*****Some spoilers ahead!!!!!!*****



This is a very peculiar novel… all the action happens in a short amount of time with flashbacks of the character's past that slowly unfold the plot.

There's a lot of effort to throw the reader off as to who is bad, who may have harmed whom but to me at least, all seemed pretty clear from the beginning. Also, once the real culprit is revealed, I didn't quite feel the tension, the desperation in the other characters, perhaps because it tool too long to get there and by then the book was already ending.

All in all it's now a bad read but definitely not as good as Wendy Walker's debut.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars!

Wendy Walker, you have a new fan in me! This is the first I've read from this author and it won't be the last.

The Night Before is about a woman who struggles with relationships. We've all been there, right? After a devastating break up, she moves back to her childhood town to live with her sister as she mentally recovers. She decides to give online dating a try. Again, we've all been there, right? I met my husband on match.com seven years ago so I can totally relate. But when she doesn't come home from her first online date, her sister will panic and desperately search to find out what happened the night before.

The thing that really struck me about this book is how well the story unfolded. Wendy Walker did a fabulous job of releasing information to the reader at just the right times and places along the way so as not to reveal too much information but also to keep the story moving and exciting. While I found it a tad unbelievable that the main character would have revealed so much personal information on a first date with a stranger, I decided to look past it for the sake of entertainment. Who knows, maybe people are more open that I am with their personal information on first dates?!

I really enjoyed the story being told from different perspectives. It's somewhat common in the thriller genre, but it worked really well here. And I appreciated the timeline changing from past to present and back. It added a lot of mystery to the story line and kept me guessing. There were plenty of twists in this book and I would say about 50% of them surprised me and 50% of them I saw coming. But the ones that surprised me were really shocking and unexpected.

I can't say much more without giving away key plot elements, so I'll just leave it at that. This is a really solid thriller that I think a lot of people would enjoy. It is exciting, shocking, twisted, and clever. I look forward to reading future works by Wendy Walker.

-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Walker, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review.-

Laura’s always had bad luck when it comes to men so after a painful breakup she leaves her life in NY and returns to her childhood home in Connecticut to live with her sister, brother-in-law and nephew. Not long after, she decides to start dating again in the hopes of finding a man who truly loves her. Enter Jonathan, the guy she meets on a dating website. After going out on a date with him she fails to return home so her sister Rosie starts an investigation to find out what happened the night before. But, is she worried about her sister or about what she might have done to her date? After all, it wouldn’t be the first time someone close to Laura ends up dead.

The night before is a well-written and intricately plotted psychological thriller told through Laura and Rosie’s perspectives and some transcriptions of Laura’s therapy sessions so we follow both the investigation and what happened during Laura’s date. You can’t help keep turning the pages as the tension grows while the date unfolds and everything goes wrong. You won’t know which characters you can trust until the final reveal which I didn’t see coming.

Though more of a character driven thriller I would recommend this if you’re looking for a smart page-turner that you can read in a sitting or two.

After reading this and Emma in the night, Wendy Walker is fast becoming one of my favorite thriller authors.

from my review on instagram @brettlikesbooks:

alternating points of view between rosie and her sister laura, who disappeared while on a date with a man she met on the internet + dubious characters leave you questioning who to trust + the tension and suspense steadily ratchet up with each chapter, building to a twisted conclusion

"The shrink told me that i would find it here, at home. The answer to this question about me and men. ME and love. Why I lack the skills to find it, and why I beat it away when it finds me. Me with my fists for hands. The girl no one can love. So here I am."

thanks @stmartinspress and @netgalley for sending this digital advance copy to review! release date is may 14!

Laura Heart has found herself back home in the community she grew up in, living with her sister who married the boy next door and spending time with the her other childhood friend. Fresh off a breakup with a man she cared for deeply. Laura is dipping her toes back into the dating pool and meeting a man she met online. When Laura doesn’t return home, her sister Rosie fears the worst. Was Laura involved in the death of her high school boyfriend and did her disappearance after meeting a man who was not being truthful with her have anything to do with her disappearance?

Wendy Walker’s tale of coming home to face the past while trying to move forward is filled with so many twists and turns. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen next, something new was revealed and I was completely caught by surprise. This is a terrific story, told from the perspective of both sisters that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page. Highly recommend The Night Before!

