I loved A Flicker in the Dark, and I was very excited when I learned about her new book. Everything I loved about her first book was here. I love how twisty this book is. And how Willingham can make everything seem so obvious but then flip it on its head. This was very well done.

This book has a lot of triggers, especially for me as a mother, but I feel like they were handled well. To give away some of these triggers would be a spoiler, so please use discretion. I really appreciated her thoughts in the author's note at the end.

Read this if you like unreliable narrators, dual timelines, and psychological thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS
BY: STACY WILLINGHAM

"All the Dangerous Things," by a new to me Author, named Stacy Willingham, has written what I would hazard a guess--to be marketed as a psychological thriller. It is a deeply, atmospheric Southern Gothic tale about a mother who is literally hanging on to her sanity by a thread. Sleep deprivation for as long as the main character, named Isabelle is experiencing can do that to you. As this sometimes eerily tale of a mother deeply suffering the disappearance of her toddler Mason. He is her only child whose abduction from his crib is taking a serious toll, on Isabelle his mother, who has not slept for a year. From the morning Isabelle discovers her son is not in his crib, she has reached the one year mark. She hasn't slept for one year, since he had gone mysteriously missing.

Abandoned by her husband Ben, Isabelle travels and talks to live audiences trying to get help from those who attend, in gleaning clues into what happened to Mason. Who could have taken her son during the night and why? As most crime buffs know when a murder or an abduction takes place, unless other evidence points towards a specific suspect, usually the detectives think it is somebody within the family who seems guilty. Both Isabelle and her husband Ben have both been interrogated by the specific detective in charge. They have been brought in to police headquarters and have been questioned separately.

Isabelle has been sleuthing herself by attending these public forums looking for clues or help from the public at large. It is on her flight home after attending one of these talks that she has given, when suddenly the man sitting beside her offers Isabelle his card. At first she balks at the idea and is rude to him.

As I read this mystery I started to ask myself if Isabelle is a reliable narrator? She spends quite a bit of time in this novel in her own head space. After a confrontation with her husband Ben, who urges Isabelle to accept Mason is dead, and to move on with her life. Isabelle cannot believe her ears. Ben after the loss of their only son, has already entered into a new relationship. Isabelle and Ben attend a one year vigil that night to memorialize Mason.

What struck me as the biggest creep factor was how chapters alternated between 1999, and, 2022, with the before chapters being especially chilling. The before chapters have both Isabelle and her little sister, named Margaret living in an old large home with a Marsh behind their home. Isabelle is a sleepwalker. That home was so creepy and, a tragedy strikes.

Stacy Willingham has previously written as her debut called, "A Flicker in the Dark," which was highly acclaimed and what led me to want to read this one. She did in this one pull off writing elegantly a chill factor back story of Isabelle's childhood. Could Isabelle still be sleepwalking in her adult life? Did she harm her son? You will have to read this highly entertaining novel if you are intrigued and are curious about learning what is a big reveal, that I never imagined or could have guessed. This was seemingly a bit longer than most psychological thrillers. I did really like it and would recommend it.

Publication Date: January 10th, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley, Stacy Willingham and St Martin's Press--Minotaur Books for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#AlltheDangerousThings #StacyWillingham #StMartinsPressMinotaurBooks #NetGalley

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from St. Martin's Press and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

What a tantalizing thriller you won't want to put down.

Excellent read. Izzy Drake and her husband wake one morning to find their infant son gone, the nursery window open. A year later, she still hasn’t given up trying to find him, although her husband, who has left her, has. He tries to convince her that their son is dead and that she needs to accept it and move on, like he has.

Memories from Izzy’s childhood keep her off balance and worried that she may have done things that she can’t remember. It’s only after she meets a true crime podcaster that she starts to understand what may have happened.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS is the first book I've read by Stacy Willingham and it won't be my last! I loved this twisty psychological thriller! The book is the epitome of a popcorn thriller - it kept me captivated from the beginning to the end. I loved the short chapters and how they held you in suspense. The book is super atmospheric - Willingham has a way with words when describing the scene or setting. The book includes a podcast element but it did not feel tired. I love the direction Willingham went with it. This is a potential spoiler but there is a mental health element and I'm not the biggest fan when it comes to using mental health as a twist. But when reading the Acknowledgements, I'm glad Willingham did her research.

Thanks so much, NetGalley and Minotaur Books, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you so much to NetGalley + St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

It’s been one year since Isabelle’s son, Mason was taken from his crib in the middle of the night, and the police are no closer to figuring out who took him or where he went - which means Isabelle is no closer to getting a full night’s sleep. Increasingly desperate as the case grows colder and colder, Isabelle agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster. But between the questions about her past and her insomnia, Isabelle soon can’t trust her own memories - or indeed, herself. But she’s desperate for the truth about her son, no matter the cost.

