If you want a book that talks about the worlds current obsession with true crime (me included) and the many difficulties with motherhood I’d definitely tell you to read this book.

This book is about Isabelle and her life one year after her toddler was kidnapped. Since then her husband has left her, she now lives alone (minus the cute dog) in their empty and sad house, and spends her life doing the true crime circuit to try and find any clues about where her son. She is a woman whose only focus is finding her missing child, not even sleeping, making anything she experiences unreliable since it could be a sleep deprivation hallucination, eventually causing her to be interviewed for a true crime podcast.

Personally, I hate it in mysteries when the main character is unreliable, especially when it’s a woman whose told by every man around her (cause that’s basically the only other characters) that she’s going crazy and needs to move on but in the end she was right and there’s not even a slightly satisfying scene where she gets to tell the men in her life “I told you so”. However, since the main point throughout this book was about how motherhood affects you and how every man just ignores the intense pressure it takes to keep that tiny human alive, I’ll let this book pass.

Otherwise: the plot and mystery were fine I guess, I didn’t really care about the who-done-it, the stuff about Isabelle’s childhood was unexpected but also kind of boring at times, and I want to punch every character that isn’t Isabelle. That being said, I enjoyed the writing style and liked the narrator did a good job.

If you thought A Flicker in the Dark blew you away, just wait until you read All the Dangerous Things. I simply can not wait to get my hands on more of Stacy Willingham’s work.

Isabelle is a grieving mother whose baby boy was abducted from his crib the year before. When it seems like the local law enforcement is no longer doing anything and the husband who left her has moved on, she takes matters into her own hands. She attends true crime panels sharing her story, investigating neighbors, leaving no stones unturned. When an investigative podcaster approaches her with the opportunity to tell her story, Isabelle is hesitant, but will do whatever it takes. This journey then causes Isabelle to reflect and lament on the traumatic tragedies in her childhood, and how they could be connected to the disappearance of her son.

This book was PHENOMENAL. The character development, the plot twists, and the insight into a mothers life postpartum had me hanging on to every word. Willingham uses the idea of sleepwalking and turns it into a living nightmare and makes you question, what is one’s mind truly capable of even though your physical body is no longer in control? Stacy Willingham is officially an auto-buy author for me, and if this book is any indication for what is yet to come, I can not wait. Thank you so much to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is a great read for fans of a unreliable narrator, domestic suspense, and a fast past read.

The narrator on the audio did a great job with giving the story a personality, and help to differentiate between multiple storylines and time periods.

Trigger warning- It does deal with a missing child.

What a pleasant surprise. I honestly DNF'd this book in November. Had a really hard time getting into it, but chalked it up to a "me" thing because I absolutely LOVED Flicker in the Dark. I ended up picking it back up today and literally didn't turn it off until I was done. (Grabbed the audio to finish) Stacy Willingham knows how to do atmospheric. Loved it and would highly recommend.

Isabelle Drake's life is shaken to the core when her young son Mason is taken from his crib in the middle of the night. The dog never barked and her and her husband slept right through it. Unfortunately her marriage did not survive this trauma, but Isabelle is determined to figure out what really happened to her baby boy that night even if her ex-husband is convinced he's dead.

Since she's been a young girl, Isabelle has had trouble sleeping and has been known to sleepwalk. It would always scare her younger sister when they'd find each other in the middle of the night. Isabelle has always been haunted by a traumatic life even and has even wondered if she was the one responsible. Could she have perhaps killed her baby boy during one of her sleepwalking episodes? When her eyelids close, is she really a dangerous threat to others and herself?

Isabelle is a grieving mother, suffering a loss no mother should have to endure. She is desperate and grasping at straws to find a single piece of evidence, a key witness, anything to help her son's case, so she agrees to be interviewed by a podcaster, Waylon Spencer, who has experience with solving cold cases.

