I read Wendy Walker's previous book "All is not forgotten" and loved it. My expectations for "Emma in the Night" were high...and they were 100% met!

"Emma in the Night" is a great suspense novel. The concept of narcissism is alive and well in the story of the Martin's family and the mix with the disappearance of Emma and Cass is fascinating.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Walker, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book for a fair and honest review.

Wendy Walker has done it again! I became a fan as soon as I finished reading "All Is Not Forgotten" and "Emma in the Night" has definitely reinforced that.
The Tanner sisters, 15 year old Cass, and 17 year old Emma, have been missing for 3 years from their home. Suddenly, Cass reappears one day and the search for sister Emma begins. The dynamics of her family, from her dysfunctional mother to the blended family of her stepfather's own family, serve as a backdrop to a plot that keeps you fascinated.
Walker introduces the reader to narcissism to a degree that is difficult to fathom. When you feel you have figured out the story and who is responsible for the dastardly deeds, you realize that you are completely wrong. This is a book that defines "twists and turns." Riveting!

All I can say is wow!!! This book kept me in suspense from the first page to the last. It is so smart and well written. I love reading a book that leads you down a path, so perfectly choreographed that it's like a dance. No detail was overlooked, and I wasn't left with any questions or inconsistencies.

Three years after the Tanner sisters disappeared without a trace, Cass returns home desperate for the police or the FBI to find her sister Emma. Cass tells a tale of her captivity on a remote island and tries to give enough details for the FBI to find the island and her sister.

This family story is so twisted and multilayered, the final layers are not peeled away until the last pages of the book. This book is truly unputdownable- far and away the best psychological thriller I have ever read.

Totally messed up in a fairly captivating way. The author manages to write a protagonist who is terrible but also likeable. I found the twists to be thrilling and it was an enjoyable read. The only thing that bothered me was them emphasizing how "rare" narcissistic personality disorder was, then stating it was prevalent in 6% of the population. This is totally a nit-picky thing, but I wouldn’t call that rare.

Great book - I totally enjoyed this one. Couldn't put it down and the whole time I was trying to figure out who to believe and what to believe. This was a great psychological thriller involving a character with narcissistic personality disorder and its effects on the family as well as on the afflicted person - and it sounds like it's an inherited disorder (I'll have to research that). Cass and Emma, teenage sisters, both disappear on the same night. Three years later only one sister returns to tell their story. Things are foreshadowed and you think you know what really happened only to find out it's totally different from what you expected. And then at the end the facts unfold - a total surprise to me. Well done Wendy Walker!

Thanks Wendy Walker and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review..

Cass and Emma Tanner disappeared three years ago. All they left behind were one pair of shoes on the beach, a car with the keys still in the ignition, a family more dysfunctional than when they left them, and many an unanswered question. Now Cass has returned but Emma hasn't. Can Cass piece the past back together? Will this help to find Emma? Is the girl who went away the same woman who came back?

I found this such an intriguing concept. Cass' story was a compelling one and I was eager to learn all the secrets to her disappearance. Flashbacks and other perspectives intruded on this central mystery, which both drew out the suspense and padded the reader's understanding to the family's life before the siblings left it. As well as being an exciting thriller this was also an insight into both the narcissistic mind and the wider, troubled family this effected.

I had many theories whilst reading this and exactly none of them were correct. With the reader kept at a distance from the full story, until the book's close, all characters were at one point suspected and every action second-guessed. Shock is heaped upon more shocks, eventually culminating in an ending both poignant in what it reveals and thrilling in how it was delivered.

Apparently, I’ve moved from dystopian novels this summer to thrillers. On Monday I reviewed See What I Have Done a novel about Lizzie Borden, which I found fascinating more for its bizarre family dynamics than the actual murders. Now I’m back with Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker, a contemporary novel with a family that makes the Bordens look like the Brady Bunch. After being missing for three years, eighteen-year-old Cass shows up on her mother’s doorstep and tells an astonishing story of what happened to her and her older sister Emma after they disappeared. It’s a story of an older couple and an island off the coast of Maine. She has escaped, but her sister is still there and time is running out. But, for the forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Abby Winter, who originally helped search for the girls years ago, something doesn’t add up. Actually, plenty of things don’t add up, but can she get answers before it’s too late?

