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 … 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…
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A fast read that had me glued to the pages while I attempted to answer all the questions posed. Characters are flawed and some are damaged and some even dangerous. There are secrets and histories that fuse this group together. The fun is trying to figure out who is who. Loved it!
The Night Before was a fast-paced thrilling read about a woman who goes on a blind date and doesn’t return home.
Laura Lochner has always chosen the wrong men, falling too fast for men who would never love her back. After her latest relationship implodes, she returns home to stay with her sister and get back on her feet. Determined to try again and get it right this time, Laura decides to try internet dating. Rosie Ferro has always tried to look out for her sister, but Laura hasn’t always made it easy. When Laura doesn’t return home from her blind date Rosie grows more worried by the hour. But not just about what her date may have done to her sister, but what her sister may have done to her date.
The Night Before is told in alternating chapters from Laura and Rosie’s points of view. Laura’s chapters start on Thursday night as she is preparing for her blind date. Rosie’s pick up on Friday morning when she discovers Laura did not return home from her date. We also get random chapters a page or two in length from two to four months prior to the story detailing conversations between Laura and her psychiatrist. I liked the addition of these chapters with the psychiatrist as they added some interesting backstory to what is going on with Laura in the previous/next chapter. It was interesting watching the events in Laura’s storyline play out and catch up in time to Rosie’s. Plus the dual perspective allowed the author to reveal information to the reader before the characters discovered it themselves which helped keep things interesting while we watched them puzzle it out.
I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot, so I will try to be vague about what happens. Ultimately what sets in motion the events of this book was a tragedy Laura was involved in as a teenager that altered the course of her life. It was interesting watching the reveal of what happened that night from the different characters’ perspectives and seeing how the way they viewed the other people involved affected those perspectives. The suspense of where Laura is after her date and what happened to cause her to disappear was very well done. I found myself eagerly reading her chapters trying to find the clue that would reveal where she was. I will say the author does a fantastic job keeping you guessing until the last minute with the perfect blend of intrigue and suspense.
Overall The Night Before was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a great suspense read. I definitely plan to read more from the author in the future.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
I rarely give 5 stars, so a 4.5 is near perfect in my book. Wendy Walker weaves a super suspenseful tale in “The Night Before”. I am not sure if I have read any books by her before, but I will definitely look for some in the future. She does a great job going back and forth in time to tell a multi-layered story. She delves pretty deeply into the characters’ psyche and does a great job in developing their personalities and psychological history. However, all is not as it seems. There are several twists as the suspense builds, and I often found that I was not sure of what exactly was going on. But, she does a great job in ironing it all out. I love a book like this that keeps me guessing throughout. Without scary or graphic violence, I still felt on the edge of my seat through this entire read. If you love a psychological thriller, give this one a try.
When released last year, I knew I wanted to read it. It recently came out in paperback, and so I bumped it up on my TBR list. I was not disappointed. This book has everything I would expect from a good thriller. It immediately sucked me in and kept me guessing. u2063
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This story is told through flashbacks of therapy sessions, Laura’s perspective of her date The Night Before, and Rosie’s ongoing search for her sister in the present. I really liked the fast-paced structure of the book. It was entertaining and kept me fully engaged. u2063
u2063I would have read this book in one sitting if real life didn’t get in the way. Pick this one up if you are looking for a twisty psychological thriller with an unexpected ending!u2063
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
BOOK TOUR & REVIEW
The Night Before by Wendy Walker
-DESCRIPTION-
We have two sisters. One has it together, the other is a bit of a mess. When one sister goes missing and the other tries to find her, we have our story.
-THOUGHTS-
What I loved about this book is that it has a very consistent pace. There wasn’t a bunch of down time. I loved the characters, the twists and turns, and the overall feel of the book. It’s the kind of thriller where I just want to know what is going on.
-RATING-
4/5 stars
I recommend this book!
-SIMILAR RECOMMENDED READS-
The Silent Patient
The Perfect Couple
The Woman in the Park
So this is one of those books that is kind of difficult to review because I don’t want to give anything away. What I can say is that this book is addicting. I mean, that’s the whole reason behind thrillers. You want to be entranced and shocked, waiting to find out the next big twist and Walker definitely succeeded in doing that.
