I find myself hovering in outlier-ville with this one. Almost all of my GR friends loved this book, but although the writing is excellent, the plot failed to captivate me as much as I had hoped. This is an impressive debut, so it is totally worth reading, especially if you go check out some of those aforementioned glowing reviews and see that I'm solidly in the minority.

Twenty years ago, Chloe's father was sent to prison for kidnapping and presumably murdering six young girls, although their bodies were never found. Chloe's life is secure and stable now--she's engaged to Daniel and has a fulfilling job as a psychologist. However, her demons lurk just below the surface, and when first one, then another young girl turn up missing, she feels as if her life is repeating itself again. The missing girls have connections to Chloe--is it the work of a copycat? Can she help find who is doing this?

I wasn't really surprised at the identity of the villain, I pretty much called it from the beginning. It made the story a bit more lackluster for me, because I found it all to be rather predictable. Chloe's constant blaming herself for all of the bad things that happened to everyone got very, very old. It was the same thing over and over, the same rehashing of the crimes over and over. Don't get me started on the armchair detecting--anyone who has read any of my reviews knows I think that is just an overused unrealistic plot device. I get that the police weren't really enamored with Chloe, but her hysteria didn't help matters. So instead of passing along evidence she finds, she goes on a hunt herself, even picking up and touching physical evidence during a search.

Yet for the book's shortcomings, it is still an engaging read and kept my interest to see how things would all play out. I listened to this as an audiobook, and did not care for how whispery and breathy Karissa Vacker's voice was, especially when voicing the female characters. I had to keep turning up my volume in order to distinguish what she was saying. I think that the whispers colored my opinion of Chloe in a negative way that maybe wouldn't have happened had I read the book on the page.

I think this is definitely worth reading, and I will definitely read a book by this author in the future.

For Chloe Davis old wounds are reopened when missing girls go missing in her hometown, reminiscent of crimes committed years earlier by her father. This took my emotions on a roller coaster ride, it was so good. The narrator was engaging and the story had a fast-paced flow to it. The mystery went in one direction and then took another turn all together with many red herrings along the way. Stacy Willingham is an author to watch!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Macmillian Audio and Stacy Willingham for my complimentary e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love a good first line in a book and a prologue that grabs your attention! A Flicker in the Dark has both of these characteristics. The first line is: “I thought I knew what monsters were.” Unfortunately from there I found the story to be predictable and a little slow towards the middle. In the slow parts, I found my mind wandering. Fortunately, it did pick back up towards the end. I have seen fantastic reviews about this book, but it feel a little flat for me. I did really like the premise and just wish the twists were a little more surprising. It was a good debut novel, but not great. I would recommend if you are new to the thriller genre or don’t read a ton of thrillers.
Even though this book was not my favorite, I still look forward to future books by Stacy Willingham. Thank you Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Minotaur Books for the advance listener’s copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

A Flicker in the Dark surprised me in the best way! I was expecting a predictable thriller, and it was in some ways, but also gave us some surprises along the way!
We follow Chloe whose father way arrested for multiple murders when she was a child. Flash forward to 2019 when murders begin which are hauntingly similar to those of her childhood.
I thought I had guessed what was happening early on, and although I was pretty much correct there were some things that still surprised me. The ending was wrapped up nicely and have a good ending to this creepy book. I think it will translate well to limited series and I can’t wait to watch!
I recommend this book if you’re a true crime addict, love Gillian Flynn books and don’t mind a little gore.
Thank you to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced listening copy of this book!

A solidly executed, but very ordinary suspense crime novel, A Flicker in the Dark is yet another new release that's undone by its overly-enthusiastic marketing from the publisher; with phrases like 'a masterfully done, lyrical thriller', 'to be the launch of an amazing career', readers were set to expect something exceptional — but the high expectation was woefully unmatched by the just above-average offering.

Stacy Willingham's writing is polished, having the right mixture of urgency that propels the plot forward, but still sprinkles in the emotional abstracts (characters' internal turmoil, suspicion, etc.). Where the novel stumbles is regarding the story it's telling — it's simply too 'been there, done that', with obvious, cliché misdirects, and relies heavily on characters illogically concealing facts to build conflict and suspense. Objectively A Flicker in the Dark is on point, but its self-serious tone and committed sincerity seems wasted on such flimsy, recycled material.

