Thank you to #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing me an advance copy of Stacy Willingham’s sophomore novel, All The Dangerous Things, in exchange for an honest review.

After reviewing and enjoying the author’s debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy of her latest standalone thriller, #AllTheDangerousThings. Despite the initially, worrisome slow-opening, Ms. Willingham knocks it out of the park once again with her sophomore release. The story is told from the perspective of the protagonist, Isabelle Drake, and alternates between the past and present. In some ways, it reminded me of Gillian Flynn’s, #SharpObjects.

Isabelle Drake has barely slept since her son was snatched from his crib one year ago. Desperate to find him after endless searching and no leads from the police, she agrees to be interviewed by a semi-famous, true-crime podcaster. As the host’s questions and advice prompt her to reassess the night her son was taken, she begins to look at the kidnapping from a different angle. The trouble is that her insomnia and past childhood traumas often interfere with her present reality. Soon she no longer knows who not to trust, including herself. I urge readers to slog through the opening chapters because once the mystery starts to unravel there is no putting this book down.

Rating: ★★★.5/5

Going in to this one, I was very excited because I loved A Flicker in the Dark, this author’s debut novel. I was hoping that this book would be just as great, if not better. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

Isabelle Drake, a grieving mother and wife to Ben Drake, has not been able to find peace since her son, Mason, was taken from their home. Despite her insomnia, she works tirelessly to figure out what happened to him. While seeking answers about her past, the truth about Mason’s disappearance slowly gets revealed.

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This was an OK domestic thriller. My issue is that it didn’t grab my attention in the beginning—it was the epitome of a slow start. It didn’t pick up until about 80% percent. Because of that, I didn’t feel connected to the characters or care about the outcome.

If I’m being honest? I am getting bored with the “mom has lost/is looking for her child” trope in thrillers, as well as podcasts being mentioned just because (𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥).

I still think some people may enjoy this one.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars

All The Dangerous Things is everything that A Flicker In The Dark wasn’t. And it’s not a bad thing, but they are different. It’s very slow-paced, character driven in its plot.

Isabelle Drake’s son has gone missing, but the majority of the story is not necessarily about the kidnapping itself, but more about Isabelle and her past. All the things that have led to this moment happening. I did enjoy the story, but I wasn’t shocked or wow’ed. I also didn’t have a lot of affection for Isabelle, which made it hard to connect with her character.

I think it was an entertaining read that I really did enjoy, but I didn’t love it. It wasn’t all that thrilling since I guessed some stuff, but it was twisty. I wish it would have been a little faster paced. Overall I enjoyed and would recommend it to others.

**SPOILER’S INCOMING**
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**Don’t say I didn’t warn you that there’s lots of spoilers past this point….
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I found it hard to have sympathy for her that her husband was having an affair. I mean, she made out with Ben at his dead wife’s memorial that was held at her home and then slept with him immediately - gross. Have some sort of respect for the dead woman if you have none for yourself. I get that he was older and manipulative, but a married man is a married man. Just don’t do it.

Also, she knew that Ben never wanted to be a father. They agreed to no children together. How did she think leaving her son alone with him for days on end so she could work would pan out? Sometimes yes, people do change like she did to want children after is happens. But she made it clear that even after her son was born Ben had little interest. As a mom I know just how much we sacrifice of ourselves when we have children. I can’t imagine what it’s like to then have a partner who doesn’t want that child.

I figured out who Waylon was about 50ish percent into the story, so that came as no surprise when it was discovered.

I was relieved to know that Mason was found safe and well. Screw Valerie for being a horrible woman who would do something like that to another woman. Forget Ben and his “manipulation” tactics. But to take matters into your own hands just so you can have a man? Girl… There’s plenty of men out there who are available without stealing someone’s baby. Not only did Valerie hurt Isabelle, but that poor woman who couldn’t have children that she gave Mason to that had to turn around and give him back! And yeah, she never should have taken Mason, either. But if Valerie wouldn’t have offered a baby up on a silver platter I don’t think this woman would have gone out looking to steal a baby on her own. For goodness sake she was seeking grief counseling and her own counselor took advantage of her state for her own benefit.

