It’s been one year since Isabelle Drake’s son Mason, disappeared from his nursery in the middle of the night. With hardly any evidence and no leads Isabelle has lost her marriage and her ability to sleep. Desperate to find new information and gain a new perspective, she agrees to be interviewed by a true crime podcaster who begins to dig into her own past and dredges up secrets and doubts she’s long buried. Through the self doubt and public perception that she must be involved in the disappearance of her son; Isabelle stays determined to find the truth no matter what it uncovers.

An insightful, complicated look at the mental state of mothers from all stages that is impossible to put down. Willingham illustrates a bold look into the mind and how it can hide and trick us into not trusting our own instincts.
Be sure to check out this superb sophomore novel from Stacy Willingham that far surpasses A Flicker in the Dark; can’t wait to see what she does next! Special thanks to netgalley, Minotaur books and st martins press for the ARC

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: their child stolen in the middle of the night. Just the thought of it is enough to cause any parent to lose sleep. For Isabelle Drake that is an extreme understatement. You see for Isabelle it’s been a year since her child was taken and she hasn’t slept since. (Not literally but dang near.) Worse the case seems to be going nowhere, so in a bid to get attention back on the case she agrees to go on a true-crime podcast. But doing so also dredges up a past she’d rather not think about. There are so many great facets to this book. The tense, uncomfortable storyline, the fact that our narrator is practically and at times actually sleepwalking through life. Definitely a story worth losing some sleep over. (pun intended, lol) I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of All the Dangerous Things.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1UU4M7KP9S9Y0/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I was so excited when I saw that Stacy Willingham had written another book. I absolutely loved her debut novel and this one did not disappoint. It was full of drama, twists, and lots of emotions. I love the writing and the story line. It’s a story about a woman, Isabelle, who has had her child stolen from their home while she was asleep at night. It goes back and forth from present day to when she was a child. It’s one of those books where I just thought I knew how it was going to in but I had quite the shock at what really happened! I would definitely recommend this book!

Isabelle has not slept in over a year except for a cat nap or two. Her son was stolen out of her home and she has now changed her focus. All of her focus is strictly on finding her child. She will not rest until she knows what happened Mason. But her own childhood is not innocent, so she begins questioning herself and what actually happened the evening Mason was taken.

There are a lot of moving parts to this novel and the moment you think you know…you don’t know!

I loved Isabelle. My heart broke for her and her situation. And then when she starts to question her ability as a mom…geez! Then, when you actually find out about her past and what happened the night Mason went missing…it makes your blood boil!

I loved this author’s previous book, A Flicker in the Dark. But this one, I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars. I decided on 5 because the ending is so good. It does have some slow places and mundane details but that is by design. I did listen to it. I have more patience with a slow burn that way as well.

The narrator, Karissa Vacker, nailed all the characters. She has just the right tone with Isabelle too. You can definitely hear the heartbreak in her voice.

Need a story which will have you seeing red…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I trusted absolutely NOBODY in this (in the best way lol) and it kept me guessing and engrossed throughout the whole book! I truly was still unconvinced of my own theories right up until the end.

I do really enjoy thrillers when you don’t know if there is a trustworthy narrator or not, and this one delivered! Our main character, Isabelle, hasn’t been able to have a full, proper sleep since her son was taken… ONE YEAR AGO! I fall apart when my insomnia acts up 2 nights in a row, I can’t even imagine how she would feel with no sleep and her son being taken.

You’re wondering about neighbours, family, friends… SOMEONE has to be responsible, so who is it?

This book will make you double check that you locked your doors and windows… 🫣

🌖 REVIEW: ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS 🌖

By Stacy Willingham

📖 SUMMARY: Isabelle’s young son was taken from his crib in the middle of the night one year ago, and the police still have no answers. Her entire life now revolves around solving the mystery of his disappearance, which led to both chronic insomnia and the end of her marriage. In an act of desperation, she agrees to be interviewed by a true crime podcaster who has created a community of amateur sleuths. Thought hopeful at first, the podcaster’s questioning and her sleep issues start to dredge up some painful childhood memories, and Isabelle isn’t sure who to trust, or if there was ever anyone she could trust at all.

💭 THOUGHTS: I went into this book with high hopes because I really liked the author’s previous novel. It did not disappoint! The premise was so interesting, and the pacing of this book is great — I wasn’t able to stop listening! I’m pretty good at sniffing out the answers in thrillers, but this one delivered twist after twist that surprised me in the best way. It played like a movie in my head! I did a mix of reading and audio, and really enjoyed the audio. It’s read by Karissa Vacker, one of my favorite narrators, so I’d definitely recommend!