A Flicker in the Dark is a fine debut that's distracted by the hyperbolic praises; I can see this being a great entry point for readers who are just getting into thrillers (especially its well-produced audiobook), but for readers who already have a couple thrillers under their belts, A Flicker in the Dark will offer nothing new to the table.

YES! This is a good one. May be tropes are not new, but they are executed to perfection. Believable, realistic, no info dumps. Just right. Lots of turns and twists that spread out evenly thought the book. The pace is even. The story will grip you and you wont be able to put it down.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Flicker in the Dark is the debut novel of Stacy Willingham. It's a phycological thriller where Chloe Davis, a psychologist and daughter of a small town serial killer, is thrust back into a world of missing young girls with similarities to her father's killings. Who can she trust, and what truths will come to light about what happened 20 years ago?

I am FLOORED that this is a debut novel. The writing is SO FRICKIN GOOD! I cannot wait to see what Stacy Willingham will come up with next. Her characters were flawed, unreliable at times, and such a treat to be introduced to. The images put to paper/audio were so submersive that you felt like you were there feeling the Louisiana heat and smelling alcohol soaked breath. I have no complaints at all, the story wrapped up in such a way that you feel closure, but I know I'll be digesting everything this novel had to offer for atleast the next few days.

I highly recommend this for thriller lovers, I would say no younger than 14 though as there is heavy drug use and some sexual content. Stacy Willingham, you deserve a standing ovation for this masterpiece. I wait on baited breath to see what you do next.

A Flicker in the Dark is definitely a decent thriller. There was one line that had me pretty convinced of who the killer was (this guess was correct) but this book did a good job of making me doubt myself. So much of this book felt realistic, or at least within the realm of possibility, it terms of character development. Whether it's Chloe's substance abuse or the brother and fiancé not liking each other. I do hope this becomes a limited series as I have seen the rights have already been optioned because I think it would translate really well to screen. Also, the narrator of this audiobook was SO GOOD.

Thank you Macmillan audio for the eALC! Review will be posted on www.instagram.com/bookendgetaway in the coming weeks!

This was a fantastic audiobook! I've been dealing/listening to a lot of mysteries/thrillers this year and A Flicker In the Dark stands out as one of the most memorable. It's a slow burn, but I was still on the edge of my seat for the last third of the novel.

This was surprisingly good!! Dr. Chloe Davis’ father was accused of being a serial killer. Now, a copycat killer is wreaking havoc near her office. Chloe is multilayered and still struggles with her childhood trauma. Lots of twists - it definitely kept me wondering what was happening!! Thanks @netgalley for this absolute gem.

A serial killer in the past has haunted Chloe the last 20 years, because it was her father. Chloe has done her best to move on in life to separate herself from her monster of a father. She has begun her private practice as a psychologist, has a fiancé and occasionally visits her mother and has a supportive brother.

Then girls start missing again, circling around Chloe--and the new mystery begins, 20 years later.

I enjoyed this novel, I read it at a good time for me. I have begun to put my disbelief on the wayside when I read these mysteries and it helps. There were a number of holes and gaps in the story, and to be honest, I had it figured out pretty well before it was divulged, which is always disappointing to me. I want to be tricked!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a free audiobook in return for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy of this book. I got the audiobook and it was a great listen! Good narrator. Release date is 1/11/22.
I’m usually a romance reader but I enjoy a good thriller from time to time. I really liked this one. Pretty standard murder mystery. I was kinda close to guessing what happened but not quite. It held my interest the whole time and I was never bored. Definitely would recommend this!

A Flicker in the Dark (out on 1/11/2022!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I was really excited to receive this audio ARC from @netgalley after seeing this book everywhere the past few weeks. It was a quick and gripping thriller that I finished in < 24 hrs!

Chloe Davis is the daughter of infamous Louisiana serial killer, Richard Davis; approaching the 20 year anniversary of his arrest, another teenage girl goes missing. The “normal” life Chloe has worked hard to attain - her house, her private practice, her fiancé - is at risk of crumbling down. But who is responsible??

As far as thrillers go, I enjoy them as “fun reads” and really compare them in a category of their own (vs contemporary fiction). I don’t read them for their characterization or prose but more for the ❗️gotcha❗️ factor. So as far as thrillers go, I liked this one! Esp coming off of “The Maidens,” which I thought was not very well done, I thought the “whodunnit” came together much better in this book. Small details that you wouldn’t have guessed played a part come together at the end, even if it’s was a wild conclusion. I guessed half of the truth and the other half took me off guard, which is always a pleasant surprise! Sidenote: rly, what is it with these therapists / psychologists thinking they are detectives in these books lately??

