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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I am a huge fan of psychological thrillers. So when I saw that Wendy Williams had another book up for review, I jumped on it. I was a big fan of Emma in the Night. I figured that The Night Before would be as good. And guess what, it was.
When I first started the book, I wasn’t a fan of the dual timelines. But, as I got into the book, I started liking it. It grew on me. This is going to sound weird, but it made sense by the time Laura went home with Jonathan Fielding.
This book had a lot of twists and turns. When I thought one thing was figured out, the author threw another monkey wrench into the mix. I will say that the after plotline got the most monkey wrenches thrown into it. I felt terrible for Rosie. She had a whole lot of information, true and false, thrown at her. If that were me, I would have been in a tailspin.
Laura was a broken person. It came across the pages during the before parts of the books. I liked how the author chose to have her therapy visits highlight the beginning of her chapters. I will admit, I did think the same thing as Rosie at one point during the book.
I did feel for Rosie during the book. She was a mess, as she should have been. There were certain scenes in the book where I wanted to hug her. I also would have acted the same way if I thought what she thought about her husband.
The end of the book was a mind screw. I couldn’t believe what was happening when I read it. All I kept saying was “No way, no way, NO WAY.” The author did a fantastic job of keeping everything under wraps.
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. I enjoyed this author’s previous book, All is not Forgotten. This author’s uniqueness in spinning a good tale will hopefully always keep me coming back for more.
I will give you a bit of truth. I wasn’t sure what to rate this book. I teetered on it for a couple of reasons. First, I was only lead astray on the upcoming twist once, but while my mind went in the wrong direction for a short time, I felt disappointed that I had figured it out so fast (which I hadn’t). Second, there were a couple of weak spots in the book that drug for me. I am not a fan of slow. But those were such a small part of my reading experience, it’s easy to overlook them.
I did figure it out (at least the who) a little sooner than the big reveal. I wasn’t disappointed in that though. I just picked up the breadcrumbs along the way and kept it moving. The pace of this book is mostly good. Giving just enough to keep you turning the pages, all the while throwing misdirection at you during many turns.
This book is a devious, twisting book that definitely kept me reading furiously until the last page. I love when I am presented with a picture that is completely the opposite as it actually is, keeping my mind in constant motion. This book is definitely worth a read!
Wow! In Wendy Walker’s new book, The Night Before, the story moves from Laura’s story of an evening where she leaves for a date with someone she has met online. She recently moved into her sister Rosie’s home to overcome the break-up with her boyfriend Kevin. What happens the night she goes on the date will be up to the reader to discover. When Laura does not return, her sister Rosie and husbandJoe along with a childhood friend Gabe try to find her. Just when I thought I figured out what happened, there is a twist..then another…This psychological thriller will keep the reader searching for the truth! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A murder that followed Laura from her youth, a breakup via a text message, and a blind date.
All of these things and more had Laura having a difficult time coping and made her decide to move home to live with her sister and her brother-in-law.
After a few months, Laura decided it was time to date again so she joined a dating site, went on a date, and never returned home.
THE NIGHT BEFORE is told in alternating chapters of before and after in Laura’s life. The before tells of the horrible incident that happened in her youth. The present tells of her blind date and things that happened before the date that Laura never told her sister.
We also meet Rosie, Laura’s sister, as Rosie relives the incident from Laura’s youth and still wonders what really happened back then. And we follow Rosie as she tries to figure out where Laura could be and hoping for the best.
THE NIGHT BEFORE pulls you along and into the story line because of all of the what if’s and the question of who is really the one orchestrating all this drama.
THE NIGHT BEFORE was a difficult-to-put down, well-carried out psychological suspense that will have you guessing but not guessing correctly.
If you enjoy characters that you won’t be able to figure out, secrets kept, and a shocking ending, THE NIGHT BEFORE needs to be in your to-be-read stack. 4/5
This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Genius Move! Wendy Walker entices us with such delightful little tidbits of information throughout this novel that we actually feel as though we are figuring it out; only we are not. This is everything a psychological thriller is supposed to be and more!
