If you are in search of a thrilling edge of your seat thriller.... then this one is it. Had moments that made me jump in my seat and take my breath away

I enjoyed Emma in the Night, so I snapped this up on NetGalley when I saw it was available. I started this book, and couldn't put it down.

Laura returns to her hometown after a devastating break up. She moves in with her sister (Rosie), brother-in-law (Joe), and young nephew. After some time, Laura decides to try dating again. She goes out on her date, but doesn't return that night--or the next day. Rosie knows immediately that something is wrong, and starts searching for her sister along with Joe, and their friend, Gabe. But, should they be more concerned for Laura, or her date?

There is a lot of backstory to this one. Laura grew up craving attention, but not getting it. So, she turned her hurt into rage at a young age. Her father left the family, and she fell into a classic pattern of looking for love in all the wrong places. Then, there was a traumatic incident back when they were all (Laura, Rosie, Joe, and Gabe) teenagers that left the town suspicious of Laura.

The story moves quickly, and it kept me guessing. There were definitely twists that I did not see coming. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes psychological thrillers.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book.
Expected publication 5/14/19.

THE NIGHT BEFORE is an engaging, propulsive read featuring two sisters—one with a dark past and one who seemingly has it all together. Half of the book is told in the present day where one sister races to figure out what happened the night before … and the other half is told by the other sister, who slowly reveals the truth. This twisty novel kept me guessing until the end!

Wendy Walker has done it again with her newest book The Night Before. Laura has just quit her high profile wall street job and moved home with her sister Rosie after a failed relationship. Laura has always had trouble with relationships but is determined to start again and get it right this time. Rosie has spent her life worrying about her troubled younger sister and trying to protect her from herself. When Laura doesn't return home from a date from an internet dating site, Rosie assumes that the worst has happened. But, we are not sure if Rosie fears more for Laura or the man that she went on a date with. And as Rosie digs deeper, she begins to uncover information that has her questioning her picture-perfect marriage.
As the story slowly unfolds, we learn about Laura's past. As a young girl who led with fists first, things aren't looking good for the man she is on a date with but, he has his own secrets too. This thriller will keep you guessing and keep you turning the page.

The Night Before by Wendy Walker is a story about a woman named Laura. There's something about her that makes you realize she has a dark, secretive past. Walker's writing is suspenseful right from the start. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down! We get a dual view point from single girl Laura and from her happily married sister Rosie. It goes back in time from the night before to the present day, alternating between the two sisters' point of view.

The night before, Laura goes on a date with Jonathan Fields from an online dating website called findlove.com. At first, he seems suspicious until I got the sinking feeling that he should be more worried about Laura than she should be about him. I totally love this role reversal and wanted to keep reading to see what she does and says next.

What really makes this book is the character Laura. She is this unreliable narrator you're kind of afraid of but are kind of rooting for at the same time. When we get glimpses of her date with Jonathan Fields from the night before, you can't help but love her. Yet even though she is very likeable, you know that there's something "off" about her. We soon learn that there's something very off about Jonathan Fields as well. This really makes it suspenseful because you don't know whether to worry about Jonathan doing something to Laura or Laura doing something to Jonathan. It's totally a mystery, as is their respective pasts.

I find the characters to be very fresh and original and the writing is very bold. It was a totally refreshing and super fast paced read. About halfway through the book, there is a twist that make things super exciting. I did not want to stop reading to find out what was going to happen next. Walker definitely knows how to build the suspense and keep it going.

Walker's writing is both sexy and suspenseful, a dangerously addictive mix. With twists and turns at every chapter's end, the constant cliffhangers make it hard to stop reading. I kept finding myself saying just one more chapter and then reading another.

Just when you think this book can't get any better, it does. Usually when I'm getting to the end of a book, especially a thriller, I can start to figure out what's going to happen, but not with this one. No one is who you think they are. No one does what you think they will do. Quite an exciting read!

"Twelve hours earlier, she was...
Hopeful.
Excited.
Safe.
Now she's gone."

Laura is no stranger to trauma. As a teenager she learned first hand that love stories can have very unhappy endings, endings that sometimes end in death. She has spent a lifetime trying to cope with that reality, of overcoming the thought of being "bad luck" or choosing the wrong kind of man. Now she has gone out on a date with someone she has chosen off of an online dating site and has vanished. Is she really "bad luck?" Or could she possibly be a murderer who sets the luck into motion?

I absolutely love psychological thrillers that can keep me guessing until the last page of the book and, if I figure out the who did it, the why has me stumped. Wendy Walker does this to me every single time! She always surprises me, not only with the ending but with multiple surprises throughout. The Night Before is the story not only of Laura, but of her sister, Rosie; Rosie's husband Joe and their best friend since childhood. They were raised in a small town where they were constantly together, knew each other intimately, knew each other's every secret - or so they thought. With Laura as a very unreliable narrator, we are left with the others to fill in the gaps and soon we learn that nothing, at all, is as it appears. So many secrets, half-truths and lies that will affect their lives forever. Who, if anyone, is telling the truth?

