Emma in the Night started out great - I was hooked, couldn't stop reading! Then about 3/4 of the way through it devolved into a predictable messy thing, and my enjoyment just sort of drained away. Wendy Walker does an excellent job with the narcissistic personality disorder. She totally nailed the mother, and I loved Dr. Winter and the slow reveal. But by the end I was just...unsatisfied? Drifting away? I don't know. I'd recommend the first three quarters completely, but after the last I'd leave this at a solid 3 stars.

Emma in the Night was an incredible read. It had me captivated from the first page and was nearly impossible to put down.
There are plenty of thrillers on the market right now but none that threw me through so many loops and made each chapter an adventure such as this one.
The plot in and of itself isn't necessarily a unique concept, but the way it was executed was beautiful and original. The characters were all intense and with each page you delved deeper into Emma or Judy or Abby's lives and development as the mystery of Emma unfolds.
The abuse mentioned in this book is one that isn't talked about very often, particularly in literature, so it was a nice peek into the issues and results of the type of abuse the girls suffer by their mother.
What I loved most about this novel was every time you think you know exactly what was going on/what happened, it kept proving you wrong. It changed what you thought you knew to be true throughout the entire novel, even after "the big reveal" of what actually happened.
I can't wait till this novel comes out, because I fully plan to buy a copy, as well as recommend it to friends and family!
Thank you so much to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and of course Wendy Walker for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

After Cass and Emma, two sisters disappeared three years ago, Cass returns with an incredible tail of an island, a child, and a husband and wife that kept them captive. The story alternates between Cass and Dr. Abby Winter, as the truth is slowly unraveled.

I'm not sure what to say about this book. The story unfolded at a nice pace, keeping me reading and involved. However, Cass was just so unrealistic. She seemed well educated, insightful beyond her years and a master manipulator. It just didn't work with the idea that she had been kidnapped as a 15 year old and returned at 18. I would be interested in reading more from this author, but I don't think I would re-read this book.

We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe. Maybe there’s no difference between wanting and needing. I don’t know.

Three years ago, two teenage girls, Emma and Cass Tanner, disappeared from their home. Now, Cass has come back, but where is her sister?

You may find this description a bit vague, but believe me when I say that this is a book best delved into blindly to make the most of the mystery lying at its core. So if you haven’t read it yet, please tread with caution – whilst I will try and stay away from spoilers, even little innocent remarks could spoil a major aspect of the plot in this convoluted tale of lies, betrayal and family dysfunction!

Just as I was complaining that there haven’t been enough books out there lately that mess with my mind, I came across Emma in the Night and bang! I eat my words, because this is a book that has all the elements of a twisted psychological thriller. Without giving away too many clues, it is instantly obvious that Cass, the returned teenager, is a troubled soul. Can she be trusted? Have her experiences in the last three years scarred her so much that she has gone crazy, like her mother is claiming (a mother, who Cass calls “Mrs Martin” – go figure)? And what is really going on in the Martin household? These are the questions forensic psychologist Abby Winter is asking herself as she is frantically trying to untangle Cass’ story in a race against time to find her older sister Emma.

Personality disorder and dysfunctional families feature prominently in this dark and disturbed tale, which leads the reader down a path so windy and tangled that one can never quite see the way out of the thorny thicket that is the story of Emma and Cass’ disappearance. Told in part in Cass’ own voice, and partly from the viewpoint of Dr Winter, I was never quite sure who I could believe or trust – which made the story quite intriguing for me! I admit that at times I struggled with the web of family dynamics, which are disturbing to say the least, and which carried a large part of the story.

“Aren’t I a good mother? The best mother you could ever want?”

With some confronting images, this is not for the faint of heart! And although the book is brimming with unlikeable characters, the author’s extensive knowledge of narcissistic personality disorder presents them as three-dimensional personalities, making the tale all the more chilling in its premise.

Emma in the Night is a twisty and disturbing tale focusing on family dysfunction, personality disorder and the effects of childhood trauma. With many of the elements that make for a riveting psychological thriller, Walker delivers a story that will stay with you long after the final page has been turned. Highly recommended to lovers of the genre who like a story where nothing is quite as it seems.

