All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham is a psychological thriller about memory and mental health, about questioning your own mind and your own past. Isabella Drake is grieving the loss of her toddler son, Mason. He was kidnapped from his crib when Isabelle and her husband, Ben were sleeping in another room. A year later the missing child’s case has gone cold. But Isabelle has not been able to sleep since then. The story is told in a first person with an unreliable narrator. Isabelle turns to anyone who will listen to her including true crime podcaster, which changes things for her. Isabelle is now forced to look inward, seeking answers to questions she had kept buried inside. Questions from her childhood and the incident that happened when Isabelle lived with her mother, father and sister. That something was covered up and never spoken about. Something that Isabelle knows she was involved in, but can’t place what exactly it was that forces her to face some unknown/forgotten truths. Imagine being in a situation where you do not who you are and what you’re capable of but you have a vague inclination of somethings that have been happening that could’ve been your fault? Yea, that’s not great, right! But, its exactly what Isabelle has to go through on a daily basis especially after the horrible event of losing her child. Now Isabelle even suspects herself wondering it was her fault that Mason is missing!
This book deals with the self-blaming we as parents tend to do, especially due to guilt–both perceived and real! I think that is one of the strongest parts of this book. The twist at the end was jaw dropping and was worth the drag in the middle parts. This was a riveting thriller and I did enjoy it but I loved A Flicker in the Dark more. So, I’m giving it 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

I almost gave up on this book because I thought I knew where it was going and it was the one kind of story that might trigger me. I am so glad I kept on. The narrator was amazing and the MC's quest to find her son, mixed with the trauma of her past was so well done that it kept me guessing the whole way through.

I found this book highly digestible and easy to read. I flew through the audio of this book and overall had a fun time with the story.

I do feel like at times, it was a bit predictable. However, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book as a whole. I found that I went through a range of emotions around our main character and in the end was mostly satisfied with the ending.

I also think the audiobook is very well narrated and would recommend picking it up along side this book!

**Read an ARC from Netgalley Rating : 4 Stars

I don’t know how I feel about this one it was a really well written books but some of the tropes on this one were just not for me. This story follows Isabella months after her son mysteriously disappeared causing her marriage to fall apart. After running into a podcaster she starts looking into other things that may have happened this is when Isabella realizes that she is sleep walking again making her afraid she did something to her son and doesn’t remember. This book was a good domestic thriller if you are a fan of unreliable narrators. Me personally never liked them and feel like that is hindering my enjoyment of this book. That being said the writing is amazing and the twists are great. I really want to pick up more from this author in the future. Idid listen to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator they were easy to understand and entertaining. I would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

In this book, we follow Isabelle, a mother who has had her son taken from her and since that time hasn't been able to sleep. Her insomnia plays a crucial role in the story line, impacting our ability to count her as a reliable narrator. She connects with a true crime podcaster and continues the search for her son, Mason. The deeper she digs, the more information about herself she uncovers.

This book was a decent story, but it wasn't as thrilling of a thriller as I'd like. It is undoubtedly more domestic of a thriller, involving families and children and the secrets that sometimes lurk in family trees. Isabelle isn't exactly likable, but I think it's universal to feel the pain of a mother who is looking for her taken child.

In the end, I'd call this an average read. I enjoyed it, but there wasn't anything that really stuck with me. I enjoyed the narration, and the voice intonation and pitch wasn't too monotone or overly cheesy. I believed the emotion involved in the tension of the story.

This book grabs your attention right off the back. Full of exciting twists and told from a POV that may not be completely reliable, this one kept me interested to the very end. This may be a personal favorite by Stacy Willingham. I was also a big fan of the narration for this one.

Another 5 Star thriller by Willingham!

I typically will not actively choose to read a story about missing/possibly dead children but as I did not read the blurb and chose this book on the tails of my love of another of her books, I dove right in. Which I suppose is my trigger warning for those who have the same triggers as me.

But we join this family as they come up on the year anniversary of their son’s disappearance. Mom has taken to giving talks in hopes of keeping the case alive; she and dad have split as a result of the trauma of losing their son. Enter a podcaster who offers to help, who helped solve a different case recently.

Told from Mom’s perspective, reflecting on her childhood, base fears, and relationship history throughout….will they be able to solve this case?

Great twists and turns to leave you guessing.

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham took me by storm. This is an author to definitely keep on your radar. Her books will keep you reading through the night and on the edge of your seat. This one is full of suspense, emotions and the narration was superb. The narration kept me fully engage and binge listening at record speed.

Many thanks to St Martin Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sharing this digital reviewer copy and listening copy for me in exchange for my honest review. This is the twisty psychological thriller we have all been waiting for. Happy Reading!!

This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and pulled me in. From the characters, the atmosphere, and the twists I was fully engaged from beginning to end. Well done mystery/thriller - it kept me guessing.

This one was so addictive and once I started, I couldn't stop listening. I think this one was even better than her first book. I did not see the twists coming and I was so addicted to the story. There was also more than one twist which I enjoyed. This story also got to me being a new mother and I couldn't imagine going through what the main character is going through and then not even trusting my own mind. I could feel myself relating to the main character. I really loved the story. I definitely recommend this one and can't wait for her next book!

