Fascinating (and rather timely) to read about the impact of Narcissistic Personality Disorder on a family. In this case, the mother of two girls, Cass and Emma, has the disorder, and the girls grow up never knowing if she will be kind or mean and understanding that they must always be showering her with praise and bolstering her huge ego. Emma, the older girl, is more successful at this strategy and consequently gets some attention and love, whereas Cass is ignored or . In fact, she is not allowed to call her mother "mom" but must call her "Mrs. Martin"!
One day both girls disappear, and three years later, Cass returns. The FBI's forensic psychiatrist, Dr Abbey Winter, who investigated the original case comes back to try and uncover the truth behind the girl's disappearance, and to find out what happened to Emma.
Told from the point of view of Cass, and Dr. Winter, the story alternates between the girl's childhood and the complicated story that Cass is telling of their disappearance. Delving into her own dysfunctional families past, Abbey Winter is sure that something is wrong with Cass's story.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Despite being half written in first person, I didn't feel that the characters were explored in a way that was enjoyable to the reader. Readers who enjoy unreliable narrators and the psychology aspect of narcissistic people may enjoy this one. It's what drew me to the novel, but unfortunately did not keep my attention.

A full review will be found at [a cup of tea and an armful of books] on July 10th.

Interesting.
That is the best word I could find to describe this read.
This book kept me going waiting for the 'moment'. It did come but left me surprised in relation to Emma.
Love books that I did not have totally figured out. A few breaks in logic. But what good is fiction without those breaks. A book I would recommend to all.

There's nothing like a good "mommy dearest" thriller to set my teeth on edge. Its a deeply satisfying moment when you realize you simply cannot put a book down because you have to KNOW how it comes out. That's the delight of a really well executed thriller.

This was excellent from start to finish and I'll happily recommend it to any fan of intricately plotted psychological thrillers. But what kept me turning the pages was my investment in the characters. I cared about Cass and Emma, I wanted to know that things would be okay for them.

What makes villains like those in "Emma in the Night" so frightening is how easy it is to imagine them in real life.
We're not dealing with Hannibal Lecter or Norman Bates here. These are mothers and fathers and sons and daughters who visit unspeakable horrors on each other as quickly as they shower love. Its unnerving but deeply compelling to watch that dance between torture and affection play out.

This was an excellent, excellent read by a very gifted author.

This a fantastic thriller that kept me enthralled and guessing until the very end.!

This is a great book for the summer. It has everything you want. A little suspense. A little mystery. The characters are interesting and compelling. This is a great insight into the mind of a narcissist and the effect it can have on one's child. So if you are looking for a good, quick read you won't do much better than this.

Three years ago Emma and her younger sister, Cassandra (Cass) disappeared from their upscale coastal town. Three years later Cass returns to her Mother and Stepfathers front door. But where is Emma? As Cass begins to fill in the gaps of the last three years to her family and FBI agents, Abigal Winter and Leo Strauss, Dr. Winter begins to wonder if everything is as it seems? Is Cass telling them what really happened to her and Emma?

Walker’s second novel takes us deep into the dynamics of a dysfunctional family and the results of those dysfunctions are Emma and Cass. I was really into this completely immersive, dark and twisted family; holding my breath until the final pages. Read this book!!

Special thanks to Wendy Walker, St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

RELEASE DATE: August 08, 2017

RATING: 4 Stars Definitely a book worth reading…

GENRE: Psychological Suspense

AUDIENCE: Fans of Gillian Flynn and Chevy Stevens should definitely pick this book up!

SERIES: Standalone


This book was beyond diabolical. We have two sisters who disappeared 3 years ago, and one suddenly returns to her mother’s door step. The returned sister, Cass, is adamant that her sister Emma is being held on an island somewhere in Maine. The how of Cass’s escape and return is revealed as the FBI digs through her memory for clues to find Emma before it’s too late.

Emma in the Night is told from two different perspectives, Dr. Abby Winters and Cass. Dr. Winters invested herself in the initial search for Emma and Cass three years ago, and is stunned that Cass has come back. Winters strong interest in the case stems from her belief that Cass and Emma’s mother had something to do with the girls’ disappearance. Cass shares her escape, her thoughts and fears for Emma, and what ultimately led to the sisters long absence from their family.

*Tremendous thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC.

