I'd never read Wendy Walker before, but going by this, I can see why her works have gotten praise. This was a deliciously unraveling story, told from the points of view of two sisters. Rosie, the older, more stable, married with a toddler 'got it together' sister is the current view. Her chapters tell about the day after the night her sister goes on a date she made on a dating site.

Laura is the view of the 'night before' and she's the chapters I enjoyed most. They're told from first person and because her psyche is less 'together', the chapters read more quickly and engagingly.

Overall, however, the entire story and the characters therein make this a fast, compelling read.

The Night Before is a twisty psychological thriller about looking for love in all the wrong places and the perils of online dating. Laura Lochner goes on a date with a man whom she met on a dating site and when she doesn’t come home the next morning and cannot be reached, Laura's sister Rosie starts desperately searching for her. As days goes by without Laura being found, Rosie starts to believe the worst.

This book was engrossing from the first page, with twists and turns I didn't see coming, and characters who I thought were good but turned out to be bad and vice versa. I enjoyed The Night Before immensely and would recommend it to any thriller fans.

I haven't read any of Ms. Walker's books before this one. I will be correcting that mistake shortly! I was fortunate enough to be given an early copy of this book by the publisher and am so glad I was. It was unexpected, to say the least. The book description tells very little except that a woman is missing. Always intriguing but this book had so much more to it than that. We get all sorts of psychological insights into multiple families and how screwed up people can be while seeming to be perfectly normal. If you get a chance to read this book, GO FOR IT!! It will keep you reading until the wee hours.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wendy Walker, Author of “The Night Before” has written an intense, edgy, captivating, suspenseful, and action-packed novel. The Genres for this Novel are Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, and Fiction. This story is written in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters in the events in the story. The author describes her dramatic characters as quirky, dysfunctional, suspicious, complex and complicated.

Laura Lochner feels she has never been lucky when it comes to men. After her last failed relationship, she is back home with her sister licking her wounds. Laura remembers a tragedy from years ago that haunts her. Can she move on? Rosie Ferro, Laura’s sister has reason to worry about her sister. There is anxiety and tension in the air while Laura is living in her home.

Laura decides to try her luck on an Internet Dating site. She mostly speaks to the man she will be going out with. Little does she or the man realize the danger that is present. But, who is in danger, and from whom? Laura doesn’t come home the next day and her sister and husband are troubled. What is going on?

This is a chilling and scary thriller, and everyone seems to be suspect. I would highly recommend this amazing and compelling novel for those readers that enjoy thought-provoking thrillers.

I received a copy from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. The Night Before is the second novel I read from the author and it was by far my favorite! I read All Is Not Forgotten when it was published a few years ago and loved it so I was pretty excited to dive into The Night Before. It has generated a lot of buzz on social media over the last few months and I was not disappointed! I loved it!!

If you’re looking for the next top notch thriller, The Night Before definitely check that box! I may have guessed a few of the twists and turns along the way but others I did not see coming at all so I was engrossed and invested in the story the whole way through.

Told in different timelines and POV’s, the reader can sense the tension grow as the book progress. Every chapter made me want to read more so i could find out what would happen next. It was very difficult to put down! Highly recommend for all psychological thriller fans!

This title will be available tomorrow!

The Night Before by Wendy Walker is a keeps you guessing mystery. It’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read so far. It is fast paced, thrilling and intense. A woman, Laura, with a questionable past goes on a date with a man she met on a dating website and never comes home. The author does a great job of maintaining suspense throughout the novel. She gets your attention in the beginning and manages to keep it through all the twists and turns. I could not put this book down. I highly recommend this one. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of this book.
#TheNightBefore #NetGalley

While the first few chapters of this book were slow, once I got to the 50% mark, I couldn't put it down. I felt like I was reading an HBO show. I was desperate to know what happened next and delve further into the secrets of Laura and her loved ones, especially Gabe and Joe.

The story is told from two points of view: Laura's first person the night before, and Rosie's third person present day. Rosie is the only "you get what you see" character in this novel, which is why it worked to not be directly inside her head.

My only gripe? I found the characters difficult to connect with. While the plot was fast-paced and multi-faceted, the characters were pretty two-dimensional and at times irrational. Again, this kind of reminded me of watching a show. I could see it all playing out, but wasn't in the characters' heads as much as I wanted to be.

Look out for my upcoming review on bitchbookshelf.com. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for sending me a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Excellent title and according to the whole plot from the beginning to the end. Beautiful cover. A well written novel, excellent characters and a good plot. Good pace very fast like I prefer and well detailed. It connects you with the reality of the plot and its shutters to the point that you can not stop reading it, excellent indication of a good job. When you are not reading it, it leaves you intrigued and wanting to resume reading. It is not predictable which writing today is very difficult since there are many suspense novels in circulation. I love the author. I had never read anything about her that led me to buy her 2 previous novels. And this must be one of the purposes of Net Galley not only to take the reader's current opinion in a book but also to encourage him to read more about the authors. very good for net galley and the publishing house now I am new fan of the author. Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity. This opinion is strict and only mine.

