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Emma in the Night
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Emma in the Night
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Emma in the Night
Audiobook8 hours

Emma in the Night

Written by Wendy Walker

Narrated by Julia Whelan and Therese Plummer

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

’A brilliant read’ B A Paris

Two sisters go missing.
Only one returns.

Getting people to believe you is easy.

If you tell them what they want to hear.

When my sister and I disappeared three years ago,
they found Emma’s car at the beach. Some people believed she had gone there to find a party or meet a friend who
never showed. They believed that she’d gone for a swim.
They believed that she’d drowned. Maybe by accident. Maybe a suicide.

Everyone believed Emma was dead.

As for me, well – now I’m back to tell our story.

You’ll have to see if you believe it.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 8, 2018
ISBN9780008259228
Unavailable
Emma in the Night
Author

Wendy Walker

Wendy Walker is the author of the psychological suspense novels All Is Not Forgotten, Emma in the Night, The Night Before, Don’t Look for Me, American Girl, and What Remains. Her novels have been translated into twenty-three foreign languages, topped bestseller lists both nationally and abroad, and have been optioned for television and film. Wendy holds degrees from Brown University and Georgetown Law School. She has worked as a family law attorney, investment banker, and spent several years training for competitive figure skating.

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Reviews for Emma in the Night

Rating: 3.7942028173913047 out of 5 stars
4/5

345 ratings57 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really enjoyed this story! Happy with the ending ? highly recommend a listen! Both narrators were great!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really enjoyed this audiobook. I couldn’t ‘put’ it down. ?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is twisted!! That's the only way I know how to describe this novel, COMPLETELY TWISTED!Emma and her sister,Cass, have disappeared. Three years later Cass returns home with a strange story about her and Emma's whereabouts. I really do not want to get into more of the story than that. I will give something away. And believe me….you do not want to know about it till you read it!A large amount of research went into this novel. I learned a great deal about narcissistic behavior and its effects on a family. The coping mechanisms of a family member to survive this disorder are incredible.I have no words to describe the creativity of Wendy Walker. She can come up with some psycho characters and tales which take a long time to get over. Her first novel, All is Not Forgotten, was a five star read for me. Just like this book….I did not want to give the story away. You must read these novels, especially if you love psychological thrillers.The story bogs down a little for me in the middle. This is the only reason I did not give a five star read. But the twist at the end……oh my my! "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." – Walter Scott"I could feel the scream inside me. I had felt it that morning when I had to cover my mouth with a pillow so no one would hear." - Emma in the NightI received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Sisters Emma and Cass disappeared one night 3 years ago. Now Cass has reappeared at the house of her narcissistic mother and step father. The story is told from the point of view of Cass, and occasionally from the point of view of Dr. Abby Winter of the FBI (who coincidentally also had a narcissist mother). There are few characters in this book who wouldn't fit neatly into the pages of a clinical psychology text book. They were seriously unpleasant people - manipulative, dishonest, mean, envious and that's just for starters. They also all seem to have weaponized sex. Personally, I would have found the text book more interesting and believable. As the plot grew more and more convoluted it became more implausible. In addition to the plot my major problem with the book was the way in which it was written. It's basically a Cass monologue, all tell and no show. The details of the dysfunctional family were doled out laboriously. Really, I got the point that the family was a complete mess pretty early on and I didn't have to be hammered over the head with that fact for chapter after chapter. Once you're told that you are required to refer to your mother as "Mrs. Martin" you pretty much know everything you need to know. I got to about the midway point of the book and begin to skim to the end and I wish that I had just skipped to the last two or three chapters which is where anything at all happened.I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I totally loved this book??
    The story line from the onset is very captivating. I highly recommend
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    What the hell did I just listen too? My god.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.Cass and her sister Emma have been missing for three years. When Cass returns home, without Emma, she tells a tale of a kidnapping, hostages, and a mysterious island. Dr. Winters, a forensic psychiatrist, was drawn into this case when the sisters originally disappeared--and now that one sister is back, and talking, Dr. Winters finds there may be even more going on within this family then she originally thought.This is a book full of so many twists and turns, which I absolutely love. One of the biggest revelations near the end caught me completely by surprise. I really liked that Walker kept me guessing over who to trust and who to believe.Walker has a really excellent writing style as well, that really draws you in. This is a story that had me flipping pages, having to find out what happened.I also really liked the use of psychology in this. Walker has done her research, and uses Dr. Winters almost as a surrogate to explore the ins and outs of this mysterious family.The book occasionally moved a little slow, especially after the initial impact of the beginning. I also felt that the very final revelation, while making sense with the character's provided explanation, didn't seem necessary to me, and felt a bit out of place.This was a good read that absolutely had me hooked. I would definitely recommend this for fans of the genre.