There is no shortage of books about the return of missing girls, but Emma in the Night sets itself apart by including  and exploring an authentic narcissistic  character. The term Narcissist is used incorrectly a lot to describe people who are just arrogant, but it’s an actual personality disorder that is much more than just arrogance. Though at times the story turned almost a little too clinical describing how Judy, the mother of the missing girls (Emma and Cass), is a narcissist, it was a lot of interesting information.

The story is told through the POVs of Cass, the daughter that has returned and wants to help find her sister, and Abby, a psychologist with the FBI working the case who also grew up with a narcissistic mother. Through both of them we see just how twisted and abusive Cass and Emma’s childhood was and the reason behind that behavior.  I feel like the story is less about finding out exactly what happened, as finding out how exactly the characters reached this point. The conclusion to the crime/mystery was kind of clichéd and a little unsatisfying, but the events leading up to it were interesting.

I appreciated the new angle on the missing girls trope, but was left slightly underwhelmed overall. I think if you go into this for the character development, the family drama, and the mental health information rather than for the mystery, you will enjoy it.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

This was a quick read for me and I enjoyed it but I thought there was too much back story for all characters and not enough development of the plot taking place in the present time. A good thriller with lots of back and forth between periods of time.

Even though this book doesn't come out until August 8th, I've already read several glowing reviews about this new psychological thriller. However, I didn't care much for it. There were many eye roll and cringe-worthy moments, not to mention sections that dragged on and on.

But, some background first - High school students Cass and her older sister Emma vanish without a trace without anyone understanding how or why. Three years later, Cass returns to her mother's doorstep, sans Emma. The story then revolves around Cass talking about her experiences before and during her disappearance as well as working with the FBI.

A major theme in this book is narcissism, and it's very evident because there are many passages defining what it is and how it affects people. It felt out of place within a novel and took the focus away from the plot. Some of the characters did some pretty eyebrow-raising things to maintain that center of attention, and I often felt uncomfortable reading it. It didn't give me vibes of "look at what these people will do to be #1" but rather "these people have some weird sexual perversions."

Like with the descriptions of narcissism, so much of this book was spelled out and lacked the subtlety that a good mystery should have. It brings me back to my school days when I was told to "show, not tell" when writing, and this book did an awful lot of telling.

It has been a while since I read a psychological thriller that had more twists than I expected.

It is definitely not for the faint of heart and at least for me a one-time read. But that does not mean that the book was not good. It was a very well written book with arresting characters. 

The story starts with the return of Cass who went missing on the same day her sister Emma. She tells the story of the past three years that they had been missing for. Parallelly the forensic psychiatrist who had earlier been assigned to the case has been hung up with this case and is smelling a rat with the revelations that follow.

The narrative swings between these two and we see what unfolds. I did almost finish it is one sitting once the story got going. The only reason is did not give it 4 stars is that I did not feel a satisfaction at the closure of the case. Otherwise it does have the nail-biting quality which defines the genre as well as the twisted minds of the players involved in this elaborate game.

Hernández Novels Score: 4.5/5

First and foremost I want to thank St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy of Emma in the Night via NetGalley in return for an honest review. NetGalley recommended I read this novel, as I'm an avid thriller fan, and I was most definitely not disappointed. I can't even remember the last time I devoured a book this fast - I finished it in less than a week! From start to finish I could not put the book down. I never read at the gym, but you bet I sat on a bicycle and read. I never read during lunch at work, but you bet I read while I ate my homemade chicken fried rice. I never read when I get home from work, but you bet I laid down on that couch and kept reading every single word.

We are immediately immersed in Cass' world when she returns home after disappearing for three years. Cass disappeared with her sister Emma and is adamant that Emma must be found, immediately. With the help of the FBI, Cass begins to tell the story of where she's been for the last three years, how she got there, and what happened to her while she was gone. Cass narrates her own story, but we also get another perspective, Dr. Winter's, which is given to us from the third person. Dr. Winter has doubts about Cass' story, and Cass herself is the kind of narrator that tells us what's on the surface level, but never gives up her deepest thoughts to us. Is Cass' story real? Where is Emma? Why and how did they disappear? What does Judy Martin, their mother, have to do with all of this? I needed the answers immediately, so I kept reading and reading every spare moment I had.

