The Night Swim

I was excited to receive an advance copy of The Night Swim and my excitement was more than warranted. It’s a great story, fast moving, smooth flowing, action-packed, and dangerous with a good, solid mystery that kept me guessing until the end. The story takes place in the small town of Neapolis, a happy tourist attraction but with a lot going on under the surface. Author Megan Goldin capably manages to combine a present day alleged crime of rape and a decades old “accident” with issues both then and now of reputation, harassment and abuse and neatly wraps it all in a true crime podcast setting, such a hot topic these days.

Rachel is the podcaster. She went to Neapolis just to cover the rape charge against the town’s golden boy. show more But Neopolis doesn’t feel safe. Rachel did not expect to be stalked by someone wanting truth and justice for the death of her sister twenty-five years ago, and there’s something not so nice beneath the sunny, bright exterior face the town shows to most visitors. She isn’t sure everyone she interviews is telling her the truth about today or back then. Goldin moves seamlessly between the present and past and expertly weaves threads through the events and characters of both and ties them up into a totally unexpected and totally satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of The Night Swim. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it, and cannot wait for Megan Goldin’s next book. show less

The Night Swim is the second book I’ve read this year by Megan Goldin and both books were brilliant. Whereas Escape Room was a psychological thriller mixed with dark humor as a bunch of backstabbing Investment Bankers/Hedge Fund Analysts are trapped in an elevator in what they think is an Escape Room exercise, Night Swim is in a whole different class. No humor here, but the sober and disturbing story of violent rape, told over two timelines, taking place in a small backwater town in North Carolina.

The novel begins with a police officer bringing an eight-year-old Hannah home to her mother together with the bad news that her sixteen-year-old sister, Jenny, has drowned in the ocean. Hannah knows things that she is afraid to tell anyone, show more things that at the time she doesn’t fully understand. Her mother is terminally ill with cancer and in the space of several months Hannah loses both her sister and her mother. She has no other relatives.

Skip forward 25 years and Rachel, a successful True Crime podcast journalist, arrives in town to cover the trial of a contending Olympic swimmer who has been charged with the high-profile rape of a local High School girl, Kelly.

About half of the story unfolds in epistolary fashion, described in Rachel’s podcast episodes and in the letters she receives from Hannah. Hannah tries to involve Rachel in finally getting justice for her sister, who she now knows was beaten and gang-raped on numerous occasions, and she suspects was then murdered and thrown into the sea. Jenny was a strong swimmer and Hannah knows she did not die from crashing into rocks in the sea as the coroner’s report stated.

The book details the violent rapes of the victims, the horrible shaming that Jenny was subjected to by her schoolmates and the shaming Kelly suffers in the courtroom at the hands of the defense attorney. This is about all I want to write because the book is brilliant, and I don’t want to spoil the reader’s experience by disclosing anything more about plot or about the characters. There are surprises – lots of them, and there are links between the past and the present.

The plot and character development were excellent as were the narrators, Baily Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this Macmillan Audio Production from St. Martin’s Press. show less

I loved Goldin’s book “The Escape Room” so was eager to read her newest one. Wow! She did not disappoint. (Now I need to order her first book “The Girl in Kellers Way”.)

Rachel Krall is entering the third season of her popular podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty. The story opens as she arrives in the little town of Neapolis. She plans to attend the trial of the local golden boy, 19-year-old Scott Blair, who is accused of brutally attacking and raping 16-year-old Kelly Moore. Rachel also starts receiving mysterious letters from Hannah whose sister 16-year-old Jenny died 20 years ago, in this same little town of Neapolis. Jenny’s death was declared an accidental drowning, but Hannah is sure she was brutally raped and murdered. So show more hang on tight, readers. You are in for a wild ride.

The story is told from the perspectives of Rachel and Hannah. Then every few chapters we read the transcript of Rachel’s podcast as she provides reports of Kelly’s trial. I thought this was an excellent way to step back and provide a narration of the trial. Jenny’s story is told mostly through Hannah’s letters to Rachel. Between attending the trial and preparing her podcast, Rachel decides to investigate Jenny’s death using the information Hannah provides her.