Thank you to @minotaur_books @macmillan.audio for the advanced book and audio. It comes out tomorrow, 1/10, if you didn’t get it in this month’s BOTM box!

✨ MADE ME FEEL: on edge & a bit wary of rabid true crime fans

👍 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you liked Willingham’s previous novel

This was a good read, with some interesting twists but it wasnt overly twisty for the sake of being misleading. It was a bit slow for the first 50% or so but really picked up in the second half and I couldnt put it down. Without spoiling anything, if youre a dog owner you’ll be suspicious pretty early on…

Isabelle’s son is missing, taken in the middle of the night. But just a year later, the case is cold & the search to find Mason has found nothing. With nowhere left to turn, Isabelle has taken matters into her own hands, speaking with true crime fans desperate for answers.

Nowwwww I think I may have an unpopular opinion here bc I thought this was fine? I thought the pacing & reveals of clues was done well. I did not guess what happened to Mason (always a plus). The dual timelines was a fun touch having two mysteries going at the same time. I think the author did a good job of making us distrust the MC & had lots of suspects floating around that it made it fun to guess.

While I had a good time the plot, I felt some of the side plots were unnecessary. Without getting too spoilery, when a certain character was introduced & immediately accepted, I’m suspicious. I also wanted more from Isabelle not sleeping, more of her being unreliable. It was just missing for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot more than the authors first book. I think I will see what she comes out with next bc her books are very readable!

All the Dangerous Things

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC! This book is out tomorrow, 1/10!!

This was such a great read. I do love thrillers and this had all my favorites.

Isabelle’s son was taken one year ago, she has a mysterious past with her family, she can’t sleep (and hasn’t in a year), and she’s a sleepwalker. Talk about keeping you on your toes. So many twists and turns.

I love the then and now timelines and I love a story that embraces the stress of being the perfect mother. We all need to give each other more grace.

Highly recommend you pick this one up. If you read, don’t skip the author’s note! Such important information to consider.

Definitely giving this one 5🌟!!

This book was really dark, with lots of twists and turns. I picked up on a few things, but a lot of the twists were pretty surprising. Everyone in this book is sketchy and the narrator is unreliable so you literally can’t trust anything.
 
I’m not a huge fan of the crazy woman trope, but I do love a good unreliable narrator and even though I kept thinking I had this book figured out, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
 
Overall I really enjoyed this one, so much that I chose it as my December BOTM pick. It’s a quick read that will keep you guessing, but I would highly recommend checking out the content warnings before diving in.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS by STACY WILLINGHAM is your next must read of 2023!

It’s been a year since Isabelle Drake’s son was kidnapped from his crib while she and her husband slept in the next room. The investigation has gone cold, but Isabelle will do anything to find out the truth of what happened that night.

Isabelle has barely slept in the past twelve months and as her mind and memory start playing tricks on her she’s finding herself at the end of her rope. Until she meets a true-crime podcaster who wants to interview her. This is her chance to find a new witness or unearth a new clue.

Not everyone in Isabelle’s life supports her choices or her actions. But then again the life Isabelle knew is just a hazy memory now. And memories, like the truth, can be distorted.

I devoured this book which is a bit of a slow burn suspense with a solid mystery at its core. I found myself so invested in the women of this story who are complex and complicated. Messy and doing their best. The conversation around motherhood and the expectations placed on mothers and women alike was such a powerful and relatable element of this book.

Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end of the book. It brought me to tears. STACY WILLINGHAM crafts great thrillers wrapped in beautiful writing and packs so much power into her words. I was a huge fan of her debut A FLICKER IN THE DARK and will continue to read everything she writes.

Huge thanks to Minotaur & NetGalley for the ARC. I loved it!

First 5-star read of 2023! When I read Stacy Willingham's solid thriller debut A Flicker in the Dark, I was impressed with the storytelling but less with some of the execution. I admit that as a pharmacist I am a harsh critic when a story that relies heavily on pharmacology doesn't quite stand up scientifically. But I am so glad I gave Ms. Willingham a second chance! The storytelling in All the Dangerous Things is even better and the execution exquisite! I highly appreciated her Author's Note at the end regarding her research and own struggle writing this book based on her personal perspective. Spoiler alert: do NOT read the Author's Note section until you are done with the book. This is a story that needs to unfold organically.

