Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for an early release of this book for an honest review.

Families and relationships are such a delicate thing. Trust, love, respect, fear, loathing, lying. What type of family environment do you come from?

Emma, 17 and Cass, 15 went missing two years prior, not to be seen again, until one day Cass shows up at her mother’s door where her mother doesn’t even recognize her but welcomes her in with open arms. From there Cass tells her story of her and her sisters disappearance two years prior. The original forensics investigator, Abby Winters from when she went missing is back on the case and wants to know desperately what happen, where has she been, where is her sister???

This is a very well written, fast moving novel that will keep you engaged from page one. Do you like reading about narcissistic personalities? If you don’t then stop reading because this book is full of them. Do you appreciate your mother? Do you appreciate growing up in a normal home? Do you love your birth siblings, your adopted and half siblings, or do you despise them? Do you want to control them and make them love you at any cost?

The author, Wendy Walker also wrote, “All is Not Forgotten,” which is a must read about the option of being given a drug to not allow you to remember the events of a horrible crime, but unfortunately just because you can’t remember specifics your brain remembers the trauma and struggles greatly to come to terms with what it can’t remember but still knows and feel it did in fact happen!!

This book is an absolute MUST READ!!! When I was only one chapter in, I knew I needed to buckle up because I had a feeling I was about to take a crazy ride. I was 100% correct with that prediction, Emma In the Night was fantastic!!!

Three years ago Cassandra and Emma Tanner mysteriously went missing. Being that Cass was 15 years old and Emma was 17 the case was highly publicized, but no one knew the case better than Dr. Abigail Winter. Abby is a forensic psychologist with the FBI and she dedicated several years to the Tanner sisters' case without any concrete answers. Then the unexpected happens, Cass returns home...alone!! Abby is called back on the case and this time she's determined to find out what happened to Cass and Emma-- and more importantly where is Emma and why didn't she return home with her sister!!! Certain circumstances that surrounded the case never sat right with Abby, but she couldn't prove her theories back then, now she's hellbent to see justice prevail!!

What a twisty and turny masterpiece this novel is!! If you love psychological thriller like I do, than this is the book for you!!! Wendy Walker created a storyline that is completely original and extremely well thought out. Beach read, mountain read, weekend read--heck anytime read, this book will consume you until the very last page! I cannot believe I haven't read Wendy Walker prior to reading Emma In the Night, but I can guarantee you I will remedy that ASAP! Emma In the Night is a 5+++ star novel that I can't recommend enough--go check it out!!

I loved All is Not Forgotten and wasn't disappointed by Emma in the Night. The psychological insights into a dysfunctional family are fascinating and the plot shocked and surprised me, keeping me guessing until the end. Looking forward to more from Wendy Walker.

When Cass returns home after disappearing without a trace 3 years ago, along with her sister Emma, there are far more questions than answers. She begs her mother, father, and stepfather to find Emma, claiming she escaped from an island off the coast of Maine where they had been held captive. The tale she tells is horrifying and incredibly detailed, yet she can't seem to provide clues that would allow the police and FBI to find her sister.

Abby Winter is the FBI agent assigned to the case 3 years ago who felt a strange kinship to the sisters because they too had a narcissist for a mother. She never gave up hope that she would someday find the girls and now, with the return of Cass alone, she thinks she can give the family a happy ending.

And yet...she just can't shake the sense that there is something wrong with Cass' story.

I was hooked from the beginning. The voice of Cass in particular is quite compelling and draws a reader in with tremendous sympathy. Growing up with a narcissistic mother who saw her eldest daughter as a threat to her sense of self, her marriage, her sexuality and with an older sister who tried to control everything she did, Cass is confused about what love and motherhood are really all about. What does it mean to love unconditionally? It's not clear that she ever knew that kind of love from her mother.

It's a definite page-turner! I couldn't wait to read it each night and I think I finished it in 4 days which is unusual for me because I don't have a lot of time to read. The ending felt a bit explanatory, with a lot of things spelled out that I wish we could have discovered with Abby but overall it was a great story.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

”We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe.”

”Emma in the Night” begins with these words, words that reach gently in and pull you into this story, never really letting go, delaying the inevitable until the final pages.

Last year I read Wendy Walker’s ”All is Not Forgotten,” which I also enjoyed up until the very end. Mysteries, Thrillers, Psychological Suspense are not my typical genre, but every once in a while, I can enjoy the ones which are light enough that I can still manage to sleep at night, if they don’t tie my stomach in knots in the meantime.

Sisters. Two years apart, teenagers Emma and Cassandra – Cass. Emma the older at seventeen, Cass is fifteen as this story really begins, when Emma and Cass both disappear one night. The FBI investigation. The media circus that follows. The years that follow.

