One of my guilty pleasure reads is a good old court-room drama. Growing up I read so many that reading this felt almost nostalgic to me but in the best way possible.
The Night Swim centres around Rachel Krall, the host of super popular true crime podcast ,Guilty or Not Guilty. She visits a small town in the midst of a prolific and divisive rape trial and we see the case unfold via her podcast. Whilst there Rachel is sought out by a woman whose sister was murdered in the town a decade prior and seeks out to solve the mystery.

The two cases were woven together wonderfully and I was thoroughly engrossed the whole time. The pacing was fantastic and the big 'reveal' was great.
It's important to note that this book may be very difficult for some people to read so trigger warnings for sexual assault and sexual battery.

I thought that the pacing of this thriller was really well done. Sometimes, thriller books have a hard time balancing the release of new facts and twists but in this book, I always found myself interested.
I also thought that the blending of the two separate stories was really well handled. Both mysteries were intriguing and well told.
The book is easy to read and many will probably fly through it.
Unfortunately, I had issues with pretty much everything else.
It's not that this book is bad, it is a solid, acceptable book.
I just happen to think that it was lacking in many areas.
The book is two things: a thriller and a social commentary on sexual assault.
As a thriller, I just found it okay. I knew right away where the story was going and what the final reveal was going to be. It was much too easy to guess. Normally, I could look past that as long as there was something else that I enjoyed, like, say, characters I could connect with. This book did not have that. The main character was incredibly bland. The only thing I ever knew about her was that she was an intrepid reporter. She just wasn't a fully fleshed out person.
The commentary on sexual assault wasn't bad but it felt a little shallow. It didn't say anything that you haven't read in a million other places.
This was just very average and forgettable.

WOW! This is my book of the year so far. I was gripped from the word go. This is a difficult topic involving a rape court case being covered by a podcaster and the death of a girl 25 years ago.
At times, the narrative is harrowing; and it depicts the challenge and bravery rape victims confront by appearing in court. The narrative is clever: some chapters with Rachel the podcaster, and a few from Hannah - a stranger who is sending Rachel information about the death of her sister 25 years ago.
There is a major twist at the end and I suspect a possible sequel with Mitch - he definitely has a back story!
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Megan Goldin

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
I rate this book 4 stars
A small town is ripped apart by a rape trial,Rachel a podcaster covering the trial keeps finding mysterious notes left addressed to her wherever she goes begging for help from Hannah to find out what really happened to her sister Jenny who supposedly drowned 25 years ago.The past and the present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the 2 cases.
What is the price of reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of it’s past? And what really happened to Jenny?

An intriguing powerful story tackling the after effects of assault and trauma on 2 young girls..l was totally engaged and found this emotional book a well written but hard read. A Crime,mystery thriller narrated by Rachel,Hannah and the podcast. I will definitely be looking out for this Authors other books,highly recommended.
With thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the Author.

Rachel Krull presents a True Crime Podcast where she covers a case, putting her listeners in the jury box. Her latest production focuses on a predicted Olympic medal winning swimmer who is accused of rape. When she gets to the town of Neapolis she begins to get messages from Hannah asking her to investigate another case of rape that occurred many years ago, a rape that resulted in the death of Hannah's sister she she is convinced was murdered.

This was an unusual presentation of a story that was hard hitting & very tragic as it told the story of two girls who, because they were not 'important', were treated appallingly. Hannah's sister's case never reached the courts, but what Katie had to go through was horrendous. The narrative does not pull it's punches. It is quite a slow burn in step with the trial. All in all it was a memorable read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Was completely gripped and read the whole of night swim in two days! The story of Rachel Krall a true crime podcaster reporting on the court case of a potential Olympic swimmer accused of rape by a sixteen year old. Someone is also leaving her notes urging her to investigate a rape and murder many years before. I loved the writing style, it drew me in and I only put the book down once to sleep. The trauma of both girls separated by time in the same small town is heartbreaking. Goldin hones in on the victim blaming, the woman/girl blaming with a forensic eye.

