Member Reviews
Renee C, Reviewer
Great story with a surprise plot twist. Most of the books out today you can basically predict the entire story line. *The night before* was a pleasant surprise. Definitely add this to your TBR. |
This was such a suspenseful book with so many unreliable characters! I was reading this every free chance I had throughout the weekend and I loved it! |
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion. Laura moves back home after a bad breakup, she is staying with her sister and husband; but Laura hasn’t been home in a long time, something happened years ago with an old boyfriend, something tragic or was it something sinister. When Laura doesn’t come home the next morning after a date with a guy from an online service, her sister, Rosie, husband Joe and childhood best friend, Gabe pull out all the stops to find her, but are they afraid for her or afraid she did something? This book had me guessing, right up until the end! When the culprit was revealed, I was shocked. I never even saw it coming. Great characters, so many twists and turns, I felt like I was in the dark just as much as some of our main characters. I liked the way it was told, from the point of Laura, Rosie and past therapy sessions of Laura. Great book! Great read! |
Loved this book! Fast paced, few characters to choose from The “who dunnit” list and I still didn’t see the end coming. Great twists, edge of your seat anticipation and a well told story. This is going to be a book you’ll see on every chair on vacation this summer! Excellent and thrilling! |
Petra H, Reviewer
3,5/5 It was my first book by Wendy Walker and I enjoyed the read. A lot of forth and back and changing POV's but easy to follow. To me it was a nice psychological thriller, solid and well written. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy!!! |
I read Wendy Walker's previous book, Emma in the Night, and really liked it, so I jumped at the chance to read The Night Before. The story starts off with a bang and the shots just keep on coming until you reach the shocking conclusion. 4 very enthusiastic stars! |
Corinne T, Educator
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I enjoyed Walker’s previous books, but this one fell a bit short of my expectations. I did not find the main characters likable and there were too many unnecessary things going on in the story. For example, Joe as Laura’s half-brother? I think the story and plot twists still hold up without that unnecessary distraction. |
Laura Lochner has had horrible luck in love. Absent father, tragedy in her adolescence, ghosted boyfriend, and now she finds herself living with her sister in the small town in Connecticut that they grew up in. When she doesn’t return home after a first date, her loved ones dig deeper in search for what happened. Saying anymore would give too much away, but this was a fast-paced twisty story. I don’t know that I’d say it fits squarely in the psychological thriller box since most of that was concentrated near the end, but there was plenty of drama and mystery throughout. My first instinct was right and the weight of the reveal didn’t knock me back on my heels at all, but it kept my attention from beginning to end. My biggest criticism was that it spent the entire time trying to confuse the reader and disguise who each of these characters were that I felt it lacked depth in that regard until the very end. And pet peeve, please don’t make up cities when there are plenty of real ones that could suit your purpose. This is such a common thing with books that take place in Greater New York and as a former CT and current NY resident, the inaccuracies irk me more than I care to admit. Thanks as always to the author, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. |
Roma S, Reviewer
What a book! A game of cat and mouse brilliantly written. Full of suspense and twists. The narration is well paced and you truly can’t pick sides in this book. You can’t be sure who to trust and can’t identify who is lying. This is a must read and a book that I’d pre-order in a heartbeat. The description gives away precious little. The book is about Laura who returns to her home town after many year, goes on a date and disappears. Her sister Rosie starts looking for her with the help of her husband Joe and childhood friend Gabe. We also know that Laura has a murky past where her teenage boyfriend was murdered and people in her hometown believed she was the murder. The story is told in 3 different time periods, starting 3 months before, the day of the date and present day. Each is interesting enough that when you move between the times you want to keep reading since each of them has something interesting to offer. The suspense keeps you on edge and the heavy dose of psychology only adds to the myriad insights in to the mind of Laura. Then book is a taut dark thriller and at times it makes breathing physically difficult! Both sisters are shown battling with themselves and the intensity of their emotions is disturbing to say the least. The twists are surprising and hard to guess I think at some point in the book I just didn’t want to try and guess anymore because I felt like no matter what I guessed I’d be wrong. The writing is powerful, that the characters are flawed yet relatable adds a lot of credibility to Wendy Walker. My only complaint is that the book has a bit of a slow start. But you can’t escape it. If you decide to DNF it and move on, chances are you won’t be able to. The plot, the dialogue, and the characters will keep playing on your mind and you will rush back to this book. Ideally you want to read this book in one long session because it’s going to occupy your mind whether you are reading it or not. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Pres for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley, #TheNightBefore Also shared on: https://romasharma.blogspot.com |
Nancy M, Bookseller
