What a solid thriller! Isabelle Drake's toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night a year ago. With little evidence and few leads, the case quickly goes cold. Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but at what cost.

What happens to Isabelle is every parents worst nightmare. Her desperation and refusal to give up makes her very relatable but also very complex, flawed, and a messy character.

This is the definition of a slow burn book with unreliable characters. I enjoyed the various twists and turns and how you can never quite place your bets on who to believe. My only complaint was that the middle seemed to slow down a little too much for me but definitely picked up towards the end. And the ending - I may be the only one but the ending definitely caught me by surprise!

This book is getting a lot of love and for good reason! Check it out when it publishes on January 10th!

I also highly recommend the audiobook as Karissa Vacker narrates!

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
A Flicker In The Dark was my favorite thriller of 2022, so when I found out that the author was releasing yet another book, i was so excited!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my ALC. The same narrator Karissa Vacker of Flicker In The Dark narrated this one, and I am quickly becoming such a fan! She was amazing with the different intonations of different characters and was a brilliant story teller. Highly recommend this one on audio! This book publishes 1/10/23

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
Isabelle’s son Mason was taken a year ago and has not had any leads to the case turning it cold. She continues to find answers and agrees to be interviewed by a podcast host in the hopes of bringing light to the case.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I really liked the twist and didn’t see it coming! The story telling of this book was seamless. With the jumping timelines, it worked so well with the reveal and the whole plot. Stacy Willingham continues to wow me with her writing and will forever will be an auto buy thriller author. Although I enjoyed this book, I couldn’t help but compare it to A Flicker In The Dark. It wasn’t quite as gripping for me and was slow in the beginning. Which is probably just a me problem because child abduction tropes aren’t my fave. But i was still sucked in and I still very much enjoyed, so don’t let that deter you. Pick this one up if you enjoy child abduction tropes with great plot twists. This will surely give you quite a thrill.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘜𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘋𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪 𝘓𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘢, 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴, 𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴

This twisted mystery won a 4 star rating from me. It was narrated by Karissa Vacker and I would absolutely listen to her read more books in the future.
An incredibly sleep deprived guilt ridden mother desperately seeks her missing son. She does many public speaking engagements and researches the people that attend in hopes of finding the kidnapper. She eventually decides to do a podcast interview and finds herself second guessing the motives of her interviewer.
I loved the writing style of before/now timeline and I was invested in the story from the very beginning until the surprising end.

This book was a little slow to start but once it picked up I was completely hooked. I enjoyed the dual timeline, but I did find it a little confusing at first via audio. Some of the flashbacks weren't clearly identified.

The end of this book was full of twists that I didn't see coming. I truly did not know what to expect and I was very surprised along the way.

I don't always love reading thrillers from the perspective of an unreliable narrator, but I thought it was very well done in this book.

The narrator for this one was fantastic. This is my second book I've recently listened to by this author and I am now a big fan.

Overall I would definitely recommend this one to mystery/thriller lovers, and I suggest continuing on if the beginning is a little slow to you. The end is worth it!

𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 by
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗝𝗮𝗻 𝟭𝟬 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

After all the holiday romcoms, I was itching for a good thriller! I don’t know why I haven’t read A Flicker in the Dark yet (don’t worry I chose it as a BOTM add-on this month hehe) but it was such a booksta favorite that I was so excited when this book got sent to me! Thank you so much @minotaurbooks for sending me a copy!!

My attention span when reading is not the greatest, which is why I prefer short chapters and fast pacing and sometimes when I do find that, the quality of writing sacrifices. But omggg, this book? I was so impressed by it! It was fast paced but was still written very well!! I’m honestly not a fan of unreliable narrators but this book made me appreciate this trope because that ending? I did not see that coming lol.

I love how brave the author was also about writing about postpartum psychosis and the heavy weight of motherhood. To all my mom friends out there, I see you and know that you are all very much appreciated. ❤️

This book will involve kids so just be aware of that but it was handled well.

