Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - The Night Swim

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin is a story that will make your blood boil! It’s about a true crime podcaster and her quest for capturing stories of justice being served. When she travels to cover a very divisive and heated case, she ends up getting in way over her head with a second case from the area.

TW: Rape, sexual assault

After stopping for breakfast on her way to the town where she will be staying to attend the trial for her next season, Rachel spots an envelop on her windshield. When she opens it up, she is deeply unsettled as the person writing to her knows exactly who she is- a famous true crime podcaster. Rachel is alarmed because she has been very careful and made sure that she is known for her voice, not her face.

She tries to brush it aside, but she’s also curious. As she settles into town and begins researching more on the current case, these letters keep popping up… Rachel knows that she needs to stay focused with the current case in order to properly record this podcast season, but she also can’t help but be drawn in to the case that her mysterious writer has brought to her attention.

My goodness, this story was organized so well. It was almost impossible to put down between chapters; I just wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next.

I listen to various true crime podcasts, so I was curious to see how this would play out. I really enjoyed the focus of being right in the courtroom to witness everything unfolding as it happened. I loved just how much of the trial was brought in, from commenting on the jurors to commenting on the tricks each lawyer used, all the way to the testimonies made, and then finally, the ruling.

The main character was definitely intriguing. I loved that she kept her face private to try to avoid attracting the wrong attention, but it did make me wonder how long her privacy would last as she was also telling others her name and what she did. I also liked her bravery, but sometimes she made some really crazy decisions that worked out in her favor that could have gone very, very wrong that left me shaking my head.

This story covers some very serious elements and doesn’t shy away! I mentioned a trigger warning above for rape and sexual assault, and those scenes and the victims that were forced to discuss it was absolutely heartbreaking. But those were just two troubling topics. Other serious elements included the treatment from the public that sexual assault and rape victims receive, the treatment people who have been arrested receive before their day in court, the struggle with “innocent until proven guilty,” toxicity on social media with the keyboard warriors, and so much more.

While reading, I couldn’t help but get fired up for various reasons. Tread lightly if any of those elements are triggering for you.

My Favorite Passage:

It didn’t help any when the cops told women living in the area to take precautions. You know, the usual stuff. Hold your keys between your fingers to use as a weapon. Keep your phone in your hand and dial nine-one-one if you’re being followed or feel afraid. If every woman who felt afraid called nine-one-one, the switchboard would melt. That is what women live with every day of our lives.

My Final Thoughts:

This is an all around wonderful mystery centered around crimes, both past and present. You’ll want to have an alcoholic beverage nearby if you drink. If not, perhaps something nice and sugary. You’re going to need a little sweetness to carry you through this dark tale.

If you listen to true crime podcasts and love the mystery element, you definitely need to check this one out!

Content Warnings

eeeva's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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motherelectricity's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

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lilifane's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Rachel Krall - former journalist, now host of a true crime podcast - chooses to cover an ongoing rape trial in the small coastal town of Neapolis for the third season of her podcast. During her stay in in town she receives mysterious letters from a fan called Hannah about the death of her sister Jenny in Neapolis 25 years ago. Jenny's death was declared a drowning accident but Hannah believes Jenny was murdered and urges Rachel to find out the truth.

I am impressed!
I love mysteries from the past that are uncovered in the presend and this one was done SO well. Loved the mystery aspect, the subtle clues, the way Rachel handled both cases. I thought it was balanced so nicely between the current case, the one from the past and the podcast elements. To be honest I wasn't prepared for the amount of emotions I went through.
First of all there is the recent rape trial. The trial elements were so good, it felt like I was actually in the courtroom. All the characters involved were flashed out, even though you only get little information on them. The judge, the jury, the lawyers, the witnesses, they all felt like real people. Plus the way the subject was handled was impressive. It was done in such a sensitive way. And the commentary and critique on rape culture and rape trials was so good.
But Jenny's story. Uff. It broke my heart. Repetedly. The way it was presented, through Hannah's memories, was gut wrenching. You get all the descriptions from a child's point of view, a child that doesn't understand what is going on. But as a reader you understand and it hurts. It was so hard to read. But at the same time it was interesting and gripping and you just wanted to know what happened next.
You actually get enough information to figure out what happened long before it is revealed. You just have to pay attention because some of the clues are really small and subtle. But at the end it is really satisfying how every small detail fits together. I really enjoy reading books that are thought out so well that every question is actually answered at the end.

If this becomes a book series (there is actually a lot of potential), I will totally read it. Rachel is a great protagonist and her podcast is super interesting.

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alylentz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I don't really get the hype with this book. It's having important conversations and making good points, but I was really not turning the pages the way I would expect from a thriller or an author people seem to love so much. I felt no real connection with Rachel, the narrator, and as such found myself having a hard time getting emotionally connected to the other characters or even the story being told. There were also just a lot of little nitpicky issues I had--the podcast element wasn't really for me, and I didn't really buy into Rachel on a professional level. For example, she's constantly ducking out of court to investigate the other case or leaving early, but everyone is so into how thorough her podcast is and she's smashing the ratings? After about the 50% mark, I was just reading it to be done.

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maiagaia's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

This was unremarkable but easy to get through. Despite the heavy content (and it is extremely heavy), this was a quick read. The writing style was mediocre, at best. The characters were flat and overly simple. The "twist" was telegraphed way too hard, and there was only the one twist, so it wasn't even a fun ride. The two plots were so tenuously connected that it felt like I was reading two different books.
My overall feeling is just meh. I don't think I'll remember this book next month except maybe as a story so obviously inspired by the Brock Turner case that it felt weird to read.

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