What I really liked about the book:

– The entire story is so well thought-out. It must have taken Wendy a lot of work to figure out every piece of the story before constructing it so beautifully. I was amazed by the story-telling. At the end, I had no questions about what happened, and was only left pondering about the future of the characters.

– I really appreciated that every chapter changed the perspective of the story. As Cass would finish one part of her narrative, I immediately wanted to know how Dr. Winter felt about it and what her analysis was. How did she explain Cass' behavior? What did she notice that I didn't while I pictured Cass answering the FBI's questions?

– The psychology behind the story's premise is brilliant. The main focus of the story is on the mother-daughter relationship, one tarnished by a parent who suffers of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. What forces have created the monster within Judy Martin, the girl's Mom, and how does that monster play into the disappearance of the girls?

– Every single character was fully realized. I knew who every character was, why each stood out, and how each one thought and behaved. Wendy did a near-perfect job materializing each of her characters.

What I really didn’t like about the book:

– I was hooked every minute of this ride, but when I finally learned the truth behind the girl's disappearance, I was disappointed. I was disappointed because I felt that the wait was long, and exciting, but the pay off wasn't worth it. I had imagined something more exciting, more interesting, more out of this world. This is the only reason why Emma in the Night does not get a perfect star rating. However, the real bomb drops on you in the last two chapters, and Wendy drops it so nonchalantly that it took me a second to fully grasp the reality of it. My mind was blown!

I enjoyed Wendy's Emma in the Night so much that I am looking forward to reading her first thriller All is not Forgotten. I hope it's as good as this one! Emma in the Night will have you on the edge of your seat piecing this difficult puzzle together, wondering what is real and what isn't, what is truth and what isn't, and will, in the end, make you shed a tear of hope for the future of the characters you will learn to love. You absolutely must pre-order and read it immediately (when it debuts on August 8, 2017).

Thank you, Wendy, for your creativity and voice. I love a strong female writer, and I think I have found someone to be excited about. I look forward to checking out the rest of your previous work, and waiting anxiously for your future stories. You've got a new fan!

MY REVIEW OF "EMMA IN THE NIGHT" BY Wendy Walker

 "Emma in the Night" by Wendy Walker is an extremely intense and intriguing mystery and thriller that will keep you on edge. I appreciate that the author discusses a Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and how it affects family relationships. It is also mentioned if the children of women with a Narcissistic Personality Disorder will develop the traits and symptoms of this. 

The characters are described as complex, complicated, disturbed and dysfunctional. Most of the characters could be suspect to any inappropriate actions.

Two teenage sisters disappear, and there is evidence of the older one's abandoned car by the water. It has been three years since the FBI and Police have investigated and there is no new information.

The younger sister suddenly appears after all this time. She claims she escaped and has to find the older sister, who is on an island.The FBI gets involved again. There are inconsistencies in her story, and the emotions in the surrounding family.

There are many twists and turns in this story, and the ending is not what I thought it would be. This was a dark, intense, captivating thriller and mystery and I would highly recommend this for book lovers of this genre. This is the first novel I have read by Wendy Walker and I look forward to reading more. I received this ARC from the publisher for my honest review.

This book was a fresh take on the mystery genre, with a twist at the end that was definitely unexpected. Unfortunately, Cass Tanner and her sister, Emma, have some serious mommy issues, and that's what takes up most of the book. The relationship Cass and Emma have with their mom, both in the past and the present, is necessary to the plot, but gets repetitive after a while. The search for Emma is the only thing that keeps the story going, and that is the only reason why I would recommend it. But be prepared to hate almost all of the characters, expect maybe two, since very few of them have any redeeming qualities.

The start of this book was really captivating and I wish it hadn't taken the turn that it did for the ending!

I couldn't put this book down! The psychological aspects were highly interesting and I enjoyed all of the characters. There was a lot of intrigue in the plot, which kept me guessing.

