The story follows Rachel Krall, a famous true crime podcast host. Her aim is to put the listener in the jury box. For the third season of her podcast, she chooses a rape trial taking place in a small town. The town’s rich, beloved golden boy is charged with raping a high school girl.
As Rachel starts the investigation, she keeps finding anonymous notes asking for her help on a different case. Someone recognizes her and keeps following her, wanting her to dive into a case from twenty-five years ago. Officially, in that case, a girl drowned. But the notes insist it was a murder.
As Rachel continues to investigate, she finds out the small town keeps too many secrets and people are not too keen on revealing anything. As she looks deeper into the cases, she starts to find out the two cases are connected, and the final revelation will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

This story talks about the rape culture and gives social commentary on issues related to it. The podcast element adds to the uniqueness of the plot. The writing is easy to get through, and the pacing is good. The mystery keeps you guessing and holds your attention. The subject matter is quite heavy, but it’s an incredibly important read.

-Ariana