I would recommend this to my friends who love a good thriller — I think this one, despite being slightly outlandish w everything going on — is interesting enough to keep them entertained. Looking forward to everyone’s thoughts when this hits shelves in the new year!!

This book had me on edge through most of the story, questioning everyone, trusting nobody. When Chloe is twelve her worst fears are realized, she discovers her father is a serial killer and has been preying on young women in her hometown. Young women not much older than her. How can she possibly move on from this earth-shattering, traumatic revelation?

Flash forward twenty years and Chloe is a psychologist, engaged to be married to Daniel. She hasn't spoken to or seen her father since his arrest and he is now serving six life sentences in the penitentiary. Life seems to be ticking along well for Chloe until two young women go missing, bringing back all her horrific memories from her past.

Twists and turns abound in this edge-of-your-seat thriller. I was hooked through the whole story as I nervously read through, needing to find out what happened in the end. Can't wait to read more from Stacy Willingham!

Absolute jaw dropping plot twists!

A Flicker in the Dark is a debut novel by Stacy Willingham. It features a host of interesting characters including Cloe (a psychiritist), Cooper (Chloe's brother), Daniel (Chloe's fiance) and Aaron (a journalist).

The story takes place in Louisiana where Chloe's father (a serial killer) is serving time in prison for the murders of several young girls. As the twenty year anniversary of the brutal murders approachs, young girls around Chloe begin to again disappear leading her to believe a copycat killer may be on the loose.

Standing ovation to Stacy Willingham for her brilliant writing style and amazing plot twists. A Flicker in the Dark reminds me of a masterfully crafted mind-bending Karin Slaughter novel. I am definitely looking forward to reading/ listening to more books by this author.

Thank you to Stacy Willingham, Karissa Vacker, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley, for my free audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion. A Flicker in the Dark will be published Jan 11, 2022

#MacmillanAudio
#NetGalley
#Goodreads
#BookOfTheMonth

Another solid thriller! The story line of this novel seems pretty straightforward at first, but the author pulls you along and gives you a bunch of different scenarios which makes you think that it could be anyone and she kept you on your toes until the very last minute. Sometimes that can be overkill, but I think that all of the twists and turns made sense and they had a clear road map once everything was revealed. I also loved the take it had on generational trauma and how our trauma can affect relationships in both good and bad ways. The audio was well done with an excellent narrator. Would absolutely recommend and I would read more from this author!

3.5/5

This wasn't bad... but a bit too 'from the same mold' as similar titles... psychiatrist abusing pills caught up in an intrigue where she doesn't know who to trust... this was trending an unimaginative 2-2.5... until the solid twist at the end.

This is the book that everyone is talking about on Bookstagram right now! I had to see what all the fuss is about, to see if it lived up the hype. I was not disappointed.
The story is dark, with expected and unexpected twists. The main character, Chloe is damaged from childhood trauma, and can’t seem to get a break. How does someone move on from learning their father is a serial killer? Chloe chose drugs and a dependency on a man she barely knew. She does not have her shit together, and it makes for a lot of complex inner monologue filled with self doubt and paranoia.
For a debut author, Stacy Willingham is already off to a great start. Her writing is atmospheric and at times quite beautiful. I found myself sucked into her descriptions of Louisiana, longing to see the swamps for myself.
As an audiobook, the narrator nailed it. I’ve listened to Karissa Vacker’s voice on several audiobooks, so I picked up her style immediately. She expresses the protagonists emotions very well, and is convincing in her male voices. She definitely made Chloe’s character more real, and tragic. I’m glad I chose to listen to this book, it really got into my head.
This is a great thriller that has you questioning everyone, til the end. Pay attention to every detail, it is all important! You will not be disappointed with the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy.

I loved this book and narrator. I couldn’t put this down. I finished this in one day. I would say I predicted the out early in the book, but I really enjoyed it.

Whoa!! Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book. I listened to it on audiobook. This book definitely kept me hooked from the beginning. The writing flowed very well and the characters were well developed with character growth through the book. Recommending this one to others for sure!