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All the Dangerous Things by @stacyvwillingham

A Flicker In the Dark was my top thriller of the year *until* this read 🙌🏼 I loved it even more than Flicker!! I appreciate publisher @minotaur_books for the ARC and give thanks to @netgalley @macmillan.audio for the gripping audio!

Readers who enjoy:
🗝️Domestic Thrillers
🔓Unreliable Narrators
🔎Dual Timelines
🎙️True Crime Podcasts
🌓Atmospheric Writing
😱Unexpected Twists

Willingham's prose in combination with Karissa Vacker's narration was AMAZING. I listened while driving out of town for a work trip and was white knuckled on my steering wheel and holding my breath until the conclusion. The atmospheric setting in the lowcountry marshland of Savannah, GA and Beaufort, SC was great; the pacing was well-timed; the flashbacks to Isabelle's childhood added depth and suspense; there were multiple story arcs and misleading twists and turns that had me guessing until the end.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Stacy Willingham for the opportunity to listen to an advance audio of ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS, narrated by Karissa Vacker, to be published 17 January 2023. WOW! A very intense and involved psychological thriller. The narrator is amazing-capable of depicting a whole range of characters. This novel included kidnapping, murder, suicide and adultery and was full of shocking twists, turns and red herrings. It was a delightful audio to listen to. Stacy Willingham has done it again. Don’t miss this one! #AllTheDangerousThings #MacmillanAudio

This is my second SW book, and one of many thrillers I have read over the years. Once again, I had absolutely NO idea where the ending was going. I was on the edge of my seat, with unreliable Isabelle, podcaster Whelan... I couldn't figure out where it was going. It ended with my mouth literally hanging open, hearing where it ended. Amazing!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio/Minotaur books for this ARC. The story had so much depth, from Isabelle’s past to present. I think it was a part of her and she never was in denial about it. It wove a lot into her story of Allison, herself and Ben. And the loss of a child will have you going to all the extremes, pulling all the stops out to find your child. And the character of Isabelle does just that. Her husband Ben gave me the all around creeps from the time he appeared until he got his justice paid to him. Much depth of character and all kinds of simmering rage going on. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone. Great, full bodied story, well written. Thank you Stacy Willingham, and the wonderful narrator as well.

Freelance writer Isabelle Drake thought she had the ideal life. A wonderful husband Ben; a beloved 18-month-son Mason; a beautiful home in Savannah, Georgia, etc. Then one year ago, when Isabelle and Ben were sound asleep, little Mason was taken from his crib....and Isabelle's life spiraled into despair.

Since Mason disappeared, Isabelle's only sleep has been brief catnaps, and her days have been consumed with searching for her son. Savannah Police Detective Arthur Dozier appears to be making no progress with the case, so Isabelle takes it upon herself to speak at true-crime conferences, her only recompense being a list of attendees....which might include the kidnapper.

Isabelle's dining room wall resembles a police whiteboard, with photos of friends, acquaintances, neighbors, sex offenders, crime conference attendees, and other people of interest - including information about them from the internet, newspapers, social media, and so on. Isabelle obsesses over her 'research', in hopes of identifying the perpetrator.

Both the police and Isabelle's husband Ben urge her to move on, and Isabelle's marriage has fallen apart. Ben is now living elsewhere and dabbling in the dating scene.

Isabelle feels she has no supporters until she meets a true crime podcaster named Waylon Spencer. Waylon once solved a cold case, and he and Isabelle form an alliance in hopes of discovering what happened to Mason.

The story skips back and forth between the past and present, and we learn that young Isabelle lived in Buford, Georgia with her parents and little sister Margaret. As a youngster, Isabelle was a sleepwalker who could never recall her nighttime ramblings. We also discover that Isabelle's romance with Ben started as a sort of 'platonic affair' when he was married to his first wife.

The book is full of twists, most of which I didn't anticipate. So well done Stacy Willingham.

This is a gripping psychological thriller that would appeal to many fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, Stacy Willingham, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the novel.

