* 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.

Overall a well-written book with a twisty story. I felt like a few of the red herrings were pretty obvious, but the over-arching plot is good and unexpected. The ending felt a bit rushed and convenient. However, the characters are well-layered and compelling and so overall this was a decent read that I enjoyed.

I was trying figure out which did and why. I'm sorry to say there were so many twist and turns I didn't figure it out. I did love the plot and how it kept the interest of the reader.

What a ride!! This is the first thriller in a while where I haven’t been able to figure out the end!! Definitely recommend for all thriller/ mystery fans. I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was great and kept me engaged the entire time.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Please note: Trigger warnings for post partum depression, death of a family member, missing child

WOW, this is exactly what I needed to start out the year. This was a captivating and intriguing.

It's been one year since Isabelle Drake's son was taken from the house during the night. With no evidence or leads, the case came to a halt. When Isabelle is approached by a true crime podcaster, she agrees to share her story with him and let him help with the case. As Isabelle re-visits the events from a year ago, she also begins to revisit events from her past, and even questions some things she remembers. As the events unfold and Isabelle continues her search for her son, more is revealed and Isabelle doesn't know who to trust anymore.

I found this story took me a few chapters to get into, but once I did, I was hooked! I found the authors story-telling to be so good, and it didn't take much to feel like I was right there with Isabelle. I luckily got to read this one and listen on audio, and I will say that the audio copy was just as, if not more, captivating!

I also wanted to say that I loved the authors note at the end! Such a nice touch. Don't read it until you have finished the story though as it contains spoilers.

If you are looking for a captivating thriller to start off the year, look no further! I highly recommend checking this one out.

Isabelle Drake’s son is missing and has been for a year. To keep people interested in her son’s missing persons case, Isabelle speaks at True Crime conventions, where she meets Waylon, a true crime podcaster. She agrees to be interviewed by Waylon to trigger new clues or witnesses. But in doing so, Isabelle questions her own history. If she can’t trust her memories, who can she trust?

I love domestic suspense books, which are often more character driven than plot driven. Willingham creates an engrossing character arc for Isabelle, an unreliable narrator due to insomnia (thank you for NOT including alcohol, I'm over that trope!). The story builds slowly with vivid imagery and descriptive prose. However, at times I wanted the story to move a bit quicker. But that’s a personal preference. The twisty ending blindsided me. If you love a big twist at the end, you’ll love this ending!! Overall, I really enjoyed this solid thriller.

Who should read this:
✨Enjoyed Willingham’s previous novel - A Flicker in the Dark
✨Unreliable narrator
✨Insomnia Trope
✨Slow-burn mystery
✨Twisty endings

After devouring All the Dangerous Things, by Stacy Willingham, in book format, I couldn't resist the opportunity to listen to Karissa Vacker breathe new life into a story I'd absolutely loved. And it was even more enthralling in audio!!! Vacker is as talented a narrator as Willingham is an author, and she brought an additional dimension to Isabelle, a heartsick and anguished mother, wrestling with demons from her past as she searches for her stolen son. Highly recommend!!!

This one was actually a really quick paced thriller. It was fun for the most part and kept me invested throughout the entire listen. I enjoyed the narrators voice and pace.

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, 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 wouldnt have any memory of what she did btw something bad happened to her younger sister during one these blackouts .

Need I say more
This was all so cliche, predicable and the writing was terrible. More passages 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, never make smart decisions every horrible female trope you can think of. Half way through I stopped caring for Mason completely
This will be my last book from this author.

What. A. Book! I don’t always read the mystery/thriller genre, but when I do, I want them to be this good!

This story follows Isabelle, the grieving mother of a toddler who disappeared from his crib. We meet Isabelle one year after her son’s disappearance and are thrown into the chaos that has occurred in her life since that horrible night.

Here’s what I loved:

✍️ Beautiful prose!! So descriptive that I was easily immersed in the story.

✍️ Dual timelines that slowly explain our main character’s backstory and help build empathy.

✍️ Isabelle’s post-kidnapping life was totally believable as a mother. The insomnia, the guilt, the desperation, the strain on her relationship. 

✍️ Three dimensional characters. I hated them, but I also felt bad for them and forgave them.

✍️ Even the author’s note was spot on. We do a horrible job supporting new mothers in this country. We are quick to shame a lot of folks who desperately need help. 

