Absolutely amazing book! The entire time I was reading, it kept me on the edge of my seat. As the story unfolds the layers of complexity unravel in such a chaotic yet fluid way. The main characters are well built and their stories each important in their own ways.

Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. The story masterfully blends suspense with emotional depth, as protagonist Chloe grapples with a dark past while facing new, eerie crimes in the present. Willingham’s writing is sharp and atmospheric, immersing you in the Louisiana setting and Chloe’s unraveling mind.

I gave the book 4.5 stars because while the twists were largely satisfying, a few were somewhat predictable. Still, the novel’s tension and well-crafted storytelling make it an unputdownable debut!

Thank you for the review edition.

I found this an interesting read, but it didn't stick out in my mind as a WOW read after I finished.

Chloe Davis has been running from her childhood her whole life. When she was twelve, there was a series of teenage girls who went missing and were never found. Chloe was the person who found their jewelry tucked away in a box in her parents' closet and gave it to the police. Her dad confessed and has been in prison for the last twenty years.

Chloe had a horrific six years after his imprisonment with her mother becoming so depressed that she ignored the children and people in town determined to take out revenge on someone in the family. Her daily life was taunts, smears and sometimes physical violence from those who lost a sister, daughter or friend. She got out as soon as she could like her brother Cooper did, went to LSU and got a degree that lets her now practice as a psychologist. Recently, she has become engaged to Daniel and she thinks she has finally put the past behind her.

But the past isn't done with Chloe. Twenty years later, girls start missing in Baton Rouge where Chloe now lives and the missing girls have connections to Chloe. One is a patient and another a girl she had met while shopping. Who could be doing this? Who is copying her father? A New York Times reporter comes to town to do an article on her father after twenty years but stays to report on this new, more exciting story. He asks Chloe to help him and reluctantly she agrees. Can they find the killer?

Stacy Willingham has created an interesting look at what happens to the families of killers. The killer is often locked away, safe from victims' families revenge but the killer's family is left to deal with what the killer has done. They feel guilty, persecuted, unable to believe they were blind to what was going on and unable to believe any good memories they might have. As Chloe stumbles from one theory to another, the tension increases until all is revealed. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

I regret waiting this long to read A Flicker in the Dark. I immediately looked up more of the author’s works. All the Dangerous Things is next!

“What if your child IS the darkness?”

The narrator is phenomenal! It makes a big difference when the narration is on point the entire time.

This psychological thriller was everything I needed and more. I felt like a fly on the wall, not believing my ears. It was all near perfect. Would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys thrillers, suspense, murder mystery, family drama, etc. Winner, winner!

(I received this audiobook ALC via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you.)

Having never really felt in control since her father was arrested for murder when she was twelve. Now Dr. Chloe Davis is again following a murderer that is following the same patterns her father did. Is this a copycat or did they get the wrong person in the first place.

In this gripping thriller, follow Dr. Davis through twist and turns that will leave your head spinning. This book has it all for fans of Criminal Minds and the CSI shows. I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you MacMillan audio, Stacy Willingham, and Netgalley for this audio in exchange for an honest review. I finished this last week but needed to let this marinade in my brain. The narration was on point. The story line was well thought out. It peaked my interest the moment I started listening and didn’t want it to end. It took me two days to finish, a definite fast paced book. A strong/solid 🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating! A definite must read/listen!

My advice, STOP what you’re reading and pick up this book. You think you know what’s going on, but you don’t vibes are STRONG in this one. You already know it’s going to be a great fun read when Karin Slaughter recommends this one. So do yourself a favor and pick this up today. You won’t regret it.

If this genre is your jam, this book is about to serve you some instant happiness!! A FLicker in the Dark has a great plot twist and it can be best described as a dark and stunning debut. I can’t wait to see what Stacy Willingham writes next. I’m here for it. Stacy, I see you!! Such an incredible storyteller. Definitely an author to keep on your radar.

Many thanks to MacMillan Audio for this listening copy in exchange for my honest review. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. The narration was exceptional!! What an engaging performance of this twisty and dark mystery thriller. Happy Reading.

“There are so many subtle ways we women subconsciously protect ourselves throughout the day; protect ourselves from shadows, from unseen predators. From cautionary tales and urban legends. So subtle, in fact, that we hardly even realize we’re doing them.”
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It’s no secret that I am a weenie when it come to thrillers… so the more dramatic and less graphic the better for me. I have both the physical copy and audio version of this book and I bounced back and forth between the two. Sometimes I am just not in the mood to sit down and read, but I found the audio from @audible to be super entertaining in the background while I did other things.

✨I’m going to be honest… sometimes I forget to even attempt to guess for thrillers, so it’s safe to say I didn’t see the twist coming lol.
✨I found in interesting the amount of themes this book balanced. Ranging from the societal, mental and emotional repercussions of being related to a serial killer and the distrust that comes with it, to how we are conditioned to protect ourselves and fear everything as females.
✨There was also a theme of substance abuse, and how a lot of times numbing is preferential to actually feeling and enduring.

Overall, I was definitely entertained throughout the book and loved the incorporation of Nietzsche with “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that, in the process, he does not become a monster. If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

A psychological thriller with an unreliable female narrator. It was readable but did not make an impression. However, this is the author's debut novel and I would be willing to read another one of her works.

Not my favorite. Kinda boring. Had a hard time focusing and paying attention. I wish there had been more character development.

This **BOOK**!! One of my absolute favorite thrillers I've ever read. I did NOT see the ending coming and still cannot quite believe it happened. It's now a must-read for everyone - if you ask me for a recommendation, you WILL be receiving a recommendation for this book. I still cannot believe this was the author's debut novel - incredible.

I forgot to download. So I couldn't listen. Thank you for your approval. I do plan on reading it later. Either buy a copy or getting it from the library. Just not sure when. I will come back to update my review when I do.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I was still guessing as it was finishing.
This was a great read.

Creepy and great. This was nice to listen to. Not my most favorite but still good! This would be a great read for October!

Loved this audio of this book. What a fantastic read. Omg. I cannot say enough about it. Probably one of my favorites this year.

I loved Chloe. She had an extremely tragic past, but used it to make her life better. She has finally found happiness, until another girl from her hometown disappears. Chloe is left to figure out who the killer is

This book leaned heavily on the psychological part of psychological thriller. Unreliable as a narrator- consumed with drugs and alcohol frequently- Chloe keeps you guessing.

This story started out slow but picked up the pace towards the last 1/4th

I’d call it a pageturner, but I listened to this so I’m not sure it’s the right description. Immensely readable and suspensf7”z.

This was one of the most predictable thrillers I’ve ever read, but somehow I still enjoyed listening to the story unfold. We get a host of tropes, from drug use to unreliable narrators to hints and behaviors that lead us to certain conclusions. Through all of that, I feel like anyone who reads a lot of thrillers could see where the story will end. The audiobook was fantastic, very atmospheric and creepy. I enjoyed the voice acting a lot. Overall, I enjoyed the ride but this isn’t a book I’d tell anyone they absolutely needed to read.