*NetGalley review*

What a puzzle! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one as I tried to figure out what happened to Mason. The "past" chapters were heartbreaking as you could tell how close Isabelle and Margaret were. I truly had no idea where this story was going to end up. If I could critique any of it, it would be that the realization of who did the crime seemed a bit rushed, but still really well written. I was hooked from the beginning and already looking forward to her next book! Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Stacy Willingham for the chance to listen to this one in exchange for an honest review. Well done!

I was very impressed with Stacy Willingham's first book, A Flicker in the Dark. So I was very excited to get my hands on (and my ears in) her new book, All the Dangerous Things. I'm always drawn to books set in the South, being born and raised (and now retired in) that part of the US. And Willingham does a wonderful job of evoking the feel of the region, it always feels authentic. As to the characters and plot - well done, again. She's created an unreliable narrator in Isabelle - who's insomnia since her son's disappearance has mind and body frayed to the breaking point. Again, she's created a story with some twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the end. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I listened to this on audio and as usual, Karissa Vacker's narration is impeccable.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

The story centers around Isabelle Drake. Her 18 month old son Mason was kidnapped one year ago and Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year. With a frustratingly Unreliable narrator this is a Psychological Thriller at its best. Everyone has secrets and everyone is a suspect. Just when you think you know who done it you get more info and have all new set of questions. This one really kept me guessing. Great unexpected twists. Spooky, and chilling and bingable. Multiple timeline but easy to follow. A mystery in the past and another in the present.
Themes motherhood mental health
Isabelle Drake appears to lead a normal life, but behind that facade, she lives with the guilt that she did something really bad as a child.
Isabelle has been giving speeches to packed audiences, pleading with attendees to come forward with any information, no matter how small. From the list of people attending her speeches she tortures herself going through them, seeing if any of them are known criminals, desperately trying to find a link.
Husband Ben is split from her because she wouldn’t let go ..

Her life is consumed by finding her son, Mason. She hasn’t slept; she speaks at public events, telling her story, attempting to find learn who took her child. Her husband, Ben, who has moved out, yet they aren’t divorced, begs her to stop making a spectacle of herself.

I really enjoy this narrator! Her pacing is perfect, she enunciates without it being awkward, her voices are distinctive, and she is able to perfectly convey the necessary tension of the thriller with her voice. I really enjoyed listening to this thriller.

As for the book itself, I found myself picking it back up shortly after putting it down (a great sign) and it kept me guessing. I am a little over the unreliable narrator trope and the true crime podcast element is getting a little old too, but these minor annoyances didn’t hinder my overall enjoyment. An intriguing story with an excellent narrator!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listen. All opinions in this review are my own.

*4 stars* Thank you Netgalley for the audio arc. Stacy Willingham does it again. I really enjoyed the pacing and the plot of this book. Atmosphere was great. I will continue to pick up her books.

Once again, Stacy Willingham as both met and completely exceeded my expectations of a thriller novel. The way the pacing eased us into what we thought was a typical domestic thriller, but quickly took a turn and dove into something much deeper was phenomenal. This is the ideal thriller for anyone who is new to the genre, or seasoned. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and up until the early hours of the morning.

Wow. Let me just start out with wow.

This was only the second book I have read by Stacy Willingham (also it's only the second book she's written or else I would have read more) and she has solidified herself as an autobuy author.

A gripping story of a mother looking for answers to her troubled past and the disappearance of her son. I love a good duel timeline and this does it very well! Adding in the past really helped add to the unreliable nature of the narrator. An unreliable narrator isn't something that is normally my favorite, but I thought it was done exceptionally well here!

10/10 highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a whirlwind. The audiobook for this thriller was fantastic. Much love for this author and her brilliant mind.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

All The Dangerous Things
By Stacy Willingham (@stacyvwillingham)
Release Date: 1/10/2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. It started off exciting right from the beginning! I listened to this on my drive to and from school, and found myself driving around aimlessly so often because I didn’t want to stop listening. But I can’t focus enough to listen anywhere other than in my car. 🙃 I finished this in less than a week of driving (my commute is 15 minutes soooo yeah I drove for no reason a lot). Thank you 2X speed!

A huge thank you to @netgalley @minotaur_books @macmillan.audio and @stacyvwillingham for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Isabelle Drake has been living a nightmare for the last year since her son Mason went missing, a nightmare made all the worse because her ability to sleep went away when her son did too. Isabelle isn’t a stranger to tragedy, or sleeping issues. When she was a young girl Isabelle sleptwalked, sometimes scaring her little sister Margaret, a sister that tragically died. Determined to discover what happened to her son in the hopes that she is still alive, Isabelle gives talks to keep his case out there while conducting her own investigation. While her husband Ben seems to have given up hope, Isabelle does seem to find an ally in Waylon, a true-crime podcaster who seems rather focused on helping her, but to what end?

Willingham uses a duel timeline which I really liked; the action jumps between Isabelle’s present and past, revealing tidbits of information at just the right time to create suspense and suspicion. In some ways it was hard to fully enjoy All the Dangerous Things because I did not really like Isabelle. I didn’t like how her relationship with Ben began, and that, along with some other character traits, may have affected how I felt about the novel overall. I did like Waylon, and wanting to know how things would work out for him is what kept me reading.

The audiobook was okay. The pace was way too slow for my tastes–I sped it up to 1.5 times–so I didn’t feel any anticipation or wonder at the default speed. I also wasn’t a fan of the male voices, but I did appreciate the feelings and emotions that Vacker brought to the characters through her inflections and changes of pace.