Walker pieces together Emma in the Night using Cass and Dr. Winter as the speakers. As Cass supplies more and more precise details of her captivity, Dr. Winter provides insight into the psychology of narcissistic disorder—something it seems Cass’s mother, suffered from and inflicted on her daughters. Chapter by chapter more dysfunction emerges and it spreads until every member of the family is shown to be manipulating the others for their own twisted benefit. The girls battle between themselves for their mother’s fleeting attention and then after their parents’ divorce they pit their parents against each other in deciding where they want to live. When mother’s new boyfriend moves in, with his teenage son, the games ratchet up a notch. Until Emma decides it’s time to take control by finding someone willing to help and leaving the snake pit behind.

Except, of course, it doesn’t work that well. Help comes at a price and in Emma in the Night everyone has a motive. For me, this brought on a raging case of skepticism almost from the very beginning. Cass was simply too aware of her performance in front of her family and investigators. Which is not to say she had any involvement at all because, if nothing else, Walker creates a world where nothing and no one can be believed. These contortions went too far for my taste, but if you’re looking for fast summer reading that messes with your mind and then makes your head explode, Emma in the Night is the right book.

I couldn't decide if I liked this book or not. I reallllllly hated all the characters, but I think that was the point.

It's the story of a dysfunctional and psychologically disturbed family (if I'm being completely honest). The daughters go missing one night, and one returns home three years later. She gives her story to her family and the FBI, explaining everything in great detail and cutting off a lot of emotion. Through a few twists and turns, you come to find out what everyone has been hiding and what tricks people (pretty much everyone) have up their sleeves.

The point of view switches between the youngest daughter and the FBI's therapist/psychological investigator. They usually switched off evenly and often addressed what the other person had just finished talking about/explaining. So that helped paint a bigger and deeper picture.

There were times in the beginning/middle of the story I got bored. It flipped back and forth a lot between present day and past recollection which was somewhat difficult to keep track of. It all just flowed together in the same thoughts.

In general, it was an interesting and unique story. I especially enjoyed the ending. Most things were tied up, but a couple of loose ends remained. I really want to know why Cass kept calling her mom "Mrs. Martin"...I assume it was to show how disconnected they were and how unmotherly she was.

If you decide to read this book, do NOT look up spoilers or it will ruin all the fun.

*Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for which I given an honest and unbiased review*

A crazy but highly readable psychological thriller. Two teenage sisters, 15 year old Cass and 17 year old Emma, disappear one night. 3 years later, Cass returns home pleading for her parents and the police to help rescue Emma. The reader, and the FBI psychiatrist who is the other main POV character, are left to ponder how reliable Cass's story is, and what if anything this has to do with Cass and Emma's mom's narcissistic personality disorder. This book had a ton of twists, most of which I did not predict, though I'm not sure if anyone could since some of them were totally bonkers. I'm not sure how plausible this book was, but the twists did make sense in the world of the book, I couldn't stop reading, and I really enjoyed it.

Three years ago, Cassandra and Emma Tanner disappeared, leaving behind no trails for the police or their parents to follow. Now, Cass has returned home, demanding that they help her find Emma. Cass provides her parents, FBI Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, and FBI Special Agent Leo Strauss with a very detailed account of her captivity and escape from a small, somewhat off-the-grid island where she claims Emma remains. Can Emma be found after all these years?

I’m very picky about books featuring mental health professionals as all too often they are presented in an unpleasant light. However, Wendy Walker does a beautiful job at presenting Abby professionally and personally. Abby isn’t blind to her own issues as she tries to navigate through Cass’s rather outlandish story and her own knowledge of their family dynamics. In fact, Wendy Walker’s portrayal of Abby is one of my favorites of any psychiatrist I have read- minus the disparaging comment about professionals with MSW degrees, that is.

