Fantastic psychological thriller! I was fully engrossed from start to finish. This is my first Wendy Walker novel, but I believe I have Emma in the Night, so I’m thinking I might want to check that one out now too!

This started off as a good read, but I found myself losing interest about 25% in to the book. The characters seemed superficial and I didn’t find myself caring about them but did need to see how it all wrapped up. Just okay.

This is a nice, readable mystery, without too great a plot, lots of repeating and moving around the story, often too much about a woman and her date. Laura has gone out on a computer date after having her heart broken by her last boyfriend. She is so devastated that she has moved back home, where she has to confront her own difficult past, and in with her sister. When she doesn't return from the date, the book fills with red herrings and twists. Certainly a fine light read, totally enjoyable for a good relaxing evening in a comfy chair.

4.5 stars

This book is a prime example of what a psychological suspense thriller should be! By far, it’s my favorite thriller read so far this year.

The publisher blurb:

"Twelve hours earlier, she was...
Hopeful.
 Excited.
 Safe.

 Now she's gone."

Now that is a perfect blurb! It’s best to go into this read with as little information as possible.

Laura goes on a date with a man she met on an online dating site and doesn’t return home. From there, the story alternates between the ‘night before’ chapters narrated by Laura, and chapters featuring her sister Rosie, who attempts to piece together the clues in an increasingly desperate attempt to locate her sister. Interspersed throughout the book are chapters detailing sessions between Laura and her therapist. I love how the author brings a psychological slant to all her books.

I picked this up early one morning to read and three hours later I was still in the same spot. If life had not intervened I would have read this cover to cover in one sitting. The pacing is perfect and the author reveals additional information at just the right times to keep the tension and suspense high. The ending had my pulse racing and I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough.

If you’ve given up on thrillers because many are less than thrilling my advice is to put this on your radar for the May 2019 publication date. It will restore your faith in the genre!

*thanks to St Martin's Press for an e-galley of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.
*Many thanks to the Traveling Sisters here on Goodreads, for the pleasure of reading and discussing this book as a group.
* review to publish on Amazon in May 2019

Twelve hours earlier, she was...Hopeful. Excited. Safe.

NOW SHE’S GONE

That was all the publisher said, so if they want to be vague, and have readers go in blind, I am not going to say much more.....but, I will give you a smidgen more....

Excerpt : (page 2)

“ Lipstick, cherry red.
I choose the color because it’s bright and cheerful. It’s optimism in a tube. And, that’s exactly what I need tonight.”
The guest bathroom at my sister’s house is impossibly small, with slanted ceilings and a tiny oval mirror. The lipstick hovers on the edge of a pedestal sink. I put it on first, so I won’t change my mind, rolling that optimism right across my lips.”


Is that not gorgeous writing?

I had the opportunity to read this through Netgalley super early, in exchange for candid feedback, as this book is not scheduled to be released till May 14th, 2019.

All I can say is that if you love thrillers with a twist...pre order now.
If you have a sister, you have always had to look out for...pre order now...
If you love stories told through two narratives, and a transcript, pre order now...

I will be making time to go back and read the author’s first two books, after reading this one..

I would like to thank Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wendy Walker for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. When Laura was 6, she heard her mother telling a friend that Laura was a hard child to love. And she has been carrying that her whole life, always getting involved with men who reinforce her belief that she's unlovable. Now she's recovering from a bad break-up at her sister Rosie's house, and has decided it's time to date again. She goes on a date with a man she meets online--and when Rosie wakes up the next morning, Laura is missing.

<i>The Night Before</i> is in a lot of ways a very typical psychological thriller, but I'm rounding up because of how completely addicting it was, plus I liked the deep look into Laura's psychology and why she made the choices she did. It's a fast-paced read that I flew through, and I was totally riveted to see what happened next.

The story goes back and forth between Laura's perspective starting the night of her date, Rosie's perspective when she finds her sister missing, and flashbacks to Laura 's sessions with her therapist. The author did a great job with the pacing, slowly teasing out the truth about what happened to Laura and revealing things about her past.

If you’ve read a book by Wendy Walker before then you know how she likes to play with red herrings and twist her plots like someone wringing out a wet sheet. Just when you think you have it all figured out, she throws you off the trail completely.

The story is about two sisters, one of them lives under a dark cloud of suspicion because of a tragic event in the past. Everything Laura does, especially when it comes to romantic relationships, is always brought back to what she may or may not have done in the past.