I really enjoyed reading The Escape Room back in August last year so when I saw Megan Goldin’s new book I was definitely eager to read it. I have to mention that both books are actually quite different but I loved that. It shows you how good a writer Megan Goldin is to create different but equally intriguing books.

In The Night Swim we are introduced to Rachel who has arrived in the small town of Neapolis where she will be conducting her true crime podcast. A rape trial is taking place and Rachel is going to be very busy investigating and talking to people involved in the trial. However just before she arrives in town Rachel receives a note that brings up the case of a tragic drowning, twenty five years ago. At first Rachel resists looking into it but this cold case draws her in making her curious to see what she can find out.

I found the inclusion of Rachel and her podcast a brilliant way of telling the story. As she collected information from all sides along with trying to remain impartial. Both the trial and cold case from twenty five years ago were compelling. I was completely invested and just as determined as Rachel to discover the truth. Megan Goldin moved her story from the past to the present in smooth and at times devastating ways. As long held secrets that had remained hidden for so long were finally revealed. I have to admit that some parts of this story were difficult to read. Along with moments where I was both equally sad and angry.

The Night Swim had a slow burn quality that easily held my interest throughout. This book had plenty of secrets with the tension growing with each revelation as an overall darker edge powers the story forward. It’s safe to say that within these pages you will find an emotional, dark and thought provoking story.

I had heard a lot of great things about this book so was very excited to receive an ARC and after reading it I can now say that it lived up to all the hype. An exceptional thriller that was also very emotional. Brilliantly written. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

CW: sexual violence, rape, parental death.
Following Rachel, whose podcast has brought her to a small town to cover a rape trial, and Hannah (through letters to Rachel), who is pleading with Rachel to investigate a long-closed investigation - officially an accident, but Hannah is sure that the truth is still yet to be uncovered. Rachel is in town for work, but finds herself too interested, too involved, with finding out the truth for Hannah, and starts to discover that the cases might be more interlinked than initially thought.

Overall I enjoyed this one. The pacing was good, I enjoyed the switching of formats, and although I had some strong inklings about the conclusion, it was still a satisfying solve as it all came together. The covering of the trial will definitely ring too familiar for anyone used to hearing the he said/she said, victim-blaming, "what about his future?" narratives that come out during any sexual assault case - Goldin taps into the irritation and anger excellently.

Clear potential for triggering content aside, this would be good for any afternoon. It's a quick read, well-paced, with a smart and tidy end. I'd recommend it to any thriller fans.

Big thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Mirror Books for the eARC. Out now!

What a fantastic book. First of all, I love that it was two crime mysteries in one, but yet they seemed to unwravel in parallel to each other; what we needed to know about one crime was unlocked as the lead character discovered long hidden facts about a historic crime. I loved that the books main character was writing a crime podcast, it was very current and made it enjoyable to read despite the serious context of the court case she was discussing in her podcasts. I look forward to reading about her next podcast ‘case’. I liked that the author went into detail on a court case and how it affects an entire small town whereby everyone grew up together. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this book, it was brilliant.

I received an Ecopy of this book from Mirror Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Swim is a thriller involving two different but yet very similar cases of rape, the stark difference being that the first victim is no longer alive to the true story. After launching her true crime podcast Rachel Krall has become somewhat of a celebrity with thousands of people following her as she attempts to look back at some devastating crimes, but for her third season she decides to kick it up a notch, by investigating a rape case as it is in court.

However she soon finds herself being dragged into the investigation of a 25 year old suspected murder by the victim’s angry sister. It’s not long before she finds herself being drawn into both investigations but will any of the victims get what they deserve?

I really enjoyed this one, I liked how the two different events were slowly linking together, until it was hard to stop at any point. My favourite thing about thrillers is trying to work out who it will be, I usually keep a note book with me so I can write them down and see if I was right.

I was partly right in the relevance of some characters, I didn’t see the reveal coming, I was surprised at who the culprit was to the first crime all those years ago, but it wasn’t a good surprise. If anything I was a bit disappointed because when their name was mentioned I actually forgot who that was. They were a big part in the book, but not enough to be considered even a suspect, it felt like quite a reach to place him as that person.