I also love how the author touched on true crime conventions and while it is a powerful tool when solving cold cases, some people can go overboard with liking these cases so much that they forget that these are actual events that had happened to real people. And I feel like it’s a good way of making us true crime lovers reflect on the degree of how much we love this type of content. It is not wrong to be intrigued with true crime cases, but let’s always please remember to be respectful.

So about the book:

Isabelle is a new mom but a year ago, her son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while her and her husband were asleep in the next room. Police didn’t find any form of forced entry so who took Mason? Is it her husband? A friend? A neighbor? Or was it actually her? With her past of sleepwalking and not being able to remember things the morning after, she starts questioning herself if she was actually the one who had hurt her son.

You guys, just read this book please! You won’t regret it lol. It was just sooo good, you’ll fly through this!

This twisty psychological thriller had me on the edge of my seat! I could not stop listening and finished it in less than 2 days. It’s a story about a mother who‘s young son disappeared one night, and she would do anything to find out what happened to him. I really connected with the character on Isabelle and felt her anguish and desperate need to know the truth. The narrator, Karissa Vacker, was a perfect match for this audiobook. 5 stars! Highly recommend!

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Superb, noirish storytelling, with emotional depth that may make readers ask moral questions -- what would I do if I suffered a series of tragedies that brought me to this situation? The protagonist, Isabel, is convincing and sympathetic despite all her faults -- as is the true crime podcaster Waylon, who initially seems untrustworthy before his motives for approaching Isabel are revealed. Sleep evades Isabel; she struggles to get by with "micro-sleeps" in between efforts to find out who abducted her toddler son. Desperation has led her to tell her story at true crime conventions, despite her distrust of the kinds of people who form an eager audience. Here reasoning? All of those keyboard detectives may someday uncover facts that she can not. Isabel’s husband, from whom she is separated, presents himself as a modern, equitable partner in relationships while simultaneously chipping away at the confidence and vitality of the women in his life, through pointed comments, secrets, and manipulation. Isabel’s own parents live in a sort of prison of secrets and omissions tied to horrific tragedy within their own family. Tight pacing, intriguing facts about sleepwalking and how the mind and body malfunction without rest, and skillful management of multiple storylines make this a compelling read. There are moments when almost no one seems to be a reliable narrator. Darn good writing, with subtle yet probing analysis of women’s roles as aging women, as mothers, as working mothers…and a series of wicked twists at the end.

This book was SO fantastic and I will spend the rest of the year highly recommending this one to any and all lovers of dark, twisty thrillers. I have absolutely loved both of Willingham’s books and I am desperate for more.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my early copy!

Soooo I try so hard not to be "that person" but I guessed some of the twists here but not the main one. And also, even despite guessing some of the others, I was absolutely invested and enthralled. I love to be bamboozled, sure. But I love to be absolutely engrossed and hanging onto every moment more than that. This book did that. I was a sucker until the last line.

Isabelle Drake hasn’t slept in a year. The last time she slept was the night her son, Mason, was taken from his room, never to be seen again. Although the case has gone cold, Isabelle is still fighting to find her child. She agrees to work with a true crime podcaster, Waylon, but it seems he’s interested in her story for another reason. That couple with her insomnia is digging up memories from Isabelle’s past that she might prefer to keep buried.

Stacy Willingham’s sophomore novel was a page-turner filled with intrigue and suspense. I literally thought everyone was a suspect at one time or another. Told in dual timelines, present day and 1999 when Isabelle is a child, this book had me invested from the prologue right through the end.

Although the past timeline was easier to predict, I did not see the ending of the present timeline coming at all. Well done to Willingham for keeping me guessing the entire time.

I listened along to the audiobook as I read this one. I’ve enjoyed Karissa Vacker as a narrator in the past, and thought she did a great job with the different voices. My one issue was that I found myself having to turn my volume up and down because she has a tendency to whisper a lot, and it didn’t necessarily work for the story.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

This one was very confusing to rate.

The ending was so good and I didn't see it coming but the first half just felt like it lacked something. The whole time I was waiting for something to happen to make me, as the reader, start theorizing things and wonder if the child is alive or if there was a character that I should be keeping an eye on. I never really felt that or formed a theory until about 60% into the book and that's where the story really picked up.

