3.5 ⭐️

“Nobody understands what it's like to be locked inside the mind of a mother: the things you think that you aren't supposed to; the beliefs that burrow themselves deep into your brain like a parasite, making you sick.”

Isabella’s life changed forever a year ago when her her son was abducted out of his crib in the middle of the night. Now a year later to the date the police still have no leads, everyone seems to think that Isabella has lost her mind. She hasn’t stopped advocating for her son, and one day on a flight home from a convention where she speaks about her son’s disappearance, she meets a true crime podcaster who’s about to open her eyes to the the past. You see everyone in this book has a secret and some of them are deadly.

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Check trigger warnings.

This book definitely touched on some sore spots for me personally,as a mother myself I can definitely feel for Isabella and her own mother. The inner demons we face on our own, too scared to voice what goes through our heads at times of being overwhelmed. I think this book touched on some tough topics pretty well without being over the top.

I won’t lie to you there were times this was a bit slow for me, but whenever I thought about putting it down the next chapter would suck me back in. The author was very descriptive with her words, at times I loved it and other times I was just like ok bestie just get to the POINT. Haha that’s just me being picky though especially when things are picking up, I would find myself skimming through until I got to the dialogue parts because I was so invested!

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Trade for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Stacy Willingham’s atmospheric follow-up, “All The Dangerous Places,” to her bestselling debut, “A Flicker In the Dark”, tells the story of Isabelle Drake whose son, Mason, was kidnapped the previous year. Belle gives a talk about her ordeal at a true crime convention as part of her mission to find her son. Afterwards, she meets true crime podcaster, Waylon Spencer. Waylon persuades Belle to give an interview in exchange for his help with her case. Belle’s investigation takes an unexpected turn when she uncovers shocking secrets about her own family. Belle also finds herself facing accusations that she is the cause of Mason’s disappearance which she denies at first, but due to her long standing sleepwalking, she begins to consider if those accusations are valid.

I always enjoy a swampy thriller. Willingham’s Isle of Palms setting adds an aura of mystery and tension that sustains throughout the story. The plot unravels at leisurely pace which results in the “gotcha” effect with each revelation. Belle’s first-person narrative is surprisingly more complex then other Thrillers in the same vein. Belle is desperate and distraught, but she’s also assertive and determined. She’s not always sympathetic, but Willingham fleshes out Belle just enough that she isn’t off-putting.

Stacy Willigham showed a lot of promise in her debut. In her second novel, she shows she is a thriller star on the rise.

Stacy Willingham is an amazing author, I enjoyed her first book A Flicker in the Dark, and hoped her next one would be as good and IT IS!

One year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.

Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.

Isabelle’s entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle’s past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust… including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.

When a book keeps me guessing through every chapter and I’m really not sure in which direction things will go, that’s my favorite. I want to be taken on a literary ride and lose myself in the story. You will devour this novel and will be left looking forward to whatever else Stacy writes.

Out now!

Seemed like a typical missing child who done it, but this had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. An unreliable narrator that makes you question everything, all the time. Did she, or didn't she? If not her, then who? Read to find out!

This book gave me anxiety, but in a good way. Hard to put down worth it to read straight through to a satisfying ending.

Once I started this book, I didn’t want to put it down! Motherhood + a missing child pulled me in right from the start. This book has everything you want in a thriller. I know we’re only 5 days into 2023, but I’m thrilled to add this to my list of 2023 favorite reads!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. 🤍

Isabelle's son Mason disappeared at a year ago. Sometimes she thinks her own sanity is disappearing as well. She can't sleep, formerly a sleepwalker now she just groggily exists in a world that doesn't seem to come together right. She and her husband have separated. He wants to get on with his life but Isabelle just can't. On the flight home after being a presenter at a conference about missing children, Isabelle meets a podcast reporter. He wants to help, or does he? As the story continues it goes thru massive twists and turns from her husband's life to the podcaster, her own past, and her parent's secrets, even a mysterious neighbor. Isabelle's challenge is to find out what happened to Mason and who is responsible for his disappearance. This shocking twisty thriller is a good one. For lovers of mysteries, good stories, and interesting characters you won't want to miss "All the Dangerous Things". Thanks to #NetGalley#AlltheDangerousThings for the opportunity to read and review this book. It is a really good read!

For beginner and experienced thriller lovers - I loved this! It was my second Stacy Willingham book and her specialty seems to be that she can have rich back stories and merge them quite well with the present story at hand. I've read my fair share of thrillers and this one was able to surprise me with its red herrings and plot twists.
It seemed to offer a good balance of suspense and thriller with the added eeriness of dark family secrets. I'd definitely recommend reading this book!

