Megan Goldin

In this new thriller from the author of The Escape Room, a podcast host covering a controversial trial in a small town becomes obsessed with a brutal crime that took place there years before. After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name—and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help. The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating—but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered—and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved. Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?

A Novel

The Night Swim

“A blistering plot and crisp writing make The Night Swim an unputdownable read.” –Sarah Pekkanen, bestselling author of The Wife Between Us In The Night Swim, a new thriller from Megan Goldin, author of the “gripping and unforgettable” (Harlan Coben) The Escape Room, a true crime podcast host covering a controversial trial finds herself drawn deep into a small town’s dark past and a brutal crime that took place there years before. Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name—and the last hope for people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help. The new season of Rachel's podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. A local golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season 3 a success, Rachel throws herself into her investigation—but the mysterious letters keep coming. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insist she was murdered—and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody in town wants to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases—and a revelation that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved. Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?

brie

Before starting this book, i had no idea it dealt with such heavy topics. One of the biggest statements I think this book rightfully makes is that the law and the justice system will always be flawed in its existence and application and mostly when it matters the most. reading this, you can tell the author took her research very seriously and incorporated her research in ways that really worked well with the themes and topics explored. 

I love how the story was structured and it felt completely immersive. from the podcasts, the interviews, the letters from Hannah, the sound effects, to the live trial juxtaposed with the events of the past, I was completely situated within the story and it felt as if I was right there watching the trial and the evidence develop in the present, along with the past.

Another big statement i believe this book makes is that evil is as evil does. And sometimes, the reality is that evil will be rewarded. and even in the instance where it is punished, the reality is that the punishment will not equal nor exceed the evil done. While it sucked to see this within the story, it was still a very fitting portrayal which worked for the conclusion. Pretty good, overall.

Geoffrey Froggatt

Content warning for sexual assault and discussions on rape. I loved the true crime podcast aspect of this book. I hope it becomes a series. The courtroom scenes were hard to sit through personally but I loved the climax of this book. I hope this isn't the last I hear from Rachel's podcast.

Jule

Alexis Donahue

This book was very good and kept me guessing, the author navigated a tough subject (rape) well and authentically. While it was hard to read due to the graphic images… two stories were woven together beautifully. I will definitely be picking up other books by Megan Goldin.

Katrina Meyers

Cheri Fuller

I'm going 4.5 stars on this one (but rounding up on Goodreads).

I'm surprised by how much I got into this book. This is your standard mystery/thriller book but, even though I knew the bad guy had to be among a specific group, I was never sure which one it was until the final reveal. That doesn't happen to me often and I absolutely love it when it does. When it does and it's feasible and not because of bullshit twists that go far beyond my ability to suspend disbelief. 

I stayed interested in both the current rape case and the cold case and never found myself being disappointed by moving from one to the other like I am sometimes when one story is much more interesting than the other. The author did a fantastic job, as far as I'm concerned.

This is one of those books where if you can do audio, you should. The protagonist is a true crime podcaster and the portions where she's actually doing podcast segments have the bonus of music and sound effects. It was a lovely addition and never distracting.

Ms. Goldin has a new fan!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the audiobook!

celene

Izza

Cheri McElroy

Rachel Krall has a true-crime podcast that has become a hit. Season three sees Rachel in a small Carolitown to cover a rape trial. And, her fame has her receiving letters from a woman named Hannah, asking for help uncovering a brutal crime that occurred in this town decades ago.

This novel is a literary-fiction type thriller where the plot is a slow-burn, and the real beauty is in the characters. Megan Godin explores the topic of rape and sexual assault sensitively, focusing on its impact on people, guilty and innocent, male and female, even how it affects an entire town.

The tension is consistent, and the podcast episodes throughout add to the story's drama. I especially liked the audio version, where the narrators did a great job of keeping the plot moving. 

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the audio version of this book.

Gretchen Sartele

I want to start by saying that this book deals with a lot of pretty heavy subject matter including rape, sexual assault, PTSD, suicide, and suicidal thoughts.

I also want to say that I'm not sure this book should be considered a thriller. Maybe a legal thriller, to be specific.

(view spoiler)[I got such TKAM vibes from this book, like a modern retelling of one of my all-time favorite books regarding a subject that is at the forefront right now. The analysis and thought that went into the writing of this book are obvious. Not only does it cover toxic masculinity, white male power, and the issues surrounding the justice system, but also goes into socioeconomic status, corrupt law enforcement, and more. 

I'm giving this story 4 stars because I don't think the secondary storyline was necessary to make this an effective book. I think the coverage of Kelly and Scott's story would have been effective enough. I also would have loved to have the podcast elaborated on a bit more. I think there was a great potential to include social media comments, emails from listeners, etc. to help with he "both sides" storytelling that the author did. 

