A solid debut by this author and I will definitely be on the lookout for more releases!

I'd term this a psychological thriller. Lots of twists and sometimes you're not really sure if what is going on is real, in your head or in the character's head. And I liked it!

Chloe was young when her father was tried and convicted for the murder of six teenage girls, one of them being a friend of hers.

Now she's an adult, 20 years later, and she is a psychologist, engaged and seems to be coping and moved on with her life. Until ... girls start disappearing. And they all have a connection to her.

Her father is still in prison so it can't be him. Is it a copycat? Or is it random? Could it be her brother? Her fiance? The father of one of the girls previously murdered? Her? She doesn't know who to trust. I will say I did have a suspicion as to what was going on, but it was so twisty and I never knew for sure right until the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an advance review copy of this audio in exchange for an honest review!

Dr. Chloe Davis has a pretty banging life. She's a psychologist with her own private practice. Plus, she's got a loving brother and a hot and caring fiancé who she's about to marry. There's only one problem. Her dad's a serial killer. Oh, and she's addicted to prescription drugs. So, two problems. Oh, and a copycat killer has surfaced and girls have started to go missing.

The clues for this mystery are subtle; sometimes they're cleverly disguised nestled in the red herring. Neither of these am I going to go into detail about. No one wants spoilers, especially for a mystery. Though I wasn't fooled by the red herring, I will admit that I didn't figure out who the actual killer was. This is one of those books where everyone is a suspect, even the unreliable narrator herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this (super last minute) ALC. I thoroughly enjoyed Karissa Vacker's narration. She truly brought Chloe to life. A Flicker in the Dark was an excellent mystery, and I can't recommend it enough,

Thank you @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for my copies of A Flicker in The Dark.

I’m sure you have seen this one around as it was a Book of the Month pick in December, but it also releases for all this week!

There have been so many outstanding reviews so I will keep this brief. It was very good and enjoyable. I was able to figure most of it, but the book still kept me on the edge of my seat and I will definitely look forward to reading more from @stacyvwillingham

The audio was fantastic, narrator was a perfect fit, and was super easy to follow on audio.

I can’t believe this is the author’s debut, well done! Chloe Davis’ world is turned upside down when her father is arrested and subsequently sent to prison as a serial killer. All her adult life she’s tried to distance herself from her father, but when teenage girls she’s been in contact with start disappearing she has no choice but to get involved. Chloe is aided by a New York Times reporter looking to do a ‘20 years later’ piece on her father and family, and they work together to pull on various threads and uncover clues.

This book is seriously twisty. Willingham will keep making you think you’ve guessed the killer, but you’ll be wrong. It is also quite atmospheric and I really enjoyed her writing style. I don’t usually love an unreliable narrator, but Chloe wasn’t all the way unreliable, but she was hitting the sedatives pretty hard which made some things fuzzy for her. Be aware that there’s a lot of domestic abuse in the story, mental health issues, bullying, and kidnapping and murder (although those last themes are pretty obvious if you’ve read the synopsis).

I switched between the physical copy and audiobook, and I enjoyed Karissa Vacker’s performance so much. You might recognize her voice from The Replacement Wife, Every Vow You Break, or Love, Lists and Fancy Ships (among others). The audio is 11 hours in length but I binged it in one day.

“A Flicker in the Dark” is indeed, a bit dark, and definitely flickers. I kept changing my mind as to who I thought the guilty serial killer was—or who they were? Thanks so much to #NetGalleyAudio for loaning me this audio book in exchange for an honest review. This was definitely an audiobook worth listening to. The voices are distinct, the narrator excellent. And the book is a stunning thriller. #StacyWillingham is an author to keep your eye on!