I adored this book! I loved her first book, and this one, she knocked it out of the park! I firmly believe this one is better than her first! So, Isabelle Drake lived through a parent's worst nightmare while she and her husband slept with her 11-month-old son, Mason, who was taken out of his crib a year ago. The case went cold soon because there was not much for the authorities to go on. But like any mother, Isabelle is not giving up until she finds her son! It has become her life mission she was obsessed with, determined to find out what happened to her son. She is not sleeping and even her now estranged husband and friends and family want her to start the acceptance phase of her grief and accept that Mason is gone. Easier said than done. Waylon meets Isabelle at TrueCrime Cons, where Isabelle has started giving talks. Well, Waylon is a true crime podcaster, and he wants to help her find out what happened to her Mason. However, the more Isabelle gets to know Waylon and the more she discovers about him, the more she becomes concerned, and she begins to doubt if she can trust Waylon.
This book was excellent! You are literally on the edge of your seat the last half of the book, but this book makes you question your memory because of all the stuff going on! This is a must-read! Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books, for the extraordinary opportunity to read and review this one!

Wow! I honestly did not see where this novel was going to go. Stacy had me guessing from the first few pages and I kept flipping the pages late in the night. It was disturbing, sad, fast paced, and all the things I look for in a thriller. Thank you Netgalley for my free review copy.

This is the first novel I've read by Willingham, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. As someone that struggles on and off with insomnia, I can completely understand how lack of sleep can mess with you both physically and mentally, and I could really feel for what Isabelle was going through in terms of her own insomnia.

This novel is told in two timelines, the present day, in which Isabelle's son has been gone for a year and she is trying to figure out what happened, and Isabelle's childhood, in which we find out that she's always had sleeping problems and this is where her dark past begins.

I loved how this story unfolded and found myself equally loving both of the timelines that this book presented. It shows us that nothing is as it seems, that you can't trust anyone, and that Isabelle is also a very unreliable narrator, which I kind of loved.

The only downside is that this novel moves a little slowly, so you find that you might have to trudge through a little bit to get to the meat of the story. But that still doesn't stop me from recommending this book, it's a wonderful read.

This is my second book from this author and I am not disappointed!
The pacing kept me hooked on the story and that twisted ending!

As a mother this is truly a nightmare situation, waking up and realizing your baby is gone. This mother copes in the most perfect way and I can sympathize with her on so many levels.
I'm trying not to spoil anything but the ending omg I would flip my shit too, sadly I knew the direction this was gonna be going because I picked up on it earlier in the book but still so wtf.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Like Stacy Willingham’s debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark, All the Dangerous Things had me invested from the very first sentence. The author has a way with words, a way to make you feel like you’re inside the story, as if you are one of the characters. There were jaw dropping moments, shocking gasps and teary eyed as I read this novel. Willingham is definitely becoming one of my favorite mystery authors. This book is one everyone should read.

(Read hardcover through book of the month, although NetGalley originally gave me an early read through an ARC)

I really liked this book! At first I thought maybe it was a bit slow and predictable but boy was I ever wrong! The second half of the book was so good I was flying through it. Every twist and turn actually shocked me! What an amazing book. Will have to check out more of her books!

Such a fantastic book! I was a little hesitant because of the topic of kidnapping and the fact that I have a young child. It is a very real concern with me. The story though was so focused on the mom and her finding the truth that it wasn't a trigger for me. It was so well written and such a great mystery. I also have to say that I loved and related to the ending of this one! The narrator was also fantastic!

Isabella Drake's life completely changed just a year ago when her son was taken from his bedroom without a trace. Left unable to sleep, Isabelle spends countless hours questioning every decision she made, even those from her childhood, that lead her to this moment without her son.

Okay, let's start with a quick rant & then move on to my rave:

Rant: I did not love A Flicker in the Dark. I figured out the ending as soon as I started reading the book. I actually couldn't understand all of the reviews claiming to be "thrown" by the ending when it was so very obvious to me. That being said, I was apprehensive to start her sophomore novel.

Rave:
I LOVED IT. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Everyone's a suspect, and, while I did guess some of this, there were twists I didn't expect BUT - most importantly - the twists made perfect sense. I was getting FURIOUS at certain parts, when no one would listen to Isabelle or when a character would explain themselves... all signs of great writing. I'm surprised I didn't wake my sleeping husband as I finished this novel in the early morning hours, scoffing at parts as I raced to the end.