A man is not worth that kind of trouble, ladies!!

📖 All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thriller • Atmospheric • Gripping

“It scares me when you do that…” 😱

If you loved Willingham’s Flicker in the Dark, you won’t want to miss All the Dangerous Things when it releases in January 2023.

When Isabelle’s son goes missing, she puts all her effort into finding out what happened. And when you are desperate for answers, everything and everyone is suspicious. That, IMO, makes for a good suspense novel. Combine that with the atmospheric descriptions of the future and the past, and Willingham hit on a combo for a gripping mystery novel.

Side note: If you are an avid crime podcast listener, you will enjoy the winks at that community and I certainly had a very specific person in mind for the fictional podcaster of Waylon.

Many thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

#allthedangerousthings #stacywillingham #stmartinspress #minotaurbooks #netgalley #arc #arcreview #book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #read #readersofinstagram #reading #mystery #mysterybooks #crimebooks #suspense #suspensebooks #thriller #thrillernovels

A story terrifying as a mother to read. A huge fear.
BUT Stacy did amazing in her research, plot development, and character development. I thought I knew the truth several times and boy was I far from it. The perfect kind of psychological thriller where it all could 100% be a true story. Where it makes you think about the actions of others in a light you might not typically put that individual under. I couldn’t put the book down.

The epilogue is a must read as well.

So many good twist and turns! This book was amazing! Another good book from this author . Can’t wait to read more!

4.5 stars for Willingham’s second book!!
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After loving A Flicker in the Dark, I knew I wanted to read this book asap and it didn’t NOT disappoint 😍

There were MANY twists in this thriller that I didn’t see coming. The overall premise reminded me of one of my FAV thrillers ever, but this story still brought unique elements (the topics surrounding motherhood were SO good)! Can’t wait for more friends to read this one!!

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for my gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Isabelle Drake's son Mason disappears from his crib one night. One year later, the investigation has grown cold. and Isabelle isn't sleeping. She only takes catnaps and also finds herself zoning out and not remembering how long she's been out of it. She meets a podcaster who wants to interview her to help with the case. She agrees, but his prodding questions make her question her memories from that night and memories from her childhood.

This book was so good! I love reading the words the author uses to describe situations and feelings. Her words are mesmerizing. The plot of this story was so real. Being a mother is hard. You can really feel Isabelle's confusion and uncertainty. I can happily say, there are no plot holes in this novel. Everything is ironed out for you in the end. I was shocked to find out what actually happened. It wasn't even on my radar. 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Isabelle hasn’t slept in 364 days — just catnaps, dozing off for minutes, nodding off in an intense micro sleep, but never a sound long sleep. And once Isabelle was such a deep sleeper that she couldn’t be roused from sleepwalking and even slept through a fire alarm and sirens. What happened? Her toddler son, Mason, was taken from his crib in the middle of the night and she’s now always on high alert, no matter how detrimental it is to her health and relationships. Mason’s disappearance has become old news, a cold case, and even Mason’s dad Ben has moved on and away from his obsessive wife.

Trying to keep the case alive, Isabelle speaks at true crime conventions, panels, and conferences. Her fee? The list of attendees that she later cross-references on Facebook, looks them up on the sex offender registry, analyzes their internet comments and requests their IP addresses from police, and googles and googles — hoping that the person who took Mason will be there in the audience like the criminal returning to the scene of the crime. A convention attendee, podcaster Waylon Spencer, a person with an unsolved family murder of his own, approaches her to be a guest on his show — a different tactic from what she tried before — and she eventually agrees.