Gripping and tense, All the Dangerous Things was hard to put down. Once I started listening to the audiobook, I did not want to put it down, as this one seeped in and piqued my interest. Motherhood, a missing child, insomnia, and an unreliable narrator pulled me in.

Isabelle Drake's son, Mason, was taken from his crib while Isabelle and her husband Ben slept in the next room. Now Ben has moved on and Isabelle has not slept since she read her son a bedtime story and tucked him in for the night. She questions how she didn't know someone was there? How did she not know he was taken? She wants answers and searches for clues. She gives speeches about her missing child, knowing that people are interested, hoping to find answers.

Isabelle has not slept, thus making her an unreliable narrator. She is tired and it affects her memory and recollections. Will talking to a true crime podcaster help her? What does he know about her past? The book looks at both Isabelle in the past and present.

After feeling so-so about A Flicker in the Dark, I was wowed by this book. It took me by surprise and shocked me. I love when I can't figure things out and I did not see that coming! Well played! Plus, the twists! It's whiplash time!

Gripping, riveting, hard to put down and shocking! What a great book, plus the narrator did a fantastic job. What a great read/listen.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Stacy Willingham and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Back with a new and intense novel, Stacy Willingham presents readers with something chilling. A story that has multiple layers and an eerie resonance the more that is revealed, Willingham dazzles and keeps the reader gasping. Well-paced and full of twists, this is one story that will have to be absorbed attentively, as pieces subtlety fall into place as the narrative crescendos. A great addition to a genre that has been gathering momentum over the past few years!

It’s been a year since Isabelle Drake had her worst fears realised. Her young son, Mason, was taken from his crib in the middle of the night while the rest of the house slept. Since then, Isabelle has been trying to find him and attending true crime symposiums to pass along the news. Isabelle has turned into a raging insomniac, vowing that she will sleep only when Mason is safely returned to her.

The disappearance causes strains in her marriage, as well as accentuating a number of memories from her past, when Isabelle’s childhood sleepwalking was at its worst. Isabelle struggles with these memories as well as the possibility that she may have unwittingly harmed Mason.

If that were not enough, Isabelle tries to juggle her estranged husband’s actions, as well as a crime blogger who wants to know more about what happened. The pressure is enough to make anyone crack, though Isabelle must be keep a facade of calmness to ensure no one suspects anything. An intense thriller that Stacy Willingham as created, sure to impress many readers, to at least keep them flipping well into the night.

I discovered Stacy Willingham through her debut novel a number of months ago. Her work is both chilling and well-paced, making me want to explore more and dig a little deeper within the narrative. With strong characters who accentuate a decent plot, the story moves along well and keeps the reader guessing. Quick chapters help push things along, though there are enough twists to also whet the appetite of the hungry reader. Not to be missed and proof that Willingham keeps getting better!

A story needs direction in order to succeed for me. I found Willingham to have all the needed elements to develop a strong story from the outset. The narrative direction is strong and keeps the reader wanting to know more, as does the handful of strong characters, all of whom have a purpose throughout the piece. Chapters serve as teasers and make things move well, without getting in the way of the momentum. I like Willingham’s style and found her delivery to be on point throughout. I’m eager to see what else she has in store for fans in the coming months.

Kudos, Madam Willingham, for an entertaining read. Keep the publications coming.

I very much disliked "Flicker in the Dark." so I approached Stacy Willingham's newest with a fair amount of skepticism. I was so pleasantly surprised by this one and the plot kept me guessing toward the end. The narration by Karissa Vacker was wonderful.

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham #jaylammreviews
As a huge fan of Stacy's debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark; I had high hopes for this new thriller. The first half of this book made me nervous because it was feeling a little cliche and done before...but boy did that second half make up for it. It had a few great twists and a fantastic ending. 
This book touched on some serious subject matter and as a mother, there were times I struggled with this. It has some very dark parts, so please read with caution. 
As far as the audio, I thought the narrator did a fantastic job!
Overall I really loved this book. This confirms Willingham is an autoread author for me.

