What to say? What to say? I can see glaring flaws in Emma in the Night, but still it had me riveted. So 4 stars for readability, but I do understand lower ratings and negative reactions to this book. To my surprise, given the topic, I really liked Wendy Walker's previous book, [book:All Is Not Forgotten|26114146]. She knows how to put a complicated story together. She knows not to dumb down to her readers. After having disappeared for three years, 18 year old Cass comes home telling a tale about running away with her sister Emma and being held captive on an island. She comes home pleading for Emma to be rescued. The story is told from Cass' perspective and from the perspective of Dr. Abigail Winter who specializes in narcissistic personalities and suspects all is not as Cass tells. I won't say anything more to avoid spoilers. As I mentioned, Walker is a great story teller. This is a story with many twists and turns, and while I had a sense of where things were going, I certainly didn't guess it all. The rational -- or is it whiny? -- voice in my head is saying there was a bit too much plot, a few loose ends and inconsistencies, and too many despicable characters. But, who am I fooling? I was glued to this one and it was a completely satisfying summer read. It kept me really interested -- even as I shook my head a few times. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

A 4 star read for me!
“We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe.”
Wendy Walker scores another solid hit with her sophomore novel, Emma in the Night. In the same genre (psychological suspense) as her first offering, All is Not Forgotten, Emma in the Night is a strong, character driven story. It is told from the points of view of now eighteen year old Cass Tanner who disappeared one night three years ago at age 15 with her 17 year old sister, Emma; and of Forensic Psychologist Dr. Abigail Winter. When Cass returns, without Emma, the cold-case is again reopened in hopes of finding, and returning Emma alive.
Dr. Abigail Winter and FBI Special Agent Leo Strauss have been haunted by the disappearance of the Tanner girls and are immediately put back on the case when Cass returns. Their investigation proves some of what Cass says is true, but some things are “off”. What gives? Why isn’t Cass telling the full story?
As the story unfolds, we learn more and more about the severely dysfunctional Tanner family. At the heart of the family, not because everyone loves her, but because she manipulates and controls everyone, is the highly narcissistic mother, Judy Martin. What an eye-opener for those not familiar with narcissism! I learned that for the narcissist, everyone in their lives (EVERYONE) exists only to stroke their ego and satisfy their needs. They have no concept of what the people around them may need or want. Giving and withholding love from each of the girls as it was convenient to her since their births, Judy has unknowingly (and uncaringly) done tremendous damage to her daughters and everyone else she comes in contact with. Yet, Cass says they were always trying to make themselves worthy of her notice and love “Our mother knew how to keep us hungry for her” yet always fearful because they had no idea what her mood would be and thus, what the day would hold for them. Family secrets abound!
What really happened the night the girls disappeared? What led up to it? Can anyone in this family come out the other side and thrive? This was a page-turner and a fascinating look at one form of mental illness! I highly recommend it!
Many thanks to NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker is the story of Emma and Cass Tanner. They live with their mom and stepdad when they both suddenly disappear without a trace. Three years later, Cass returns and tells a twisted story where nothing is certain and everything must now be questioned. What really happened that night? Can Cass be trusted? And where is Emma? The psychologist on the case is pulled in deeply and only she can figure it out. This book is haunting, gritty, and full of unexpected turns. It is hard to predict and hard to figure out which characters can be trusted. Fans of Gone Girl will love this book and not be able to put it down. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

As soon as I started this book and I saw the reference to mythology I was excited! I love Greek mythology. When I saw that the main character was named Cassandra, I guessed what was going to happen. In Greek mythology, Cassandra was the son of King Priam of Troy. She was cursed with the power to tell the future, but no one would ever believe her. Cass experiences a similar effect, though not as extreme.

This was a very exciting story. I could see some holes in Cass’s story, but I had no idea how it was going to end.

Some of the background stories became confusing after a while because they were so extensive. I kept wanting the story to move forward rather than focus on things that had happened before the girls disappeared. There was also a lot of background information on Abby that was unnecessary to the story.

I really loved this story! If you love thrillers, you should definitely read it!

Emma in the Night is the very definition of psychological thriller - fast paced, complex and full of twists. Three years ago, sisters Cassandra and Emma disappeared one night without a trace and despite an exhaustive investigation and the passionate work of forensic psychologist Dr. Abby Winter, the case went cold. When Cass arrives home with a detailed story of where she has been and an emotional plea to go save Emma, the roller coaster ride begins. The story is dark at times with the worst of human nature on display in some of the key characters but readers will slowly begin to understand Cassandra's desire to bring light to the truth and the underlying reason for her actions.