“It’s my turn now, my turn to be the lightening rod.”

Cassandra and Emma Tanner are sisters from a broken home. Three years ago they both vanished. A car left at the beach and shoes of one sister left at the water’s edge. The novel begins with Cass’s sudden return to her mother’s house on Sunday morning ….but without Emma. FBI Special Agent and psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winters interrogates the now 18 year old Cass about the story of their disappearance. All Cass can utter is “We must find Emma." It is here that the story is told of imprisonment and deception, and the story of escape. But something does not add up. Where is Emma?

The novel is recounted by Cass and Abby's alternating perspectives. The cunning narrative flows freely dealing with the complex subject of narcissism and social relationships. The characters are sophisticated and complex. Judy Martin is a narcissistic mother who self-interest is cringe-worthy. Cass is an unreliable narrator and beguiles her audience and you alongside. This psychological thriller will hook you from the first page and keep you wanting more at the end of every chapter. This is my first novel by Wendy Walker and it will not be my last.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed learning about narcissism while reading this story. Lots of suspense, interesting characters and plot. Highly recommended. I didn't want it to end.

It's clear that Wendy Walker is a talented writer, and I'm always drawn to books told from multiple perspectives. I would like to read All is Not Forgotten to see if I'm better able to connect with those characters, as Dr. Walker and Cass were difficult characters for me to empathize with. Having just finished Megan Miranda's The Perfect Stranger, and beginning Mary Kubica's The Good Girl, I'm drawing a lot of comparisons and contrasts between the three, and it seems that while Walker definitely holds her own in terms of her literary prowess, her characters lack a sense of invitation.

Wendy Walker is the kind of thriller writer who seems to have been personally born to write books for me. I love the "psychological" part of psychological thrillers, and Walker's work provides just that. While the twist at the end of this one didn't grab me in quite the same way ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN, Walker's writing is gripping, fast-paced, and engaging. I'll read her next book immediately-- I'm officially a fan.

My absolute favorite genre or type of book to read is a psychological suspense/thriller novel as I am totally fascinated in the way that some people think, feel, or behave.  I also like to challenge myself to see if I can figure out the why and who.  EMMA IN THE NIGHT was an intriguing look at Narcissist Personality Disorder and how a family is ultimately affected by it.
 
Why I wanted to read this one…….I was really excited and jumped at the chance to read an advanced copy of WENDY WALKER’S new book, EMMA IN THE NIGHT, as I ABSOLUTELY LOVED her previous novel, ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN, and it was one of my favourite reads of 2016.

What it’s all about…...One night two teenage girls, Emma and her younger sister Cass go missing in the middle of the night and three years later one comes back and tells her story.
 
Why I actually enjoyed this one…The wonderful narration throughout this story.
 
What happened then for just 3 stars…...I really tried to get involved in the storyline but it just didn’t happen for me.  I don’t know if it was just because I couldn’t fully get into this story because there were quite a few distractions surrounding me while I was reading this, as I was away on vacation, or if it was just because I did get the feel of the novel early on and it started to get a little monotonous for me and just didn’t hold my interest like I would have liked.
 
EMMA IN THE NIGHT by WENDY WALKER is a disturbing, insightful, captivating, and a twisted psychological thriller that is filled with dysfunctional and manipulative characters.
 
WENDY WALKER delivers an extremely well-written read here with an interesting and unique storyline told from two different perspectives which focuses mainly on Cass and her story of what happened to her during those missing three years and Dr. Abby Winter who questions what really happened while searching for the still missing sister, Emma.
 
Overall, it was a mostly enjoyable, quick and easy read with a satisfying and neat ending. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.  Would recommend!  
 
Publication date: August 8, 2017
 
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Wendy Walker, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book for a fair and honest review.
 
All of my reviews can be found on my sister blog:
http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereading.wordpress.com

Have you ever felt like your brain was a bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with Pop-rocks?

That is about what I feel like after having read this one.

