I am back with another book review, today it is Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker. Thanks so much to Book Sparks for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review, as always, all opinions are my own.
This story follows the investigation of the disappearance of two girls, sisters Cass and Emma. Three years after they've gone missing, Cass returns. Alone. Cass begins to tell them the story of how they ended up disappearing and the island they were held on. The forensic specialist on the case, Abby, can't believe Cass is home. She also can't believe her story. In the days after her harrowing escape and return, the FBI searches for Emma. But Abby doesn't think things are adding up properly. Some of Cass's details are off and others seem unnecessary. She wants to know what is Cass hiding and what she is trying to tell them.
I really cannot say anything more about the plot without spoiling anything so I will leave it at that for now.
I can talk about one element that made this book really unique and that was the portrayal of Cass and Emma's mother's narcissistic personality disorder. In the thriller itself, we've read it all before. The plot of two girls disappearing and one returning is nothing new. But Walker's introduction of Judy, the mother's, narcissism added a new level of dimension to the novel. Not only do we have a thriller, but now we have a gripping backstory and the inclusion of a mental illness that emphasizes the fact that this is a psychological thriller. While I don't know a lot about NPD myself, Walker does a phenomenal job of including explanations and descriptions in a way that doesn't make it patronizing. Abby is an expert on the disorder and she helps the other agent and the reader understand what life is like with Judy as a mother.
While it took me a little bit to get into the writing style and the story, once I did I was fully engrossed. I couldn't put it down and I was flying through the story. There are a few minor plot twists along the way but I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop; the big twist. Well, it turns out there were a lot of big twists, the majority of which I couldn't have guessed. I didn't find the story predictable at all, I felt like I could never have guessed what was going to happen or why things happened.
I think there will be a lot of hype around this book but it is one of the few that genuinely deserves it. Walker has secured herself a spot on my auto-buy list and I am adding this book to my list of yearly favourites! Another reviewer called this book hypnotic and I think that is spot on. I could not put this one down, the chapters went quick and the story didn't let up for a minute.
Overall, despite some of the more mixed reviews, I loved this one!
I really cannot say anything more about the plot without spoiling anything so I will leave it at that for now.
I can talk about one element that made this book really unique and that was the portrayal of Cass and Emma's mother's narcissistic personality disorder. In the thriller itself, we've read it all before. The plot of two girls disappearing and one returning is nothing new. But Walker's introduction of Judy, the mother's, narcissism added a new level of dimension to the novel. Not only do we have a thriller, but now we have a gripping backstory and the inclusion of a mental illness that emphasizes the fact that this is a psychological thriller. While I don't know a lot about NPD myself, Walker does a phenomenal job of including explanations and descriptions in a way that doesn't make it patronizing. Abby is an expert on the disorder and she helps the other agent and the reader understand what life is like with Judy as a mother.
While it took me a little bit to get into the writing style and the story, once I did I was fully engrossed. I couldn't put it down and I was flying through the story. There are a few minor plot twists along the way but I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop; the big twist. Well, it turns out there were a lot of big twists, the majority of which I couldn't have guessed. I didn't find the story predictable at all, I felt like I could never have guessed what was going to happen or why things happened.
I think there will be a lot of hype around this book but it is one of the few that genuinely deserves it. Walker has secured herself a spot on my auto-buy list and I am adding this book to my list of yearly favourites! Another reviewer called this book hypnotic and I think that is spot on. I could not put this one down, the chapters went quick and the story didn't let up for a minute.
Overall, despite some of the more mixed reviews, I loved this one!