I’ll echo what I’ve seen many others say about All the Dangerous Things — no sophomore slump for this author!! Stacey Willingham really crushed it again. I think I liked this one even more than her debut. Her thrillers have the perfect pacing-not crazy fast, but not slow and boring. Just the right level of intrigue throughout and she keeps you on your toes. There’s steady story/character development which I feel like we don’t always get with thrillers. I felt that I could connect with these characters right away and I didn’t see the twists coming. I will note this one will weigh on your heart if you’re a mom and could make you a little anxious, so while I like going into books blind, I think you should be aware going in. I really, really enjoyed this and it certainly cemented Stacey Willingham as an auto buy author for me. You’ll want to check this one out when it releases in January! Get your preorders in or add it to your January BOTM box.

4.5 STARS!

After reading and loving A Flicker in the Dark earlier this year, All the Dangerous Things became a highly anticipated release for me, and I'm happy to say it did not disappoint!

All the Dangerous Things is told from Isabelle Drake's perspective, who is living a nightmare after her toddler son was taken from his room in the middle of the night a year ago. Isabelle was a complex main character that I wanted to root for as she is struggling with a lot of pressure and guilt, but you also know that she is sleep deprived and might be hiding things especially as we get flashbacks to Isabelle's childhood. Throughout the book I found myself questioning all the characters, trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth.

I did find the beginning of the book to be very slow, but about a third of the way in, I was hooked and had an extremely hard time putting the book down. Although I found this to be a slower paced thriller, I enjoyed how the story built and how all the pieces came together, even though at the beginning I wasn't really sure how they would be relevant or connected. Most of the reveals (if not all!) I did not see coming. I enjoyed the writing and liked reading the author's note at the end too.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! If you are looking for a thriller with multiple timelines, an unreliable narrator who is a sleep deprived mother not willing to rest until her missing toddler is found, that also gives off true crime vibes with a podcast element, check out All the Dangerous Things (releases January 10, 2023)! Stacy Willingham is 2 for 2 for me and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books and Stacy Willingham for the arc.

Isabelle Drake hasn’t been able to sleep for over a year, since the day she found her son, Mason, missing from his crib. There was little evidence and neither Isabelle or the police have no idea what happened to Mason. Her insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from the past that makes Isabelle doubt herself. She needs to find out what happened no matter what the truth brings.

This is a slow burn thriller with an unreliable narrator. Told by Isabelle in the present and flashbacks from her childhood. I really enjoyed this one. There was a podcast element and I thought Isabelle’s sleep issue was interesting. The middle was a little slow but there were some surprising twists, and I totally didn’t see the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and this story line. I could not stop reading it and I loved the characters.

A year ago, Isabelle Drake was asleep when her toddler, Mason, was taken from his crib in the middle of the night and never seen again. Isabelle's life in total shambles--she can barely sleep; she and her husband, Ben, have split up; and she spends her days obsessively going over Mason's case, trying to find any leads. When speaking a true crime convention, she meets a podcaster, Waylon, who shows interest in Mason and his disappearance. But talking to Waylon brings up unsettling memories from Isabelle's own childhood--and stokes her fears that she is responsible for what happened to Mason.

This was a compelling thriller, if not a rather depressing and dark read. It really shines a light on the societal pressure new mothers and women face, including a look at post-partum depression--looking at both Isabelle and going in flashbacks to her own mother. I found it sad and tense to read about her feelings as a new mom, because Willingham really did a great job of capturing the sense of isolation, fear, and failure that new parents can often face. This is not an easy book to read, especially as a parent. As Isabelle's sleep deprivation grows and you are not sure how trustworthy she is an narrator, the book becomes even more stressful.

It's funny; overall, I had an idea of "who did it" fairly early on, but it did not diminish my enjoyment of the story at all. The character of Waylon was a good introduction (the book can slow down a bit when it focuses just on Isabelle), as were the snippets giving us a look at Isabelle's childhood. Overall, a mesmerizing and gripping tale.

I flew through this you guys. I read a Flicker In The Dark last year and liked it but in my opinion - this is even better. That being said, I don’t normally pay attention to trigger warnings and went into this blind (right before bed 🤦‍♀️) and was very triggered 😬 If you’re recently postpartum or have a baby or young toddler I might skip this for now or at least not start it at night like I did. However you can see by the rating I still enjoyed it - I was just deeply unsettled which may have contributed to the speed at which I read this because I had to know what happened.

