A NetGalley e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I like this book but I didn’t love it.

The beginning was hard to get into. I didn’t really like or care for any of the characters. Some of the interactions felt forced and not life like. Once the story really got going (over halfway through) it got me hooked in but the ending was not a total surprise.

After the Tanner sisters disappeared three years ago one returns, but where is the other? The daughter that returns starts weaving a tale that seems too improbable. A lot of her actions don’t match up to her story, but is that just a side effect from her dysfunctional family? Regardless, only a few people really know what happened that night and one has returned and started talking.

A quick read and worth the read. Just got to hold on through the first half of the story.

This was a very interesting book. I kept trying to guess where it was going...it was totally impossible. I won't mention what it was about, you can get that from the book description. What I can say was that the characters were well fleshed out. There were definite villains, fools, and heroes. I did shed a few tears. I don't think I ever laughed. And I am definitely going to look Wendy Walker up and read more of her books.

I really wanted to get into this psychological thriller. The description sounded like a great story. The first few chapters really captivated me, but it soon turned into a chore to read. The issues of narcissism and dysfunctional families was really disturbing, and troubling to know how realistic is to some people. I will recommend this book, but it wouldn't be my top choice of recommendations.

Emma in the Night is one of the most twisted and disturbing psychological thrillers to has completely hold my interest this summer. If you’re a lover of psychological suspense, like your stories filled with drama and thrills, and insist they be intelligently crafted and extremely well-written, then look no further! An excellent and intelligent premise, a strongly driven plot, characters that are well-developed and range from intelligent, toxic, extremely unlikable, likable, and flawed all entwine to make this novel an exceptional read! This was my first Wendy Walker book, but it won’t be my last!

I was spellbound by the story of the two Tanner sisters, Emma and Cass, who vanished one night at the ages of 17 and 15. There had been no traces of either girl in the years since they had gone missing, so Emma was presumed dead since her car and purse were found abandoned at the beach and no one knew what happened to Cass, who had vanished without a trace. The FBI searched but failed to find anything although Dr. Abigail (Abby) Winter, FBI forensic psychiatrist suspected the Tanner household was highly dysfunctional, neglectful, and that Mrs. Martin, the girl’s mother was suffering from a pathological narcissistic personality disorder, which was the reason for the girl’s disappearances. Abby was never given a chance to pursue her theories though before the case was shut down.

The story really begins when Cass suddenly reappears on her mother’s doorstep three years later, very much alive…and alone. Cass’s reappearance instigates a reopening of the FBI investigation when all she can tell anyone, in the beginning, is they must find Emma! Emma is alive! This prompts Mrs. Martin to repeatedly tell everyone that Cass is suffering from mental delusions and needs a psychiatric evaluation. I immediately wondered what Mrs. Martin was hiding and why she wanted Cass to have mental delusions instead for Cass to be telling the truth. Why was the mother not more concerned about finding her oldest daughter alive?! This led me to suspect certain things and although I was wrong about a few suspicions, I was right about others, including the big reveal at the end. It was excellent fun to delve into the psyches of all these characters and see just how twisted and messed up so many of them were! Walker did an excellent job introducing so many disturbing psychological aspects to the story that it was brilliant. However, if you are not into behavioral or cognitive psychology like I am, then this might not be the book for you since it is heavy on a lot of these themes.

Cass tells her story in the first person POV, and it is not only a quite mysterious tale of where she has been but a horrific one of an emotionally abusive mother throughout her childhood. Cass is a strong young woman, but she is an unreliable narrator, which only made the story more captivating and enthralling! If you can’t trust the protagonist, then who do you trust? I certainly wasn’t sure what to believe as Cass told the FBI that they were held captive on an island, and she had only escaped with the promise to return for Emma. I’m not going to go into the details of how the sisters came to be on the island since that part is very integral to the later plot, and I think the reader needs to go into that part completely blind and without any ideas that will spoil the story! The reader needs to be shocked when Cass makes her big reveal about what happened the night they both disappeared because believe me, it is shocking!

What was horrible to read was Cass’s recollections of what it was like being raised in such a dysfunctional family where verbal and emotional abuse was the norm, fights between Emma and her mother were rampant, her mother gave and took her love like it was a prize to be won, and there was an unnatural interest in both Emma and Cass by their new stepbrother. It is these recollections that help convince the reader the girls ran away that night(but did they?) and were much better off far away. But if so, why did Cass reappear at all at her mother’s house three years later? Besides getting Emma off the island, what is she up to?

Dr. Winter reappears as the FBI investigation unfolds and her voice is the second POV in the story. She has the same feeling something is very wrong in the Martin/Tanner household that she had the first time she encountered Mrs. Martin. She herself is the daughter of a mother with narcissistic personality disorder, so she is all too familiar with the signs of a mother who must be placated by their children and told they are the best, most loved, most beautiful of all and are always in competition with their children. She sees all the signs as Cass placates her mother, always wants her around and is very docile towards her; yet, Abby is also reading signs that there is more to Cass’s actions than meets the eye just as there is so much more to what is really going on with the story Cass tells about her and Emma’s disappearance and her escape.