Fabulous book full of twists and secrets to reveal. Laura, just out of a relationship doesn’t believe she can trust her own judgment when it comes to men. Rosie doesn’t trust the violence inside Laura when it comes to men. While Laura begins dating using a dating website, we find out where these beliefs come from. Sit back and enjoy. You won’t be disappointed.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the multiple POVs, the suspense, the possibility of an unreliable narrator, and not knowing who to trust. I liked the many directions that I was pulled in while reading and if it wasn't for jet lag and exhaustion, I would have likely read this entire book in one sitting. I already know that my friends who love thrillers as much as me will adore this book! Thanks for the early copy.

Well that was certainly a tense, intriguing and complex story! It takes us through a thrilling and emotional search for Laura who has disappeared after a date with a man off a dating website. The book goes back and forth between past and present and gives us some backstory on a tragic past and the issues that still plague some of the characters. A very well done fascinating book!

5.5 Stars

First off I would like to thank Net Galley and St.Martins Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first novel that I have read by Wendy Walker and I really, really enjoyed this book!

Just twelve hours ago Laura was excited to be going on a date with a man she met on the dating app Findlove.com. Johnathan Fields seems like a pretty perfect match for her, handsome,intelligent and nice. Now she is missing and her sister Rosie is determined to find her before it's too late.

Told in three perspectives Laura's first person starting twelve hours ago and working slowly the towards present. Rosie's third person starting from the moment she realizes that Laura is missing and notes from Laura's session with her psychiatrist. The novel hooked me from the start. I must say that the Laura parts of this book read like a play to me. I could picture every scene between Laura and Johnathon as if it was on a stage. I loved the interaction between the two characters.

The tension mounts as Rosie begins to worry more and about what happened with Laura. Is she okay? Did Johnathon do something to her or did Laura do something to Johnathon? We find out that Laura has more than a few bad experiences with men in her past.

Well written with interesting characters the story unwinds slowly and holds your attention. I found myself wondering the motives of each character besides Rosie. There is a chance you will figure out the twist but the reasoning behind the twist will really get you!

This was a solid thriller, if a little bit slow to get to the good parts. Laura Lochner is a girl “with fists for hands” and a dark history. The novel opens with her getting ready to go on a blind date with Jonathan Fields, a man she met online. After getting out of a bad relationship, Laura now lives with her older sister Rosie, Rosie’s husband Joe, and their infant son. Laura goes on her date and you get the sense that something might go wrong - there’s someone you can’t trust. When Laura doesn’t come home the next morning, Rosie launches into an all-out manhunt for her. The book takes place over the course of 2-ish days, painstakingly unfolding key events.

The chapters rotate between Laura on her date and Rosie searching for her sister. Walker does a pretty sneakily amazing job at shifting who has the more interesting story - at first, you want to skip through Rosie’s chapters, then you realize that Rosie’s side is much more fascinating. The ending of the book is one of those twists that makes you gasp for how unexpected it is, but then makes less and less sense as it goes on.

Overall, I wish this was a little more fast-paced, but I did enjoy the shifting perspective and the gradual reveal of important details. Walker didn’t go too hard on the ominous threat of what is yet to be revealed; she played it just right.

The Night Before is an interesting story that primarily spins out over a weekend. Laura's been unlucky in love and goes on a date with someone she meets online, but she doesn't come home. Her sister panics and with her husband and their close friend from childhood, tries to retrace Laura's steps so they can find out what happened. But are they scared for Laura, or for her date? Laura has a past that includes a boyfriend that ended up dead in high school, and a relationship that ended unexpectedly that is the reason behind Laura returning home and moving in with her sister and her sister's husband. This book does have a twist to it that's interesting, but in some regards I was busy enough with trying to keep up with what part of the story's timeline I was in and not feeling bored out of my mind as Laura explains to the reader and her date about how horrible her past relationships have been that it wasn't something that it wasn't the most exciting, page-turning thriller that I've read.

Will leave review on Amazon on 5/14/2019

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.

The Night Before by Wendy Walker, this was my first book that I have read from this author. I have to say that I found the storyline very original and well written. The storyline is basically told from the prospective of two sisters Rosie and Laura. The book was a page turner, and the outcome was totally unexpected. I would certainly recommend this book to those that enjoy suspense/thrillers.

It's not a good sign when you're reading a mystery and can't bring yourself to finish it because you don't care about the mystery enough to find out what happens/happened. That's how I felt about "The Night Before". None of the characters were likable, the crime at the heart of the story wasn't compelling, and it was a slog to the finish for me. There are enough good psychological thrillers out there that you don't need to waste your time on mediocre ones like this.