This slow burner has it all... an unreliable narrator, shady family and a kidnapped baby! I listened to the audiobook and all I can say is wow, I was hooked. Stacy Willingham writes with so much detail that you feel like you are in the room with the characters.

Stacy Willingham did it again. I absolutely loved A Flicker in the Dark (5 stars for me) so when I saw All the Dangerous Things, I couldn’t wait to read it.

The story starts off strong with Isabelle Drake speaking at a true crime convention because her toddler went missing. Instantly I was sucked in and I had so many questions. The story takes place in Isabelle’s past and the present, both which are complete mysteries. Willingham does an amazing job of navigating between two stories in one while keeping the reader obsessing over what happened with both. During the true crime convention she meets a podcaster who offers her the opportunity to get her story out to more people but after a few chats with him, she becomes suspicious of his true intentions. Is he here to help her, accuse her or dig up her past? There are so many twists that I didn’t know how it could possibly ever end but at one point I read one sentence and thought “wow, now I know what happened, it all makes sense” but one page later I already had to accept I was totally wrong and Willingham wasn’t going to let me solve this myself (haha!).

I received an ARC audiobook copy and it was exceptionally narrated by Karissa Vacker. Thank you to Stacy Willingham, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review such a great mystery psychological thriller.

Another winner by this author! I read another book by her previously and loved it so I was excited to see another- better yet, the audio book was narrated by one of my favorite narrators!! I listened to the audio version and naturally, the narrator was wonderful with the different voices for the different characters as well as giving the story more life. The storyline captured me from the very beginning, I loved all the different twists and turns. Highly recommend this one!!

Earlier this year I read A Flicker In The Dark by Stacy Willingham and loved it. So, when I saw a new book on Netgalley by the same author I knew I had to try and get and arc for it.

I was lucky enough to get an audiobook arc which was fantastic. My physical book actually came in the mail on the same day that I finished the audiobook.

I don't know how it's possible, but book two by Stacy Willingham is even better than the first.

I had high hopes going in and this book did not disappoint. The book doesn't officially come out until January of 2023, but its already a contender of my own book of the year.

There were so many turns, the pacing was great, the characters were so fleshed out, etc.

I can't wait to see what everyone else says about the book.

This was my first read by this author and definitely will not be my last. I loved her writing style. The audiobook was really great. Good story and cool characters.

Isabelle’s world is turned upside down when her one year old son goes missing in the night. A year later and she hasn’t slept other than periodic blackouts. When a true crime podcaster approaches her to feature the case, Isabelle knows she can’t turn down the publicity. When the podcast begins to progress and Isabelle’s past comes to light, she begins to question her memories of what happened that fateful night.

I got sucked in right away to this book and it made me want to read this author’s other book stat! Everyone was a suspect and the author created a lot of paranoia. The writing was really descriptive and I liked all of the imagery. I did find the cliffhanger ending to be a bit disappointing, hence the 4 stars instead of 5!

"She was a quiet little body trailing me around like a shadow, and shadows don't move on their own."

I listened to the audio, and it was great! I was completely addicted to the story so being able to listen while still dealing with life stuff was awesome. I couldn't put it down.

It was mysterious, exciting, disgusting, surprising, cute and essentially all the emotions in a nice 6 hour listen.

I LOVE that I can recommend this to so many people. It's not covered in sex, violent gore or dripping with F bombs, and therefore something I know a lot of my more conservative friends could love. LET ME BE CLEAR.... It was STILL a fun, twisty and shocking ride. I've loved my fair share of intense thrillers with all those things I mentioned, and I still loved it. I think many people will enjoy this book.

As usual, with any thriller or book in general, look at the trigger warnings before reading.

Great read. This comes out January 9th 2023.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS
Stacy Willingham

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS by Stacy Willingham stars Isabel, Izzy, to those close to her.

