Stacy Willingham has just added herself to the very very VERY short list of authors whose books I will automatically preorder or buy and read immediately.

I loved her devut and this one did not disappoint. I couldn't put it down and yet I forced myself to since I can't remember the last time I read a good book and wanted it to last for a while!

I couldn't figure this one out and was surprised by the reveal. At first I rolled my eyes about it being the mistress but Willingham managed to sell it to me! There were some great reveals too. My jaw dropped reading about the podcasters connection. Definitely recommending to my followers who lilke fast-paced psychological thrillers.

Thanks netgalley for my ARC!!!

When Mason Drake was taken from his crib in the middle of the night, there were very few leads. Isabelle, his mother, is devastated and has spent the last year spending every waking moment (and those moments are numerous as Isabella can no longer sleep for any amount of time) trying to find him. Her marriage has fallen apart and she’s sure everyone thinks she did something to Mason. Isabelle has a questionable childhood and soon she’s even asking herself if there’s a possibility it’s true. At her wits end she meets a true crime podcaster and agrees to be interviewed in the hopes of reaching more people, but as he dives into her past, she’s left questioning that decision as well. Not knowing who to trust, she pushes forward for the truth regardless of where it leads. Isabelle must now figure out her past if she has any chance of a future. Once started, this book was almost impossible to put down. It was also a great listen as Karissa Vacker voices Isabelle perfectly! Thank you to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

A parent's worst nightmare: their toddler goes missing.
A parent's second worst nightmare: sleep has become an impossibility.

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham as read by my new favourite audiobook narrator, Karissa Vacker, is the perfect thriller full of dead ends, an unreliable narrator (no sleep will do that to a Mom) and so many possibilities thrown into the story that keep the reader guessing right near to the end. Desperation takes people in the wildest of directions.

Thanks so very much to St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for this advanced copy of Stacy Willingham's next big hit!

2.5 ⭐️
Isabelle’s son Mason has been missing for a year. With no clues or leads, Isabelle decides the best way to keep his case alive is to give it publicity, with agreeing to take part in a podcast. Despite the podcast, Isabelle constantly takes matters into her own hands, trying to find who took her son, all while dealing with a guilty past and worst of all, major sleep deprivation.

I really enjoyed a Flicker in the Dark, but this was a bit disappointing. I found the story to be less thriller, more women’s fiction? Especially the “past” storyline. I understand what the author was trying to do with the past and present storyline, making Isabelle an unreliable narrator, but it dragged and it just wasn’t necessary. It fell flat. The story became boring and slow, at about 60%, I thought, what has even happened? It was also very predictable and it is hard to feel empathy for Isabelle as she does a lot of horrible things, especially at the end! The ending was okay, but again, this story was really nothing special, not a must read although a tad enjoyable. I think the narrator was fantastic! The author excels at writing an “unhinged” main character who you’re not sure if you can trust.

Really good thriller! I like reading books where I don’t know what to think about the main character and this book had me thinking several different things, which kept me so engaged in the story.

Exactly one year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life was destroyed when her small son, Mason, was abducted from his crib while she and her husband slept just feet away. Since then, Isabelle has not slept while she devotes herself obsessively to the case, so much so that her husband Ben left her after six months. With the case going cold, she begins speaking at crime con conventions where on the way home she meets true crime podcaster, Waylon who offers to help her. Not sure if she can trust him, she decides to let him interview her.

This story is told from Isabelle’s POV, in dual timelines, giving it an interesting backstory to make the reader suspicious. The beginning is slow-paced which fits perfectly with the cadence of the audio narrator’s voice. It really begins to pick up in the second half, full of twists and turns that I did not see coming.

I was quite impressed with Ms. Willingham’s sophomore book and intend to read her first as well as looking forward to her next. I had trouble adjusting to narrator Karissa Vacker at first, but quickly came to appreciate her command of all the different characters. This psychological thriller kept this reader mesmerized and as such, I gave it four stars.

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

This was such a fun pageturner thriller. The story itself is fairly simple on the surface, so I wouldn't describe this book as shocking or unguessable. Yet I did not want to put it down.