Maybe it's the theme, maybe it's the writing - this book just really worked for me. It is a slow burn, and I do shy away from slow ones - but the writing made up for me. It was a beautiful exploration of mother's guilt, grief, and mental health. The author does note, that she isn't a mother, and doesn't understand certain feelings mothers have - but I did not feel like she misrepresented anything in this book.
I also feel like the unreliable narrator works here. The fact the author chose to use sleep deprivation, it just matches the whole hardships of motherhood theme. If you're a mother - you know how sleep deprivation affects us, and how sometimes you just don't remember what you ate for breakfast, etc.

This one is so worth a read.

This was my first book by the author and I had very high expectations, perhaps that's why the book did not work for me.
The first 2/3 was very boring and repetitive, I could not make myself care for the story and the characters. The last 1/3 of the book was awesome and finally pulled me in.
I want to point out my appreciation for the portrayal of mothers, it was brilliant and I am thankful to the author for taking this liberty. I think this was great and realistic and made me feel seen as a mother. The topic was new and the path was different from the usual thrillers. The twist, in the end, was great, I definitely was surprised and some parts of the story began coming together all the way at the end of the book. I appreciated shorter chapters that made the story flow fast,
Writing did not work for me personally. It just felt like we read about MC not sleeping for the most part of the book. There were also a few police procedural holes in the story that made no sense to me.
I will say it was an amazing popcorn thriller, a great read if you need to get distracted and want something fast and easy. I will still be reading other books by this author.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝

• unique and engaging storyline
• the definition of a psychological thriller
• true-crime
• podcast
• alternating timeline (my favorite)
• well researched
• recognized the changes (both physical and psychological) that pregnancy can cause
• mothers will do anything for their children

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐡𝐡𝐡

• last week was a doozy of a week so I kept falling asleep while reading and it took me much longer to finish than I would have liked 😂

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham is 🤯🤯🤯! We meet Isabelle Drake who is relentlessly trying to solve the mystery of where her son is. Mason went missing a year ago and she’s struggling to move forward, so instead she’s dedicating all of her waking hours, which happen to be all of them since she can no longer sleep, to solving the crime. What follows is genuinely unexpected and creative.

All the Dangerous Things feels like a very modern thriller that incorporates some of the most interesting parts of true crime culture today. You will be glued to the pages because you will be so invested in finding out what is what. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Arc - All the Dangerous Things is out 1/10/23.

Genre: Family Drama, Thriller
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pub Date: January 10, 2023

A slow-paced thriller is hard to find, so I applaud the author for writing this one. Willingham wrote a story within a story. Although the novel focuses on our protagonist, Isabelle, her husband, Ben, and their kidnapped son, Mason, her traumatic past plays a significant role in the tale. There are two timelines, each with its own mystery. We get a good feel of Isabelle’s childhood and current life. Because the novel doesn’t hint at when or why we jump into the past, at first, the back-and-forth timelines can be challenging to follow. Still, Isabelle's family back-story with her parents and younger sister, Megan, reads like a ghost story keeping me invested in the tale. In “All the Dangerous Things,” the author explores grief, affairs, marriages, and postpartum depression.

Isabella has been sleep deprived for a year since her toddler son went missing. Willingham adds to the suspense by reminding the reader that lack of sleep can lead to delusions and hallucinations. The author had me wondering if the grieving mother's perceptions were true or just figments of her imagination. The police have all but given up trying to find her son, and she knows she is a suspect. She takes it upon herself to go around the country speaking at true crime events, telling her story, and seeing if anyone suspicious is in the audience. This is how she meets a true-crime podcaster who takes on a role in the story.

The writing in “dangerous” can be sophomoric at times. However, I enjoyed understanding both timeframes' mystery solutions, even though one had a predictable twist. I suppose I continued reading this book when the plot became unbelievable is because I got hooked on Isabelle’s childhood. Plus, I prefer watching slow-paced movies, as you can find in foreign films, and reading literary novels, which are typically slow moving. If you want your thrillers at rollercoaster speed, this one is not for you.

Let me first say, to whom ever designed the cover for this book, you nailed it. I read Stacy Willingham’s debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark and was super impressed. All the Dangerous Things, followed in its footsteps and did not disappoint.

