After enjoying Willingham’s debut, A Flicker in the Dark, I couldn’t wait to read All the Dangerous Things. Isabelle’s son was kidnapped from his crib one year ago and Isabelle hasn’t slept since. After agreeing to a true crime podcast interview, Isabelle begins to question herself as new clues about her son’s disappearance and her own past come to light.

I read a lot of thrillers and unfortunately this one felt very similar to a few others I’ve read in the past couple of years. Unreliable narrators and podcasts have become quite the trend in the thriller book community. The major issue I had with this books was the pacing, it really didn’t pick up until the last 20%. There were some twists that I didn’t expect but overall, this was middle of the road for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is easily my top thriller of the year! All The Dangerous Things takes a while to build up, as there are many stories being told and interwoven. However, it gets good. It was fun throughout the book to make up my theories and see how my opinions shifted. Then the ending still surprised me!

If you enjoyed Stacy Willingham's debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark, then you will love her latest thriller, All the Dangerous Things. Many of the same themes are present in both books including missing children, a possibly unreliable female narrator, and plenty of twists and turns throughout. In All the Dangerous Things, we are introduced to Isabelle Drake, who had her son Mason taken from his bedroom one year ago. Since then she has been unable to live a normal life, staying awake all the time and doing all she can to go through the evidence to find out who took her son. Her relationship with her husband Ben has crumbled, and she's been thinking more and more about her past which is causing her to question what might have happened to Mason. Full of surprises that will keep you reading up into the night Willingham's latest is a great sophomore novel!

This is an author I’ve been wanting to read even though the subject made me hesitant. A missing, kidnapped, murdered, accidental, or any scenario of losing a child is a grief impossible to fathom. I nearly stopped reading numerous times, it was just hard and sad, made me cry. Besides, I had the plot figured out early on, nearly gave up, and then … what? No that can’t be, did that just happen? Despite my endless sympathy for her, the mother, Izzy, was on my last nerve with the insomnia, sleepwalking, accusations and theories. Then about half-way through the puzzle pieces started to slot in place. Took my breath away with totally unexpected twists. Wonderful spotlight on an important topic.
The timeframe was then and now, alternating smoothly between different events. The Georgia setting was well portrayed. But the star of the story is the characters and how easily we believe and trust what we read or what people tell us. Some eye opening life lessons on the truth and the truth we manufacture. The viewpoints and perspectives are relevant and important. I won’t forget many of the things I read and am truly glad I finished the story. Highly recommend and would read this author again.
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “All The Dangerous Things” by Stacy Willingham and to St. Martin’s Publishing Group. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

This taut, gripping, thriller is all about a mothers worst nightmare! Imagine, your son is abducted from his room while you are sleeping. You then become an insomniac, never sleeping, looking for clues about your son. Your husband leaves you for a younger version of yourself. Who did it? Husband? Neighbor? Even herself? Very suspenseful book with many twists. Just absolutely loved it! Will be adding this to my permanent collection for sure!


Thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the arc copy of this book for my honest review.

Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy for review in exchange for my honest feedback - this sophomore follow-up to last year’s Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham releases 1/10/23!

I must say, while I enjoyed Flicker in the Dark, to me, it was just your run of the mill thriller. It was average and nothing I’d be buzzing about to any of my friends that they MUST PICK THIS ONE UP NOW but also not terrible in the slightest - it was fine. This one for me was a step up - definitely a more unique concept, more of a question of what could be going on, and more of a slow burn. I say that with caution to those that want high intense jump sequences or huge mind-blowing twists, because this one is not it. That being said, I thought the idea was more unique and I enjoyed the story a bit more. I think it was a really great sophomore title, and I’d definitely check out more of Willingham’s works in the future!

Again, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review.

The plot was severely unique. I loved how Stacy wove the character’s lives together. My curiosities were piqued throughout the book as I suspected almost everyone, including the main character, and the ending was absolutely shocking to the core. Stacy Willingham is a @must-read author” for all thriller fans.

𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔? 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅? 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅, 𝒔𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐𝒐?

Isabelle Drake is a shadow of her former self. One year ago, her young son Mason vanished from his bedroom while she slept. The trauma ended her marriage, and now Isabelle haunts the true crime circuit, telling her story over and over, looking for any suspicious people in the audience. In lieu of payment, she demands a roster from each event and carefully researches each person. Except for catnaps and minor blackouts, she hasn't slept since Mason disappeared. On the plane ride home, she meets a true crime podcaster who is eager to help...too eager, maybe. Isabelle invites him into her home and their lives become intertwined until she realizes two things--he is entirely too curious about her past and another tragedy that still swirls around Isabelle, and his motives may not be entirely altruistic.

