Review: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

Expected publication: August 4th 2020

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.

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.

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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Even though I liked this book, it didn’t live up to the expectations I had from the extreme positive reviews I’ve seen. I was expecting to love this book so much but it didn’t steal my heart like I thought it would.
I really liked the plot, it was well written in my opinion. Especially since it focuses on such a serious crime, I personally felt like it was handled well by the author. Obviously, if you’re triggered by the subject of rape, this isn’t the book for you. It is a difficult subject to read about, I had to take some time away from it at times, but it was sensitively handled by the author.
I liked the characters, I just wasn’t extremely invested in them. I didn’t feel super connected. I also wasn’t super connected to the story. I couldn’t get invested and I felt like because the chapters jumped from different perspectives, I never had time to settle into the story.
Overall, The Night Swim was a good read but not my favorite. I would’ve liked it more if there was only one perspective but I know that’s just a personal preference. If you like thrillers and mysteries, you might really enjoy this book.