Megan Goldin
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?
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.
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My Opinion
(4 / 5) This is a brilliantly told story of two crimes, one present, the other decades ago. Both are traumatic and heartbreaking.
We are introduced to Rachel who is riding the fast-lane to popularity from her true-crime podcast. She travels to a small town to cover a rape trial of a young woman who has accused the town golden boy. While there, she is contacted by a woman who lost her sister 25 years previous, to an alleged swimming accident. The sister believes she was murdered.
At times, this story was difficult to hear. The rape trial was intense and detailed. My heart broke many times. No matter the stance you have on the trial, it affected so many negatively that it was hard not to feel the impact.
As more information is given about the alleged murder, the harder it was to not feel attached. I can take or leave trials in books but this one had me captivated. It was written well and the end was very satisfying, tying up any loose ends and questions. I highly recommend.
Content mentions: the rape was intense, it will be a lot for sensitive readers. There are not a lot of details about the actual rape but everything surrounding it is detailed. Also, a young girl holds her sister’s dead body and cries, plus one F word and minimal language.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved the narrators, Bailey Carr, Samantha Desz, and January LaVoy.
**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’ve seen this book everywhere – I really do actually need to read it.
This story sounds so sad!
I have seen this one everywhere and wanted to read it but your review solidified it for me! I trust you when you love the book!!