I loved this book! The premise sounded really intriguing. I felt the characters were well developed and the story moved along at a good pace. I did not see the ending coming which made the book even more enjoyable. I enjoyed all of the twists and the questions that kept me turning the pages.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put this mystery down. Was very invested in Chloe, and how her past and present currently meet up when she finds out a teenage girl in her Louisiana town has gone missing. I liked how the author put out a lot of suspects, and I really didn't know who the killer was. Definitely a must read in my opinion.

A great debut psychological thriller, I will definitely be picking up her new book as well. A pretty straight forward thriller, the grown up daughter of a convicted serial killer becomes part of a cat and mouse game with a possible copy cat killer….with the focus on the psychological ramifications of growing up knowing who her dad was and how her brother mother and her coped in the aftermath. Now add in a fiancée with secrets of his own, and a reporter determined to bring up the past, and a series of new killings. Nice balance of thriller/suspense and more psychological aspects, plus a cast of slightly unreliable characters mudding the waters make this one a nice twisty race to the finish.
A little bit like if Ruth Ware or Lucy Foley had a book baby with Thomas Harris.

*Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Promo-ed both hardcover and paperback release.

Absolutely amazing. This book is a thriller if I have ever read one. Had me on the edge of my seat and could not stop reading!! I thought I knew who the killer was but I was completely wrong and absolutely loved the ending.

This was one of my favorite read of 2022. I found myself flying through the book and could not put it down. For a debut it was very flushed out and enjoyable.

Need to point out that it's super easy to figure out "the big mystery" right away in this thriller...like, around the 15% mark. So pretty much after that, I was skimming to figure out when the main character was going to figure it out. It's not a bad story at all, just kind of obvious. I can see why it would be hard to get a handle on such things if you're constantly strung out on a Xanax-wine cocktail, though.

Do you ever kick yourself for waiting so long to read a book? That’s how I feel with A Flicker in the Dark! I ordered @stacyvwilliamham second book from BOTM when I realized I hadn’t read her first.

Chloe is only 12 years old when she finds out her father is a serial killer. He preyed on 6 girls not much older than she was. Now she’s a psychologist who is helping other people with their lives. She’s also planning her wedding to Daniel.

It’s the 20th anniversary of that fateful summer and Chloe is having PTSD when another girl goes missing. And then one of her patients is missing as well. Chloe is self medicating with prescriptions she’s writing for other people and then filling for herself. Can Chloe clear her mind and help solve who is responsible?

I LOVED this book! I couldn’t put it down! I found her father’s story fascinating since he was such a good father who had a very dark side. I liked following Chloe who was trying her best to live a normal life. This was a good change to the usual unreliable narrator stories. This was an incredible debut novel and I’m so happy I already have All the Dangerous Things to read!

An expertly crafted debut - this psychological thriller had me toothpicking my eyes open. I stayed up far past my bedtime, as I frantically clicked my kindle to see how the clues came together.

Twenty years ago, Doctor Chloe Davis' father was convicted and pled guilty to the killing of six teenage girls. Now, despite the passage of time, she continues to struggle with the ongoing trauma associated with her father's admission and the dramatic impact it had on her life and those involved. Now, as young girls start to disappear around her, she begins to suspect a copycat killer. Worse, one that may be putting on a show for Doctor Davis and targetting girls in her life.

As a senior slueth, I pegged the correct culprit but I enjoyed the hunt through smalltown Louisianne nonetheles. The sign of a great book, the experience was as good as the plot.

I will most defintiely be adding Willingham to my list of auto-read authors. I've already requested the next book!

A Flicker in the Dark is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out A Flicker in the Dark today.

A very readable and propulsive thriller. I enjoyed the setting of this novel as well as the premise. I found the characters developed and complex. The back story aspect was very interesting and the twists were not preposterous. I look forward to read whatever is next for Stacy Willingham.