I listened to this as an audiobook and it was very well done. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. 

Thank you @netgalley for access to this title. This book will be available for purchase January 10, 2023.

I really enjoyed the story of a woman who thinks just maybe she did do harm to her child who has been gone for over a year, We get flashbacks to when she was younger and had sleepwalking problems putting doubts in our heads about how she might be now. Still, we also get the story of her marriage and how that comes in play with everything. A great storyline with lots of twists and turns you couldn't ask for a better story!

Thank you, Stacy Willingham, for making me believe in thrillers again!

Over the last five years, I've stopped reading thrillers. When I try, I'm always disappointed. The woman is always drunk, or the twists are so unbelievable that I can't help but roll my eyes.

However, this book made me remember what I love about thrillers: the constant guessing, the possibility of an unreliable narrator, the red herrings, and the intense emotions. I was hooked from the first page and essentially listened to this in one sitting.

The author's use of sleep was clever and believable and made for a uniquely creepy atmosphere.

I did guess one of the twists, but as to the actual whodunit, I was wrong until the end.

I highly recommend this one. I listened to the audio, and the narrator did a great job!

I caution readers to look up trigger warnings. This book contains child abduction, suicidal thoughts, and various thoughts and anxieties that mothers feel.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts above are my own.

This will (and very well should be!) the first big thriller book of 2023. It was well-paced with lots of twists. As the reader, you’re not sure who to trust, and the author makes you question every one of the characters at some point. I liked Stacy Willingham’s debut, A Flicker in the Dark, but I was able to predict the ending pretty quickly. This one caught me off guard, but also made sense to the story. The audiobook was extremely well-done, and I couldn’t stop listening to it. I finished this one in three large chunks of time because it was just that good.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listen to Stacy Willingham's All the Dangerous Things.

This gripping thriller centers on Isabelle and her desperate attempts at finding her missing son, Mason. Mason was taken in the middle of the night, while Isabelle and her husband were sleeping. And now, Isabelle hasn't truly slept in the year since.

The first thing that hit home for me, a mother of three, was the insomnia! In those early days with a baby, a few sleepless nights in a row and I couldn't think, I couldn't remember well, and everything felt hard. So immediately, I empathized with Isabelle and also didn't fully trust her instincts. This felt purposeful and played well into who she met, who she trusted, what she learned, what she remembered, and how she made decisions.

I enjoyed this thriller, the building tension throughout, and the twists at the end. I would recommend it to all my fellow thriller fans!

I loved A Flicker in the Dark and was so excited to read this one. It did not disappoint! I listened to the audiobook as well as read the physical copy and thought the narrator was great. I figured out the twist but it didn’t take away from the experience at all. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.

Isabelle’s life changed forever when her young son Mason disappeared. He was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while his parents were asleep in the next room. A year later, the case was never solved but Isabelle has not given up hope that she will reunite with Mason one day. Isabelle rarely sleeps and dedicates every moment to finding her son. She agrees to be a guest on a true crime podcast with the hopes it will generate new clues. However, the frequent questioning of Isabelle’s past combined with her lack of sleep is starting to mess with her head. She begins to question the events that occurred the night Mason disappeared and who she can trust. Her uncertainty and fear does not stop her from figuring out the truth.

All the Dangerous Things is available January 10,2023.

Thank you to netgalley and macmillanaudio for this arc on exchange for my honest review.

Review of All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

Overall, I enjoyed this thriller. I listened to it on audio and it was a quick read for me. I really felt for the main character Isabelle. I enjoyed the dual timelines and preferred in some ways the past one. There were a few parts that kind of dragged for me and I will say I enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark a bit more.

Quick synopsis: Stacy hasn’t slept since her toddler son Mason vanished from his room. Her life is in shambles and she and her husband are separated. She travels on true crime circuits to get the story out there but more importantly to look for any suspicious people herself. On a plane home from one event she meets a podcaster. She ultimately decides to team up with him to see if they can find out the truth about what happened to Mason. This timeline alternates with one from Stacy’s childhood but I don’t want to include details about that for potential spoiler reasons.

I definitely will keep reading this author.

