[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
All the Dangerous Things releases January 10/2023

Isabelle is a new mother. It’s been a year since she’s had a full night’s sleep. Wracked with severe insomnia and a history of sleep walking, she is struggling to keep it together. The reason behind this extreme deprivation? Exactly one year ago, her son, Mason, was kidnapped from his crib and they’re no closer to finding out who the suspect is.

This was a decent read, however I found that the beginning wasn’t gripping enough for me as a thriller. Most of the story was an exploration and backstory of Isabelle’s life, instead of the missing son and active investigations with law enforcement.
Once the pieces start getting put together, and you learn how each of the characters are connected, then it does pick up - this is around 80%.
In hindsight, had I known about some of the basic content of this book, I probably wouldn’t have put this on my radar due to personal preferences (listed below).

I really enjoyed Willingham’s debut, but the structure in this was too similar for me — sibling dynamics, questionable spouses and parental upbringings, child deaths, cheating trope, dual timeline, neatly wrapped up/open ending, etc.

Overview:
- set in Savannah, Georgia
- dual timeline (then/now)
- severe insomnia + sleep walking
- postpartum psychosis
- mentions of suicide or assumed drug overdose
- child deaths
- serial cheating
- kidnapping
- unreliable narrator

I am so happy to have gotten my hands on the ARC of this book! The author’s debut novel was a read I really enjoyed last year. This one also did not disappoint!

We are brought to Savannah, Georgia where our main character, Isabelle’s, life was flipped upside down a year ago. Her son, Mason, was kidnapped in the middle of the night while her and her husband slept. Now she hasn’t had a full night of sleep in a year. Isabelle is determined to uncover the truth and find her son. As she tried to uncover the truth, she is questioning who can she really trust?

What I enjoyed:
- the southern gothic backdrop/setting was wonderful. I felt it gave it an extra creepy vibe to the whole story.
- Dual Points of Time. We go between now and Isabelle’s childhood in 1999
- The pacing was well done. The book kept my interest and my mind never strayed
- There were some moments I saw coming. But there was a big twist I didn’t see. Which still made the book interesting and kept me on my toes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! This author is officially an auto read for me. 4 stars out of 5! Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stacy Willingham does it again!
Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress & @minotaur_books for this ARC — one I was most excited to be approved for because of how much I absolutely loved A Flicker in the Dark by @stacyvwillingham

Although I wasn’t *quite* as captivated by this story as I was by her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, Stacy Willingham still knows how to write a page turning domestic thriller! There wasn’t as much suspense as I hoped for, but it was still sharp, well-written, and completely unpredictable! Definitely recommend 👏🏻 and I know I will continue to read anything this author writes!

Thank you @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for the gifted copy) Out January 10.

This thriller had me on the edge of my seat. I did not guess how this was going to play out. I haven't read her other book Flicker in The Dark yet…so now I definitely gotta do that!! The MC in this one is Isabelle Drake. Her son has been missing for a year, taken from his room in the middle of the night. There are no leads and no clues. She hasn't slept for that year other than small bouts and catnaps. All she wants to do is find out what happened to her son. She agrees to work with a podcaster who says he wants to help, but now she's wonder what his objective really is. She has a troubled past, and she's starting to think she can't even trust herself. Who CAN she trust??

Omg SO GOOD!! Flew through it, couldn't put it down. You will wonder about every character in this book. So we'll written and unpredictable!! I can't wait to read more by this author.

Haunting, suspenseful thriller set in the atmospheric marsh in the south. I really enjoyed Isabelle’s dual timeline. Digging up her past felt a bit rushed and I would have been interested in reading more about what happened in their prestigious family! Great read and I absolutely love the setting of Savannah! 4/5 ⭐️

Thanks you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and the author, Stacy Willingham, for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinion. A

This book is not just the story of another abducted child. It is a heart wrenching, psychological thriller. We are led through many twists and turns and kept the ending s total surprise.

Highly, highly recommend. Five stars!

So excited to read more from Stacy Willingham!

An Intriguing Puzzle

“We are nothing but what we choose to believe.”

All the Dangerous Things is a psychological thriller about a missing child and his sleep-deprived mother obsessed with finding out the truth behind his disappearance.