We are all unreliable narrators. We feed stories all the time to those around us, and most dangerously to ourselves. What we think we know even about ourselves may or may not be the truth. What lies have we swallowed along the way since childhood, and what lies have we told ourselves?

This book could be a triggering story for many women, particularly mothers. Kidnapping is never an easy read, nor is acknowledgement of the ugly thoughts that have crept into the corners of our minds all our lives. We are imperfect, damaged, and messy but not alone. Whether mothers or not, we are all sisters in this complicated thing we call life. We are not always OK. We may not always thrive, but we can survive.

Thank you St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Genre: 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫
Format: 𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
Length: 𝟑𝟑𝟔 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬
Trigger Warnings: 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Stacy Willingham for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

"𝘕𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴, 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘣 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵, 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘞𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥. 𝘜𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦."

✨Read this book if you enjoy✨
🔪mystery thrillers
🤯multiple plot twists
🫣dysfunctional characters
🤐unreliable narrator
🕰️dual timelines

Last year I read Stacy Willingham’s debut, A Flicker in the Dark and it wasn’t my favorite. But I really wanted to give her another shot and I am so so glad that I did. All The Dangerous Things was an unexpected surprise and I enjoyed every minute of it.

It’s been a year since Izzy and Ben’s son, Mason went missing in the middle of the night. The police leads have all gone cold, and Izzy is doing her best to keep her son’s case relevant.

The writing and the pacing was really well done throughout this book, it’s one that you won’t want to put down. I was able to guess a few twists but it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment. I think the twists were really thought out and well done. There were so many moments that made me really uneasy, I wasn’t sure who to trust. You quickly realize that everyone is keeping their own secrets, some worse than others. If you're into mystery thrillers then this has to be on your 2023 tbr!

* mind blown emojis here *

Willingham really started this year out with a bang. Thriller genre, watch out because this woman did not come to play.

To keep to minimal & without ruining ANY of the glory of this book. Here is what you need to know & what I really enjoyed.

First, there is a dual timeline. The switch between "now" and "then" helped keep this story addicting. Following our main character, Isabelle. during her childhood added to the intensity of the mystery in this one. The "past" scenes were dark.

Next, beware this one is a SLOW BURN! Willingham takes her time setting the scene and then she slaps ya in the face with shocking twists and reveals. Personally, I wasn't effected by the "slow" pace, I was very addicted to reading this book from page one. The first day of listening I screamed through six hours and didn't want to stop. For it being slow burn, you won't want to put the book down.

NO SPOILERS but this book is PERFECT for fans of Gone Girl. I really was not a fan of that book but this story slaps! Reading this makes me excited for the thrillers that are coming out this year. It really set the bar high and I am SO READY to dive back into my favorite genre.

Check you triggers for this one sweet souls. There are heavy topics especially when it comes to mental health and motherhood. I want to thank Willingham for acknowledging that these are integral pieces of her story but they are delicate topics. We appreciate an author who knows how important have a healthy mind is and lists resources in her acknowledgements for anyone who is seeking help.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Minotaur Books for the digital copy and MacMillan Audio for the audiobook. I have high praise for this book.

If you loved Flicker in the Dark (and like I said earlier Gone Girl), you're really good to want to lace up your track shoes, get your cow and get to the bookstore or, I don't know, put your track shoes on all ten of your nubby little fingies to purchase it on your e-reader.

All the Dangerous Things started out well for me: I loved the look at why women enjoy true crime, and how this entertainment hurts the victims. Unfortunately, it quickly lost my interest.

The book begins with Isabelle, the protagonist, giving a keynote address at a true crime conference.  She’s a mother whose son disappeared, and she’s coming up on the one year anniversary of his disappearance.  In the past year, she’s been unable to sleep. A man approaches her on the plane on the way back from the conference asking her to be on his true crime podcast.

After the first few chapters, I found the writing style difficult to connect with: Willingham filled the book with similes that I think were intended to increase dread but instead bogged down the story.

Isabelle was a difficult character.  I found her very unlikeable, and not even in an interesting way.  Part of the problem, I think, was we never saw any positives — why she loved her son, what she missed about him.  Even at the end there was no specific resolution.  There are a lot of misdirections that seemed too obvious, and I found I wasn’t fully invested in the story.

