When Chloe Davis was six years old her world was turned upside down when six girls went missing in her small Louisiana town and shortly after, her father was arrested, branded a serial killer and sent to prison for the remainder of his life leaving Chloe, her mother and brother Cooper to cope with the aftermath. Years later, Chloe is now a psychologist at a private practice in Baton Rouge and engaged to the love of her life Daniel. Suddenly her world comes crashing down yet again when a local girl goes missing followed by another. Chloe is hit with Déjà vu as these girls cases have a striking resemblance to those of the victims of her father. As Chloe investigate further, she is thrown into a web of lies now knowing who to trust, as she gets closer to the truth, the more danger she’s in.

•

There is so much buzz about this book! I think this was a fantastic debut from the author, filled with twists and turns and very well written. This was fast-paced and a definite page turner, I had my initial suspicion which ended up being correct but throughout the story I was seriously questioning everything. The author does a great job of throwing you off and giving you plenty of suspects with their own reasons. There were times when I found myself getting extremely frustrated with Chloe as she kept making some very questionable decisions. Even though my initial hunch on who the culprit is was correct, there was a twist thrown in there that I did not see coming but I wish it had a little more support and explanation, I feel like it was sort of glossed over. Overall I thought this was a greatly executed thriller that had all of the aspects I’m looking for, I will be sure to keep my eye out for any other future releases by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on January 11, 2022 but if you have A Book of the Month subscription, it is currently a choice for December if you want to get your hands on it now.

This book is getting a lot of buzz lately and rightfully so. A super dark, suspenseful thriller that kept me reading late in to the night.

Chloe is the daughter of a convinced serial killer. 20 years later, she thinks she is starting to get her life on track . She’s a psychologist with a private practice and planning her wedding to her handsome, successful fiancée. That is until 2 young girls go missing and it looks an awful lot like the way her father committed his crimes.

I’ve heard this is going to be made in to a limited series and I cannot be more excited and will be watching it as soon as it comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

A digital copy of this book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Chloe's dad is arrested for the murders of teenage girls when she is 12-years old. 20 years later, she is an engaged psychologist, and trying to forget the past. But another 15-year-old girl disappears and everything she has tried to escape comes back to haunt her. Everyone that Chloe thought she could trust is suddenly on the fringe of her suspicions. Chloe decides to "investigate" without the help of the police. There were times I felt that Chloe was alone with the killer and then I thought she was perfectly safe, and boy was I wrong. This was a great debut thriller and I look forward to reading more. Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Stacy Willingham

I am rounding up a bit on this book. This is the story of Chloe, a woman whose father was convicted of killing several young girls when she was young and now in the present-day it seems history is repeating itself. Young girls have started to disappear again and Chloe begins to worry that somehow the events of her past are linked to what is happening now.
The book starts off a bit disjointed and slow. I wasn't quite sure what was going on and I had a hard time really getting interested in what was going on. About half-way through the story started to pick up and really became more interesting and, even though I was pretty sure where everything was headed, I really wanted to see how the author would get us there. Then when there was about 1/3 left, the story got a bit unbelievable again: Chloe, who had never been a reliable to even sympathetic narrator, really started to make dumb decisions and I really wanted to scream at her. Then during the big "reveal," it just seemed tacked on and inorganic. There were so many red herrings that the "truth" just felt underwhelming.
This story had great bones, and at times was compelling and intriguing. But it also was slow, a bit heavy-handed, and aimless in spots. It wasn't an amazing book, but it was pretty good. I would definitely read something else by this author.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. Wow! This debut novel amazes from beginning to end and never lets up. The pace is rapid and the story is compelling. The twists and turns gave me whiplash! I was never able to figure out the resolution - the writing is so perfectly timed and the characters are artfully flawed. I loved this book and can totally recommend it to any reader who enjoys psychological thrillers that are tough to pin down.

This is one of the better thrillers that I've read in a while. Though, it felt strangely similar to the last book that I read by a completely different author - even down to some of the character's names. The story was interesting enough ... and it was obvious that while once again, a female author is making a female narrator UNRELIABLE, nothing is as it seems. The twist at the end was fairly obvious, in my opinion. Nonetheless, it was still an enjoyable read.

I am going to call out the book editor on this one too ... at the 72% mark in the ebook, the line, "I'm hoping to pursue my doctorate here next fall - then, eventually my master's." The book was set in Louisiana ... in the good 'ole USA. In the USA, it is customary to receive a master's BEFORE a doctorate degree. As a doctorate is the highest achievement, there is NOTHING about this sentence that actually makes sense! I say this ad nauseam ... Book editors: YOU HAVE ONE JOB!

This review was also published on Goodreads.

