The Night Swim by Megan Goldin – Book Review

The Night Swim

 Megan Goldin

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?

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My Thoughts

This is a gripping crime and courtroom drama set in a small town where the residents are divided, and some hold secrets to crimes committed decades previously.

Rachel Krall runs a successful true-crime podcast called ‘Guilty or Not Guity’ which has a massive following of listeners.  Whilst travelling to cover a rape trial in Neapolis she is surprised to find a personally addressed letter attached to her windscreen. The letter is from Hannah who is desperate for Rachel’s help. Her sister Jenny died tragically twenty-five years ago and Hannah is convinced she was murdered,

The Night Swim features a dual storyline, the trial of a potential Olympic swimmer charged with rape, and a young woman who wants justice for her dead sister. These storylines become entwined as the story progresses. The chapters alternate between Rachel and  Hannah’s stories, with the plot delving into the past as well as the present. I really enjoyed the chapters which were podcast transcripts, they added a unique dimension to the story.

Anyone who loves to read about court proceedings will love this book. Rachel is an adept investigator and she knows all the tricks of the opposing attorneys and how to read how the jury is being swayed. The subject of any sexual assault is always harrowing and this book really highlights the huge complexities of a rape trial. This is a clever, well written, and gripping read, my first from Megan Goldin, but definitely not my last

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