Between this book and A Flicker in the Dark, I think it’s safe to say that Stacy Willingham is officially an auto-buy author for me. This was another slow burn, deeply-unsettling story, this time of a missing child and a desperate mother’s attempt to find out what happened to him. While I’m not always a fan of the unreliable narrator trope, this book approached it exceptionally well and it really added to the overall tension/unease of the story as opposed to distracting from it. Plus, there were so many great characters! Between Isabelle, her estranged husband, the mysterious podcaster, the aloof detective and others, I felt like my head was on a swivel trying to surmise who was trustworthy and who wasn’t. And while the thriller/mystery world is getting a little inundated with the podcast plot device, I’m going to be honest, I still love it! This is the kind of story that the ending will either make or break, and for me, it was a big thumbs up. A really enjoyable thriller all around, I highly recommend!

📖: All The Dangerous Things
✍🏼: Stacy Willingham
🗓: January 10, 2023
💁🏻‍♀️: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️// 5

🤔💭: First off, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books for providing me this eARC and I am voluntarily leaving my review. So after my book club read Stacy’s debut, “A Flicker in the Dark” and loved it, I was super pumped for this one! All I have to say is OMG! I loved this book sooo much! This thriller totally gripped me right from the beginning where a parents worse nightmare comes true as Isabelle’s son Mason is taken from his crib in the middle of the night while her and her husband were sleeping in the next room. The case quickly went cold as there was not much evidence and very little leads, and Isabelle can’t rest until she finds her son. Her life has completely turned upside down this past year and she finally agrees to interview with a true crime podcaster in hopes to uncover some new clues or witnesses, but is nervous on his interest of her past. His questioning is forcing Isabelle to relive troubling memories from her childhood, making her doubt her recollection of the night Mason disappeared. She is starting to second guess who she can even trust, including herself, but she’s determined to uncover the truth no matter the cost. This book shifts from past to present to give us more perspective into this story and it all tied together very nicely. This was a thriller done right and I would definitely recommend checking this book out when it’s released in January! 👌🏼✅

I found her first book to be enjoyable, but a little predictable so I was unsure of what kind of twists this sophomore thriller would bring. It was a little bit of a slow start for me, and the ending felt a bit rushed, but overall the pacing was good and the characters engaging. I love an unreliable narrator and that is what we got here with two different timelines that were done very well. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, even more than her first book. I am giving this 3.75 stars (which rounds up to 4). Definitely recommend it for a quick, thrilling, and enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this thriller! It tells the story of Isabells whose son Mason is taken out of his crib while she is sleeping. I enjoyed how the story went back and forth to trauma in her childhood and how that connected to this tragedy. It had so many twists and turns that surprised me along the way. A great suspense story that left me satisfied as a reader.

The last quarter of this book is tipsy, turvy, twisting, and fun! There are lots of unexpected revelations and red herrings…I did not guess the ending at all. The beginning of the book felt a bit drawn out and repetitive to me. There are lots of little clues along the way, and it does all come together in the end, which I also remember about A Flicker in the Dark. I appreciated the Author’s Note at the end. If you enjoy psych thrillers, check this one out!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great read! So many twists and turns. I could not put this book down! This kept me guessing! Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, boom! Highly recommend!

Isabelle is a grieving mother who has been struggling with insomnia since her toddler son Mason was kidnapped from his crib exactly a year ago. Just like any mother in her situation would do , she tries all possible things to investigate and try to get her son back.

The author is clearly good at her domestic thrillers and manages to pull off really good twists and turns. I did guess one twist pretty early on but the climax twist was something I did not even consider and it seemed like it was right in front all the time but still I ended up missing it. Most of the book kept me guessing if Something was wrong with Isabelle as her life literally falls apart and her past makes her prime suspect.

There is dual timeline explaining how her past shaped her personality and her family dynamics were a bit abnormal. I liked the eerie vibes about her past and the gothic family mansion.

Overall it is a gripping, fast-paced and a riveting thriller!

Isabelle is a grieving mother- her infant son has been missing for a year, with no leads. Isabelle suffers from severe insomnia after previously being a sleepwalker. She worries that she is to blame for Mason’s disappearance- as well as a tragedy in her past. She agrees to work together with a podcast host to try to solve the case.

This book is full of twists and turns. I thought I’d had it figured out one minute, then I’d be proved wrong in the next chapter. It’s the perfect mystery for fans of unreliable narrators, dual timelines, and Shari LaPena’s The Couple Next Door. The author’s writing is excellent and the pacing keeps you wanting to read more all the way up until the shocking ending. I loved the clues hidden throughout- they make so much sense when it all comes together. I’d recommend this for fans of domestic thrillers! There are a few content warnings surrounding child loss, pregnancy, postpartum, etc so be sure to check into it if needed.

