Three years ago, sisters Emma and Cassandra Tanner disappeared. Doctor Abby Winter was the FBI’s forensic psychiatrist on the case, and although she thought she was getting somewhere by focusing on the girls’ deeply dysfunctional family, the case remained stubbornly unsolved. Now, Cassandra Tanner has returned alone, desperate for Emma to be found – but the story she tells might not be the whole truth.

I read and loathed Wendy Walker’s novel, All Is Not Forgotten, and I was somewhat… unhappy to learn that I’d inadvertently requested and received another of her novels on Netgalley – I didn’t connect the author name, just went “ooh, that sounds interesting” and clicked. But having just finished Emma in the Night, I’m glad I decided to read it anyway because it was an excellent read.

It’s fast-paced and it’s so easy just to read one more chapter, then another, another. The twists keep coming, the drama levels are high and I was so not expecting that ending. It was seriously addictive.

What I also liked too was that Walker’s take on Cass. She was someone that could have easily been alienating. There was something about her that reminded me a little bit of reading an excerpt of The Virgin Suicides – an unnatural, stifled but beautiful woman. And, yes, there are things she does in the story that are polarising, but in the end Walker gave her so much humanity that I couldn’t help but sympathise with her. Not necessarily excusing her actions, but understanding why she acted the way she did.

This, however, wasn’t a perfect book – it’s a bit expositional in parts, with the POV characters of Abby and Cass frequently just retelling or recalling what was said or done at an earlier date. There is a lot of summary in this book – and in some ways, that makes sense because neither Cass or Abby are necessarily on the frontline of things. But it also feels like we’re missing out on a lot of the immediacy and action of the story.

I also felt that the characters were sort of flat – I would’ve loved to get a bit more of Abby’s personality outside her reacting to the case, and, in light of the final reveals, more of Cass’s reaction to what had happened to her and how she feels about it (I’m sorry this is very vague, but spoilers!).

All up, Emma in the Night is an addictive thriller with a few “holy crap” moments. There’s room for improvement but I’m really just happy because of how much I wanted to read this and how surprising the twists were.

Another psychological thriller which kept me interested from page one to the end. This one in particular with a lot of unexpected twists and definitely an unexpected ending, did not see that coming. Very complex characters which have to deal with a lot of internal struggles, family relationships can be hard at times and Emma in the Night shows us a very clear example of that. With a refreshing writing Wendy Walker gives us a story full of suspense, complicated, very self-centered but reliable characters, unexpected twists and an ending which will be hard to forget.

From the Militant Recommender Book Review Blog: https://militantrecommender.blogspot.com/2017/12/secrets-and-lies-emma-in-night-by-wendy.html
Wow! This book kept the Recommender up reading till all hours! Wendy Walker's Emma in the Night is so good, and so compelling and is a seriously great read! It is a chilling look into the lives of two sisters living with their self absorbed mother and begins with Cassandra, the younger sister informing us that one night, 3 years ago, she and Emma both disappeared.

What happened to the girls that night will be revealed in alternating chapters told by Cassandra and Dr. Abigail Winter, a forensic psychologist with the FBI, who had been on the investigative team looking into the girls' disappearance.

As we slowly unravel the layers of domestic drama and psychological games that made up much of the sisters' lives before they went missing we begin to realize there may have been a good reason, initially, for their departure that night.

Let me just say that I have a no spoiler policy of reviewing and recommending so no more details except to say this is a book that I hadn't had any advance notice of and saw it in NetGalley's title list and when I started looking at it to see what is was about... it immediately grabbed me! If you're anything like the Recommender, it will grab you, too! Thank you, NetGalley! Highly recommended!

Wow, I loved this book. I Highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading more books by Wendy Walker.

