NetGalley ARC digital
Fiction, mystery, thriller, psychological
352 pages
ISBN: 9781250219688
7/30-8/2
I received a complimentary digital copy of this arc book from St Martin’s Press and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Trigger warning: this story is about the effects of rape on a teen including the emotional after effects and fight for justice.
This was a quick paced novel which kept my interest throughout. I enjoyed the alternating chapters of Rachel, and Hannah and then the podcast version to round off the story. It begins quite ominously with Hannah talking about how the death of her 16 yo sister Jenny overwhelmed the family. Her mother who was struggling with cancer eventually died leaving Hannah an orphan.
Rachel Krall is an investigative reporter who presents a popular podcast called Guilty or Not Guilty, “the podcast that puts you in the jury box”. This is the third season for her podcast and wants it to grab her viewers attention. The Blair rape trial is in the headlines in Neapolis so she packs up and drives there to cover the duration of the trial. She also likes to present a personal aspect of the case by interviewing people and gathering a consensus of the town.
She finds it odd that in this day and age people are so willing to blame the victim in this case Kelly Moore, “K” as she is referred to by the media. It’s supposedly to protect her anonymity. Since the town is small everyone knows everyone including the incident involving a party with underage teens drinking. Doing an investigative podcast as a journalist can expose you to many creepy stalkers. So, Rachel is somewhat alarmed when she finds a letter under her windshield wiper on her way to Neapolis.
While covering the events of the Blair trial, she continues to receive letters from Hannah begging her to investigate the murder of her sister Jenny 25 years ago. Her death was considered an accidental drowning but Hannah knows there was more to it as her sister was an accomplished swimmer. Coincidentally, this occurred in Neapolis where it seems most people still recall the incident.
Rachel begins to piece together information about the Blair case which oddly seems to involve some of the same people around during the time of Jenny’s death. There seems to be a lot of secrets buried in this old town where people’s reputation are paramount to the truth. Rachel prides herself on being a fair and objective investigative reporter which can often put her in dangerous situations. She doesn’t believe in coincidences and against her producer Pete’s advice tries to make sense of Hannah’s story.
The story contains enough characters for to wonder who did what and where. It doesn’t contain too many extraneous details that your mind will start to wander. It begs to ask the old question of people can really change and reinvent themselves. How do you repair a reputation whether it be true or not? The strong female protagonist is admirable and an advocate for rape victims. It can be difficult to obtain justice when freedom can be bought and sold at the expense of others, often the victims.
https://bookwormreviewblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-night-swim-novel-by-megan-goldin.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDeZPZbAGni/?igshid=18jjhopul08hp
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDeZlaFgEUH/?igshid=1s0v6qq5qabrx
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3155575589
https://www.edelweiss.plus/?sku=125021968X&g=4400
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2603513609
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