Subsequently the reader is never quite sure whether they are dealing with Laura the secret psychopath or Laura the insecure victim of odd circumstances. When she goes missing after arranging to meet up with a man on dating website, her sister Rosie goes into meltdown and believes the worst has happened. She rounds up the troops before time runs out for Laura.

Simultaneously the reader is privy to events between Laura and this mysterious man, and let me tell you Walker presents an excellent cat and mouse game between the two of them. You’re just never sure which one of them is the predator, which makes the read even more exhilarating.

Is Laura disturbed, are the rumours true? Has someone got a vendetta against her, is this simply a misunderstanding or is there something more sinister afoot? It’s an enthralling well plotted psychological thriller, which will keep you guessing until the very last pages. Walker doesn’t disappoint.

I'm about 4.5 stars here.

Well, that was a wild ride!! At some point I figure my pulse will stop racing.

Laura is getting ready for a blind date. She isn't quite sure if she's ready to date again after a bad breakup not too long ago, but something about this man's picture, his profile, their conversations, makes her hopeful and excited.

It hasn't been easy for Laura since she moved back to her hometown, moved in with her older sister Rosie and her family. Because years ago Laura was involved in a tragic, mysterious incident, and no one really knows the truth of what happened, but it's haunted her every day since then. She doesn't like when people judge her or mistrust her—or even fear her—but she knows some do. And inherently, she knows Rosie is still worried about her.

Laura goes on the date—and then disappears. Rosie, her husband, and a family friend are left trying to figure out what happened that night. But to do so, they must uncover the truth about what happened to Laura all those years ago, and what other incidents that night has set off in her life since then.

The less said about the plot the better, because there is a lot going on and there are a lot of twists and turns to navigate. Wendy Walker definitely takes you on a ride, ratcheting up the suspense as you wonder what all of these characters are hiding. (I trust no one, so I suspect they're all hiding something.)

The Night Before alternates narration between Laura getting ready for the date and as the date happens, and the present, as Rosie searches for answers. It's a fascinating, compelling read that hooked me from its very innocuous start, as Laura is getting dressed for her date. But Walker only hints at what's to come.

This book doesn't come out until mid-May of next year, so if you can't get your hands on an advance copy, I'd definitely recommend one of Walker's earlier books, Emma in the Night. I think this new book is a little better than that one, but it still gives you an idea of Walker's storytelling talent.

We're in the midst of a real glut of thrillers, so it's not always easy to tell which are worth your time. The Night Before definitely is. You'll see everyone reading it come next year!

NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

This book was so full of psychological suspense that reading it was a little stressful. You know that feeling you get in your gut when something just isn’t right but you can’t put your finger on it? This is what the book does to you. It starts out hopeful and positive but you quickly realize something is off. What that might be though you’ll have no idea. What Wendy walker does so well is make you question the motives of every character. No one is safe. This was a really great read that I couldn’t put down and I definitely recommend it!

The Night Before is a great upcoming new thriller by Wendy Walker. I had read, and loved, Emma in the Night so I knew I had to grab this one before I even read the description. It took me a little bit to get into initially, but once I did, I devoured it. I had to know what happened to Laura and who was involved.
Laura was accused of a horrible crime when she was young, and she just can’t seem to shake it. Has it all caught up to her, or is she even the victim? If you’re looking for an unputdownable thriller that will keep you up all night guessing, this is the one.

[[[[[This is a "teaser" post/review for the book that went live 9/27/18 at https://wp.me/p60tH7-IV. Full review will go up on pub date. Following *** below I'm including the full review for you to see ahead of time.]]]]]

Wendy Walker slammed onto the thriller scene with All is Not Forgotten , and followed it up with the incredible Emma in the Night .

Now she's gearing up for the release of her third thriller, The Night Before .

I was provided an early copy of the book to provide my honest feedback, and boy oh boy. This book is just too easy to devour.

This baby bookling is so newborn that it doesn't even have a cover yet! You'll have to wait on the edge of your seat for my full review and the book itself, but here's a little nibble of my thoughts!

"This book is a master class in the unreliable narrator, the alternating-time chapters, in leading you down the road only for you to find it wasn’t taking you where you thought."

I gave The Night Before an unreserved four stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The book comes out in May 2019, but lucky you! You can pre-order the book on Amazon here!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Links in post are affiliate links whose proceeds go toward the maintenance of this blog.

******
The Night Before is a keep-you-guessing mystery told in the always classic chronologically mixed format — alternating between “Present Day,” “Months Ago,” and of course, “The Night Before”.