I really wanted to enjoy this novel, and in the beginning, I did. This story is told from both Cass and Abby's perspectives as they circle around the kidnapping and the events that led to it. But after just a few chapters, I found myself struggling to get through this novel. Maybe it was the writing style, or maybe it was the story itself. But I really didn't enjoy this novel. For one thing, there is a huge disconnect between the character's emotions and the reader. I couldn't experience anything because I didn't actually feel anything that the characters felt; I was just told the emotions. It's a very weird experience to not have the characters actually experience anything firsthand but just tell you everything after the fact. And I didn't like it. I wasn't able to get into the story, and so, everything just dragged on for me. When I got to the ending, I realized why the author used this style to deliver the story; however, it really wasn't worth the effort. I also found that the story focused too much on the whole narcissistic-parent aspect. I love psychology and reading about different personality disorders, but it got very repetitive very quickly. It made the reader lose sight of the actual mystery of what happened to Cass's sister. And again, because of the writing style employed, I wasn't able to emotionally understand the impact of having a parent with narcissistic personality disorder. All in all, this novel was a mess. There was an interesting thriller premise but the focus was really on reiterating this idea of narcissistic parents and not the actual disappearance of the sisters. But even with this focus, it never actually felt like the author got to the crux of the matter because the writing style caused this awkward separation between the emotional and factual aspects of the story. It was a struggle to get through this novel, and I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed with the way it turned out. If the author had made the characters' emotions more vivid and had told the story in a different way, with an equal focus on the parenting style as well as the actual disappearance, I think this novel would have been a lot more appealing for me. For now, I'm giving this a 1/5 stars.

Terrific thoughtful and emotionally layered novel with a gripping plot; the writing is excellent

Emma in the Night is a psychological drama about two teenage sisters who go missing. It is a twisted, slow burn of a novel with a narrator that becomes increasingly unreliable as the story progresses.

This book was very interesting with several unexpected twists. I liked that the main character was not necessarily a reliable narrator, but was still sympathetic enough to follow and root for. The look into mental health and the connection to the detective added a deeper layer to a psychological thriller that I appreciated. I would recommend this book and found it to be an enjoyable and fast read.

This was a stunning book, full of twists and turns that left me questioning at times. The portrayal of Narcissistic Personality Disorder was quite well done, not at all sensationalized or presented in a light manner can often be the case. The characters are believable with the exception of the father. The story moves along and keeps you very engaged until the very end. Hugely enjoyable read.

This is an honest review in exchange for an advance copy from NetGalley.

I would rate this a 3. It was an okay thriller. The plot revolves around the mysterious disappearance of two sisters, Cass and Emma, and the sudden emergence of only one, Cass, three years later to her mother’s home.. It is the unfurling of her story, along with the reopening of the investigation by the case psychiatrist and detective that makes this story take one through the roller coaster ride. There were twists and turns in the story, but I had trouble initially getting into the book but it did catch on. Personally I found the protagonist,Cass, hard to believe and like. However, there are some interesting themes, narcissism being the most prominent.

Wendy Walker has a wonderful talent when it comes to writing a twisted and fascinating thriller. Cass and the rest of the characters were complex and authentic. The characters and story captured my attention from the first line and I just HAD to know what happened. Walker kept me guessing which of my theories could possibly be correct about what had actually happened to Emma or if they were all actually wrong. This story was so so close to being 5 stars for me, but I felt at times Cass’s thoughts could be unnecessarily wordy. If it hadn’t been for that, I would have unquestionably given Emma in the Night 5 stars. I would still definitely recommend this book as a must read to anyone who enjoys a gripping thriller.

I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NETGALLEY for allowing me to read and give an honest review.
I was excited to get to read this novel, I really enjoy this authors writing style, she introduces the characters in a way that you get to know them, she gets you involved in the story. This is the story of two sisters, Cass and Emma, the family dynamics in this family are not anything I would want my family to be. The mom is self-absorbed, somewhat selfish, narcissistic, the father is a backwards, no
backboard father.
Other characters in the novel, Dr . Abby (forensic psychologist), Leo Strauss-special agent. They both have traumatic past, the author did a great job telling their stories.
Cass and Emma disappear one night-one sister returns, she’s alone , where has she been, how’d she get back, where is her sister, who took them, what happened to them, where is Emma? As Cass tells her tale, you begin to think, something is not right with this story.
The words I would to describe this novel are: chilling, page turner, suspenseful, frightening.

