Emma in the Night is an intriguing read that gets into the minds of its characters, openly exploring their thoughts, flaws, and desires. The story hones in on Narcissist Personality Disorder and the destruction it has caused a family and their two missing daughters/sisters. If you’re looking for characters who are admirable or saintly, move on. This psychological thriller is riddled with dysfunctional characters and family members who wreak havoc in their relationships. Most of them are hiding dark secrets from their pasts.

One thing I really like about this book is the reader can’t see what’s to come. The storyline could have gone in any direction, so it really leaves you guessing. The story is told from two different perspectives: Cass, who reveals what’s happened to her when missing, and Dr. Abby who isn’t so sure Cass is telling the truth. Not knowing if Cass’s story can be trusted is part of the building suspense in this exciting read.

This book will definitely keep you intrigued all the way to the end!

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

August 2017

I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emma in the Night will take you on a suspenseful ride into the convoluted drama that narcissistic personality disorder can have on a family. There are parts of the book where it seems there's a lot of rambling and extraneous information filling space. As in a lot of psychological thrillers, these "ramblings" from a characters POV provide insight into their mental state.

The story begins with Cassandra, or Cass as they called her, narrating from her point of view. The first chapter is all it takes to draw you into the story which has elements of a psychological suspense novel. Just a hint of "crazy" here and there unraveling the mysterious disappearance of two sisters. From the beginning the story Cass is spinning seems so unbelievable until information she provides helps officials discover evidence to find Emma.

There always needs to be the voice of reason. In this case, the point of view of Dr Abigail Winters, Forensic Psychologist for the FBI, plays that part. She narrates part of the story as one of the initial investigators with Agent Leo Strauss when the Tanner girls disappeared three years ago. The facts about the sisters disappearance remained a mystery until Cass shows up one night on her mother's doorstep without her sister Emma.

The novel is well-written with chapters creating drama and suspense and then others slowly unwinding the tale to reveal just enough to keep you piqued. Since this is a genre I gravitate towards I sat on the edge of my seat waiting for one of my many theories to be exposed. This was far more convoluted than I could even imagine. I liked that I was able to discern who the unreliable characters were but their reasons were constantly evolving.

I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy a great psychological suspense drama that captures you from beginning to end.

Emma in the Night is an edge of your seat thriller written in a style similar to Girl on the Train. Cass and Emma disappears for three years and then Cass returns home with a fantastical story. Dr. Winter fixates on Cass's mom narcissistic personality disorder and plays catch up as the whole story begins to unfold. Throughout the whole book, Cass draws you into her story but leaves you feeling that its not what really happened. The author weaves a story of smart lead characters following twists and turns to a surprising ending. I will be adding Wendy Walker to my must read authors. My voluntary review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

This psychological thriller is told from the alternating points of view of Cassandra, who was fifteen years old when she and her then-seventeen-year-old sister Emma disappeared, and Abby, the forensic psychologist who has been tormented by this case in the three years since the girls disappeared.

Now eighteen, the reader knows that Cass has some kind of hidden agenda when she returns home early one morning and tells her story to the FBI, but it’s not clear what until the end.

Abby has done research on narcissistic disorder because she and her own sister had a mother who suffered from it. In her studies, Abby looked at how daughters of narcissistic mothers either repeat the cycle or find ways to deal with it—some less healthy than others. No one wants to hear her theories about Jane, the girls’ mother, but when Cass returns and describes where she and Emma have been and why they couldn’t return earlier, Abby continues to read between the lines and refine her theories.

I thought this was a unique way to tell a story. It was a fast read and I wanted to learn whether the FBI could find Emma and what Cass’s full story was. The ending didn’t disappoint.

I recently read Wendy Walker's first book “All Is Not Forgotten” and loved it! When I saw she had a new release I was all in for another great read! Sadly, in my opinion, this one did not match the brilliance of the first.
Cass and Emma grew up in a blended family. After their parents divorced, Emma chose to stay with their mother, her new husband and son. Little sister Cass reluctantly tagged along. Their mother, always totally unpredictable with her affections, took great joy playing cruel games with their emotions. A Pathologic narcissist.
Cass and Emma disappear on the same day, though under different circumstances. Three years later one of them returns.
Dr. Abigail Winter, a forensic psychiatrist with the FBI dedicated herself to this case until it went cold, sending her into a tailspin. Now she’s been given a second chance to pull herself out of the darkness and help bring the second sister home.
Written from both Cass and Dr. Winter's point of view, in present and past tense. At times I was so confused, I never quite knew who was talking, and if it was a flash back or current conversation.
Nobody was very likable in this book. The writing seemed disjointed and I felt disconnected with the main characters. The pace of the book seemed very slow, and really didn’t pull me in. I found myself frustrated and struggling through most of it. Maybe because I had such high hopes for this one I set myself up to be disappointed…?
3*
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wendy Walker for an ARC to review in exchange for an honest review.

