The Night Swim – Book Review

Author: Megan Goldin

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Book Description: In The Night Swim, a new thriller from Megan Goldin, author of the “gripping and unforgettable” (Harlen 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?

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Review: Those of you that have read my reviews in the past know I have a love/hate relationship with the thriller genre. I continually look to punch holes in this genre, I just want to be thrilled until this last page. The Night Swim meets my requirements of a great thriller.

Rachel runs a hit true crime podcast. She goes to Minnesota to watch the trial of an accused rapist, which will be her next story. While she is there Hannah is asked to look into a cold case of a woman’s death that was classified as a suicide, but she knew it was a murder.

The two stories parallel each other the entire time. You get multiple narrations from Rachel and Hannah. Hannah’s point of view is extremely dark, as we mostly just get the retelling of the horrific death of her sister.

This was really well done. Goldin did an amazing job, using the current rape trial to perpetuate the cold case. I did listen to this on audio and I loved the multiple narration. I personally think, I will go back to read her earlier books, that is how good this book was.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.