First line: "<i>We believe what we want to believe.</i>"

That was a simply amazing novel. It had interesting characters, a fascinating plot, and several unexpected plot twists...what more could you ask for?

I would like to thank Netgalley for getting the chance to read this novel from an author who is new to me, but one I would like to read more of.

Cass Tanner disappears at age 15, along with her 17-year-old sister, Emma, not be seen, heard from, or discovered for three years. Cass reappears, alone, on the front doorstep of her mother's home with a carefully concocted story in hopes of finding her sister.

This novel went from what I thought would be quite straight forward, to being anything but that. I was surprised at every twist and turn that was presented to me. I was constantly thinking, trying to figure out what the next step could be.

I found this novel to be a page-turner, simply because it boggled my mind on several occasions. Despite being a short novel (less than 250 pages), it contains a story that is going to keep you mentally running right up until the end.

I'm apparently not a fan of women's psychological thrillers.

The book is well-written but the introspection and drama seems unrealistic.

Very interesting construction, portraying a horrifying family situation. Hard to put down.. I did not figure out the end in advance, and I appreciated that. (Sorry this is so brief--I will be buying this for our library and recommending the book.)

"We believe what we want to believe"

This is the premise of the book; a book that carefully lays bare the dysfunctional family ruled by the manipulative matriarch, Mrs Martin. Unlike Wendy Walker's previous novel, which I found to be overly graphic, "Emma in the Night" is restrained and getting to the truth of the story is rather like slowly peeling an onion, layer by layer.

As psychological thrillers go, this is up there with the best. Very much character driven the reader is never sure who to trust, and exactly what happened 3 years earlier when the sisters, Emma and Cass, go missing. It is evident that someone is lying, but who? The story is told from alternate viewpoints of Cass and the forensic psychologist, Dr Abigail Winter, who has a vested interest in the case.

It is a heartbreaking story, and very well written and researched.

Thanks go to the publishers St. Martin's Press and net galley for the arc in return for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book enough to give it at least 4 stars but just found I didn't. I loved the book All is not forgotten by this author so when I was given a chance to receive an ARC of Wendy's most recent book I jumped at the chance. Three years ago two sisters,Cass 15 and Emma 17 disappeared and no one knew if they were dead or alive. Early one morning Cass shows up at her Mothers's house claiming she escaped the couple holding her and her sister hostage and that Emma must be found. The story is told by Cass and Dr Winter. The doctor thinks Cass's story isn't adding up and there is a secret Cass is hiding.

The storyline I found really hard to follow and seemed to jump all over the place. I just felt while this book was okay there was so much more potential to this story.

Really enjoyed this gripping thriller. There were lots of twists and turns that keep you intrigued until the end, but not to the point of confusion. This is the second book of hers I have read and I was not disappointed with either of them.

Three years ago, sisters Emma and Cass disappeared. The investigation into their case really messed with psychologist Abby Winter's head, but their trail went cold and the FBI archived the case. Until one morning when, out of nowhere, Cass shows up in her mother's doorstep pleading that the police needs to go and rescue Emma from the place she'd managed to escape.

I've been in a terrible reading slump for a couple of months now, and I think this was the kind of book I need. It's a thrilling page-turner that kept me entertained until nearly 3 in the morning. The story is narrated by both Abby and Cass, and they were just unreliable enough that I was drinking their words and still turning the pages because I really needed to find out exactly what was going on. It's pretty addictive.

However, a few things kept this from being a stellar read to me. First, there was the writing style - at times I felt the author was just randomly pairing up words in order to create metaphors and sound poetic. Then there was the endless paragraphs in Abby's POV describing narcissistic personality disorders and all its technicalities; I'm a psych major and even I had enough of that by the third time it happened, and it kept being a thing until the very end of the novel. It seemed like the author had done a lot of research about it and also wanted everyone to know how much research she'd done lol

Despite these negative things, I still enjoyed this very much. If you're feeling slumpy or looking for a quick, interesting mystery thriller to read, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out.

The Tanner sisters disappeared on a foggy night three years ago. Emma was seventeen-years-old and Cass was fifteen. Now three years later, Cass is back. Turning up on her mother's doorstep....alone.

When they disappeared, Emma's car was found at the beach, with her purse and keys inside. Her shoes were in the water. Assumptions were made. Almost everyone believed Emma was dead. But they couldn't figure out what happened to Cass. Emma would never have taken Cass with her to the beach. Plus none of Cass's things were missing. So where was she? Different people believed different things. Could it be a coincidence? One sister dead, the other a runaway? An abduction?


"Some people needed to believe I was dead because it was too hard to wonder"

The girl's mother tells the story of the night in question, which gives her the attention she thrives on. An apparent fight between Cass and Emma over a necklace then a car seen leaving later that night...

Social media, the girl's cells phones, and diaries didn't help at all. Everyone was at a loss.

What happened to the Tanner sisters?

We learn more about what life was like in the Tanner/Martin home. Dysfunctional would be one way of putting it. Daughters who craved attention from a mother who also craved attention, and for whom playing favorites was a game she perfected.