It wasn’t a terrible book, just a bit too generic for my tastes.  I think that fans of unreliable narrator stories will enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my review copy of this book.

I think that Stacy Willingham may have just gotten on to my auto buy author list with this one. I read her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, last year and loved it. I was eager to check this one out and it did not disappoint. This book gets deep and can be a little dark, so readers should be aware right away of some major trigger warnings. They include and are not limited to:

Drowning, depression, post partum depression, Insomnia, First time motherhood, loss of a child, kidnapping, infidelity, murder.

This book hooked me right away. I was invested from the first few pages and couldn't put it down. While the unreliable female narrator who everyone thinks is crazy is a trope that's used a lot, here I think it was done well. I didn't find every twist to be extremely shocking, but there were a few that got me, including a final twist that I didn't see coming! A cast of suspicious characters kept me guessing. Ultimately, I really liked the way the twists and turns brought everything together to a great ending. This book was really bingeable and clever and I was really intrigued while reading. The main characters flashbacks also provided an interesting element to the story.

I think that Stacy Willingham is here to stay and I'm excited to see what she will come up with next. If you like a good thriller, and especially if you enjoyed her debut, this is a must read! (But please be mindful of those triggers). Thanks for Minotaur books for providing me with an early review copy via netgalley.

5 big stars for Stacy Willingham's newest book which will keep you on the edge of your seat and rushing through your day so you can pick it up and finish reading it. This book had me guessing the whole way through and just when you think you've figured it out, the author throws in another twist. Gripping, fast-paced and thrilling, this is a book worth reading. Great character and story development - absolutely loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy.

Isabelle Drake is living every mom’s worst nightmare, going on the 1 year anniversary of her baby’s abduction. taken out of his crib while she and her husband were sleeping, Isabelle has spent the past year unable to sleep and obsessing over her child’s whereabouts.

upon traveling to a True Crime convention as the keynote speaker, Isabelle meets a podcast host who invites her to tell her story on his show in the hopes of helping her find some answers that will lead to her son.

unfortunately, lack of sleep doesn’t pair well with crime investigations, and Isabelle is constantly finding herself in a state of confusion, wondering if she hallucinated certain events, and bringing up childhood memories that clutter her mind even further. with the police eyeing her warily & her husband writing her off as unhinged, Isabelle knows that she needs to find answers soon & get to the bottom of her trauma—both past and present.

this book is full of twists, and though it’s a bit of a slow burn, there are several sub-plots happening that make this a super binge-worthy read. there are dual timelines in this story, focusing on the present-day, Isabelle’s childhood, & when she met her husband. having an unreliable narrator in this book added to its suspense, as it kept me on my toes & had me distrusting basically every character at some point throughout the book. the lack of sleep added an even greater context to the unreliable narrator, as I often wondered if what she was thinking, saying, or seeing was real or hallucinated.

despite all of its twists and turns, I didn’t rate this as high as the vast majority bc I ended up guessing a lot of the twists, and I sadly didn’t love the ending…I was just expecting it to play out a little differently. but those are just two small critiques in an overall crazy ride of a story; people are going WILD over this book, so if it sounds remotely intriguing to you, I’d 100% add it to your TBR!

thank you to @netgalley & @stmartinspress for my #advancedreaderscopy. PUB DAY is 1/10/23 (tomorrow!!) 🎉📚

review ✨

Okay I loveeed this slow-burn, psychological thriller-ish read!! It has so many great elements — true crime podcast, alternating timelines, unsettling marriage, and a MC you aren’t sure you can trust. This reminded me a bit of Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier which was one of my fav thrillers in 2021

I grew up near where the book takes place in Savannah, GA and Beaufort, SC and really loved the setting and food descriptions here 🌅🦪🌾

This is not gory or super graphic, so if that usually puts you off thrillers this could be a good one to pick up! There are a few content warnings, feel free to message me if you want to discuss at all

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

📖 326 pages
🗓 this comes out TOMORROW 1/10/23!
✨ my rating: 4.5🌟

Another great and twisty thriller from Stacy WIllingham! I really enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark, so I knew I had to read this one as soon as it came out. It definitely did not disappoint! I was immediately drawn into the story and feeling the pain and miserableness of the main character. But this one kept me on my toes and I was guessing what was happening and who to trust until the very end! This is more of a medium paced thriller but it kept my attention the whole time. I definitely recommend this read and am so glad to have discovered this author!

Thank you to Stacy Willingham, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book!