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a difficult review for me to write, simply because I don't know if I can explain exactly how I felt about this book. So here goes. I applaud this author for trying different things, her first book and this one were a little different, covering physchological issues in an original way. In this one she tackles narcissistic personality disorder, and the mainstream effects on the family, but she turns it into an unsolved mystery. I know someone who grew up with such a mother, saw the games played, the harmful effects and the manipulations. In my opinion the author doesn't delve far enough into this issue for Cass to set things up the way she did after her return. It didn't make sense to me, and so I was doubtful of what followed. It is very slowly paced as clues are uncovered, and Cass tells her story in bits and pieces. Which also didn't make sense, because if her motivation was true, wanted her story to be believed, wouldn't she have wanted the searching to begin immediately? So much of this, for me, didn't hang together. We are meant, I think to feel sympathy for Cass, but except for her half brother, I didn't really like any of these characters. Plus, since the story was so drawn out I figured out most of it before books end.I did keep reading though, and this can be seen as physchologically twisty. Many have loved it, and many more will. It is as I said a little different from what is out there right now, which is why I rated this a three. Just wish there had been more of some things, and less of others. Still don't think I explained this well, but this will have to do.ARC from Netgalley.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Emma and Cass never knew from one day to the next whether their mother would be in one of her phony affectionate moods or in a rage at some imagined injustice. She always ran hot and cold depending on who her audience was, who was watching, and the purpose for which she wanted to manipulate them.. When the sisters suddenly go missing one night their mother plays the part of devastated parent but as the years go by the investigation grows cold. Few people know the truth of what happened the night Cass and Emma disappeared but when Cass returns years later without her sister, and with a strange story to tell, investigators will have to take a fresh look. I was deeply engaged in most of the story as told by Cass though I found it to drag a bit during the parts told from the psychiatrist Abby's point of view.
    This was a suspenseful, twisty, dramatic look into the lives of a dysfunctional family.
    3 and a half stars rounded up to 4
    I received an advance copy for review
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a very convoluted thriller. I never could figure out what was happening. Which is great if you love surprise twists! My only complaint is that I kept getting lost and had to reread some pages.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker is a 2017 St. Martin’s publication. Emma and Cassie, teenage sisters, disappeared on the same night- but by all accounts, were not together. Now, Cassie has returned home- alone- begging her family to help find Emma. Abby, a forensic psychologist, who worked on the case three years ago, is back- more determined than ever to prove that the girls’ mother, Judy, who exhibits all the hallmarks of narcissist personality disorder, was behind their disappearance in one way or another. This psychological thriller explores the effects of narcissistic personality disorder on family dynamics and how it plays into the mysterious fate of Emma and Cassie. The book alternates narratives- between Cassie and Abby- with Cassie laying out the bizarre story of having been held captive on island and Emma is still there- but Abby believes there is more to the story than Cassie is telling. I was not very impressed by this book. I found it repetitive and tedious, as the author constantly explained the symptoms and behaviors of narcissism. I also did not connect with any of the characters, who seemed either stereotypical or exaggerated. The couple who kidnapped Cassie was a bizarre and implausible addition to the plot- and seemed like more of a means to an end. The book did have some surprising twists and turns, which is appealing to fans of this genre- but for me, that was not enough to redeem the story. I felt that the book was more focused on showcasing narcissism than on telling a compelling story.I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a gripping and realistic psychological thriller. It may be suitable for readers who are interested in learning about narcissism or those who simply enjoy the twists or an unreliable narrattor and don’t mind a lot of commentary. 2 stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A thriller that sucks you in with it's leisurely pace and constant revelations. It may start slow, but it picks up steam all the way to the shocking conclusion. Cass and her sister Emma disappeared three years ago when they were both teenagers and Cass has come out of the woodwork and back to her mother's house. Everyone is shocked. Where has she been and where is her sister? Cass recounts to her family and the police about her time spent captive on an island and her sister being pregnant. They couldn't leave because of the baby. But how much of her story is true? Or is it all true and they've been barking up the wrong tree all along. Twisty and compelling although a little far fetched at times.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book really kept me thinking, although I'd guessed the outcome early on. A bit too much jumping around for me at times. Have to pay attention.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cass returns three years after she and Emma, her older sister, disappeared. She's home to get help finding her still missing sister. Cass tells her story methodically, with as many details as she can. She and Emma were on an island off the coast of Maine and could not easily escape. Cass was finally able to manage it, promising she'd send back help to Emma. It takes a bit for the FBI to figure out where they were held, as they were off the grid. As Cass tells her story, we get flashbacks of the past before the girls left. Why they ran away, what happened to them, and why they didn't get away sooner are all explained to the parents and the original FBI investigators.