Told in dual timelines, I had no idea how the past and present stories were going to intersect, but when they did, it was truly shocking. This was an intense, beautifully told story about the ugliest of topics.

I loved everything about this book! It was a completely immersive read that touched upon so many themes, but most of all, this book embraced what it means to be a mother. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my early copy. ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS publishes January 10, 2023.

4.5 stars

Yes. Willingham has done it again! Readers who had fun with _A Flicker in the Dark_, as I did, will enjoy their experiences with this one, too!

Isabelle, the m.c., is having a tough time, and this is no surprise. She has been plagued by sleep-centered issues throughout her life, including sleepwalking even as a child and now persistent insomnia. As a child, her unusual habits seemed to be connected to the deaths of both of her sisters, and as an adult, her insomnia clearly ties to the kidnapping of her son, Mason, about a year ago (in relation to the present day of the novel). As anyone who has ever experienced insomnia or sleepwalking knows, these issues are often exacerbated by stress and add a lot of stress to the lives of the people who experience them. They also make for a RIVETING m.c., especially in a psychological thriller!

Readers constantly wonder exactly what Isabelle's roles in her one sister's death and her son's disappearance are because even Isabelle cannot fully answer these questions. Isabelle experiences missing chunks of time, but she is also surrounded by questionable figures, so truly it seems that anything is possible. It's unsettling for readers and characters alike to encounter so many options with so few answers, but the journey to resolution is a real treat.

Isabelle is one of those characters who makes me think that some folks really get the short end of the stick. On the surface, she has so much going for her, but WOW, has she had a tough life in terms of the various circumstances she has faced and/or have happened in her immediate environments. I'm so glad I'm not her, but I'm most glad that I get to read about her, and I expect this will be a widespread sentiment among Willingham fans and those who enjoy psychological thrillers in general. This is a good one, and it's made even more compelling with great narration in the audio version.

Very well written. Great story and plot. The characters are well developed. I could not put this book down.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fast read. A lot of it seemed sort of implausible, but it still was entertaining. There was a bit of a surprising twist at the end.

3.5

Stacy Willingham's debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark, was a showstopper from beginning to end. I was hooked on every breathless page so when I got the opportunity to read an ARC of her forthcoming novel, All the Dangerous Things, I was pumped. Readers, I am happy to report that this novel was everything I love in a great thriller- An unreliable narrator (done well, not overdone at all), tantalizing details that leave just enough unsaid to keep me reading way longer than I'd intended, and satisfying twists.

The setting was atmospheric and contributed fittingly to the events of the novel taking place in the sticky heat of South Carolina and Georgia. The pacing was on point, never lagging or feeling rushed. The tension and suspense were gripping in all the best ways. My only hang up is that the ending has some elements that are a tad bit unbelievable, but overall this doesn't take away from the thrilling reading experience.

I am grateful to Minotaur Books for graciously gifting me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this book for fans of mystery/thriller/suspense. Look for it from your favorite bookseller on January 10, 2023.

I loved A Flicker in the Dark and hoped this would live up to that. I feel it exceeded it.

Isabelle Drake is living through a parent's worst nightmare. Her eighteen month old son, Mason, was kidnapped from his crib overnight. There was no sign of forced entry and virtually no clues. A window may have been open in the nursery. The video baby monitor batteries were dead and offered nothing. One year later, the police still have not found the kidnapper or mason.

Isabelle's husband, Ben, dealt withis grief differently than she did. He moved out six months ago and now has a new girlfriend. He tells Isabelle she needs to move on with her life. But she can't.

Isabelle has always had sleep issues. As a child, she was a sleepwalker. She hasn't had a full night sleep in a year. She gets by on coffee and catnaps.

Isabelle speaks at True Crime Cons and the like hoping somone may have a clue as to where Mason could be. She meets a true crime podcaster, Waylon, and he convinces her to share her story with him. Waylon digs deep and discovers something in Isabelle's past that she would prefer stay in the past.

It reaches the point where everyone - from her husband to the police detective to the folks on the internet - have Isabelle doubting herself and thinking she may be responsible.

Just when I would think I had things figured out, plot twist! This one kept me on my toes right until the end. An amazing psychological thriller!

I can't wait to see what's next from this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for both an ARC and ALC of this gem. I flew through this one so quickly!