I really enjoyed this book. The twists were at all the right places and I remained engaged for the majority of the book. I loved the author's debut novel, Flicker in the Dark, so I was really excited to get the chance to read her new book. I have to say that I was not disappointed and I will continue to read this author's future books.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for granting me an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The concept is horrifying: Isabel Drake's 18 month old son has been kidnapped a year ago, and she hasn't had much in the way of real sleep since.

But.

<spoiler>Her husband, Ben, left her after 6 months of their baby being missing. He thinks their son is dead. He has been dating another woman, who looks like a younger version of Isabel. Isabel herself looks like a younger version of Ben's first wife, who died of an overdose after she (the wife) got pregnant. Oh, and Isabel and Ben were basically having an emotional affair for moths prior to her death, and did I mention that Ben is Isabel's boss at her forever dream job, yet she somehow, despite being obsessed with the magazine he's the editor of, didn't recognize him when she meets him at a bar and makes a pass at him before her first day of work? I could go on. For example, Isabel gets pregnant on the sly knowing Ben doesn't want kids. Then she wants to take freelance jobs that require her to be away for a week at a time while her son is still a baby. With a normal husband you haven't stolen from another woman, this would be workable. With a man whom you've made a father without his consent? Come on.</spoiler>

Isabel has a "dark secret" in her past that *might* inform her current situation. It takes awhile for it all to come out, and once it does, it only makes me more annoyed with Isabel.

You can see the ending coming at you like a freight train. Isabel is a terrible person. She has played with karma and gotten exactly what she deserves, really.

I heard great things about this author's first book. Here's hoping she creates a less irritating character next go round. 2.5 stars rounded up

This was such a fun thriller, I was hooked and had to find excuses to just keep listening to this twisty story.
This was a bingeable “popcorn” kind of thriller, I had to know what was going on and loved my listening. Did I have to suspend disbelief or were there recognizable tropes? Sure, but I had so much fun listening.
I did enjoy the themes she picked surrounding motherhood and a mothers guilt. I think that in an as realistic way as possible in an engaging thriller important themes of parenting were tackled.
The narration was fabulous and added to the atmosphere !
I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a new fresh thriller.

A mother’s worst nightmare – the kidnapping of her child. Through a sleep deprived haze of life, Isabelle Drake second guesses everything she does and thinks about the night her son was taken from his crib. Could she have done something different to prevent it. Is she at fault?
While on a flight, Isabelle meets a true crime podcaster who convinces her to let him help uncover what really happened that night. Things go amiss and Isabelle believes that he might actually have something to do with her sons’ disappearance.
The story hooked me from the start and had a series of twists and turns that left me guessing. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next great read by Stacy Willingham.
Thank you Minotaur Books and Netgallery for my ARC.

Wow! I couldn’t stop listening to this one! I loved it! I have not yet read Stacy’s debut novel 𝗔 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸, but after reading this one I am definitely snagging a copy!

I went in completely blind which is what I like to do with mysteries and thrillers. Not only did this book keep me on the edge of my seat, but Stacy’s writing was fantastic! 👏🏻 The short chapters help keep things moving too.

I loved the flashbacks to different time periods and that there was more than one mystery going on. At one point I thought I had it figured out, but definitely did not. 😆

Do not miss out on this one!!

Riveting, hard to put down. Willingham's sophmore book delivers! Looking forward to what they put out next.