Emma in the Night was such an addictive read! I loved how it made me question what was real and what wasn’t since I love my suspense to be unpredictable! And the ending was more than shocking, it was intense and superb in every way! I highly recommend Wendy Walker’s newest novel if you want to read a satisfying family drama full of mystery, secrets, revenge, love, and hate. You can’t go wrong with what will be one of summer’s hottest psychological suspense hits!

**Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wendy Walker for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.**

Perhaps I am getting jaded by the search for the next 'great' thriller; they all seem to be devolving into the same formulaic plot line. Thus, while I find Walker writes a solid mystery, it is nothing new. Two teenage sisters disappeared three years ago, and now the younger one, Cass, returns and insists they must find Emma, her older sister. As Cass strings out the story of her three years of captivity, the FBI behavioral analyst and the FBI agent in charge listen to her tale and ultimately try and lead Cass to where they want her to go. The analyst has a familial past which leads to some perspective issues as well. At times I wondered how realistic the family was: Were the sadistic wars within a step family that brilliant and dark? Could the girl really be that clever? Is mom a legit monster? Would FBI agents really be able to pull off this scheme? Ultimately, what I decided about this book was that yes, it is a solid, page-turning thriller that will grip you as you try and figure out the puzzle; yet, if you've read a lot of thrillers, it quite frankly is just a re-do of what has already been done. My suggestion? How about throwing in some characters who are not white, wealthy, and privileged, but instead have some complexity in social class, race, religion, geography, life choices and motivations, etc.? Just my two cents:)

I really wish I could say I enjoyed this more. I thoroughly enjoyed All Is Not Forgotten, so I was looking forward to this one. What I got was a semi-decent plot with poor pacing and an underwhelming reveal. I enjoyed all of the psychological elements of this book. It's clear that a lot of research went in to it and it was portrayed well. The mystery and the alternate timelines just failed entirely. I found myself constantly getting distracted or bored while reading and that is unusual for me. It is still a 3 star read simply on the basis of character development.

This book was murky.. The story was so gripping, however, that I read it in almost one sitting. The final quarter of the book made up for the questioning that I had throughout the first three quarters. Worth a read!

Firstly, thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a pre-release review copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

The plot, briefly, revolves around Emma and Cass, two sisters who go missing on the same night. Three years later, Cass returns, alone, to her home with tales to tell of the harrowing ordeal that she and Emma have been through. FBI forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, who worked on the original missing persons case, is again enlisted to disect Cass' statement to try an figure out where Emma is and what, exactly, happened to the girls.

The story, as it turns out, isn't quite as straight forward as it might seem from the blurb. While Cass recites her story to the letter, there are obvious gaps that lead you to believe that things aren't quite as the character describes. There are also enough of those gaps to send you down the wrong road on more than one occasion. While it's not until the last few chapters that what actually happened to Emma and Cass is truly revealed, there are some indications to lead you that way pretty much from the last third of the book.

I can't deny it's a good book and, after having read and thoroughly enjoyed Wendy Walker's previous offering All Is Not Forgotten, I was expecting nothing less. However, the one thing I found with that and which seems to have carried over to this novel is that it doesn't exactly move at a great pace. In fact, sometimes it really does feel overly drawn out to the point of I wasn't exactly desperate to get to the next chapter. - hence the reason for only four stars.

Emma in the Night is a swiftly paced mystery, alternating points of view between Cassandra, who has reappeared at her mother's doorstep after going missing with her sister, Emma, two years previously, and Dr. Abby Winter, a psychiatrist who, in addition to being a part of the investigative team since the girls' disappearance, has a personal history that makes her understand some of the family dynamics at play. Now that Cassandra is back, everyone has two questions- where did she go? And where is Emma?

I will admit to being a little nervous going into this book as the author's previous book was just really not for me. While this shares the psychological emphasis that All is Not Forgotten had, this story was much preferable to me. Primarily, this preference boiled down to the story's narrators- I hated the condescending tone used by the narrator in the previous book, but both Cassandra and Abby were intriguing, especially as Cassandra was slowly revealing both the story of her disappearance and her life up until that night. There came a point in the final chapters where there was no way I could have stopped reading until the end, and that's one of the finest types of reading experiences I can have.

Loreli Gilmore has nothing to complain about in comparison to Cass and Emma's mother in this psychological thriller. A narcissistic mother, a weak father, a domineering step father, two sisters who are in a love/hate relationship and a creepy step brother make this book a definition of ultimate dysfunction. When the older sister, Emma, younger Cass disappear, the authorities get involved, but to no avail. Three years later, when Cass shows up, the case is reopened, and Dr. Winter's obsession to find Emma is renewed. Something's not quite right, and sometimes the lies are necessary to find out the truth. Cleverly plotted and clearly researched, we find out about the devastating effects of personality disorders.