I did have a few questions with the ending, such as why when this young girl was raped (in the current date case) no one stepped in? The vital evidence in the case was that they were overheard but yet this person didn’t really stop it, they ‘helped’ when the perpetrator was away but then still left this girl with this guy. Also it didn’t really feel like Hannah (the first victims sister) needed Rachel’s help to find out what happened, I got the impression early on that she wanted the attention of the podcast while she tried to find out what happened herself. Which ultimately she did.

Overall I would give the book 4 stars, I did enjoy it, I was just a little disappointed in the ending.

https://lynns-books.com/2020/08/25/the-night-swim-by-megan-goldin/
4 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Heartbreakingly sad and shocking story

The Night Swim is without doubt a difficult book to read due to the raw emotional impact it delivers. To be honest, I’m struggling to formulate words to write a review because this really did hit me quite hard, in fact I admit that it took me longer to read than usual because I needed to step away from it occasionally just to have a mental break. This is a book that takes a grim look at rape and more than that scrutinizes the blame and shame treatment that is often handed out to victims of such crimes at a time when they are most in need of support. What can I say, it’s not a book that you’d say you enjoyed, the content is too shocking, but at the same time it’s a good read that made my emotions run amok.

We meet Rachel Krall, host of a popular investigatory style podcast that really took off after a previously convicted man was found innocent and released when new evidence was uncovered by Rachel. As the book begins Rachel is travelling to a small coastal town where a rape trial, that has the town completely divided, is about to start.

The Night Swim is told in the form of podcast transcripts prepared by Rachel and letters from somebody called Hannah who almost seems to be stalking Rachel in a desperate attempt to get her to investigate a 25 year old case that she believes was murder. Part courtroom drama and part flashbacks this is a brutally frank look at two young women whose lives were torn apart. It’s a sad read, it upset me, it made me angry and it made me want to punch something (I would just point out that I’m not a violent person – but this book! I had definite book rage).

What worked really well for me here was the way the story flows. It involves two very similar tales, both desperately sad and shocking, one a glaring injustice and the other being played out in front of the judge and jury and really highlighting how very difficult it is for rape victims to be treated fairly. For example, in the rape trial the young girl has to provide testimony, reliving the attack and being scrutinised and harangued. The accused doesn’t have to face any such ordeal. He doesn’t have to prove that he’s telling the truth or tell a consistent story whilst facing hostile questions from an attorney.

Rachel is a really good character to read. I liked her modern attitude and the way she stood up for herself even if she was inwardly scared. Rachel is approached by Hannah who is trying to discover what really happened to her sister 25 years ago, she supposedly accidentally drowned and yet it seems that any evidence was mysteriously lost or simply not acted upon. At first Rachel is hesitant to become involved but as the correspondence from Hannah begins to arrive with increasing regularity Rachel finds herself getting pulled into Hannah’s story and really starting to care.

In terms of criticisms. Well, this has quite a slow build, which to be fair I really didn’t mind, but by comparison the conclusion felt a little rushed. Things came together very quickly in the last few chapters and the tone felt different compared to the rest of the book. It certainly didn’t spoil the read for me but it surprised me a little.

That being said this was a compelling read. Very emotional, very hard hitting and maybe not for everyone but a well written book that manages to handle a difficult topic in a sensitive and impactful way.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I absolutely loved this book and will definitely follow the author. The courtroom dialogue is excellent and the storyline so interesting although very sad in parts. Amazingly written. Can’t wait for more.