It has been one whole year since Isabelle Drake's son Mason was taken from his room in the middle of the night while her and her husband Ben slept soundly. There have been few leads and the case has gone cold. Isabelle refuses to rest until she finds out what happened to her son. In fact she literally is unable to sleep other than passing out for a quick catnap here and there. Isabelle hesitantly agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime pod caster which leads to him bringing up painful memories from her childhood. She then begins to wonder how true her recollection is of the night Mason disappeared and if she can trust anyone, including herself.
After reading a Flicker in the Dark, I had a feeling that this author was going to become a favorite and that each book would get better. I was right! This book was exceptional and had me wanting more! At one point I really thought I had this figured out and was a little upset about it to be honest, but I was so wrong! She really got me and all the other little twists were fantastic. This was very well written and touched on some very important topics that are so often over looked today. I couldn't put this one down and had to know what happened.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stacy Willingham for allowing me to listen to an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A dark and twisty mystery about a missing child whose mom Isabelle Drake has barely slept since her son disappeared from his crib a year ago. The police are less than helpful due to her current condition and past family events, so she turns to a true crime podcaster to try and find him. Stacy Willingham is a fantastic storyteller, both her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, and this book kept me guessing and had lots of surprises! This book really reminded me of the old movie Without a Trace.
I can't say enough about Karissa Vacker's narration of the audiobook. In addition to truly becoming each of the women, men and young children who are telling the story, she does a great job of conveying the fear, exhaustion and frustration of each character as they try to unravel this mystery and understand what is really happening

There is a trope in the mystery thriller genre that really grates in me and it’s when women aren’t able to trust their own mind. Unfortunately for me, this book out that trope front and center. So why am I giving it 5 stars?

What I dislike about this trope is that the answer is almost always smacking the female character in the face but they’re gaslit into believing it’s false, normally by their male partner. All The Dangerous Things did not do this and that is what made this book so good. When the pieces were able to finally click into place, Isabella immediately recognized the truth and reacted. If I could have given that part a standing ovation I would have.

The writing was smart and the author took a somewhat overdone plot line, turned it on its head and wrote a killer novel. This takes skill that most authors don’t have.

Thank you NetGalley & Minotaur Books for access to this ARC.

4.5 stars 🌟
Woohoo! This fictional true crime mystery was an excellent start to the New Year. It kept me guessing to the very end, and the narration was superb! The female characters are all wildly fabulous and flawed.

Put this one on your TBR list.

Many thanks for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook via the NetGalley app.

I really enjoyed the is one. I was hesitant about getting it because Flicker in the Dark was just ok for me…I was bored and wasn’t sure if this author was for me. However, you can REALLY see the growth from Stacy’s 1st novel to this one. This book had much better pacing and kept me intrigued the entire time.

Dual timelines/time jumps are sometimes hard to pull off and sometimes they leave me confused. Stacy perfected the art of the dual timeline, it was clear and concise…really adding to the overall story.

I liked how the perspectives of different people were addressed at the end and how there was an acceptance and understanding…to a degree.

I loved how the ending came together. It was nice and twisty without being too over the top.

I also enjoyed how, while not being a mother herself, Stacy really dug deep into the failure of society to treat mothers with more compassion and understanding, especially during postpartum. It can be a really difficult period for women and it’s a time where even a little support could make all the difference.

This story also addresses true crime fans and the media and how they too quickly jump to conclusions…they make the facts fit to the story they want to tell.

I can’t think of one negative thing to say…except that maybe I would’ve went with a different title, I think this book should’ve been called “A More Convenient Truth.”

I absolutely recommend this one, 100% and would love for it to become a movie. The emotion conveyed in this novel was spot on and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A dual timeline thriller telling the story of Isabelle Drake, a mother whose son was taken from his crib the year before resulting in Isabelle having a severe case of sleep deprivation. Mason, has been missing for almost a year and the Savannah Police Department appear to be making no progress in the case. Isabelle has taken it upon herself to speak at true-crime conferences, her only payment being the list of attendees. Isabelle tries to do extensive research on each attendee in the hopes the kidnapper attends the conference to hear her tell the story of her son’s disappearance. Isabelle and her husband have separated due to the stress the loss of their son has put on their relationship.

In flashbacks to Isabelle’s childhood and her initial courtship with her now estranged husband Ben, there are hints that maybe things aren’t as they seem for our insomnia ridden MC.

Narrated by Karissa Vacker, who does a great job of portraying Isabelle now and making her voice more child like when portrays Isabelle as a child. I was half way through the book and still didn’t know what was going to happen. I loved buddy reading this one with @readingonfordearlife and discussing our suspicions of the characters, sleepwalking, insomnia, and the twists.

