The Night Before: A Novel

Wendy Walker

May 2019 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

A Today Show and New York Post Summer Reads Selection!

First dates can be murder.

"Ferociously smart." —AJ Finn
"Riveting." —Riley Sager
"Addictive." —Liv Constantine
"Wonderfully tense." —Aimee Molloy
"Irresistible." —Mary Kubica
"Impossible to put down." —Megan Miranda

Riveting and compulsive, national bestselling author Wendy Walker’s The Night Before “takes you to deep, dark places few thrillers dare to go” as two sisters uncover long-buried secrets when an internet date spirals out of control.

Laura Lochner has never been lucky in love. She falls too hard and too fast, always choosing the wrong men. Devastated by the end of her last relationship, she fled her Wall Street job and New York City apartment for her sister’s home in the Connecticut suburb where they both grew up. Though still haunted by the tragedy that’s defined her entire life, Laura is determined to take one more chance on love with a man she’s met on an Internet dating site.

Rosie Ferro has spent most of her life worrying about her troubled sister. Fearless but fragile, Laura has always walked an emotional tightrope, and Rosie has always been there to catch her. Laura’s return, under mysterious circumstances, has cast a shadow over Rosie’s peaceful life with her husband and young son – a shadow that grows darker as Laura leaves the house for her blind date.

When Laura does not return home the following morning, Rosie fears the worst. She’s not responding to calls or texts, and she’s left no information about the man she planned to meet. As Rosie begins a desperate search to find her sister, she is not just worried about what this man might have done to Laura. She’s worried about what Laura may have done to him...

Ratings and reviews

I did something with this book that I rarely do. I finished it and then sat with it, trying to decide how I felt about the story. First of all, I will say that I didn't find the riveting thriller that's promised in the blurb, although it does eventually get thriller-like toward the end. The story jumps back and forth between Laura and Rosie, one happening in the present and one happening the night before. Then, we get snippets of therapy sessions thrown in here and there. The jumps are frequent and at times served to pull me out of the story rather than the opposite. For a large chunk of this one, we're left to wonder whether Laura is out with a psycho or if she's the one who's unhinged, which is a decent enough plot device except Laura's waffling about her date grew tedious much too soon in the story. The writing is a little too dry for the amount of tension this type of book should have, and the big reveal didn't produce the shock I think the author was going for. Once you figure out the who, which is pretty easy, the why kind of falls into place. I did finish the book, and I suppose my feelings about it are somewhere in the mid range. I didn't hate it, but it's also not one that I'll think about down the road.

About the author

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