This was a solid thriller. I really enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark, and this follow up did not disappoint. This book starts off with a bang by opening it up to Isabella, a mom who had her son abducted who is now doing True Crime keynote presentations in order to try to keep her son’s case open after almost a year of it going cold.

By doing these presentations she hopes the abductor may be lurking in the crowd, and that she’ll be able to find her son herself. She tries to be her own investigator, but by doing so she starts unraveling secrets from her past she never expected to find. She also hasn’t gotten a full nights rest since her son’s abduction, so between sleep deprivation and not knowing who to trust in her life she gets to the point that she isn’t even sure she can trust herself.

After that strong start there is also flashbacks to her childhood with her little sister Margaret and her parents. At times these flashbacks felt mundane, but of course as any thriller reader would know, you have to give the flashbacks and story time to align and be patient for it all to come together. You’ll eventually have that “wow!” moment if you put the time in. I had that “wow” moment multiple times during this book, and with all of the directions my mind was going in I did predict how this ended. What a great twist!

At times this story was overly verbose and I lost some interest, but that wasn’t enough for me to DNF. To DNF a story due to writing is not my style. Every author writes differently, and I love the ingenuity of a good thriller writer. Stacy Willingham is an excellent thriller writer and I’ll be looking forward to her next book.

Read this if you:
- Enjoyed Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough and/or Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier (it’s like those two books made a baby and this was the outcome)
- Enjoy unreliable narrators/shady characters
- Watch or listen to True Crime/cold cases
- If you can relate to the struggles of motherhood

I would also like to add that Stacy’s author’s note was a good edition. She acknowledged that she isn’t a mother herself and that she was nervous about writing something like this, and also addresses the struggles women go through that we are always expected to become mothers ourselves from the moment a baby doll gets placed in our hands. That we are damned if we do want kids, and damned if we don’t want kids. It’s tough being a woman and the pressure we feel in both situations. I appreciated th thoughtfulness of the authors note.

Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martins Press - Minotaur, and Stacy Willingham for this ARC. This book publishes on 1/10/23!

Lastly, thank you to MacMillan audio for this ALC. The narration was wonderfully done. Excellent pace, performance, and Karissa Vacker knocked it out of the park, just like she did with A Flicker in the Dark. She’s an incredible narrator!

fairly predictable ending but I loved how fast paced this thriller book was especially since her debut was also pretty fast paced. I would give this a 4 star because of how fast paced and how captivated I was to the writing!

3.5 stars

Yikes this would be such an awful real life scenario. I can’t image going through this. Then to have a unsupported husband on top of it, would be the worst.

I know this book is a work of fiction, but I had such a hard time with the unrealistic situations that were happened all around the MC Isabelle’s life.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is a super unique story and I loved it! The characters were very complicated, in the best way. It did get a little slow in the middle though. It had unpredictable twists and no overdone tropes, rare in a thriller!! Definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

First off, psychological thrillers are not my preferred style BUT Stacy Willingham does it so good. Her first book, A Flicker In The Dark, was very good, so I was SO excited to get an advanced copy from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press of her next release, All The Dangerous Things. This is a story of a mother whose toddler went missing a year ago. Every single character appears guilty. At about the 80% mark when truths were revealed I am not going to lie, I audibly gasped, and was so nervous for the ending I thought I was going to throw up.
I don’t know if it’s because I have a toddler but this was suspenseful, well written, every character’s story got explained, and I loved it.
Please add this to your list when it is released January 10th!

Fans of the author's debut will enjoy her newest novel. Solid psychological thriller with several twists and turns.

Thank you Macmillan and NetGalley for the provided ARC. I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down and I had to know what happened to Mason. I appreciated the nods to true crime popculture with the mention of a crimecon like convention and a true crime podcast. I enjoyed every twist and turn. So good!!