    So much is going on in this mystery. Cass and Emma are from quite the messed family. Emma is protective of Cass in their younger years, and combative with their mother as a teen. Cass is invisible, valueless; she has to call her own mother "Mrs. Martin." I was drawn into this story from the beginning and finished it quickly. I don't read many adult mysteries, I'm glad I read this one.

    "I knew what I was trying to do. None of this was subconscious. I did not want to be invisible and powerless anymore." p. 294
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Style was a bit confusing at times. But an interesting mystery.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I never saw the ending to this book! So many twists and turns. A very messed up family with lots of Dark secrets.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker, fifteen year old Cass and seventeen year old Emma disappear from their dysfunctional home and three years later, only one of them returns. What happened that fateful night? Where have the Tanner sisters been for the past three years?  And perhaps, most importantly of all, where is Emma?

    Upon her return, Cass is more than willing to talk to FBI forensic psychologist Dr. Abby Winter and Special Agent Leo Strauss but only if her mother Judy Martin is present. Her explanation of the circumstances surrounding their disappearance is enthralling but she cannot provide more than a vague description of where they were held. She is quite desperate for the FBI to begin searching for Emma but is there more to the story than Cass is revealing?

    When the girls first went missing, Abby is the only person who recognized the truth about Judy Martin. After the original investigation stalled, Abby must undergo therapy to put the case into perspective but she never doubts she was on the right track. With Cass's unexpected return she and Leo are quickly reassigned to the case. While Cass's account of their disappearance and the years they were gone is quite detailed and much of her explanation rings true, Abby is not certain they are getting the whole truth. Abby's personal history raises questions about her impartiality in the case but these experiences also make her more sensitive to the subtle nuances in Cass's behavior and the dynamics of the various relationships in the Tanner/Martin household.

    Cass's first-person narration offers a chilling and heartrending peek into the extremely unhealthy and toxic environment with their manipulative and self-absorbed mother. Her parents' divorce and the ensuing custody battle resulted in a horrific rift between Cass and Judy and led to a breakdown in her relationship with Emma.  Judy's quick marriage to a divorced man with a teenage son whose troubling relationship with his new stepsisters also contributes to the increasingly tense atmosphere in the household.  Over the years, the various relationships continue to deteriorate to a shocking degree.

    Emma in the Night is a slow burner of a story that alternates between Cass and Abby's points of view. Wendy Walker's portrayal of Judy's narcissistic behavior is a realistic depiction of a rare psychiatric disorder that results in incredibly dysfunctional and psychologically abusive relationships.  The truth about what happened in the years leading up to Cass and Emma's disappearance is extremely heartbreaking and given the circumstances, very easy to believe. With plenty of unexpected twists and turns, the novel wends its way to a fairly shocking yet completely satisfying conclusion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I didn’t predict the twist, though I found it a tad convoluted. Loved the deep character analysis. It read a little like a psychological case study, which is obviously in my wheelhouse. However, some may be turned off by the cold/disconnected writing style. I'm interested in reading more from Walker.