Laura is going out on her date. With Jonathan, the man she met online. Her sister Rosie is helping her get ready, but she is nervous because Laura has a history that may make this night not go quite so perfectly. She is still hopeful. Laura is also nervous because of that same history. Her mind is wandering. Does this man stand a chance? Or, Does she?
Told from various timeframes only heighted my suspense. There was so much to tell, this was perfect.
The ending was miraculous.
So, I highly recommend that you join Laura as she chooses Johnathan Fields on findlove.com and go on the date with her.
I promise you will not regret it.
Oh, and Dr. Brody. You must meet him.
I haven’t read any of Ms. Walker’s books before this one. I will be correcting that mistake shortly! I was fortunate enough to be given an early copy of this book by the publisher and am so glad I was. It was unexpected, to say the least. The book description tells very little except that a woman is missing. Always intriguing but this book had so much more to it than that. We get all sorts of psychological insights into multiple families and how screwed up people can be while seeming to be perfectly normal. If you get a chance to read this book, GO FOR IT!! It will keep you reading until the wee hours.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Wendy Walker, Author of “The Night Before” has written an intense, edgy, captivating, suspenseful, and action-packed novel. The Genres for this Novel are Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, and Fiction. This story is written in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters in the events in the story. The author describes her dramatic characters as quirky, dysfunctional, suspicious, complex and complicated.
Laura Lochner feels she has never been lucky when it comes to men. After her last failed relationship, she is back home with her sister licking her wounds. Laura remembers a tragedy from years ago that haunts her. Can she move on? Rosie Ferro, Laura’s sister has reason to worry about her sister. There is anxiety and tension in the air while Laura is living in her home.
Laura decides to try her luck on an Internet Dating site. She mostly speaks to the man she will be going out with. Little does she or the man realize the danger that is present. But, who is in danger, and from whom? Laura doesn’t come home the next day and her sister and husband are troubled. What is going on?
This is a chilling and scary thriller, and everyone seems to be suspect. I would highly recommend this amazing and compelling novel for those readers that enjoy thought-provoking thrillers.
Clever & perplexing, twisty, and ex-trEEEEEm-ely hard to put down!! I started recommending this addictive read when books came up in conversation (which happens often for us bookworms!) before I was even one-third along in it. I have a very strong feeling it is going to be among the top thrillers this summer!!
You will be amazed and surprised at the turn of events in the story. The author is superbly good at keeping secrets. Nothing is as it seems until she discloses it. You will be horrified and thrilled as the story unfolds. So many secrets, so many lies and so much destruction. A wonderful suspense novel!
Walker’s newest book will keep you guessing until the end. Like her previous books (EMMA IN THE NIGHT and ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN) Walker takes us into the dark side of human nature.
This psychological suspense novel is told in dual timelines – the night before and the day after. There are also some flashbacks to four months earlier. You quickly grasp that something here is just not right, but what is it? And who is it? You will be racing through the pages to find out what happens next. Who is the killer? It will keep you guessing as Walker masterfully leads us along, sometimes deliberately misdirecting us.
The Night Before is another fast-paced, addictive psychological thriller from Wendy Walker. Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down. My mind was constantly running through all of the possible theories and endings. The alternating time periods and points of view flowed perfectly from chapter to chapter and helped keep the story paced just right. Wendy Walker knows how to expertly craft a realistic mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book that I’ve read by Wendy Walker – it will not be my last. I loved how she alternated telling the story from the point of view of Laura and her sister, Rosie. I also really liked that the time periods alternated – one chapter would be about events that were currently unraveling and the next chapter could be about events or conversations from months ago. So as I read the book I felt like pieces of a puzzle were falling into place – especially in relation to the fateful night when Laura was 17…
I thought Wendy did an amazing job with Laura’s character – the little girl with fists for hands that grew up and tried to find love with what she thought were the wrong kind of men.
This book kept my attention and had several surprises throughout. If you like psychological thrillers, I highly recommend this one!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.
5.5 Stars
First off I would like to thank Net Galley and St.Martins Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first novel that I have read by Wendy Walker and I really, really enjoyed this book!
Just twelve hours ago Laura was excited to be going on a date with a man she met on the dating app Findlove.com. Johnathan Fields seems like a pretty perfect match for her, handsome,intelligent and nice. Now she is missing and her sister Rosie is determined to find her before it’s too late.
