The Night Swim
A Novel
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4.3 • 507 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
“A blistering plot and crisp writing make The Night Swim an unputdownable read.” –Sarah Pekkanen, bestselling author of The Wife Between Us
In The Night Swim, a new thriller from Megan Goldin, author of the “gripping and unforgettable” (Harlan 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?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At the start of this outstanding thriller from Goldin (The Escape Room), Rachel Krall, the producer of the popular true crime podcast Guilty or Not Guilty, stops after a long drive at a diner near Neapolis, N.C., where she's planning to cover the high-profile trial of Scott Blair, an Olympic swimming contender accused of raping 16-year-old Kelly Moore. After leaving the diner, Rachel finds a note on her car from a woman named Hannah, who wants her help in proving that Hannah's older sister, Jenny Stiles, then 16, didn't accidently drown 25 years ago, as was ruled, but was murdered. Despite the time-consuming Blair trial, Rachel is intrigued by the cold case. Hannah continues to leave Rachel cryptic notes, but refuses to meet in person. Rachel's suspenseful and insightful investigation into Scott and Kelly's families eventually leads to answers about Jenny's fate. Goldin casts a searing light on small-town politics and how bias can affect the way people view rape victims and their alleged assailants. 150,000-copy announced first printing.
Customer Reviews
Excellent!
Loved it! Kept me guessing til the end!!!
The Night Swim
Excellent
Difficult subject handled well
Megan Goldin has done it again. I really enjoyed her first book The Escape Room and I really believe I enjoyed this book even more.
I didn’t know if I’d like this story or not as it is about a subject that to this day is still very difficult for me but Megan Goldin handled the subject matter and the storyline beautifully that I personally didn’t take offense to it as I normally do when the subject is as sensitive as rape vs consensual sex.
The story centers around Rachel who has a podcast centered around crime and for the first time she is covering a live trial in a small town that is very divided over the defendant’s guilt or innocence. Especially when the accused is a very popular and athletic town hero with very wealthy parents. Rachel is also drawn into a story of something that happened in the same town 25 years before but nothing was ever done.
Definitely worth the read. I found it to be a page turner and wanted to know constantly what was going to happen next. This book was an easy and fast read and for those that enjoy a good story along with a mystery thrown in as a side story, this book is for you. I will definitely be reading more of Megan Goldin’s books.