All the Dangerous Things was my first book by Stacy Willingham…. I know! How did I skip A Flicker in the Dark?! It’s on my TBR and I’m going to read it soon!

Anyway, back to All the Dangerous Things! Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I took a few days after finishing this book to actually sit down and write the review and when I went to do it - I could not remember what this book was about. I had to read the entire synopsis again before it clicked. After I refreshed my memory, I knew I enjoyed the story while I was in it and read it in just a couple of sittings but obviously it didn't leave a lasting impression. I didn't quite connect with the characters the way I would have liked.

Overall I'd give it 3 stars because lack of staying power but engaging while immersed! I'm truly looking forward to finally getting A Flicker in the Dark off the TBR and into my hands to see what else Stacy has in store for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC and audiobook.


Description from NetGalley:
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.

I enjoyed Stacy Willingham’s first book, A Flicker in the Dark. So, I was excited to read All the Dangerous Things. The story focuses around a missing toddler, which made part of this hard for me to listen/read as I have a toddler. However, Stacy did not disappoint. The narrator did a great job with the book. This book has a dual timeline, but I was definitely more interested in the modern timeline. I felt for Isabelle as she works with people and continues to look for her son a year after his disappearance.


Overall: 4/5

One phrase to sum up the entirety of this book: The ultimate gas lighting. A different kind of domestic thriller for lovers of the genre. It keeps the reader guessing if they're being over critical, reading too much into the situation. And the ending does not disappoint.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

AMAZING read! 5 stars
This book will please any thriller fans that enjoy twists. This author is now on my list to read, without looking at the summary!

OK, I 100% thought I knew where this book was taking me. I was getting so mad because I thought I had figured it out, BUT I WAS WRONG. AND thank god cause I was ready to rate this lower HAHA

I thought the pace of the book was great, but I do think I liked A Flicker in the Dark a little better. I'm kinda over the whole unstable woman main character vibe.

I really like this author's writing style. I was hooked right from the beginning and was fully engaged in the characters and the mystery. I did see a few of the plot twists/motivations of a few characters coming, but the suspense and intrigue was still there. A really enjoyable read.

This was SO GOOD. I was truly guessing until the very end - there were so many random surprises that completely knocked out everything I thought I had figured out. This was very well executed, awesome second novel, and I can't wait for more!

I loved A Flicker in The Dark, so I was excited to read this one and Willingham has done it again. She has given the reader an unputdownable page turner that has fresh ideas and perfectly flawed, realistic characters.

This is a dual timeline story told from POV. When her baby, Mason goes missing from the home she shares with her husband Ben, she starts to wonder guiltily if it has anything to do with her sleep disorder or if she is somehow responsible.

We learn about her past, grief, postpartum depression, as themes of motherhood permeate the story.

Pick this up if you’re in a reading slump. It’s bound to get you out of it.

I don’t do specific spoiler alerts but this one has some heavy topics. Read the synopsis to make sure it’s for you. It was definitely for me.

What a twisty, dark, slow burn! I absolutely enjoyed reading this from start to finish. I highly recommend this if you want a domestic psychological thriller. One of my favorite themes in a thriller is the unreliable narrator being a mom. I think it makes for such a rollercoaster when reading.

I listened to the audio and really enjoyed the multiple POVs and timelines. I loved being tossed back and forth in theories and though I had an inkling about the ending I feel most people will be surprised.

The narrator did a fabulous job as well. Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and Libro.fm. For my advanced copy & audio!

CW: Kidnapping, child loss, mental health

Stacy Willingham is one of the few authors who can completely leave me speechless. If you know me in real life, that is a rare occurrence. Thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review. This was absolutely fabulous.

**spoiler alert** I feel like the meme of Travolta standing alone in the room walking around. Is it me?

I absolutely hated this book. Isabelle Drake suffers from insomnia after her young son went missing from her home. Her husband leaves, and detectives are no help they even suspect her. She does true crime conferences to keep money coming in and meets a true crime podcaster that would love to speak to her about the unsolved disappearance. We get flashbacks of her childhood.

When was younger, she suffered from sleepwalking and wouldn't have any memory of what she did btw something bad happened to her younger sister during one of these blackouts.


Need I say more?
This was all so cliche, and predictable, and the writing was terrible. More passages are wasted detailing irrelevant things and not enough actual mystery and suspense. The chapters introducing us to her husband were very cringe. I also hate the way the female character is portrayed, this was also my main issue with her first book. They are always gaslighted, alcoholics or drug addicts, and never make smart decisions every horrible female trope you can think of. Halfway through I stopped caring for Mason completely.

This will be my last book from this author.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an advance copy for my honest review, I wish I had a more positive experience

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This was a solid, twisty thriller with a narrator that grew to distrust herself, which is a fun angle to take on the crime genre. The back and forth in timeline felt a bit sluggish at times, but I understand the motivation for it in the storytelling. A solid thriller.