    I’m between a 3.75 and a 4.0 for this one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked the book but I really expected and wanted to like it a lot more based on the other books that I have read by Wendy Walker. I have to say that the Martin family gave a whole new meaning to the term "dysfunctional". If "Mrs. Martin" had been my mother I believe I would have opted to remain on the island. Also the character of Abby Winters, the forensic psychiatrist, seemed to have no other purpose than to tell Cass's story. Her narrative became a bit over bearing after awhile. Having said that...I found that the story was intriguing enough that I kept reading but I think I was almost in danger of going into a psychology overload coma.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

    2017

    I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

    Emma in the Night will take you on a suspenseful ride into the convoluted drama that narcissistic personality disorder can have on a family. There are parts of the book where it seems there's a lot of rambling and extraneous information filling space. As in a lot of psychological thrillers, these "ramblings" from a characters POV provide insight into their mental state.

    The story begins with Cassandra, or Cass as they called her, narrating from her point of view. The first chapter is all it takes to draw you into the story which has elements of a psychological suspense novel. Just a hint of "crazy" here and there leading up to a mysterious disappearance.

    There always needs to be the voice of reason. In this case, the point of view of Dr Abigail Winters, Forensic Psychologist for the FBI, plays that part. She narrates part of the story as one of the initial investigators with Agent Leo Strauss when the Tanner girls disappeared three years ago. The facts about the sisters disappearance remained a mystery until Cass shows up one night on her mother's doorstep.

    The novel is well-written with chapters creating drama and suspense and then others slowly unwinding the tale to reveal just enough to keep you piqued. Since this is a genre I gravitate towards I sat on the edge of my seat waiting for one of my many theories to be exposed. This was far more convoluted than I could even imagine. I liked that I was able to discern who the unreliable characters were but their reasons were constantly evolving.

    I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy a great psychological suspense drama that captures you from beginning to end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Nicely written.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cass and her older sister, Emma, disappeared one night and after three years they are still missing. That is, until Cass knocks on her family's door alone. What happened to Emma? The FBI are called back in with the same investigators as there used three years ago. One of them is forensic psychologist, Abby, leading the interviews. Mrs. Martin is a narcissistic,a self-involved mother who pits her daughters against one another. However, this whole family is a bit dysfunctional. The two sisters have an overprotective half-brother, a whiny, ineffectual father, an out-of-control stepbrother and a stepfather that likes to cross personal boundaries within the family. Coincidentally, Abby the expert, grew up with a sister, too, and their own mother was a textbook narcissist. She knows firsthand what Cass and Emma may have been dealing with at home.

    The entire story is told in alternating, sometimes confusing narrators. There is a first person narrative coming from Cass and a third person narrative from Abby. I must say this author has tackled a very interesting topic as she did in her last book. In this one she tackles narcissistic personality disorder, and the mainstream effects on the family, but she turns it into an unsolved mystery. I had heard of this disorder before but had no idea that it was so damaging to the other people in his/her life. This book has all my favorite elements in a mystery. There are missing persons, the surprise ending, unreliable narrators, and a psychological disorder at the heart of the story. It was not a fast moving story as it was all told through interviews and sharing information, but I still enjoyed it and read it relatively quickly to find out what happened to Emma. I give this one 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.


  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really liked this book, I enjoyed the storyline told by two characters, Cassandra, and Dr. Abigail Winter. Cassandra and her sister and I disappear one night. Then three years later, Cass returns. She tells a story to the forensic investigators about being taken to an island and being held captive for 3 years. She begs them to find Emma. This is a psychological thriller, and it is well-done.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Visit all my reviews here. I love to chat books! Pop by, leave your review links!

    Emma in the Night is a cleverly written psychological suspense story about two sisters who disappeared from their family's life and the mystery surrounding why only one came back - three years later.

    The opening sentence explaining what a narcissist is had me hooked right from the very beginning and as I continued to read it became quickly apparent the girls came from a dysfunctional family with several problems of their own to contend with.

    I found the pace a little slow at the beginning, however, it was Cass' voice (the unreliable narrato r) who kept me reading, and I am so glad I did! Does Cass know more than she is letting on? Are her actions justifiable? What would you do in the same position? These are just many questions I asked myself as I read along.