First off - I stayed up way too late last night finishing this book! The second half really grabbed me and I had to know the conclusion!!
3 years ago, sisters Emma & Cass both disappear one night with only Cass returning to tell her story of what happened to them and where they had been held captive! I had mixed feelings about Cass from the beginning & questioned many aspects of her story! Overall this was a good read - this is the second book by this author that I have read. The ending had a little twist that made for a nice surprise! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

3.5 stars.

I finished the book last night but I decided to sleep on it before writing anything about it.

It's a story about the Tanner sisters, Cass and Emma who disappeared on the same night a few years ago. It starts with Cass returning to the family home and asking for the authorities to help find her sister Emma. As she recounts what happened with her we get to see the intricate relationships in the family, focusing on the sisters and their mother which in the end leads to the truth.

The story is a great concept. At several points I thought I knew what happened but there was always something more, a turn I couldn't see ahead. The quality of writing is not always satisfactory, but I could get used to it. I think it might be because the author tried to write Cass' pov to sound like a teenager.

The book is very well paced and the characters are better developed than what I've seen in other psychological thrillers. I also liked the way the POVs changed, though the 'voice' of the characters weren't too distinct.

What really bothered me though is that when it came to psychology it was often factually wrong. While I appreciate when a written tries to include some actual psychological knowledge in the novel, but it really has an overall bad effect on the book when it's not double checked. For example Walker incorrectly uses adult attachment styles instead of children's attachment styles and makes it look like preoccupied and unresolved is the same. Moreover she paints a simplistic picture of narcissistic personality disorder, and while what she writes is generally correct it's often written like it's the only way it manifests. There are also some obscure wordings like 'alter ego' which is generally not used in psychology. There is no evidence that there would be anything similar in the disorder.

Overall I think it's a great thriller that actually uses elements of psychology (with small mistakes). It's especially recommended for those who like to read about very disfunctional people and their effect on the people around them. I'll definitely read more from Walker.

* I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review *

Who's lying? Who's telling the truth? What IS the truth? This novel keeps the reader guessing until the end in this twisted, intriguing story.

The characters are interesting (and flawed!), the plot unusual, and the writing for the most part tight and suspenseful.

Very entertaining mystery.

Emma in the Night was a compelling book from the first chapter. It’s the type of book you stay up late reading because you have to know what happens next. There have been a number of books with unreliable narrators popularized lately; this one rotates between characters’ perspectives in a way that does not make me feel like I’m just slogging through one chapter to find out what happens to a preferred character (I’m looking at you George R. R. Martin). Without giving too much away, this story perfectly articulates the psychological effects of early experiences. I’d definitely recommend this book to those who love mystery, as well as those who don’t typically read this genre. The story of family, mental states, and extraordinary experiences will keep the reader engaged and guessing through the whole ride.

I enjoyed the author’s first novel, All is Not Forgotten, and was excited to read this one. It's the perfect setup for a great story with a girl returning home after she and her older sister have been missing for 3 years. Add in a narcissistic mother and family dysfunction galore, along with a psychologist who has her own demons, and it's the perfect recipe for all that I like in a book. Dysfunction is my favorite "genre", plus I love psychology and reading about what makes people tick, so I settled in for a great read.

Cass has quite a fantastic story to tell of what happened to her and her sister, Emma, for the last three years. There are some twists and turns along the way, some which I didn’t see coming. Unfortunately, the entire book is all telling, no showing. Cass, the daughter who returns, tells her story for the entire book, except for the chapters by the psychologist, who exists solely to explain in detail narcissistic personality disorder and to put all the clues together for the denouement.

The story is actually a clever one and the descriptions of narcissism were excellent, making this a good summer read. My only issue with the book was the style: first person narrative from a girl who did nothing but talk in excruciating detail for days on end. For someone who constantly insisted they needed to find Emma, she didn't seem in much of a hurry to tell her story. By the end, I understood why the author chose this method of storytelling, but as a reader it left me detached and somewhat bored throughout most of the book. I prefer more action, less telling.