It’s been 364 days since Isabelle Drake had a concrete night’s sleep. 364 days ago, her two-year-old son, Mason, was taken from his room in the middle of the night without a trace. Not only is her son missing, but the police can’t find any evidence of what happened to him, and Isabelle’s husband, Ben, has ended their marriage. Determined to find Mason, Isabelle must face her past, even if it means accepting that she might have put her son in danger.

Narrated solely by Isabelle, the narrative alternates between the present and 1999, when Isabelle was a child. Isabelle is an unreliable narrator, and since she doesn’t sleep, her memory is murky, and her obsession with finding Mason has her struggling to separate reality from fantasy.

The pacing is on the slower side, but I was pulled in immediately by Isabelle’s voice. The structure of the narrative, coupled with the moody atmosphere, works to slowly build a palpable level of tension. I thought I had everything figured out, but I was caught off guard by one of the twists.

All the Dangerous Things is a tension-fueled addictive thriller with a solid twist. I loved seeing how the pieces fit together--although everything wraps up a little too neatly, the ending was quite gratifying.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

I was really impressed with Stacy Willingham's writing. The mystery was done really well. I thought I had the plot figured out a few times but it kept surprising me. 5 stars all the way! Looking forward to more from Stacy Willingham.

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. Over the last year, Isabelle has been functioning on minimal sleep and has left no stone unturned in trying to find her son – hounding the police who have been unsuccessful in finding any clues, giving interviews and investigating the backgrounds of her friends and neighbors and attendees of the true-crime conferences she attends. Despite her initial reluctance she also agrees to participate in a true-crime podcast hosted by Waylon Spencer, who has been successful in solving a cold case in the past and who was one of the attendees at a conference in which Isabelle speaks about her son’s disappearance. Isabelle's marriage has fallen apart after Mason’s disappearance and her husband Ben has apparently accepted that Mason is never coming home. He has moved on and is now involved with another woman. But nothing has deterred Isabelle from her efforts to find her child.

As the narrative progresses we are taken back to Isabelle’s childhood and the traumatic events that have haunted her throughout her life – events for which Isabelle holds herself responsible. We also get to know more about her relationship with her husband Ben – how they met, their marriage, and subsequent events. While Isabelle tries to zero in on possible suspects, often acting impulsively in confronting those whom she suspects, it becomes clear that she is also a suspect in her son’s disappearance in the eyes of the police and others around her. With no one above suspicion and over a year since Mason was taken, will Isabelle be able to figure out what happened on that fateful night? Who took Mason? Is he still alive? Who can she trust to help her? Can she even trust her own memories of that night?

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham is an absorbing read! Suspense and twists, lies and deception, flawed characters and an intriguing well-structured plot make for an engaging psychological thriller. The narrative is shared completely from Isabelle’s PoV and moves back and forth between the present day with flashbacks from her relationship with Ben and chapters devoted to her childhood. I wasn't the biggest fan of Stacy Willingham’s previous novel, A Flicker in the Dark, but I thoroughly enjoyed All the Dangerous Things. Though the pace does wane in parts, I enjoyed the plot development and the twists and turns along the way. Though the primary mystery is that of Mason’s disappearance, a lot is going on in Isabelle’s life and the author seamlessly weaves past events into the primary narrative and expertly brings it all together in the end. The author touches upon themes of trauma, marriage, motherhood and mental health in this story. I won’t say that the end wasn’t entirely unpredictable but I was definitely surprised by how we got there. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to Stacy Willingham, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eGalley of this engrossing novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on January 10, 2023.

This was an interesting read and I thoroughly enjoyed every page!! The mystery had so many layers and the writing was excellent. I found it very hard to put down. Highly recommend

This book started out a little slow. But it definitely pick up and I ended up really liking it! I loved the way everything tied together in the end! I thought the characters were well written and enjoyed the twists and turns. I thought this was a very well written thriller and it’s one a will be recommending.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early copy.

Isabelle’s son mason was taken from his nursery, in the middle of the night, exactly one year ago. With the case still unsolved, Isabelle joins a podcast producer to help her fill in the missing gaps of the case now growing cold. Will she find the answers she is looking for? Will she find mason?

There are very few books that can make me audibly “gasp” or send chills down my spine, but Stacy Willingham manages to do just that!The book moves back and forth between the past and present. Told from Isabelle’s point of view. I found it easy to follow. This book kept me guessing til the very end as to the whodunnit. I loved the little cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, which of course kept me wanting to read more and more.