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker is a suspense thriller about two sisters, their mother and the cruel sickness that drove them. Three years ago the Tanner girls disappeared, but now, only one of them returns home. This is the story she tells.

"...When my sister and I disappeared three years ago, there was nothing but blindness.
They found Emma's car at the beach. They found her purse inside, on the driver's seat. They found the keys in the purse. They found her shoes in the surf. Some people believed she had gone there to find a party or meet a friend who never showed. They believed that she'd gone for a swim. They believed that she'd drowned. Maybe by accident. Maybe a suicide.
Everyone believed Emma was dead.
As for me, well-it was not as simple as that..."

Fifteen year old Cass and seventeen year old Emma Tanner disappeared in the dark of night and the police, the FBI and their own family could find no trace of them. But for forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Abby Winters, there was always far more to the story than the girls running away. The Martins, the girls' mother having re-married after divorcing their father, were rich and the girls got the best of everything; clothes, schools, friends. There was no obvious reason for them to run away. But Abby could sense that there were secrets behind this perfect family. Secrets that revolved mostly around the girls' mother, Judy Martin.

Now, three years after the girls disappeared, Cass Tanner is back. Abby knows this may be her last chance to learn the secrets behind what had happened. But the story Cass tells is outlandish. About an abduction, an island, and the deranged couple who kept Emma and Cass captive. And about the baby girl Emma had. The baby that she fled her home and hid from the family. The baby that Cass is determined to return to the island to get back.

Only will anyone believe her and is she to be believed. Or has she somehow slipped into a delusional state. What Abby will have to do now is sift the truth from the fantasy and in doing so expose the secrets of the Tanner girls and their mother, Judy Martin. But can she do it in time to save Emma?

"...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 know is that the truth can evade us, hiding behind our blind spots, our preconceptions, our hungry hearts that long for quiet..."

Emma in the Night is one of those books that I am glad I listened to the audio version of rather than pick up the actual book. Because I don't know if I could have made it through otherwise. it starts slow and slowly builds. It does build, but it does so slowly and there is a good chance it may lose some readers along the way and that is too bad. Because once this builds up speed it really takes off and you will not see the climax coming. It is not what is expected and one of the better twists I have read in a long time.

The basis of this tale is the mental illness of narcissism and more so, when the narcissist is a mother. How does her need for attention and adoration effect the children she gives birth to and to what length will she go to keep it. The book spends a lot of time explaining the condition and as such slows down during these times and Abby's devotion to laying this at the root of the girls and their disappearance sidetracks the mystery at times. Which at its true root is what happened to Emma. But once the author has laid this foundation she returns to the mystery at hand hits the turbo button. We know that all of Cass's story cannot be true, but which parts are and which parts aren't. Even more, exactly what went on between Emma and her mother behind the closed doors of the Martin home. To which, how much was Cass a willing participant or simply an observer.

The kick to Emma in the Night is that none of the characters are the least bit likable or relatable. You may even come out of this one feeling that Emma got exactly what she deserved. Her mother and step-father and step-brother all will make your skin crawl. Her father is the poster child for a cuckold, even years after being dumped for a richer and stronger man. Dr. Abby Winters herself is in serious need of therapy and then there is Cass.

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker is a suspense thriller about two sisters, their mother and the cruel sickness that drove them. Three years ago the Tanner girls disappeared, but now, only one of them returns home. This is the story she tells.

"...When my sister and I disappeared three years ago, there was nothing but blindness.
They found Emma's car at the beach. They found her purse inside, on the driver's seat. They found the keys in the purse. They found her shoes in the surf. Some people believed she had gone there to find a party or meet a friend who never showed. They believed that she'd gone for a swim. They believed that she'd drowned. Maybe by accident. Maybe a suicide.
Everyone believed Emma was dead.
As for me, well-it was not as simple as that..."

Fifteen year old Cass and seventeen year old Emma Tanner disappeared in the dark of night and the police, the FBI and their own family could find no trace of them. But for forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Abby Winters, there was always far more to the story than the girls running away. The Martins, the girls' mother having re-married after divorcing their father, were rich and the girls got the best of everything; clothes, schools, friends. There was no obvious reason for them to run away. But Abby could sense that there were secrets behind this perfect family. Secrets that revolved mostly around the girls' mother, Judy Martin.

