3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ thanks to the second half

Isabelle’s life changed forever the night her son, Mason, was taken out of his crib. Now a year later, the case is still unsolved—and Isabelle cannot rest until it is. Literally. Aside from the occasional catnap or blackout, she hasn’t slept since her son went missing. In hopes of finding new leads, Isabelle agrees to speak with Waylon, a true-crime podcaster, but his interest in her past makes her nervous. Paired with Isabelle’s insomnia, Waylon’s questions fuel her paranoia, making her doubt her own memories.

I really enjoyed the author’s debut, A Flicker in the Dark, so I was excited to read this one. It took me a while to get into the book– I actually thought I might just stop reading it– but it became more interesting around the halfway mark. Overall I didn’t think the alternating timelines worked with this one, it dragged in the beginning, and I enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Out January 10, 2023 [Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 5/5 stars

Isabelle Drake hasn’t slept in a year—since the day her eighteen-month-old son Mason disappeared from his crib in the middle of the night. When a true crime podcaster approaches Isabelle, she may finally have a way to move the investigation down a new path…but that path may just lead to a dark past better left forgotten.

Stacy Willingham’s debut, A FLICKER IN THE DARK, was one of my favorite thrillers of 2021 (I read it in December before it released in January 2022) and ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS just became one of my favorite thrillers of 2022. From start to finish, this book is smart, sharp, engaging, and insightful. It’s also packed full of twists and reveals (and I only figured out one of them ahead of time!), and the southern city setting and childhood flashbacks add a fun Gothic layer that really pulled me in.

As a single POV book told mostly in a single primary timeline (with flashbacks), ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS is also a character study examining the mind of a compelling, sometimes infuriating, but always fascinating main character. Through this lens, the book challenges us with questions and commentary about motherhood and womanhood that complement and add to the overall plot and make the novel all the more gripping. I love a book that can be equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking, and this one is the ideal “smart thriller.” I’m so excited for everyone to get to experience it!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: first person single POV; reflections on motherhood; southern neo-Gothic vibes.

CW: Kidnapping; child death; miscarriage; loss of loved one; grief; infidelity; suicide.

All the Dangerous Things centers around the narrator, Isabelle Drake, as she continues to investigate the disappearance of her toddler, Mason, who was taken from his nursery in the middle of the night and never found. It's been a year and the case has gone cold, but she refuses to give up and unfortunately hasn't had a full night sleep because of it. The story alternates between present day and Isabelle's childhood memories.

It took a little for me to get into this book as I generally dislike the "unreliable narrator" trope. The mystery had me so stumped and I tried to make a suspect out of absolutely everyone. The ending completely caught me by surprise. So many times, I was so sure I cracked the mystery only to be wrong.

I love when a books "aha! moment" doesn't come at the very end of the novel and we get a good amount of story to follow when the twist is finally revealed. I thought the story had excellent character development.

My only gripe is that the story was so heavily focused on Isabelle's sleeping issues that I was REALLY hoping the last page gave mention to her FINALLY getting a peaceful sleep.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story, and I am excited to go back and read Stacy Willingham's debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark. I would recommend this book to all lovers of mystery thrillers.

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Stacy Willingham for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One year ago, Isabella Drake’s infant son is kidnapped from their home as Isabella and her husband are sleeping. Present day, Isabella agrees to be interviewed for a true crime podcast in the hopes of generating new leads in the unsolved kidnapping. The interview causes a severely sleep deprived Isabella to question her memories of that evening, and old secrets resurface, adding to Isabella’s inner turmoil. All The Dangerous Things is a completely captivating page-turner, with plenty of “WAIT, WHAT?” moments for the reader as the story unfolds and Isabella grapples with her demons. Crisply written, this is a topsy-turvy thriller that you’ll stay up late to finish! Loved it! I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Officially proclaiming Stacy Willingham the queen of plot twists. Boy oh boy did I not see ANY of that coming.

This book follows Isabelle, a sleep deprived mother who is trying to figure out what happened to her son who disappeared one year ago. The story bounces between the past, where we see glimpses of Isabelle's childhood and her struggles with a sleep disorder, and the present, where she teams up with a true crime podcaster to get answers about her son's disappearance.

There was not a single second spent reading this book where I knew where the story was going. My one qualm is that the beginning of the book was very slow and hard to get into because it was so hard to see the point of it all. BUT once I hit around the 50% mark I was absolutely hooked.

I finally felt like I figured everything out around 75% in, yet finished the book with my jaw on the floor because I simply had no clue. I love the way this author writes her twists and neatly ties up all the loose ends. Even a very minor plot point (which I honestly forgot about) was nicely wrapped up in a few sentences near the end.

If you're looking for a wild and twisty triller, look no further than this book.

