Loved this one!!!! This was my first from this author and it definitely won’t be the last!

The vibes were perfectly spooky throughout the whole book and really kept me invested.

I really loved the dual timeline and it helped paint the full picture.

It was also super mysterious and kept me guessing what the ending was going to be. I figured out one small part of it but the last couple twists I did not see coming and I loved how they turned out!

The pacing was perfect and I loved the writing style. This was just an all around win for me!

I tore through this book in two days! I absolutely loved the mystery, the characters, the writing, and the ending! Could not ask for anything better in a thriller.

Make sure you read the synopsis before reading though—trigger warning especially for new moms.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS felt like a journey in how the past and your experiences, shape you, your choices and your life. After Isabelle’s son is taken in the night, with very little leads, she can’t stop looking and digging, even for sleep, until she can find answers. Told in a dual timeline, Isabelle has to reflect and revisit her past in order to understand the present.

The journey felt very atmospheric to me - I felt those late nights - and even though it was kind of a slow burn, once everything was revealed in the end, I could see how all of the clues were scattered throughout the entirety of the book. I even guessed a few of the major twists, but there was so much doubt throughout the book, I didn’t know for sure until it was on the page.

As a parent, I felt so conflicted with if I “liked” Isabelle’s character because on one hand, I could totally understand the no-sleep-never-give-up mentality, but sometimes her thoughts and choices felt frustrating. I guess it really speaks to the complexity of people. Also the idea of sleep deprivation contributing to her unreliability - was she even fully herself?

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that likes a mystery shrouded in doubt.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for the digital copy through NetGalley.

✨All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham✨

Genre: Thriller
Pages: 336
Pub date: Today!

📚 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.

📝A definite page-turner! I pretty much read it all in one sitting!

Initially when I started this book, I thought that the main mystery was the disappearance of Isabelle’s son - a mother’s worst nightmare. As I continued reading, there were several unresolved/ unanswered mysteries, questions about the past of certain characters, and lurking neighbors, That kept me guessing throughout the story!

The story is told through Isabelle’s POV, but given the number of flawed characters, it would’ve been cool to get another POV, maybe Waylon’s.

💫Thank you to @minotaur_books and @netgalley for my ARC💫

‘The truth is, people love violence—from a distance, that is. Anyone who disagrees is either in denial or hiding something.’

My Thoughts:
4.5⭐️. I liked this better than her previous book. The author does a wonderful job with the plot twists. As soon as a character is introduced, I’m already suspecting them as the culprit. There are some aspects of the story that hits too close to being a mother. The constant doubting of your parenting skills and the effects of postpartum depression.

It started off slow for me and I was kind of annoyed with the FMC. She is flawed but still, who invites a total stranger to live with them after meeting a few times?!! After that part, the story took off and I couldn’t put it down. There are some parts of the story that I find unbelievable but I can’t really explain without ruining the ending.

Great book, definitely will recommend to others to read.

Thank you, Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC in return for an honest review.

Book Review!

My first review of 2023 and this one was a dark thriller that had me racing to finish it!

Isabelle's son Mason disappeared from his room in the middle of the night. A year later, they are no closer to finding him or the truth of what happened. Izzy has become an insomniac that is barely hanging on as she tries desperately to find out what happened to her child.

This was much darker than I thought it would be. It leads to some heavy topics but important ones. I think Willingham did a great job of intertwining these topics with the thriller storyline without losing the gravity of them. The story is gripping and even though I easily figured out a few of the plot points, my attention didn't waiver. The tension was thick and I had to know what exactly happened as soon as possible. I liked this book even more than her debut novel last year and can't wait to see what she comes out with next.
This just published this week so pick it up!

*TW for suicide, PPD and psychosis, child death

Thank you @minotaur_books @stacyvwillingham and @netgalley for the eARC of this!

#allthedangerousthings #minotaurinfluencers #thriller

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
Fabulous, what an amazing novel, certainly did not want to stop reading. I was hooked from the beginning, the story line and characters were well developed, tons of twists and surprises, the author has you thinking one person did it, then another and it's neither...
Isabelle and her husband are desperate to find their son Mason who has been missing for a year now. Isabelle has been spending time doing conferences to raise more awareness of her missing son. Did someone take him, is he still alive, could Isabelle be responsible for his disappearance?
This is a must read, I've read Stacy's other novel and loved it also. I'm anxiously waiting for the next 😊

Slow-burning suspense with dark twists!

Stacy Willingham is the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark and All The Dangerous Things. She earned her BA in magazine journalism from the University of Georgia and her MFA in writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Before turning to fiction, she was a copywriter and brand strategist for various marketing agencies. Her books are being translated into over 30 languages. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, Britt, and Labradoodle, Mako, where she is always working on her next book.