I was kept guessing until the end, and I loved the ending. Goldin masterfully gives the reader twists and turns that leaves you breathless. In the end it all fell into place and I was left thinking: How did she do that? This is also a story that has some depth to it. A town divided with some backing the golden boy and others sure there will be no justice for Kelly. And with the other case, we read of Jenny’s tragic life and how her death was considered insignificant. This is an emotional read that will jerk you around. Due to the nature of the two cases, it is quite graphic at times.

Goldin provides a shocking look at our criminal justice system. This is “how trials work. It’s medieval. It’s not about getting to the truth. It’s about who can put on the better show.” After reading this it is easy to understand why rapes tend to go unreported. What happens here in the courtroom is our reality. By giving us two similar stories 20 years apart, we can see where when it comes to rape and assault against women not a whole lot has changed in our society. I am sure I will be thinking about these characters for some time.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read. Opinions expressed here are entirely my own. show less

Wow, this was a tough book to read, yet it was very well written. The author’s previous novel, THE ESCAPE ROOM, was an fun, entertaining thriller, while THE NIGHT SWIM was a different type of novel altogether. It’s a slow-burn dark mystery that tackles some very heavy, timely subject matter ― rape & rape culture.

True-crime podcaster Rachel Krall has come to Neapolis to cover the trial of a young man accused of rape. When someone starts leaving notes asking for her help, Rachel discovers that the drowning death of a local teenager 25 years earlier may be tied to the current case ― so many disturbing secrets buried in this small town.

The story is told through podcast transcripts, mysterious letters, and Rachel’s POV as she show more investigates the crimes of the present and the past. Rachel was a brave, clever, and determined character, and I liked hearing her take on the trial through the podcast.

NIGHT SWIM is more of a fictionalized true-crime story rather than a thriller. Given the nature of the book’s subject matter, I can say that I appreciated it rather than enjoyed. Poignant & thought-provoking. I’m very curious to see where Megan Goldin takes readers next.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

Rachel Krall’s true crime podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty, has taken off in the two years since its inception, primarily because she exonerated a man who was wrongly convicted of a crime. In order to keep the podcasts fresh and her ratings up, she needs to do something new. So, rather than concentrate on cold cases, she decides to visit the small coastal town of Neapolis, North Carolina, the site of an upcoming rape trial. Her goal is to sit in on the trial, take notes and report to her listeners in close to real time, the progress of the trial. She hopes to tell fans what really happens in such a trial.
Eighteen-year-old Scott Blair, town hero, boy wonder, Olympic swimming hopeful is accused of sexual battery and rape of show more sixteen-year-old Kelly Moore. He, of course, professes his innocence. The Blairs are a big name in town, owning several local retirement villages. The Moores, on the other hand, are an average family.
The book starts out with Rachel deciding to make a spontaneous pit stop on the long drive to Neapolis. She pulls into a random rest stop for a coffee to keep her awake. Emerging from the diner she sees a note tucked into her windshield wiper, addressed specifically to her. Having taken great pains to keep her identity secret, it is disturbing that someone knew who she was and which car was hers. Looking around, she sees no one lurking.
The note is from Hannah Stills, entreating her to help find the killer of her sister, Jenny. Twenty-five years ago, sixteen-year-old Jenny’s body was found submerged in the ocean and while the official ruling was accidental death by drowning, Hannah knows in her heart that Jenny was murdered. Hannah had emailed the podcast several times before and each time had received a polite “thanks but no thanks.” She feels Rachel is her last hope.
Rachel is prepared to brush this attempt off as she gets ready for the Blair trial but curiosity and her sense of justice are her weaknesses. As the days progress, Rachel interviews townsfolk about Scott and Kelly but Hannah is always in the back of her mind. Periodically, she’d find another note from Hannah, outlining the days leading up to Jenny’s death. Their mother was dying of cancer and after Jenny’s death, she lost all will to live. She died three weeks later, leaving Hannah alone and ultimately into foster care.
As Hannah’s narrative unfolds, the similarities between Kelly and Jenny’s situations become evident. And while public perception of rape had changed in the 25-year interim, the town still was split between Kelly having consensual sex and then regretting it to “kids will be kids” to actual rape.
There are three narrative styles in the book. The first is a third- person narrative as Rachel goes about preparing for the trial, interviewing various people associated with the plaintiff and defendant. The second is the actual podcast of the trial. The last is Hannah’s notes to Rachel describing Jenny, her family and that summer’s events.
I will tell you now that certain parts of the book are disturbing, primarily sections describing the alleged rape, the explanation of a rape kit and what rape victims must go through if they choose to report the crime. While our view of rape has changed over 25 years, in many ways it has not.
The Night Swim has received several starred reviews. One reviewer said “This thriller is really part murder mystery, part courtroom drama (and I would add psychological study of the impact on both the accuser and the accused). She continues “The reveals were well done and some were genuinely surprising. But what made this book stand out…and what made it a very difficult read at times, was how frank and unflinching Goldin is when it comes to the themes of rape in this book.”
A totally worthwhile read show less