And then as suddenly and slowly, time has passed, the way time does when one is lost in a fog and one thing, one day blends into the next. Three years pass and one day Cass returns, but not Emma. Questions follow. The same FBI investigators become involved, including Abby Winters, a Forensic Psychiatrist, and the media circus returns.

When Cass returns, she is no longer the naïve, young girl she was the night she and Emma disappeared. She returns to her hometown, eighteen years old now, showing up at the home of her mother and step-father, Mr. and Mrs. Martin, instead of the home of her father. Abby Winters and Special Agent Leo Strauss are promptly re-assigned to this case once again, in the hopes of finding Emma. Before it’s too late. Until Emma is found, she is still be in danger.

Told from the alternating viewpoints of Cass and Abby - Dr. Winters, the details of that night when the sisters went missing are followed, slowly unravelling the many truths behind this wild and crazy, completely captivating story.

”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.”



Pub Date: 08 Aug 2017


Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press

Thanks to NetGalley and Jordan Hanley of St. Martin’s Press for a free, electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review
“Emma in the Night” is the newest novel by Wendy Walker, author of “All is Not Forgotten”. In “Emma” two teenaged sisters disappear in the middle of the night without a trace. Three years later, one of them (Cass) returns alone. When Dr. Abby Winter joins the investigation and search for the elder sister (Emma), she begins to question what really happened. Cass claims that they were taken to an island and held captive there, and she escaped with a promise to return for her sister. Through the investigation, Dr. Winter begins to uncover secrets about Cass and her family that make her desperate to uncover the truth about what happened to the Tanner sisters.
This novel pulled me in from the beginning. Full of family drama, suspense and mystery, “Emma in the Night” had me questioning every character, trying to speculate as to how the novel would end, and making assumptions about who the guilty parties were. The novel was told from the perspective of both Cass and Dr. Winter, so the reader was able to see things from two sides- which only added to the mystery and intrigue.
A well-written novel with a creative plot, this novel was an unpredictable, roller coaster ride that I could not put down. Addictive in every sense of the word, this novel told one hell of a story of a dysfunctional family, all leading to a shocking, yet satisfying, ending.
Fans of “All is Not Forgotten” will definitely devour Ms. Walker’s new work. The characters are well developed and deeply flawed, especially Mrs. Martin and Cass (the fact that Cass calls her mother “Mrs. Martin speaks for itself as to the intensely bizarre Tanner family relationship) but they are human enough that they are able to generate pity, sympathy and support from the reader. Definitely a novel for those who enjoy page-turning, family suspense novels. “Emma in the Night” is just as good as “All is Not Forgotten” if not better, and I highly recommend it!

4 stars! This story weaves between Cass and Abby's points of view! Cass the daughter who went missing and Abby, the psychiatrist investigating her disappearance.
This book centers on narcissism, family dysfunction and secrets. We know from Cass that her story is a bit off, and she is a bit of an unreliable narrator and do not know how much of her story about her and Emma's disappearance is true. The narcissistic disorder was interesting. Shows things that happen in childhood may affect you through your adult life. One downfall I had with this book was a lot of events are told through Cass AFTER the fact and not acted out during the story.
As the book gets closer to the end it really picks up in pace and I really started to enjoy it, but it lacked suspense through the story for me. A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Both sisters disappeared the same day. The FBI couldn't rule it a kidnapping, or a run-away, or any specific thing; evidence just didn't support much of a theory and left pretty much every possibility open.

Three years later, and now one sister is home, and has quite the story. She's so tired, she can only give chunks before she is overwhelmed. The FBI agents assigned to the case in the beginning are back, listening. They are also watching the entire family for any bigger pictures and any larger truths.

3.5 stars. This was a mysteriously suspenseful novel with an intriguing storyline and excellent narration.

After reading and LOVING Wendy Walker’s previous novel, All Is Not Forgotten, I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of her latest book. Once again, Walker does a fantastic job with narration! (The way AINF was narrated was brilliant and one of my favourite aspects of the book!) This story is told from multiple perspectives, focusing mainly on 18-year-old Cass who returns home after disappearing three years prior. I felt completely captivated by Cass’ story and for most of the book my curiosity had me flipping pages as quickly as possible.

Perhaps I had set my expectations a little too high (AINF was a 5 star for me!), but I finished this book feeling slightly disappointed. The novel started off strong with a unique and captivating plot, however, by 50% of the way in, I felt that it started to drag and get a bit repetitive. The household drama became monotonous and my interest began to wane. Regardless of this feeling of repetition, I still really enjoyed the way it was narrated – Walker’s talent is undeniable in that regard!

