Wow! I really didn't see the ending twists. I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. Great narrator and a twist story that kept me guessing and awake needing to see how it ends.

This book was absolutely incredible. I will read anything this author writes!

This author created a really unsetting and creepy thriller surrounding the topic of sleepwalking. Isabelle's young son was kidnapped in the middle of the night a year ago - and she hasn't slept ever since. She goes on public appearances, trying to keep the spark in her son's case alive, as it has since gone cold. She examines every neighbor, every person who shows an interest in her case. Isabelle starts, however, to look inwardly at herself, bringing up long unanswered questions...because this isn't the first time she's sleepwalked and a tragedy occurred.

SO GOOD. Read it!!!!

This is another great book by Stacy Willingham. I thought the plot was very twisty and engaging. There were red herrings but they worked with plot. The audiobook narrator was also great.

The narrator was great! If I could pick a voice for the main character, it would be the narrator’s!
This was a great, twisty psychological thriller. Willingham definitely upped her game from A Flicker in the Dark. Though I suspected one of the main characters was guiltily involved, this story still offered quite a few twists I wasn’t expecting!

What an amazingly twisty read! Stacy Willingham really outdid herself, again, with another thriller. I loved how much I second guessed 'who dunnit' with the massive emphasis on her sleep walking problems. I was however looking for her constant use of the word 'dangerous' or 'dangerous things' as she did with 'flicker' in 'A Flicker in the Dark, because I really did love that emphasis.
I absolutely adored the vengeance too. Finally, Isabelle getting what's hers.

This was a stay up WAAAAY past my bedtime book. This is a story about a mother, Isabelle, who has had the worst thing imaginable happen to her. Her sweet toddler boy Mason was taken from her in the middle of the night while he was sleeping in his crib. Since that night, Isabelle will cannot stop looking and pressing for clues to find her boy. She hasn’t slept outside of a few blackouts and catnaps in over a year making her certainly not feel like herself.

Isabelle crosses paths with a true crime podcaster who wants to help uncover and get to the bottom of what truly happened that fated night with Mason. His questioning has loosened some of Isabelle’s memories from her past which in turn made her doubt what really happened the night of Masons disappearance! Will they did deep enough to find out what really happened?

This story is my worst nightmare and hence why I literally could not put this book down. I was completely sucked in from the start and binged this story almost in one sitting. I think Stacy did a wonderful job portraying what a desperate mother would do to try and find out what happened to her child. I also find it even more commendable because in the authors note she talks about her research she had to do given she herself is not a mother yet. I felt so sad for Isabelle and really feel Stacy kept the perfect amount of doubt in many characters to keep me guessing. I loved all of the twists and the way this book unfolded. Nice job Stacy! I will be back for more!

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham is 🤯🤯🤯! We meet Isabelle Drake who is relentlessly trying to solve the mystery of where her son is. Mason went missing a year ago and she’s struggling to move forward, so instead she’s dedicating all of her waking hours, which happen to be all of them since she can no longer sleep, to solving the crime. What follows is genuinely unexpected and creative.

All the Dangerous Things feels like a very modern thriller that incorporates some of the most interesting parts of true crime culture today. You will be glued to the pages because you will be so invested in finding out what is what. Highly recommend!

The audio book narrated by Karissa Vacker was entertaining and additive to the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the Arc - All the Dangerous Things is out 1/10/23.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Libro.fm for the review copy.
I loved A Flicker in the Dark from the author previously so I was excited for this one. It's a fresh take on the no sleep scenario and I liked how the hints and red herrings abounded. But after getting a good grasp on the characters, it wasn't hard for me to figure out where both storylines were going. I also thought the middle of the story was a bit slow. However, Willingham does know how to create atmosphere and intrigue. I see this one already getting a lot of love, and I hope it keeps reaching the readers that love it.
Karissa Vacker does the audio and she did a phenomenal job. Between the two timelines, it felt like distinct narrators and I applaud her performance of this book.

My favorite thriller of 2022! I confess, I was not expecting sleepwalking to make for such an compelling premise, but All The Dangerous Things is an extremely fresh take on the unreliable female narrator trope. Willingham excelled at creating a spooky atmosphere as she describes Isabelle's current search for her missing son, as well as troubling events from Isabelle's childhood. And each chapter, Willingham deftly swung my suspicions from suspect to suspect, before cleverly tying up her story in a way that I didn't predict. All the Dangerous Things also contains a nuanced and relatable commentary on motherhood that I very much appreciated.