“The trial starts next week. We’re in this together. Let’s see where the evidence takes us. I’m Rachel Krall and this is Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box.”

To ensure the continued success of her popular true crime podcast, journalist Rachel Krall decides to broadcast a trial from small town Neapolis in North Carolina, where the town’s ‘golden boy’, the college-aged, only son of wealthy parents, destined for Olympic swimming success, stands accused of the assault and rape of a sixteen year old girl. Rachel is on her way into town in advance of the trial when she discovers an envelope under her windshield wiper. The letter within begs Rachel to help her deliver justice for another sixteen year show more old girl, Jenny, who was murdered in Neapolis twenty-five years earlier.

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

Unfolding from the perspectives of Rachel, and the letter writer, Hannah, The Night Swim by Megan Goldin is a harrowing read that explores issues related to sexual assault, and its impact on individuals and within communities. Goldin’s approach is compassionate and thoughtful, but pulls few punches, so readers sensitive to the topic should be wary, though this story is certain to stir a range of emotions in anyone.

“That’s how the criminal justice system works. Guilty or not guilty. His word, against her word.”

Goldin has us join Rachel in the courtroom as she hears the specifics of the case from the prosecution and defence, listening to the testimony of the alleged crime from evidentiary and expert witnesses, the day’s discoveries then related in her recordings for her podcast. I thought the procedural details of the trial seemed authentic, as did the observations about the difficulties faced by prosecutors in such cases, and the ways in which the victim’s trauma is compounded by the process. Rachel tries to remain objective but it’s clear her sympathies lie with ‘K’, particularly as her own investigative digging uncovers more information.

“This year we mark a milestone. Twenty-five years since Jenny died. A quarter of a century and nothing has changed. Her death is as raw as it was the day we buried her. The only difference is that I won’t be silent anymore.”

From Hannah, we slowly learn the circumstances of her sister’s life, and how she eventually met her tragic death. My jaw grew sore from clenching my teeth in fury, frustration and disgust as Hannah describes how Jenny was victimised not only by her rapists, but also the townspeople. Only a young girl at the time who hadn’t understood what was happening to her sister, Hannah’s guilt is palpable, and despite her desire to focus on the trial, Rachel can’t help but respond to her desperate plea for help.

“Similar descriptions. Two rapes. Twenty-five years apart. In the same town.”

Eventually Rachel realises that there is some overlap between aspects of the current trial, and what happened to Jenny, and uncovering the truth behind one event, unravels the secrets of the other. I liked the way in which Goldin drew the separate threads of the story together and weaved them into a whole in a manner that didn’t feel forced, or expedient. I do consider the book to have more in common with the suspense genre, rather than a mystery or thriller, which matters little in the scheme of things though.

The Night Swim is a thought-provoking, poignant and gripping read, and there is a hint that we will meet Rachel again. I’ll be looking forward to it. show less

"Women, girls, we made these decisions all the time. Convenience versus safety.
Most of the time, things work out fine. Occasionally something terrible happens.
I'm Rachel Krall. This is Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box."

Wow. This is a very good, very tough story. I loved the podcast part of the story. I love seeing more books with the podcast theme because I think we're still exploring the affect podcasts are having on both our unsolved cases, current missing cases and pending cases.

So our MC is the host of a podcast and she's doing a 3rd season where she's exploring a case that is currently at trial (or getting ready to start anyway). While in town, she's pulled into another mystery - a cold case death of show more a girl years earlier. The two stories work side by side but you soon see why it's good that this person, this research journalist, is looking at them both at the same time. It's so horrible but true and I loved that someone gave breath to this story.

Just a warning though, this one tackles rape and the details can be graphic. show less