Isabelle sleepwalks, and it was so well done here that I was getting the heebie-jeebies. It's such an unsettling concept - to be asleep but on the move & have no memory of what went on. It's a huge part of the plot & it was executed perfectly. Sometimes the tropes of sleepwalking and Isabelle's other issue of sleep deprivation can be overdone in novels & you just want to roll your eyes. Not at all the case here.

Overall, an incredible exploration of female characters in all shapes and sizes that attempts to tackle a lot of hot button issues such as motherhood, childhood trauma, and mental health.

Thank you Netgalley & the author for my advanced copy.

I adored reading and listening to All the Dangerous Things! I am new to this author and cannot wait to read more. I felt this story in my bones. The depth and breadth of emotion I felt for Isabelle was shocking to me. I was not expecting the punch this story packs. I suggest going in blind and letting things unfold for you. I loved the breadcrumbs as well as all that happens on the periphery.

Suspenseful and heartfelt, with twists and turns! I highly recommend All the Dangerous Things.

This book was unputdownable for me. It is DARK, especially when exploring some of the dark sides of motherhood, but I love a dark, twisty thriller.

As heavy as it was - I needed to keep reading to find out how everything turned out, but some of the scenes were very tough to read.

There are plenty of content warnings which I will leave at the end. Please take care when reading this one.

Isabelle has been living every mother’s worst nightmare for the past year- when her toddler son was taken from his bedroom when they were sleeping. They still haven’t found out who took him. The book goes between two timelines and you quickly find out that Isabelle’s childhood also has some unanswered questions.

You know I love when I can’t figure out a thriller and this one stumped me and totally surprised me!!! I loved the true crime aspects and how it had me questioning everything. Bonus - super short chapters - always a fan of that!

I think I liked this book even more than the author’s debut - a definite auto read author for me now!

4.5 stars rounded up







⚠️content warnings: kidnapping, postpartum depression, stillbirth, postpartum psychosis, drowning, sleepwalking, gaslighting, infidelity, suicide, infertility, murder, grief, insomnia, drug overdose

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham is the story of Isabelle and her loss. Her son, Mason, has been missing for over a year, he was a year and a half at the time. The case has not been solved, much to Isabell's confusion. She had hoped that after all this time that someone somewhere would have seen or heard something.

There was an open window in Mason's room but no dirt on the floor or prints on the window or any sign that this was how the intruder came in. Isabelle is prone to sleepwalking and after viewing the video on the baby monitor, which was not working on the night of the disappearance, she starts thinking that she somehow had something to do with it. She sees on the video that she just stands over Mason's bed and stares at him. She of course remembers none of this.

In flashbacks we learn that about Isabelle's childhood and the death of her little sister Margaret. Margaret was two years younger than Isabelle and idolized her big sister. In the heat of summer, a very hot summer, Isabelle comes downstairs one morning and finds her parents distraught, and they tell her that Margaret is dead, died in the swamp. Isabelle is haunted by her sister's death all her adult life. She had been seeing a counselor to help her come to grips with what happened, but she often wonders if she had something to do with it.

Back to present, we learn about Isabelle and her husband Ben's relationship, how they met and how they ended up getting married. Turns out that Ben is able to move on after the disappearance of his son, but Isabelle is not, thus they split. She even gives talks hoping that someone in the audience somewhere knows something.

On one of her trips from a talk, on the plane a man, Waylon, starts talking to her. He is a podcaster and is interested in interviewing Isabelle. They hit it off and she starts talking with him about the case. He tells her one day that he needs to leave as it is costly staying in a motel. She invites him into her home because she wants to continue with the podcast. But things are not as they seem with Waylon, and she finds out that he is not who he says he is.

This book is a psychological thriller at its best, lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. I really enjoy this type of book and this one was really good!

It is kind of interesting to see how different people react to the same circumstances. Not going to say anymore as I don't want to ruin it. I give these one 5 stars! Go get your copy!

Omg what a heart wrenching thriller! Ugh this was hard to read because of the subject matter but I’m so glad that “what happened to the baby “ was left unknown and we didn’t have any gore, I think that would have made me stop reading.

I think the author and narrator did an excellent job with the subject matter. I loved the unreliable narrator part of the story. It really made me question a lot. Although I had some ideas but I really didn’t see the twist at the end there with the ex husbands GF. THE ENDING WAS GREAT!