I loved this book. I mean, REALLY loved this book! It's such an unusual approach to suspense. It takes a skilled writer to be able to handle the nuances of narcissistic personality disorder the way that Walker does, but it's a central theme of the book, with everything revolving round it, as deep dark secrets slowly unravel. A truly gripping read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2066662588?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This was a great story. She built her characters with a master's touch, a little at a time, telling just enough to keep you wanting more. And a twist at the end that was completely unexpected. Loved It! Hope to see more from Ms Walker soon.

This was a gripping, psychological thriller of a book. This book begins with the return of Cass after her disappearance 3 years ago. I was interested from the first page.
Three years prior, fifteen year old Cass and seventeen year old Emma disappear. All that is found is an empty car and a pair of flip flops at the beach. Cass returns with a strange story of living on a secluded island in Maine. She says she is desperate to find Emma and bring her home too. FBI psychologist, Dr. Abby Winters believes there is more to the story. She does not trust Cass's mom who has a narcissistic personality and seems unable to love.
The book was gripping. We did not learn too much about the FBI agent Dr Winters even though she was a main character. However, the dysfunctional family dynamics kept the story a page turner. I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher.

This was a one day read for me on my beach vacation. I don't think I moved all day. I was fascinated by the narcissistic personality disorder and it's impact on the children. Wow. The book was for me a deeper read, which means though I read in one sitting I didn't skim over any parts. I found it all gripping. What a dysfunctional family. The book says it has an unreliable narrator and I get why they say it, but I didn't find Cass to be unreliable. I really felt her as she told her story. A twist at the end yes, but overall not a shock considering the story. I don't want to say to much about the plot because it's worth your reading for yourself. This is a must read and will likely be a best seller when released. GREAT read. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to preview the manuscript.

Emma in the Night is a twisty, turny story that was slow going in the beginning for me but when it picked up I could not stop reading. The characters are compelling and I do enjoy a morally grey character. I will recommend this book to my friends and blog readers.

Sisters Emma and Cass Tanner disappear one evening leaving their car and a pair of shoes on the shore. No trace of them was ever found by the FBI. Then three years later Cass suddenly comes home to her mother with a wild story involving a crazy couple, Emma's baby and a remote Island in Maine.

As her story unfolds, it's clear Cass has an agenda and wants to pay her mom and step-father back, but for what and at what cost?

I know #WhatHappenedToEmma - do you?

This story was packed full of twists and turns and kept me guessing like any good psychological thriller would. I knew there would be some surprises along the way. I was happy to get swept up in this story. The characters are complex and the alternating viewpoints keep you off balance. Things are not always as they seem, and that is true for Emma in the Night. This is one of those stories I would love to see played out on the big (or little) screen. I'm keeping my review short so that there are no spoilers.

I received an early copy via SheSpeaks and NetGalley and I am voluntarily sharing my honest review.

Three years after she and her sister, 17 y old Emma, disappeared, Cass Tanner turns up on her mother's doorstep. The FBI had concluded that Emma had committed suicide and Cass, then aged 15, had run away but Cass has a very different tale to tell, one of abduction and enforced imprisonment. All she wants now is for the FBI to find Emma. She can describes perfectly the place they were held and the people who took them. But the FBI psychologist, Abby Winter, assigned to the case from the start has a feeling something is not right. She can't understand why Cass has come back home when her family is so dysfunctional, a mother who plays mind games and doesn't care much for her, a step father and step brother who have made the girls life difficult. Is Cass playing some sort of game with them all?

This is a story of obsession and jealousy, mental illness and not-so-blended families at war and ultimately of revenge. Written from alternating points of view of Abby and Cass, the past is gradually revealed as the FBI try to find Emma. The pace is good, gradually introducing the characters and revealing their relationships and then ramping up the tension once many of the secrets are revealed. I enjoyed the different approach and style of this suspenseful psychological thriller.

I pride myself in seeing most things coming. Well, this excellent story completely blindsided me. Cass and Emma disappeared on the same night. Maybe together. When Cass returns, alone, but saying that she's been with Emma all this time, Dr. Abby Winter from the FBI will have to unravel the plot and figure out what happened and where Emma is. This book also has the distinction of having one of the most horrible mothers ever imagined, based in the very real condition of clinical narcissism. Cass and Emma's Mom, Judy, is a monster. Yet, she is not turned into a caricature. None of the characters are. They are real and even their voices are distinctive. The propulsive story kept me reading and trying to figure out how it was all going to end. Believe me, you probably will also be surprised by the shocking twists in the story.