Cass is an intriguing narrator for the story. Her tale is bizarre, even as we know right up front that something is severely amiss. Her attention to details and her calm demeanor only accentuate the horror we start to feel about her family life. I cringed every time she referenced her mother as Mrs. Martin, but that was only the tip of the iceberg as Wendy Walker has quite an emotionally disturbing and yet oh-so-compelling story for us!

Told through the alternating viewpoints of Abby and Cass, EMMA IN THE NIGHT draws the reader into the tumultuous and disturbing world of a narcissistic parent. Wendy Walker is quickly becoming one of my favorite suspense/thriller authors as I love her writing style. I can’t wait to see where she takes us with her next book!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

This book is about two sisters that went missing the same day from different locations. There is no evidence to suggest any foul play. They are just gone. Now three years later, only one comes back. Did they leave by choice or by force? What happened in those three years? Now we get to see how Cass answers those questions for everyone.

I loved this story. I could not put this book down until I found out what happened to these girls. The first chapter really pulled me in and kept me engaged until the story was concluded. I did not see the ending coming and I love books that have endings that are not expected.

Some books are full of action, thrills and big explosions – others are subtle as they twist your mind and make you question everything. “Emma in the Night,” is definitely the latter. And it’s amazingly good.

The story begins when Cass Tanner returns home. Her and her older sister Emma went missing three years ago. With no clues and no bodies, the case went cold. When only Cass returns, she begs for help finding Emma and she weaves an elaborate tale about being forcibly kept on an island with Emma, an older couple and a baby Emma gave birth to. All the evidence points to her telling the truth. But FBI investigator Dr. Abby Winters senses something is off – and that hunch three years earlier about there being trouble in the Tanner home is correct. Where is Emma and what really happened three years ago. It’s all going to come to a head.

This book involves a lot of psychology and exit stench of questions about the truth and importance – it’s really interesting because it creates a possible where you’re constantly questioning what you think you know. You don’t know which characters you can trust and which you can’t. And since the ultimate truth is not revealed until the very end of the book you are kept guessing.

I love trying to piece together what all was happening. I didn’t guess the ending, and I think it was done really well and in a way that was very satisfying.

I’d really like to see more of Abby in future novels. Her personal story is very interesting and her job as an FBI psychological analyst has a lot of possibilities for future stories. I hope we see her again soon.

I’d recommend this novel for anyone looking for a good psychological thriller that will keep me reading into the night.

This is somewhere in the range between 3.5 and 4 stars. I'm rounding up because I did really enjoy this book but had some minor issues with it. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read it!

I said to myself after reading this, "Self, you really need a Goodreads shelf called, 'Mommie Dearest,' because this book NEEDS to go on that shelf NOW." Naturally, I went to create one and found that I had already created this shelf at some point after reading another book with a Mother who is one SERIOUS piece of work. So Mrs. Martin, welcome to your shelf. You're in great company. Technically, this shelf only has nine books. And it doesn't even include the actual book, "Mommie Dearest," which was my inspiration. I'll remedy that shortly. I have the best intentions with my lists but not the best follow up or memory.

The Tanner sisters, Emma and Cass, disappeared three years ago. Nobody knew if they were together or if it was just a weird, freaky coincidence. It's haunted the investigators ever since, particularly FBI Psychologist Dr. Abby Winter, who never felt right about it and who had her own mommie dearest in her family. Now Cass Tanner is back and she wants to lead them to Emma.

The story flashes between present day Cass, Cass while she was missing and Dr. Abby Winter who still thinks something isn't adding up now that Cass is back. The girls home life before their vanishing was controlled by their narcissistic mother Judy Martin, something Abby experienced firsthand growing up. She doesn't trust Mrs. Martin, she knows the damage a narcissistic parent can do and she is desperate to find Emma and help Cass. Mrs. Martin isn't the only questionable person in the household. There's also the stepdad Jonathan Martin and the stepson Hunter.

Layer after layer of this family is exposed and it becomes obvious to trust no one. It also becomes obvious that Cass may be an unreliable narrator. I don't mean obvious in a bad way. Without this knowledge, the book would have been much less interesting. A reviewer I follow said that this story could have ended much quicker if Cass had just come home and spit it all out. This is probably true but I thought about it a lot and I don't know if she saw that as an option for herself. I don't want to say anymore as I don't want to spoil anything.