2.5⭐️ rounded up to 3!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Stacey Willingham for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

So I really wanted to love this book, but it honestly just wasn’t for me. I have come to the conclusion that I am fairly picky about my thriller/suspense reads. I thought the premise behind this story was super unique and I couldn’t wait to dive in; however, I couldn’t get into the story once I started reading. It was really slow and the pacing just felt drawn out to me. I am also usually a fan of stories with back and forth timelines, but for some reason I just didn’t feel like it worked for me in this story and I found it more difficult to follow the story and timeline of events with all the differing timelines going on. It almost felt like too many stories were trying to be told within the larger story to me. The last 30% of the book was SO GOOD, and I really enjoyed it. The problem is, I was co confused and bored by the time I got there that I really didn’t care and I was ready to be done with the book. This really also is probably a personal preference thing, because I have read a ton of reviews saying how people love the book, so for lovers of thrillers and Stacey Willingham I would still give the book a try!

Fast becoming a fan of this author! Another engaging and beautifully written book!

"All the Dangerous Things" is told from the perspective of Isabelle and alternates between the past and present. I really enjoyed the flashbacks to 1999 during Isabelle’s childhood. The southern setting, the old mansion she lived in, the marsh, sleepwalking episodes and the tragic death of her sister all made for compelling reading. Her son was taken from his room one night and she is still trying to find answers one year later.

This was a great book that kept me guessing. I cannot wait to see what Stacy Willingham comes up with next! I love her writing style, she has a beautiful way with words! Highly recommend! 5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

Willingham definitely has a way with words and I get sucked into the story she tells and her descriptive writing style. This is a very slow-burn novel, but I found myself invested in the story despite that. It’s a one-sided POV, but goes back and forth between present and past timelines.. which added an eerie feel.

It was hard to connect with the characters, but that didn’t deter me from enjoying this one. There’s a lot to unravel.. some things I figured out and some things I did not. The ending was a little too quickly wrapped up for my liking.. some of the ending I questioned, but still a very enjoyable and gripping read for me.

Beautifully written, this is a stimulating thriller which takes place in the southern town of Savannah where the main character, Isabelle, lives. The description sets the stage with its giant oak trees, the mysterious marsh with minnows at her feet and the smell of Pluff mud, a "familiar stench of something rotten.” At night she sees all kinds of critters including raccoons searching for food in someone's trash.

The story is narrated by Isabelle from 1999 when she was growing up in a very old mansion in Beaufort to the present day. She tries to make sense of what happened in her life when her sister at age six died from an accident in the middle of the night. She was eight years old and her father, Congressman Henry Rhett, told her to say as little as possible to the detective while her mother kept quiet. In their house, they talked about politics and religion. Yet, emotions and feelings were set aside.

Now Isabelle is feeling a great amount of distress. Her son, Mason, went missing at 18 months while sleeping in the middle of the night and nobody could tell her what happened. Her husband, Ben, was no help to her. After a short time afterwards, he told her she needed to move on and then he left her. She hasn’t been able to sleep since and the detective isn’t much help. With a history of sleepwalking as a child, she has been getting help from a therapist. She needs to know: who did this? Her worst fear is: if she did it or, did a neighbor?

I am usually pretty good about predicting the endings with hints along the way but this story sneaked up on me. The most interesting part for me was reading the “Author’s Note.” She makes it clear not to read this until the end of the story. When I did, it was like: wow; a revelation about women in general made sense. Our next book club will be reviewing her last publication, “A Flicker In The Dark.” And since we all live in the Charleston area, this book with a release date of January 10, 2023 will make us feel right at home.

My thanks to Stacy Willingham, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS follows Isabelle Drake, whose toddler son Mason went missing from his bedroom in the middle of the night. Almost one year later, the police have no solid suspects, but Isabelle is determined to find Mason by any means necessary. She teams up with a podcaster with an ulterior motive to uncover the truth about what happened to Mason, and many secrets are uncovered along the way. ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS is mostly told in the present day but some of Isabelle’s backstory is told through flashbacks to the summer of 1999 where we learn about her history with sleepwalking.

The beginning of this book was just so-so for me, and I wasn’t sure what to think about some of the plot points near the end, but I will say that the author’s note at the end of the novel blew me away and changed a lot of my thinking about the story; it turned what might have been a 3-star read into a 4-star read for me. While I am not a mother, as a woman this book was hard to read at times because it highlights the fact that society continuously blames the mother for everything that happens to our children and forces us to live with guilt no matter what we choose to do with our lives. Even though Isabelle is a flawed character, she is a strong and determined mom who refused to give up; bravo to Willingham for writing what I think is an honest and real woman. This was an unsuspectingly thought-provoking read and I really enjoyed it!

