Very early on in this story you knew that things were not exactly as they seemed. Two young girls went missing - were they abducted, did they run away, are they still alive. The investigation is still not quite closed but its been three years now. Of a sudden the younger girl returns. She just turns up at the door to her mother's house with a very long, perfectly logical explanation as to what has happened to her and her elder sister. Now it is the turn of the investigators to find the elder sister from the clues given by Cass the younger girl.

Abby and Leo are the investigators for this from three years ago and they take over again. Abby has her own suspicions but without proof it is not easy to pin point anything. Cass's explanations are explicit, very detailed with just enough clues to keep the investigative process going rapidly. The background at home is very complicated - parents separated and mother married again. There are step children involved and the mother is not your average lady on the street.

The story was full of suspense. It was a psychological battle between a mother with narcissist tendencies who was manipulative, deceitful and self centred. Nothing else mattered to her other than herself. The story was twisted and took a great deal of step by step story telling to unravel it.

Goodreads review on 28/6/2017.. Amazon is not permitting a review as yet. Review on my blog 8/8/2017.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for my honest review.

I love psychological thrillers. The dark side of people thrills me, and a psychopaths ability to hide in full view fascinates me.

This book explores the Narcissist Personality in that teenage sisters Cass and Emma mother suffers from Narcissist Personality Disorder (NPD) giving them a difficult home life.

I suppose I was expecting a story along the lines of Mommy Dearest or even Flowers in the Attic. I really wanted the book to take off in the direction of the psychologically disturbed mother tormenting her teenage daughters to the point of no return. This does happen but the story for me just didn’t ‘take off’, and reach the dark side where I was expecting it to be.

Cass and Emma disappear into the night. Three years later Cass returns with a disturbing story of being incarcerated on an island, teenage pregnancy and a sister left behind.

This book just did not engage me though. I really could not put my finger on it but the conversations just went on and I found I really didn’t care about the characters, Mrs Martin was certainly narcissist but she just wasn’t dark enough for me. In fact I found that I disliked her and Cass intensely and maybe would have preferred if Mrs Martin and Cass had got more of their comeuppance at the end.

Emma In The Night tells the story of Cassandra and Emma Tanner who went missing three years ago. When Cass shows up at her mother’s house without Emma, it sends folks into a tailspin. One in particular who is Dr. Abigail Winter who was one of the FBI agents in charge of the investigation at the time of the initial disappearance and is now a forensic psychologist.

Where Is Emma? Where have they been? And why did they leave are just a few of the many questions we need answers to and those answers make this a compelling read for me. I had to slow my reading down because I was so caught up in the story and I didn’t want it to end. The book had some very unlikable characters like a step-brother for one and the mother. Author Wendy Walker presented them in a way that had me wanting to know more about them. I don’t know when I have read a story about a dysfunctional family that I WANTED to continue reading about as I did with this book.

Ms. Walker writes an excellent page turner and does a great job of showing the feelings, emotions, and actions of all the characters that I highly recommend. I also look forward to more books by Wendy Walker.

This was a rather interesting book focused on a family led by a narcissistic mother. Two teenagers disappeared 3 years ago, one has returned and the search for the other one ensues. We uncover a rather convoluted plan to reveal the truth about what happened three years ago. I must admit I was not expecting the end. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
Emma, 17, and Cassandra, 15, go missing in the night, no one knows how or why. Their mother is on TV constantly, keeping their disappearance in the news, but despite that and the FBI's involvement, the girls are not found.
3 Years later, out of the blue, Cassie appears on the doorstep, and in between the copious weeping of mother and daughter, Cassie repeats: we must find Emma!
The previous FBI team reappears. One of them, a forensic psychiatrist, Abby, believed, and still does, that this was a toxic family and the answer of the why and how lies within that dysfunctional family, but her warnings are not taken seriously.
The book is written from Cassie's and Abby's points of view and I found the psychological aspect as riveting as the mystery itself. It was difficult to put the book down, as I wanted so badly to know what actually happened...is Cassie lying, is her mother lying, what is the truth? The ending was a surprise, but a very satisfying one. Anyone who loves psychological thrillers would enjoy this book, it's very good.

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