This is a creatively told story of relationships, friendships, small towns and abuse and how each of those things shapes us into who we ultimately become as adults. Nothing about The Night Before is predictable so be prepared to buckle up for a twisty, amazing and thrilling ride. This is one suspenseful tale that you will not want to miss!

Thanks to @netgalley, @Wendy_Walker and @StMartinsPress for my copy of #TheNightBefore. It will be available on May 13, 2019.

Awesome premise, and awesome opening chapters! I loved that the mystery is not necessarily all about what happened to Laura, but it’s a twisted puzzle of what she could have done—is she the victim or suspect? The novel is full of intrigue, family secrets, and crimes from the past. I just had issues with the intensity being rather inconsistent. There were parts that were dragging especially how the main character goes hot and cold during her date “The Night Before”.

It tackles a lot of interesting themes like mental health, parenting, childhood trauma, victim blaming culture, and internet dating. Too bad it felt that the characters lacked certain depth or maybe the writing was too stilted, like the author was trying too hard to give complex personalities to what are essentially 2-dimensional molds.

Still, I can say the story does have a satisfying plot twist and reveal that I did NOT see coming. This was a quick and enjoyable read but nothing really special or memorable. But that’s just me—I can totally understand how a lot of readers will love this book more than I did. It’s definitely worth a try if you’re a fan of mystery/thrillers.

I received a reader's copy of the book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and so I'm going to be honest. This book was not bad, but I just didn't buy into the story, I didn't believe it. I found the actions of the main character irrational - why would you stay on a date when you have a strong feeling something is wrong with the guy and his story doesn't add up? Wouldn't you run? I know it's a fiction but still, things like that in the story annoyed me. The writing was ok and the timeline went back and forth which kept me going and I did read it till the end.

This book has some stellar reviews and it seems to work for most readers. I feel like it might be me, reading too many of these types of books recently, getting burnt out and jepardising my reading experience. Perhaps I need a break from the genre?

This was my first wendy Walker book but it certainly won't be my last. Wow, Just Wow. This book was honestly amazing. I've been reading alot of psychological thrillers lately and usually about halfway through you kind of have a sense of where the book is going. I was about half way through the night before when I started getting alittle nervous because I thought I already figured out the plot and how the book was going to end. Nope, every single time I guessed something I was wrong. Literally, everytime I thought I had the story figured out I was completely off. This book had me guessing everything right up until the last page.

Wendy Walker’s latest suspense takes place one night when Rosie’s sister Laura goes on a blind date and does not return in the morning. Rosie, her husband Joe and close friend Gabe work together to solve clues as to Laura’s whereabouts with the reluctant help of the police. Events from Laura’s shady past cast suspicion on her but we quickly learn that things are way more complicated than they first appear.

Emma in the Night is one of my favorite books, so I was eager to read this. Although I found that it did not have quite as nice of a flow as its predecessor (I found my mind wandering at times), I did enjoy this and recommend it to all fans of psychological fiction. There were several twists and the ending was unexpected. Wendy Walker has definitely joined the ranks outstanding authors of this genre.

Many thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wendy Walker for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much! I give it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 - i ended up guessing part of what was happening but not all of it - but I enjoyed every single page. I think that Wendy Walker is such an amazing writer - The first book I read by her was Emma in the Night and it was so good - I need to go back and read All is Not Forgotten. I loved the characters in this book and the storyline was so easy to get into. There are many twists in this book - some you will probably guess and others that will surprise you a lot! This book is a must read to add to your TBR. I highly recommend it.

Gripping, thrilling, dark, and suspenseful! This book will have you biting your nails and sitting on the very edge of your seat as you are gripping the book in your hands, wondering what will happen next. Laura goes on a date with a man she met over the internet. Her sister Rosie knows little about this man, and where they are going on this date, so when Laura is still not home the next morning Rosie begins to worry. Did something possibly go wrong during the date? Could Laura’s date have hurt Laura? Could Laura have hurt him? Given Laura’s past, Rosie is worried and begins the frantic search to find her sister to return her to safety. She just prays she isn’t too late.

Laura has a dark past. She is well known in her town she grew up in and most know of her dark past, so Laura changes her last name to help her remain anonymous. What happened in Laura’s past that was so awful she would try to hide who she was?

The story is told from different timelines. The novel starts off with Laura talking to counsellor Dr. Brody and as part of their discussion he asks her to recall memories. Then we have alternating perspectives of both Rosie and Laura – Rosie while searching for her sister Laura, and Laura the night before while on her date. I enjoyed the various POV’s as we get pieces at a time of the night before and slowly learned what truly happened. It leaves you wanting more, and I found myself on the edge of my seat as one piece of the puzzle was delivered at a time. I was curious to find out what truly happened and wondered if something sinister had happened on the date of if Rosie was overreacting. Is someone out to get Laura? It leaves you wondering – who can you trust? Can you trust a random man you met on the internet? Can you trust the ones you know and love?

