Written by contributor Courtney Blanton
The Night Swim bounces between two narratives: Rachel, a popular podcaster, and Hannah, the younger sister of Jenny Stills whose death has been unsolved for the last twenty-five years. Rachel is brought to a small city in the state of North Carolina to cover a sexual assault trial when she begins to receive letters from a young woman who is quickly revealed to be Hannah Stills. Hannah wants Rachel to investigate the cold case involving her older sister, Jenny. The autopsy showed that she had drowned, but Hannah does not accept this finding as her sister was known to be an excellent swimmer. Despite initial hesitation, Rachel decides to start looking into potential suspects and the path to finding justice and the truth will turn her world upside down!
This is my second book by the author, the former being The Escape Room. I did enjoy that title, but this one just blew me away! Since reading this thriller, I have recommended it to all my friends, interviewed the author, featured it in one of my Instagram Live shows, and rewarded it the title of “Favourite Read of 2020!” However, I must warn readers that this novel features some sensitive subject matter surrounding sexual assault that could be triggering for some. If you are the type of reader to be sensitive to this topic then I highly suggest skipping this one as you will find yourself reading quite a few passages with graphic sexual assault scenes and will feel uncomfortable.
Despite the content, I admire Goldin for deciding to tackle this subject within her book as most authors would choose to shy away from it. Goldin spent ample time researching sexual assault and it shows in this book. This book is hands-down a rare five star read for me that will stick with me for a long time to come; my heart broke for the character of Jenny Stills and the brutality surrounding her death left me gut-wrenched and in tears.
The Night Swim is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
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?
