Book Review: The Night Before | Wendy Walker

A woman leaves on a first date and doesn’t return home. Her sister tries to remain calm but she can’t. Something is wrong, she is sure of it. But is she more worried for her sister or the person she was on the date with? A twisty, compulsive thriller that will pull you in until the very final page!

About the Book | The Night Before

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…

Review | The Night Before

I love the way Wendy Walker writes! A blend of suspense, twists, and character-driven plot elements, it’s hard to pin down a genre for this book. It is a psychological thriller that is heavy on the psychology and seems to carry some broader messages of self-reflection and healing from past trauma. Truly, an outstanding book!

Told in flashbacks to the night before, Laura Lochner is preparing for a date with Jonathan Fields. She is trying her best to be more like her sister Rosie—she’s wearing a dress and make up, she is flirting. Laura is staying with her sister and her husband and young son in the wake of a bad break up.

In the present time, Rosie is worried that her sister Laura didn’t return home from her date. She knows she might be paranoid, but Laura needs her protection. Rosie is certain something sinister happens when her minivan is found near the bar they met at with parking tickets—Laura is nowhere to be found.

As we flash back and forward, we also begin to learn more about Laura’s past. Laura, the girl whose own mother described her as “born with fists for hands”. Laura, who has met her fair share of wolves, but is no lamb…

I loved the narrative structure of this. The chapters with Laura’s date (the night before) build so much suspense, since you know she hasn’t returned home in the present time. But what exactly happened? Meanwhile, we get flashbacks to Laura’s sessions with her therapist, which provide some interesting insight into her past and some secrets buried deep.

This book has so much more to it than meets the eye. It isn’t a typical thriller at all. There is a depth to the psychology of the characters and the story that are so compelling. I am a fan of Wendy Walker now and already bought her next book.

The Night Before is suspenseful, character-driven writing at its finest with a jaw-dropping twist that will definitely have you coming back for more!