Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

Emma in the Night
by Wendy Walker (Goodreads Author)

Sep 02, 2017  

Extract: ‘Abby had not forgotten the Tanner sisters. Not for one minute of one day. The facts of the investigation had lain dormant in the shadowed corners of her mind. But that was not the same as forgetting. They were with her, even after a year of being off the case. They were in her bones. In her flesh. She breathed them in and out with every breath. The missing girls. And the theory of the case that no one else would believe. ‘

THE BLURB: ‘From the bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten comes a thriller about two missing sisters, a twisted family, and what happens when one girl comes back…

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.’

Following are two quotes from Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker which to me describe the problems I had with this book.

‘A story is more than the recounting of events.’ Yet this is exactly how the book is written, a simple recounting of the events.

‘Her voice was steady, as if she were explaining a term paper she’d written in school.’ Again to me, that is how the book read.

Imagine if you will, sitting down to a meal you have been looking forward to. It is your favorite meal. In front of you, it looks delicious. It smells wonderful. Yet, when you take a bite, it is bland. Occasionally you get a taste of the flavors that should be there, but overall the meal is tasteless, and you feel disappointed, cheated almost.

That sums up how I felt about Emma in the Night. It was bland. Disappointing. Flat.

I am a voracious reader. Yet it took me four days to chew my way through this book. One chapter at a time. Sometimes not even that. It was a tough read.

2.5 reluctant stars – the extra half star because the premise and promise of the plot was great. I just feel that the way it was written and delivered left a lot to be desired.

Thank you to St Martins Press via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Please refer to my ‘About’ page for an explanation of my ratings.