I enjoyed this one, as a solid mainstream domestic thriller. Isabelle is an unreliable narrator, which we know from the start. Her son, Mason, disappeared from his crib about a year ago and she hasn't been able to sleep since. This is ironic since prior to his disappearance, she was a very deep sleeper. As a child, she was a sleepwalker and because of this, she is afraid that maybe she did something to her son.

The story alternates between the current timeline, where Isabelle is playing armchair detective, trying to solve her son's case and the past, where Isabelle was growing up with her sister. It is clear that something happened with her sister, and Isabelle is estranged from her parents because of it. To me, this storyline was weak and didn't add much to the story. However, I did enjoy the current storyline (except for the constant mention of not sleeping... it did get repetitive at points).

I didn't predict the ending, and the way it came together made a lot of sense. There were a few threads not tied up, but nothing that directly related to the story. Overall, a decent thriller.

I’m obviously an outlier because there are rave reviews for this book.
However I found it so slow and unnecessarily verbose. I wasn’t able to really get interested until the last three chapters.
I do like unreliable narrators but I felt like the story kept circling back to the MC insomnia, sleepwalking etc, instead of propelling the story.
I appreciated the ending which though I had worked out a few things, I didn’t see coming.

This was a wonderful book that hooked me from the first page. It continued with an engrossing topic of a child going missing and the events surrounding his disappearance. The book took an unexpected turn at the end. I couldn't recommend it enough.

The author’s debut novel, A FLICKER IN THE DARK, was one of my favorite thrillers this last year so it's safe to say I was pretty hyped to read this and couldn’t wait to see what she did in her second!

I admittedly went in blind and am actually happy that I did! This book picks up one year after the disappearance and kidnapping of Isabelle’s son, Mason. Over the last year, the case has gone cold and Isabelle has become an insomniac as she hangs onto the belief and hope that Mason is still out there and that more work needs to be done to find him.

First, I loved the implementation of all the discussions around sleep, particularly the comparisons and contrast brought up between a sleepwalker and an insomniac— both of which Isabelle has been guilty of. There are a few chapters intermixed within the main narrative that flashback to Isabelle’s childhood where she was known as a sleepwalker. During her youth, there were quite a few incidents that took place in her household and as an adult, she’s still working on piecing together what exactly those things were.

However in present day, Isabelle is on a mission to find any clues that lead to what happened the night Mason was taken from his crib. This leads her to a true crime podcaster, Waylon, and she hopes to be able to tell her story and bring more attention to the case. As things begin to surface and Isabelle begins to grasp at the truths of what happened to her as a child, an image begins to form and you’re led to question and wonder who exactly is the dangerous person here.

Meanwhile, there’s also something going on with Isabelle’s ex-husband/ Mason’s father that seems a little suspect and at least adds another layer of complication to everything.

Though the pace at the beginning was a bit on the slower side, I did find this book to super addicting and very psychological! It made you question things and there were even a couple of twists that kept the ending exciting! Overall, would recommend if you’re looking for a solid thriller!

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham was the first book I've read by this author, despite her book A Flicker in the Dark being such a big hit the year prior. I really enjoyed this book and plan on checking out that one too.

All the Dangerous Things starts with a woman, Isabelle Drake, who, just one year prior, wakes to find her son missing. Exhausting all search options and watching her marriage crumble, she decides to let in Waylon Spencer, a crime podcaster to help her tell her story in the hopes that she will consider a new angle in finding her boy. The entire story is told in the present day with flashbacks to Isabelle's childhood, where she experienced alarming sleepwalking episodes. Afraid that she is somehow responsible for her son's disappearance, Isabelle embarks on a journey of reflecting on her family life growing up, some of the trauma she experienced, and the issues within her marriage in order to answer the question that has been eating her up for the past year: what happened to Mason?

What follows is a story full of twists and turns that will keep readers on their toes. I absolutely loved the development of Isabelle as a flawed character. Motherhood is difficult, and I think Isabelle really showcased how difficult it is to be a mom. The guilt she feels over her son's disappearance, the fear that she has failed him as a mom, and the questioning of her own involvement was fascinating and also relatable. Every mother questions whether they do enough to protect their children and keep them happy and Isabelle brings that to light.

I did feel that the first half of the book was a little slow. I liked it and enjoyed character development, but there were a few things I found a little far-fetched and maybe even unnecessary that slowed me down from completely devouring the book. However, once I got about 65-70% of the way through and realized there was much more than meets the eye, I really loved to see how the story came together.

I felt the ending, though a little abrupt, really spoke about the importance of the stories we tell ourselves, about both ourselves and others. Overall, this was a really fun and enjoyable read that was different than most of the other mysteries I read.

Very good book! I enjoyed all the twists and turns it took. It definitely kept my attention. I'm looking forward to more from this author.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read this advanced copy for a fair review.

⭐️⭐️.5

𝘼 𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩.

📍 Read if you like:
• Unreliable Narrators
• Dual Timelines
• Unexpected Twists
• Motherhood

Honestly, I should’ve known I wasn’t going to enjoy this slow-paced thriller. While I did “like” A Flicker in the Dark last year, I feel like I struggled so much with the pacing and how predictable it was.

I wanted to enjoy this one as so many people have loved it, but it just didn’t work for me. The premise was so interesting, but the pacing was so difficult to get into. I even tried the audiobook and still struggled.

The whole time I wanted to skim through and just get to the twists. There was so much going on that I felt was super unnecessary and I wished the story got to the twists quicker.

Isabella’s character was a bit interesting. I obviously felt horrible for her, but I didn’t really connect with her. I was rooting for her to find her son though.

I wish there was more to the story. The one unreliable narrator just didn’t work for me. I also struggled with the dual timelines, which usually is something I love.

Also, that ending was a bit predictable. I know many others found it to be super shocking and twisty, but to me, it didn’t feel like that.

I do realize this is more of a “me” thing as it has glowing reviews on Goodreads, so please don’t come at me… but the book just didn’t work for me unfortunately. Ultimately, I do think others will love this so please take my review with a grain of salt.

4.5 🌟
•
LIKES:
📝 bingeable, eerie, tense writing
🏃‍♀️ character driven for a thriller
⏳ multi-timeline
🚼 kidnapping
🤰 explores motherhood
👯‍♀️ + sisterhood
💤 + insomnia
🧠 + psychology & mental health
🤫 family secrets
🖤 grief, loss, & betrayal
🫀 complex love stories
🎙️ podcast vibes
🌪️ twisty!
😳 shocking!
•
DISCLAIMERS:
⚠️ dm me for TW!
⚖️ uneven pacing
🧞‍♀️ wanted more of the childhood timeline
•
VERDICT: a solid twisty domestic thriller exploring the dark side of motherhood & the impact on insomnia with a fun podcast angle & complex relationships throughout!

After loving A Flicker in the Dark I was excited for Willingham’s sophomore thriller. She delivers the twists and turns as a mother investigates the disappearance of her son.

Our lead Isabelle is a bit unreliable with a history of sleepwalking and the general sleepless nights of motherhood, but she teams up with a true crime podcaster to try and find her son.

The pacing was good and I was suspicious of everyone at some point. Enjoyed it overall, especially the audiobook — Karissa Vacker has become one of my favorite narrators.

4.5 stars

Your son is taken from his crib in the middle of the night, there’s no evidence, and the police have no leads…what do you do?

Isabelle hasn’t slept a wink since her son Mason was kidnapped from her home, but the insomnia she’s experienced over the last year as a result of his disappearance is starting to wear her down. She agrees to be interviewed by a true crime podcaster, who shows a startling interest in her past, and between the deeply personal questions and the lack of sleep, she begins to recover uncomfortable memories from her childhood. Now the night that Mason was kidnapped is brought into question, and Isabelle doesn’t know who she can trust; she’s even lost faith in herself. But that doesn’t stop her from uncovering the truth, no matter how much it hurts.

I really enjoyed this story, and after being in a bit of a reading slump, it was refreshing to find such an intriguing mystery/thriller. There were quite a few twists that I didn’t see coming, and after finishing the book, I really felt for Isabelle. She held onto so much guilt, both from her childhood and from Mason being taken, but I admire her for pushing through her inner turmoil and heartache to find the truth. Highly recommend this one!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing a copy of this book to review.*

All the stars!!! What a page turner! I think I have a new favorite thriller author. Flicker in the Dark was a FIVE star read, and this book was too!!! I always love a book with an unreliable narrator! Isabel Drakes son has gone missing, taken from his crib while she was asleep.... or was she? From a small age, Isabel has been known to sleep walk. She starts to question things, herself, and then I also started questioning things. And then there's the husband!! Totally thought I knew where the story was going, until plot twist!!! So many twists and turns, I can't recommend this book enough! Thank you @netgalley @macmillanaudio @minotaurbooks and @stacywillingham for this gifted e-arc!

