Welcome to my stop on The Night Swim Blog Tour. It's always a delight to give a shout-out to books I love and this book . . . this book pushes all the right buttons! From page one to The End, my head was spinning. I simply couldn't put it down. If you haven't read it yet, grab your copy today and carve out some uninterrupted reading time. You won't regret it!
A special thank you to Minotaur Books for an arc of this book via Netgalley.
Buy Links:
Macmillan
Books-A-Million
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
In this new thriller from the author of The Escape Room, a podcast host covering a controversial trial in a small town becomes obsessed with a brutal crime that took place there years before.
Review:
Wow! I finished reading The Night Swim with head spinning and heart hurting. What can I say about a book that absolutely slayed me? Pushed all my buttons? Well-done, Megan Goldin! The Escape Room was fantastic, but this book left me speechless. I'll attempt to organize my scrambled brain and share my thoughts about this five hundred star book.
Rachel Krall is well-known for her highly successful true crime podcast and her uncanny ability to find justice for people that the system failed. While her voice is easily recognizable, her face is not which is why it spooked her to find a note tucked under her car windshield wiper while parked at a remote truck stop. No one should know her whereabouts as she's on her way to record her next podcast in the small town of Neapolis, N.C. The note implores Rachel to look into the old case of a girl named Jenny Stills who died twenty-five years ago in the same town, and it's signed by Hannah, Jenny's sister. The story that unfolds is told through two compelling points of view - one from Rachel as she covers the rape trial of the town's golden boy swimmer who stands accused of raping a high school girl only identified as K. and at the same time pursuing leads in the old case of Jenny Stills and another pov through Hannah, as the heartbreaking story of what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago comes to light. It is absolutely riveting reading the letters Hannah writes Rachel as she pours out her heart revealing past tragic events as are the chapters of Rachel recording her crime podcast of the trial and interviewing witnesses. I couldn't stop reading as I focused on both characters and cases which play out through dual timelines that are flawlessly woven throughout. Through skillfully placed twists and turns, the reader, along with the jury and the podcast audience is charged with deciding Guilty or Not Guilty?
Goldin expertly draws readers into the small town environment of have's vs. have-not's, showcasing the way privilege and reputation can sway or redirect the delivery of justice. With care and grace, the author delves into the heartbreak and brutality of rape and its devastating, life long effect on victims and their families. It allows readers to get an up close and personal view of how rape survivors are often treated - shamed, shunned, and unfortunately many times "raped" again during agonizing court testimony only to watch their attacker walk free. I can't say enough about the author's skill in delivering this mesmerizing story through characters that broke my heart. Moving from courtroom scenes to podcast transcripts to Hannah's letters to Rachel's investigation, I was fully engaged from page one forward. The Night Swim is a heartbreaking, gripping, totally captivating suspense thriller that I highly recommend. Another book for my 2020 Favorites Shelf!
My Rating: 5 Head Spinning Hearts
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?
About
the Author
MEGAN GOLDIN worked as a correspondent for
Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international
terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based
in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to
Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs. The
Escape Room was her debut novel.
Social Links:
Author websiteTwitter @megangoldin
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