    The story unravels via two points of views; Cass, the sister of the missing Emma, and the FBI forensic psychologist, Detective Abby Winters. Bit by bit Cass reveals her side of the story, whilst Abby tried to piece together every little bit of evidence and information there is in an effort to discover Emma's whereabouts. Is she still alive? Can she be saved?

    Overall, Wendy Walker weaves an entertaining mystery about two vulnerable and impressionable young girls, with well researched flair and panache.

    Delve into the darker side of human experience in this thought-provoking tale of messed up childhoods, mental illness and the effect it has on family members dealing with their own demons.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As you all know, I’m a huge sucker for missing person stories, fiction and non fiction alike. As someone who lurks on the Unresolved Mysteries subreddit, I am fully taken in by disappearances that remain unsolved, but will gladly admit that it’s a bit safer and less exploitative when it’s within fiction. So when I heard about “Emma in the Night”, the story of two sisters who go missing and one of them being found, I knew that I would need to read it ASAP. But little did I know that another unsettling reality/thriller trope managed to rear it’s head into this book as well: the narcissistic parent. As someone who also lurks on the subreddit that tells survival tales of escaping narcissistic family members, this was just an added bit of icing onto an already tantalizing cake. But Wendy Walker presented something far more complex and attention grabbing than I thought it was going to be, and does a good job of giving victims and survivors a voice instead of objectifying them for the sake of a good story.The two different narratives are both steeped in unreliable perspectives. The first is that of Cass, the daughter who came back who clearly has a separate agenda from what she’s presenting to those around her. Through her we start to see that perhaps there are other villains in this world outside of the strangers that lurk behind every turn, and see that she has a deep vendetta against her mother Judy. Judy is a classic narcissistic personality, with a golden child (Emma) and a scapegoat (Cass), and the hatred that Cass feels towards her in palpable. I will admit that as I was going into this I was trying to find all the clues and hints towards what the end game was, but Walker hid them in such a way that I pretty much didn’t find them. Like, at all. I don’t know if my game was off, but the reading experience for me was disorienting in a good way because I KNEW that there was more to the story, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. I liked how much I questioned Cass as well, as while I pretty much believed her and her revulsion for her mother, I still wondered if she too didn’t have problems and ulterior motives because she was raised by a narcissist, and was therefore messed up herself because of it.Abby, too, was an interesting character, with complexities and flaws that made her unreliable, but also completely sympathetic. She was also raised by a narcissistic mother, and therefore goes into this case with experience and the ability to recognize behaviors when it comes to Judy, Cass, and the missing Emma. She was used in a way for Walker to really put narcissism out there and to really dive into it, as Abby has her own past experiences with it because of her mother. I think that a lot of the time we see narcissistic parents in over the top ways (“Mother, Mother” by Koren Zailckas comes to mind) where they are scary monsters with deliberately violent or abusive tendencies. But in “Emma in the Night” we see a lot more of the less definable traits, like Judy manipulating her children into warfare against each other, or turning on a facade that wins her custody when she is actually a terrible parent. But then, there is the fact that Abby is completely biased, so we end up questioning her too. Because of these various red herrings and inconsistencies between the characters and their motivations, Walker’s sleight of hand distracted me enough throughout the narration that I didn’t see the ultimate prestige coming. Which I greatly appreciated by the time I finished out the book.I will say that there were a couple of things that I did find a bit too convenient to be really believable. I don’t really want to spoil anything for anyone who might be interested in reading this, because I do think that it’s ultimately worth the read and a solid thriller, but just know that a couple of things within the ultimate solution to the whole thing just kind of felt too coincidental for me to take it terribly seriously. Yes, life is random, and yes, technically anything is possible, but when it comes to probability that’s where certain plot points in this book start to get a little iffy. It’s not enough to put me off, just know that it knocked a couple of points off if we’re keeping score. I think that sometimes authors can get carried away with the red herrings, but Walker actually got carried away with trying to eliminate as many red herrings as possible and to make unreliability more reliable.Overall I think that “Emma in the Night” did a good job of keeping this reader on her toes. I am definitely going to look into whatever Walker comes out with next (I would actually love to see more of Abby Winter as well), and definitely think that thriller fans ought to give her a go.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Teenaged sisters Emma and Cass go missing one night under mysterious circumstances. Three years later, Cass returns alone with a wild story about being held hostage on an island off the coast of Maine and insists that Emma is still being coerced to stay there against her will. Is Cass telling the truth and can the FBI find Emma before something even worse happens?This was a very interesting psychological thriller. There is a minimum of gore/extreme violence (although there are some references to rape and other crimes) and is primarily focused on characters, which is exactly my kind of story. There is much talk about family dynamics, especially the dysfunction of the main family, including their power plays. What I liked as well is that the book has a number of twists -- you can tell from early on that not everything is as it seems, but there were quite a few unexpected turns.The audiobook is narrated quite well.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sometimes when I’m reading a book by an unreliable narrator, I must stop reading to digest what the narrator is saying. This is that kind of book. Along with that, I reluctantly picked the book back up again, because I really didn’t want to know what the ultimate outcome would be. Emma in the Night isn’t a long book, but the author’s writing was so tightly written with each sentence having an impact on the telling, it took me three days to read the book. This is psychological thriller at it’s best. Walker deftly peels the off the layers of this dysfunctional family with each member trying one-up the others in getting what they want.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    My Takeaway

