Emma in the Night: A Novel

Wendy Walker

Aug 2017 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this eBook

"Both twisted and twisty, this smart psychological thriller sets a new standard for unreliable narrators." –Booklist, Starred Review

One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn't add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister's return might just be the beginning of the crime.

Bestselling author Wendy Walker returns with another winning thriller, Emma in the Night.

Ratings and reviews

Emma in the Night wasn't at all what I expected and I wouldn't quite call it a thriller. When I read a thriller, I expect to be on the edge of my seat, dying to know what happens next. I was interested and the story was suspenseful, but the story was a bit slow and even dry at times. That said, it was oddly compelling and certainly disturbing. Considering their parents and upbringing, Emma and Cass were almost doomed to be at a little messed up. In a not exactly successfully blended family, the only person that I found to be remotely normal was the oldest brother, Witt. The story is not only twisted, but there are plenty of twists and turns as it progresses, which is something I look forward to in a psychological tale. I was left scratching my head at times with Cass' recounting of her time away as it seemed to become more and more convoluted. By the end, her motivations were made clear, but even now, as I ponder the story, I'm not exactly clear about the way she went about it all. The biggest drawback for me was the switch in point of view. Throughout the book, we hear from two people, Cass and Dr. Abigail Winter. Cass' chapters are all in first person, while Abby's are in third. My first thought was that it was done to help show Cass' frame of mind during the seven days following her return home, but Abby's chapters also reveal her own thoughts about Cass and the family during that time. The switches from chapter to chapter took some getting used to and in all honesty, I found it to be more of a distraction than anything beneficial to the story. Overall, Walker does have a unique writing style and the story had potential, but it just didn't quite live up to expectations. It's not a bad read, but turned out to be merely an okay one for me.

My Review: Wow, wow, wow!!!! I’m still trying to get over the shock that this book brought me. When you google psychological thrillers this book should be first to pop up. My mind was blown with this one!!!! So where to start with this review. Well I do want to say that I’m glad I didn’t grow up with this family. They were very sick and twisted. Even the few family members that got lucky and got out before the real horror began in that household were left scarred. Now on to the story itself. It is a basic story where two girls left and only one returns years later. What happened? Where did they go? Why did only one return? Simple enough story line, right? Wrong, nothing is that simple with this book. You get told this unimaginable story throughout the whole book and don’t know what to believe. I will admit I even had trouble believing the story that was told. Some parts were believable and some parts just weren’t. This is the only reason why I docked it one heart. I really wish certain parts of the story were not so far out there. Now on to the ending. I was in complete and utter shock by the end of this book. I had no clue what direction the author was going to take us with this one. There were so many OMG moments throughout the whole book and I personally didn’t see that ending coming from a mile away. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and will be reading more of this authors books. In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 4 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️

Emma in the Night is my first Wendy Walker book and I loved it! This was a very suspenseful and mysterious read. The writing switches between a few characters but it mainly was told by Cass, a 15 year old girl. I really liked Cass and I felt bad for her throughout the story. I suspected Cass was not telling the truth but I would never have guessed the ending. I had a very strong dislike for the mother in the story. What a messed up family! The author did a wonderful job developing the characters. I just could not put this book down. The ending was awesome and the author built it up nicely. Emma in the Night was well worth reading and I would highly recommend it to everyone who likes a good “keep-you-guessing” story. I cannot wait to read the next from this author. Just an overall excellent book!

About the author

WENDY WALKER has worked as an attorney specializing in family law. Her novels include Four Wives, Social Lives, and All is Not Forgotten. She lives in Connecticut where she is at work on her next novel.