This book was a very fast read--I couldn't put it down because I really wanted to know what happened. I know that sounds cliche, but the pacing is quick and there's quite a bit of suspenseful action to keep the reader invested in the outcome.
The only quibble I have about this book is the timeline was a bit confusing. I had to keep turning back to the beginning of chapters to see when a particular event was occurring in order to keep straight the before/after/present day timeline. There's some overlapping (intentional) so some events aren't happening at the same time as other events even though it seems like they are. I know, that sounds confusing, but once you read the book you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Overall, the mystery is great and although the villain is kind of obvious once you get down to it (I called it from the beginning) that doesn't really detract from the overall suspense of the book and the unraveling of the puzzle.
This is the third book I've read by Wendy Walker and will definitely continue to read her books as they are always unique and engaging.

My second Walker book, I definitely see how her style can be compulsive, even with the slower pace that I have found in both this and Emma In The Night. Short chapters, unreliable narrators and a plot that keeps you guessing until the final reveals.

Poor Laura - always so unlucky in love and willing to chameleon herself to make herself worthy of her new love. A woman who believes in love but in the way that she is determined to make it happen, taking in the good things too much to heart.. and the bad things, calculating and untrusting. This does not bode well for her as she goes on a date with a man from the internet.

Nothing and no one is as they appear to be. I was a bit confused on one part between two of the characters. How did this little bit get thrown in and then not revisited? I'm a teeny bit baffled on this. While I did enjoy the story line, some things just didn't quite add up for me. There were definitely some lull parts but Walker does manage to make a slower pace still quite interesting.

Would I read Walker again? Absolutely! I'm not sure if this slow pace is her style across all of her books but I do absolutely appreciate the crazy stories that she seems to produce... even if some things don't quite add up.

Thank you NetGalley and the wonderful people St.Martin’s Press for gifting me an ARC of Wendy Walker’s newest thriller. In exchange for the ARC I’m offering my unbiased review.

Once again Wendy Walker delivers a page turning story that will leave you gasping out loud. Laura, the younger sister has always leaned on her older sister., Rosie. Eleven years ago a terrible tragedy occurred that left Laura scared and desperate to escape her childhood home. Now a new heartache has her running, but this time it’s back to where all her troubles began. And unbeknownst to either Laura or Rosie there’s more to that night that either one can recall.

This story had plenty of twists and turns and even though I was able to figure out some parts of the story, I still was racing through the pages to see how the parts came together. There were plenty of shocking moments but much to my delight none were far fetched or implausible!!!!
A really entertaining read that will be making a splash around beach clubs and swimming pools this summer.

I read a number of psychological thrillers. They're some of my favorites. This was the first book I've read by Walker, but it may not be the last.

As far as thrillers go, I thought this one started out a bit slow. I expected the pace to pick up as the story unfolded, and it did gain a bit of momentum closer to the end. There were some unexpected twists and turns that caught me by surprise, though the outcome wasn’t one of them. I would’ve liked more character development, particularly with Laura. I found it hard to connect with her or like her. I like how the story alternated between Laura and Rosie, with what happened with Laura then to Rosie trying to piece it all together. This was just an average, though quick, read for me.

This was a fun, quick mystery revolving around two sisters - Laura and Rosie, and their strange odd childhood, which seems to have seeped into their adulthood. Laura goes on a date one night, and does not come back home. Rosie begins to panick, and with the help of her husband, Joe, and their childhood best friend Gabe, they set out to unravel the mystery that is Laura Heart.

I really enjoyed it! Like I said, it was a fast paced mystery. And I truly didn’t know how it was going to end. The revelations within the book caught me by surprise and I wanted to keep reading to figure out what was going on.

Overall, I really liked this one! And I think it might be my favourite Walker novel. If you’re looking for a fast paced mystery involving 4 childhood best friends, then this is it! 🔍

Lately a lot of the thrillers I've read have had a slow start, and then they get better. With The Night Before, I was into it from the very beginning. The story follows two timelines - the night that Laura goes on a date with a man, and the next morning onward when her sister, Rosie, discovers she has not come home. From there, the reader is led down each path, not knowing who is innocent, and who is guilty, or even where the crime lays, until the two storylines meet. Sometimes a story that switches viewpoints can get confusing, but Wendy Walker manages to keep the pace quick, and as the reader, it's hard to stop reading. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt, but it still came to a complete resolution, so it didn't ruin the buildup of the story in any way. I definitely will recommend The Night Before for everyone's summer reading list.

This is the first book I read by Wendy Walker, and I was very intrigued by the premise. A first date gone awry? A woman with a troubled past who may or may not have killed her first love? Secrets and lies? I couldn't wait to start The Night Before. Sure enough, it was an incredibly compulsive read. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns, and I managed to be quite surprised at the end, which doesn't happen too often with thrillers anymore.

That being said, even though the end surprised me, I can't say I liked the way that the story wrapped up. I also didn't find the main characters to be very developed, and therefore found them to be lacking depth. I was especially hoping for more change in Laura's character, but didn't really get any.

Overall, this was a compelling read and had all the components of a great thriller. I think it will appeal to a wide variety of audiences, and I'm looking forward to reading other books by Wendy Walker.

The Night Before starts off innocently – Laura goes out on a date and doesn’t return home the next morning. Then we learn that Laura has had her fair share of not so great guys and has ended up in some unfortunate situations.

I liked the way that the novel was structured. The novel alternated between Laura’s night out and Rosie the next day trying to piece together what happened. There was also some conversations from months ago between Laura and her therapist spread out throughout the novel.

Now to the parts that I didn’t like. To me, Laura wasn’t all that likable. As the reader, you are on the date with her, and seeing how much she is questioning her date. Hey, maybe if this guy is lying to you and you are getting a weird vibe, maybe you shouldn’t get into his car when your phone is dead. Just a thought.

I also figured out a lot of twists beforehand and it took away from my enjoyable of the novel. I’m torn on how I feel about the ending. There was parts that I liked (lots of twists) and there was parts that I didn’t like (too far fetched).

Overall, it was an average thriller. It was a quick read with lots of twists, but I think I will forget about it by the end of the year.

Really enjoyed this fast paced Thriller. Its a page turner you can easily read in one sitting.
It is best to go into this book blind, reading reviews will just spoil it.

Laura has come back to home town where she grew up to start over. Laura has a past, she wants to find a way forward and start over. What better way to start a new chapter than back where she grew up, she comes home and stays with her sister Rosie, her Husband Joe and nephew.

Laura hasn't told Rosie and Joe why she left New York, all they know is there was a boyfriend. Laura hasn't had much luck with love, her therapist she was seeing in New York thought she might find her answers back in her hometown. So Laura decides she wants to meet someone and goes on a dating website, she connects with Jonathan Fields, they set a date to met.

Problem is Laura doesn't come home from her date..... Rosie starts to worry, Laura was vague with details or who and where she was meeting this Jonathan. Rosie with no choice must call the police........Laura's past will be bought to the forefront again.... and the story unravels.

I don't want to give away any more details, like I said it is best to go in blind. I kept putting myself in Laura's shoes... thinking what would I do. Its a cracker! do yourself a favor and pickup this book.

I absolutely loved this book! I don't know about you, but I feel like anyone with an older sister can relate to the dynamic between Rosie, the sensible level-headed older sister and Laura, the younger sister who always seems to need help and goes from guy to guy. I loved how much it seemed to relate to my own life, between my older sister and I while I was in highschool and beginning college. Their relationship seemed so realistic. There weren't any parts between any of the characters that seemed forced or strained. It was almost like these characters were all real people, playing out their lives in front of us.

You honestly feel the bond and connection between all of them and truly start to worry about Laura. At first, you're only half worried, like Joe. He seems more sensible. But then as the story progresses and you start getting into Laura's head and listing off all the things that seem wrong with Jonathan, you start to come around to Rosie's worried state of mind more easily. And what's worse yet, is that you start to doubt and second guess everyone. Literally, almost everyone becomes a suspect, including Laura, herself. After all, that whole incident with Mitch eleven years ago is something that clearly not everyone believes to be accurate.

Maybe there was something I missed, but I did not see this one coming at all. It threw me off track completely! I can honestly say that I didn't start to put it together until it was given to me. I almost felt like Rosie, I was following every lead possible, never wanting to put it down, trying to figure out who hurt who and why and ultimately, where Laura was because of it.

The only parts that didn't come off as neccesary were her sessions with her therapist. I don't want to say too much here but there were a lot of times where I felt like they could have cleared something up but instead just muddled it more. It almost felt like I was walking down a hallway and hearing a bit of their conversation without knowing enough of the backstory to have it make sense, especially in the beginning. Although it became more clear towards the end, I did feel like a lot of their conversation pieces weren't helpful. I found myself rereading them, trying to make sense of them. But towards the end, they were there to help make sense of things and I wish I could have gotten more of their story, because I began to truly like him.

I also feel like this was such a great story line and so realistic that I need to know what happens after. I have my suspicions but ugh, I need it!

This is the kind of book that leaves me feeling as though I lost my best friends when it finished. I couldn't put it down and now I wish I would have, if only so I could still be living in their world a little longer. But the suspense never let me put it down. I needed to know what happened!

This novel is amazing in its simplicity and realistic depiction of relationships. The secrets one keeps from certain people and reveals to others is prevalent and reflects real relationships. The requisite twist did not disappoint. This is a page-turner you cannot put down!

What can I say about this book... oh my goodness. I devoured it in 24 hours because it was so. freaking. good! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a fast paced thriller. 5⭐️
It’s available 5/14. Thank you to @netgalley & @stmartinspress for this ARC.
Synopsis:
Rosie Ferro and Laura Heart are sisters, but as different as it is possible to be. One is lucky in love and has a conventional family: a husband, and a small son. The other has a troubled past she is still struggling to break free from.

When Laura disappears after going on a date with a stranger she met online, Rosie, her protector since they were young, springs into action to look for her. But as she slowly uncovers more about the situation, Rosie begins to fear that her sister might have been more of a danger than the man she went out with.

Told in duel timelines - the night of and the night before, Wendy Walker's new novel is a riveting examination of family loyalty, obsession, and how just how far we will go for love.