Willingham writes such bingeable stories that I did not mind some of the tropes or reveals. I guessed many aspects of the story, but I had so much fun getting to the ending.

I also specifically enjoyed the themes and character work surrounding motherhood. I enjoy the imperfect but realistic portrayal of moms in this one as it hits on some important topics surrounding parenthood.

I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a new fun thriller.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

First of all thank you to the publishers for requesting my feedback on this book as well as Netgalley for allowing me to listen to it.

This is the story of a mother whose child has gone missing and there is suspicion about her due to an event that happens at night, where she sleep walks and has no memory of it. There was also a mysterious death when she was a child that makes it seem even to her that she could have done something to her own son.

This started out a bit slower and seemed very similar to other books that follow the same tropes, however at some point in the middle it got to the point where I started trying to guess what was going to happen and I was never able to figure it out. By the end this book was so hard to put down.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes family mysteries that keep you guessing.

Isabella's life changed when her young son Mason disappeared from his bed the year before. She's spent the last year speaking and telling her story in hopes of finding out what happened. Sleep deprivation and past trauma have her questioning just who and what to trust.

This is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller. It's psychological with an unreliable narrator and dual timelines. As information is revealed, my theories evolved as expected with a suspenseful thriller. I put some pieces together early on but discovered unexpected twists that I didn't see coming.

There are realistic and scary realities in this story, especially when it comes to the mental health of mothers. I advise those with triggers to look into those first.

Just wow! This was the first book I've read by Stacy Willingham, and now I'm certainly going to reach for more. An incredibly descriptive writer I felt effortlessly sucked into the story. The premise starts off quick: Isabelle is a freelance journalist who is traveling around the country to give keynote speeches at True Crime conventions about her missing son. When months went on and it felt like the police detectives had no leads and seemingly gave up, telling her that if anything they'd be most likely to find "remains" she refuses to give up hope, and in partaking in these events thinks one of the event attendees could be the culprit. Given her relentless obsession, she and her husband have separated and he's quickly moved onto seeing someone new. She meets Waylon her flight back from the convention who convinces her to go on his podcast. He has helped solve a murder in the past, looking into details missed by the police. As she invites him into her home and retells her story and shares the case files, she hides a secret: she has a history of sleep walking, and as bits and pieces come back to her... could she have been the one who hurt her own son?

A wonderfully fast-paced thriller that I can envision as the next "Gone Girl" esque movie, the novel explores wonderful themes around motherhood and guilt. Highly recommend, and I can't wait to read more from this author. Thank you Netgalley, for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Motherhood? Check! Missing child? Check! Insomnia? Check! Unreliable narrator? Check check check!!

Isabelle Drake's son, Mason, was taken from his crib while Isabelle and her husband, Ben, slept in the next room over. Ben has since moved on and Isabelle hasn't slept since she read her son a bedtime story and tucked him into bed for the night. Due to her insomnia, Isabelle is constantly tired and therefore it affects her memory. Can her recollections be believed?? This book looks at both Isabelle in the past and present.

After feeling pretty much "meh" about A Flicker in the Dark, I was honestly REALLY pleased by this audiobook. It took me by surprise and shocked me more than once. I love when I can't figure things out and I did not see that coming! The twists! Ooof! My favorite part was the narrator. It really made me feel completely immersed in this story and I was sad when it was over. 4.5/stars absolutely!

Isabelle Drake has not had a good night sleep since her son, Mason was stolen from his crib in the middle of the night one year earlier. Now her entire life is about trying to find out what happened to her beloved son.

Exhausted from lack of sleep, most days it feels like she is on her own in the search for answers. Without any leads the case has gone cold. But a chance meeting leads to an opportunity to reach a broader audience.

She will do anything to find out the truth. Even though the answers may surprise everyone....including Isabelle.

I really enjoyed this novel. The story is told from Isabelle's point of view in the present as well as the year 1999 when Isabelle was a young girl.

A bit of a slow burner, All the Dangerous Things was still quite a well written and intriguing story. It touches on a lot of important issues and I really liked how it all came together in the end.

I was lucky to again have both the eBook and audio and absolutely loved being able to switch between the two. Karissa Vacker is an excellent narrator.