While it was a bit slow to start, what it lacked in pace it made up for in intrigue. From the very start I was hooked on the plot. Once the ball got rolling it was unstoppable. The twist and turns made my head feel like it was on the spin cycle. I pride myself in my ability to predict a plot twist but every time I thought I had it figured out I was pleasantly mistaken.

Willingham’s writing is atmospheric, dark, twisty and psychological. She has a way of making you believe one thing and then completely dismantling your theories. Stacy is on my radar and is quickly making a name for herself in the thriller world.

It has been one year since Isabelle’s son Mason was taken from his bedroom in the middle of the night. It has also been one year since she has slept, now staying up wracked with guilt. When a true crime podcaster starts to interview her she begins to struggle more and more with paranoia and possible delusions - not only about his intentions but if she could have been responsible for Mason’s disappearance.

So y’all I do not typically read a book in a day. But I got stuck in baby nap jail (IYKYK) and read this whole thing. This is twisty and dark in all my favorite ways. The prose is a bit long winded but so I am so I was into it. Isabelle is an unreliable narrator but one that I connected with as a mom. Her thoughts could at times be troubling but it made the story that much more interesting and suspenseful.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the review copy.
I loved A Flicker in the Dark from the author previously so I was excited for this one. It's a fresh take on the no sleep scenario and I liked how the hints and red herrings abounded. But after getting a good grasp on the characters, it wasn't hard for me to figure out where both storylines were going. I also thought the middle of the story was a bit slow. However, Willingham does know how to create atmosphere and intrigue. I see this one already getting a lot of love, and I hope it keeps reaching the readers that love it.

This book was AMAZING. One of the better books I have read this year, if not in my top 10. I feel that her debut novel was good, but this second novel is FANTASTIC. If you want a fast paced thriller with a great ending, definitely pick it up. Trigger warnings- was hard to read as the book centers on the main character's child being abducted

This had an interesting premise, but seemed to drag on and on.
It was pretty easy to figure out, and I couldn't understand why the main character didn't catch on to what really happened...until the author unveils the character's terrible past and it all makes sense. I almost stopped reading before that point, so I mention it in case someone else is tempted to DNF.
The ending is rather wild and you have to be willing to believe anything, but it's a good book with a lot of emotional pull. Bonus for the setting, both past and present!

This one was SO GOOD! I loved the twists, the turns, the storylines, the lies. I really enjoyed trying to figure this one out and I could not put this one down. With each chapter you would get a little more insight into a character and start to think maybe they had something to do with it, then another piece of the puzzle would be placed and you'd change your mind again. This really was an edge of your seat thriller. There was a few times I had to close the book just to absorb what I had just read and how that fit into the story. So well written. I already cannot wait to see what she comes out with next. She has become a go to author of mine and her books will be ones I will always purchase. Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook arc. I also purchased the BOTM version.

A desperate mother searches for answers in the cases of her missing son. The plot of the story is intense and emotional. The various characters are experiencing heightened feelings based on their experiences. The story is told from a single point of view and flips from the present and the past as she tries to piece together what has been happening in her life. The author does a great job allowing the reader to explore the medical issues surrounding several of the women in a simple manner. It is an easy an interesting book to read with a few surprises you won’t see coming.

Isabelle’s life has been turned upside down since her son, Mason, went missing from the crib in his room. His disappearance soon goes cold and Isabelle’s obsession with finding him leads to an awful pattern of staying awake all night. She used to sleep so soundly when she was a child that she often slept walked with no memory of what she did. After speaking at a true crime convention, to share Mason’s story, Isabelle meets a true crime podcaster who wants to share her story. As the pair starts investigating Isabelle can’t stop thinking about what happened to her in her childhood and the similarities to Mason’s disappearance. Can she trust this podcaster or herself?

This book was absolutely amazing! I devoured it and left no crumbs. I love a good true crime podcast and the use of it in this book. I could feel Isabelle’s pain pouring from this books and it gave me all the feels. The twists and ending was superb!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Stacy Willingham, and Minotaur Books for the eARC of All The Dangerous Things.

Isabelle and Ben’s son Mason disappeared a year ago to the day. Isabelle used to be a deep sleeper and a sleepwalker, but after Mason’s disappearance, she struggles to sleep at all.

Isabelle is worried that she may have done something to hurt Mason that she doesn’t remember. Is it that simple, or was it something more sinister?

This book had some really great twists that I wasn’t expecting! I enjoyed Willingham’s debut novel, and she’s managed to do it again with All the Dangerous Things. Would highly recommend!