The Night Before is an extremely easy book to devour. I feel that this is true for a lot of suspense books because you just get so absorbed in the story. There were so many twists and turns in this story and they were mixed between easy to guess/foresee and came out of nowhere. Which I think is a genius idea because it keeps the reader on their toes and keeps the story really interesting.
So, as you can see my review was extremely vague. But I just didn’t want to accidentally give anything away. I think that this is one of those books that it is best for you to go in with a vague sense of what might happen and just see where the story takes you.
Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours, Wendy Walker, and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
(from Goodreads) 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…
Thrilling. All the way around. This was my first Wendy Walker novel. It is easy to say I will be adding her to my auto-buy authors list. Thrillers can be tricky. Sometimes they are overkill. Sometimes the main characters are so unreliable, it is hard to care about what they are doing. This is NOT the case with The Night Before. The chilling premise of a woman going on a date with a man from a dating site then not returning home was precise and terrifying. The story is told between two sisters’ perspectives: Laura, a wayward and troubled single woman, and her sister, Rosie, a married and stable mom. In the mix of the plot, readers get a bit of insight from interviews between Laura and her psychologist. Each chapter added to the intensity of the situation. I was enamored from the first chapter. I loved the twists and gasped many times.
The one aspect I would change is Laura’s massive insecurities which I think were overdone to show how damaged she was, but her backstory told us that…insane thoughts and overly stating the same descriptions of the past were not needed for us to understand that characterization.
Overall, The Night Before is a solid thriller and great binge read. The audiobook was well-done too! I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
This book was…
Riveting
Thrilling
Impossible to put down
I read this book in one evening and did not stop and could not stop. Yes, it was that good for my first book with Wendy Walker. My next reads are getting to her backlist ASAP! Walker is the thriller queen.
The story is centered on Laura Lochner who meets a guy through a dating app and does not return home from the date the night before. The story is told in alternating view points between Laura’s account of her date the night she went missing, and of her sister Rosie’s perspective beginning from the morning she starts her search when Laura does not come home from her date.
The time frame converges and as the layers are peeled to reveal what has happened, we discover a gruesome past that has haunted the sisters’ lives ever since.
Walker tells the story in such a creative timeline between the two POVs between the sisters (one lost and one in search). In addition, the interjection of Laura’s therapy visits scattered throughout slowly reveals a past which adds to the thrilling and suspenseful plot that made for cliff hanging chapter endings. The writing was razor sharp and the pacing impeccable with just the right amount of reveal in perfect time.
Walker wrote such an intense and chilling read I really enjoyed and one that I highly recommend.
What took me so long to read this book? I’ll admit, I started this one a few times. Not for lack of interest, but life just kept getting in the way. I’m so glad I finally settled with The Night Before. This was a fantastic mystery from start to finish, with tiny breadcrumbs left for you to interpret along the way. I like to be surprised with my thrillers and this one has notable twists and turns. Who is the villain? You’ll have to wait till the end to find out!! I definitely recommend checking out The Night Before.
This is my second book by Walker, and boy does she know how to write a suspenseful book! The different point of views was the icing on the cake.
I was on edge reading the alternating chapters of Rosie: Present Day and Laura: The Night Before. There are also one page chapters about Laura’s sessions with her therapist. Walker adds to the mystery by throwing in flashbacks of the night Laura was found standing over the body of her boyfriend holding the weapon that killed him.
I loved how Rosie was always trying to protect Laura, but was she protecting Laura from strange men or from herself? Laura’s mom always said she had fists for hands which makes you believe she has a violent streak.
There are so many mysteries to solve here! One question I had was about the night of the party when Laura’s boyfriend was killed. What really happened between her and the boyfriend in the back of his car that night? I’ll tell you that I did not see the end coming. It was pretty brilliant how it all tied together.
Grab your copy to help find Laura when the paperback releases on April 28th, 2020.