To be posted on Goodreads under Kaceey June 27-28, 2017

When I first decided to read Emma in the Night, I was torn. While I enjoy thrillers, books about family drama are not high on my list of things to read about. But I decided to give the book a chance. I'm glad I did, I think. The story itself was a psychological thriller which kept me hooked from the first page. And I enjoyed the idea of telling the story from two points of view. I wish, however, there had been a bit more time spent on the Dr. Winter chapters, especially toward the end. But my biggest complaint is the way the returning sister, Cass, tells her story. I think this is a story that would have benefited from being shown rather than told. I think seeing it happen, perhaps as a flashback, rather than being doled out piecemeal would have been much more satisfying.

Although I did like the book and found it to be intriguing, there was something just off the mark about it and jarring. Perhaps it was the subject matter itself.

This psychological thriller is the story of a monstrously dysfunctional family. Three years earlier two teenage sisters disappear from an upscale home. Then one, Cass, returns three years later. The story is Cass' and the FBI agents who worked on the original disappearance. It is gripping and engrossing and covers about every area in dysfunctionality. Going further would lead to too many spoilers, but the novel is well worth reading. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin Press for an ARC for an honest review.

I thought that the concept of this book was cool, but the delivery was lacking.

Having a hard time liking these characters, and being interested in what seems a completely made up story by the sister returned. It's a bit irritating and isn't making me at all curious about what really happened.

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

This book captivated me from beginning to end. Three years ago Emma (17) and her sister Cass (15) disappeared without a trace and left behind many unanswered questions: Did they drown? Are they alive? Have they been kidnapped? Questions nobody has the answer to until one day Cass returns and what happened is unraveled piece by piece.

This is a fascinating psychological thriller. It is told from the alternating points of view of Cass, the girl that reappeared; and from the FBI psychologist Dr. Abby Winter. Both characters are well-drawn and reveal the puzzle one piece at a time in an intriguing, carefully-crafted way.

Overall, I loved this book! It's brilliant and the author did an amazing job at creating and maintaining suspense throughout the novel. I also loved her previous novel All is Not Forgotten and this one is just as good if not even better. Highly recommend it!

Review posted on Goodreads, Blog and NetGalley

This book was well written, hard to put down, and one of the best I have read in some time.

Yes! I love it. Cass and Emma disappear one night. One of the sisters shows back up. The story winds. Who is telling the truth? A wonderful tangle.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite genres to read is psychological thrillers. This book started as five stars for me. The story line pulls you in and keeps you guessing.

Two things made it four stars for me.
All the “talk” about psychology. Too much of the book was a psychological analysis and overview of what a narcissist is. The technical aspect of it was distracting for me.

The last quarter of the book was weird, dark and unbelievable. Don’t get me wrong, the ending was good and fitting. There was just part of the story line that was taken too far for me. It almost seemed like the author threw in any twist they could for shock value.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to a friend. It was a fun and intriguing book to read.

Intense informative telling of Narcissism! Walker tells of two sisters living in the shadow of their mother's psychosis of vanity, self-love, and self-admiration. What happens when siblings are made to compete for their mothers' notice while forced to feed her flowery words at every turn? This crime mystery involves a disappearance, kidnapping, or suicide of Emma and Cassandra Tanner. Where were they and why were they taken is explored by the FBI Forensic Psychologist Abigail Winter. Three years later Cass knocks on her mothers's door with a plea to help find Emma. Leads are again delved into aided this time by Cass' clues. Sinister story with many twists and turns leading to an amazing conclusion. "A copy of this was supplied by St. Martin's Press and author via NetGalley with no requirement for a review. Opinion here is my honest opinion."

Dark, suspenseful, captivating.

Thriller/mystery novels aren't my usual genre, but I requested an ARC of "Emma in the Night" after being intrigued by its description. As sort of an outsider dipping my toe in the genre, then, I quite enjoyed this. Kept me on the edge of my seat a few times, especially towards the end as the puzzle pieces of the story truly started coming together.