Told in three perspectives Laura’s first person starting twelve hours ago and working slowly the towards present. Rosie’s third person starting from the moment she realizes that Laura is missing and notes from Laura’s session with her psychiatrist. The novel hooked me from the start. I must say that the Laura parts of this book read like a play to me. I could picture every scene between Laura and Johnathon as if it was on a stage. I loved the interaction between the two characters.
The tension mounts as Rosie begins to worry more and about what happened with Laura. Is she okay? Did Johnathon do something to her or did Laura do something to Johnathon? We find out that Laura has more than a few bad experiences with men in her past.
Well written with interesting characters the story unwinds slowly and holds your attention. I found myself wondering the motives of each character besides Rosie. There is a chance you will figure out the twist but the reasoning behind the twist will really get you!
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.
All I can say is WOW!! The Night Before by Wendy Walker, this was my first book that I have read from this author. I have to say that I found the storyline very original and well written. The storyline is basically told from the prospective of two sisters Rosie and Laura. The book was a page turner, and the outcome was totally unexpected. I would certainly recommend this book to those that enjoy suspense/thrillers.
Thanks to the Goodreads First-Reads program and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy of The Night Before. The following is an honest review of this book:
This book hooked me from the start! It seems the market is flooded with books in the psychological suspense genre lately. After reading so many, it’s easy to get caught up in the feeling of been there, read that. The Night Before offers a fresh new take on what psychological suspense can be.
Without rehashing the plot in too much detail, this story centers around the disappearance of Laura. She has a tainted past…is she a killer or not? After a bad breakup, she returns home to try once again to save herself and start anew. She meets a man through an online dating service but never returns home from her date. The conundrum? Who is the predator and who is the prey in her disappearance?
This story has (in my opinion) 2 really good twists that I didn’t see coming. At one point, I actually gasped aloud while reading!
Definitely a page turner that I would highly recommend!
I couldn’t stop reading this fast paced thriller. So many clues and secrets to unravel. Where is Laura; what has happened to her or what has she done! A thrilling ride to the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
This book is a great psychological thriller! Laura goes out on a date with a man she meets a dating website. When she doesn’t return home the next day, her sister Rosie tries to piece together Laura’s life to find out where she is. This book is told in Laura’s and Rosie’s perspectives. This is a great thriller that keeps you reading with lots of twists and turns. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.
A taut, psychologically thrilling and twisting storyline from start to finish! Readers won’t know who to believe and what the truth might be. Laura is Rosie’s sister, and has always had a pattern of behavior when it comes to men, pinpointing back to the time in high school, when her boyfriend was murdered in her presence. A shadow has followed Laura ever since and no one has truly known what the truth of the matter was. After a deciding he needs a break from her recent relationship, Laura comes to live with Rosie and her husband Joe, back in her childhood home town. In recent days she decides to try her hand at dating again and doesn’t come home after her first date. The frantic rush is on to find Laura and discover what may have happened the night before. Readers will find themselves up until all hours of the night, flipping pages feverishly to find out what happens and who is to be believed. Filled with twists, the characters and story will have you doubting what you truly believe happened and how secrets from the past can follow and haunt you.
After Laura’s boyfriend abruptly breaks up with her, he returns her childhood hometown to live with her sister and her family. Her sister, Rosie married her childhood friend, Joe and they have baby Mason. Laura, Rosie, Joe and Gabe all hung around together while growing up. Laura did a profile on a dating site and has a date with someone she has never met before. The next morning, Rosie discovers Laura did not return home from her date. The next few days are spent trying to find out what happened to Laura and who was the date that she never really identified. From there, the story takes on many twists, turns and surprises. This is an unputdownable page-turner that kept me engrossed from the first page. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this very captivating book.
WOW The book had me turning the pages as fast as I could. Everything I thought I knew, I didn’t !
Laura, Rosie , Gabe and Joe have been friends since childhood. All having lived through a traumatic and emotional night. Each with their own suspicions and conclusions about what happened.
This book alternates between Rosie and Laura’s point of view and goes back and forth in time and I loved that !
A great read with twists and turns you will never see coming.
This is my first book by this author but definitely not my last !