Two sisters, Emma and Cass, go missing one night without a trace. There is literally no evidence of what could have possibly happened to Cass and the only thing found of Emma's is her car and a pair of flip flops at the beach. Three years go by without any answers and the case has gone cold when suddenly Cass shows up on her mother's doorstep. Thus begins a tale of the events leading up to that night and what Cass says happened during the three years she was gone. Dr. Winter, the forensic psychologist, working the case knows something isn't right with Cass's story but she can't tell exactly what it is. When all the pieces finally come together, will they be able to find Emma?

Emma in the Night is the first book I have read by Wendy Walker. I really enjoyed the writing style and narration of the book. It is told from the POV of both Cass and Dr. Winter and is told through stories of what happened more so than flashbacks so we don't really get to experience the emotions as they happen. There is a lot of detail about narcissistic personality disorder and the relationships of a narcissist to their family. Overall, I really enjoyed it even though it was slow in places. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Emma in the night is my favorite book of summer 2017 so far! I really enjoyed this book! It was a great read over my 4h of July holiday.

I hadn’t hear about the book at all but luckily I received an email from NetGalley that I had been selected to read this book early and then received a follow-up e/mail reminding me to download and read.

This was my first Wendy Walker book but it will not be my last! I can’t believe that she has gone under my radar for so long!

Two sisters disappeared without a trace one night three years ago. After all hope was gone to ever find them alive, Cass shows up on her Mother’s doorstep. Her story of them both being kidnapped and held on an unknown remote island seems far-fetched to her family and detectives. Is Cass telling the truth? Is Emma still alive?

I won’t say more about the plot for fear of spoiling the surprises throughout the book, but if you enjoy twisty reads you will enjoy this book!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Into the night suddenly disappear two teenage sisters, Emma and Cass, leaving an empty car on the beach and a single pair of shoes in the surf. Three years later, Cass alone returns to her parents’ home with a story of captivity on an unidentified seven-acre island, and a driving urgency to find her sister who has since given birth. In Emma in the Night, author Wendy Walker carefully weaves a psychological thriller that is even more carefully unwound in a way that reveals only bare hints of resolution until all is immediately exposed.

As the narration switches between Cass’s first-person recounting and a third-person limited overlook of FBI Forensic Psychologist, Dr. Abby Winter, details of Cass and Emma’s home lives before their disappearance come into light. Their mother is revealed to be a pathological narcissist who has spent years competing with her daughters for attention, power, and validation, as her girls have grown in beauty. As the oldest daughter who has realized the threat that she is to her mother, Emma has the stronger love-hate relationship with their mother, and Cass takes refuge in Emma’s shadow as a “bird on the battlefield” with an unrealized, yet growing desire to see her mother defeated.

Cass’s experience growing up with a narcissistic mother is reflected in Dr. Winter’s character, whose mother was also a narcissist. Having investigated Emma and Cass’s disappearances since the beginning, Dr. Winter brings a contrasted, systematic aspect to the novel’s premise of psychosis, while remaining approachable to the reader by her own emotional investment in the case. As Dr. Winter learns of Cass’s childhood, she remembers her own, and is ultimately able to discover Emma’s whereabouts by understanding the dynamic in Cass’s household.

Throughout the novel, Cass is repeatedly put into situations requiring either swift decisions or well-thought-out planning, nothing in-between; Cass is forced to quickly become an adult, and learns that survival in her environment requires rigid observation, manipulation, and sacrifice. Wendy Walker presents the argument that people will believe what they want to believe, and paired with Walker’s working knowledge of the causes and effects of narcissism, Emma in the Night allows its audience to keep guessing at what the truth behind the girls’ disappearance and captivity might be.

This will go live on my blog tomorrow, kellyvision.wordpress.com


Oh, you guys, this book. It's obviously full of twists and turns, and (as with all thriller novels) a question of whether the narrator is reliable. (Or in this case, if either narrator is reliable.)

This novel is so clever and it's hard not to be immediately sucked in. I also immediately shared Cass's frantic insistence that her sister needed to be found and saved...except, unfortunately, she can't say exactly where her sister is. (They were kept on an island away from other people, and she could describe the island and give a vague location but wasn't able to say "We were on this exact island and here's how you find it.")

One interesting thing is that this was suspenseful despite feeling that no one in the novel was in immediate danger (except for Emma, obviously, but every character the reader interacted with was safe).

If you're in the mood for suspense, pick this up now. You won't regret it.