This was a decent thriller, but not anything that really seemed particularly special to me. The story unfolded at a slow pace, with not many action packed scenes. Mainly, the tension and conflict stems from the narrator's internal struggles with her sense of sanity and her perception of her role as a mother. I enjoyed the twists and turns this thriller took, but it was predictable in spots. I listened to the audiobook quickly, as I always was curious about what was going to happen next so it's definitely a page-turner.

This is going to sound nit-picky I'm sure, but I didn't vibe well with the writing style. This is due to one simple fact. The author used SO MANY GOSH DARN SIMILES. And after I noticed how often similes were being used in the descriptions it was the only thing I could pay attention to and it took away my enjoyment from the story.

Overall, 3 stars for compelling plot, interesting but dislikable characters, and a writing style I didn't enjoy. I had a fine time but not a good time, you know?

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the advanced copy of the audiobook.

"What would it be like to be trapped in the mind of the sleep deprived mother who deep inside believes that the disappearance of her child was somehow her fault..."

This author's note perfectly summarizes this book. I loved the novel! To me this was a classic psychological thriller, fast-paced and at times disturbing. I thought the author perfectly painted the portrait of a desperate mother searching for answers in her infant son's disappearance and blaming herself for it.

Isabelle has a troubling past and her family's secret is slowly revealed in the book. Taking in the full picture, I think many would be quick to judge and even accuse the sleep deprived mother who once already lost her temper in public. But then you watch the story take a different turn and reveal a completely new reality. I don't want to spoil it, but this thriller came to a quite unexpected ending, perfectly wrapping up!

This book checked all the boxes for me as a psychological thriller. The plot was very well executed leaving no loose ends. I liked that the novel gives an important insight into the issue of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. Despite the tension, the ending was everything I was hoping for.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS by Stacy Willingham
Macmillan Audio - Release Date: 1/10/2023
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Running Time = 10 hours



Willingham follows up her debut novel, “A Flicker In The Dark”, with another psychological suspense thriller that rivals her debut and is certain to be a Book Club darling. It’s unfortunately the one year anniversary that Isabelle ( “Izzy” ) Drake’s toddler son, Mason was kidnapped from his crib while Isabelle and husband Ben slept unaware. The stress and “blaming” each other has led to their separation. Ben was initially her boss, then lover and husband - but now they are irreparably estranged, with no hope for reconciliation. Gossip and innuendo have spread through the community…. some even doubt that anyone actually removed the child from his home .. some suspect involvement by one the parents. Izzy cannot accept that her son is lost and appeals to the True Crime community to keep the loss alive and in the public eye. She now has chronic insomnia are rarely sleeps for a sustained period of time . Compounded with the insomnia is recurrent partial memories from her childhood that suggest she may have had some connection with the death of her younger sister. It continually remains just beyond the reach of true recollection. Isabelle has also been plagued with intermittent bouts of sleepwalking since childhood…. could this be significant?
Willingham spins a compelling narrative in two time frames … now and then. Past and present will converge as past memories, along with personal present day investigation suggests a plausible explanation to account for her missing son. Red herrings and reveals abound as the tension and intrigue mount to unbearable degrees. The extent that love and motherhood drives one to extraordinary measures is wonderfully explored.
Actress and award-winning audiobook narrator, Karissa Vacker , brings this suspenseful thriller to a new level. She is able to provide both male and female voices with equal alacrity.
Vacker easily handles red herrings and emotional reveals without giving any cues. Her narrative without a doubt brings an extra dimension to this wonderful novel. This is definitely a 5 Star presentation. I will seek out further novels narrated by Karissa Vacker. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for supplying a Preview Audio book in exchange for an honest review.

All the Dangerous Things
by Stacy Willingham
Pub Date: January 10, 2023
MacMillan audio
Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the early audio file of this book. I really enjoy listening to a great thriller while I am walking or riding my bike. This one was great!
Karissa Vacker is quickly becoming my new favorite narrator. This was definitely a "page turner" I could not stop listening.
All the Dangerous Things is a psychological thriller about memory and mental health, about questioning your mind and your own past. A year has passed since Mason was taken from him crib and a desperate Isabella turns to True Crime enthusiasts, podcasters, and anyone who will listen turn attention to the case and make sure people are still looking for her son. However, this also turns Isabelles thoughts inward, asking long ignored questions about her past, and what really happened. I highly recommend this riveting and scary listen!
5 stars