Happy Release Day! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Night Swim!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for inviting me on the blog tour!
Special thanks to Megan Goldin, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the privilege of previewing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publish Date: August 4, 2020
“Objectivity is so last century. Didn’t you get the memo? ” — The Night Swim
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.
I absolutely loved Megan Goldin’s first book, The Escape Room (my review here). It is fast-paced, engaging, with strong characters and excellent writing. And what’s not to love about backstabbing, conniving colleagues getting stuck in an elevator?! Most people have co-workers and can relate.
This book has many of the same qualities, but with a completely different plot. I went in pretty much cold, so I didn’t have much context on the story. As I started it, I was quickly sucked into the town of Neapolis, a small town on the East Coast with decades-old secrets, lies, much pain and sorrow, and many broken residents.
The story centers around a rape trial in the present day, and a tragic death that occurred in the past. I have to admit that I was reluctant to read about rape and the details of this, because the subject of rape is very squirmy to the average person, including me. However, Megan Goldin’s stellar writing and intricately woven plot turned a difficult subject into a fascinating lesson in forensics, assault, the court system, witnesses, perspective, and podcasts. She has a special way of storytelling that kept me reading all the way until the end.
The story is told from the main character, Rachel Krall, an investigative reporter who runs a successful podcast called Guilty or Not Guilty, and a mystery narrator who contacts Rachel because of a tragic incident that occurred 25 years ago. The past and the present collide in the little beach town of Neapolis as Rachel looks back in time and pieces together a situation that led to a teenage girl’s death and turned her little sister into an orphan.
My favorite quotes:
“So why is it that when women are attacked, the onus is on them?”
“This trial isn’t about the victim. It’s about the man accused of raping her. Yet somehow you could be mistaken for thinking that the victim is on trial, too, because like most rape trials, the case largely rests on his word against her word.”
“These days everybody has an opinion. Whether they know what they’re talking about nor not. Usually it’s the latter.”
“That’s how trials work. It’s medieval. It’s not about getting to the truth. It’s about who can put on a better show.”
“Memory loss from a trauma is a protective mechanism. It helps us stay sane.”
This story is about memories, trauma, truth, lies, scandal, assault, bullying, secrets, betrayal, social class, money, and the justice system. It’s a well-written psychological suspense that is fast-paced and alternates between two stories that are equally as enthralling. The ending is satisfying and gives closure to the many plot lines that are woven throughout the book.
I really enjoy Megan Goldin’s writing. She takes a difficult subject and brings in all of the facts in an objective manner, telling the both sides of the story and lets the reader form their own opinion. This story has the undertones of Where the Crawdad Sing, another book that I hold in high regard. This is a must read.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars 
Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out my fellow bloggers on this book tour!
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