Overall this was well done. It’s getting harder for thrillers to really ‘wow’ me, but this one was consistently good from start to finish.

What an incredible debut! This one had me hooked for the start. Once I started I had trouble putting it down.

Such a fast paced novel that was dark and twisty and had me second guessing myself constantly.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading thrillers.

I want to thank HarperCollins Australia and Netgalley for generously providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

For a debut novel, this packs a punch. Lots of intrigue and questions...I think I suspected everyone at some point in the book!!

This was a good, solid mystery thriller.

I really liked how the mystery unfolded in this one. The details were meticulously crafted, and I was suspecting everyone, just like Chloe herself as a character. I think it was interesting that Chloe had her own demons as well, and she wasn’t the perfect heroine. As the story progressed, the pace got faster and things got increasingly creepier. I couldn’t put the book down.

I managed to get the plot twist right - I had guessed it quite early on, but the writing was so good it made me doubt myself a few times! It was such a great read - the reveal was good and everything was nicely wrapped.

I'm so tired of the unreliable female narrator trope.
The Girl on the Train, the Woman in the Window, now A Flicker in the Dark.
Woman with trauma self medicates and gets mixed up in a murder plot but no one believes her.

I saw the ending of this one coming like a Mack truck on a rural highway approaching with high beams on. I must be jaded.

An exceptional debut novel, extremely well written and a must read for lovers of psychological thrillers!

I loved the easy flow of the storyline, setting the scene for what is to follow to perfection!

There’s no doubt that the reader will be entertained and on the edge of their seat!
Watch out for more from this author.

Huge congratulations to Stacy Willinghan, her publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Chloe knows all about dark secrets her father is behind bars because he was charged as a serial killer for killing teenage girls. Twenty years later the killings have started back up. Can Chloe figure out who is behind the killings? 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Flicker In The Dark by Stacy Willingham. It had me intrigued from the start and straight through  to the end. I was highly suspicious of everyone including Chloe because there were just so many red herrings in this book! Which mind you I bloody love.

I also loved the creative use of repeating words like Flicker and dark enough to notice it but not enough to be annoyed by it. For me it added a suspense to it and it was nice it was referred back to the title.

The only thing I thought was a bit let down (but it doesn't affect my rating) would be the relationship between Chloe and Daniel at the end of the book. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley Harper Collins and Stacy willingham for the eARC of A Flicker in the Dark.

A Flicker In the Dark is out now

Suspenseful and hard to put down!
I really have to commend author @stacyvwillingham on a fabulous debut novel! 👏

Chloe was twelve when her father confessed to the killing of six teenage girls in their small home town Baton Rogue, Louisiana. Twenty years later, Chloe has tried to escape the past, moving away and becoming a psychologist. When one of her teenage patients goes missing, it brings back the past. The similarities between this case and her father's are too similar to ignore! Is there a copycat killer out there?

A Flicker in the Dark had me guessing right up until the end. Each time I thought I had this one worked out, a new twist would make its way in and I'd be doubting my thoughts and wondering how this was actually going to end!
The pacing is perfect and very easily devoured.

A must read for any suspense/thriller/mystery fan!
Thank you @harpercollinsaustralia and @netgalley for the #gifted e-copy to review!

#aflickerinthedark #stacywillingham
#allbookedoutwithmj #bookreview
#suspensereads #thrillerbooks #thrillerlover #mystery #intrigue #ilovereading #ilovetoreadbooks #readingfun #booknerd #readersofig #booksofinstagram #bookaholic #addictedtobooks #goodreads

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham is a great debut novel, giving us everything we expect in a thriller. It's a twisty and engaging read complete with a suitably flawed but very likeable lead and a myriad of suspects to keep us on our toes.

Flawed protagonists or lead characters are increasingly popular but it's sometimes hard for authors to balance their faults or foibles with their reliability (as a narrator or storyteller) and their likeability.

In Chloe, Willingham's giving us a character who we engage with effortlessly, but realising we cannot entirely rely on her accounts of everything - not because she's lying to us - but because [of her past trauma and current drug-taking] she's possibly lying to herself. It means we're offered another potential suspect... whether they know it or not.

Willingham also introduces Chloe's fiance Daniel - who she can't believe she's snagged as he's almost too good to be true. And then there's her brother Cooper. He dislikes Daniel and doesn't believe he can be trusted. And finally we meet New York Times journalist Aaron... in town to do a piece on Chloe's father as the twentieth anniversary of his killing spree nears.

I really liked Daniel so was disappointed when we learn a bit more about him. We get the sense he's a little controlling with Chloe, but Cooper is equally protective of his little sister. It's a role he took on even before their father was imprisoned and one he doesn't want to give up easily.

The copycat murders seem coincidental at first, so we do wonder if Chloe is the only one revisiting the events of her childhood... until it's obvious the killer is trying to get her attention. Again Willingham does a good job of dropping in backstory about Chloe's past to have us questioning the suppositions she's making.

I actually guessed the big twist here but that was early on and Willingham offers us a few others, which I didn't see coming, before the final 'reveal'. And she's paced them really well so they feel like they just keep coming at the end.