5+++++++ stars

What an AMAZING debut novel by Stacy Willingham. Suspenseful, gripping, riveting, consuming, beautifully written, a must read! Stacey I don’t know how you can top this! I started reading five pages at a time and then stopping near the end, because I didn’t want the story to end. I loved everything about this book! I typically read historical fiction, but in-between, there is nothing better than an outstanding, phycological thriller.

There is a monster hidden in plain sight. Who is this monster, killing teenage girls, that all have a connection to Chloe Davis? Willingham has a way with words that makes the story come alive. It is not often that you read a phycological thriller that is beautifully written, this one is! The characters are so well developed. At times you even like the bad guys. The best part is that there is talk of a mini series!

A Flicker in the Dark should be one of your first reads of 2022. It will be out January 11, 2022. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Now for the impossible after reading this book, finding my next read! Not sure anything will compare.

Chloe Davis was twelve years old the summer half a dozen local teenage girls were killed in her hometown of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Now, twenty years after her father’s confession and conviction of those crimes, Chloe has built a new life in Baton Rouge. She is a psychologist with unique insight into adolescent trauma and a successful private practice, but one of her patients goes missing, and another young woman is found dead, Chloe wonders if someone could be emulating her father’s crimes. In Chloe, debut author Stacy Willingham has created a realistically flawed character, one who is mentally equipped to rise above her past, but struggles to do so emotionally. This thrilling mystery not only questions personal perceptions but also familial bonds that one often takes for granted.

Loved the premise: When Chloe Davis was a teenager, her dad was convicted of murdering six girls in their small town. Twenty years later, Chloe is working as a psychologist and girls start going missing again. Is it a copycat or is she projecting her own paranoia and trauma onto an unrelated situation?

There was a lot to like about this story - it's fascinating to think about what happens to the people who cared about someone who turned out to be a monster. I've read too many thrillers, so the twist was pretty evident a few chapters in, but I still enjoyed seeing how it was all going to play out. This was a solid debut, and I'm looking forward to reading whatever Stacy Willingham writes next!

‘I thought I knew what monsters were… then I realized that monsters didn’t hide in the woods; they weren’t shadows in the trees or invisible things lurking in darkened corners. No, the real monsters moved in plain sight.’- Stacy Willingham, A Flicker in the Dark

Based on all my ‘friends’ fantastic reviews I was really looking forward to reading this. I always get a little nervous going into a highly rated book, because inevitably my expectations are too high and I end up disappointed. Well, I’m thrilled that this lived up to the hype!

From the very first chapter this story hooked me and held my attention until the conclusion. If it hadn’t been for lack of reading time due to the holiday I would’ve read in this in a day or two… it was that riveting. Even though I kinda knew early on what the reveal was going to be the journey to piece it together it kept me turning the pages. I, also, enjoyed how Willingham included the word ‘flicker’ throughout the text… thought was a clever nod to the title.

Only small criticism would be that there were a few ‘loose ends’ that I didn’t think were explained as well as I would’ve liked. Main one I had was why did everything start up again? What was the trigger so to speak.

This lived up to my expectations… for a debut there’s not much more praise I can give a novel. I look forward to seeing where Willingham goes from here. 4.5 stars.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars!

A powerhouse debut novel by Stacy Willingham! I adore novels that take place in Louisiana. The characters are all flawed and highly interesting.

I removed a star based on a few items that I felt were "hinky", I think Chloe should have made some connections sooner and I think as a psychologist, she would have had a better understanding of people around her.

All and all, I couldn't put this one down and the twists and turns that seemed predictable, weren't. I'm being very vague as to not spoil anything.

A special thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Stacy Willingham for providing me with an ARC.

I didn’t love this one. I found it predicts for slow. I can see it being an amazing movie or show! The setting was awesome though. I loved the dark, unethical and sinister story. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next!

I knocked out another Netgalley read for #netgalleynovember I’m really impressed with this debut from Stacy Willingham.

Chloe Davis is a successful psychologist in Louisiana. She has made quite the life for herself with a gorgeous house in an upscale neighborhood and a handsome fiancé she’s busy planning a wedding with. But who she is and where she comes from will always haunt her. Chloe’s father is an infamous serial killer responsible for killing several teenage girls over 20 years ago. And now it seems there is a copycat killer on the loose- again targeting young girls. The worst part is each victim has a connection to Chloe and she’s sure this killer is trying to communicate with her. Who is this copycat and how can she stop these senseless murders?

This book starts off a little slow, but once it picks up it really gets going. I love a riveting mystery that keeps me guessing especially when it is packed with twists. I’m not surprised this was a BOTM pick for December and I’m thankful from my copy from Netgalley and Minotaur Books. Mark your calendar- A Flicker In The Dark is available 1/11/22.