I thought that this was utterly fantastic. On the surface level it's a terrific thriller with believable twists and turns (not this ridiculous far-fetched twist trend that's in style right now) and beneath the surface it's an adept social commentary- reading the Author's Note brings this home. The Savannah setting made it even more palatable to me. I listened to this one in one day.

This novel was gifted to me by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A solid mystery plot with an ending I didn't figure out. Love when that happens.

This is my second read this month by Willingham and while I'm still not sold on her books as a whole, I enjoyed this so much more than her first book.

A missing child that has apparently been stolen in the night. Alongside a personal mystery told in a dual timeline from the mother's perspective will have you questioning everyone and everything.

I can see why this one is popular with the #bookstagram crowd.

Absolutely addictive! So so good. It totally kept me hooked with every turn of the story. Would highly recommend it!!

I guess I am just a little tired of the unreliable/sleep deprived MC. I suspected early on what the outcome was going to be in the present day timeline but was surprised by the past timeline's outcome. I thought that was very well done. Overall, the story kept my attention and is a decent read. Some may love it more than me. I will be looking forward to Willingham's next book.

Ok unpopular opinion here, I know A Flicker in the Dark was a lot of people's favorite thriller of last year but I thought it was just okay. That being said, I had my expectations lowered for this book but I think that it exceeded them. The suspense was on point, the pacing was great, all of the set up really felt like it paid off. It was very well written and for thriller lovers who like to be surprised, I will say I didn't see most of them coming. There are definitely a lot of triggers here so definitely be aware of that going in and check StoryGraph for the most updated ones.

3.5 ⭐️

“Nobody understands what it's like to be locked inside the mind of a mother: the things you think that you aren't supposed to; the beliefs that burrow themselves deep into your brain like a parasite, making you sick.”

Isabella’s life changed forever a year ago when her her son was abducted out of his crib in the middle of the night. Now a year later to the date the police still have no leads, everyone seems to think that Isabella has lost her mind. She hasn’t stopped advocating for her son, and one day on a flight home from a convention where she speaks about her son’s disappearance, she meets a true crime podcaster who’s about to open her eyes to the the past. You see everyone in this book has a secret and some of them are deadly.

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
Check trigger warnings.

This book definitely touched on some sore spots for me personally,as a mother myself I can definitely feel for Isabella and her own mother. The inner demons we face on our own, too scared to voice what goes through our heads at times of being overwhelmed. I think this book touched on some tough topics pretty well without being over the top.

I won’t lie to you there were times this was a bit slow for me, but whenever I thought about putting it down the next chapter would suck me back in. The author was very descriptive with her words, at times I loved it and other times I was just like ok bestie just get to the POINT. Haha that’s just me being picky though especially when things are picking up, I would find myself skimming through until I got to the dialogue parts because I was so invested!

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Trade for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Stacy Willingham’s atmospheric follow-up, “All The Dangerous Places,” to her bestselling debut, “A Flicker In the Dark”, tells the story of Isabelle Drake whose son, Mason, was kidnapped the previous year. Belle gives a talk about her ordeal at a true crime convention as part of her mission to find her son. Afterwards, she meets true crime podcaster, Waylon Spencer. Waylon persuades Belle to give an interview in exchange for his help with her case. Belle’s investigation takes an unexpected turn when she uncovers shocking secrets about her own family. Belle also finds herself facing accusations that she is the cause of Mason’s disappearance which she denies at first, but due to her long standing sleepwalking, she begins to consider if those accusations are valid.

I always enjoy a swampy thriller. Willingham’s Isle of Palms setting adds an aura of mystery and tension that sustains throughout the story. The plot unravels at leisurely pace which results in the “gotcha” effect with each revelation. Belle’s first-person narrative is surprisingly more complex then other Thrillers in the same vein. Belle is desperate and distraught, but she’s also assertive and determined. She’s not always sympathetic, but Willingham fleshes out Belle just enough that she isn’t off-putting.

Stacy Willigham showed a lot of promise in her debut. In her second novel, she shows she is a thriller star on the rise.

Stacy Willingham is an amazing author, I enjoyed her first book A Flicker in the Dark, and hoped her next one would be as good and IT IS!

One year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.

Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.

Isabelle’s entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle’s past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust… including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.

When a book keeps me guessing through every chapter and I’m really not sure in which direction things will go, that’s my favorite. I want to be taken on a literary ride and lose myself in the story. You will devour this novel and will be left looking forward to whatever else Stacy writes.

Out now!

Seemed like a typical missing child who done it, but this had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. An unreliable narrator that makes you question everything, all the time. Did she, or didn't she? If not her, then who? Read to find out!