Chloe Davis has grown up knowing she is the daughter of a convicted serial killer who kidnapped and killed six young girls in her small home town of Breaux Bridge in Louisiana. After all, it was she who found the evidence that convicted him, even though their bodies were never found. Chloe was only twelve at the time and has never got over the guilt of being the one responsible for her father being caught or the destructive effect that had on her family.

Now a psychologist in Baton Rouge, the twenty year anniversary of her father’s conviction is approaching and girls are going missing again. When Chloe is the last person to see one of the girls before she disappeared minutes later, she starts to feel that a copy cat killer is on the loose.

The Louisiana setting of the novel is atmospheric and lyrically described and generally the writing flows well, although the pacing is a little uneven and in places Chloe’s thoughts become somewhat repetitive. Nevertheless, the tension and suspense builds well and although I had my suspicions about the identity of the killer, that didn’t spoil the my enjoyment of the many twists as the plot unfolded. The story is told from Chloe’s point of view and as she self medicates with alcohol and prescription drugs to deal with her anxiety she makes the perfect flawed, unreliable narrator who doesn’t know who she can trust. This gripping psychological thriller is impressive for a debut novel and the author will be one to watch out for in future.

‘I have a darkness inside of me.’

Twenty years ago, when Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By then end of that summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested and imprisoned for their murders. The bodies were never found, but possessions belonging to each of the girls was found hidden amongst Choe’s father’s possessions. The family fell apart: Chloe’s mother ended up in a medical facility, Chloe and her brother Cooper were sent to live with an aunt.

In the present, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge. She is preparing to marry her fiancé, Daniel. With a little self-medication, life is good ... and then first one local teenage girl goes missing, and then another. One of these girls is Chloe’s patient. What is happening? Is a copycat killer at work?
Chloe’s life is turned upside down. She is anxious and hyper-vigilant, deeply suspicious, questioning those around her and making accusations.

There are a few twists in this story and Chloe’s unreliable memory and her interpretations of what was happening in the present kept me guessing until near the end. A very impressive debut novel.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for the advanced e book copy. I saw this debut novel on a number of platforms and was eager to read it and was not disappointed. A strong female lead character who becomes wrapped up not just in a twenty year tragedy but as it seems to start re occurring in her present and threatens the life she’s built. Chloe is the daughter of a man who killed a number of teenage girls in her childhood and she has become a successful psychologist- several times mentioned as a way to be able to help herself. An easy, addictive read that I would highly recommend.

I remember seeing the cover of this book and being intrigued about the story behind it. Since then so many have reviewed it and I have steered clear from reading them to form my own opinion of this story. Ultimately I loved the idea but felt a little let down along the ride. Writing from the perspective of a killer’s child is very unusual, as it is often the victim or their friends/family who tell the story. It seemed very appealing from this angle, especially as the story unfolds and the gruesome details emerge of hat happened all those years ago. That said, Chloe has a bit to answer for. She takes medication prescribed in her husband’s name (how a connection was never made there seeing as he worked in pharmaceuticals is beyond me …) and struggles with anyone showing the slightest interest in her, and her vocation as a practicing psychologist hadn’t seemed to help he too find balance or closure, years on after those six girls when missing all those years ago and her father was arrested for their murders..

Stacey Willingham definitely has a knack for this genre, and I hope that we see more of this evolve in future novels, definitely an author to watch out for. He also is able to create atmosphere and locations like in Baton Rouge quite beautifully, and this did provide good structure for the storyline.

The writing was more in line with a thriller than a mystery, and I wish that it played out the other way. I think that the elements of the unknown could have been a little stronger here. Building up the unreliable narrator and the impact of her childhood trauma in a powerful way to twist the mystery element up a notch. Especially with the self medication, the book could have played more on Chloe’s confusion and hesitation to rely on anyone but herself, thus adding to the apprehension she was feeling for all those years since the murders of the young girls.

The element I found very interesting was the notion of and mention of the work “flicker” – it crept in at interesting times. The word would pop into a scene to interrupt your reading; it was an unsteady presence, like in the corner of your eye our of your periphery of vision. Ai you read on, you may also see where it was a perfect work to illustrate the changing formation from light to dark, almost like innocence lost all over again for Chloe.

I know without a doubt that A Flicker in the Dark is going to be one of the bestselling thrillers of this year. It is a fast-paced and gripping page-turner that explores the effects of trauma alongside a chilling plot.

Chloe Davis’ infamous father is serving life in prison after murdering six teenage girls when Chloe was a child. As the 20 year anniversary of her father’s imprisonment approaches, it seems that a copycat criminal is active and mimicking her father’s crimes.

I was completely sucked in by this story. It involves a lot of unreliable narration as Chloe, still haunted by her childhood trauma, tries to piece together the motive for the murders happening in her town, and why the missing girls all have links to her. As the reader I felt wary - it was clear that not everything was as it seemed and I was often unsure whether I could trust our protagonist.

