3★
“A war had begun in our home, and it would not end until the night we disappeared. Hunter had not wanted to defeat Emma, because defeat meant the war was over. And Hunter never wanted anything with Emma to be over.”

Emma and Cass are sisters who disappeared suddenly at the ages of 17 and 15. Three years later, Cass has returned and tells us her story. Other voices chime in, but mostly it’s Cass or Abby, an FBI forensic psychologist who’s been investigating the disappearance and is still looking for the truth.

The girls are the daughters of a manipulative mother and a discarded father. Mother Judy is a self-proclaimed femme fatale, evidenced by her tempting their father away from his first wife and son, and replacing them with a stronger, wealthier man and his handsome son.

The divorce was bitter, and Judy was so mad at Cass for saying she wanted to stay with their father (Emma said they should feel sorry for him being all alone), that from then on, Cass was to call Judy “Mrs. Martin”, not Mother.

Spiteful, much? As Cass tells us their story, she always refers to Mrs. Martin and Mr. Martin, which I found unrealistic. Sometimes she says “my mother”, but usually it’s like this, describing a fight.

“Mrs. Martin was stronger than I had ever imagined,. . . ”

She and Emma were 11 and 13 at the time of the divorce. I don’t believe an 11-year-old would change her thoughts to “Mrs. Martin” instead of “Mom” even if she changed her speech.

But, it was a strange set-up and a weird household. They adored their half-brother, Witt, who used to visit regularly when their dad was part of their lives but whom they seldom saw after their dad moved out.

Mr. and Mrs. Martin liked to go to the club, where she could flirt and party, while the girls were left on their own. Witt didn’t see his half-sisters very often after the remarriage, but when he did, he told them that their life was not normal. It’s weird that they are raising themselves.

It is weird. Add a hormonal, teen-aged stepson, and it gets weirder. Mother-Mrs Martin-Judy doesn’t like the way Mr Martin and his son Hunter are eyeing Emma, who’s tarting herself up and enjoying stealing the limelight from her mother. Judy blows hot and cold with Emma. Best friends one minute, cat fights the next.

And Emma does the same with Hunter – flirting and snuggling and smoking pot together one minute, then taunting him with some new boyfriend the next. It’s a very unhealthy set of intersecting, competing relationships, and Cass watches it all unfold. She sees Emma is as manipulative as their mother.

She tells us how Emma plays off everyone against each other, encouraging lustful glances from father and son to the fury of her mother. Mother is quite happy to be as sexy as possible in front of Hunter and eventually, one night, both girls disappear.

Cass explains how someone survives for three years away.

“No matter where we are and what we are subjected to, we will eventually settle into the new reality and try to find pleasure, even if it is nothing more than a warm shower or food or even a glass of water.”

So what happened? I was just curious enough to read to the end, which I didn’t guess.

The only character I liked at all was the older investigating officer who was working with Abby, the psychologist whose role seems mainly to be to feed us information about narcissism and other mental conditions. Special Investigator Leo Strauss was the older guy I didn’t mind, probably because we see so little of him.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted (so quotes may have changed).

Three years ago, fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma disappear. But Cass has returned without her sister and tells a crazy kidnapping tale. Normally I like a good suspense book. However, I found this to be a pretty unrealistic story with manipulative, psychotic characters. I read Walker’s previous book All is Not Forgotten and enjoyed that one a lot more.

http://nyfoodiefamily.com/august-2017-reads/

Was excited to get my hands on an ARC of Wendy Walker’s “Emma in the Night” based on great reviews and hype from other great authors (Mary Kubica gave it 5 stars) and celebrities (Krysten Ritter selected this book for September’s Book of the Month club). I had pretty high expectations for this one, even though I haven’t ready any of Walker’s books before.

Although this book was full of twists and turns that kept you guessing, it was also extremely unrealistic. When you finally find out what really happened the night the girls disappeared, and the years that followed, you’ll be in disbelief. There is absolutely no way any of this transpired and went unnoticed for 3 years.

To add insult to injury, every single character was out of their mind – from the girls (Cass, Emma) to the parents (Mr. & Mrs. Martin), to the detective and therapist! Not one sane character. *pulls out hair*

I love being surprised and Walker kept my attention until the end, but it is not enough to put “Emma in the Night” on my list of recommendations.

Wendy Walker is one of my new favorite authors. Emma in the Night is a thoughtfully written psychological thriller, delving into dysfunctional family dynamics and the bond between sisters. Every time I thought I "figured it out," a new plot twist changed it up and kept me reading until the chilling conclusion.

Teenage sisters Emma & Cass went missing three years ago. Now Cass has returned begging everyone to find and rescue Emma, who, along with her two year old daughter is being held on an island somewhere in Maine.