Cons: It was a little repetitive. There was a lot of word salad, added details I didn’t feel we needed for the story to be “dark” or “dangerous”.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Isabelle Drake woke up one morning to find her baby Mason gone from his crib and room. After fruitless searches by police and neighbors and a seeming dead end, her husband wants Isabelle to accept Mason's disappearance and move on with life. But she persists in trying to find him.

I found the themes of sleep walking and memory loss intriguing, as well as Isabelle's searching into her past for answers that elude her. Her childhood and her younger sister Margaret tie this plot together in the dual timeline in the telling of the story.

The book kept me curious to the finish although I had some idea of what the ending might reveal.
An enjoyable and suspenseful psychological thriller.

"We all have secrets."

Bitch, you have no idea.

I love me a good domestic thriller. This is my 2nd book by Stacy Willingham. A Flicker In The Dark was my first and a solid 4⭐️ for me.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I liked this book!

It was a little slow for me at the beginning, but definitely became a page turner at the end.

Isabelle lost her sister at a young age and believed herself responsible for her death due to her sleepwalking. Fast forward several decades when Isabelle's young son goes missing from their home. With her troubled past, Isabelle struggles with the idea that she had something to do with her son's disappearance, and she's not the only one who thinks she did something wrong.

This book deals with a lot of sensitive and important topics, including postpartum depression and psychosis.

There were a lot of twists and turns and just when I thought I had it down BAM, not so fast, Kelly.

I didn't necessarily love how everything panned out in the end, but this is definitely an engaging book and worth the read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now this was a well-crafted psychological thriller. The building throughout the story was a little slow and repetitive as unreliable narrator tropes usually are, but it picked up in the last quarter and I was super intrigued. The way everything tied together was super clever and I loved it. The complexity of all of the characters was really well-written and the author did an amazing job connecting the characters. There were some over-used tropes in this book but the unique elements of the story made up for them! I didn’t really enjoy A Flicker in the Dark but this book redeemed this author in my mind and I will definitely read her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Stacy Willingham for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. All The Dangerous Thing will be published January 2023.

Just finished All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham. I couldn't put it down! This book is a fast-paced rollercoaster ride, filled with deliciously placed twists and turns. Thought provoking and deeply engaging. Five stars for this compelling psychological thriller!

Heart wrenching story! What a sad journey Isabelle has to endure to find out the truth about her lost son. Really puts you in her shoes and you feel all the feelings spilled on the pages.

I think I've found one of my new favorite thriller authors! As soon as I finished this early read, I bought A FLICKER IN THE DARK, and I can't wait to see what the author gives us next.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS is a highly immersive, twisty thriller that had my attention from the start. Here's a character to root for, but is she reliable? I found myself asking this after every chapter I read. And I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

A seamlessly woven tragedy, beautiful writing, and a tight plot make this a top thriller of the year.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. A five-star read!

All the Dangerous Things was a solid domestic thriller about a parent’s worst nightmare. I’m not a mother, but I found this difficult to read at times so please check the CW and make sure to read Willingham’s note at the end of the book as soon as you’ve finished ATDT (not before!).

I truly enjoyed this one, but I will say that I thought the beginning of this book was a little too slow. While the subject matter is gripping, things didn’t quite heat up until about 40% in and I would have preferred to get to the meat of the story quicker. Willingham’s writing is beautiful, but it’s also quite descriptive and reading so many little details that didn’t add to the plot took me out of the story a bit.

It might have taken some time, but once the plot started picking up speed I couldn’t put this one down. The short chapters had me flying through the second half of the story and there were a lot of twists I didn’t see coming. Just when I thought I had things figured out a new detail was revealed that had me questioning everything! There was one twist at the end I could have done without, but everything came together so well that in the end, I’m not complaining.

I enjoyed All the Dangerous Things even more than A Flicker in the Dark and I can’t wait to see what Stacy Willingham’s twisted and beautiful brain creates next! She’s a fantastic storyteller and I love way she puts he own spin on everything she writes. I’ve read so many books about kidnapping and insomnia, but this somehow still felt fresh and unique.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to be an early reader.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Wow what a crazy ride! This one definitely took some turns I didn’t see coming. The author’s first book was phenomenal but if you can see the growth with the second. I wanted to spend more time with the main character and was disappointed to close the book and say goodbye