The language was woven together in a way almost poetic in some passages and altogether was an enjoyable, worthwhile read - a novel exploring family dynamics (particularly mother-daughter, sister-to-sister), the human psyche, trust, female sexuality, and prioritizing those things most important to us based on our own perceptions of morality.

4/5 stars

Tried to review on Amazon but it is not allowing me to do so yet. it was a well written, carefully plotted out book, full of enough twists to throw you off balance. I did not see that ending coming at ALL!

This is my second Wendy Walker novel and I am officially hooked! Both novels are some of my all time favs!

Do you know what it’s like growing up with a mother who has narcissistic personality disorder? Emma (17) and Cass (15) do, after years of suffering under the emotional and mental torture of their mother they finally decide to runaway.

At least that’s what Cass is telling authorities after having been missing for three years. She spins a tale of kidnapping, a baby, and her sister still being held captive against her will.

With the help of Dr. Abby Winter, who has a unique insight into the family dynamics coming from a family whose mother was also suffering from narcissistic personality disorder, she uncovers the narrative that isn’t being told, and all the horrid family secrets that everyone is trying to keep.

Fast paced suspense that had me falling asleep with this book on my face as I could not put it down! This is one of those rare occasions where you could go back and re-read and gain something entirely different, I know I plan on doing so!

EMMA IN THE NIGHT is a fascinating look at a dysfunctional family who has a mother with narcissistic personality disorder.Emma and Cass vie for mother Judy's love in this intense page turner. The plot twists will keep your mind working - don't think you've figured out all the answers! This one is a tough one.

Mystery aside (which I really enjoyed), I learned a lot about NPD. How amazing was that? I won't go into it except to say that I think everyone will get something out of this book. It's truly a mindbender.

Thanks so much to St. Martins Press for offering me this excellent novel to read. I highly recommend EMMA IN THE NIGHT to everyone who enjoys a great mystery/thriller.

What a twisting psychological thriller, involving two sisters,Emma and Cass, their narcissistic mother and t heir lives growing up. One night both sisters disappear, no one has any knowledge of where they have gone. A couple years later Cass shows up at the family house, with a long story of both Emma and her living on an island with a couple. The FBI has been involved since the beginning , so the lead investigator and forensic psychiatrist are back to investigate. What follows is along tale of Emma having a child, living on the island and the take-over of the baby by the couple helping them. You won't be able to put this story down as you are wound like a clock, trying to figure out where the other sister is! Very entertaining right through the end! I received a copy of this book from Netgalley,and would like to thank them, Wendy Walker, the author, and publisher St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to give my thoughts.

*4.5 stars. I could NOT put this one down--the psychological drama between these characters is fascinating!

Cassandra and Emma Tanner disappeared from their home three years ago and now suddenly, Cass has reappeared on her mother's doorstep. She has a story to tell about being held on a remote island on Maine's rugged coast and is desperate for FBI authorities to find her sister.

The story is told from not only Cass's viewpoint, which is totally unreliable, but also from that of the FBI's Forensic Psychologist, Dr. Abigail Winter, who has been working the case with Special Agent Leo Strauss since the girls' disappearance was first reported.

As a young girl, Cassandra learned that her name comes from Greek mythology: "Cassandra had the gift of prophecy but the curse that her prophecies would never be believed." In her own short life, she has also learned that: "People believe what they want to believe."

Dr. Winter is an expert on narcissistic personality disorder and sees signs of that disorder in the behavior of the girls' mother. She has always believed the roots of this 'crime' lie in the family dynamics. Teens are frequently driven from their homes by dysfunction, abuse, neglect or instability. Are these girls the daughters of a mother with narcissism? This is something that Abby Winter has experienced in her own life and wrote her dissertation on in graduate school.

What is a narcissist? "In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a hunter who was consumed by his own beauty and pride." He fell in love with his own reflection in a pool and "stared at himself until he died." A narcissist has a "grandiose sense of self-importance; fantasies of unlimited success, power, beauty, brilliance; requiring excessive admiration; elevated sense of entitlement; takes advantage of others to achieve their own ends; lacks empathy; unwilling to recognize or identify needs and feelings of others." Hmmm...sounds like someone we know who is always in the new these days, eh?

Cassandra's story unfolds over the next seven days as tests are done, drawings of suspects are made, and the search for the remote island begins. The reader always has the sense that there is a hidden agenda playing out here and that keeps one turning pages to see what will be revealed next. I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful novel and highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an arc of this new book.