For the most part, this story was thick, hearty, and full of fiber. It took a lot, and I mean a lot to get through it. But then every once in a while there was a Pop-rock. It created the quick zing and crackle needed to suddenly find myself rapt with attention, devouring every word . . . until I was left with nothing but that thick, boring oatmeal, and couldn't help contemplating just what it was I was doing with my life. But then, Lo! Another Pop-rock.

Which is why I'm right in the middle on this one. For one thing, my brain now feels like it is mush, yet there are these little sprinkles of intrigue that make it so I feel somewhat gratified for having kept at it and finished this one. It was an interesting story, and it ended in a way that was interesting, I just wish it had gone about all that a whole lot quicker. With less detail. A lot less detail. Which is strange for me. I never thought I'd say that about a book.

Recommended for the most devout lovers of mystery books, who aren't afraid to get down and dirty with a no-nonsense brand of sociopathy.

*3.5 stars*

Three years ago, Cass and her sister Emma went missing on the same night. Now Cass is back, but the agents on the case aren't sure that she's telling the truth about what really happened.

We get two POVs in this novel, Cass and Abby, one of the detectives in charge of the case. Abby has always been sympathetic to the girls. She recognizes that their situation at home, particularly with their mother, is very similar to that of her own past. Yet she was reluctant to pursue the matter when the girls first went missing. But when Cass arrives on her mother's front porch, Abby is ready to solve the mystery, once and for all.

I've read a lot of psychological thrillers this year alone. A lot of books about teenage girls disappearing, and detectives trying (and sometimes failing) to find them. There's such a fascination in our society about the subject matter, there's literally hundreds of books with plots at least loosely similar to this one.

So a novel of this kind has to be both inventive and impeccable for me to give it a high rating. I did enjoy "Emma in the Night," and I was invested in finding out 1) why the girls disappeared, 2) why Cass came back, and 3) where Emma was. But I did spoil the surprise ending by figuring it out halfway through the book.

I also felt that Abby's character wasn't three dimensional enough. I really like the books where you get to know the detectives as much as the victims and suspects. Here, I knew things about Abby, but I didn't really feel them. I couldn't get a sense of what her daily life was like, outside detective work. And because Abby's voice was 50% of the narrative, it make less on an impact on me.

There was also quite a lot of textbook-esque discussion about narcissism and what it means to have a narcissistic parent. I think this would be interesting to people who know nothing about the disorder, but I've read quite a bit about it, and found myself nodding my head and wishing we could hurry through the explanations.

I did feel very sad for Cass. She had a difficult life, and was constantly surrounded by unlikable, inhospitable people.

All in all, I thought this was a fun read, and I did find the ending to be satisfying.

I never thought of myself as a reader of thrillers, but lately I've been picking them up more and more often, and weirdly they've been working out for me. I think I requested Emma in the Night, by Wendy Walker, from Netgalley because I liked the title, and maybe the cover. And it was one of those many "girl comes back from her mysterious disappearance, but where has she been?" stories that seems so popular lately.

The funny thing is, the only way to make a story like that work is for there to be a decent amount of characters hiding information from the reader, which frequently drives me up the wall (see my opinions on Jodi Picoult). Secrets may be kept for a reason from other characters, but if you're inside a character's head and they're thinking about The Truth but not telling you what that truth is, well, that's cheap dramatics.

So it's a fine line to walk for me, this kind of psychological thriller where we're finding out what happened, rather than watching it happen. Emma in the Night, I'm pleased to say, walked that tightrope and kept me reading to the point where I finished it in a day, which is not a thing that I am known for.

Cass and Emma are sisters in a messed up family, and three years ago they disappeared on the same night. Now Cass is back home and begging her parents and the police and anyone who will listen to find Emma.

Abby Winters is the forensic psychologist who worked on the missing person's case three years ago, and she's never been able to shake it. She recognized that this family had some ugly secrets, but she was never able to dig them all out or convince her superiors that they were relevant to the disappearance. With Cass's return and the hunt for Emma, she can finally find out the truth.