There is some extremely disturbing mental abuse and manipulation throughout this story. I felt terrible for many of the characters and what they had to endure. There is a strong focus on narcissism which I found very interesting to learn about. Walker must have done a ton of research to present such a well-constructed portrait of narcissism and the damaging trail it leaves.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading more from Wendy Walker!

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wendy Walker for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I received an ARC from NetGalley. This book was really strange from the beginning. I knew that something was off in the whole story that Cass told her family about how she and her sister Emma went missing 3 years prior, how she came back alone, and I knew the truth would be revealed if I could just get to the end. Cass narrated the chapters about her disappearance and what had happened prior with her sister/mom/family, and the other chapters were from the view point of the FBI psychologist who is a specialist in Narcissism which is what Cass's mother (whom she calls Mrs. Martin instead of mom) suffers from. Her mom is NASTY. She treats Cass and Emma so terribly that it is brutal. Emma is a difficult daughter but does not deserve the terrible treatment she gets from her mother. Cass is quieter and not a behavior problem but she also has some issues that we see in the end as well. I have no words to even describe how despicable Hunter (their step bother) and Mr Martin their step father is. Their real dad is pretty decent but kind of weak. Their half brother Witt is the only one who tells them that their mom is crazy and they don't have to live that way with her. The whole story is pretty crazy but as it wrapped up in the end it made sense from what Cass said in the beginning. I found it hard to read and a little too much background info/wordiness, and it took me a while to get through this book. It was decent but not my favorite or anything. Thanks for the ARC!

4.5 Stars* (rounded up).
Crazy, Hypnotic & Downright Staggering.

"Emma in the Night" captures your attention from the first sentence. We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe. From that moment on, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

Emma and Cass Tanner are sisters. Emma is 17, Cass, 15. One night they both disappear. No trace of them is found. Three years later however, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Cass’ story is far-fetched and is one her mother is unwilling to believe. Though Cass' mother, Mrs Martin isn't exactly the most reliable of characters.. then again, neither is Cass. Her story is however, investigated by the FBI, including Forensic Psychiatrist and Agent, Abby Winters, who specializes in personality disorders and specifically, narcissism. Dr. Winters uncovers much of Cass’s dysfunctional family history and also helps unravel many a mystery.

In her time away, Cass has become a grown up. She has a depth of character that defies her age and is no longer the naïve little girl her mother always thought of her as. And Cass sees things in Dr. Winters that no one else does. Whether this helps her or hurts her, is for you to find out for yourselves.

"Emma in the Night" is quite the Psychological Suspense novel. Wendy Walker has now written her second novel expertly intertwining with a mystery/suspense novel with a psychological thriller involving forensic psychiatry that stupefies its readers. Every second captivates. And through most of it, I was none the wiser. There were a few moments that I had figured out but for the most part this was a complicated and truly compelling novel and the characters were juxtaposed within it brilliantly.

Dr. Winters is an intricate and convoluted character whose thoughts and ideas I was excited to unlock. Cass is a tortured soul who's strength of character, brilliance and sheer fortitude had me glued to every word she uttered. And Emma's wickedness had me laughing during the most inappropriate of times. In the end, every phrase and every moment of this novel had me awaiting the stunning conclusion.

You might have thought it improbable for Wendy Walker to hit it out of the park again after her brilliant first novel, "All Is Not Forgotten" but I can tell you that SHE DID IT!! "Emma in the Night" is bright, brilliant, captivating & intricate. It weaves a web you don't want to get out of.

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

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 5.15.17

*Will be published on Amazon on 8.8.17.

Excellent book. Great main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

"People believe what they want to believe. They see what they want to see."

There is nothing like being the daughter(s) of a narcissist mother. The tension at home escalates. The daughters, Emma and Cass, go missing and three years later -- only Cass returns. Where has she been? And where is Emma?

The tale is told in alternating points of view as Cass relates the events of that night. Do both Dr. Winter and FBI agent believe her -- they surely want to. Mrs. Martin hints that Cass is traumatized and not remembering correctly. Just what is true and who is playing mind games?

I really enjoyed this and was a bit suprised by the revelations. It's a neat psychological drama with interesting, though not really likable, characters. I'd recommend it!

I've read both books by Wendy Walker and appreciate her talent.

Books like these make me glad I have my degree and background in Psychology because I feel like I can enjoy them more. There is definitely a lot of clinical information and focus on psych disorders in this book as it’s a necessary plot point but I can see where someone who isn’t in love with the field of psychology like me can feel they got bogged down.
As you read through the story line it’s obvious the author had to put tremendous work into creating a detailed outline because her character development is meticulous in that the reader knows all the motivations, thoughts, and feelings without feeling lost as to what the characters are doing or why. Her character point of views add another dimension of interest so you get a fuller picture of where she’s trying to take this story.
If the reader plunges through those parts then midway her pace picks up and smoothed out to a great conclusion that makes it all end up being worthwhile. Books like these are what define the psych thriller genre.

