Hello,
Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!
When I endeavor to break a reading slump I have always gravitated to
the easy route. I take out a book that is short, or a book that I have read
years before to try to end this debilitating time of year. Last year
by this time I had read and reviewed seven novels during the summer. But
this year was different. No matter how hard I tried I could not stay focused
enough to read a novel from start to finish. Added to that a writing block that
was also of frustration.
Then one day I was online choosing my next Book of the Month Club selection. I
saw a recommendation from actress Krysten Ritter (Marvel's Jessica
Jones) about a thought-provoking thriller, named Emma in the Night. I
decided to order this book and waited patiently for its arrival.
I was not
prepared for the story that would soon play out as I turned the pages.
Emma in the Night is written by Wendy Walker and is published by St. Martin’s
Press. It is a dual narrative that takes the reader into the minds of our two
of main characters. Each chapter plays like a game of tennis as each character
bounces the narrative back and forth, slowly bringing the reader into
a story of psychological terror, harrowing escape, and the thin layers of
truth.
One
night, three years ago teenage sisters, Cass and Emma Tanner, disappeared from
their Connecticut home. And for three years Dr. Abby Winter and Special Agent
Leo Strauss of the Federal Bureau of Investigation have sifted
through the case. After breathing in deep the strange stories, lost memories,
and apparent lies, the duo had begun to give up hope that the girls
would be found. Then one morning Cass Tanner returns to the doorstep of
her mother's home.
The
media and authorities descend upon the home where Cass is staying with her mother,
Judy Martin, and step-father, Jonathan Martin. Cass tells a terrible tale of
the two sisters being kidnapped and held against their will on an island. She tells the
story of her escape with only one thought on her mind... finding Emma. But as
Dr. Winters and Agent Strauss begin to slowly unravel the events of the girls'
lives for the past three years, some things do not add up. There
is more to the story of the Martins and the strained relationship between the
sisters and their step-brother, Hunter. There is more to the tale of their
narcissistic mother who always wants to be better than anyone, even
her daughters. And what of the girls' captors who held them against their will
for three years? If they were found would they release Emma, or would they fight
to keep her at any cost?
Emma
in the Night takes the classic tale of kidnap and intrigue and tosses it on its
head. This page-turning thriller had me hooked from chapter one. Wendy Walker’s
ability to present a mystery and slowly peel back the layers for the final
reveal is breathtaking. Just when I began to believe that I had solved the
mystery, Walker ambushed me with another truth that sent my theories spinning. Emma in the Night is not only a mystery, but a deep-dive into the psyche of one family's dysfunction that could be used as a text book in a psychology course. Using her resources wisely, Walker has crafted a multi-layer story that had me thinking about how human nature well after I had closed this book.
I read Emma in the Night in part with the duel
narration of actresses, Julia Whelan (NCIS, the Closer) and Therese Plummer (the
Good Wife, Law and Order), playing Cass and Abby’s narratives respectively. The
team-up of their soothing voices drove the story along like a fine-tuned sports
car. Every emotion from fear to desperation was presented flawlessly by these
two amazing actresses. If you can read this novel along with the audio book I highly recommend you do so.
Emma in the Night is a five-star exciting mystery with a multi-layered cast of characters that managed to get me out of my reading slump. And for that I am grateful. Check out this amazing read at your local book shop now!
Have
fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are
reading.
Also please follow me on my social media platforms, and enjoy shopping with me
at eBay and the Book Depository. I am also looking for contributions to
open my business. Please visit my GoFundMe page if you wish to help me out.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
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All written content and top logo (c) Copyright 2017 by Thomas Bahr II
Book cover is Copyright by the publisher
That is a book I have started to read and never finished. Now I REALLY want to pick it up and actually will finish it this time.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely worth picking up again. The ending is quite the surprise.
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