Emma in the Night

Emma in the Night is magnificent. I loved All Is Not Forgotten. Somehow Emma manages to take it up a notch. It's a flawless, layered, psychological thriller, with twists and turns and an endgame impossible to figure out till the final pages. I read it in practically one sitting, and twenty four hours later, I am still unable to stop thinking about it. I wish every book were this good. You get one or two of these a season. When you find them, you want to slow down, savor it, because you don't want it to end. Enough with the gushing. Just buy the book. If warped and wonderful domestic head games and tawdry crime novels like Gone Girl, etc., are your thing, you won't be disappointed.

I have never read a psychological mystery quite like this one. It's impossible to figure out what is going on when one of two missing daughters returns home after three years with a tale of being held against their will on a remote island off the coast of Maine and insisting her sister and a daughter she gave birth to are still being held there. There's something very wrong with the girls' family, especially their mother. As FBI agents and a particularly qualified psychologist try to rush to get to the bottom of the mystery before the captors can flee the island, the story unfolds via memories.

4.5 starsI never quite know what I'm going to get with a Wendy Walker book, and I'm saying that as a compliment. The three books I have read by her have this unique feel to them although I can't put into words what makes them feel so special and different. She's just a good storyteller and this book is a wonderful example of that fact.Fifteen-year-old Emma Tanner and her older sister, Cass, disappeared three years ago. Emma has now found her way back home and says she was held captive on an island with her sister. She was able to escape, but without her sister. As law enforcement grills Emma with the hope she will be able to provide enough answers so they can successfully locate and rescue Cass, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter can't help but question some of Emma's claims. Abby thinks by learning more about Emma and her family, she might be able to uncover the truth.I thought the mystery was complex enough that I would be rather surprised if any reader was able to figure out every single piece of the puzzle before everything is revealed. It's one of those in which the theory you have floating around in your head will probably change throughout the story and by the end at most you were only partially correct. I liked how the story alternated between Emma and Abby's perspectives and as the story progressed, it was interesting learning some of the things they shared in common but also how they were different.Highly recommend for not just mystery fans but also for anyone who appreciates when an author takes the time and effort to create a well-crafted story with fully developed characters.

I have, unfortunately, had a stretch of reading disappointing novels. This novel breaks that streak. I cared a great deal about the very flawed characters and what a narcissist personality disorder is. I also was completely caught off guard by some of the novel's twists. Compelling and informative --a wonderful combination in any novel!

I’ve seen mixed reviews for this book but I really enjoyed it. There were a few really juicy plot twists that I wasn’t expecting. It’s a good mystery thriller and a fairly quick read.

Missing for several years, Cass has come home to help solve a crime. Solving the real crime will take a book to unravel. Peering into the lives of damaged people is always voyeuristic but the author does a wonderful job of making it seem less so. What did I not like? I squirmed at the greatness of the resolution but that too was a reflection of real life.Wonderful read!

This book caught yoh from the very first sentence and kept you prisoner until the end. An exce!lent blend of psychological thrilling suspense.

Story kept me reading until I finished. I love these kind of mysteries. Would suggest reading to anyone who likes a story which is a little different.

Emma in the NightBy Wendy WalkerTwo sisters disappeared one night three years ago. Emma Tanner’s car was found at the beach with her purse and keys, and her shoes left on the sand. There was no sign of her younger sister Cass. Nothing of hers was missing from her room.Now, after three years Cass has come home!Special Agent, Leo Strauss and FBI, Forensic Psychologist, Dr Abigail Winter who had been in charge of the case of the missing girls cannot wait to interview Cass and find out, at last what happened. But it is not quite that simple. Cass’s story leads to more questions than it answers and as her story unfolds the divisions and tensions in the family start to unravel.Full of drama and suspense ‘Emma in the Night’ is told by two narrators, Cass and Dr Winter and has lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The atmosphere builds, empathy is created and I really did not want to put this book down. The relationships and conflicts between the characters unfold at a satisfactory pace along with the plot and the descriptions and analysis of living with a narcissistic mother are shockingly detailed and raw.Lovers of psychological thrillers and unreliable narrators will really enjoy Emma in the Night. I will definitely look out by more by Wendy Walker.Sue AlmondJanuary 2018

This book really did have so many twists and turns I did not see coming. It is an enjoyable book with a thoroughly good story line, however I did not find myself gripped to the pages as I usually would with a story of this strength. I'm not sure what it was about the writing, but I left this book multiple times for over a week without being interested in coming back to it, almost forgetting about it when it wasn't right in front of me.It has great reviews and really does have a good storyline so maybe I am wrong with my criticism. But overall I would recommend.

Its very difficult to write a review for this book without revealing spoilers as there are so many twists and turns!I really enjoyed this book I thought it was really cleverly crafted to keep you guessing without the author trying to be too pretentious and throw in a ridiculous twist at the end. I felt myself sympathising with all of the characters as each one had their own issues.

I didn't guess the truth at all, which is brilliant, as nothing worse that a psychological thriller with predictable twists and conclusions, I didn't give it 5* because I did find myself skim reading Abby's back story bits as I really wasn't interested in it, I just wanted to read and find out the main story, other than that it was a brilliant story, I recommend it 100% to anyone who loves a good puzzle to try and figure out

Beautifully written; very well researched and wonderful, in-depth character description. Well-paced with an accelerating build up to the climax. So why did I give it 4 stars instead of 5? Well, maybe it dragged just a little at one or two points. But, so what; nothing's perfect. I would highly recommend it though.