rape & sexual assault trial. Town’s superstar swimmer and Olympic hopeful is accused of raping a 16 year old girl and it has each town taking sides. On top of that, Rachel is given a series of letters from a woman who claims her sister was murdered 25 years earlier. Going between the emotional impact of the present day case and this woman’s account of the raw months leading up to her sister’s death, this book is more than just a thriller…it has you questioning who’s guilty and what happened to Jenny Stills 25 years before. While it is important to note that this book could be a trigger for some, as it discusses sexual assault and can be too much for some readers, it was an outstandingly laid out thriller and I couldn’t put it down!

One possible murder, numerous lives destroyed, spirits broken, a rape trial in a small town and a true crime podcast.
Two horrific cases 25 years apart brought together by an anonymous letter left on the windshield of a car belonging to a true crime reporter. This powerful and thought provoking narrative deals with rape and rape cultural in a small town that could be anywhere in America. Not only is the story line captivating but it volleys back and forth between the characters and a fictional true crime podcast with a narrator that will leave you hoping this isn’t the last time we run into this character.
Kudos’s to this author who treats her characters with compassion and respect while writing about an all too common and unsettling crime. I was engrossed by this story as soon as I started listening. Huge thanks to netgalley and the author for allowing me to listen to an early release of the audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the concept of this book. We followed two POVs and a podcast! The podcast chapters were my favorite since it’s so different and was put together to add further details to our story. With the audiobook they had great sound effects that added to the podcast scenes.

Do you like books that feature podcasts? I loooove them. It’s like reading two books in one.

In alternating points of view THE NIGHT SWIM follows Rachel who runs a true crime podcast, a current ongoing rape case, and the mysterious Hannah.

I love alternating points of view when the story is seamless. I though MG did a really good job of keeping your interest even though at times I thought the pace was a little slow.

I thought the book was very interesting and hard to put down. A definite page-turner. I’m looking forward to what #megangoldin puts out next.

The temperature is perfect for

THE NIGHT SWIM
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Releasing tomorrow August 4th, 2020
Get your copy!

Thanks to #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for a complimentary advanced listeners copy of THE NIGHT SWIM in exchange for my honest review.
#partner

I found this book extremely moving. It looked at a disturbing topic (rape, but especially ’date rape’) in a thoughtful manner. I think listening to the audiobook gave me an even better experience than I would have had reading the book, as half the book comes in the form of the podcasts the protagonist, Rachel, produces after attending the rape trial in a small town. As a listener I experienced full immersion into the podcast that would have been lost had I been reading the book myself. The end of the book is shocking, but not in a way that ruins the story. I will be looking for more books by Megan Goldin. The only downside for me was in the narrator who, although usually wonderful, tended to slip into an extremely nasal tone which put me off a little, but not enough to ruin the story

4.5 Stars, bumping to 5 because of the topic

Let me say at the outset that this novel comes with a slew of content warnings. For anyone who is a survivor, it's a tough read. There are no winners here and the losses are visceral. All that said, this is a novel that should be on many book club lists. It is a novel that is thought-provoking and which will be the stimulus not just for discussion about what justice looks like but about differing state laws about rape, sexual assault, and about how our justice system all too often tries not just the accused but the victim.

Rachel Krall is a crime reporter with a popular podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty, now in its third season. This season she is covering a rape trial in a small town in which the accused is a local hero, a competitive swimmer from a popular and media-savvy family. The alleged victim is the granddaughter of the town's popular police chief. Many feel the only reason the young woman's case is being heard is that she is the police chief's granddaughter. In traveling to the small North Carolina town, Rachel is leaving her producer, Pete, behind after he's been injured in an accident. So she's traveling alone when the letters start appearing on her car and elsewhere, about the long-ago death of a girl named Jenny Stills. A death that the writer of those letters insists was murder. The letter writer turns out to be Hannah, Jenny's younger sister and she is hoping that Rachel will help her finally bring about justice for her sister.

There are a few elements of the story that seemed just a bit too convenient to me, one being that Hannah had contacted Rachel's production team several times and had been rebuffed, only to have Rachel set up shop in Hannah's small town of Neapolis for the rape trial. But the writing is compelling enough to carry the reader through that. This is a good novel for inspiring discussions about how we look at rape and how we prosecute it. The novel ends on a hopeful note but it may be a tough read for anyone who has been affected by these crimes.

The audiobook of The Night Swim is narrated by January LeVoy, Samantha Desz, and Bailey Carr, who voice these characters beautifully.

CW: physical violence, threatened child sexual assault, rape, murder

I received a digital review copy of this novel from the publisher, and a courtesy audio review copy, in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Swim is a great thriller. It does need a trigger warning for rape. Those parts pulled at my heartstrings some and enraged me at other times. There are two different stories told through the book, 1 of them partially through a podcast. I found this book very interesting and I was surprised at the ending.

THAT TWIST!!!!

This is 4 stars for me!

I did this on audio. And the podcast chapters were amazing! You really felt like you were listening to a podcast.

The story line isn’t for everyone.
Trigger warnings on murder and rape.

My first real, long-ish review for the many books I have been lucky enough to receive from Netgalley. Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, both of whom approved me for two separate versions of thus book, MOBI and audiobook. Because of that, both of my feedback will be roughly the same.

Megan Goldin, along with a trio of wonderful voice actors (Bailey Carr, January LaVoy and Samantha Desz), might as well have beamed this story directly into my brain for all I kept thinking about it. A proper courtroom mystery, reminiscent of some of my favorite television and films, I was consumed with the details of both cases, in no small part thanks to the three women narrating. Carr’s haunted reclaiming of the trauma that marred her childhood, Desz’s practical and observant third person voice drinking in the trial and LaVoy’s soft, masterful story-weaving as Rachel Krall, investigative podcast host extraordinaire, all make Goldin’s small, secret town come alive.

I found myself taking notes as I went along, noting suspicious people, developing theories, at least one of which was proven true by the end. For me, that’s the mark of a well written mystery, if the writer is skilled enough to leave enough tools and clues for their audience to take a stab at on their own.

Achingly relevant, The Night Swim is for crime fans everywhere and for anyone who hungers for justice to be served. I can’t wait to read more from Megan Goldin.

Again, thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the free copies of the book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Holy Moly, this audio book was great. Not only was the story gripping, but the narration was amazing and even included sound effects that enhanced my enjoyment. I did not see the twist at the end coming and just had to keep listening to find out what would happen. I usually don't see a difference between reading a physical copy or listening, other than convenience, but I think this is one of the rare books that may be better in audio format.