Told in a dual narrative, when we first meet Isabelle Drake, she’s a mother on the edge of sanity. It’s been one full year of insomnia since her son, Mason, was taken from his bed in the middle of the night, and police have no leads. But Isabelle’s childhood is shaded by a similar tragic event—the ‘accidental’ death of her little sister—and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t shake her past or the secret her parents’ made her promise to keep. The past timeline adds a nice layer of complex detail to her character adding the possibility of mental illness as a hereditary condition.

This book tapped into one of my worst fears, hooking me on page one and slowly leading tying up every single loose end. I felt like there were so many layers to this story, and as each piece unraveled, I was pulled deeper into the mysterious world of motherhood and mental health—two topics that fascinate me. I enjoyed the author’s ability to immerse the reader into the dark southern vibes and eerie setting of Savannah, Georgia. The memory flashbacks were vivid and dreamlike, leading me to believe that Isabelle might be capable of something very dark, making the twist at the end even more satisfying. Her characters were fleshed out and real—all messy and conflicted—and I had no issues distinguishing between them. This novel is definitely slower-paced than I’m used to, but there was enough tension to keep me turning pages. However, there were so many details to unravel, that if the pace had been faster then the story probably would have been harder to follow.

3.5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I recommend to readers who enjoy domestic thrillers with unreliable narrators, and slow-burning suspense.

Stacy Willingham is absolutely one of the best new(ish) voices in crime fiction and I absolutely loved her sophomore outing. All The Dangerous Things is a really interesting exploration of motherhood and the expectations and pressures society places on women and mothers. Willingham makes use of several recept tropes in the genre (like the true crime podcast element and the unreliable narrator) but still makes them feel fresh, and I thought the story flew by thanks to flashbacks that were incorporated at exactly the right moment which increased the suspense. As much as I loved the mystery itself, I think my favorite thing about Willingham’s writing is how good she is at making the setting of the story come to life. Even reading this in the dead of winter, I could feel the oppressive heat and humidity of Beaufort and smell the water coming off of the marsh. Setting isn’t usually something I pay attention to in mysteries and thrillers, but Willingham makes it impossible to ignore thanks to her excellent writing. All The Dangerous Things is out now. Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Isabelle and Ben’s son is missing. A year prior, Mason goes missing from his crib. Ben thinks he’s dead, but Isabelle is determined to find him. She will do whatever it takes to find her son.

This novel is a slower suspense. You slowly start to get the backstory of the parents. But I promise it’s worth it. Right from the very beginning I wanted to know what happened to Mason. Who has him?! Is he still alive??

I loved the twisty ending, however, I think I was expecting a little bit more.


Stacy’s debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark has been on my TBR for awhile. It’s been waiting for me at the library, and it’s definitely on my list for 2023! After reading this, I’ll be sure to read it very soon.

How exciting to be approved for this!! Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All the Dangerous Things is now available!

I read a thriller last year where the main character had sleeping problems and I loved the concept, so I am glad to see that theme in this book as well!

I did enjoy this read, there just feels like something was missing! I found some chapters I was glued to the story and couldn’t put down, while others made me lose a little bit of interest.

I found myself enjoying the “now” chapters much more than the “then” chapters but I understand the reason for them in the story!

Some of the plot points I found a little far fetched and unsure if they are actually believable, but also remembering that it’s a story and I just need to enjoy it!

The ending was well done and nicely wrapped together and answered all of my questions!

I read this author's debut (Flicker in the Dark) very early on last year, and it stayed one of my absolute favourites until the end of 2022. Sadly, I didn't enjoy this one as much. The twist didn't punch as hard–which I usually don't mind if I enjoyed the journey, but the journey took WAY too long. Each description had its own description, and I could have done without many, many of the similes and metaphors.

However, I DID enjoy the dual timelines, it felt very reminiscent of Jennifer Mcmahon's use of the device and created the right seeds of suspicion–even if by the end I wasn't shocked at who was behind the curtain.

If you don't mind your thrillers being a little slower paced, but still chock-full of red herrings and many possible suspects, you'll enjoy Willingham's sophomore novel!

All the Dangerous Things is a psychological thriller based on a kidnapped/missing child and the relentless search by his sleep-deprived mother to find the answers. I really enjoyed the suspense build of this one. Although the MC is an unreliable narrator (the continuous lack of sleep made me tired) and I struggled to figure out the relevance of the 1999 flashbacks besides adding further doubts in the mother's mental health, I found myself wanting to keep reading to know what happened. I will admit I figured out one of the twists pretty quickly, but the whodunnit was a surprise. I love a good plot twist.

