I've read enough of the twisty psychological thrillers - but I keep looking for another great one. This one isn't it. It's good enough but there's too many little issues for me. For starters, the protagonist is so stupid. Just keep taking more and more drugs and things will go away. We're seeing the story from this "unreliable" narrator who is just drowning herself in prescription drugs and wine. Everything can go in any direction from there. Lead the readers this way and that way....

Pros: I've been trying to take a break from mystery/thrillers after reading too many in a row, but when I heard the description of this book on a podcast, I wanted to read it because of its Louisiana setting. I've lived in Baton Rouge, so I especially loved reading a book that mentions LSU, the Garden District, etc. Although I haven't lived in Breaux Bridge, I also enjoyed the parts of the book set there and thought the author did a great job setting the scene with descriptions of the crawfish festival. It seems more books should be set in Louisiana because there are so many opportunities for authors to create a strong sense of place in the unique settings of Louisiana.

When I read a mystery/thriller, I find myself trying to figure out the whodunnit from the very beginning, and I often judge the book based on whether/how soon I figured it out. Although I had one part of the mystery figured out from the first few chapters, another part surprised me toward the end, which made the reading experience much more fun.

One thing I appreciate about this book is the title. Many mystery/thriller titles sound the same and don't really mean anything. At first I thought this book would fall into that category, but once I finished reading I understood and appreciated the significance of the title.

Cons: The biggest con for me is that I had a major part of the book figured out from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this book!

I've shared this review on NetGalley and StoryGraph.

3 stars = I liked it!

Stop what you're doing and commit a full day to reading thus enthralling novel! I was captivated from the first page and the author really managed to escalate the suspense throughout.

I’ve seen nothing but positive things about this book so far so my expectations were very high for this debut thriller. It is definitely a well written thriller and readers newer to the genre will love this, however for me the twist was obvious within the first few chapters of the book and I’m learning that for me personally as a reader I’m looking for new and unpredictable twists in my thrillers because I read so many of them. But that definitely does not take away from the fact that this is a really solid thriller, especially for a debut, and it’s VERY readable and interesting (even though I predicted the main reveal early on, I still was eager to watch it play out).

Amazing book! I would highly recommend this book to my customers and patrons. I would recommend other books by the same author as well.

A Flicker in the Dark is a well done psychological thriller, especially for a debut author. It centers on Dr. Chloe Davis, a psychologist with a successful private practice. She’s due to be married in two months. Oh, and she’s also the daughter of a man found guilty of being a serial killer of 6 teenage girls twenty years earlier.
She appears to have it all together, but she’s secretly popping anti-anxiety meds. She tries to give herself the same advice she’d give a patient, but it’s not working. Then a young girl goes missing. And then another.
“… when two girls go missing within the course of a month, it’s not a coincidence. It’s not an accident. It’s not circumstance. It’s calculated and cunning and far more terrifying than anything we had ever experienced before. Anything we thought possible.”
This story is vividly laid out and it’s easy to see why it’s been opted for a tv miniseries. It was very easy to see the scenes in my head. Everything is told from Chloe’s POV, including the backstory of how her father was found guilty. I thought Chloe was a fully realized character, but the other characters were much less so.
From early on in the book, I was confident I knew how the story would play out. At that point, my interest was mainly in seeing if I was right. But kudos to Willingham for leading me through so many twists and turns at the end I began seriously doubting myself. In the end, I was right, but I loved the way she got there.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

** spoiler alert ** I really enjoyed this book. The concept of the daughter of a serial killer being caught up in what appears to be copycat killings around the 20th anniversary was very captivating. I did figure out that the real killer wasn't actually Chloe's father pretty early on. *spoiler* there was a conversation in a past memory where Chloe's mom was worried about her going out alone. As soon as Cooper said she wasn't in danger, I knew right then it was Cooper.

The book was still enjoyable though because having that answer didn't complete the mystery of Daniel. I knew there was still something off about him that needed to be explained. His ending was better than I expected, but I am still happy that Chloe wound up not staying with him.

One major thing that bothered me though about the confrontation with Cooper and his confession: she drugged him. With the police sitting outside listening. As an attorney, this detail bothered me because that confession would have never held up if Cooper had ever contested it. The book doesn't say what happened next. I suppose he could have just given in, and said "you got me!" and confessed again. But also, the police were watching the interaction. As soon as they saw her crushing up pills into the wine, they would've stopped it. Even if they didn't, she would have gotten in so much trouble for doing that. It also would've come out that she was faking prescriptions. She would have lost her license. It's a minor, pretty unnecessary plot point that creates a lot of holes.

A smart, dark, and well-written debut psychological thriller with interesting twists and a likable unreliable narrator. Chloe is a psychologist with a host of issues and a prescription drug addiction. Her father is a convicted serial killer and Chloe is the one who uncovered the evidence that sent him to jail when she was just twelve. When a copycat killer starts abducting and killing teenage girls, all of whom have connections to Chloe, she doesn't know who to trust and finds herself drawn into the investigation. There are some good red herrings, though perhaps a little heavy-handed at times, and a couple continuity issues, but overall this is a great debut and I'm looking forward to more from Willingham. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this advanced copy to read and review.

𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎💫

𝐴 𝐹𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘 is author @stacyvwillingham’s first novel and for a debut novel this was an absolutely perfect thrilling book! Going into this I was really hoping not to be disappointed because the buzz has been intense but it definitely lived up to its hype!

This story is everything a thriller reader could ever want. Psychopaths, a serial killer as a family member, copycats, troubling childhoods, past & present narratives, damaged & disturbed characters,I could go on & on. It’s also just the right amount creepy and eerie!

Although this story includes our favorite things it is also so beautifully written, it flows so well, the story is so enthralling because the authors writing is just so well. I felt a connection to main character Chloe and her character made me feel all the feels! I really need more from this author soon, so fingers crossed she gives me more because I already feel the void🤪

SYNOPSIS: “ When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison. Chloe and the rest of her family were left to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. She finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to get. Sometimes, though, she feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. And then a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, and that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, and seeing parallels that aren't really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer?”

Release date is set for January 11, 2022 & honestly a perfect thrilling book to start the new year!

✨special thanks to @netgalley & @minotaur_books for the early copy
•

This book keeps you on your toes from the very start to the finish. Lots of depth of characters and plenty of plot twists that keep you turning the pages well into the night. Hard to put down. Very entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

One of the best books I have read all year, bound to be a huge hit in 2022. The story is compelling from start to finish, the protagonist is sympathetic but flawed, and both the past and present storylines are fascinating. It's well written and propulsive and I will be telling everyone I know to read this book!

The story takes place in Louisiana where six girls go missing. Chloe is just 12 years old when she had to face the awful truth that her dad is responsible for the missing girls.
Twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist and getting ready to be married when other girls go missing. Chloe finds something disturbing and feels like she is back to when she was a child, going through the same awful drama.
This story has some good twists at the end and keeps you guessing.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book hooked me from page one! It’s a page turner and one you will stay up late to finish. I thought I had it all figured out and then that was all blown away.
I definitely enjoyed this book!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Did I finish it in one sitting? Yes! Was it very predictable? Also yes! I was 4-5 chapters in, when I realized that the obvious cannot be the answer and least expected is behind all of this. After some point, it became a question of how instead of who. I was more curious to see how Chloe would connect all the dots and see the big picture instead of randomly trusting people and pointing fingers in wrong directions.

It’s always that one daughter who had to deal with hurricane that their parents unleash over her. It’s always that one daughter who felt like she was the reason for everything, she could have done better. As much as Chloe pretended like everything was okay, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she had something to do with her father’s crimes… but did she? Or was she reading this whole situation absolutely wrong?

I ended up liking how we got to “how”. I definitely got my daily dose of thriller after this. But again, I wish it was less obvious. It was a good story to think about who you have on your side and how good is your judgement. Good read for spook spook season

Wow, what a mind blowing read! Definitely on the deliciously dark, disturbing, and even a bit demented side! Very well written, with excellent character development, which makes the book even more engrossing! One that will definitely shock you, not just in the thriller way, but the places the author actually went! A must read for my fellow thrill chasers! Highly, highly recommend!

Very well-written, noir-ish scary murder mystery! Good for those who liked Gone Girl and The Good Sister. Unreliable narrator makes you question everyone.
Dr. Chloe Davis is a psychologist who knows first hand about the scary creatures that hide in the dark. 20 years ago her father was arrested for being a serial murderer in her small home town of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. And now, though her father is in prison, the murders are starting up again. Everyone she knows may be involved. Her brother Cooper has not done well since their father's arrest. Her fiance' Daniel Briggs, has secrets and Aaron Jansen, a journalist, is digging into her family's past. Very exciting! I received this book at no charge from Netgalley and the author, but as always, all opinions are my own.

Oh my, I love this book. I was pulled straight in without mercy, This is a perfect fall read and will definitely be a purchase and reread when it's released.

This was great, in the way you stay up late reading a book even though you're kinda scared. I really liked the narrative of a woman whose father was a serial killer. As teens start dying around her again, she can't trust anyone. Not even her own mind. This was very well written, with the ominous vibe I love in a book like this. Where it feels like someone is watching you.

Wow! I just finished this book and I’m still in shock. It was awesome. A story of a woman whose father was a serial killer in prison for twenty years. Her family was destroyed in their small town. She comes back and the girls start to disappear again. What is happening? I thought I had it solved but as usual I was wrong. The author does a great job with the characters and weaving the story. It’s a not to be missed read. I can’t wait to recommend it to all my friends and family that enjoy thrillers! @StacyWillingham #flickerinthedark #netgalley #minotaurbooks

A crazy thriller - a wild goose chase, wasn’t quite sure who or what to believe. A quick read, at times it felt like it dragged a little but I was pleased with how it wrapped up.