I doubt I will stop thinking about this book for a long time so no one say anything if I go back and give it 5 stars later today.  (hide spoiler)]

Livia

4,25/5 stars


when i went into reading this book, i did not expect this to be centered around a court trial regarding a young girl who was raped by a guy. suffice to say, it did not disappoint at all. the one thing that bothers me a bit was the case about Hannah who was asking for Rachel's help, it was a bit off but still heart-breaking. i wish it fits better into the story but i still appreciate it for being told

kendall p

* TW / rape and abuse. please proceed with caution with this book if you find these things triggering

this was everything that i wanted in a thriller. you have a true crime podcaster, a recent trial, and a cold case. 
the book switches between the podcast, cold case and recent trial - i know it might seem like a lot but it honestly goes so smoothly that you don't even notice! Often times when I'm reading a book that has multiple povs, or set time lines there's always one I don't tend to care about, or i'm like ugh, but I wanted more from each one of these. 
this book deals beautifully with the topics its writing about. It's so heart wrenching but at the same time absolutely beautiful. The messages and power I felt like reading this was amazing. As soon as I started this book I couldn't put it down. 
the twists are amazing, the characters are impeccable. the small town drama and cover up is also spot on. the way everyone knows everything, and the way we are taken along for the ride and figuring everything out at the same time as rachel. impeccable. 
i definitely recommend this book. i think it's beautifully written and handles serious topics so well.

meaghan leger 

this book has been the easiest 5 star's i've ever given, it had me hooked from the beginning, i loved all the stories were connected in the end. the 3 pov's were something i very much enjoyed

Kerry Kalinoski

4.5⭐️ this book centers around a rape trial, if that’s not something your comfortable reading, this is not the book for you. 

Otherwise this was very well done. Merged two storylines seamlessly, kept me guessing and intrigued the entire time. I loved the podcast part of the story so it wasn’t just trial and rape talk and there was a personal touch to the story, definitely recommend

Nash

What a good storyline. What a good plot. What a good plot twist. Amazing character development. Just wow! This book was everything I needed to get me out of my thriller slump. It kept me interested and hooked on every letter that was sent to Rachel. Every day she spent in court trying to cover the case for her listeners gave such a good understanding of everything that was going on. She clearly needs some more true crime junkie rules in her life. It would’ve kept her safe in many parts. She was quick to take a chance and risk maybe even her life to get the answers that she needed. She showed some guts and definitely, the perseverance was worth it and truth prevailed. Everything was very nicely tied up in the end and left me with a warm feeling in my chest.

Sarahi Flores

This novel hit many nerves in a way I never knew it would. Be warned, this is all about rape and some reader will not be comfortable with this topic.

I ended up listening to this in the audiobook format because the author chose to have it set up as a podcast and wow it was executed perfectly. The story, the narration, the plot and wow the plot twist just threw me away. I thought I had it all figured out but yup Goldin did a spectacular job with this book.

Rachel, the protagonist, is a likable character which I enjoyed reading from her POV. Hannah is the other character who talks about the truth of her sister’s death. I enjoyed listening to the stories and just felt great sympathy towards her, her mom, and her older sister. It was heartbreaking and I did shed a tear because Hannah was retelling the story of what she witnessed when she was little.

This in my opinion is a controversial story that will definitely make you feel something. Rape cases are very hard to judge. You just don’t know who to believe.

I enjoyed this book because it gave me a little intel of how rape cases trial work. I bet Goldin did a lot of research for this novel and it came out great. I definitely recommend this book. This is a 5 out of 5 stars. It’s quick pace and leaves you just wanna keep on reading it.

Madhuri Sridhara

"I don’t get how we can almost unanimously agree that murder is wrong, yet when it comes to rape some people still see shades of gray." 

This is a book that will get us talking about everything that is wrong with the criminal justice system (dun dun). It is powerful yet not graphic. From the very beginning, the book details all aspects of how much rape affects the victim and how all women live in fear of it. The book shows how horrible it can be for a victim to come to open court and testify and how brave these souls are. 

What I didn't like however was the way Hannah's story was conveyed. Not only was it unbelievable but also made Hannah very unlikeable. I'd rather she'd have contacted Rachel in some other way. I was dying to know her whole story (even though I knew where it was going) but I wish it had been written in another way than through letters that ended abruptly. 

4.5 stars.

SarahBeth

This book was phenomenal! It is a heavy read and will make you think. My heart raced and I often felt like yelling. There were times I had to put the book down and walk away because of the difficult subject matter. I always came back though because I had to know what happened. The emotions I felt while reading this book and the depiction of rape/the trial process were what made this book so great.

Highly recommend following along with the audiobook. It sounds as if you were really one of the regular listeners of the podcast. 

Melissa Clark 

It was an average book. The story was pretty quick to figure out and knowing how most rape trials happen in the real world you knew no justice would be done. A good book but it definitely dragged more than needed. 

Lindsay Philpott

Really inventive plot, with characters that will stay with you long after the book is over. It was slow at parts, but kept me guessing throughout and I didn't see the end coming at all. Definitely read the TW's associated with this book if you're interested. 

Suz Corso

This was such a creative and interesting storyline. I feel that a lot of crime/mystery books are pretty predictable but this one kept me guessing. If you like MFM/true crime podcasts, you'll really like this book. TW: the main storyline in this book follows a rape case and talks a lot about sexual assault.

Jamie Trenholm

Shannon Lamoree

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin was a great read. It was a little slower initially, but about midway, I did not want to put it down. It reminded me of one of the few podcasts that I have listened to. The book was 4.5/5 for me. 

Rachel Krall has a famous podcast and decided to take the current season to the courtroom. While she is engrossed in the case, a fan, Hannah, presented another case from 25 years prior. The story is told from dual points of view and it helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of the cases. 

Thank you. NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy of The Night Swim. All opinions are my own. 
#TheNightSwim #NetGalley

Kathryn 

TW in this one. Rape, Sexual abuse, assault. 

This audiobook was truly a masterpiece. I absolutely loved how the story was told. The book itself was raw and real. It was frankly really difficult to read at parts and I think that’s what a lot of people need. Rape is an incredibly difficult topic to approach and this book handles the conversation so well. I could not recommend this enough.

The Night Swim A Novel

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