This was an unsuspectingly thought-provoking read and I really enjoyed it! I would highly recommend it to fans of Willingham's first novel and thriller/domestic suspense readers in general.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ohhhh best thriller of the year!!!! Engrossing, electric writing and a plot that will keep you guessing,

This one starts slow and builds up. The hits start coming around 70% so buckle in and get ready to have your mind start to slowly piece it together with Isabelle. I loved how the pieces eventually came together. I loved how several storylines seemed separate at first, but eventually weaved together. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

OMG. Wow. Wow. Wow. All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham is a brilliant, deep, and dark psychological thriller readers will remember long after the story has ended. As a mother, I believe I understand the nuances and undercurrents of this troubling, but perfectly paced, plotted, and expertly written tale. Willingham pulled me in a little at a time and offered glimmers of hope that if I kept reading, all would come together as it should in the end. As I continued turning the pages, I trusted her. The protagonist, Isabelle Drake, is a tragic figure who seems worthy of our empathy and compassion, despite the circumstantial evidence presented, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the book, even when I questioned the worthiness of that support.

All The Dangerous Things is my first book by Stacy Willingham, but her future books are on my reviewer radar. I'm officially a fan. Don't miss this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing an ARC to read and review. This review will appear on Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

I received a free copy of, All the Dangerous Things, by Stacy Willingham, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Isabelle's son Mason is missing, she has not slept in over a year. Wow this book is a thriller, it kept me guessing til the end. We never really know people, like we think we do.

Ok I will admit I was a little leery reading this one because A Flicker in the Dark kinda fell flat for me. But I’ve been hearing such amazing things about this one, and I believe in second chances - and oh boy am I glad I did!

Isabelle Drake had her son go missing from his nursery a year ago, and she hasn’t slept since. She has parted with her husband over the stress of the loss of her son, and she holds herself together trying to solve who took him. She does this by talking at true crime events, in return for talking she gets payment in the form of the name of all attendees. Just in case anyone is trying to cover their tracks and keep tabs on her. On the way home from one event she meets a podcast producer. Ultimately Isabelle elects to tell him her story, but finds he’s keeping secrets. As things fall into place around her, Isabelle has many revelations and second guesses everything she thought true. Will she be able to find her son alive, or is the mostly case, he’s gone covered be true.

This one was a well done atmospheric suspense novel. I think the thriller element of this story was fairly subdued and it was more a suspense / mystery. I think all three of these genres overlap in many ways and are open to interpretation. I really enjoyed the authors note at the end and agree she did an amazing job covering some delicate topics. I gave this one a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you thank you to @netgalley and the publisher, St Martins Press, @stmartinspress, for an advanced e copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Check this one out Jan 10, 2023 and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Oh my gosh, I had such high expectations for this one, and I was not disappointed! It had me hooked from page one!

I haven't read the authors other work but this was a good domestic thriller.

Lots of elements at play here, with information being given out bit by bit and you know from the get go you're sort of dealing with an unreliable narrator (it's actually a character trait). There are some moments I wish we got to spend more time with (like Waylon and the husband) to flesh out their pieces more but with the alternate timelines there prob wasnt enough time for that plus a succinct story.

I want to thank NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Wow this book! Isabelle Drake is living a nightmare. She wakes up one morning to find her son
Mason has been taken. There is no evidence and no leads on the kidnapping... so the case goes cold. Almost a year later, with virtually no sleep and no new leads, she presses on…determined to find her son. Her husband has
left her, and the detective on the case seems to still suspect her.. she meets a man who may or may not be wanting to help her in her search...Isabelle isn't sure if her memory is correct or she is imagining things… This was a great novel that kept me guessing to the very end.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5003562440

*Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/ Minotaur books, Stacy Willingham, and netgalley for my gifted eARC for an honest review. Publication date 1/10/23*

EVERY MOTHER'S WORST NIGHTMARE!
Isabelle Drake wakes up one morning to find her son Mason missing from his crib. No suspects, no leads, and practically no clues at all. As the 1 year anniversary date is about to come up Isabelle meets Waylon, who has a true crime podcast and wants to help Isabelle tell her story to the world. Isabelle will stop at nothing to find her child even if it makes herself look crazy!

Although I liked A Flicker in the Dark better this was still a good read. When I thought I had it figured out it went in a whole different direction that I was not expecting. I do feel like the latest trends in physiological thrillers is insomnia and I feel like it is getting overused lately, but I thought Stacey did a good job with this one.

Trigger warnings: Suicide

My first novel by this incredible writer and it immediately goes into the top five for the year. A thriller about a missing child is indeed thrilling, with a possibly flawed mother driven to find him, while some fingers are pointed to her,. It’s always the mother, right? Written with a feminist sensibility we see how the pressure to be a perfect mother is on all of us. This is a brilliant literary thriller with an unforgettable mother who will stay with you long after the book is finished. Can’t wait to read Stacy Willingham’s previous book.