Thank you to NetGalley for the audio version advance reader copy of this story. Loved this book. Loved her Flicker too, but I think this was enhanced by the addition of the podcasts. The style was amazing. Twists and turns throughout and I think the narrator is my favorite! Going to search all read by her. 5 stars!

Isabelle Drake can’t sleep. Even as a child she struggled with what happened after she closed her eyes at night. Her repeated sleepwalking episodes were a mystery to her parents and troubling to her little sister, Margaret, who adored her big sister but was frightened by these behaviors.

Now things are even worse. It’s been a year since her toddler was taken from his crib in the night, and six months since her husband Ben left her. He thinks she needs to move on, but Isabelle can’t and won’t rest until she finds their son Mason. After she speaks at a true crime con, podcaster Waylon Spencer offers to let her tell her story. After all, there are still some who think SHE’S behind Mason’s disappearance, and a tragic event from her past isn’t helping.

Between her extreme sleep deprivation, the strange, glassy-eyed old man she encounters during night-time neighborhood walks, some unexpected discoveries on a laptop, Ben’s new relationship and a dogged detective who seems to treat everything she says with suspicion, Isabelle begins to wonder if she really IS the villain in this story.

As impressed as I was with her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, I think this book is even better. Willingham’s writing is beautiful and she didn’t rely on flashy, “in your face” twists and thrills to grab attention. Rather, she let the story unfold organically, in a way that didn’t require constant suspension of disbelief, which was nice! I thought the “whodunnit” was believable, and I didn’t figure it out ahead of time, unlike her last book. I also appreciated the attention brought to a specific mental health issue. Read the author’s note AFTER the book. It’s very thoughtful!

I did have a couple minor issues. There was a thread involving infidelity which I didn’t love. I understood where it served the story, but I couldn’t get behind why one party was being treated more sympathetically than the other, since it literally takes two. I also had to roll with one major aspect of the ending, which was explained but not realistic in today’s investigative world.

I read on my Kindle and also listened to the audio narrated by Karissa Vacker, who did a wonderful job with the voicing across genders and ages. My only quibble is that sometimes the emotion is Isabelle’s voice could’ve been reigned in just a teeny tiny bit, but that’s just personal preference.

All-in-all it’s a fantastic second outing by Stacy Willingham and an excellent thriller to end my year!

★★★★ ½

💭Thoughts:
My son being taken from his crib in the middle of the night is my worst nightmare and for that reason I almost didn’t read this book. I’m so glad I decided to grab it off the shelf and go ahead with reading it. I really connected with this book.

I’ve walked and talked in my sleep for as long as I can remember. There really is something unsettling about not knowing where you might wake up or what you might say or do while you’re sleeping. I’ve literally woken up laying on the front porch before. The author did a really great job setting the atmosphere and nailed the creepiness of sleep walking.

This story was told through the weaving of two different timelines. Isabelle as a child and then as an adult. Isabelle was an unreliable narrator and I love that in thrillers. I thought all of the different characters came together so well and really kept me on my toes. I had multiple theories about how it would end, but I didn’t see it unfolding the way it did.

I’d definitely recommend this book, especially the audiobook version. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing all of the characters to life. She narrators all of the different characters so well and makes each one of them memorable.

Thank you @netgalley, @macmillian.audio, and @stacyvwillingham for the advance audiobook to listen to and review!

Isabelle's last whole night of sleep was the night her toddler son, Mason, was taken while she slept. Determined and desperate, Isabelle literally won't rest until she finds Mason. The police don't have viable leads, and her husband has moved on. Isabelle decides to work with a true crime podcaster to find new tips. However, their questioning unearths secrets from her past and makes her second guess who she can trust, including herself.

Wow!!! This twisty thriller had me in a chokehold the entire time. As a mom and a person with sleep issues, I could identify with Isabelle's heartache, struggles due to sleep deprivation, and unwavering belief that her son is still alive. Stacy Willingham immerses you in Isabelle's story, and you can't help but feel you are right there with her, trying to figure out what happened to Mason.

I loved that I felt I had figured out parts of the story only to discover so much more that I had no idea about — all unpredictable, believable, and intricately woven together. The last 10% of the book had me ignoring life and everyone around me to read. I had to know how this one ended.