I'm adding Stacy Willingham to my must read list of authors and look forward to reading her next book.



Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of this book and audiobook for me to read and listen to in exchange for my honest review

Stacy Willingham has upped her game with her latest novel, All the Dangerous Things. This was a chilling story of a missing child and the agonizing pain of a mother trying to find him. Isabelle Drake will do whatever it takes to find her son. The stress is taking its toll on her mind and body. She is severely sleep deprived and occasionally blacks out. There are parts of her past that are bleeding into the present and she is not sure who to trust, including herself.
This was a well developed story that kept me guessing until the end. The characters had so many layers and so much to unravel. The ending was perfect!!

4.5 stars ⭐️

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

#NetGalley #StacyWillingham #AlltheDangerousThings

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

“After all, violence always comes to us in ways we could never expect: quickly, quietly. Masked as something else.”

Stacy Willingham does it again! Another five-star thriller that completely captivated me. The pacing was perfect, holding my attention the entire time, with twists (that I couldn’t guess!) in all the right places. Although missing child stories can be hard to read as a mom, this one was really well done from the perspective of a mother MC. I loved the domestic suspense, unreliable narrator, and podcast element. This was perfect on audio - a total win!

3.5- I really enjoyed Stacy Willingham's debut book, A Flicker in the Dark, and while I enjoyed that slightly more than her second book, All the Dangerous Things was an impressive follow up. I love a mystery with an unreliable narrator and Isabelle Drake fit that perfectly. Throughout the novel I came up with different theories that kept changing every chapter based on new facts and clues. The atmosphere/mood was dark, mysterious, and kept me curious and hooked.

I was not happy with the pacing at the end end when everything seemed to speed up too quick and a lot of information was stuffed in the end almost like the author was running out of time to fully elaborate. The ending, though twisty and unexpected in some parts, did not come together as satisfyingly as I had hoped for. Thank you Minotaur Books for the audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great thriller by Stacy Willingham! I was a fan of A Flicker in the Dark, and her new novel did not disappoint.

All the Dangerous Things quickly drew me in with questions and theories surrounding the past and present life of Isabelle Drake. I found the imperfect characters relatable and worthy of these great, and unpredictable, storylines.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I received an advanced copy of All the Dangerous Things and boy it did not disappoint! The plot was dark, twisty and had me guessing until the very end.

if you’ve been looking for a new GIRL ON THE TRAIN, it’s finally here: unreliable yet lovable narrator, a subtle feminism, & dark twists. content warnings for child death, sibling deaths, gaslighting, & neglect.
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brief synopsis: Izzy’s baby, Mason, mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the light, leaving her a grieving mother. the husband, Ben, leaves. mystery is what happened to baby Mason?!
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my first impression from the first few pages was that the synopsis was so dark that it’s almost cheap. But this book is much more: expertly plotted w/ compelling character development, ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS represents the psycho-thriller genre at its best.

I was given an advance reader copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was definitely a page turner with well developed characters and would definitely recommend it!

If you read Willingham’s last book, A Flicker In The Dark, you know she can tell a good dark story. All The Dangerous Things is just as good, and twisty.
When a child goes missing, everyone is on high alert and everyone is a suspect. For Isabelle Drake, this has become her life. She is suspicious of everyone, even herself. To say she is an unreliable character is an understatement. She has a history of sleep walking, a mysterious death in her family, and now insomnia. You can’t trust any of her memories or her truths. She is a loose cannon, firing off at anyone and everyone. It’s hard not to get caught up in her paranoia and personal investigation to find her son. She had me doubting everyone!
When the pieces start to come together, and the truth is revealed, you will be shocked. I did not see it coming at all. This isn’t one of those reveals that make you angry because it came out of nowhere. It’s one that will honestly shake you, because it was there all along and you were clueless. Sneaky twists are the best!
The initial plot build and character development took some time, but was important. Once everyone is established within their role of the disappearance, the pace picks up and doesn’t stop. The narrator of the audiobook version, helped with the building of suspense. Her voice is eerie at times, and haunted. I could hear the pain of her hopelessness, and the lack of sleep. It definitely added to the experience.