This thriller has an interesting premise where a psychologist is starting to see parallels of her dark past match with her present day situation where local teenage girls start missing. The premise of this book was super intriguing. I enjoyed this book, but just know that it is extremely slow burn. Toward the middle of the book, the pacing was getting a bit too slow for my liking, however, I did like that the author kept me guessing on who the unmasked killer was till the end. I had an idea of who I thought it might be a few times, but I kept second guessing myself given the twists that were presented along the way. The one aspect I wish that was in this book were multiple POVs or if the book alternated into past and present chapters instead of the way it was written. Other than that, I would recommend picking this one up. Also I heard A Flicker in the Dark is going to turn into a TV series on HBO Max which will feature Emma Stone - I’m curious how that will turn out!

A Flicker in the Dark was just the kind of book I needed to get out or a holiday reading rut. I enjoyed author Stacy Willingham's writing style so much and this one kept me turning the pages until the very end.

I found the storyline to flow well and I enjoyed the flashbacks that really help bring this story to life. This was a solid 4 star read for me and I look forward to what Willingham comes out with next!

I found the narration to be well done and this was the perfect kind of storyline to be read via audiobook.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted review copy.

😱 I… I just. 😱
To debut author Stacy Willingham, I just have to say: BRA-VO!
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This book was a beautifully crafted psychological thriller. The story is told to us from the point of view of a convicted serial killer’s daughter who self medicates for the post traumatic stress she still suffers from, 20 years after her father’s arrest. Needless to say, Chloe was a hot mess even before we realize there’s a copycat killer on the prowl.
😬
There are many twists and turns as the mystery unfolds - my head is still spinning- and I loved every second of it. I must confess that I had confidently sussed out the killer twice (so I thought) but Willingham spins such an intricate web that I was nowhere near to solving the puzzle. With such an impressive debut, I will be watching this author closely, impatiently awaiting her next novel.
🤗🤗🤗
Do yourself a favor and get your hands on a copy of this book right now!

Thank you 🙏🏻 to the author along with MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 💜

Your father is a convicted serial killer.
Months before your wedding eerily similar murders begin occurring.
You’re suspicious of everyone around you and have to get to bottom of it.
Plunging yourself into the investigation, you’re the one who begins to look suspicious.

Flicker in the dark is a captivating thriller with lots of possible suspects and a satisfying conclusion. I love books where I’m wildly guessing who did it.

Thanks @macmillan audio and @netgalley for the audio version!

I couldn't stop reading this book! From the very beginning when we learn that Chloe's father is a convicted serial killer, I was hooked. There were a lot of great twists and turns throughout this book. I did figure out the biggest twist super early on, but that didn't take away from how amazing of a read this was! Sometimes I'm annoyed when I get it right, but this was just one of those times where I thought #nailedit in my head and gave myself a little pat on the back.

I had this book through Netgalley audio and also hardback, and I loved following along with the book as I listened. There's just something about hearing the characters while taking in the story at the same time. Highly recommended! Unless the narrator sucks...which has been known to happen.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Macmillan.audio for the audio! I definitely recommend this one if audiobooks are your thing!

I’m forever picking the threads from thrillers long after I completed them, unraveling plot points, and worrying at unresolved issues left hanging. I scoff at plot devices that aren’t realistic (Gorilla Glue is great, but it won’t fool a coroner. IYKYK.). I shake my head when our plucky heroine investigates on her own instead of going to the police. I mean, I’m okay with it. It’s a thriller, and I set my Suspension of Disbelief on STUN. But I’m still going to pick at your plot.

Not so here. This sucker was TIGHT. Why Chloe doesn’t go to the police is plausible. The red herring had me second-guessing if it WAS a red herring. Did I figure it out? Well, yes, but not completely.

Then the author does us the courtesy of showing us what went down…without telling us. The last two chapters were so satisfying that I listened to them again the next day.

Put @stacyvwillingham on your watch list. If this is her DEBUT, I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thanks, @NetGalley, and @Macmillian.audio, for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

Congratulations to Stacy Willingham for publishing her debut novel A Flicker in the Dark. This well-written thriller kept me engaged throughout the plot's twists and turns.