I don’t want to give away too much of the book, but what a fabulous read from beginning to end. Thanks for reading my review and I hope you enjoy the book!

Rosie’s sister Laura went for a date with a man that she met online, and she’s never come back home. Rosie, with her husband Joe and best friend Gabe, is desperately trying to track her steps. What happened? Who killed who? Be ready for a crazy ride in this fast spinning roller-coaster. Tension building, page turner psychological thriller that I couldn’t put down until all the secrets reviled. I honestly recommend this book to anybody who likes to sit on the edge of the chair.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

What an addictive story! The pacing was so well done in this book and it had just enough suspense to keep you wanting more.

The Night Before was told in both Laura’s and her sister Rosie’s POV and I loved that we got both of their stories. Family-type thriller’s are my favorite and this defiantly had enough juicy details in it to keep you on your toes.

My mind was spinning with reading this one, Wendy Walker did such a good job at letting you think you knew what was going on, but then totally throwing you in the other direction. There were a lot of surprising twists and turns that I did not see coming and I loved it.

I haven’t read anything by Walker before, but I’ve heard a lot of good things and I have to say I’m not disappointed at all. I’m excited to get my hands on some more books! Especially if they are as well written and cleaver as The Night Before!

I’m trying to keep this review as short as I can because I can’t stress enough at how much better it will be going in blind! I did just that, not even knowing much about it and that’s what made it so much better! Trust me, you won’t regret it.

If you are looking for a cleaver, fast and addictive read then you need to get your hands on The Night Before! I can’t wait to read more from Wendy Walker!

The Night before is a captivating, edge-of-your-seat, psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns that make it difficult to put down. I like how the author goes back and forth between things that happened a few months previously and current circumstances that slowly reveal a tragic event from the past and how that is affecting the characters in the present.

The author does a great job of characterization slowly revealing the many layers that make up the people in the story and showing unexpected sides to some of them who appear to have it all together. I enjoyed the plot.

The book contains sex scenes, the f word and use of Jesus as a curse word. I always feel this is unnecessary in books.

The Night Before by Wendy Walker
Thanks @netgalley @stmartinspress and @wendywalkerauthor for my ARC. Publication date 14th May
‘Twelve hours earlier she was hopeful, excited, safe. Now she’s gone’.
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Sometimes I feel that a certain book is better if you ‘go in blind’ and this book is a great example of that. The blurb was purposely vague and the way the story then began to unfold was just amazing.
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Like I said, I really don’t want to spoil this book for anyone. I will say I could not stop reading it. Told from different timelines and POV’s it is an incredibly clever and suspenseful book. I could never have guessed any of the many twists and turns the book took. The story was believable though, nothing to out of left field and was just an absolutely all consuming, mind bending and thrilling ride! Loved it. I’ve just bought Wendy Walker’s other two books 😊highly recommended xx

The Night Before stars Laura, who is temporarily living with her sister Rosie and her husband. One night Laura decides to dip her toe in the dating pool by way of an Internet dating site. However, come morning, Rosie discovers that Laura never returned from her date. She, her husband, and their best friend start sleuthing and find the car Laura had driven abandoned. What has happened to Laura? And does it have anything to do with a death that occurred when the girls were in high school?

The story is told from alternating viewpoints of Laura as she is out on her date and Rosie as she tries desperately to find her sister, with interludes of Laura's discussions with her psychiatrist. It's a fast read and a compelling mystery. As a reader I was as in the dark about Laura's whereabouts as her sister Rosie. As with her other novels, Wendy Walker takes a pretty basic premise and weaves a terrific story.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded down.

The premise and first 30% or so of The Night Before was very promising and had me eagerly turning the pages. However, the pace turned sluggish and I had to force myself to continue reading, as it quickly became apparent that this book is a prime example of "show, don't tell". The plot relied heavily on the events of the past, but instead of the reader being taken back with the characters in a flashback, the events were recounted through discussions between the characters. Having the actions described through dialogue made it feel unrealistic and flat. At one point Laura is describing a memory involving an ex boyfriend to another character and says: "he smiled and folded his arms and soaked up the love that was radiating from my body". Nobody talks like that in a conversation!!

Along with the issue of too much telling and not enough showing were characters whose voices fell flat, and a disappointing final reveal. Unfortunately my expectations were not met with this one...

This book had an interesting, but relatively slow start. The author makes you think that the main character is to blame for past events. The book slowly evolves, going forward and backward in time to reveal more of the burden that Laura, the main character, is carrying. This book is a psychological thriller and kept me interested, but was not a “must read now” book. The twists and turns did lead to a relatively surprise ending. Throughout, I did see and wonder about the hints the author revealed. This book was a good read that I would recommend to others. Not my favorite, but definitely worth the read!

Interesting story. I was drawn in right away. The characters were interesting and well developed. Looking forward to more books from Wendy Walker.