"Am I a good mother? The best mother you could ever want?"

For three years, Cass had imagined the moment see would see her mother again. But she was not at all prepared for the expression on her mother's face when she saw Cass on her front porch.

They take Cass inside, asking question after question, but Cass won't answer. Until finally.....

"We need the police!" "They have to find Emma! They have to find her!"

Dr. Abigail Winter (Abby) forensic psychologist is called in to consult along with the FBI. Abby knows this case inside out, it has eaten at her all these years. One those cases that buries itself deep under your skin. Abby could see things that others couldn't...or wouldn't. So when she hears the words "Cassandra Tanner came home", she's on her feet, ready to go in seconds.

Will she finally find out what happened the night the girls disappeared? Where has Cass been? Where is Emma? Is it possible that the theory Abby had about the case was correct? The theory that no one else believed?


"Find Emma!"

When Abby hears those words from Cassandra Tanner's mouth, time stands still. Emma is alive?

"The island." Cass said. "She's still on the island"

And with that, Cass begins telling them what happened. As she begins her story, everyone keeps asking her why they left in the first place. When she finally replies, her answer shocks them all.

As I mentioned before I was worried I wouldn't like this book as much as I liked the authors first novel. I shouldn't have worried as I REALLY enjoyed it.

EMMA IN THE NIGHT is not just a story about two missing girls. It's a story about love, obsession, loyalty, mental illness, secrets, jealousy, and even revenge.

The story is told from Cass and Abby's point of view. I think the book is well paced, and I couldn't wait to read what was going to happen next. This is one of those books that I wanted to talk about to everyone. I've always been interested in behavioral psychology and one of the main themes of the book is one I'm most interested in. I found it fascinating. Wendy Walker really knows her stuff. Intelligent and disturbing, I was completely engrossed in the psychological aspects of this story as well as the mystery itself.

EMMA IN THE NIGHT is definitely a book I won't soon forget. I'm two for two with Wendy Walker and I cannot wait for more!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

I read this book while on vacation, a perfect book to keep me company during a long wait at the airport! I didn't mind the 2 hour delay at all! I found the book to be captivating and enjoyed the different perspectives. I thought the depth of the characters and the multi-layered plot to be interesting, yet not predictable and was quite stunned at the ending! If you're looking for a good psychological thriller then I recommend you pick this up!

Upcoming book Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker is the sort of psychological novel that may rob you of sleep for a while.

Talk about a dysfunctional family! I had no idea that narcissistic behavior could create such complex and dangerous issues. The appearance of normality in the midst of abuse is truly frightening.

Highly recommended.

Emma In The Night by Wendy Walker is a disturbing and twisted psychological thriller that is filled with dysfunctional and manipulative characters. This is the first book that I've read by Ms. Walker. Her previous book is now on the TBR pile. She has peaked my interest.

I was enjoying the book and was interested in the premise (a kidnapping, a mystical abandoned island, secrets ) but I started getting lost in the choppy dialogue. The story seemed to repeat itself and the conversations were too in depth to keep my interest. I found myself plodding through the pages. Having said that, I did enjoy the book and I would recommend it for the psychological thrill.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I found this quite slow at first and felt it didn't start to connect until halfway through. Saying that, this is very intelligent clever writing, keeping you guessing about the outcome, with many twists and turns right to the end.
Cass and Emma are sisters in a very dysfunctional family. This is their story and how they get free albeit it in very different ways. It is also the story of how the police are affected during the length of a case. The author has researched the subject well and has put it across in an understandable way.

Emma in the night is a psychological thriller about how toxic narcissistic behavior can be by Wendy Walker.

Cass and Emma , sisters , two years apart disappear one night and after a thorough search they are believed to be dead. But after three years Cass who is now eighteen years old returns to her mom and step-dad’s house with a far-fetched story about being held captive on an island in Maine by a childless couple. The FBI investigator Dr. Abby Winters and Agent Leo Strauss the investigators on the case before come back to interview Cass and to find Emma and her two-year-old daughter that are still being held captive by the couple. Thus, begins the race against time to find Emma and truth about what happened that fateful night three years ago.

I really enjoyed this book and was turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. Cass’s story is revealed in seven days and the suspense leads up to the satisfying climatic end. I would definitely recommend this novel to all suspense lovers and will definitely be looking for more books by Wendy Walker.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

Unpredictable, addictive, suspenseful, this book will draw you in and nothing will distract you! Two sisters disppear one night and three years later one comes back, Cass, aged 18. The mother is a narcissist and obviously the girls were affected by this. This is a story of Narcissist Personality Disorder, which I found fascinating, and its effect. The story is told alternately by Cass and Dr. Abigail Winter, a forensic psychologist who specializes in narcissistic personality disorder. The ending of the story stayed with me for some time, it was poignant and heartbreaking but perfect.

Twists and turns, in the tradition of Defending Jacob. Exciting and compelling.