The Night Swim
Small towns often have big secrets.
25 years ago Jenny Stills, a 16 year old living in Neopolis, drowned while out swimming at night. A tragic accident or so it seemed.
But, as the anniversary of her death approaches Hannah, Jenny’s younger sister, needs to know the truth. Jenny was a strong swimmer so how did she end up drowning?
Rachel Krall is in town covering a rape trial for her crime podcast. It’s season 3 of the successful Guilty or Not Guilty podcast with its strapline ‘the podcast that puts you in the jurybox’. It highlights possible miscarriages of justice. She’s careful with her privacy and her assistant, Pete, filters calls and emails on her behalf. The accused is a potential Olympic swimmer, Scott Blair, and the victim is Kelly Moore known as K, a 16 year old high school student. Rachel interviews both sides and their legal teams to be impartial. But, as the trial gets underway, she knows that the town will takes sides and that the lives of everyone involved will be changed forever whatever the verdict.
An envelope left on her windscreen contains a plea from Hannah Stills for her help in finding the truth about what happened on that fateful night. Intrigued, but uneasy at how Hannah manages to stay out of sight while leaving messages Rachel begins to find out about Jenny. She was a young girl, not popular, and not well regarded. The word WHORE is written on her tombstone where she lies in the town cemetery but someone has also left a premium bunch of flowers. Rachel discovers that Jenny’s death has been expunged from police files and she seems to be only remembered through the judgemental opinions of her peers. Once a girl acquires a ‘reputation’ then she’s never allowed to escape. But as Rachel covers the present day trial Hannah’s letters continue to arrive. They paint a powerful and disturbing picture of Jenny’s life in the town and unflinchingly describes the event of that night.
The trial of Scott Blair centres on consent. Did K consent to have sex with Scott as she made her way home, drunk from a attending a party, or did she refuse? I was horrified to discover that he did it for a really stupid reason and as K tells her horrific story on the witness stand you sense his indifference to her as a person with feelings. The author’s sense of injustice becomes more obvious as Kelly suffers 2 violations; on the night in question and in the witness box.
This is, at times, a harrowing and heartbreaking story to read especially as the historical case and the present day one begin to have disturbing parallels. Some of Neopolis’s young men appear to treat women as discarded tissues to be thrown away when you’re done with them. Control is also one of the main themes in that girls in Neopolis are warned to behave otherwise they’ll end up like Jenny Stills. I thought that the author handled the controversial and sensitive subject with great sensitivity.
I was totally gripped by The Night Swim and as the two stories began to converge I couldn’t put it down. It isn’t an easy read but it is such an emotive subject and I am glad that there are writers who are able to tackle it so well.
Thanks the publisher and Netgallery for providing a copy of this book.

I have so many things to say that I don’t know where to start. Going in, I knew very little except the synopsis and that it handled some sensitive topics. Since I’d been in a reading slump lately, I expected that The Night Swim would take me two or three days at least. But I couldn’t put it down, I finished it in one sitting.

The Night Swim is gut-wrenching, brutal, traumatic and yet deeply impactful. It plays out like a great episode of Law and Order: SVU and yet it goes a lot deeper than the show ever has. The book burrowed deep into my soul, opening up old wounds I’d long forgotten about. It made me sad and angry but I absolutely loved it.

One of the things that stands out to me most about The Night Swim is its timeliness. We’re talking about sexual assault and harassment more than ever. It’s still a taboo but nowhere near how it used to be. Goldin raises specific sensitive topics in such a refreshing way. It’s clear that the author takes the topic very seriously. We’re reminded of the harshness of reality, over and over. That victims and survivors are constantly defamed by the media, society and their peers. The vicious name calling and victim blaming. How the legal system demands more of a survivor than the accused. That sexual assault isn’t always violent or obvious but that doesn’t take away from the shame or trauma.

Rachel was a heroine of a character. Though she’s headstrong, she’s never rude or pushy and always shows compassion and empathy. As much as I craved the arrival of another letter from Hannah, I loved Rachel’s perspective so much that I missed her as the narratives changed.

Content/Trigger Warnings: Rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, murder, attempted murder, victim blaming and slut shaming, alcohol, date rape drugs, parental death, sibling death, foster care/adoption, Cancer, drug use, anxiety, depression, blood, bullying, car accident, misogyny, suicide, child abuse, domestic violence, PTSD, drowning, injury, oppressive language, poverty, classism, false imprisonment, hazing

A well deserved 4 star read!

The author did a great job of intertwining two different stories together without over complicating. I loved the true crime podcast element, it kept me interested and eager to find out what happened next. It was quite emotional towards the end of the story due to the nature of the crime being rape but I think it’s such an important topic to talk about. It really does make you see the injustice of so many rape trials and the devastating impact of sexual assault/rape on the victim. With that being said, there’s definitely some trigger warnings of rape and sexual assault to be aware of.