Are you looking for a reading slump buster, something to jumpstart January? This is your book reader friends! One year after Isabel Drake’s toddler son disappeared in the night from his nursery police appear no closer to an answer, her marriage disintegrated, and she hasn’t slept a single night. Taking matters into her own hands she’s speaking at true crime events, searching faces for unusual interest, combing the ugliness of internet chats for any clue. Desperate, she agrees to speak with a true crime podcaster in the hopes of reaching more people. This is the story of a mother who is living through a waking nightmare, who is discounted and undermined, and has a past. Willingham deftly serves up a narrative where we don’t know if Isobel is an unreliable narrator, we are unsure who to believe, who to trust. The pacing is fantastic and drew me in immediately, I needed to know how past informed present, where all the pieces fit!
I highly recommend for lovers of suspense, and think this is very well suited for a buddy read. This is my first book from Stacy Willingham but I’m now excited to go back and read A Flicker In The Dark.
Thank you to Minotaur Books, Stacy Willingham, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

I was a little nervous to read this one, because I usually don’t like missing children plots, but I loved her previous novel so I decided to try it. I really really liked it! SW is a new favorite of mine and I’m excited to read more by her!

Wow! All the dangerous things is about love, loss and the struggle mothers face to get it all right. Stacy willingham writes beautifully even though what she’s writing about is painful. Isabelle Drake goes to check on her baby one morning to find his crib empty! She has been looking for him for a year with little to no sleep, her husband has left her, Shes a desperate woman. When she’s approached my a podcaster who wants to help her she apprehensively accepts his help. This book will keep you guessing and make you think about how mothers always blame themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for an eArc in exchange for my honest review.

4 Stars
Isabelle wakes up one morning to find that her son is missing from his crib. After a whole year, he is still not found and the police have no leads. She takes matters into her own hands, studying her neighbors and scrolling true crime forums. Because of this, she can’t sleep. She hasn’t slept for a whole year, which caused extra strain to her marriage leading them to separate. She meets a true crime podcaster who wants to get her story out, but as time goes on working with him, she realizes he isn’t who he seems to be.

💭Thoughts💭

The first 30% of this book had me frustrated and kind of bored. It was only as it went on that I got more into it and the story did lead to some good twists and turns. It was not as thrilling or suspenseful as I had anticipated either, but the plot did have some depth once you got to the end.

I really enjoyed Willingham's first book and was looking forward to the second! It was worth the wait. Right out of the gate, I love the setting. I visited Savannah frequently as a kid and this book put me back there, walking through the squares. The characters well developed, although not very likable. The plot is fast paced and kept me turning those pages and I did not expect that ending! I will definitely read more Willingham!

⁉️What are you looking forward to this year?
Vacationing! Last year I started taking a night to myself here and there to decompress (read, drink lots of coffee uninterrupted). So, looking forward to more of that, but we’ve also got plans to take mini vacations throughout the year as a family, and there’s nothing more fun than going on an adventure (unless it’s camping) with the fam.

BOOK REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
All the Dangerous Things by @stacyvwillingham
Pub date: January 10, 2023 (out now!)
326 pages
THANK YOU @minotaur_books and @netgalley for the E-ARC

No one warned me that this was a book about a mother and her missing child 😆 (usually a plot I avoid 😭). When I tell you, though, that it’s been ages since I’ve been so sucked into a thriller, I mean it. I devoured this book in a day and a half, reading many chapters in each go, because I just could not stop reading.

I wouldn’t say it’s really a fast paced or action packed thriller, but more of a slowly unfolding suspense read.

We’ve got a bit of an unrelatable narrator (she doesn’t even believe herself half of the time) due to sleepwalking and a blurry recollection of a past event. I don’t want to give too much away, but I read Willingham’s debut last year (A Flicker in the Dark). While I thought it was an entertaining read, I’d guessed the big reveal almost immediately. This one wasn’t like that. There were some things that I had guessed right, but there was also the fun of doubting my suspicions until the very end. The writing has definitely matured a bit here and it made for a real page turner. Definitely a case of right book at the right time for me.

#allthedangerousthings #aflickerinthedark #stacywillingham #minotaurbooks #thrillerreads #thrillerbooks #botm #bookofthemonth #netgalley #netgalleyreview #bookreview #bookblog #bookblogger #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #instabooks #readergram #readingjournal #bookishthoughts #bookstore #arcreview #newbooks #newbookstagram #booksiread #booklove #spookyreads

I really enjoyed the author's first book so I was looking forward to this one. For me, this book started out slow and took me a while to get into. I wasn't sure I was going to like it for a while and easily predicted a lot of what happened. However, I really enjoyed how everything was brought together at the end and give this book 4 stars.