This read like two stories in one. First is the mystery of the main character's childhood and what happened to her sister. Then the book switches gears to the disappearance of the young boy. I found the way these storylines were revealed odd and not very cohesive. The author's lack of attention to details and her lack of knowledge was evident in several areas, such as the young child and sleepwalking. I realize this is the author's second book and would be interested in reading future ones. even though I found this one just okay.

I absolutely loved this book. It was very dark and the unreliable narrator was super unreliable which I love. I definitely want to read more from this author.

Stacy Willingham does it again! Something I am most impressed by is her ability to encapsulate motherhood — the good, the bad, and the ugly — without being a mother herself. It’s clear that she did thorough research and spoke with many mothers to ensure she does the motherhood conversation justice. As a mother, I really appreciate that.

As in A FLICKER IN THE DARK, Willingham engages the reader with a case of unlikable and untrustworthy characters, including the MC, descriptive detail and settings, and twisty turns you won’t see coming. I wish there would have been on twist, even minor, in the first half to keep the plot moving a little more, but the second half and ending especially really delivers on all the things you expect from a pulsating thriller. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Isabelle Drake's son Mason was taken from his crib in the middle of the night. Isabelle cannot sleep until her son is returned. She is having severe insomnia and possibly hallucinations and confusion because of this. It may all stem back from a similar incident in her childhood. Meanwhile, her husband Ben has left her because of her obsession with the case. He wants to move on and feels that she should try to as well.
While trying to gain publicity for the case, Isabelle meets podcaster Waylon who offers to take on her case to gain the attention of anyone who may know information, Isabelle jumps at the chance. But then things begin to go south with Waylon. Who is he really and why is he taking such an interest in the case and her past? And what is up with Ben and his "new" girlfriend?

I really loved this book! It was a 5-star read for me. It was also my first by Stacy Willingham, although I do have A Flicker in the Dark sitting on my shelf. Reading this one has definitely moved her first book up my TBR pile! The twists were great and I loved Isabelle's backstory and how it created some suspicion and tension about her possible involvement in Mason's disappearance. I really enjoyed how everything was wrapped up at the end as well. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next! Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the gifted eARC!

I still feel a little torn on my rating for this. I’d honestly probably only give it 3.5 stars, but because I enjoyed it I think 4 is fair.

I enjoyed the “twists” in this book, but I felt like some of them were a bit unrealistic and some were predictable (i. e. Ben/Valerie). I feel like the police investigation in regards to Izzy’s confrontation with Valerie was just like “come on, really?” There’s no way that would’ve just been skimmed over. I also liked that this book was actually kind of eerie because of Izzy’s sleep walking. The dual-timeline with her past, while maybe not necessary, was a nice break in between the main story (which was starting to drag on a bit).

Overall, definitely enjoyed this and have already recommended it to the girls in my book club.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, & Minotaur Books for this ARC.

Stacy Willingham knocks it out of the park again! I loved her debut novel and was so excited to receive an eARC of this novel. It did not disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat and stayed up WAY past my bedtime to finish the book and find out what the heck was going on- WORTH IT.

I loved the way the subplots, characters, and stories were woven together yet so distinct as well. Izzy was a great unreliable MC and I really enjoyed the complexity of her as a character. There were pages when I loved her, pages when I hated her, pages when I pitied her, and pages when I was rooting for her. It was all over the place but worked so well! The addition of her sleeping issues (past and present) was a great catalyst for the story.

My main reasons for rating this book 4 stars instead of 5 stars was the police "investigation" and the ending in regard to the case(s) was very unrealistic and took away from the story (don't want to give too much away). There's just no effing way the police would allow some stuff that happened/didn't happen. I also felt like the ending should have had more in regard to the outcome of the main plot line but it just glazed over that part and the book ended. I was surprised there wasn't more in that aspect.

I did guess one twist pretty early (view spoiler) but was shocked at some of the others (view spoiler) . (view spoiler)

Read if you like:
-Dual timelines
-Unreliable narrators/MCs
-Multiple storylines
-Multiple twists
-Podcast elements

This was my first book by Stacy Willingham! I haven't read 'Flicker In The Dark' yet but now I definitely want to!

This book has been EVERYWHERE! Every day I see a new review for it and lately it's been getting all the hype!

There were sections in this book that I loved, like the sleepwalking scenes and the scenes from the past. Then, there were scenes that I was super bored with where it just started to feel slow going and repetitive, which are things that really drag a thriller down for me. The ending also left me quite underwhelmed which really led to the overall 'meh' feeling towards this book.

I personally think this story had the potential but wish the story went in a different direction.