    So right off the top, I didn't enjoy Emma in the Night like I thought I would. I felt the story dragged and I struggled a bit to finish it. I absolutely loved All is Not Forgotten and found it unputdownable! But Emma in the Night lacked some of the oomph I most look forward to in psychological thrillers. I also did not care for any of the characters and felt they were all kind of blah. So even though this wasn't a favorite, I still believe Walker is talented and one heck of a writer (and yup, I'm still a fan).

    Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Over-hyped psychological thrillers plague readers and as I settled into my chair to read Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker, I was weary. After all, The Girl on the Train failed to meet my expectations after reading Gone Girl despite its praise. In this case, largely due to my preference for horror over other genres, I am grateful not to suffer the effects of psych-thriller saturation. That doesn’t leave me without flaws, though: I made assumptions after the first pages of Emma in the Night, with little expectation of discovering precisely how wrong I was.

    It’s rare that I become so engrossed in a book that it haunts my every day routine. In fact, the last book that gripped me that tightly is Bird Box by Josh Malerman. For those readers who are fairly new to my blog, Bird Box is among the first reviews I wrote. When I found myself constantly thinking about the first few chapters of this book, I knew Walker had me in her web. Little did I know that I would lose sleep over Emma in the Night (not that I’m complaining, of course).

    Without going into too much detail about my personal life, the fact Walker centers Emma in the Night around the effects of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is precisely why I felt the need to read this book. Unfortunately, I have far more personal experience with this disorder than I like. As a result, I was curious as to how well Walker writes about the issue and it’s obvious she’s more than done her share of research. In the despicable character of Judy Martin, Walker educates readers about how deeply a narcissistic parent can affect their children’s lives. She does so wonderful a job of this that I’m actually quite glad to say I read the acknowledgments first.

    Told from alternating first-person and third-person perspectives (Cassandra Tanner and Dr. Abigail Winter respectively), Walker leads readers on a twisting path that pays homage to the old saying “trust no one” by reminding us that people “believe what they want to believe.” After all, to Cass, Emma, and Judy it’s a game that escalates beyond their expectations.

    As I said in the beginning of the review, I made an assumption that proved to be wrong. Perhaps because of this, Walker caught me off-guard several times. Regardless, the depth of her prose proved, to me at least, worthy of its hype. Last night, when I tried to go to bed between one and two in the morning, I found myself unable to stop thinking about this book. Because of that, I ended up reading the last 60-70% in one sitting. I regret nothing.

    Emma in the Night is a well-researched, twistingly disturbing road through one family’s dysfunctional every day life. While I rebuke The Girl on the Train as a recommendation for fans of Gone Girl, I can say I feel sound in suggesting Emma in the Night instead.

    I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a copy of this novel. I received it in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Whoa what a story. The ending was crazy. Has no clue how this story was going to end. The ending was definitely a shocker.