What unfolds is told from two points of view. Cass's parts are in first person, and her careful, deliberate personality--the product of a lifetime spent jumping through the many hoops required in her family--means that we know full well that we're not being told everything. Every thought that Cass has is deliberate and specific, and we will follow the investigation with her, but the past will unfold when she's ready to tell it.

With Abby, though, we can follow the investigation and see how Cass's clues play out in the real world. I think the biggest flaw in the book, actually, was how Abby's psychological expertise was treated by those around her--the rest of law enforcement was very dismissive of her theories about the family, which seems like the opposite of my understanding of how any criminal investigation works; aren't the family the first set of suspects? Don't you bring in a forensic psychologist to listen to their opinions on the psychology of the parties involved?

I suspect that some of the psychology behind this is also a little loosey-goosey, but I don't expect much from a thriller. And I have barely put the book down all day, which is what you ask from this book, so in that respect, it's incredibly successful at what it's trying to do. Highly readable.

EMMA IN THE NIGHT WRITTEN BY WENDY WALKER

"We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe. Maybe there's no difference between wanting and needing. I don't know. What I do know is that the truth can evade us, hiding behind our blind spots, our preconception's, our hungry hearts that long for quiet. Still, it is always there if we open our eyes and try to see it. If we really try to see."

I really loved Wendy Walker's "All is Not Forgotten," that came out last year about a real drug that is being tested right now that gives you the ability to forget a serious trauma that you suffer. I don't know if clinical trials of the drug are being tested on soldiers who have been suffering with PTSD after experiencing horrific flashbacks after coming back from serving our country with PTSD or if is being tested on the mainstream population. Wendy Walker made it very clear that at the time her book was published that the trauma clinical testing of the pill to erase one's memory of an event was true and real. I also loved the unreliable narrator psychiatrist spin his tangled web and manipulate the other character's as if he were the puppet master and they were his puppets'.

Naturally when I learned that Wendy Walker's new book "Emma in the Night," was coming available I jumped at the chance to read it. I really loved "Emma in the Night," equally as well. I would have loved to give this one five stars, too, because the story and plot were both BRILLIANT! The reason I took off one star from making this a five star read was because, in my humble opinion, I had to suspend belief in a couple of scenes as I did not think two highly trained, skilled FBI agents would outright do a few things ethically speaking that they did towards the wind down of the book. Don't throw rotten tomatoes at me yet, because I didn't name what they did so I truly hope I didn't just ruin your reading experience by adding a spoiler.

Emma and Cassandra disappear one night taking no clothes, money or any of the kinds of things one might take if planning to go off the grid. Emma's car is left abandoned at the beach. Cass is fifteen and Emma is eighteen. Did the two sister's drown? Were they abducted? Gone. Missing. Without a trace of evidence to go on besides finding Emma's keys and purse and trace evidence of Cass's hair inside the car.

Dr. Abigail Winter, forensic psychologist who specializes in narcissistic personality disorder receives a telephone call on a Sunday morning from Special Agent Leo Strauss who worked the case of the missing Tanner girls three years ago with her. Abby had always thought Cass and Emma's mother, Mrs. Judy Martin, had an extreme case of narcissism and thought there was something off about the family. Her own mother suffered from narcissistic behavior to a lesser degree but deep inside her core she knew Mrs. Martin was a full blown narcissist and that she was hiding behind her stories about her family life and something still haunted her to this day about this case.

Leo tells Abby that Cass Tanner showed up at the Martin's that morning. Cass came home alone without Emma after three years of being missing. Leo tells Abby that she will be getting a call from the New Haven, Connecticut field office he just wanted to clear it with her first. Abby asks Leo what do they know and he say's Cass just showed up, took a shower and she is just resting until they can get there.

