Published by Orion on May 14, 2019
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Scribd, Net Galley
Amazon UK
Goodreads
First dates can be murder.
Riveting and compulsive, 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…
I am in two minds with this book, for the majority of it, it BLEW ME AWAY! The style, the very short and teasing chapters, the twists and the turns, the misdirects, I loved it all! So much so that I finished the audiobook almost in a day. There were two things I didn’t like, and I am being very careful here but 1 was a revelation about Joe and 2 when Rosie and Gabe were on the phone to Kimmie. That is all I can say on the matter, but these two points annoyed me enough to bring the rating down.
Otherwise, I loved it! I always like books that twist you about, and yes you do have to suspend disbelief and wonder why Laura likes to whine so much, but when you get past that, this is a little gem.
A very dark tale and it was addictive too. I am not sure how I would work through thinking one thing all my life, for it to be entirely false. When Laura didn’t over analyse everything, I found her to be endearing and not the monster she has been painted as. But when we flit to Rosie, I loved that we are giving room to doubt, I mean is Laura a monster? It was intense right near the end of the book and the fact the book is mainly focused over a couple of days was great, it really amped up the intensity of trying to discover the truth.
I will definitely pick up a book by Wendy again, bar a few gripes I really did thoroughly enjoy it. I did guess who would be behind it but that was mainly due to the breadcrumb clues we were given and subtle warnings in dialogue. It never bothers me if I do guess it, because I think it’s more exciting as you watch everyone around you trying to figure it out, and it adds so much more so to the tension.
I am excited to read something else by Wendy!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Stay and have a chat :)