My minor issue was that it did seem to resolve itself very rapidly towards the end. I wanted a little more development there. Even with that issue, I would recommend this book. I devoured it and sent my own mother a, "just because," text after to say hi. It was really a secret thank you to her. We don't have the perfect relationship but I would never put her on the, "Mommie Dearest," shelf.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this one: the blurb is intriguing but the execution did not quite live up to expectation. You can tell straight away that something is 'off' about the tale being spun but it is incredibly drawn out. This is eventually explained but I didn't feel the ends quite justified the means: it felt very slow moving throughout followed by an information dump in the final quarter. Combined with mostly unlikeable characters and whole sections that read like a psychology textbook, it was a strange mix. I did enjoy the revelations when they finally came but I was still left feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Emma in the Night.

If you like reading psychological thrillers this novel should be right up your alley. Wendy Walker delivered a masterpiece. I don't typically read this genre, but I thought I would give Emma in the Night a chance. I truly enjoyed the twist & turns that Wendy wove into this masterpiece.

The characters were diverse and played there roll in the novel to a T. From the controlling Mom, to Dr. Winter with her own demons from the past. Everyone has there issues and Cass was leading the circus to the thrilling conclusion.

After reading, it made me wonder how many families in this world are as crazy as portrayed in this novel. Sadly I think there are quite a few.

This is a thriller that keeps you on the edge tell the end.

This was a great beach read in the sense that I didn't have to think a lot and it held my interest; it was not a light-hearted romance comedy by any means. The end seemed a little far-fetched, but it is a thriller, so one has to give into the suspension of disbelief. I did predict the ending

I did not care for the writing style of this author. I felt that it was like getting teeth pulled to get to the main part of the story. After reading over 30% of the book, I gave up. The character telling the story was bland and too contrived. I usually love thrillers, but this was just god awful

This is an intense psychological drama with a seriously messed-up family. Emma is big sister to Cass. Their parents divorced and mom is remarried to a man who has a son about their age. Mom is a crazy narcissist and favors Emma over Cass, so the point where she doesn't let her daughter call her "mom". So one night, both sisters go missing. Three years later, Cass returns, with a strange story about their time away, and desperate for them to find the still-missing Emma.
The FBI are investigating and this is where we find out what really happened.

What a psychological mystery thriller this book was!! It's unimaginable to have had both daughters, Emma and Cass, be abducted! Everyone thought they were dead, since it had been 3 years. Then one day Cass reappeared on her mothers door step. Agents Abby Winters and Agent Leo Strauss were recalled back into the investigation. They needed to find Emma! The investigation was reopened and the agents started interviewing Cass to find out how she had escaped from her captors. On the process Abby had known that their mother was exhibiting a "narcissistic personality disorder." She felt that this was obvious 3 years earlier, but no one in the Bureau would give it an credence. She felt this disorder was the main reason the girls had left home and were abducted. Abby knew all about this disorder, because she was a victim of it from her mother. She knew the symptoms and saw this in the girls' mother, Mrs. Judy Martin. What mother instructs her daughters to call her Mrs. Martin instead of "mom?" Cass shared quite a bit of the dysfunction in the families life and the way that their mother had treated them throughout their lives. This family experienced dysfunction, deceit, adultery, and incest. Agents Winter and Strauss reconstructed the investigation with the help of Cass and they follow the evidence!! The ending of this book was so surprising! I couldn't put this book down! I kept turning the pages - I wanted to see if they would find Emma. The character development was amazing. The reader could definitely relate to the characters and how they felt. The plot was genius. Will the agents find Emma? Will Abby finally uncover Mrs. Martin's disorder, and where will it lead them? Will they ever find the truth about the night of their disappearance? Intriguing and thought provoking as well. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I loved this book. I was losing a lot of sleep trying to finish it. Just when i thought i had the plot figured out, i didn't. That's always a great read for me. Loved it!