I liked how the alternating chapters were delving deeper into the death surrounding the mysterious woman’s sister.

It wasn’t a hugely ‘thrilling’ story but I would say that’s down to the topic of the book. I definitely preferred the podcast chapters but overall, I really enjoyed reading The Night Swim and would highly recommend to any mystery/thriller lovers out there!

The Night Swim sucked me in from the very beginning and never drops the pace. It’s a clever blend of a crime podcast, high profile courtroom drama and a long-buried murder mystery all tying in perfectly for a cracking psychological thriller which is at times harrowing and poignant.

Rachel is a pioneer of the true crime podcast and she’s aiming to up her game with her new series which will be the first to cover an ongoing trial. A rape trial, in the small coastal town of Neopolis where everyone knows everyone and everyone has an opinion. But on her way, she receives a letter from a Neopolis resident called Hannah who wants her to look into an old mystery. Hannah’s sister Jenny was found dead in the ocean years before, and while the police ruled the death an accident, Hannah is certain it’s murder.

The story is told through a mix of Rachel’s point of view and Hannah’s letters with Podcast episodes thrown in the mix. These Podcast chapters were particularly brilliant – I wish this Podcast was real because I’d definitely listen. The changing narrative kept thing fresh and, as the trial starts heating up, so do Hannah’s letters which keep arriving wherever Rachel goes. Parallels between the two mysteries emerge as Rachel works to uncover the truth in this slow-burning mystery.

This is a story about smalltown gossip and outsiders. It’s about human nature, and the treatment of young girls and the dangerous impact of ‘slut-shaming’. Some scenes were genuinely distressing and I found myself frustrated reading about the treatment of these girls, and how little had changed years apart. If rape is a trigger for you, I’d give this a wide berth. But if you like slow-burn psychological thrillers which take a slightly different approach to complex issues, this could be for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Mirror Books for this ARC of The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. I really liked the book!

The author did a really good job of moving between the two crimes: a current rape case and a ‘cold case’ where a woman was declared as having drowned (but did she? Her sister doesn’t think so). The podcast angle was brilliant.

The Night Swim is really well written and I have already recommended this so several friends.

‘I’m Rachel Krall. This is Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box.”
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Megan Goldin... well done for ticking all my boxes. As a lover of true crime podcasts and having just read I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and also just watched Truth Be Told on Apple TV, I feel like everything I love is merging and creating all the content to keep me happy... and you have just added to that list by combining all of the above!
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Trigger Warning : Contains descriptions of sexual abuse. Raw, Real and Engaging. At times a court room drama, at times a hunt to solve a 25 year old murder case, and at times a true crime podcast episode, this book takes you through 2 crime stories that rock the small town Neapolis. We follow Rachel Krall as she starts season 3 of her true crime podcast, where she goes into the court trial of a rape case taking place in Neapolis. Then she suddenly starts receiving letters asking for her help... help with a drowning case that happened 25 years prior but which someone suspects may not have been an accident.
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This book truly wowed me, I sped through it and was so sad when it had finished. The narrative was told in such an enjoyable way, where you’d be reading the book as normal and then the 3rd person narrative would be taken over by the transcript of the current podcast episode and then would flip again to a letter or email written for Rachel. This flip between storytelling was so fun to read and I couldn’t wait to get to the next episode or letter!
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A perfect summer read and I implore all who have not read it to pick up a copy ASAP! Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror Books for the ARC!!

This was so good!!! The story of a small beach town where 2 similar and horrific sexual assaults happend 25 years apart. We follow our main character Rachel and her true crime podcast on her journey to cover the trial of the most recent of these crimes, as she gets sucked into the mystery of the older one, through letters and emails from Hannah, the sister of the girl who lost her life in the original attack all those years ago.

Rachels story is told along with Hannahs letters and the actual podcast episodes, and this format really keeps you hooked! Its a story of rape culture and the "boys will be boys" mentality that still exists today despite how far the world has moved on in recent years.

This is such an important and interesting book. Perfect for fans of Beartown and Sadie. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to netgalley for providing me wirh this book i exchange for my review.