I really enjoyed this story. It was a great compulsive read. I thought I kind of knee where it was going and then took me by surprise. I look forward to reading more from Stacy Willingham.




Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

I thought A FLICKER IN THE DARK was a great debut by Stacy Willingham! The book was atmospheric, twisty and had me guessing till the end. Loved the dual timelines and how chilling and haunting the book was. Williamham does a fabulous job describing a setting or scene. I actually read this after I read her new book, All the Dangerous Things, and really enjoyed it as well!

Thank you, NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Stacy Willingham for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Favorite Quotes:

By the end of the summer, six girls had disappeared. One day they were there, and the next—gone. Vanished without a trace… Their goneness was impossible to ignore; it was an evil that had settled over the sky the way an impending storm can make your bones throb.

She was quiet, reserved, pale and rail thin, with hair the color of a fiery sunset, something of a walking matchstick.

His voice was deep, stern but somehow sweet at the same time, probably from the unmistakable Southern drawl that made every word sound thick and slow like dripping molasses.

A steady sheet of rain erupts outside and the house is filled with the sound of millions of fingers tapping on the roof, eager to get in.


My Review:


This was an intense and brilliantly nuanced tale with an exceptionally evocative style and held a well-crafted and distinctive aura of tautness from the first word to the last period. I fell right into the character’s troubled gray matter and itched, sweat, and hyperventilated right along with her. My cuticles are a ragged mess!

The writing style was lyrical, emotive, and vividly detailed to taunt the senses. The storylines were fiendishly paced and kept me on edge and guessing. The little pea in my brain was shuddering. I was wrecked, then hopeful, then wrecked yet again while spinning and discarding numerous theories only to come back around to them again while working my way through this intricate web.

Everything about this book was extraordinary and I was flabbergasted to note it was the author’s debut. Stacy Willingham's word voodoo is strong! She is a phenom, definitely one to watch, and is now residing at the top of my favorites list.

Review published on Goodreads, 21 July 2022:

This book has gotten so much buzz that I expected it to knock my socks off. Did it? Not exactly, but I definitely enjoyed the read. The plot is compelling, even though the story starts off kind of slowly. Once it gets going, though, it's tense and riveting. While I saw the Big Reveal coming pretty much from the beginning of the story, there were a couple story surprises I did not expect. As far as characters go, Chloe is sympathetic and likable enough that I cared what was happening to her, even if she's not overly memorable or unique. The other story people are interesting, but I wouldn't call any of them super likable. Willingham's prose is confident. Her writing pulled me in and kept me rooted in the story.

Overall, then, I enjoyed A FLICKER IN THE DARK. I will look for more from Willingham.

This book blew me away! I had no idea it was the author’s debut story. I thought I had some of it figured out and then nope, where did that come from? I can’t wait for more by this author!

This books had one of those most interesting premises I have heard in a thriller in a while. With a cast of unreliable characters, this had me guessing throughout. Unfortunately I did figure out the twist before it happened, but the author executed it beautifully. Well written and entertaining throughout.

Whoa! This is so impressive, spine tingling and deliciously twisty and intelligent! Let’s make some noise and clap till our hands hurt: we have a brilliant author at smart psychological thriller town : welcome dear Stacy Willingham!

Ooh time goes by and if i don't write the review right away...sigh. I'm trying to be better. The best i can do right now is give a star count...

This was pretty good. Chloe did get on my nerves s bit at times and the ending was kinda predictable but the book flowed well and quickly.

Overall, I loved A Flicker in the Dark. A psychological thriller with so many great elements of suspense. I chose to do the audiobook and loved the narration as well.

It surprises me that this is a debut! Willingham is a great writer and I was suspicious of pretty much everything. The author definitely takes you in multiple directions—what is a clue and what isn’t? It felt like a more fresh spin on the unreliable narrator. which is usually so overdone, but I found it contributed to the mystery perfectly.

Can’t wait for her next book!

Thank you to @minotaurbooks and #netgalley for my advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.