The Night Swim
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
August 4, 2020
Hardcover
352
Purchased
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 insist 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?
My review:
The biggest question I asked myself when I finished this novel was what took me so long to pick it up? Despite seeing rave reviews, I was skeptical. First, while I really enjoy thrillers, they usually are fun while I'm reading, but nothing stands out to make it a favorite. Second, this one deals with a true crime podcaster, neither of which (podcasts or true crime) are my thing. After consuming this book, I can see why it was a hit with readers. I was completely immersed in both parts of the story (the rape trial of the town's golden boy, and the supposed drowning death of Jenny twenty five years prior). The podcast portion is from the current rape trial, and the congruent story is of our main protagonist who decides to help a girl find out what really happened to her sister. It was fast moving, engaging, well characterized, and one part of the ending I never saw coming! I've read both other books by this author, and they definitely fall into my 'great fun while I'm reading' category, but in my opinion, this one was definitely the best.
A propulsive novel with small town vibes (where everybody knows everything, but won't say), this is a thriller not to be missed.