Laura Heart Lochner has a shady past and a knack for overthinking her romantic relationships. When she goes through her most recent breakup with “Asshole,” she packs her bags and moves from NYC back to her childhood home to live with her sister, Rosie. Rosie, her husband Joe, and their neighbor Gabe, all are connected by proximity, but also by the fact that they were best friends growing up in that same neighborhood. They know each others’ childhood secrets, which for some, are more sinister than is typical.

To ease Laura’s heartache, Rosie helps Laura craft a dating profile and get a date with a respectable, mature, older man — one who would seemingly have a stable life to help Laura keep her head straight. When Laura doesn’t return from her date, her family fears the worst.

This book is a master class in the unreliable narrator, the alternating-time chapters, in leading you down the road only for you to find it wasn’t taking you where you thought.

Pre-order the book here.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Links in post are affiliate links whose proceeds go toward the maintenance of this blog.

This is one of the best thrillers that I have read in a while. The story follows sisters Laura and Rosie, Laura has just moved back to the small town that she grew up in with Rosie. Rosie has never left and is now married to her childhood best friend and they have a son. Laura goes on a date with a man she's met online after fleeing from her life in New York. This book was so engaging and it had me guessing the whole time. There were plot twist that made me gasp and the resolution was very satisfying. I highly recommend this domestic thriller.

4.5 stars! UNPUTDOWNABLE!!

This was a fast-paced, tension-filled, edge-of-your-seat thrilling read! I couldn’t flip these pages fast enough! I absolutely love this author’s writing – it pulled me in from page one and kept me fully captivated and intrigued until the very end.

The blurb describing this novel doesn’t give much detail:

“Twelve hours earlier, she was...
Hopeful.
Excited.
Safe.

Now she's gone.”

Knowing the caliber of this author’s writing, I knew I would be in for an intense and gripping read, which is exactly what this was.

Once again, Wendy Walker, mastered the art of brilliant narration. One of my most favourite books is her debut, “All Is Not Forgotten” which had such unique and clever narration. Although that remains my favourite of her books, this comes in a VERY close second. I loved the characters – my suspicions were bouncing all over the place. The various perspectives flow perfectly, revealing new pieces of this addictive and twisty story that will have you changing your theory more than a few times throughout.

The gripping and speedy pace, the vivid characters, the skillful narration, the unwavering tension. It all adds up to one fantastic story that will leave you in high anticipation of what Wendy Walker will come out with next! As you can tell, I highly recommend this incredible novel!

This was a Traveling Sister read that we all truly enjoyed!

A huge thank you to Jordan at St. Martin’s Press, Wendy Walker and Brenda and Norma for inviting me to be part of this Traveling Sister read!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press.

Since the blurb is so short, I will keep this brief so I do not spoil it for anyone. Laura goes on a date with a man she meets online. Her sister wakes up and realizes that Laura never came home....

Told in alternating POVs of Rosie, Laura, and Laura's therapy sessions, TNB had me guessing. While it's not the best thriller I've read, it did keep my attention!

Well, that cover looks super boring! Don't worry- there's a good reason. The Night Before by Wendy Walker isn't scheduled for release until May 14th, 2019, but the publisher asked a few select readers to read and review it way ahead of schedule so that buzz could begin to build. I was flattered to be asked since I had read Walker's Emma in the Night and really liked it.

Another suspense novel, The Night Before begins with Laura, a woman who has been very unlucky in love, getting ready for her first date in a long while. She is meeting a man she found on a dating website and is unsure if this is a good idea or not, but with the encouragement of her older sister, Rosie, she is willing to give it a shot. Laura carries some difficult baggage with her, not least of which is witnessing the brutal murder of her high school boyfriend. When the man she meets changes plans and is acting unexpectedly, Laura knows she should back out and go home early, but she is too busy talking herself out of listening to her doubts.

The interesting thing about the layout of this book is that it is told in two different timelines. The first is The Night Before during Laura's Date, and the second- and this is no spoiler as the information is right there on the soon-to-be cover- is the next few days while Laura is missing. The first timeline is told from Laura's point of view, the second timeline from Rosie's. What is really interesting is that we know Laura goes missing from Rosie's information, but as we read along with Laura we can't help but hope that nothing bad happens. Having read Walker's first book, I was expecting this one to have twists and turns, but I still couldn't see where it was headed. Every time I thought I had it figured out, it twisted back on me or had me doubting what I thought would happen. It was great!

Mark your calendars for May 14th, 2019 and be sure to get this exciting thriller!