I debated between a 3 or a 4 star but because the book took 60% for me to start liking it, I'm going to settle on a 3 star. I think its worth picking up but I liked her debut better.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Minotar Books for the advance copy and ALC.

All the Dangerous Things is a thriller you NEED to read! I read it with @mamas_top_shelf and we couldn’t put it down or get over the nonstop roller coaster ride.

All the Dangerous Things (Pub 1/10) is one of those thrillers that will have you putting a pot of coffee on so you can stay up way into the night reading, because there is no way you are putting this book down once you start it.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

The suspense and the mystery. I was forced to live in the moment while reading this riveting book and having absolutely no clue or even inkling of what was going to happen next.

How was the audio version?

I am so thankful that I had both the book and audio version, because when I was forced to put the book down, I was immediately able to switch over to the audio. Karissa Vacker knocked it out of the park with her narration. She was able to ratchet up the tension and suspense even more, which left me hanging on her every word. I actually ended up sitting in the parking lot at the grocery store listening for 15 minutes before I realized it!

How was the pace?

Fast! I binged this one, so be warned that once you start it, you aren’t going to get anything done until you turn the last page.

Do you recommend this book?

READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!!! Talk about a smart and engaging story where the twists just keep coming. This is a thriller that has now moved to the top of my lifetime favorites list, and I definitely won’t forget it.

Thank you, Minotaur Books, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

All the Dangerous Things was a really good mystery/thriller. I really loved the multiple characters and their different ways of dealing with the family dynamics and individual life situations. The sad story of how these individuals grew up and the pain they endured and their will to continue to survive was really interesting. I will look for more books from this author.

This audiobook was amazing. The narrator's voice sounded kind of like what I imagine Izzy's voice to be. She has insomnia and the narrator sounded pretty tired like she hasn't slept in months just like Izzy the main character. I would totally recommend listening to the audiobook with the book it makes the experience so much better. Once I started listening I couldn't stop and when I tried to read without the audiobook it didn't have the same vibes as I was reading.

Stacy Willingham shows that a mother will stop at nothing to find her son, whether he is dead or alive

On year ago, the unthinkable happens, Isabelle's toddler son, Mason, is taken from his crib at night and has not been seen since. The only evidence is an open window and Mason's dragon found a short distance away. With little evidence and no leads, Isabelle fears that her son's case will be lost in the shuffle of time. She decides to take her story to true crime conferences around the country in order to keep the case in the spotlight. Ever since Mason has disappeared Isabelle has not been able to sleep and it has been affecting her entire life but entire existence is about finding Mason. In the hopes of stirring new information, she agrees to be interviewed by a true crime podcaster, who has has success in the past with finding someone who was missing, but Isabelle is not sure she can trust him as some things are not adding up. Will Isabelle be able to find Mason, or is Mason not the only one who is in trouble of disappearing.

This is a good read but I am not going to lie, it is slow...I was honestly questioning if I should con6tinue on reading it at the 50% as nothing had happened. Once you hit around the 75% mark things start to happen but it was quite a drag to hey there. So does the last 25 % make up for the previous 75% being slow. Yes and No. I mean the twists were well done but I was able to figure out one of the twists and most of the other. But I struggled reading this book as at times as there appeared to be nothing happening other than Isabelle questioning herself and you can only do that so much. Isabelle is really more concerned about the past and what happened to her sister, and there is no additional investigation really done with regards to what happened to Mason, is just sort of comes together in that last 25%.

I like the format that Willingham has done in both their books, with 2 mysteries occurring but at different time periods but yet they are related in some way. I also appreciate that this book's plot is completely different from Willingham's debut novel, though I will say the formula is similar.

I appreciate that it talks about how difficult motherhood can be and how people put on it’s perfect face to try to cover it up and still feel ashamed when they talk about how difficult it can be. This really plays well into the plot of the book as Isabelle becomes a unreliable narrator with her lack of sleep and not knowing if she has done things while sleep walking or when her insomnia gets really bad we are reminded more than once that this can cause hallucinations. You cannot help but feel sorry for Isabelle, throughout the story, everything that she has gone through, the lack of support she receives and just her never-ending relentlessness to find her son.