Stacy Willingham is a master at creating an overwhelming sense of dread as the novel proceeds. There are two timelines: now, as Isabelle is interviewed by Waylon; and then, back in 1999, when Izzy lived with her sister Margaret and her mother and, apparently, something happened. And whatever that was bears some relationship to Mason’s disappearance. I wanted to know what it was and I also feared finding out what it was — which propelled me to the amazing ending, with twists I did not see coming. When I thought I had something figured out, it turned out differently. But I wasn’t able to relax because another dreadful possibility arose. This thriller is THAT good — wrenching, satisfying, then surprising and horrifying again. Anexcellent sophomore novel for Ms. Willingham— and a terrific follow up to “A Flicker in the Dark.” 5 stars! Don’t miss this one!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES The missing Mason has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But there are two different marshes (with “pluff” mud) that play an important part of the plot.

First off, a BIG thank you to netgalley and St Martins Press for this ARC! This was one of my most anticipated releases for next year and I’m very happy I got to read it early in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, but not as much as A Flicker In The Dark. However, I feel these two were on different ends of the thriller spectrum, but I didn’t let that discourage me.

This book had a very interesting plot that I was drawn into right away, so much so that I didn’t want to put it down. Stacy is great at writing cliffhangers at every chapter and short chapters that pack a punch! I definitely didn’t see the ending coming at all. This book also has dual timelines that were done seamlessly! Sometimes I find those hard to follow, but this one was perfect for connecting the dots throughout.

All and all, this is a solid domestic thriller that I would recommend. Stacy Willingham is definitely an auto-buy author for me.

Wow! All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham gets all the stars from me! I loved this book. It was fast paced, suspenseful, and a page turner! There were a bunch of twists and turns that I did not see coming. The plot and the characters were extremely well developed. I also liked the note from the author at the end. My only complaint is that I allowed this book to sit on my NetGalley shelf longer than I should have, which was my own fault:)

I highly recommend this book to other readers. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley!
Isabelle's son disappeared one year ago and there have been no leads. To stir up some interest in the case, she interviews with a podcaster and is more determined than ever to find out what happened.

I liked this book especially the beginning. The ending was a little too easy and convenient. I finished it and wished I knew more about Isabelle other than that her son went missing.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it had some great twists. It centers on Isabelle, whose son was kidnapped while she and her husband were sleeping; she'll stop at nothing to figure out what happened and bring him home. Isabelle has stopped sleeping since the disappearance and also has some things from her childhood that make her wonder what the police really think is happening. She befriends a podcaster to try to get her story heard by more people, but he has secrets of his own.

I thought Isabelle was a believable character and I admired her perseverance in figuring out what happened to her son. I feel like I would have driven the police crazy with all my ideas if I was in the same position. The book does a great job of giving you bits and pieces of information related to Isabelle's relationships with other characters, then tying it all together in a way that is surprising but makes total sense. I love when this happens, versus being completely shocked when a twist comes out of left field. The ending of the book was satisfying to me and I thought all the loose ends were resolved.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book (as well as Willingham's previous book) and I would recommend it to those who like mysteries and psychological thrillers. I am looking forward to what she comes up with next! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After Stacy Willingham's debut book, "A Flicker in the Dark", I was very excited to get my hands on her newest book, "All the Dangerous Things". Isabelle, our main character, has been struggling with severe insomnia after her young son has been missing for exactly a year. The premise was interesting to me, an unreliable narrator and a mystery to be solved. I found myself half way through the book and still not fully into the story. I felt like something was missing, and there was no good hook that really kept the reader wanting more. The switching of timelines between each chapter was little confusing at times and made my wonder why her childhood was being brought into it. I found a few of the twists to be predictable, and overall the story wrapped up a little too quickly and conveniently for my liking. Overall, this wasn't the book for me. I think readers who enjoy an unreliable narrator may enjoy giving this book a try.

I started All the Dangerous Things last week and found that I could not put it down! A Flicker in the Dark totally sold me on author Stacy Willingham's writing style but I found this book even more engaging! The plot line totally sucked me in and the nuanced and multifaceted characters kept me guessing until the very end!