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham is a twisted tale of murder and mystery. With chapters alternating back and forth from the past to the present, we are engrossed in the life of Isabelle, a complicated woman who lives through the loss of her sister and her son. Willingham is a master of suspense and kept me guessing through the entire story. The characters are brought to life in such depth and detail, you cannot keep from turning the pages. And all the while, her tale invokes such strong feelings, you are left with a big bag of emotions you have no idea what to do with. But in the end, the plot line sneaks its way back around to a resolution that is so satisfying, you can drop the burden of all those emotions on the final page. It was a fabulous tale!

Isabelle Drake hasn't slept in a year. Her 18 month old son was kidnapped a year ago and she can not sleep until she finds him! Where is her son? Who took him? Isabelle and her husband split and he told her to move on but how can she without knowing what happened to her son? This was a great thriller that kept me guessing until the end. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

This is one of those haunting stories that will stay with me for a long time. The heartache and anguish of this young mother after her child goes missing will make you cry. Her determination to find answers was admirable, and the end of this story will shock you! Loved it!

4.5 stars! I mean yeah, fairly predictable but I read it in one sitting cause I HAD to know how it ended. Definitely better than flicker in the dark and think many will love this one!!

This book hurt my mama heart all the way through. But the ending surprised me. A different approach for thrillers that you don’t usually see.

“There’s a sickness in this property: something wicked that’s been pulsing through the house for centuries.”

The vibes of this book were immaculate. Creepy, paranoia, insomnia… all of my favs!

A great “who done it” with a little “is it too late” sprinkled in fine very nicely. I thought I had it figured out but the little wrench thrown in threw me off tracks.

I loved A Flicker in the Dark and this one was just as good. One of my new fav authors for sure!

“I like to think of our memories like a mirror: reflecting images back to us, something familiar, but at the same time, backward. Distorted. Not quite as they are.”

Quick Summary: It has been almost a year since Isabelle Drake’s toddler son, Mason was taken from his crib in the middle of the night while Isabelle and her husband Ben slept in the next room. While time has passed, her commitment to figuring out what happened only strengthens.

It’s official. I’m obsessed with Stacy Willingham’s novels. I loved A FLICKER IN THE DARK last year but I think I love ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS even more!

This thriller is set predominantly in Savannah, GA with bits in Beaufort, SC. The southern setting (especially in a town as haunted as Savannah) is perfect.

The main character, Isabelle, is an insomniac with a sleepwalking history. Who knew sleepwalking could be so creepy? It was unsettling, to say the least. Our unreliable narrator is accompanied by a whole slew of suspicious characters… it’s hard to know who to trust.

Isabelle keeps joining True Crime conventions as their keynote speaker in an attempt to draw attention to her son’s case. This book takes a look at how our obsession with true crime is sometimes unethical in the ways we consume it. Isabelle notes, “Because that's the thing with the audience, the thing I learned long ago. They don't want to get *too* uncomfortable. They don't want to actually live through what I've lived through, every ugly moment. They just want a taste.” Hmm, good point.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS alternates timelines between the present and Isabelle’s childhood in Beaufort, SC. It’s both a slow burn and impossible to put down. I loved it and think mystery/thriller fans will love it too!

Thank you Minotaur Books for the advanced copy! ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS publishes on 1/10/23. Add it to your TBR now!

4.5 stars

CW: child abduction

This book was absolutely incredible. I will read anything this author writes!

This author created a really unsetting and creepy thriller surrounding the topic of sleepwalking. Isabelle's young son was kidnapped in the middle of the night a year ago - and she hasn't slept ever since. She goes on public appearances, trying to keep the spark in her son's case alive, as it has since gone cold. She examines every neighbor, every person who shows an interest in her case. Isabelle starts, however, to look inwardly at herself, bringing up long unanswered questions...because this isn't the first time she's sleepwalked and a tragedy occurred.

SO GOOD. Read it!!!!

After loving A Flicker in the Dark, I was super excited for the second novel from Willingham. This one felt much slower and took much longer for some pieces to come together. If I hadn’t been multitasking and listening to the audio, I may not have continued. However, the last 20% did make up for a lot.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for a review!

