I primarily listen to audiobooks while running, walking, or working out. Night Swim I found myself also listening to throughout my day when I would typically be reading instead. The audiobook was very well done, and although the story itself incorporates difficult topics, it was hard to put down (or pause I guess I should say!). The various narrators did an excellent job giving life to Hannah and Rachel and I especially loved podcasts. I had to remind myself that I was listening to a book and not a real-time trial report.

Thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!

Synopsis: Rachel Krall is the host of her own true-crime podcast covering a rape trial in a small town for its third season. While staying in the town, she begins to receive notes from Hannah Stills, begging her to help solve the mystery of her older sisters supposed murder twenty five years earlier.

This story was absolutely incredible. Firstly, it was so hard to listen to, which was important. The rape trial depicted felt so ungodly real, like the author actually sat in a real life rape trial and wrote down word for word what she heard. It’s a tale as old as time, his word against hers. His being of a golden boy to the community, and hers being of a damaged girl.

The story happening beneath the rape trial of what happened to Jenny Stills twenty-five years ago was the perfect companion to the story happening in real time. Kudos to all the voice actors in this piece for doing such an incredible job.

This book functioned SO WELL as an audio book. I don’t know if I’ve ever listened to an audio book that truly felt right in the medium. This one was absolutely perfect and I am glad I had the opportunity to listen to it.

Kudos to everyone involved in this book. It’s a very important and hard read that I hope everyone gets a chance to experience. I give The Night Swim a 10/10 stars!

This was just OK for me. I listened to the audio version and I really enjoyed the podcast element. Rachel hosts a popular crime series podcast and she's in town to cover a rape trial. She's approached via email by a former resident of the town to please look into the death of her sister 20 years ago. She claims that her sister was murdered though the death was ruled as accidental/suicide. This is told in three different voices. Hannah tells the story of her sister Jenny's awful summer that leads to her eventual death to Rachel through letters and notes left for her all over town. We hear about Rachel's search for the truth in third person as she tries to find answers about the current rape case she's covering and the death of Hannah's sister Jenny. The third is Rachel's actual podcast covering the current trial.

Though it addresses the very serious and uncomfortable issue of rape, it was just really, really slow for me. Maybe I was just expecting more of a thriller and less of a crime/courtroom drama? There was a pretty good twist that I didn't see coming and that's always good.

The audio was ok. I thought the narrator was kind of bland and flat for Rachel but liked better for Hannah.
I really loved the sections of the true crime podcast and getting to hear the parts of that that.
There are a lot of descriptions from the trial of the swimmer about the rape so that could be triggering.
I didn't feel this was as fascinating to me as her first novel which just held my attention really well. I find my thoughts wandering to others this and wasn't able to connect everything together.

This book was great on audio. The voice actors were great and the podcast element was well done. This story is so important and I think it was well told.

**A strong trigger warning-violence against women and sexual assault are major themes in this book.**

A great story that tackles the current and challenging topic of sexual assault. Megan Goldin does a wonderful job of capturing the anguish and devastation that sexual assault and violence against others leaves in its wake. Goldin captures the challenges that survivors face in deciding to come forward and seek justice against the backdrop of a decades old mysterious death. The use of the investigative reporting by Rachel for her podcast is a fresh take on typical mystery novel. All in all a great read and perspective on a difficult topic.

Strong trigger warning to anyone sensitive to discussion of rape and sexual assault. Some descriptions are graphic and could be upsetting.

Choosing the audiobook rather than a print copy book immerses the listener in disturbing, triggering aspects of a book centered on rape, murder and entitlement. Detailed, gruesome passages that could be skimmed over while reading to minimize their impact are unavoidable.

The Night Swim intertwines two rape cases decades apart in Neapolis, a small waterfront town where the divide between haves and have-nots is sharp. In both cases, those accused or suspected are among the most influential in town.

Scott Blair is a promising young swimmer with a shiny convertible and the support of his prominent family. He is accused of raping Kelly Moore, a young woman identified mainly as "K." She is the granddaughter of the former chief of police.

Scott’s father asserts that his son has no need to rape because he is attractive and popular. He has models and actresses throwing themselves at him. He would not have to rape a local high school student. Scott admits to having sex with Kelly but contends that the encounter was fully consensual.

But rape is not about the availability of sexual partners, it’s an assertion of power. It’s about those who believe they are entitled to have any woman they want because of wealth, fame or stature in the community. When a woman says no, his attitude is, “Who are you to say no to me?” Then he takes what he wants.

This controversial case has drawn true-crime podcaster Rachel to this small town. She intends to cover the trial for season three of her popular Guilty or Not Guilty podcast. But before she even gets to her hotel, she receives the first in a series of messages from Hannah, the sister of Jenny Stiles, who died in Neopolis twenty-five years ago. Jenny was believed to have drowned, but Hannah insists she was murdered.

Rachel’s attention is torn between covering the Scott Blair trial and getting to the bottom of the Jenny Stiles mystery.

The Night Swim was written by Megan Goldin and narrated by Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz.