A sleep deprived mother who's son goes missing and her quest to find the truth, a true crime podcaster who is here to help (or are they?!) and so many questions left unanswered. The twists were perfect, the writing was well developed and I just can't stop thinking about it, which is a sign of a five star read for me.

I look forward to sharing more about this title when we get a bit closer to it's January 2023 pub date.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller about a Mother who woke up one morning to find her son, Mason, missing. There’s no sign of forced entry, no muddy footprints on the carpet, no foreign fingerprints but the window next to his crib is wide open.

It’s been one whole year since Isabella Drake has slept, one year since her son went was taken from his crib. Mason’s case has gone cold but Isabella is still looking, still has hope that he’s alive. Her husband, Ben, has moved on and left her six months after his disappearance.

With the lack of sleep, she’s barely coping between reality and hallucinations. She’s suffered from sleep walking ever since she was young and wonders if she had done something to her son while she was sleeping. It hasn’t been the first time something tragic has happened while she was asleep.

The book is narrated by Isabelle from the present then flashes back to 1999 when her sister, Margaret, had a tragic “accident” when Isabelle was asleep.

To bring awareness to her son’s case, she starts speaking at different conventions in hopes of finding answers. She finds secrets more than answers, and through her exhaustion, she soon find out that those that she loved most have been spreading rumors about her sanity.

When she teams up with a mysterious man with a Podcast, she’s relieved to find someone she can trust but can she truly trust anyone?

This book was slow going in the beginning but it was just filling our minds with all the misfortune that Isabelle experienced as a young child and how she feared that her past had something to do with her missing son. Once it started picking up, I couldn’t stop reading and the biggest twist was astronomically mind blowing!

No sophomore slump here. Another masterfully crafted thriller.

Stacy Willingham is now an auto buy author for yours truly.

All the Dangerous Things is a heart wrenching yet suspenseful narrative you won't want to put down.

Willingham weaves a story of a mother desperately searching for her son who mysteriously disappeared from his crib one year ago. This is not Isabella's first brush with tragedy and the novel flows between the present day and her chilling childhood memories.

Willingham's use of an unreliable narrator makes for a few twists and turns and although they can be predicted, there is still enough suspense to keep the reader wanting more.

If you enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark, you will enjoy All the Dangerous Things even more. I definitely saw growth in her writing. A five star read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for a free digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I could not put this one down! After reading A Flicker in the Dark, I knew I wanted to get my hands on Stacy's newest book ASAP. It reminded me of a couple thrillers I've read before (but in a good way!) and was totally surprising to me.

This is a dark, emotional story that will surely captivate readers.

The pacing was a bit slow in the first twenty percent or so, with a lot of introspection and rehashing of emotions, while not a whole lot is actually happening. However, once things started to pick up they really took off. There is a creeping tension that continuously builds throughout this story, giving a feeling of dread, like the sense that something is lurking in the shadows of your peripheral vision just waiting to pounce.

I really liked the flashbacks to the protagonist's childhood. I found getting a glimpse into her past to be the most engaging sections of the book. The macabre history of the house she grew up in adds an extra layer to the eerie nature of the story. Savannah was such a fun setting for this book. As someone who is Georgia born and raised I am super familiar with the area. It has a unique history with many hot spots of supernatural activity for those who believe, which worked perfectly as part of the backdrop for this story.

The author drops us a trail of crumbs to follow as the moments of sinister events keep multiplying. There are so many suspicions being thrown around and so many characters that play a crucial role in the plot; it always keeps you guessing.

I liked the sleepwalking aspect of the story, it was something unique and really worked as a plot device. I love the sense of unreliable narrator that happened as a result, where Isabelle is constantly questioning her own memories and mentality. Although I’m not a huge fan of the missing child trope (it’s just so common in this genre), I do understand that this can be an effective way for many readers to connect with the characters on a deeper level. I am not a mom myself so I can only imagine the trauma from losing a child in any capacity. And I really actually felt the grief melting off the pages.

I think fans of domestic thrillers are going to love this one!