Abby from the FBI remembers the original disappearance and search. It is a case that has never really left her, as the narcissistic personality of the girls' mother reminds her of her own childhood and how, as a psychologist she has made an in depth study of this disorder.

As Abby and her partner attempt to find and rescue Emma we delve into the murky depths of this family and into the mind of Cass.

I think this is quite a clever story in some ways, but the desperately dislikeable characters made it quite a struggle for me to get through it. There were surprises and moments of- 'I didn't' see that coming!' but even so I'm afraid three stars is all I felt I could give it.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read & review this book.

A bit disappointed in this book I expected a bit more saying that the book is fine it just wasn't great.
The story is Told from several points of view I didn't like the characters much I just didn't connect with them.

Thanks the to the Author and Publisher for a chance to sample this book.

Oh, the games people (and authors) play. Two sisters disappear one night and three years later one reappears with a story to tell and an eager FBI agent and forensic psychiatrist ready to listen. Cass has returned with horror stories of kidnapping and being held on an island against her will. She has made a narrow escape from her captors. Will someone please take her seriously and go retrieve her sister Emma?

Psychological thriller authors have trained me to doubt everyone with a voice on page. In Emma in the Night we have a narcissistic mother, more interested in publicity than in the search for her two teenaged daughters. Her second husband is less than trustworthy. The majority of the “where have they been” recollections are told by Cass and Abby, the forensic psychiatrist. Abby seems to have issues of her own, many happening over the past three years when no one would believe her that the girls might still be alive. She suspects their mother thanks to her own encounters with narcissists. I couldn’t help feeling a lot of Abby’s actions and reasons for her behaviour in the novel were left on the editing floor. I would have liked getting to know and understand her in more depth. Cass has quite the story to tell. We not only hear her retelling of events but are also privy to her inner thoughts and recollections of life with her mother, a woman she refers to as Mrs. Martin. Too bad her own inner monologue is filled with inconsistencies.

I admit to being sucked into this family melodrama. A dysfunctional family to be sure. I knew I was being pulled into a web of lies and misinformation but I couldn’t look away.

3.5 stars for the ride.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

Publish: Aug 8, 2017 Hardcover, 320 pages
Published by St. Martin's Press ISBN13: 9781250141439 Rating: 5*

If one is looking for a twisting thriller, with a highly dysfunctional family, then EMMA IN THE NIGHT is what you are looking for, where nothing is what it seems and the truth of it all stays hidden right up to the very end.

Three years ago the Tanner sisters, fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma go missing. Three years later, Cass returns without Emma. Her tale of kidnapping and betrayal, a mysterious island and a baby Emma delivered is far-fetched with a lot of missing pieces. As the story continues, some of the pieces fall into place – and some don’t necessarily ring true.

To forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Abby Winter, things don’t add up. As she looks deep into the family dynamics she begins to identify a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent seems to be at the core of the mystery.

Note that I must warn you that you should not begin this book the night before work or school because you just might find it too hard to put down. Very good and a lot of twists one doesn’t see coming,

Marilyn Rondeau

Wow. This was not what I expected. It was so much more than just a "missing girl" novel. It was suspenseful, tragic, and a great read. I definitely want more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This book was very full of suspense. It was impossible to put down. I highly recommend!!

I was a huge fan of All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker and was anxiously awaiting another novel from her.
Emma in the Night is a mystery novel surrounding the Tanner Family. Sisters Cass and Emma Tanner disappeared from their home in the middle of the night. Police had no leads, the case grew cold and neither girl was seen again.

Three years after the girls vanished, Cass miraculously shows up and walks through the front door. The family gathers and the police are called immediately. Cass is anxious to tell everyone what happened to her and Emma.

Cass tells the police and her family a curious tale of the two girls being kidnapped and ultimately held hostage by a mysterious couple on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Then, Cass drops a bombshell - Emma had a child and they are both still alive. She gives the police bits and pieces of her memory in hopes that Emma will be found quickly.

As the search for Emma and her child goes on the police and the Tanner family begin to doubt Cass. The story she tells is nearly impossible to believe. Will they ever find out what happened to Emma and what did Cass have to do with her disappearance?

Emma in the Night is packed with dark secretes, family drama and characters that will have you shaking your head in disbelief. A must read for the mystery lover.

Some major ups and downs, but basically two girls vanish, and one girl returns. Three years have passed, and Cass is home, but Emma, she is still missing. This reopens a very cold case, based on Cass's testimony. Mommy dearest is a narcissist of the highest order. If you have ever been around a narcissist, this book nailed them. It can be really slow, with a different type or writing style, but I still had to read it all.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

This is a book I've been seeing a good amount of people talk about. I have never read anything by Wendy Walker but I do have her other book All Is Not Forgotten on my TBR list. I have to say overall I really enjoyed this book.