The premise: When Chloe Davis was 12, her father was put in prison as a serial killer responsible for killing several young girls. Soon after, her mother became severely disabled, leaving Chloe and her older brother Cooper to be raised by family members.. At age 32, Chloe is finally finding happiness and success - her new psychology practice is growing and she's engaged to Daniel. But on the 20th anniversary of her father's conviction, teen girls begin to go missing ... and Chloe's past haunts her again, especially when details of the current murders match her father's crimes.

I don't read many thrillers and I enjoy being surprised, and this book provided lots of red herrings in the course of unraveling the mystery. I didn't always agree with Chloe's actions, but I appreciated that the loops were closed by the end of the story.

I'm grateful to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the review copies of this great debut. I'm eager to read Ms. Willingham's next novel.

I really enjoyed the audiobook of A Flicker in the Dark. This twisty tale follows Chloe, a young, successful woman in her thirties who is struggling to escape her dark past. When she was 12, several girls disappeared in her small hometown in Louisiana. Eventually, her father was arrested and pled guilty for the crimes. Now as an adult, her past seems to be catching up with her and Chole finds herself mixed up in another wave of disappearing girls.

This book was a solid 4 stars for me. While I did find parts to be slightly predictable, the story was fast paced and intriguing which made me want to keep going. The narrator did a good job creating voices distinct enough to keep the characters apart. However, there were times when she spoke so softly if was difficult to hear and small parts were lost. I realize this was warranted by the content and tone of the story but a little frustrating for me as the reader. Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable story, easy to follow along in the car or while doing chores around the house. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

Chloe is a medical psychologist trying to right the wrongs of the past one patient at a time. However, helping others to live with their trauma does not mean Chloe has learned to live with her own, especially when girls start to disappear and with the killer's modus operandi being similar to another serial killer, Chloe's own father. Can Chloe crack this case before the lives of any more girls are taken?

A Flicker in the Dark is a solid debut by Stacy Willingham. Willingham gives readers an intricate, yet slow burn plot, with plenty of red herrings,so when the book starts to reach its denouement, there are plenty of twists and turns that may leave many readers shocked. I personally quite enjoyed the sub-plot which is a young woman trying to cope with the sins of her pasts and how they can truly impact our lives and the relationships that we have. A Flicker in the Dark's audio was brought to life beautifully by Karissa Vacker, she captured Chloe roller coaster emotions perfectly, although I wished she narrated the book more if a Southern accent, particularly since the book is set in Louisiana. Still, I recommend A Flicker in the Dark if one is looking for a really good slow burn thriller.

At twelve, Chloe Davis’ world came crashing down when she found out her father, who had always been loving, kind and gentle, was a serial killer. Now twenty years later, Chloe’s built a life she can be proud of as a psychologist, she helps people cope and deal with trauma, and she’s preparing to marry a wonderful man. That is until girls start disappearing again, and the circumstances are eerily similar to her father’s case.

As we get into the story it sounds like Chloe has come out of a tragedy and is thriving, but it becomes apparent that she’s still kind of a mess. Relying on prescription meds (just a little) and alcohol to taper off her daily anxiety, she’s a bit of an unreliable narrator at times. I will confess, I usually find an unreliable narrator annoying, but Chloe wasn’t completely checked out for the most part, and she was easy to like.

I really enjoyed this twisty mystery! There were a few suspicious characters, clues surface casting each in a shadow of doubt, until all is revealed at the end. It wasn’t hard to guess at the murderer, but I wasn’t sure and it’s fun to feel like your suspicions are confirmed. If I have any complaint, it would be that the writing was a little overly descriptive at times and some of the flashback storytelling was a little too circuitous when I just wanted to get to the point. Still, I thought A Flicker in the Dark was a thrilling debut! A story I wanted to read straight through with no interruptions so I could find out what really happened in past and see how it all worked out for Chloe in the end.