Recommended.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. My opinions in this review were not influenced by this.<br>&#127775;&#127775;&#127775;<br>So this is the first 'just ok' review I've written in this space and it's hard for me to write because I love this genre of fiction: psychological thriller, suspense, missing persons.<br>This book is about two sisters: Cass and Emma, who disappear one summer at the age of 15 and 17. This book gets into the dysfunctional underpinnings of their blended family: especially their mother Mrs. Martin, who is presumed to have Narcissistic personality disorder and often pits the sisters against each other in order to have the girls striving for her affections.<br>Cass returns home 3 years later with stories to tell about the circumstances of their lost years.<br>The book is told from the perspective of a forensic psychologist from the FBI, investigating the disappearances and from Cass.<br>As you can imagine, things are not as they seem and the writer does a good job of surprising us. However, for me, a lot of this book dragged. Most of the characters were unlikable. I found myself more drawn to Dr. Winter's perspective and found get voice more likable. Some parts were confusing because it wasn't clear if the perspective was from the present day or the past.<br>Thank you, Wendy Walker, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the privilege of reading an ARC in exchange for my review.

This is a suspenseful psychological thriller of a book. Emma and Cass are two sisters who disappeared three years ago. Now Cassandra has reappeared but we don't know what has happened to Emma. We get the alternating points of view of Cassondra who has now returned after three years and of Abby the forensic pschologist who is tormented because she has not been able to solve this case in the three years since the girls disappeared.
After Cassbreappears the FBI has many questions as dies the reader not only about Cass but also about the rest of the family members. It's always interesting to see the psychology behind people who are involved in a suspense thriller but it is even more fascinating because one of the main characters is a forensic psychologist. The story is very suspenseful and it is very difficult to guess what the ending is going to be.
It's a fascinating book with very complicated characters and a story that never gets boring.
Thank you to netgalley for providing me a copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a little bit longer than I would have liked to get into this book - it's slow going in parts, and I'll admit to a pinch of confusion but overall I really liked this psychological thriller. Ms. Walker has written a tightly drawn twisty and turn filled book. Every time (well almost) I thought I had the book figured out...yeah... The alternating POV's really helped this novel . I plan on reading adding this author to my list.

I wanted to try something different from what I usually read and I'm glad I did it because I enjoyed most of the part.There were some moments I was a little bit confused.

However,I loved the plot,it started strong and I was immediately captivated.The story was interesting and I loved the alternative POVs of Cass, the girl that reappeared and from the FBI psychologist Dr. Abby Winter.

"We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe. Maybe there’s no difference between wanting and needing. I don’t know. What I do know is that the truth can evade us, hiding behind our blind spots, our preconceptions, our hungry hearts that long for quiet. Still, it is always there if we open our eyes and try to see it. "

Overall it was a great read,the author managed to create the perfect suspense through the story and I find it brilliant!

"The truth can evade us, hiding behind out blind spots, our preconceptions, our hungry hearts that long for quiet. Still, it is always there if we open our eyes and try to see it. If we really try to see"

Emma in the Night was an intriguing look at a mother with Narcissistic Personality Disorder and the impact it has for her daughters. One night, both daughters, Emma and Cass, disappear. Now, three years later, Cass returns. The story is told from Cass's point of view as she tells her stories to the FBI and also from Dr Abby Winters, a profiler and psychologist, who worked to find Emma and Cass three years ago and never quite moved on. As Cass fills us in on the family history, we are also hearing about the time she was missing and watching as the pieces fall into place. We are left to wonder will we find Emma in time and what is Cass's goal in the stories she tells and the directions she steers them.

I found this an intriguing read that anyone who enjoys psychology and character driven stories would enjoy.

I truly enjoyed reading this gripping thriller and delving in to the minds of the characters that Wendy created. I haven’t read much on narcissism and the psychological parts of this novel were fascinating. The addition of a psychologist to the cast of characters helped to explain the actions and behaviors of the other characters.

The novel is full of so many twists and turns that I honestly had no idea where it was going until I got to the end. The character driven plot was well done. I connected with Cass and wanted to hear more of her story as she began to tell it. The family dysfunction was portrayed so well that is made me cringe to read about. I was both horrified and drawn into the story further. Ultimately, after a shocking twist, the book comes to a very satisfying ending. I haven’t read Wendy Walker’s first book, but I certainly will be now!