First line: "<i>We believe what we want to believe.</i>"

That was a simply amazing novel. It had interesting characters, a fascinating plot, and several unexpected plot twists...what more could you ask for?

I would like to thank Netgalley for getting the chance to read this novel from an author who is new to me, but one I would like to read more of.

Cass Tanner disappears at age 15, along with her 17-year-old sister, Emma, not be seen, heard from, or discovered for three years. Cass reappears, alone, on the front doorstep of her mother's home with a carefully concocted story in hopes of finding her sister.

This novel went from what I thought would be quite straight forward, to being anything but that. I was surprised at every twist and turn that was presented to me. I was constantly thinking, trying to figure out what the next step could be.

I found this novel to be a page-turner, simply because it boggled my mind on several occasions. Despite being a short novel (less than 250 pages), it contains a story that is going to keep you mentally running right up until the end.

I'm apparently not a fan of women's psychological thrillers.

The book is well-written but the introspection and drama seems unrealistic.

Very interesting construction, portraying a horrifying family situation. Hard to put down.. I did not figure out the end in advance, and I appreciated that. (Sorry this is so brief--I will be buying this for our library and recommending the book.)

"We believe what we want to believe"

This is the premise of the book; a book that carefully lays bare the dysfunctional family ruled by the manipulative matriarch, Mrs Martin. Unlike Wendy Walker's previous novel, which I found to be overly graphic, "Emma in the Night" is restrained and getting to the truth of the story is rather like slowly peeling an onion, layer by layer.

As psychological thrillers go, this is up there with the best. Very much character driven the reader is never sure who to trust, and exactly what happened 3 years earlier when the sisters, Emma and Cass, go missing. It is evident that someone is lying, but who? The story is told from alternate viewpoints of Cass and the forensic psychologist, Dr Abigail Winter, who has a vested interest in the case.

It is a heartbreaking story, and very well written and researched.

Thanks go to the publishers St. Martin's Press and net galley for the arc in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this gripping thriller. There were lots of twists and turns that keep you intrigued until the end, but not to the point of confusion. This is the second book of hers I have read and I was not disappointed with either of them.

Three years ago, sisters Emma and Cass disappeared. The investigation into their case really messed with psychologist Abby Winter's head, but their trail went cold and the FBI archived the case. Until one morning when, out of nowhere, Cass shows up in her mother's doorstep pleading that the police needs to go and rescue Emma from the place she'd managed to escape.

I've been in a terrible reading slump for a couple of months now, and I think this was the kind of book I need. It's a thrilling page-turner that kept me entertained until nearly 3 in the morning. The story is narrated by both Abby and Cass, and they were just unreliable enough that I was drinking their words and still turning the pages because I really needed to find out exactly what was going on. It's pretty addictive.

However, a few things kept this from being a stellar read to me. First, there was the writing style - at times I felt the author was just randomly pairing up words in order to create metaphors and sound poetic. Then there was the endless paragraphs in Abby's POV describing narcissistic personality disorders and all its technicalities; I'm a psych major and even I had enough of that by the third time it happened, and it kept being a thing until the very end of the novel. It seemed like the author had done a lot of research about it and also wanted everyone to know how much research she'd done lol

Despite these negative things, I still enjoyed this very much. If you're feeling slumpy or looking for a quick, interesting mystery thriller to read, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out.

The Tanner sisters disappeared on a foggy night three years ago. Emma was seventeen-years-old and Cass was fifteen. Now three years later, Cass is back. Turning up on her mother's doorstep....alone.

When they disappeared, Emma's car was found at the beach, with her purse and keys inside. Her shoes were in the water. Assumptions were made. Almost everyone believed Emma was dead. But they couldn't figure out what happened to Cass. Emma would never have taken Cass with her to the beach. Plus none of Cass's things were missing. So where was she? Different people believed different things. Could it be a coincidence? One sister dead, the other a runaway? An abduction?


"Some people needed to believe I was dead because it was too hard to wonder"

The girl's mother tells the story of the night in question, which gives her the attention she thrives on. An apparent fight between Cass and Emma over a necklace then a car seen leaving later that night...

Social media, the girl's cells phones, and diaries didn't help at all. Everyone was at a loss.

What happened to the Tanner sisters?

We learn more about what life was like in the Tanner/Martin home. Dysfunctional would be one way of putting it. Daughters who craved attention from a mother who also craved attention, and for whom playing favorites was a game she perfected.