EMMA IN THE NIGHT is extraordinary. Two teenage sisters go missing. One returns home three years later, frantic to tell her story and make sure her sister is found as quickly as possible. The reason the sisters disappeared is a mystery, as is the elaborate psychological game Cass, the returned sister, is playing with everyone, especially her narcissistic monster of a mother. I gulped this book down as quickly as possible, my heart pounding the whole time. Walker's pacing is masterful, and the suspense she creates is overwhelming. Anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller will love this, perfect for fans of GONE GIRL and THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Cannot recommend highly enough.

So have you noticed that every time a reviewer compares a book to GONE GIRL or GIRL ON A TRAIN, what they are really trying to tell you is that you are about to read a book with an unreliable narrator? Well, I am sure the same comparisons will accompany reviews of EMMA IN THE NIGHT. And while it is true that one of the narrators (there are two) is certainly unreliable, Wendy Walker doesn't make much of a secret of it. There are clues that the main character, an eighteen year old girl named Cass, is unreliable right from the start. The fun of the book, and what kept me reading, is that it is hard to discern what parts of Cass's story are truthful versus subtle and deliberate lies. The reader learns that Cass and her sister Emma disappeared from their mother's house three years ago and now Cass is back - with quite a story to tell. We learn that Cass's mother, who she refers to as Mrs. Martin, has narcissistic personality disorder. It has greatly affected the lives of her two daughters and may have been the main driver behind their disappearance. A truly twisted tale cautiously unfolds. Walker's writing is so good that I wanted to slow down and savor the book but the desire to discover the truth made me want to turn the pages as quickly as possible. This was a great read that truly fulfills the definition of "psychological suspense." Don't miss Walker's earlier work, ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN, which was also a riveting and satisfying read.

Thrillers with a woman/girl who has disappeared/died and sometimes another woman investigating seem to be a really popular plot point in the last year and a half or so. In this case our main character and her sister disappear, only for her to come back a year later without her sister and a crazy story. This is also the case that nearly broke the FBI agent investigating. My problem with this book is that I feel like I've read similar versions of this book recently. Also, almost all of the characters in this book are completely awful which is just tedious and irritating to read. Will we order it? Probably, until thrillers like this stop circulating. Was it for me? Not really. If I'm going to read a thriller, I really want something new and different.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

I really loved the premise for the book...as well as the ending. The middle though? That part I had some trouble with.

I think that being given so much about narcissism, and the children of narcissistic parents at the front of the book made it harder for me to stay engaged. You know that something very bad involving the mother happened to make these girls run away. It's also pretty clear Cass is an unreliable narrator who is likely not telling us an accurate tale of how it happened. However, we still have to sift through many chapters of her telling the tale anyway and that was the part of the book that started to drag a bit for me. (Perhaps I'm just an antsy reader.) Once we DID get closer to the truth though, the book picked up speed and was more engaging for me, personally.

Emma in the Night is a story that will capture you from the very first chapter. The way Walker introduces the complicated relationship between Mrs. Martin and her children is done flawlessly. Her execution of the first chapter really sets the tones and captures your complete attention. Not many books have me hooked from a few pages and barely an introduction, but Walker sure as hell did.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a topic introduced from the very beginning of the story. This is my first time reading on the issue. If you are like me, you think a narcissist is someone all about me, me me. But Walker provided an in depth explanation of what a narcissist really is and how they can affect those around them. For me, page 63-66 hit home a little too much. For the first time in my 26 years, I understand my mother and what is wrong with her. Reading this novel was felt like déjà vu. My whole life, I have tried to understand what my mother’s malfunction was and Emma in the Night provided me an answer. It’s a strange feeling to find an answer in a story when you weren’t even looking. While the story isn’t meant to be life changing, it certainly will have a lasting effect on mine. I wouldn’t be surprised if this story touches other reads in the same way it did myself. While it was a bitter sweet experience, the read was very enjoyable.

I did have a rough time sometimes with the story jumping from current times to the story Cass was telling. Or chapter two with Abby, it jumps around a bit. But after you get going, the transitions become much smoother as you grow use to the style.

One of my favorite things about being a reader is that I have learned quite well to pick up on foreshadowing. I always share my guesses as to what will happen with someone, so I can proudly proclaim I guessed correct. Yeah….that wasn’t going to happen with this story. So many times, I was so sure and confident I knew what was happening. Turns out, I had no fricken clue. The whole story is full of twist and turns with no character which you fully trust. I found it very exciting.

Overall, I think this story could be something big in the year 2017.

Thanks NetGalley for the early read!