Lastly, I want to take a moment to praise the narrator, Karissa Vacker, who did a phenomenal job. I will definitely be seeking out more work by Willingham and Vacker.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was really a slow-burn thriller that had me pointing fingers at everyone until the end. I really liked that this was not an obvious guess who dunit or twist.

You can feel the pain for Isabelle a mother whose son was taken a year ago. Suffering from insomnia, she works tirelessly for clues to learn about his disappearance. She's aided in her quest by a podcaster with secrets of his own.

Isabelle also deals with long forgotten family secrets that has her questioning her own culpability in her sons disappearance.

I didn't see the plot twist coming and who the real villain was and neither will most. Lots of gaslighting and drama made this an enjoyable listen.

Thank you Macmillian Audio for my ALC

Colleen Chi-Girl on GoodReads
Review of All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
Narrated by Karissa Vacker
MacMillian Audio
ISBN 9781250880871

BookShelves: 2022, audio, contemporary, crime-mysteries, netgalley, read, thrillers, us-no-amer, women-centered
Format Audiobook
December 18, 2022 Written Review
Publisher's blurb:
"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. Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year."

And Isabelle has NOT and will NOT give up. She is so sleep deprived that she seems completely unreliable as a character. I was very empathetic for her and with her, but at times I began doubting her memories and psyche. I'm not good without sleep and can't even imagine her stress and anxiety and ability to think and cope. ALONE.

And Isabelle was, shall we say, at extreme odds with her husband, which means she has very little support from anyone (not much from her own parents). Going against her usual instincts, Isabelle decides to let a well known podcaster, Waylon Spencer, interview her about Mason's abduction, in hopes that Waylon's listeners might have some knowledge or clues. She is a loving mother and is desperate. This next comment is a bit off track, but bear with me. I was really happy that Stacy Willingham chose the very cool name of Waylon for a character! It's a name that is so underused and yes, I love Waylon Jennings music :) I've only met one other Waylon (a young boy).

Following Waylon and Isabelle's back and forth, pondering, remembering, questioning, pondering more, we discover that going back to her privileged childhood, there was a family tragedy and her black-out's and loss of memories become even more relevant and understandable. Or do they...?

Hope you enjoy this one! I want to thank NetGalley, Stacy Willingham (Author), Karissa Vacker (Narrator), and MacMillan Audio for this terrific ARC.

So Netgalley dropped two thrillers in my inbox on the same happy day, and while I was certainly in the mood for a thriller, this wasn't my favorite of the two. All the Dangerous Things follows a sleep-deprived mother a year after her son has gone missing as she (understandably) is still obsessing over the very-cold case. The narrative is also interspliced with relevant scenes from Isabelle's childhood as well as how she and her estranged husband first came together.

First, I found this novel to be rather slow (though disclaimer: I prefer a breakneck pace, so please keep that in mind). With no leads and not a whole lot of urgency, I found the tension hard to feel for most of this book. Not to mention, Isabelle is NOT a good person, so I found her hard to relate to as a character. Even as the story took some interesting twists and turns, I feel like she had a very detached reaction to them. While the books ends on a nice up-note, it still felt like some very messy things were put away a little too cleanly, and I wish we'd gotten some more depth from the supporting characters.

However, if you like psychological thrillers that take their time, this book is well-written and well-narrated with plenty of dark atmosphere and a karmic ending. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! (3.5/5)

I was pretty excited to see Stacy Willingham, A Flicker in the Dark, had returned with her 2nd novel, All the Dangerous Things. Add in wonderful narration by Karissa Vacker, it was easy click to request an advanced audio. This is a story with an unreliable narrator; it's a compelling, emotionally charged psychological thriller based on every mother's worst nightmare.

Synopsis: Isabelle Drake struggles with overwhelming grief and guilt a year after her 18 month old son disappeared one night from their home. She cannot sleep after what happened and second-guesses what she could have done differently. Isabelle's husband, Ben, left her six months ago and has already found a girlfriend, Valerie. He seems to have moved on. Isabelle cannot. She needs to find Mason.

All the Dangerous Things has flawed, complicated and messy characters. There are twist, turns and more twists and turns. It's an atmospheric tale so artfully worded. Mental health, motherhood, trauma, memories, marriage, and grief—as well as dark hidden family secrets are revealed. The author handles them all with compassion and sensitivity.