A year ago, toddler Mason was taken from his crib in the middle of the night and since then, his Mother Isabelle has never stopped searching and also has not slept even 1 night. In her desperation we see the toll this takes on her and are pulled in, wondering who and why and where is Mason? Questioning who can really be trusted? Can an old friend, now a True-Crime Podcast host finally help Isabelle?

Ok so, last January when A Flicker in the Dark came out and was chosen for my book club, I was scared of the synopsis and thought it wouldn't be for me. But Stacy did whatever magic she does and I LOVED IT. Similarly, it was scary going into this book 😳 My worst fear is something happening to my Children. There is hands down nothing in the world more terrifying, so I was ready to put my mental health first (which you should always do despite popular book hype) and DNF if it didn't hit right or was too much for me. But friends, this was gooooood. 🤯 It felt so real in the most sincere way, that my heart was in my throat and I felt the genuine concern and desperation of this Mom just wanting answers no matter how much pain it caused her own heart or how tired she got. This was a true Thriller and I am so excited to discuss this 1 year later for my same amazing Book Club.

5/5

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy.

Isabelle Drake's life changed forever when her son, Mason, was taken from his room in the middle of the night, exactly one year ago. Isabelle has made it her life's goal to find him and, with few clues or leads, this is proving more difficult than she'd hoped. Isabelle has hardly slept in the last year, only a few accidental naps here and there, leaving her desperate for answers. When Isabelle is approached by a true crime podcaster known for solving other cold cases, she takes the bait, though is put off by his incessant questioning. Through Isabelle's research, her involvement in this true crime podcast and her past, can she find her missing son and her peace of mind?

This book was AMAZING. The audio was great and easy to devour at a rapid pace. Isabelle's character was super likeable and was not helpless mother, which sometimes happens in books like this. I loved the inclusion of her past and the relationship with her sister. This book kept me on my toes the entire time and right up until the end, when I still wasn't sure what answers we were going to get. This was exactly how thrillers should be: exciting, twisty, unexpected, fast-paced, atmospheric and not at all corny. Highly recommend! I can't wait to read A FLICKER IN THE DARK!

I absolutely loved "All the Dangerous Things". Willingham's first book was a favorite last year and I jumped at the opportunity to listen to her next one. The main character is dealing with the kidnapping of her toddler son, a year later. I love the dual plot lines, both past and present of the main character, Isabelle. It kept me hooked from the beginning. I loved that I never figured out the big twist at the end. Many times, I thought I had it. This book delivers on surprises for sure.

My many thanks to NetGalley, Stacy Willingham and A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books. for sharing this incredible digital ARC.

Isabella Drake is a struggling and grieving mother, suffering from insomnia after her son Mason has been kidnapped a year ago. She never gets a restful night’s sleep, keeping herself alert to be ready when her son will be back.

She is determined to find him and bring him back home even though she slowly loses the thin line between reality and delusions which force her to take trip down memory lane to face the most tragic event of her childhood. Her son is not the only person she lost.

Her husband Ben has already lost hope and moved on with his life six months ago. He is now dating a new woman who is younger version of Isabella.

The detective who are working her sons case, act like she is the one who is responsible with her son’s kidnapping.

Isabella keeps joining True Crime conventions as guest speaker to raise awareness and bring attention to her son’s case. Waylon Spencer: a famous podcaster who already solved a cold case about missing child approaches her: He wants an interview, and team up with Isabella to find out more about Mason’s case.

But as she learns more about her case by watching the security videos they recorded before the incident; she realizes there’s something more sinister about their lives. Now she will have to bringing out the secrets she’s buried.

Be prepared to stay up all night reading, especially since each chapters ending pleads for you to read the next to find what happens next.

I loved the author’s debut novel: “A flicker in the dark” but her newest book exceed all my expectations and I loved this one too! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
Publication date is set for 1/10/2023