A Flicker in the Dark was my Book of the Month choice for December, so I was thrilled to see an audio copy come up for review. Karissa Vicker was an excellent performer! She brought the story to life and infused it with an urgency that kept me on the edge of my seat! I listened at 1.5x-1.75x.

Twenty years ago, six girls from Chloe’s town went missing. One by one they just disappeared until, by the end of the summer, Chloe’s father was arrested for their murders.

20 years later, Chloe is a clinical psychologist, she’s engaged and she’s finally beginning to feel happy again, even if she has to self-medicate with alcohol and prescription drugs sometimes. Her life as a serial killer’s daughter hasn’t been easy.

One day, a teenage girl goes missing. As days go by and another girl disappears, Chloe starts finding some similarities between these cases and the girls her father murdered 20 years ago. Chloe can’t believe this is happening again. Is there a copycat killer imitating her father’s crimes or is she just unable to let it go and move on with her life? Has this something to do with her or is she just paranoid?

Who can you trust if you can't even trust yourself? Chloe is a great unreliable narrator. With everything she’s endured, she doesn’t know what’s real anymore. The story is loaded with details, red herrings, faulty assumptions, poor judgment of character and bad decisions.

Even though I predicted the ending, I couldn't, in a million years, have predicted everything that happened in between. Twist after twist, this psychological thriller kept me engaged until the end.

The idea of writing about the family of a serial killer was very interesting. There are some things that I would’ve liked to see, maybe in an epilogue, and others that I found to be very slow and repetitive, especially at the beginning of the book. But overall I did enjoy the story and Stacy Willingham’s writing style and I’ll be looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the review audiobook! The audio is narrated by Karissa Vacker who does an amazing job adding a touch of suspense to this twisty story. Can’t wait to watch the TV adaptation with Emma Stone too!

Wow this book was spooky. I really liked how the story moved a long. Each chapter gave us a new puzzle piece and ended on a cliff hanger. It was really hard to put down. The main character Chloe is very likable and relatable. She just wants to do good. I will definitely be reading Willinghams other books because I like her plot development and character building.

Wow! This book was so good and twisted! I feel like it has been a while since I have enjoyed a book this much to give it five stars. I couldn't stop listening to it.

I love how this book kept me enthralled the entire time. I kind of had a feeling that I knew what the major twist would be, but I don't think that bothered me at all. I still thought the ending was great. I was a little bummed about one part, but that's alright. I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Audiobook ARC from NetGalley
What a debut novel! If you enjoy suspense and mystery, this book will satisfy all of your needs.
The narrator is good. The storyline and plot are good.
The main character left something to be desired. Her frantic ramblings and pill-popping need was off putting. Get passed the first 120 pages and the story begins to fall into place and move a little more fluently. Then get ready for so many twists and turns, well, I found myself holding my breath a few times the suspense was that good.

Extra Notes
My “vanilla” radar ratings (easy read/foul language/graphic content):
There is a dual timeline in this book. At times it can be a bit hard to follow but overall, this is an easy read.
This book lost a star for the amount of horrible, continuous F-Bombs. There are so many at one point when two of the characters are leaving a residence abruptly that I had to turn the audio off for a bit and come back to it. I’m glad I finished the book but almost didn’t because of that scene.
There are two scenes between couples that get a little too graphic for my taste. That is why I love the freedom of turning the page or hitting the 30sec skip ahead button on audiobooks. :)

* If you aren’t bothered by foul language and sexual content, my vanilla ratings are of no concern for you. I include these for people that are and would like a heads up before beginning a book.

This story was good but not great. First, the narrator was great and this was a great thriller to consume via audio. Second, for the story I enjoyed it and enjoyed the journey through the mystery, but this definitely had some typical thriller tropes that get under my skin (the main one being the "crazy woman" that no one believes and all her actions lead to every man in her life calling her crazy). However, tropes aside, the story was fun and though some reveals were predictable, I think it is still a story worth reading.