As a mother, who has lost a child (but knew what happened), I feel deeply for Isabelle and understand how she cant let go. I understand how thoughts of my daughter keep me up at night even 6 years later. So the thought that Isabelle is haunted a year later, doesnt seem strange to me. All the Dangerous Things contains characters with past childhood trauma, an unimaginative loss and the present high suspense/mystery of what happened then and now. Yes, she sounds crazy, but is she?

Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for a thought provoking tale of grief and loss and how that effects us as mothers and people.

I was delighted to listen to an advance release copy of All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham. I also have a gorgeous hardcover from Book of the Month club. I enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark and was excited to read Willimgham’s latest.

All the Dangerous Things is a fun addition to the psychological thriller genre. The story follows a mother who, a year after her baby disappeared from their home, is battling a sleep disorder and giving talks at true crime conferences. The story employs some classic tropes: sleepwalking, memory loss, men we’re not sure we can trust, dark backstories.

I thoroughly enjoyed how the story unfolded. It had the usual twists and turns. Nothing was too shocking or jaw dropping, but it played out in a way that was satisfying.

Karissa Vacker’s narration was masterful. I could listen to her read a phone book! This is the type of book that was great to read and listen to and the narrator plays a big part in that.

Overall, I thought this was a great book and would completely recommend.

4.5⭐"All the Dangerous Things" drew me in immediately and I couldn’t put it down. I have to know!!😙🤌

Isabelle (Izzy) Drake's toddler, Mason was snatched from his crib in the middle of the night. The baby monitor ran out of battery and there was no break-in. A year later with no clue to go by, the investigation stalled and it's up to Izzy to keep the case going and maintain public interest.

Izzy encounters a true-crime podcaster Waylon Spencer who had success solving a case. Although reluctant at first, Izzy gave in for an interview. He seems to be interested in her past and keeps digging but it's something Izzy wants to forget.

"All the Dangerous Things" is a story about mental health and motherhood. It's told in two timelines, now and in 1999 from a sleep-deprived mother seeking answers. There are many twists and surprises along the way which I much prefer over the reveals unloaded in the last few chapters. I was completely blindsided by this one and all theories I had were tossed out the window. Loooved when this happens!!

The audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker is excellent. She's very talented with voice emotions without being overdone. It's also easy for listeners to differentiate the timeline from young Izzy vs now Izzy, male voices and other female characters are very noticeable as well.

Despite not being a big fan of the unreliable narrator trope, I enjoyed last year's debut "A Flicker in the Dark" and this one tops that! I can't wait to listen to Stacy Willingham's next novel.💓

I really wanted to love this story since A Flicker in the Dark is my favorite thriller, but for me it was just okay. I felt like the synopsis saying that the narrator was unreliable was a huge spoiler and I think my reading experience would’ve been better had I not known that until it was revealed. The first half of the story was a bit slow and it felt like it took forever for the shoe to drop. While I was surprised by the ending I still felt like the story had lost my interest at times because it was too convenient that all of these people close to the main character had died.

As far as the audiobook narrator goes, I throughly enjoyed her narrating. I also listened to A Flicker in the Dark by the same narrator (and author) and I loved that audiobook as well.

I got all the feels with this one. A lot of times, 5-star books for me are the ones that give me goosebumps and have me glued to the pages/audio. This one did that for me. There are so many things about this book that I loved and the complexity of how all the pieces fit together still have my mind reeling from them. There is gaslighting, manipulation, post-partum depression, secret affairs, sleep deprivation…the list goes on. This book had everything you could want in a thriller! The audio was addictive as well and the performance of the narrator, Karissa Vacker, had me glued to my ear buds.

The biggest thank you to NetGalley, Stacy Willingham, Macmillan Audio, and St Martin’s Press for providing me with these gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the arc. This review will be for both the ebook and audio. I really liked this story. It wasn't so much a thriller but more of a mystery for me. The author did a good job with character development.
Narrated by Karissa Vacker: She did an amazing job telling the story and bringing each character to life. She gave each character their own voice.
With that said the narrator and the author will make it so you just have to see what happens next and hold you captive until the very end.

This is a novel of a mother’s worst nightmare, almost unimaginable!! Isabelle Drake put her toddler son to bed one evening and upon awakening she found that Mason was GONE!! No signs of forced entry but a window was open in the nursery.

Her husband Ben left her six months ago and has already found a “girlfriend”. He tells Isabella that she needs to put this behind her and get on with her life. WHAT MOTHER COULD EVER DO THAT??

Simply amazing. Willingham is a Perfect storyteller who weaves past and present together like magic.