Isabelle’s son Mason goes missing from his bedroom in the middle of the night. A year later, there are still no leads on the case. A podcast host reaches out to Isabelle about interviewing her for an episode. Isabelle isn’t sure if she can trust him or not.

There wasn’t a single thing that I disliked about this book. It was BRILLIANT. A large chunk of the story was written in past tense from Isabelle’s childhood when a traumatic event happened that she has trouble recalling. Then the present tense storyline also refers to the past (more recent than her childhood). It was easy to follow and every section added depth to the overall story.

I was tied to my kindle while reading this. I wanted to binge the whole thing.

There were a couple of great twists that I didn’t at all anticipate. That being said, the writing was so fantastic that even if the twists hadn’t have been in there, I still would have thought the story was incredible!

I definitely recommend giving this one a read. It’s one of my favourites of the year!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 perfect ending stars

Many people know Isabelle Drake’s name – she has also tried to keep her missing child’s case active by speaking at true crime conventions. Mason was just starting to talk when he disappeared from his crib one night a year ago and the police have zero leads or clues.

This has completely wrecked Isabelle’s sleep, she just gets little catnaps, so her perception of the world is skewed because of sleep deprivation. The police don’t seem to believe her or want her help (interference?) with the case, but she can’t stop pursuing her own clues. Her husband has left her and now she is remembering difficult things from her past. Is she sleepwalking again?

A podcaster has reached out and Isabelle decides that maybe a different tactic will help her find the truth and Mason. I connected with Isabelle and wanted to find a happy resolution for her.

I really liked this author’s first book and this one is even better. Excellent pacing, a plausible perfect ending, and an engaging writing style made me want to keep reading well past my bedtime.

If you enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark earlier this year, you will LOVE this upcoming release from the same author. I whipped through the audiobook in 2 days.

All the Dangerous Things is an artfully written suspense novel. I couldn't stop reading as all of the pieces of the story fell into place.

It's a great pick for fans of psychological thrillers and domestic suspense.

This was an interesting story about an infant that was taken from his crib without a trace in the middle of the night. His mother spoke at True-Crime conventions and was in almost constant contact with the police. As an insomniac with a troubled past, Isabelle can not be certain that she was not involved in her son’s disappearance.

I felt that the pacing of the story was a bit slow and at times I was bored but I did want to know the outcome so I kept going.

Thank you to Netgalley, St.Martins Press/Minotaur Books, and Stacy Willingham for an advance copy of All the Dangerous Things in exchange for an honest review. WHAT A BOOK! This one captivated me from the first chapter and I couldnt stop thinking about it until I was done with it. A few times that I thought I had figured out certain plot twists, Willingham shocked me by twisting me in the opposite direction. I was pleased with how this one turned out and I think every thriller lover needs this one on their bookshelf. You can pick this one up on Jan 10th, 2023!

I am a fan of Stacy Willingham ever since I read A Flicker in the Dark so I was highly anticipating this one!

Isabelle Drake’s son, Mason, was taken from his crib in the middle of the night while Isabelle & her husband Ben were asleep in the room next door to him. Both parents are hit hard with this disappearance but it impacts Izzy hard as she works to solve what happened to Mason and hopefully bring him back home.

𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒟𝒶𝓃ℊℯ𝓇ℴ𝓊𝓈 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓃ℊ𝓈 starts off a bit slow in the beginning and didn’t pick up until about chapter 25ish for me. Once the plot picks up, you can’t put it down and the story gets fast paced— the short chapters also help to run through the rest of the story.

While reading, I found that I honestly couldn’t trust Izzy because she has some things she is working through & just isn’t the best reliable character which I think helps to make the mystery of this story prolong and have your mind reeling. Just like in AFITD, Stacy had me thinking one way only to get to the end & realize I was wrong 😮. All in all, great story & will def keep you building your theory with each chapter. Can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

“You don’t have to pull the trigger to get away with murder-sometimes, all you need to do is load the gun and let it go off on its own.”

Stacy Willingham proves that she is going to continue to be an exceptional author, with her second novel All The Dangerous Things. Her debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark wowed me, and I was ecstatic when I received an ARC of her second novel. Now that I devoured this book in just a few days I am sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for her next physiological thriller to be released. Stacy, please don’t make me wait too long.

Isabelle’s son Mason was taken from his crib while her and her husband, Ben, were sleeping and she can’t go on living until she knows who took him. While this sounds like something you may have read before trust me it isn’t. Stacy Willingham is not an ordinary storyteller and this is not an ordinary story. It will be out January 10, 2023 so make sure to make it one of your first reads of the new year!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.