We know Laura is missing after going out on a first date with someone she met on a dating site. At least her older sister Rosie thinks she is missing. The Night Before is told from Laura's point of view from the night before and from Rosie's from the morning after. As usual Wendy Walker’s book is filled with psychological trauma and even a series of sessions with a psychologist which add believability and insight into who Laura is. And, as usual, I couldn't stop reading, and was surprised more than once. The Night Before is a true thriller with a heavy dose of psychology you won't want to miss. |
Amalia A, Reviewer
Wendy Walker writes wonderful psychological thrillers and this is no exception. I loved the perspectives of the two sisters; their characters were well fleshed out and so real. This was suspenseful and a really enjoyable read. I look forward to more from this author. |
Margaret P, Bookseller
When Rosie's troubled sister Laura goes missing after a date with someone she met online, Rosie goes into full protection mode, determined to find and protect her sister. What she is reluctant to admit however is because of her sister's past, Rosie is not sure what she will need to protect her from, a predator or perhaps Laura's own impulsive actions. Wendy Walker has once again come up with an entertaining psychological thriller. |
The Night Before is an incredibly thought-provoking, emotional, intense novel about a troubled young woman, Laura Lochner. Laura’s personality and past are shrouded in mystery. Not only does she have trouble trusting her instincts and the men she chooses to love, but there is something darkly disturbing about her past that has yet to reveal itself. After a tumultuous incident in New York, Laura moves home to be with her sister, brother-in-law and close, childhood friend. As she struggles to move forward once again in her life by accepting a date from an online website, she experiences far more than she bargained for. From here the story kicks into high gear with her sudden disappearance. What ensues is intense, nerve-wracking and a wildly disturbing. Wendy Walker delivers a superb psychological thriller in this story about The Night Before. |
Patty H, Reviewer
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Night Before by Wendy Walker. This is a solid thriller that will keep you engaged till the end. A young woman, Laura, is broken - she's been dumped by text by a man she loved. She moves back with her sister, Rosie, and her husband, Joe, to heal her heart. Laura and Rosie grew up in a quiet Connecticut town and when Laura was 18, she left immediately. Something bad happened - a murder and most people believed she did it. Now Laura is back and she is surrounded by family and her other friend, Gabe, who never left the neighborhood either. He is married, but is still part of their childhood memories.. Laura is different, Laura is strong, Laura is fierce, and Laura has secrets that she never told anyone; not even her counselor, Dr. Brody. Now Laura is going on a date with a stranger from an App, - Rosie is worried. But is she worried for Laura, or is she worried for the date? Written with several timeline, this book takes the reader into the mind of two sisters, their childhoods, families, friends, and tragedies that are not spoken of anymore. A real ride - Walker keeps you on your toes and you won't know whats going on till the end....Very Good - Recommend. 4 stars. |
The Night Before- Wendy Walker- vlog review @jonesingforagoodbook, www.instagram.com/jonesingforagoodbook, 4 stars |
Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Walker and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. Wow. I loved this book!! It's fast paced, with interesting characters and that TWIST at the end! I didn't see it coming, but definitely enjoyed it. This is my first Wendy Walker book, but it won't be my last! |
I have never read a Wendy Walker book, despite buying her previous two...which I really need to read and have pushed up on my TBR. The Night Before alternates telling the story between therapy sessions (my favorite), Rosie present day (Laura’s sister), Laura (the night before). I loved all the clues left behind to help you figure out whats going on and ‘watching’ everything unfold. The Night Before, was filled with exciting twists and turns. I would definitely recommend this as a must read! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of, The Night Before by Wendy Walker in exchange for my honest review. ***Will post to Goodreads one month prior to release and post to B&N and Amazon on 5/14/19. |
After abandoning this book a third of the way through, I kept thinking about the plot and was interested in finding out how it ended. So I gave it a second chance. What was confusing about it was multiple characters and two plots. In the end, I did enjoy it and I would consider it a family suspense drama. |
The Night Before alternates between three different periods of time, and has many different characters; however, these details are dealt with well by the author, and I never had trouble following what was happening, or when, or to whom. That being said, I felt like the first half of this book moved frustratingly slowly; I just wanted to get on with it! The two main female characters, Laura and Rosie bothered me for various reasons; they were overall extremely unlikable. With so many thrillers out there, competition to be a memorable book is fierce. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would, but you may find it appealing. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of The Night Before in exchange for my honest review. |
Having recently finished “The Night Before” by Wendy Walker, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press! This was a suspenseful story full of twists and thrills. I was completely immersed and thoroughly enjoyed following Laura (and her sister Rosie) as their (his)story unfolded; from growing up on Deer Hill Lane where childhood friendships remained strong even through tragedy, secrets and ultimately… disturbing revelations. |