I’ll echo what I’ve seen many others say about All the Dangerous Things — no sophomore slump for this author!! Stacey Willingham really crushed it again. I think I liked this one even more than her debut. Her thrillers have the perfect pacing-not crazy fast, but not slow and boring. Just the right level of intrigue throughout and she keeps you on your toes. There’s steady story/character development which I feel like we don’t always get with thrillers. I felt that I could connect with these characters right away and I didn’t see the twists coming. I will note this one will weigh on your heart if you’re a mom and could make you a little anxious, so while I like going into books blind, I think you should be aware going in. I really, really enjoyed this and it certainly cemented Stacey Willingham as an auto buy author for me. You’ll want to check this one out when it releases in January! Get your preorders in or add it to your January BOTM box.

4.5 STARS!

After reading and loving A Flicker in the Dark earlier this year, All the Dangerous Things became a highly anticipated release for me, and I'm happy to say it did not disappoint!

All the Dangerous Things is told from Isabelle Drake's perspective, who is living a nightmare after her toddler son was taken from his room in the middle of the night a year ago. Isabelle was a complex main character that I wanted to root for as she is struggling with a lot of pressure and guilt, but you also know that she is sleep deprived and might be hiding things especially as we get flashbacks to Isabelle's childhood. Throughout the book I found myself questioning all the characters, trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth.

I did find the beginning of the book to be very slow, but about a third of the way in, I was hooked and had an extremely hard time putting the book down. Although I found this to be a slower paced thriller, I enjoyed how the story built and how all the pieces came together, even though at the beginning I wasn't really sure how they would be relevant or connected. Most of the reveals (if not all!) I did not see coming. I enjoyed the writing and liked reading the author's note at the end too.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! If you are looking for a thriller with multiple timelines, an unreliable narrator who is a sleep deprived mother not willing to rest until her missing toddler is found, that also gives off true crime vibes with a podcast element, check out All the Dangerous Things (releases January 10, 2023)! Stacy Willingham is 2 for 2 for me and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books and Stacy Willingham for the arc.

Isabelle Drake hasn’t been able to sleep for over a year, since the day she found her son, Mason, missing from his crib. There was little evidence and neither Isabelle or the police have no idea what happened to Mason. Her insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from the past that makes Isabelle doubt herself. She needs to find out what happened no matter what the truth brings.

This is a slow burn thriller with an unreliable narrator. Told by Isabelle in the present and flashbacks from her childhood. I really enjoyed this one. There was a podcast element and I thought Isabelle’s sleep issue was interesting. The middle was a little slow but there were some surprising twists, and I totally didn’t see the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and this story line. I could not stop reading it and I loved the characters.

A year ago, Isabelle Drake was asleep when her toddler, Mason, was taken from his crib in the middle of the night and never seen again. Isabelle's life in total shambles--she can barely sleep; she and her husband, Ben, have split up; and she spends her days obsessively going over Mason's case, trying to find any leads. When speaking a true crime convention, she meets a podcaster, Waylon, who shows interest in Mason and his disappearance. But talking to Waylon brings up unsettling memories from Isabelle's own childhood--and stokes her fears that she is responsible for what happened to Mason.

This was a compelling thriller, if not a rather depressing and dark read. It really shines a light on the societal pressure new mothers and women face, including a look at post-partum depression--looking at both Isabelle and going in flashbacks to her own mother. I found it sad and tense to read about her feelings as a new mom, because Willingham really did a great job of capturing the sense of isolation, fear, and failure that new parents can often face. This is not an easy book to read, especially as a parent. As Isabelle's sleep deprivation grows and you are not sure how trustworthy she is an narrator, the book becomes even more stressful.

It's funny; overall, I had an idea of "who did it" fairly early on, but it did not diminish my enjoyment of the story at all. The character of Waylon was a good introduction (the book can slow down a bit when it focuses just on Isabelle), as were the snippets giving us a look at Isabelle's childhood. Overall, a mesmerizing and gripping tale.