One surprise after another, this twisty novel tells the story of Laura, a woman with a shady past and a very bad streak of previous relationships. We know that she disappeared after a blind date and that her sister Rosie is looking for her. This all happens in the present, while we also see what happened to Laura the night before. Nothing is what it seems, so all my assumptions proved to be completely wrong. Laura and Rosie are complex, resilient characters and, even if they have issues, they fight for the truth. They also love each other like only sisters can. The rest of the cast... well, Laura seems confused as to whether they are good or evil and it's funny to see how a simple act can be perceived as threatening depending on her state of mind. A quick read that will make your head spin and keep you way past your bedtime.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press!

Laura Lauchner, following a bad break-up, moves back home to stay with her sister and brother-in-law while she mends her broken heart and tries to start over. Once home, however, dark secrets from her past resurface and begin to haunt her, reminding her why she left her small hometown in the first place.

Johnathan Fields is the handsome divorcée Laura meets through an online dating website. But is he really who he says he is? When Laura does not return after their date, her sister (Rosie), brother-in-law (Joe), and childhood friend (Gabe) begin a hunt to find her, and the more the more they dig, the more secrets are unearthed and questions arise.

The story is told in alternating POV’s: Rosie’s (third person) as she searches for Laura (present day), and Laura’s (first person) as she describes every step of the date (the night before).

This was intense and gripping - I had a hard time putting this one down! There were so many twists and turns that it always kept me guessing. While some things I was able to figure out or come close to guessing, other things took me quite by surprise.

My only negative was that it took me awhile to get used to Laura’s “voice.” She is very neurotic and obsessively overanalyzes everything (about herself and others). It made my head spin at first, but I eventually acclimated to it. And it’s not without reason that she is the way she is.

Overall, excellent book! One of the better mystery/thrillers I’ve read! I would highly recommend this to lovers of the genre!

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free advance review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review is posted to GoodReads, Facebook, and will be posted to retailers once published.*

Laura Lochner has recently fled NY. She has moved back to her hometown to live with her sister Rosie Ferro and her husband Joe. Laura’s reason for fleeing NY is not completely understood by her sister and family, but they have embraced her with open arms.

Dating has never been easy for Laura, but she decides to try her hand at online dating. Rosie is terrified something has happened to her sister when she does not return home from her date. Rosie now must dig into her sister’s life and put the puzzle pieces together in order to find her sister Laura.

Laura joins an online dating site and meets someone she is interested in (not too unusual).
Their first date is in a pub (smart – public place).
She thinks he is cute so he must be a nice guy (oh brother).
Within 30 seconds of meeting him he decides he wants to leave and she agrees (not smart).
She gets into his car, which is not the BMW he claimed to have (really bad idea).
Her spidey senses knew something was not right and yet she says nothing (UGH!).

This story alternates chapters between Laura – the night before and Rosie – present day. This is the perfect format for this book. Laura’s storyline is an eye-opening look into her life, both past and present day. Rosie’s storyline progresses the story along and fills in all the missing puzzle pieces until the whole puzzle has been revealed.

This story is chalked-full of secrets, mystery, and obsession. If you are a fan of psychological and mystery thrillers be sure to check this one out!

The Night Before is my seconday book by this author. I must say that I liked the short chapters and the main character Laura had that type of dark mystery to her that kept you guessing when she would become unhinged!. Overall it was a good little thriller

This will definitely leave you thinking twice about your next online date, but will absolutely thrill and keep you on the edge of your seat. The twist at the end definitely makes this a worthwhile read.

What a cat and mouse game this was. I really liked so many things about this story, first, I loved the way the author started each chapter identifying the narrator and the date and time, this kept the timeline very easy to follow. Second, I loved the short chapters and each one covered either the past or the present of the characters. This is a great mystery who done it, so many tidbits of information that keep you coming back for more. I read this one in just a couple days, totally kept my interest.
Laura, the main character is a complicated individual with many issues, she is really kind of a spooky individual. Rosie, her sister is just trying to hold things together and take care of her sister. Then we have Joe and Gabe, long time friends and brother-in-law. And finally enters the main suspect, the on-line dating guy who definitely has issues to. Is Laura really a killer? Who is the bad guy? Read this gem and find out.
I am happy to give this one 5 stars. I did not see the ending coming at all, very well written, just a good book. If you enjoy a well told mystery with lots of twists and turns, this is for you.
I was given an advanced copy from St. Martin’s Press through Net Galley for my honest review, this one gets a high 5*****’s.

Yes!!! I could not put this book down! Wendy Walker did her thing! I loved Emma in the Night and now I’m adding The Night Before to my favorite thrillers list.
I had so many theories...I’m pretty sure I suspected each individual at one point or another! Some of my suspicions were correct while some things shocked the hell out of me!!

I finished this thriller with no unanswered questions and everything unfolded perfectly! Highly Recommended!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.