Emma & Cass disappeared from their home 3 years ago. Cass knocks on the door and has a story to tell about what happened to them The same FBI agent and psychologist who investigated now are there to hear the story Cass has to tell of what had happened to them and why she is home alone.
This story starts long before they disappear with many twists and turns to it. They are raised by a narcissistic mother with a father too weak to fight for them when the parents divorce. A half brother who loves them but too young to really be of help. A step-father and step-brother who add to the problems at home.
A hard situation to grown up in and then to deal with what happened when the girls disappear adds to it.

"We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe."

Emma and Cass Tanner are teenage sisters growing up in the home of their step-father, step-brother, and mother. Their mother is not the wonderful, doting, and caring woman that she believes that she is and that she portrays. She is a woman suffering from narcissistic personality disorder - a mother who torments her daughters and manipulates everyone around her. One night the girls both go missing with very little clues left of their whereabouts. Three years later, Cass returns without Emma, telling a detailed but far-fetched story of she and her sister being held captive on an island for the last three years, the island where Emma still remains.

This story begins with the day of Cass' return and alternates between Cass' point of view told in first person perspective, and Dr. Abby Winters' point of view told in third person limited perspective. Cass spends the next several days telling everything that happened to the sisters and every detail she can remember of where they were held captive and how she made her escape.

I could not put this book down. Being that I have a bachelor's degree in psychology, the extensive background information about narcissistic personality disorder, coupled with a such a well-developed character living with that disorder, had me hooked from the start. Wendy Walker takes you through a story that leaves you wanting to believe everything while questioning everything at the same time. The intense relationships within this family are multi-layered and revealed slowly, but completely in a story that left me reeling. Wendy Walker is a talented storyteller and this book is a contender for my favorite that I have read this year. I highly recommend 'Emma in the Night'.

Okay, so I'd like to begin by saying that Cassie Tanner is one of my all time favourite characters now and the worst part? I can't even tell you why without giving away spoilers. Let's just say that she's extremely clever and amazing and I'd just love to be in her head during the course of this book.

Emma in the Night which I was kindly sent by Netgalley follows the story of Cassie Tanner who returns to her family home after disappearing one night with her sister, Emma, three years previous. She returns with a story of kidnap and being held on a strange island with her sister until now, when she managed to escape. It is down to psychologist Abby Winter to delve into the world of not only Cassie, but her dysfunctional family. What really happened on that night three years ago? And more importantly, where is Emma?

The format of this book, considering it is a mystery thriller, is quite unlike any I've read for a while. Usually, we have the entire book building up to the end when the Big Reveal happens and until then, we are as clueless as the characters. However, Cassie returns home at the start of the novel and immediately tells her story. Although this was different and refreshing, the big info dumps about what happened did drag the story a little bit. The book switches between the POVs of Cassie and Abby Winter and it's interesting that the author chose these two characters. Despite hearing Cassie's voice, you never really know what's going on in her head and it's through Abby that we dissect the way she thinks.

The twists and turns within the Tanner family make these people one of the most dysfunctional family I've read about in a long time. If you have read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, this book reminded me a lot of it in terms of family dynamics. I don't think any member of the family, (and it is a large and complicated family) is good or bad, everyone is morally grey and it's very interesting to read about, especially not knowing when the twists were going to happen. Finally a thriller that messed with my head!

Overall, this was exciting and different and has left me with a love for its main character, Cassie. I would definitely say this could fall into the psychological thriller category. The twist/Big Reveal just blew my mind and made me feel like I needed to immediately reread the book to see what I missed. Having a psychologist 'solve' the mystery rather than a detective was a really cool twist as it did allow us to understand what went on in our character's minds. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. It will definitely stay with me for a while.

This is the first book I've read from this author, so I had no idea what to expect. I was intrigued by the description and requested an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley.

When I chose this book, I had no idea that parts of the book were set in Maine. As a Mainer, that was interesting to me since they referenced places I know and I could kind of picture what the island might have looked like or where it would be. At times I thought I had figured out what was going on, and I was sort of on the right track, but ended up staying up late to finish. (I love books that keep me up late, even though I regret it the next morning when I have to get up for work!) I thought the book skipped around quite a bit from present, to past, and to different characters and it was a bit distracting, but seemed to fit well with the story. It added another layer to the psychological aspect of the book. I thought the connection of the forensic psychologist who wrote her thesis about narcissistic personality disorder, who then is assigned to this case and recognizes the disorder in the mother was a bit of a strange "coincidence" with a disease that was talked about as being pretty rare, but it was done fairly well. I liked the writing and although there was a lot going on with the story, I really liked it. I will definitely be checking out the author's other books

This book is what I call a “Going to be late for workbook” as it’s impossible to put down. You want to read just a little bit longer - just a few more pages.

Cass and her sister disappear for three years when they are young teens and we follow the multi-layered tale from most of the family members point of view, including Cass’s and her sister Emma.

With parents, step-parents and step-siblings, this book is a hotchpotch of conflict and psychological warfare. Just how dysfunctional this family really gets clearer as you read on and I absolutely love a story where you cannot predict the ending.

Very well written. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t win an award.

I’ve never heard of Wendy Walker until now but I will be looking out for her future books.

Fatima

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review