It wouldn’t be summer without a page-turning psychological thriller, right??
It’s not always my favorite genre, because they can be quite dark, but twists and turns and pages that beg to be turned are quite appealing, especially when I have lots of time to read.
Cass and Emma are sisters who disappeared three years ago when they were 15 and 17 years old. There was an extensive investigation, but there weren’t a whole lot of leads. Any that were explored by special agent Leo Strauss and Dr. Abby Winter, forensic psychologist, did not lead to answers.
Abby took a special interest the case, because their mother, Mrs. Judith Martin, displays classic traits of a narcissist. Abby recently published a paper on the connection between narcissistic mothers and their daughters, and as the daughter of a narcissist herself, she has a personal connection. She wonders if there’s a connection between Judy’s behavior and the girls’ disappearance.
Emma in the Night did have some disturbing plot points, but it wasn’t overly explicit. It did carry the trademark dark feeling from the very beginning. I knew that I couldn’t trust Cass or maybe the mother 100%, but I wasn’t sure why, except that it just didn’t seem right.
The story is advanced in alternating chapters from Abby’s and Cass’s points of view. Leo’s and Abby’s investigation and hunches finally help them solve not only the who, what, and where, but the why as well. The ending did not feel rushed or pulled out of thin air as they sometimes do in these cases. The perspective of a true psychologist elevated the back story in this psychological thriller.
As my summer winds to a close, I have enjoyed squeezing in some great reading this month taking on all 3 Triple Threats in the Pop-up Blog Tour. Click the link for more information about Wendy Walker and Emma in the Night. You can also read my review of The Goddesses.