I enjoyed the narrator of this book, I felt like she was able to bring the characters to life, and had a good flow throughout.

I do like Willingham's writing style/format and that both of her books have been creative, I just wish this one was more fast paced instead of just all coming together in the end. I will read the another book by Willingham to see what she can come up with next

Enjoy!!!

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
I loved it. Get this book and read it. It’s a mystery that’s twisty, scary, and emotional. I loved the author’s first book, and she didn’t disappoint with the second. Read it.

What are we calling @stacyvwillingham fans? Willingstans? Whatever the name is, consider me a proud one. I was granted access to an advance audiobook of All The Dangerous Things, her sophomore novel (thanks @netgalley!) and I was hooked just as much as I was with A Flicker in the Dark. ATDT focuses on Isabelle Drake, whose toddler son was kidnapped from their home a year ago, and who has been unable to sleep for a substantial length of time since that fateful day. She develops an obsessive focus on trying to piece together any possible clues as to who the culprit could be, driving away her husband and bringing up old wounds from childhood trauma. While this thread is the main premise of the novel, there are actually several interconnected mysteries that appear as the narrative continues, and I have to say I was genuinely shook by more than one reveal. I flew through this audiobook in just a couple of days, dying to know what happened next (shoutout, yet again, to @karissavacker for her versatile and engaging narration!). I have two tiny (tiny!) quibbles with this book. For one, the "shady true crime podcaster who has a secret agenda" character has become a trope in thrillers, and while the way this book's version played out was actually interesting, this is the third book I've read in recent months with the same archetype. (Though I believe that critiquing true crime is a necessary component of this kind of media consumption!) Also... the title. I'm reminded of a tweet I saw a while ago that was like, "every book today is called something like These Tiny Things We Know to Be True" and this title definitely falls into this category, and it really doesn't connect in any real way to the plot. I wish this book had a more distinctive title that would grab a reader's attention. Nevertheless, a great read! Out January 10! 4.5 out of 5 muddy footprints.

Synopsis:
What happens when you wake up to find your child missing from their crib? After a year of her son’s abduction, Isabelle still struggles with the grief and guilt of that one frightful night. Constantly second guessing herself and what she could have done differently. Can she even trust her memory? Where is her son? Is he still alive? Those are the answers that Isabelle is going to stop at nothing to get.

Thoughts:
All The Dangerous Things was a gripping and heart-pounding book that was hard to put down once you’ve started. Motherhood, insomnia, abducted child, and a complex narrator all packed in one that pulls you in. You’ll want to hold your breath all the way to the shocking ending.
I listened to the audiobook and followed along with the ebook. The narrator (Karrisa Vacker) swept me away and before I knew it, the book was done. The flow was so easy to follow along that it really brought the story to life.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for my review. A slow burn, but once it picks up speed, hang on for a wild ride! Took me a while to really get into the story, to really focus on it. I prefer a story that grabs hold of me right from the get go. But I did enjoy the short chapters, and it didn’t take too long before I was finally hooked. Great plot twists. Enjoyed the narration. Definitely will read more of this author. 3.5 stars

Rating: 4.25/5⭐️
Pub day: 1-10-2023

Wow, what a story! It may have had a slower pace at the start but by the time I hit the last quarter of the book I couldn’t put it down!

I thoroughly enjoyed all the little crumbs that were left for us to piece together, one in particular was brilliant. After finishing, I thought back on that particular morsel for days. I also didn’t see the big twist at the end coming, which always makes a mystery better!

At its core, this is a mystery about a kidnapped child but it also tackles the pressures and expectations of motherhood as well as postpartum depression. Because of that, it may not be the right book for everyone. But I think it’s a very impressive sophomore novel from Willingham, and I preferred this one over History of Words!

I did a combination of digital and audio and loved both! Thank you @netgalley & @macmillan for the #alc and @minotaur for the #arc . All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun one to buddy read with some lovely ladies. There are so many themes to discuss with this one, I think it would make a great book club pick!