The narrative is told in that good old common device that many suspense/thrillers/psychological thrillers today use alternating chapter's with Cass's point of view with Dr. Abigail Winter's and it totally works in this novel masterly. Cass is now three years older and a bit of an unreliable narrator touched by the dysfunction of her parent's divorce, being the one that was pushed aside by Judy Martin's wedge she drove between Emma and Cass, by favoring Emma. Let me tell you about Judy Martin. She used to ask Emma and Cass if she was the prettiest girl they've ever seen when the girls were younger, Was Mrs. Martin the smartest woman they've ever known? Was she a good mother? The best mother they could ever want? When the girls were younger they would reply "yes, mother." At other times when Mrs. Martin was in a dark mood or thought that the world conspired against her or was cruel to her, for not seeing how special she was. The girls would would say together "You're the best mother in the whole wide world!" And they both believed it until they got to a certain age and Emma would whisper to Cass that none of that were true and when they were older they wouldn't need Mrs. Martin and they would have each other.

The dysfunction in the family touched everybody. Mr. Martin used to watch his son watch Emma as she grew more beautiful and an outward hard shell. Mrs. Martin used to watch Mr. Martin watch his son Hunter watch Emma. The author did a fantastic job fleshing out all of the character's to make this book a character study of all of the character's. They come to vivid life on the page as each one plays their role of the heartbreaking toxic effects they all have interacting with one another. Cass tells us herself how during the custody battle between the girls biological father Owen Tanner, how Emma sealed her fate as her mother's favorite by telling Cass to tell the court that she thought her and Emma should live with their father because he is sad. Cass gets rewarded by her mother telling her that she can never call her mother again. From now on Cass is told by her mother to call her Mrs. Martin.

Dr. Abigail Winter wanted Psychological testing done on the Martin's when the girls first went missing. Abby thought whatever happened to them. Emma and Cass that lured them from their home was an acute traumatic event. Chronic neglect, abuse, instability, dysfunction or the dark void of an unfulfilled need. The perpetrator found a way to satisfy that need, to give it what it craved. According to Owen, Cass and Emma's father said Judy was capable but she was not willing. She slept twelve hours every night, then watched reality TV and shopped for clothes all day. She would open a bottle of wine at five o'clock and finish it by ten when she went to bed, words slurring, that magnetic personality suddenly repulsive. Allegedly she told him that she had done her part by giving birth.

Abby remembers her thoughts on the drive over to the Martin's to talk to Cass and find out what really happened. She is thinking about how Judy had seduced Owen Tanner. Neglected her children. Had an affair with Mr. Martin at the country club. About the bitter custody fight. And about the toxic home Judy had made for her daughter's with Jonathan Martin and his son, Hunter. The voice of Cass Tanner four years before she disappeared telling them all that something was not right in that house--something with Emma and Jonathan Martin and Hunter. When Abby and Leo arrive at the Martin's house to interview Cass she tells them that they have to find Emma.

Cass tells Leo and Abby that the night that they left the house she was hiding in the backseat under a blanket while Emma drove out of the driveway and down the road. Emma who was a senior was angry when she discovered Cass in the car. Cass doesn't remember how far or how long Emma was driving but she remembers meeting a really nice couple named Lucy and Bill who hired a man named Rick to take them to an Island off of the Atlantic coast surrounded by Pine trees and woods where there is a wooden dock and a row boat. Cass goes on to say that Emma was pregnant and Lucy and Bill living on that Island were nice to Emma and Cass for a long time and that Cass could leave whenever she wanted to and that nobody was holding them against their will. That Cass just decided three years later that she wanted to come home so she left.

Something doesn't sound right to Abby and Leo about Cass's story. Forensics are called in, there is a media circus. Since Cass already took a shower forensics figures out from the sand and shale in Cass's shoes and since the Island was surrounded by Evergreen trees and the Atlantic Ocean Cass let's it slip that she bought her train ticket in Bristol or Portland Maine. There are too many to count small islets off the coast of Maine for the FBI to search them all in the first few days. Cass can't emphasize enough how important it is to find Emma and her baby. Of course as the days pass public records are searched the department of motor vehicles and of course Bill and Lucy don't show up in any town records in Maine of owning any Island or drivers licence or any public records because that wasn't their real name and they are living totally off the grid.

