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.

This one was a little slower than I thought it might be but it did still keep my interest.
I think the characters were very well established and the storyline was good but I think it just lacked a little bit of suspense for me. It starts off strong when Cass comes back after missing for 3 years but without her sister Emma who disappeared on the same night. Before long you start to understand that everything Cass says is very calculated which made her extremely suspicious but you know that there still has to be some truth to her story. As the story unravels you learn so many things in the past that lead up to the disappearance but the ending did still catch me completely off guard.

I am a huge fan of psychological thrillers and I really liked this book! Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop!
Cass returns to her childhood home after a three year absence. Unlike a typical coming home novel, Cass is not returning after graduation or college, she has come after being kidnapped. Three years ago she and her older sister Emma disappeared into the night without a trace. When Cass returns without her sister, her only goal is have her sister found. She tells her story to Dr. Abby Winters, a forensic psychologist, who can see the inner workings of the girl's family including the emotional abuse at the hands of the girls' mother. The story is more than just runaway teens; it's a tale of betrayal, abuse and, ultimately, love.
The novel takes readers from the perspective of Cass to Dr. Winters, each view adding something to the story that the other character cannot. Cass gives us a first hand view of her family and what it's like to live with a narcissistic mother while Winter unravels the mystery sounding the teen's disappearance. The read anxiously tries to put the two together to get the real story of what happen not just the night the girls disappeared but what happened after that.
a riveting page turned, I finished it in two nights and was astounded by the twist hidden within the depths of the pages.

I did enjoy this book, I truly did but at some point it had a chance to blow up and be amazing but the author let the story fizzle out

Emma In The Night was not what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be your standard police thriller where you follow the lead detective around and follow the case from beginning to end. Instead, the reader is switched between Cass’s 1st person view of everything that is going on and what happened in the past and the 3rd person view of Dr. Abby Winter, a forensic psychiatrist working with Cass to find out exactly where she was the 3 years she was gone and most importantly….where Emma was.

I am not going to go into the book because I am afraid that if I do that, I will give something major away. I will say this: This book has more twists than a pretzel and each one of them was a surprise. So if you are going to read Emma In The Night, make sure you are in a comfy chair (or bed) because I guarantee that you will not be able to put this book down.

How many stars will I give Emma In The Night: 4

Why: Fast paced, well-written thriller that kept me wondering what was going to happen next

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence, sex and sexual situations and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I think my absolute love of psychological thrillers is pretty self-evident on the blog, but just in case you're new to my reviews it's important for you to know that dark and twisty tales with whodunnits and why'd-they-do-its are pretty much my favorite kind of read. What exactly that says about me I'm not too sure, but it's the truth, nonetheless. Unfortunately, it's very rare for me to read a book that takes me almost all the way to the end before I've got it all figured out and Emma in the Night managed to do just that.

Wendy Walker has a real talent for drawing you into the heart of each character and slowly feeding you puzzle piece by puzzle piece as you attempt to figure out just what happened to Cass and Emma, and where they've both been in the years that they've been missing. What enthralled me most about the book was that no single character was truly innocent, no one person perfect. I often talk about books being realistic, but in few cases is it really, truly so as is the case with Emma in the Night. I could not quit reading. I could not quit digging further into these girls' pasts and Cass' present until the shocking conclusions started coming together. This is a book for all ages that like a thrilling read, but it's also a book that will have you looking a little closer at your friends, your neighbors, and even your own family.

When I was surfing around on Goodreads, I noticed that there are some pretty mixed reviews for this one. Sometimes you just have to give it a try, so I did. And this is the first book that I have read from Wendy Walker and it certainly won’t be the last one.

We get the story in alternating point of views between Cass the youngest sister and Abigail Winters the forensic psychiatrist that was part of initial missing children case. Cass’ story unfolds over the first week after her arrival back home, so we get a piece here and a piece there of what happened during the time the girls were gone. Where they were, who was with them and what happened. Also Cass gives us the reader a glimpse into their home life before Emma and her went missing. As Cass tells her story, Abigail is trying to put it all together. I didn’t really know a lot about narcissistic personality disorder, so following along with Abigail gathering all the information, I was trying to figure it all out too. Sitting on the sidelines, it felt like I missing something, was there something more going on, was I missing something. So, I just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Everything finally came together, I did sit and wonder to myself how I did I miss that!!! The ending was fantastic though….

Cass is a pretty strong girl, especially with everything she has been put through in her short life. There are a couple of side characters like her step brother that I wouldn’t knocking some sense into. Cass’s half bother Witt, was great though and her Dad too. This was one seriously dysfunctional family. Dr. Abigail Winters was pretty badass, her line of work would be amazing to do. Overall, the characters seem to be fairly complex but well developed in their own ways.

Psychological thrillers are something I have always enjoyed reading and this one delivered just that, but who knew it could be both a psychological thriller and have heartbreaking moments at the same time. I will be on the look out for some more books from Wendy Walker. Pick this one up! It is freaking amazing.

There is a lot about this story that I liked but much I didn't like. I felt it was repetitive and the timing and switching between characters was disruptive.

I received this book "Emma in the Night" from Netgalley for my honest review.

Emma and her sister Cass disappear one night. What has happened to them? Its been 3 years and out of the blue Cass returns but not Emma. Where has Cass been and what happened to Emma, why didn't she return also. Cass starts to tell everyone about those 3 lost years but is that what really happened? I thought this was a really good story and a page turner for me. I have not read the authors previous book All is Not Forgotten but I think I would like to.