Now, three years after the girls disappeared, Cass Tanner is back. Abby knows this may be her last chance to learn the secrets behind what had happened. But the story Cass tells is outlandish. About an abduction, an island, and the deranged couple who kept Emma and Cass captive. And about the baby girl Emma had. The baby that she fled her home and hid from the family. The baby that Cass is determined to return to the island to get back.

Only will anyone believe her and is she to be believed. Or has she somehow slipped into a delusional state. What Abby will have to do now is sift the truth from the fantasy and in doing so expose the secrets of the Tanner girls and their mother, Judy Martin. But can she do it in time to save Emma?

"...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 know is that the truth can evade us, hiding behind our blind spots, our preconceptions, our hungry hearts that long for quiet..."

Emma in the Night is one of those books that I am glad I listened to the audio version of rather than pick up the actual book. Because I don't know if I could have made it through otherwise. it starts slow and slowly builds. It does build, but it does so slowly and there is a good chance it may lose some readers along the way and that is too bad. Because once this builds up speed it really takes off and you will not see the climax coming. It is not what is expected and one of the better twists I have read in a long time.

The basis of this tale is the mental illness of narcissism and more so, when the narcissist is a mother. How does her need for attention and adoration effect the children she gives birth to and to what length will she go to keep it. The book spends a lot of time explaining the condition and as such slows down during these times and Abby's devotion to laying this at the root of the girls and their disappearance sidetracks the mystery at times. Which at its true root is what happened to Emma. But once the author has laid this foundation she returns to the mystery at hand hits the turbo button. We know that all of Cass's story cannot be true, but which parts are and which parts aren't. Even more, exactly what went on between Emma and her mother behind the closed doors of the Martin home. To which, how much was Cass a willing participant or simply an observer.

The kick to Emma in the Night is that none of the characters are the least bit likable or relatable. You may even come out of this one feeling that Emma got exactly what she deserved. Her mother and step-father and step-brother all will make your skin crawl. Her father is the poster child for a cuckold, even years after being dumped for a richer and stronger man. Dr. Abby Winters herself is in serious need of therapy and then there is Cass.

What is so cool about Cass is that you can never really figure her out. You cannot feel for her because you just don't trust her. She wants for find her sister. But does she want to hurt her mother more?

A good book with an even better mystery when it gets to it.

What is so cool about Cass is that you can never really figure her out. You cannot feel for her because you just don't trust her. She wants for find her sister. But does she want to hurt her mother more?

A good book with an even better mystery when it gets to it.

This twisted psychological thriller is a story of giving up all for love. It is a story of deception and a story of one severely twisted family.

Two girls, fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma, are the focus of the story. Three years ago, they both disappeared. Their mother reminded me of Snow White’s stepmother. She wanted to be the most beautiful, the one most wanted by men. She would twist people to make them act the way she wanted. If you have ever known anyone with narcissistic personality disorder, you will recognize the way this mom acts.

One day Cass returns without Emma. She said that they run away because Emma was pregnant and had been taken in by a family on an island. They felt at home with this family, but after Emma had the baby, this family changed. Cass and Emma went from being guests to virtually being prisoners. They would be allowed to leave, but the baby had to stay. Cass managed to sneak away, but they had to go back and find Emma and her baby.

For the two FBI agents investigating the case, not everything adds up, so they begin to investigate this dysfunctional family and dig deep into their past. When the missing sister is located is not the end of the story; it is when the mystery really begins.

Emma in the Night will make you wish you were able to speed read.

I was sent a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One evening Emma and her 15 year old sister, Cassandra disappeared. Cassandra returned home 3 years later. This book starts with Cassandra's return.

It was an interesting story, but written in a way that was very confusing. The story jumped around from present day to past without warning. Also changing from Cassandra's thoughts to Dr. Winter's thoughts, also without warning. The use of he and she instead of using the person's name added to the confusion.

We finally learn the truth at the end, but getting there was exhausting.