More days have passed since Cass's mysterious return and she tells Abby and Leo that after Emma has had her baby Bill and Lucy only let Emma see the baby for small intervals of time and Emma is free to leave anytime she wants but she can't take her baby so Emma won't leave. Cass recounts a story where Emma and Cass were going to leave but on the dock Bill grabbed Emma'a baby and held her over the freezing black Atlantic dangling by one leg and he threatened to drop the baby in the freezing currents. Emma jumped into the icy water off the dock and every time she tried to put her hands on the dock Bill would step on Emma's hands and grind his boot bloodying her fingers on her hand. Every time Emma would sink then swim the frozen temperatures of the air and icy water Bill would grind his boot bloodying Emma's hands again and again until Emma was finally pulled onto the wooden dock.

Cass said that after that they both pretended that they loved Bill and Lucy and for about a year Cass and Emma played pretend but Emma would not leave her baby so she stayed and Cass left with the intentions of going back with help to rescue Emma and her baby. By the time the FBI found Bill and Lucy's Island and surrounded the area they found the house abandoned. They found under one of the single bed's Emma's necklace taped underneath the bed frame. They found a book of lullabies a few meager baby items, some fat women's clothes, again a few scant items.

Abby and Leo wanted a picture of Emma from the Martin's of every single year of her life so a sketch artist could draw a very realistic portrait of Emma. Cass sat with a sketch artist and described Lucy and Bill. The FBI were hoping that with the help of the media Bill and Lucy being on the run with Emma and a baby were more likely to draw attention to themselves with the four of them. Still there are a few inconsistencies with Cass's story that bother Abby and Leo and they come up with an ingenious plan. The idea is one that happily I am delighted that I never had a clue what would shake loose from the trees.

I LOVED THIS WHOLE BOOK FROM COVER TO COVER. Excluding the one detail I mentioned above that I just don't believe two seasoned agents would risk their career over. It was so interesting and well written and clever. I think Wendy Walker has firmly established herself as a writer who understands what motivates the psychological dynamics to create subtle and full blown psychological disorders that are real and credible to keep the reader engaged. The reveal or the tell of this story is so CAPTIVATING that what Leo and Abby are able to unravel is like a fine symphony playing it's final instruments chords with the whole band coming to their STUNNING conclusion.

I wish so much that I didn't have to deduct a whole star. I put my whole heart and soul in writing this review. It is more detailed and I spent probably the most time I have ever spent writing a review ever. I am already sorry that I may have to wait a year or longer to see what Wendy Walker writes about next. I can't wait until she writes another book, I would read her grocery lists. Remarkable, memorable, addictive taut suspenseful in both plotting and characterization.
I highly recommend this one and am grateful to Net Galley, the enigmatic, talented Wendy Walker thank you the pleasure was all mine and to St. Martin's Publishing for providing me with my digital copy for a fair and honest review. I am eternally grateful.


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Emma and Cass Tanner have been missing for 3 years when Cass shows up on her mother's doorstep one morning. She has quite the story to tell about why they disappeared and where they've been. The same detectives who were assigned to the missing person's case meet with Cass to hear her story. In the end Cass's ultimate objective is to find her sister and bring her home.

This was a tough book for me to get through. The story line was choppy for me and at times didn't make sense. The whole naming of Mrs. Martin and Mr. Martin thing drove me absolutely crazy and I cringed every time I read it. One of my main problems with the story was that I didn't care about any of the characters. Not one of them was likable. Since I didn't care about the characters, I really didn't care about the story or why the girls were missing. The "twist' at the end wasn't really a twist and was too predictable to be surprising. The mother-daughter relationships and the whole narcissism idea never convinced me. I didn't like the mom (AKA Mrs. Martin ughhhh) but I didn't loathe her like I think I was supposed to. It would have drawn me into the story more if I had liked Cass or Emma a little.

Sorry to be so negative! This book just wasn't for me.

This has been by far my favorite thriller of this year! this was a book that was very hard to put down because I had to know what happened to both girls! I usually hate when thrillers have so many pieces to a puzzle that it starts to become frustrating instead of interesting this book was very smooth with the puzzle pieces and left me curious for more instead having frustration over it. I liked how I really thought I knew what had happened to the girls up until they find the island and I was thrown off course then Bam! the twist! it was so worth the wait and very clever on Casses part I did like the cover it was ok but the book was fantastic I almost feel bad for the other thriller books I will read because it will be very hard to top this one I highly recommend this book!