So the story is about how three years ago two sisters ended up disappearing. Now we just discovered that one has returned back home and we're trying to figure out what happened to them and where the other sister is. Right away I was intrigued and I was dying to know what happened those three years ago.

One thing that I really enjoyed is the author talks about narcissist personality disorder which I didn't know was even a thing. I've studied psychology in the past but that was never something I learned about. I enjoyed that I was learning about something new without really realizing it. You get to learn about how the person is with narcissist personality disorder. You get to see how it affects the people around the person with narcissist personality disorder. You even learn about how it might carry over to the children of the person with narcissist personality disorder. So that was super interesting and a fun way to learn about it.

One thing I did not like about the story is that it ended up getting pretty repetitive. The author gives you two different perspectives. The first one is the one sister who just returned, Cassandra and the other is from Dr. Winter the psychologist working on the case. I usually love when you end up getting different perspectives from stories but this didn't do it for me especially in the beginning. I felt majority of the time one narrator would tell you something and then it would end up getting repeated in the next narrator's perspective. I love when authors do different perspectives because I love getting to see what each person is thinking but not when you're being told the same thing twice. I do have to say the two different characters were very unreliable so they were always second guessing each other which really kept me reading. I wanted to get down to the truth of what happened.

The one thing that made me continue reading the book was I needed to know how it ended. I do have to say that was well worth the wait. I was completely shocked by the ending. I did not end up seeing that coming. I honestly can't wait to read Wendy's other book to see what other twists she has up her sleeves.

Emma & Cass Tanner - divorced parents pulling them in both directions. A narcassistic mother who plays them against each other.

At 15 and 17, they both disappear one night. No sign of them and despite a widespread search, no info and no clue as to where they are.

Fast forward 3 years, when Cass shows up at her mother's home. Without Emma. And telling a tale of kidnapping, being held captive on an island, a baby, and that they need to save Emma and the baby.

We watch as the police and psychologist unravel Cass's story to get to the bottom of what happened and try to find Emma and the baby, and capture the couple who held them on the island.

Lots of twists and turns in this book, and I didn't see the ending coming ahead of time, which is always a plus for me!

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review a copy of this book.

Not a bad read, but I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and getting invested in their plight.

I can't quite put my finger on what it was, but there was something that just felt off about this book to me from the start. I'm usually fine with unreliable narratives, but I found myself getting frustrated with the lead character Cass. Cass has a story to tell, and she's going to tell it on her own time and at her own pace, regardless of the fact that she is the key to finding her sister. I'm usually fine with flawed characters as well, but here there were just way too many of them competing for attention.

The unfolding of the night that Cass and Emma disappeared is what held my interest. Handed out like breadcrumbs, the pieces of the puzzle start coming together. The ending did wrap things up nicely, I just wish the middle hadn't been so all over the place.

ARC provided by NetGalley

This book drove me crazy, couldnt finish it. I wanted to like it but it just felt derivative and confusing

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Cass Tanner, the daughter of a classic narcissist who disappeared three years ago along with her sister Emma. Cass suddenly appears after the three years on her mother’s doorstep, with claims that Emma is being held against her will and that they need to go save her. Spending most of the next few days with the police telling them every detail she can remember in the hopes that it will help piece together where they were being held and where Emma is now. Through all this, Dr. Abby Winter, a forensic psychiatrist who is familiar with this case, notices oddities about Cass’s story that don’t quite add up.
Overall I loved this book. I didn’t want to put it down – the story was so interesting and engaging. It was perfectly in your head psychological and i could see into the mind of Cass and could understand her thought process. I loved the plot and all the plot twists and everything the story encompassed. Also funny story, I read this one while visiting my family’s house in Maine, which is off the coast near South Bristol. And funny enough when they’re trying to find the island where the girls were being held this was the exact location they were looking at. They even mention the island of Thrumcap in the book which is so cool because I could see that island from my house! Even without that added coincidence though, this was a great book with a lot to offer for a thriller and I would definitely recommend it!!

This is a good suspenseful mystery which will appeal to my customers who enjoyed Gone Girl and the The Girl on the Train. I great book to recommend as the summer winds down, there's still a few beach days left!

It's been a while since a book made me cry. The story was... awful to say the least. Every time that a child is involved, and cruelty, or kidnapping, anything, I think of my own daughter and am emotional. But this book, it's different. Seriously, I would NEVER have predicted the end, and how I would react to it. It was really good.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-copy.

Thanks to Netgalley, Wendy Walker and St Martins Press .
I have read works by Wendy Walker before. I must say this is my favorite one. Definitely five stars. The story was so believable and yet became so many stories within the story. I could clearly see in my mind the characters, the island, and the story materialize in front of my face.. I absolutely loved it! I'm usually pretty good at figuring out the endings but this one definitely threw me. This is one book I will not forget !