It was a story with a few twists and had me interested in how it would end. Not my favorite storyline but I would read more from this author.

In some ways this was a book I couldn't put down because I wanted to discover why Emma returned and what happened to her sister. On the other hand, all the characters seemed annoying and the story seemed dragged out.

Emma In The Night is the story of two sisters, Emma and Cass, that disappear, and three years later only Cass returns.

“Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn’t add up.”

Dr. Winter is right, something doesn’t add up. Like, how could a book just over three hundred pages, with such great plot potential feel like wading through quicksand? At times the storyline was a bit convoluted making the book feel longer than it actually was. It seriously took me forever to read. Instead of being a hot new thriller/ suspense novel, it felt more like a study in Narcissist Personality Disorder. It started of nicely, but became slow and long winded.

The novel is written from both Cass and Dr. Winter’s points of view, splitting the narrative not only between these two characters, but also time, past and present. Reading this book began to feel a little tedious. Instead of getting thrills and chills, I got a repetitive research paper on Narcissist Personality Disorder and how it affects those closest to the narcissist. Cass’ sections of the book read like a police report. It was like listening to the witness account/evidence tapes, which didn’t fully allow for reader/character connection.

As for the pacing, it starts off strong, but once Cass returns, and the investigation to find Emma begins, clues are revealed and solved at a snails pace. What should have been a fast read was a slow burn. The idea of the plot was interesting, but the delivery left a bit to be desired. Despite it’s faults, the storyline was fairly interesting.

It has been three years since Cass and Emma Tanner disappeared. To the outside world, their home life appeared to be perfect, but it was far from perfect. Their parents divorced, their mother is a raging narcissist, their stepbrother, Hunter, is a classic jerk with a drug problem. Cass was just fifteen years old the night they disappeared and their mother milked the attention for all it was worth. Now only Cass has returned home and everyone wants to know what happened to Emma. The authorities are determined to get to the bottom of what happened, but Cass's story is unbelievable. She says that she was hiding in Emma's car the night that Emma disappeared. She says that Emma was pregnant when they left. She says that they have been living on an island, held captive. Cass says that Emma had a little girl. Cass says that she escaped. Dr. Abby Winter is the forensic psychiatrist assigned to the case and it has haunted her for three years. Now that Cass is back she is determined to get to the bottom of the story and hope that it helps to put her own demons to rest. But first, where is Emma and her daughter?

Is there anything better than a good psychological thriller? I sure don't think so. Almost immediately I was hooked on this story. I think having a narcissistic mother made Emma and Cass the most sympathetic characters ever. Cass wasn't even allowed to call her mother anything but "Mrs. Martin" as a punishment for wanting to live with her father. Even after three years away, she only called her "Mrs. Martin." Right away that made me want to gather Cass into a hug and "mother" her the right way. The dynamic between Hunter and the girls made my spidey senses tingle almost immediately. Same goes for Mr. Martin. He just seemed "off" to me. I really liked Dr. Winter and knew immediately that was going to be an ally. Her own experiences made her the perfect person to identify the real Mrs. Martin. Cass's return turned out to be a carefully crafted attempt at revenge, but who was doing the crafting? It was genius really. I tried to figure it all out and I thought I had all of the secrets uncovered, but it turns out that I was only half right. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS


Bottom line -- Emma in the Night was an absolute masterpiece of a psychological thriller. There were so many twists and turns that just when you thought you had a handle on the situation Wendy Walker reveals something to make you realize just how wrong you were. An absolutely thrilling read, be sure not to miss this one!

Details:
Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker
On Facebook
Pages:320
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 8/8/2017
Buy it Here!

I immediately loved the concept of this book, two sisters who disappear and only one returns. Fairly soon I could see the problem of the unreliable narrator. It was interesting the use of the names, always referring to her mother as Mrs and not mom.
Cass returns and has an elaborate story of being held captive and her sister being pregnant but all along you have the feeling that something is wrong, something is being left out. The detectives are interested in getting to the bottom of this, and they suspect the girls mother is the root of all the family issues. So good.
While I did enjoy this book, I didn't love it. I do think Wendy Walker is a wonderful story teller and I look forward to her next book.