Isabel hasn’t had a night's sleep in a year to be exact.

That was the night her toddler son Mason was taken from his crib while she and her husband slept a bedroom or two away.

Life hasn’t been the same for Isabel since that fateful night.

Now Isabel spends her days and nights in a hazy fog, her body and mind suffering from lack of sleep. The only one still holding on to hope that her son will one day be returned, she tours the true crime circuits talking about her son and his disappearance, her only way of keeping his case alive.

We meet up with Isabel on a day when she is presented with an opportunity to investigate Mason's disappearance with a podcaster. It seems like the only way to further the search for Mason so she agrees.

Whooo!

Will Isabel finally be able to solve this horrible mystery of her son’s disappearance?

This is my second Stacy Willingham book. I read her January 2022 release, A FLICKER IN THE DARK, and loved it. So I added her name as someone to follow and when this synopsis came out I got even more excited to read it.

The combination of the character's insomnia, the podcast, and the mystery of the disappearance made me want to know how it would all add up.

There are two POV's that are equally strong. And you are never bored. One pov has to do with the other but each could be self-contained. Both POV's have complete story arcs and resolutions.

My favorite thing about the book is how cloistered it was yet I could not figure it out until the very end.

It felt like a Rubik’s cube. There are only a handful of characters introduced. There are very few options. And it felt like magic when everything lined up and all of those breadcrumbs left through the chapters came to such a complete and beautiful resolution.

I cannot wait for the next one Willingham!

I recommend it to all readers but especially those who enjoy thrillers. This was a good one!

ALL OF THE DANGEROUS THINGS…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Look for this one January 10, 2023!

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies!

Isabelle Drake can't sleep. In fact, she hasn't slept in a year, a year since her toddler, Mason, was abducted. In that time, her marriage to Ben has fallen apart and she desperately does whatever she can to find her son. She attends True Crime conferences, agrees to podcasts, and keeps asking people if they remember anything about the night her little boy disappeared. As the story continues, we are slowly introduced to Isabelle's past, her sister's tragic death, the infidelity that led to her marriage with Ben and the new woman in Ben's life. Slowly, Isabelle starts to see a clearer picture of what might have happened and realizes that she needs to be careful with who she trusts if she wants to find the truth.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator was fantastic. It added to the unreliability of Isabelle's memories and thoughts as well as her self-doubt. I enjoyed how we were slowly introduced to the details of Isabelle's past and it kept me guessing until the end. And the end, well, you'll have to read it to find out.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced listening copy of this upcoming psychological suspense. This hits the shelves on 1/10/23. This review can also be found on IG @maria.needs.to.read

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham was easily on of my top thrillers this year. I read it in a single night, and the author's note even made me shed a tear.
Read if you:
-enjoy many unreliable characters
-like a slow burn thriller
-liked Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier (and A Flicker in the Dark)

This book immediately captured my attention and didn’t let go. The writing was so vivid, and I’m always a sucker for a southern setting. The story is told just through Isabelle’s POV, but flips from childhood flashbacks to the present. The flashback chapters were so eerie to me (Sharp Objects vibes) and added the creepy factor I like. The present sections really made me question who to trust, and my guessing were all wrong. The ending was just the right amount of twist, neither predictable nor unbelievable, but enough that I really didn’t see it coming. The middle was slightly slow, but it didn’t take away at all for me. I also liked Isabelle as a protagonist more than Chloe from AFITD. Ok done rambling, bottom line is get it, it’s a top thriller of the year for me!

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio of this book.

This book was hands down better than her debut novel. The plot was mysterious and took a few turns (some if not most were predictable). I think this story was more my cup of tea because as a mother I could relate to the main character. You’d do anything and everything for your child. Everyone would be a suspect if something were to happen to your child.
The only thing I grow tired of after reading so many thrillers is the cheating spouses and constant gaslighting. I mean can Ben be more of a cliche?

Overall an enjoyable read that did make me want to keep reading.