Book Rating: 4/5
For the grand finale this would pair nicely with a new wine we tried, a nice Jacques Girardin Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes 2017.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
The Night Before by Wendy Walker was a RIDE! If you’re looking for a binge-worthy psychological suspense novel in your life, this is it guys.
Well color me surprised, I didn’t see the ending coming, AT ALL, and I read this in two sittings although I wished it could have been one since I didn’t want to put the book down. This is my second time reading a book by Walker and I think her books just get better and better as she writes more of them. The pacing was very quick, and I loved that it switched between the viewpoints of Rosie and Laura, plus transcriptions of Laura’s meetings with her psychologist. Everything comes together with a bang at the end and I just loved what the author did with it.
I thought the different viewpoints made The Night Before very suspenseful and the author leaves you second guessing everything you think might be happening. And one thing I REALLY liked was the fact that this book isn’t so over the top that you find it unbelievable. I could totally see this happening in real life which actually makes things a bit more disturbing. I had so much anxiety reading this (in a good way, not a bad way) and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this addictive; suspenseful book and I can’t wait to read more from Walker!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers, but I’ve read so many that started out great and then just fell short in some way. This book, however, did not disappoint! I loved it so much that I finished it in one day.
I loved the twists and turns, some of which I truly didn’t see coming. I loved the story of sisters Laura and Rosie and loved the satisfying ending. But honestly I don’t want to tell you anything else and ruin it for you. You can get this one in paperback next Tuesday and I highly recommend picking it up.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Another book on my read list that I didn’t see the twist coming.
Overall this book was an enjoyable read. The story starts with a woman, who seems has trouble keeping a man in her life, going on a date after a bad break up. Her sister and closest friends thinks its a bad idea, given her troubled past. These people seem have written her off completely and it gives this illusion that there’s something we don’t know and can’t trust in this woman Laura.
This book is filled with so many lies. You can’t trust anyone and not sure who’s crazy or who’s lying for the selfishness of it. Little by little we get a full picture of who Laura is, and she’s a broken woman. She has issues that stem from her childhood. Overall I disliked her, she was a tad too melancholy for me.
I was almost ready to drop this book (not the first one) but I’ve gotten so deep into it, that the twist showed up and I had to finish it. It made perfect sense, and it was pretty obvious but didn’t see the hints for it.
Overall a good suspense book to enjoy.
I can’t begin to sing high enough praises for Wendy Walker and her book. I am a contemporary romance lover but what I love just as much (sometimes more!) is a wonderfully written, edge-of-your-seat, late into the night physchological thiller. Wendy Walker’s novel is all of that and so much more! The intensity of the story is epic, bringing a past to clash with a present and creating a heart pounding, unforgettable roller coaster ride.
Don’t think that this one will be an easy one to figure you. It’s full of twists and turns, and amazingly chiseled characters, and it kept me up way past my bedtime trying to figure out the whos and the whys and the hows. Just when I thought I had Laura’s story figured out about her past,Walker hit me something new and bam! I had to rethink and try to figure it out in a new way. That’s amazing talent!
I won’t get into a lot of detail because if I do tell you more about Laura and her story, I might spoil it! So, what I will tell you is this: go get a copy of this novel now. It will keep you guessing, you’ll be cussing at the book because what you think you know about it…..you won’t really know. It’s definitely a keeper and worthy of high praises! But be warned! Once you start this, you will not be able to put it down, you will lose sleep, and you’ll absolutely be wanting another novel yesterday!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Wendy Walker
THE NIGHT BEFORE
By Wendy Walker
This book was just the WOW I needed to entertain myself and take my mind off things. It’s a mysterious thriller all in one and I love how it was told from 3 viewpoints; Laura’s, her sister Rosie and Laura’s therapist. The length of each chapter was precisely perfect to tide you over until you found out just enough story to leave you drooling for more. I really got into the characters and the writing was superb. Very easy to follow but with some twists in there to keep you guessing. I never would have guessed the ending, let alone been able to conjure up such an amazing storyline.