The story is well-paced, and the ending unexpected. Goldin does an exceptional job of intertwining the stories and viewpoints evenly to keep the plot moving forward.

For the most part, the narration was solid. The voices of Rachel and Hannah are distinct. The attempts at voicing the young men in the novel came off a bit cartoonish.

I received this Advance Reader Copy of The Night Swim from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#TheNightSwim #NetGalley

As I have an e-copy of this novel and am participating in the blog tour on August 16th, I am just going to comment on the audiobook here. I will save my full review of the story for the blog tour, and for the book link here on NetGalley.

This audiobook is by far one of the BEST I have listened to in a long time. The podcast element of the story IS the best I have ever heard done on audio. The chapters that are the actual podcast episodes, I had to remind myself I was still listening to a fictional audiobook. So, so, so well done!

Stellar production. So impressive. Five stars all the way!! Everyone should listen to this.

This was the first book I read by [author:Megan Goldin|16718134], but it won't be the last. I thought the story was well-paced and interesting. I liked the inclusion of the podcasts and found it to be a great way to include information. Goldin used this tool to her advantage in the book and it worked well.

I enjoyed the writing style. I found it to be perfectly descriptive. There was a lot of sensitive material around rape and assault, some of which was quite brutal. Goldin was able to present this in a way that was not overly graphic, but still horrifying. She shined a bright light on rape culture.

I've seen some question as to the genre of this book and I don't think I would put this book in the thriller genre. It did have a little mystery to it and there was some tension around what would happen to the girls, but it wasn't really a thriller. The focus is on what happened to the girls and the court case surrounding the more current situation.

I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz. I thought they did an excellent job and I would recommend this format. I think the podcasts in particular benefit from audio.

Please be aware that if you find it difficult to read about rape or assault of teenagers, this is not the book for you.

This was so well put together! I loved the juxtaposition of the podcast and trial with the historical and alternate case! Great job, Megan Goldin. And a million heart eyes for January LaVoy as (one) narrator.

This audiobook was impeccable! I only planned to listen to the podcast part of it (I thought it would be more fun that way), but it was so well made, I couldn’t not listen to the whole of it. The story was amazing and heartbreaking, the narrators did an amazing job and this book made me even more sure that I adore this author and will buy every book she comes out with. Highly recommend!

I absolutely loved this intriguing thriller which does not shy away from important topics like rape culture. I adored the duel mystery aspect of this story, as well as the podcast at its center. Wonderful!

The set up of this books was super and the seamless intertwining of two mysteries made this novel hands down a five star for me! I was in love from the beginning and eager to keep reading. I didn't come across any parts were I grew bored or uninterested, The author did a wonderful job of keeping the interest of readers fully through this novel.

Rachel Krall knows she has fans. Her podcast has been running for a year and has constantly gained popularity. When she gets a note on her car asking for help, she would rather ignore it. Actually, the sender said this is not her first contact with Rachel. No doubt someone in her staff wrote a polite denial letter. Well, that was not enough, thus the note on Rachel's car.

There is a huge rape trial going on in Rachel's town of Neapolis. The accused is a young man destined for the Olympics. The case is huge and could certainly derail the young man's career. His guilt or innocence is at constant battle for the vigilant lawyers involved. Meanwhile, Rachel continually reports on the progress of the case via her podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty. However, as things progress, Rachel begins having doubts and starts asking questions of her own. Also, there is a cold case of over twenty-five years that cost the life of her sister Jenny. Evidence was murky at best at that time and now that Rachel is digging, she begins to see similarities between the two cases.

When I read the ARC of this book I was intrigued. However, I received an audio ARC of this book and, even though only a month or so passed since my first read, I was just as captivated by the story. The fact that it was narrated by three individuals was wonderful, especially since one of the narrators is someone I have listened to quite frequently, January LaVoy. As far as I am concerned, a familiar voice really lends a lot to what is already a very good story.

The production was remarkable as well. The intro to each chapter was awesome, and the way the narrators handled all of the various characters could not have been done better. Then when you factor in the two storylines - which was done seamlessly - this was indeed an excellent book.

The matters at hand are certainly touchy. Rape and consent were explored and that most definitely had me feeling quite a bit of compassion towards the victims. As this was delivered quite a bit in podcast fashion, well, that was done really well. All in all, Megan Goldin presents a terrific book and I am so glad that I had the opportunity for a reread, via the audiobook program that NetGalley recently adopted.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

My husband and I listened to The Night Swim on our camping road trip last week. We not only listened in the truck but listened when we normally would've been watching. It really kept our attention. In our conversations, both of us referred back to things that we heard in the story. If you're looking for a criminal podcast kind of story, this could be just the book for you.We loved the sound effects in the audio version. Very engaging!