When you get to nearly the end of a story, and realize it's been told inside out and a bit backwards; as you're looking down the telescope of events and all you can think is, "holy crap, that's brilliant!" you know you've got a good one!
Emma and her sister Cassandra's disappearance are central to the story, but the events leading up to, during and especially after, will blow your mind. This psychological thriller brings family dysfunction to a whole new level, and will leave your mind reeling.
"People believe what they want to believe," and you'll think you have bit and pieces figured out throughout the book, but you'd be wrong. I got to the end, with brand new eyes, and had the desire to reread the entire thing knowing what I knew now; that's the sign of a great book!

This psychological thriller kept my attention for 2 days, I couldn't wait to read it. I thought about it when I wasn't. Awesome sophomore read.

Every time I thought I had this plot figured out I was wrong..Very concise storytelling..An enjoyable read

This book was fantastic. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys stories about family secrets. The author fashioned one heck of an original and fast paced story line. The story centers around Emma and her sister Cass and how they went missing one evening-just like-Pfft into thin air. It keeps you guessing and gives out little nuggets of information every so often. You think you know what happened to Cass three years earlier when she and her sister went missing but then you realize that you were wrong and the story makes a 360 degree turn and you now don't know what to think. Really a great thriller.

Emma in the Night is a psychological thriller that you will not be able to put down. Missing sisters, serious family dysfunction, and narcissistic personality disorder all feature in this well written novel. Fascinating characters and unpredictable twists you won't see coming.

From what I've seen, people either loved or really disliked this book. I fall into the first camp. Sisters Cass and Emma went missing three years ago. Suddenly, Cass is back and has quite a tale to tell about where she's been, which she shares with the FBI and the psychologist on the case in the hopes of finding her sister. As you figure out early on that this novel is going to fall into the unreliable narrator genre, you quickly begin to wonder - what isn't Cass telling us? What are we missing? To be honest, once I got to the end, I was mad at myself for not seeing what was coming...but I loved the book and it definitely kept me reading. I especially enjoyed all of the psychology thrown into the mix :)

3 years ago Cass and Emma Tanner disappear. Cass returns home, Emma doesn't. What happened to the sisters? Who kidnapped them? And where is Emma? This was a great suspenseful thrilling book with lots of twists and turns. I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down until the end! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in return for honest review.

Read all my reviews at: https://brainfartsandbooks.wordpress.com

All through this book I was waiting for the twist. Where was it? Who knew? Who didn’t? Ahh, yes, there it is, at the very end. And then your brain needs to rewind the book just so you can review the story over again. This book was so smooth, so seamless, it never skipped a beat…ever.

Told from the perspective of both Cass, the victim who comes back after 3 years of being kidnapped, and Dr. Abby Winter, a psychiatrist who is trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Secrets are kept for the sake of figuring out what really happened. Lies are told. Calculated information is given to lead Dr. Winters to where she needs to be to find out what really happened the night Cass and Emma were kidnapped. And underneath it all lies a mother with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, something I had never heard of until now. The emotional abuse Cass and Emma endure from their mother, Mrs. Martin, is downright disgusting. So where was Cass this whole time and where is Emma now? A story of abuse, violence, betrayal, and surprises.

Thank you to Netgalley, Wendy Walker, and St. Martin’s Press Publishing for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first lines of this book grabbed me from the beginning. "We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe." These lines served as the guide to this crazy, twisting story. This book was interesting for me, because I minored is Psychology, the addition of Narcissistic Personality Disorder was very intriguing concept and I loved how it wove in and out of the plot of this novel all the way through to it's conclusion of the cycle breaking with Cass. The darkness and desires of the different characters also played a part in making this story a great drama.

I did feel the there was moments that were very redundant, but I believe that coincides with the book having an investigative tone with interviews and the like. It did not deter me from finishing the book.

Overall, I think the book was great and enjoyed it, It had all the pieces you would want in a psychological drama. I would recommend it to friends and family if I knew they enjoyed books like this.

I would like to actually give this a 3.5 stars. Emma has vanished and hasn't been seen for 3 years. Her sister is also missing, presumed dead, but she insits her sister is alive and they must find her. There is mystery and intrigue as you try to figure out the moving parts of this...is Emma telling the truth? What really happened? The ending caught me by surprise and brought all the pieces together. The only reason it got less than a 4 was that parts of it went on too long and were repetitive. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Truly a psychological thriller, encompassing the concept of narcissistic mothers.

Everything comes neatly together in the end.