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A review by neville_lvr_reads
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I picked up The Night Swim after winning a @goodreads giveaway for the sequel, Dark Corners. It was definitely a solid read and I highly recommend the audiobook!
The Night Swim follows Rachel, a true crime reporter and podcaster covering an active trial for the rape and sexual assault of a teenage girl in a small town in North Carolina. While there, she learns about a similar rape and murder that happened 25 years prior and jumps right in to try to solve it.
I’ve been getting a little burnt out on thrillers lately, so I was pleasantly surprised to get fully sucked into this one. There’s mystery and intrigue, but also very real world topics and concerns. I liked how well the author handled those sensitive topics through Rachel and her podcast as she covered the trial. I also loved how all the pieces clicked into place in the end - I found the ending very satisfying to the story as a whole!
It also definitely gave me some Good Girl’s Guide to Murder vibes, but adult instead of YA. If you enjoyed GGGM, you should check this one out!
Overall would recommend The Night Swim to folks who like a good true crime-esque mystery, but take note of the trigger warnings. If you read this, I definitely recommend the audiobook version! In addition to the full cast narration, we also get to actually hear Rachel’s podcast episodes, with music and background noises at times that made it very immersive.
The Night Swim follows Rachel, a true crime reporter and podcaster covering an active trial for the rape and sexual assault of a teenage girl in a small town in North Carolina. While there, she learns about a similar rape and murder that happened 25 years prior and jumps right in to try to solve it.
I’ve been getting a little burnt out on thrillers lately, so I was pleasantly surprised to get fully sucked into this one. There’s mystery and intrigue, but also very real world topics and concerns. I liked how well the author handled those sensitive topics through Rachel and her podcast as she covered the trial. I also loved how all the pieces clicked into place in the end - I found the ending very satisfying to the story as a whole!
It also definitely gave me some Good Girl’s Guide to Murder vibes, but adult instead of YA. If you enjoyed GGGM, you should check this one out!
Overall would recommend The Night Swim to folks who like a good true crime-esque mystery, but take note of the trigger warnings. If you read this, I definitely recommend the audiobook version! In addition to the full cast narration, we also get to actually hear Rachel’s podcast episodes, with music and background noises at times that made it very immersive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Domestic abuse and Child abuse