Thank you to netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Stacy Willingham for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

At first I thought I knew exactly where this was headed but I certainly didn't. Poor Izzy, distraught after her young son disappears in the middle of the night, her marriage is ruined and so is her sleep. She was a sleepwalker at a young age and after a tragedy she is sure that her life is cursed.

What happened to Mason? Did she do something, like she thinks she did all those years ago? Or is there something else at play?

Some nice twists and turns that kept me guessing. Really enjoyed this one.

I LOVED Flicker In The Dark so I was ecstatic to get my hands on All The Dangerous Things.

This one had big shoes to fill but I am happy to say it delivered. The eerie realistic topics in this one made the shock value of the twists off the charts. 🤯🤯🤯

A missing baby, mental health, insomnia, sleep deprivation all jam packed into one book that will leave your jaw on the floor. 🤯

To be honest, I’m still trying to collect my thoughts after this one. 😵

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You can count on Stacy Willingham to bring her A Game for a domestic thriller!
In All the Dangerous Things we meet Isabelle Drake- a woman whose son was kidnapped from his crib in the middle of the night. This horrible event has changed Isabelle, ended her marriage and colored her daily.
life forever. Although the police have no leads, Isabelle is undeterred, she questions neighbors and has put her self on the professional circuit, speaking at true crime conferences for free.

When she meets an intrepid podcaster, she decides to let down her guard and speak on his show. The problem is, this podcaster seems to know more than what he is telling her. Couple this with her complete lack of real rest and sleep and Isabelle isn't sure who to trust. If you like your thrillers twisty and surprising, peppered with podcast and other contemporary stories, or just want a thriller that will keep you up all night, All the Dangerous Things is for you!
#StMartinsPress #AlltheDangerousThings #StacyWillingham #NetGalley

Isabelle Drake experienced every parent’s nightmare when her toddler son, Mason, was taken from his crib in the middle of the night. Isabelle and her husband were sleeping in the next room when it happened. Isabelle now devoted her life to finding Mason and searches literally day and night. In fact, she has not slept at all since he was taken. Who took Mason!? And why?

WOW! 5 Stars all the way! I so enjoyed this book that I slowed my reading pace because I didn’t want it to end. What a great story, excellent writing, and some very relatable characters. I read a lot of thrillers and this one is standing out from the pack!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the copy of All The Dangerous Things. I was so excited to read this book because I absolutely loved Stacy Willingham’s first book, A Flicker In The Dark. All I can say is WOW this book is another Grand Slam home run. The writing was impeccable, the story was intriguing and well-paced, and the characters were all engaging and realistic. If you’re looking for a book that will draw you in and keep you guessing, read All The Dangerous Things.

A big and bold “WOW!
I loved the author’s debut novel: “A flicker in the dark” but her newest book exceed my whole expectations and I loved this one even more than her first work!

Isabella Drake: a struggling and grieving mother, suffering from insomnia after her son Mason has been kidnapped a year ago! She never gets a good sleep, keeping herself alert to be ready when her son will be back!

She is determined to find him and bring him back home even though she slowly loses the thin line between reality and delusions which force her to take trip down memory lane to face the most tragic event of her childhood. Her son is not the only person she lost!

Her husband Ben already lost his hope and moved on in his life, dating with a new woman who is younger version of Isabella.

And the detective who searches the case of her son act like she is the one who is responsible with her son’s kidnapping.

Isabella keeps joining at TrueCrime conventions as guest speaker to raise awareness and attract attention to the case. Waylon Spencer: a famous podcaster who already solved a cold case about missing child approaches to her: He wants to make interview, teaming up with Isabella to dig out more about Mason’s case!

Isabella rejects his offer at first but as she sees she stuck in her own house, memories about her childhood she’s buried deep, slowly fading away at each day she struggle to sleep a wink, she decides she has nothing more to lose. She even invites Waylon at her house to stay with her to conduct their own investigation!

But as she learns more about case by watching the security videos they recorded before the incident, she realizes there’s something more sinister about her life and only one to find out what happened to her son is Isabella by opening the Pandora’s box and bringing out the secrets she’s buried!

The twists were amazing! I didn’t see them coming! The pacing was impeccable, riveting!
This book is extra smart, engaging, well developed, unputdownable!

I wish I could give more than five stars! I enjoyed it so much! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for sharing this incredible digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

The twists! The turns! Another great novel from Stacy Willingham! This fast-paced thriller was so good that I finished it one sitting. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!