I read and listened to All The Dangerous Things. I really enjoyed the audiobook. Narrator Karissa Vacker brought the eeriness (and creepiness!) of the childhood flashback chapters to life, along with the nuances, complexity, and flaws of these characters. As a solo narrator, she nails distinctive voices for each character and handles the male voices extremely well. Vacker's adept narration took an excellent book to the next level.

This was my first Stacy Willingham book, and I can't wait to dive into her debut, A Flicker in the Dark. Shame on me for sleeping on that one!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the early listening copy of this book.

I just finished this book and found it ok. I found the first half kind of slow and the sections that went back to Isabelle’s childhood not very interesting.

I had to listen to the last couple of chapters again because I was a little confused on what was happening. I see how Abigail and Valerie were tied to Mason’s disappearance, but was Ben involved? It sounds like he was.

Did Isabelle get away with Valerie’s death and let Ben take the fall for it? There wasn’t an explanation on what happened to Mason. Did Valerie and Ben kill him and if they did, where is his body?

I really loved Flicker in the Dark, so this was one of my most anticipated thrillers this year!

It started off a little slow for me but I’m so glad I stuck with it because I really enjoyed the second half of the book and especially the ending!

A solid 4 star read.

I really enjoyed listening yo this book. The narrator was amazing. The book itself makes you wonder what the truth really is. You'll vacillate back and forth on this many times, often due to the unreliable -or is it reliable?- narrator.
Appreciated the first person perspective and it was a very quick listen. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I read this book while on leave with my newborn, did it completely up the terrifying factor for me? Absolutely! But, that's also what made "All The Dangerous Things" such a great book, it evokes such visceral emotions. Playing on a parents worst fears, author Stacy Willingham pens an emotional, fraught, and twisty read. With a familiar audio narrator, this book felt like home while slicing through my emotions.

Isabelle Drake was living the dream with auccessful husband and beautiful son. Until it was all taken from her one night when her son was kidnapped right under their sleeping noses. Now, one year later, she's willing to do anything, tell her story to whomever, to keep the case alive.

This is one of the best books I have read all year. Filled with plot twists that had me saying “this is who did it,” over and over.

Listened to the audiobook.

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

The big reveal in this book was terrible. SPOILERS AHEAD: You just cannot have a random woman be the kidnapper without setting it up. It felt too convenient for the author.

What a phenomenal thriller! Let me tell you I did NOT see this one coming and it is definitely one you need to have on your radar for 2023. This was a twisty ride about a mother who lost her son a year ago when he was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. The search has quickly gone cold and Isabelle has put off the detectives with her relentless thoughts and ideas on who they should be looking into, and quite possibly might have made herself an inadvertent suspect. Losing hope on what else to do, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster and his relentless questioning starts to make her nervous, as he is digging into her past as well as causing her to doubt what happened the night Mason disappeared. The doubt could also be coming from the insomnia that has reared its head again, but that’s probably to be expected. As she continues to pursue the truth, the narrative went down a path that I would never have guessed, but was so well done I was left stunned by the end.

I loved the twists and thought the ending was fantastic, this could have gone a standard thriller ending route and been just as satisfying, but I really loved what Willingham did with this one and she is now firmly on my auto-buy/auto-read list. The audio is fantastic, read by one of my favorites, Karissa Vacker, and she does a phenomenal job with this book. I am always impressed how she can cover both female and male voices seamlessly and she does such a great job with this one too.

Finally, you do not want to pass on the author’s note at the end, especially where she explains the inspiration for one of the characters. I was absolutely blown away on whom they were based on and loved her explanation as to why.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC to review.

This was so well written and captivating. With an unreliable narrator, the then and now timelines weaving together and multiple side stories. It worked so well and had me hooked. I listened to this in a morning while baking and couldn't imagine putting it down.

It gave some very The Night Swim by Megan Goldin vibes with the way the podcast was intertwined and I loved that!