4.5 stars! I was hooked from the word go with this one. Two sisters go missing one night, and three years later one of them returns, alone. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Cass (the girl who has returned home) and Abby (who is with the FBI and on the case) we slowly uncover the truth about the night that the girls originally went missing.

This is SUCH a well written book. Right from the start, you know something is off with this family. And as the book goes on, you think you've worked out a twist - you think you know what's going to happen. But you're wrong - you couldn't be more wrong. The plot is extremely unpredictable.

The plot moves at a really nice pace, keeps you engaged - it's definitely a page turner - I didn't want to put it down! At times I found myself a little confused. (Sometimes Abby is called Dr Winters and sometimes Judy is called Mrs Watkins etc) but I realised about halfway through that this is completely intentional and it's the authors intention to make the reader feel completely lost within the story.

It's a pretty dark and twisted story - and I learnt a lot about Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I'll definitely be seeking out more books by Wendy Walker - if you enjoy psychological thrillers, don't miss out on this one!

Emma and Cass never knew from one day to the next whether their mother would be in one of her phony affectionate moods or in a rage at some imagined injustice. She always ran hot and cold depending on who her audience was, who was watching, and the purpose for which she wanted to manipulate them.. When the sisters suddenly go missing one night their mother plays the part of devastated parent but as the years go by the investigation grows cold. Few people know the truth of what happened the night Cass and Emma disappeared but when Cass returns years later without her sister, and with a strange story to tell, investigators will have to take a fresh look. I was deeply engaged in most of the story as told by Cass though I found it to drag a bit during the parts told from the psychiatrist Abby's point of view.
This was a suspenseful, twisty, dramatic look into the lives of a dysfunctional family.
3 and a half stars rounded up to 4

One night, after an argument about a cheap necklace, two sisters disappear – three years later one returned.

EMMA IN THE NIGHT by Wendy Walker

Cassandra and Emma never had things easy growing up with a mother who displayed classic signs of narcissism. One day they were loved and the next could be frightening in the neglect they suffered. They soon learned how to keep their mother happy but in turn she learned how to play them against each other. Then both girls disappeared on the same night. Emma’s car and shoes were found on the sand by the ocean, but no signs of Cass could be found and nothing was missing from her room. Could the girls have disappeared together or were they the victims of two random, but coincidental abductions?

The FBI psychologist assigned to the original case suspected something else was at play but trying to convince others almost caused her to lose her job. When Cass returned demanding action to find her sister, Dr Winter saw her second chance to set things right.

This was a twisty-turny tale of a severely dysfunctional family. It was obvious from the time that Cass returned that things were not as they seemed. As I read more and more of the story I developed plausible outcomes … and then changed my mind again and again. Despite my multiple guesses I still got the ending wrong but that’s a sign of a good psychological thriller, right?

While I enjoyed this book there were times I felt it could have moved along at a slightly quicker pace; the story is told from multiple points of view so some of it was repetitive. When I got to the end I couldn’t get past the feeling of “well that could have all been prevented with one phone call”.

Emma in the Night releases on August 29th, 2017 and while I certainly would not hesitate to recommend this book to friends, but can’t quite rate it among the top books I’ve read in this genre.

* I’d like to thank the publisher, St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley for my copy of the book, sent in exchange for an honest review. *

Sister and her disappeared 3 years ago.
Sister and her grew up having to fight mother for her affection- needed admiration.
1 sister returns
FBI Agent has not gotten over the initial case, takes on this new case of the homecoming and continued disappearance of the other sister.
Story is told both from the sister who returned and FBI Psychologist - so we get both sides of the story.
As the case delves deeper you will become more deep in the case and trying to solve the case yourself.
Tension builds --to a surprise ending.

Emma in the Night is the newest story by Wendy Walker. The story goes back and forth in time and switches back and forth from two different points of view. Ms Walker has done an excellent job of merging it all together. Surprises and twists make this a page turner. I was given an early copy to review.