"Am I a good mother? The best mother you could ever want?"

For three years, Cass had imagined the moment see would see her mother again. But she was not at all prepared for the expression on her mother's face when she saw Cass on her front porch.

They take Cass inside, asking question after question, but Cass won't answer. Until finally.....

"We need the police!" "They have to find Emma! They have to find her!"

Dr. Abigail Winter (Abby) forensic psychologist is called in to consult along with the FBI. Abby knows this case inside out, it has eaten at her all these years. One those cases that buries itself deep under your skin. Abby could see things that others couldn't...or wouldn't. So when she hears the words "Cassandra Tanner came home", she's on her feet, ready to go in seconds.

Will she finally find out what happened the night the girls disappeared? Where has Cass been? Where is Emma? Is it possible that the theory Abby had about the case was correct? The theory that no one else believed?


"Find Emma!"

When Abby hears those words from Cassandra Tanner's mouth, time stands still. Emma is alive?

"The island." Cass said. "She's still on the island"

And with that, Cass begins telling them what happened. As she begins her story, everyone keeps asking her why they left in the first place. When she finally replies, her answer shocks them all.

As I mentioned before I was worried I wouldn't like this book as much as I liked the authors first novel. I shouldn't have worried as I REALLY enjoyed it.

EMMA IN THE NIGHT is not just a story about two missing girls. It's a story about love, obsession, loyalty, mental illness, secrets, jealousy, and even revenge.

The story is told from Cass and Abby's point of view. I think the book is well paced, and I couldn't wait to read what was going to happen next. This is one of those books that I wanted to talk about to everyone. I've always been interested in behavioral psychology and one of the main themes of the book is one I'm most interested in. I found it fascinating. Wendy Walker really knows her stuff. Intelligent and disturbing, I was completely engrossed in the psychological aspects of this story as well as the mystery itself.

EMMA IN THE NIGHT is definitely a book I won't soon forget. I'm two for two with Wendy Walker and I cannot wait for more!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

I read this book while on vacation, a perfect book to keep me company during a long wait at the airport! I didn't mind the 2 hour delay at all! I found the book to be captivating and enjoyed the different perspectives. I thought the depth of the characters and the multi-layered plot to be interesting, yet not predictable and was quite stunned at the ending! If you're looking for a good psychological thriller then I recommend you pick this up!

Upcoming book Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker is the sort of psychological novel that may rob you of sleep for a while.

Talk about a dysfunctional family! I had no idea that narcissistic behavior could create such complex and dangerous issues. The appearance of normality in the midst of abuse is truly frightening.

Highly recommended.

I found this quite slow at first and felt it didn't start to connect until halfway through. Saying that, this is very intelligent clever writing, keeping you guessing about the outcome, with many twists and turns right to the end.
Cass and Emma are sisters in a very dysfunctional family. This is their story and how they get free albeit it in very different ways. It is also the story of how the police are affected during the length of a case. The author has researched the subject well and has put it across in an understandable way.

Emma in the night is a psychological thriller about how toxic narcissistic behavior can be by Wendy Walker.

Cass and Emma , sisters , two years apart disappear one night and after a thorough search they are believed to be dead. But after three years Cass who is now eighteen years old returns to her mom and step-dad’s house with a far-fetched story about being held captive on an island in Maine by a childless couple. The FBI investigator Dr. Abby Winters and Agent Leo Strauss the investigators on the case before come back to interview Cass and to find Emma and her two-year-old daughter that are still being held captive by the couple. Thus, begins the race against time to find Emma and truth about what happened that fateful night three years ago.

I really enjoyed this book and was turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. Cass’s story is revealed in seven days and the suspense leads up to the satisfying climatic end. I would definitely recommend this novel to all suspense lovers and will definitely be looking for more books by Wendy Walker.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

Unpredictable, addictive, suspenseful, this book will draw you in and nothing will distract you! Two sisters disppear one night and three years later one comes back, Cass, aged 18. The mother is a narcissist and obviously the girls were affected by this. This is a story of Narcissist Personality Disorder, which I found fascinating, and its effect. The story is told alternately by Cass and Dr. Abigail Winter, a forensic psychologist who specializes in narcissistic personality disorder. The ending of the story stayed with me for some time, it was poignant and heartbreaking but perfect.