Huge thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for advanced copies in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! This was an amazing audiobook. I read Stacy Willingham’s previous book, A Flicker in the Dark, earlier this year and really liked it, but I have to say that this one was even better! The main character is so well done - you can’t stand how she is acting, but then you realize that if you were in that situation you would probably be the same way. The build up of the story and the constant guessing was fantastically done. I had NO CLUE it would end how it did!! Highly recommend and the audio was on point.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

After reading "A Flicker in the Dark", I knew I had to read Stacy Willingham's next novel. "All The Dangerous Things" is a great book that I didn't want to stop listening to! I loved the switching between timelines and the author does it with ease and a purpose, Throughout the story, we follow Isabelle as she she tries to solve the case of her own missing son. Did somebody take Mason or did Isabelle do something to him?

All the Dangerous Things is an expertly written story and the audiobook is delivered with absolute perfection.

The story follows Isabelle Drake, Isabelle’s son Mason was taken from his crib and never seen again. It’s been a year and the case is still open with no leads. Since Mason has gone missing Isabelle has not really slept. Isabelle also has a dark past that she doesn't fully remember. From what she remembers of her past and then what’s going on in her present, you will start to question everything. Everyone in Isabelle’s life can be suspicious, even Isabelle herself. That all plays out so well due to the excellent writing. When Isabelle’s past was finally explored it was worth the wait, it was not what I expected. I found myself questioning everyone and everything until the final chapter and I loved it.

The narration by Karissa Vacker made this more than just a story, this was an experience. Karissa put on an absolute performance and at times you will forget she is the only narrator.

I can’t recommend this book enough.

⭐️Rating: 4/5
✍🏼Author: Stacy Willingham
📖Genre: Suspense/ Thriller
Release Date: January 10th 2023

Summary:
One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.

Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.

Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle's past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust... including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.


💭𝑀𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈:
This was definitely my type of book and was a slow burn that kept me guessing what would happen next. Every time I thought it was going in a certain direction, it shifted and it wasn’t predictable like most psychological thrillers. It gave me flashbacks to the Andrea Yates case , and most true crime cases today trying to find out who committed the crime. I really felt for the main character, Izzy- trying to battle her mind and not 100% certain what happened in her past, putting pieces together one by one.

The audiobook was really well done and think that Stacy Willingham did a great job narrating. One thing that I have to point for future listeners— this is NOT one that you can listen to and multi-task doing other things. You have to pay attention to the details and focus on listening or you will become confused. I had to replay chapters during multiple instances because everything unfolds so fast.

I would recommend this one- and plan to purchase the hard copy when it releases January 10th 2023!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reader audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

This psychological thriller pulled me in from the first page. Technically, the first listen. I listened to the audiobook and it was phenomenal. If you have the chance, Vacker does an absolutely superb job with this novel. But the story of Isabelle dealing with the grief of her sons disappearance is gripping. Told one year after her son is taken from her home without a trace, Isabelle isn't ready to give up searching. Which means diving into her past to find out what could have really happened to her son Mason. Told in alternating timelines of the present and Isabelle's past, the truth of where Mason went is uncovered. While I had a couple guesses of what happened, I was surprised with a couple things (I enjoy the surprise) This has aspects of true crime, mystery and thriller. This was my first Willingham so you can bet I picked up A Flicker in the Dark after this one. Thank you to @Netgalley and @MacMillanaudio for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

All the dangerous things definitely took me on a ride. The non linear timeline kept things interesting throughout. The narration was fantastic. At one point while listening I made a comment like “wow this story is too predictable” but it turned out to not be even close to what I was expecting. I just appreciate really good writing and this was a good example of that. Definitely a thriller- especially once it reaches it climax. And I appreciated the epilogue and the authors note at the end. I like no loose ends and this story gave me the closure I needed. Very good and exciting read. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Stacy Willingham for an ARC of this book and the opportunity to review it with my personal opinion. I’ll definitely read another book from Stacy in the future!

This book is getting a lot of buzz, which is maybe why my expectations were high and ended up being a little disappointed. The story was engaging and I was curious how it would be resolved, but ultimately, it feels a little unoriginal and I fear, a bit forgettable. That being said, I wanted a few hours of absorbing entertainment and that's what I got.

Another amazing slow burn from this up-and-coming author! If you enjoyed her debut novel, this book is for you!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!