I have just finished reading A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

This is a debut for the Author.

A Psychological Thriller, that kept my interest right till the end. Well written with strong characters.

Missing teenage girls in small town Louisiana, and then 20 years later a copycat surfaces.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Stacy Willingham, and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy to read and review.

#NetGalley

This novel caught my interest from the beginning, even if I didn’t connect with the narrator. Chloe Davis is the daughter of a serial killer. He’s been in prison since she was a kid. She is now a successful psychologist, but the shadow of her father’s crime is still giving her trust issues and a strong reliance on chemical substances. When young women connected to her go missing, she seems to be the only one who notices the similarities between these new cases and her father’s crimes. The police won’t listen, her too-good-to-be-true fiancé just wants her to relax and her brother doesn’t understand. Only a journalist starts helping her uncover the truth. It’s hard to explain where the plot lost me without giving away the ending but let’s just say that there are so many twists as to require a considerable suspension of disbelief. Feels like the author is just throwing everything that she can think of, whether it’s plausible or not. I was invested in the novel, so my attention never flagged, it just felt too gimmicky for me to truly enjoy this read.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books!

“…in that moment, the moment of the crash, it made me realize that monsters didn’t hide in the woods; they weren’t shadows in the trees or invisible things lurking in darkened corners. No, the real monsters moved in plain sight.”

Woooowww this was such an amazing, daunting, suspenseful read! The storyline was morbid and fast paced, and the twists were perfectly revealed. I didn’t want to put it down! I was reminded of all the Criminal Minds episodes I watched in college, and of all those movies where I found myself going “No!!! Don’t do it!!!” and then of course the main character goes and does it anyway. This is a great read for someone who is good at predicting who the bad person is - because even if you guess that here, I guarantee you won’t guess all the twists! I can’t believe this is a debut from Stacy Willingham - I will definitely be reading her future books!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

A Flicker In The Dark was a fabulous read. A mystery thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. The evidence points towards three people. Chloe's Father, Brother, Fiancee. Another suspect comes into the picture near the end but not a main character until until later on. The victim's are young girls. They are strangled! I don't want to give too much away so I recommend you read it! Enjoy!

A Flicker in the Dark is a suspenseful thriller by debut author Stacy Willingham set to be published January 11, 2022 by St. Martin's Press.
Chloe Davis was twelve years old when her small town in Louisiana was rocked by a string of murders. A serial killer was targeting teenage girls causing families to live in fear. When Chloe's father confesses to the murders and is sent to prison her family struggles to carry on. Now, twenty years later, Chloe is a psychiatrist in a new town and is engaged to be married. Her brother with whom she has remained close is not a fan of her fiancé but that is the least of her concerns at the moment. In a frighteningly similar scenario young girls began to disappear and turn up dead. All have some connection to Chloe. Can she unmask another killer and will she be able to do it before he strikes again?
This book is a fantastic twisting thriller full of suspense where nothing is as it seems. It will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat reading. With a debut this awesome, I can't wait to see what Stacy Willingham does next;.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-reader of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Now that was a thriller! This was engaging and kept me guessing the whole time! While I had some theories right, others I had were wildly wrong. I haven’t wanted to yell at a character in a while, but oh my, there were times I wanted to scream at Dr. Chloe Davis! The writing was really well done, and very engaging and although I found the beginning a little slow, it picked up fairly quickly and after around twenty percent through I couldn’t put this down! This is an incredible debut, and cannot wait for more from Stacy Willingham

“Welcome to Breaux Bridge: Crawfish Capital of the World.”

Chloe Davis is a Baton Rouge psychologist, happily engaged and ready to marry the love of her life. She is trying to forget her troubled past, while self-medicating with anti-anxiety pills. Her father is the infamous Breaux Bridge serial killer and has been imprisoned for the past twenty years. When the murders of two teenagers appear to be the work of a copycat, Chloe begins to doubt her memory and suspect that the killer is trying to get her attention. Who is murdering young girls?

Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark is an absolutely fantastic debut thriller. While this is more of a lyrical slow burn, I was unable to stop to catch my breath, finishing it in two days. Although I figured out the twist right away, she is a master at misdirection. I doubted my own detective work more times than I would like to admit. However, I will say that those who are new to this genre will be blown away by the twists. This is how to write a smart amateur sleuth mystery! It is expertly plotted and masterfully executed. She is a brilliant writer and I cannot wait to read more from her. I am so thrilled to have been able to read this advanced reader’s copy!

5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of A Flicker in the Dark in exchange for an honest review.