As someone who enjoyed author Wendy Walker's prior two novels, ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN and EMMA IN THE NIGHT, I was grateful to have an opportunity to read an e-galley of her new book THE NIGHT BEFORE, coming out next May. I just checked this author's bio to see if she was a psychologist in another life (not)! I was sure she had a background in this field, so well does she write about the psychological issues affecting some of the characters in her books!

THE NIGHT BEFORE starts out with brief notes from a therapy session, so we know right away that there are "issues" being dealt with by at least one of the characters. Laura Heart has returned to her hometown to live with her sister while recovering from a bad breakup. She wants to get her life back together and find love like her sister has found. But something happened in that town many years ago, when Laura was in high school, and as we continue to read, we start to wonder what kind of person Laura really is....

Non-linear timelines and dual narratives (by Laura and her sister, Rosie) are used to tell this story - with brief snippets from therapy sessions that heighten the already palpable tension.. It takes quite a bit of talent, in my opinion, for an author to hold a complex plot such as this one together in such a way that the reader feels so rewarded at the end. And, as I mentioned, the psychological issues addressed in this story are spot-on, making it a true tale of psychological suspense. Well done! Readers won't be disappointed.

Another excellent novel from Wendy Walker! This is going to be a very biased review because I love this author's previous novels and this one is just as compelling.

Laura goes on a date with someone she met on a dating site, is the next day she has not returned and that is all I'm sharing about this book! It was an addictive and twisty read. The author does a great job at creating intrigue and maintaining suspense throughout the novel.

The novel is narrated from alternating points of view and perfectly paced. What I love about this author's books is the way she integrates psychology into her stories in a way that is relatable and believable. What can be more interesting than the human psyches.

Overall, I loved it and highly recommend it to readers of thrillers, mysteries, and contemporary fiction.

Thanks to St. Martins' Press and Wendy Walker for the eARC.

Laura Heart. Isn't that ironic? Named after the one thing inside me that feels broken.

The Night Before was a must-read as soon as I read the authors name. Wendy Walker's Emma in the Night was a huge hit in my book. So when I received an email letting me get my hands on an advanced copy in exchange for an October 1st read/review deadline, the challenge was accepted! I had no clue what to expect with this story. But if I learned anything from her previous novel, it's that I will never guess what is coming...

So I was a bit surprised and less than thrilled when I was guessing the twists. Based on the reviews, I wasn't the only one. Now, I am a pretty heavy thriller reader. So I like to think that I am fairly good at foreshadowing. But like other reviewers, the bigger and more shocking twists weren't something that I ended up figuring out. So that certainly helped keep the story entertaining and enticing.

One thing Walker did really well was feed you just enough information to keep you turning the page. Each chapter, I would get a little bit of insight into the past, current situation and certain plots. Just that little nibble would have me begging for more. Walker does a divine tease. Even if I didn't end up enjoying the story (which I did), I would still appreciate her ability to keep me turning the page.

Another compliment I would give Walker was her real portrayal of the situation. There were scenes in the story where Rosie was going ape. While I found her annoying in that particular situation, I couldn't help but think how real and accurate this person's behavior might be if this wasn't a fiction story.

Overall, I would give the story a 3.5 star rating, I've rounded to 4.

NetGalley - Thank you for a copy of this fun story. And a shout out to the publisher that sent out an email to previous readers of her novel.

I highly recommend Wendy Walker as an author. I love how she draws your attention right away and then she manages to keep it throughout the books twists and turns. Although I preferred "Emma in the Night", "The Night Before" still gets my seal of approval. This is a super thriller that leads you to question what you really know about your childhood and your family. I loved the character of Rosie, the solid and loyal big sister to Laura. Laura is the sister that was always finding herself in trouble and never felt loved. The plot revolves around Laura going missing after a blind date. Rosie's husband Joe and their mutual friend Nate try to find her as they are concerned something happened to her. The only criticism I have of this book is the ending--it was a little too convoluted. I still think most readers of thrillers and suspense would enjoy the book. Wendy Walker's writing is just too good to pass up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review

I have read two of Wendy Walker's previous books and they were just ok at best. But this one! Wow! She has hit her stride! She has all the elements of a great suspenseful twist-filled story. A woman with a trouble past goes on a date with a man from a dating website and never comes home. Her sister is left to untanlge the leads and find out what has happened. There was a lot of history and back story to process, there were a lot of shady characters who could have been involved. There was a lot to process and think about to try to guess the twists and figure out just what happened. Well done, Wendy Walker!