The story begins with Laura leaving her job and apartment to return to her hometown to live with her sister Rosie, her husband Joe and nephew after a bad breakup. Seeking solace from years ago when she was a teenager, when a tragic event had had occurred and created a questionable past for Laura. One where an ex-boyfriend was found murdered. Also, one in which she was the one found holding the bloody bat.
Since childhood, Laura, Rosie, Joe and a childhood friend Gabe have remained close and protective of each other. So when Laura tries a dating website to try her luck in love despite the bad relationships she’s had with her father and just about every man she’s dated; the other three begin to worry when she doesn’t return home from her first match up. They are not sure to be worried for her or the potential of what she could do to her date if things don’t go the way she has planned. Being cautious, they don’t call police right way and begin an investigation of their own. From there, multiple storylines unfold and the mysteries and thrill grow and send just the perfect chills of darkness and deceit right where you weren’t even looking.
I recommend this book wholeheartedly and am so excited to read Mrs. Walkers new book, DON’T LOOK FOR ME.
All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
The Night Before by Wendy Walker is an incredible novel of suspense that I could not put down.
Laura Lochner was left completely devastated and emotionally drained after her last relationship. In order to move forward she decides to move back to Connecticut to live with her sister Rosie and her family.
Laura goes out one night to meet a man she met on a dating site. When she doesn’t come back, Rosie and her husband try to find out what really happened to her and start unraveling the clues to what happened to her sister “The Night Before”.
The author creates a well developed story that is perfectly paced.
The characters are strong, complicated and believable.
Not only is this a suspenseful read, but the family dynamics are well developed an an integral part of the story line. There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.
The story is told between alternating timelines of past and present and from the different characters point of view. I particularly enjoyed this as a way to get into each characters head.
The plot twists keep coming at you until its shocking end!
Highly recommend this excellent psychological thriller.
THE NIGHT BEFORE is as surprising as it is chilling, as fast-paced as it is suspenseful. Buckle up and enjoy the ride because once you start, you won’t be able to put this book down.
The Night Before is the first time I’ve had a chance to read one of Wendy Walker’s books. This was a quick, easy read with enough twists and turns to keep me interested. I’ve read a few more psychological suspense and mystery books this year so I’ve learned a bit more of what does and doesn’t work for me as a reader.
First, I thought it was clever to include the transcript for Laura’s counseling sessions. Not only did they give readers a better explanation as to what was going on in Laura’s head, but it also serves as a mechanism to catapult the story forward.
I didn’t find myself attached to Laura or Rosie. Their voices were a little flat and the characters played second fiddle to the twists and turns. It seems harsh to describe Laura as damaged, and yet that continues to be the word that pops up when I reflect on the book. We spend a lot of time in her head as she prepares for her first date with “Jonathan Fields.”
Rosie was a frustrating character to follow. She takes it upon herself to “mother” Laura and always seems to believe the worst of her sister. And yet the next day she is running around like a lunatic in her sleeping clothes trying to track down her wayward sister.
I found the ending unsatisfying. I think if there had been more character development and I had felt invested in the outcome then I would feel differently, but as it stands this was an average thriller/mystery book for me. This may be a good option for a movie, which in itself isn’t a bad thing, but I would have liked more development and authentic voices.
** I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher (Thank you St. Martin’s Press). This does not influence my thoughts on the book; all thoughts are my own.
OMG…this book is so compulsively readable!
I just HAD to find out what happened to Laura!!
Rosie and Laura are sisters; Rosie is settled down with a great husband and a sweet son and Laura is a bit of a mess. She can’t completely escape an association with a crime that happened in her childhood and she doesn’t remember exactly how responsible she might be even though she was exonerated.
Her sister and friend group have always been fiercely protective of her so when she goes on a blind date and doesn’t come home, they don’t know whether to be more worried about her, or based on her dicey history, her date.
Filled with unreliable characters, some awesome twists and a delightful red herring or two, I don’t want to say more because this is one of the best books I’ve read this year.
I loved it and exuberantly fling ALL OF THE STARS at it!!
Thank you to Wendy Walker, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.
You won’t ever see it coming…a brilliant thriller by a phenomenal voice.