Do you like to listen to podcasts? Particularly, true crime podcasts? If yes, then you’ll definitely want to check out The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. I was reluctant to listen at first because of the sensitive subject matter (rape and sexual assault), but must say that I was intrigued very early on. I thought that the writing was extremely well done, grabbed my attention quickly, and handled with care. I enjoyed the podcast snippets, dual perspectives, timelines, and phenomenal narrators in Goldin’s latest. January Lavoy is one of my very favorite narrators, so listening to her bring Rachel Krall’s character to life was a major plus for me. You also get two mysteries for the price of one in this novel, so that’s pretty fantastic too! Please be aware that the novel is centered around a rape trial, so there are major trigger warnings for rape and sexual assault. The content can be intense, heavy, and unsettling at times. The accused rapist is a competitive swimmer, so I thought of Chanel Miller’s memoir, Know My Name quite often while I was listening. This story is powerful, impactful, and important. Highly recommend!

Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box, is intricately woven into this heartbreaking, unsettling story of retribution and validation. This book is very timely and critical. Monsters come in many forms causing pain and ruining lives with no care or compassion. Will justice be served? Past and present times are merged together creating a suspenseful and heart wrenching account brought to life through a podcast searching for the truth. The audiobook pulled me in and held me captive until the shocking conclusion. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this riveting audiobook.

Rachel Krall hosts the popular true crime podcast Guilty or Not Guilty, which has made her something of a household name. As Rachel heads to the small town of Neapolis to cover a rape trial for her third season, she is contacted by the mysterious Hannah who claims that her sister was murdered in Neapolis 25 years earlier. As Rachel begins to investigate the decades-old incident and reports on the rape trial, she discovers that the town has a lot to hide. Overall, I found The Night Swim to be a nail-biter that kept me interested until the end.

A couple of Goldin's storytelling techniques didn't exactly sit right to me. I liked that Hannah and Jenny's story was told through Hannah's letters and emails, but overall it felt like a weak plot device. There wasn't much of an explanation as to why Hannah chose not to reveal herself until the very end of the book. The letters built some suspense, as we weren't sure when the next one would appear, but it really didn't make sense that Hannah remained hidden. I also felt like the character Pete served no purpose, except to do some behind the scenes research. He's not active in the plot and barely speaks, except for what's relayed by Rachel. The whole "my producer is in the hospital but he's still doing work" thing seemed odd.

The production of the audiobook was great. Certain segments of the book were written as snippets from Rachel's podcast and the audio recording included theme music and some background elements. I love when producers take advantage of the medium to make the listening experience fuller and this audiobook definitely fit the bill.

This book has been one of my most anticipated reads of the summer. I was so happy to see it as a Book of the Month pick for August 2020, and simply giddy when I was provided a review copy of the audiobook by the publisher via Netgalley, so I was able to listen along as I read. This one one that didn't have time to collect a speck of dust before I jumped into it, and living in Lubbock, Texas, that's saying something!

I really enjoyed this book. It's a mix of that mystery-suspense crime fiction and women's fiction, and for anyone this might appeal to, there's not one shred of romance. The thing that appealed to me most was the "true crime podcast" element in the story, and that did not disappoint. In the audiobook, the podcast chapters, there was music for the into and end that gave it such a realistic flare.

Our main character, Rachel, is visiting the seaside town of Neapolis to cover a rape trial for her podcast, the first season of her podcast with live coverage of a trial. Innocent or Guilty, she puts you in the jury box. Rachel was an interesting character, but one I don't feel I got to know on a deeper level despite her being the main character of the story. This was very much plot driven. But there were many other characters we do get to know pretty well over the course of the book, including Jenny Stills, a girl who was raped and murdered in the same town 25 years prior. Rachel wasn't expecting or even wanting to get sidetracked on a cold case while she was there, but once she got pulled in, she couldn't let it go.

What was really cool about this book was that early on in the book, I really didn't know who was innocent or guilty in the current trial, and i didn't know who killed Jenny stills 25 years ago until the very end. And for the latter, consider me shocked!

The only reason this is a 4 star and not a 5 star read for me was a few minor inconsistencies. For example, the trial lawyer is described early on as having a solid record for no overturned trials. Somewhere in the middle, it says there was one, and at the end again, it says there wasn't.

As for the audiobook, there were three different narrators for this story, all female. One for the regular chapters from Rachel's perspective (third person POV), one for the podcast chapters in Rachel's first person voice, and one for chapters in the POV of Hannah Stills, the sister of the murder victim Jenny Stills. All three narrators did an excellent job telling this story.

First, thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan, and The Walking Book Club for the advanced audio copy of the book.

The story follows Rachel Krall and her podcast "Guilty or Not Guilty" in its 3rd season and as she and her listeners follow the rape trial of a popular swimmer who is Olympic bound and accused of rape by a 16 year old girl. During the trial, listener Hannah has been leaving letters for Rachel to help her bring justice to her sister, Jennie who died 25 years earlier. Like the rape victim in the present day, Jennie was also vilified by the town while she was being gang raped by several boys in town.

Story was well written as both the stories of what happened to Jennie 25 years ago and the outcome of the rape trial unfold. I enjoyed listening to this story as I walked. I found myself wanting to find out what had happened in both cases.

Another thing I liked is how the author addressed how we as a society treat rape victims--from telling them that they must have done something to deserve what happened to them to the revictimization that the trial puts the victim through as well as the condemnation from the community.