The narrative is primarily told through the present day events, but frequently flashes back to Chloe’s childhood as she recollects them summer that the girls went missing and her father was convicted. I felt that this gave great context to the story, and the author approached the flashback scenes in a way that didn’t feel forced.

Without giving anything else away, I really enjoyed this book and it took me by surprise. A gripping thriller will make a great summer read for anyone looking for a page-turner.

4 ⭐️

A Flicker In The Dark is an extraordinary debut novel by Stacy Willingham. This is a gripping story of a serial killer and that of his family; an unusual approach but one that includes lots of twists and turns in the plot. The main character Chloe Davis’ father is convicted of killing six teenage girls and the story begins nearly twenty years later. Chloe is a psychologist whose strength is her understanding of trauma having experienced it first hard. The story unfolds and the past isn’t as straightforward as it appeared at the time.
Certainly well written with many, sitting on the edge of your seat moments and the story takes quite a few unexpected and surprising turns.
Looking forward for more psychological thrillers from Stacy Willingham.

Highly recommended read.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publisher Australia for a copy to read and review.

It's a slow burner, takes quite a while to get into the story, but a good solid read once it does. The ending surprised me, Nice little twist there.

A brilliant debut novel that had me turning the pages rapidly. This is one lovers of the psychological thriller will devour. There were plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing and the plot line was well woven.
I can not wait to see what comes next from this author, a very enjoyable read, 4 stars from me!

✨ Book Review ✨
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Pub date: 03/02/2022 (it’s out on. 11/01 for some!)

A flicker in the dark is a psychological thriller that will grip you until the VERY end. As someone who doesn’t read many thrillers I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was captivated from start to end. As a debut novel I am in love!!!! At first I thought it may be a bit too predictable and a bit too YA for me but by about halfway I was hooked and realised that I was going to really enjoy this book! The absolutely fantastic writing combined with a tense, multi-layered murder mystery and damaged characters gave me one heck of a reading experience let me tell you!

As the protagonist is a psychologist I was drawn to reading it even more as I’m studying psychology, however this aspect was my least favourite as it felt a bit forced and the reliance on a “drugged up” female character trope wasn’t it for me. Although it did create an unreliable narrator and with the storyline line and amazing writing, the mystery was carried out successfully and in a way that made me second guess my own theories on multiple occasions. I loved the switching between past and present, Stacy was able to do this in a way that wasn’t jarring to the story and really added to the psychological aspect of the book! 🧐

The characters in this were also extremely interesting and i wanted to know more about every single one and the vagueness surrounding them pulled me in more and more each chapter. I also had to take a few breathing breaks as things got tense 🤭😅

Overall, this was a great dive back into a genre other than fantasy or romance for me and it was a successful thriller experience for sure ⚡️⚡️Even though i’m no expert on them, it had me questioning myself at multiple points which makes me believe Stacy did a great job at least with me! It also has excitingly been optioned for a limited series with Emma Stone (WHO I LOVE)!! 🤩🤩🤩

I expect this to be very popular and the hype is already crazy!! Believe me it’s worth it definitely check it out 💗💗💗

4 ⭐️

✨ Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC !!! ✨

3.5 stars rounded down.

This was an impressive debut. The writing was good and I enjoyed the characters and setting. However, though the story line was right up my alley, I wasn't impressed with the execution. Originally, I had three potential outcomes for the story. I was right on two accounts but there were some surprises, just enough to keep me interested until the end. Unfortunately, it was extremely obvious who the killer was right from the start, just not the way I was expecting. Stacey Willingham is definitely one to watch.

A Flicker In The Dark is the first novel by American author, Stacy Willingham. When Chloe Davis was twelve years old, she learned her father was a serial killer: in the summer of 1999, six teenaged girls in the small Louisiana town of Breaux Bridge disappeared. While their bodies were never found, Richard Davis was sentenced to six consecutive life terms.

Stunned by disbelief, shame and guilt, the psychological effect on Chloe, her mother and her older brother, Cooper was understandably profound, and was the impetus for her qualification as a medical psychologist.

Twenty years on, she practices in Baton Rouge, but still suffers panic attacks, hypochondria, insomnia and nyctophobia. She self-medicates to dull her fear and paranoia, and has only, in the last year, been able to trust someone enough to get engaged. She’ll be marrying Daniel Briggs in late July.

On a day when a New York Times reporter calls wanting to talk about her father and her fiancé throws her a surprise party, she learns that a teenaged girl has gone missing, recalling the events of two decades earlier. Days later, as the teen’s body is found, another goes missing.

With Richard David still safely incarcerated, Chloe doesn’t take much convincing to believe there is a copycat killer, even if the MO is not quite identical. What’s worse, she discovers a personal connection with both victims. Then she stumbles on something that has her wondering if, once again, the killer is much closer to home than she could ever have imagined.

There are plenty of red herrings to keep the reader second-guessing themselves on just who the perpetrator is, although not all of them are entirely convincing, and some aspects of the plot could have been more subtly handled. It might be wise to prebook a chiropractic appointment before starting this one: there are some excellent twists and surprises, making this a very impressive debut novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia.