After enjoying Willingham’s debut, A Flicker in the Dark, I couldn’t wait to read All the Dangerous Things. Isabelle’s son was kidnapped from his crib one year ago and Isabelle hasn’t slept since. After agreeing to a true crime podcast interview, Isabelle begins to question herself as new clues about her son’s disappearance and her own past come to light.

I read a lot of thrillers and unfortunately this one felt very similar to a few others I’ve read in the past couple of years. Unreliable narrators and podcasts have become quite the trend in the thriller book community. The major issue I had with this books was the pacing, it really didn’t pick up until the last 20%. There were some twists that I didn’t expect but overall, this was middle of the road for me.

I did enjoy the narrator, she did a great job switching between the characters’ voices.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up
I was a fan of Willingham’s debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark. So, I was curious where she would go with her sophomore effort. This one was a slower burn for me.
Isabelle Drake is dealing with something no mother ever should. A year ago, her toddler son went missing from his bedroom in the middle of the night. The abduction caused her marriage to fail. She takes an approach I couldn’t envision, speaking at multiple true crime conventions trying to keep the cold case alive. Then, she agrees to be interviewed by a podcaster she met after one of those conventions.
Isabelle is a mess. She’s been suffering from insomnia ever since her son went missing. She’s doubting everyone, including herself. Given that the story is told solely from her perspective, she fits the mold of the “unreliable narrator”. Her morals were questionable, which I struggled with. I also found her dense and at times, dumber than dirt. As my mother would say, a leopard doesn’t change its spots, which folks would do well to remember.
The story is told using two timelines - the present day and back when Isabelle was a child. And through Isabelle’s memories, we are also given the story of her adult life before her marriage.
Willingham provides the reader with multiple suspects. It took a while for me to get invested with the story. The numerous references to her insomnia got on my nerves. The pacing was extremely slow in the beginning and I felt a better editing job could have helped here as there are several scenes which are repeated. The pacing did pick up around the 50% mark, good thing or I would probably have stopped listening at that point. Which would have been a mistake, as this ends with a great twist. The last 20% literally made up for the first half.
Karissa Vaicker was the narrator. She imparted a lot of emotion to the narration, but I wasn’t as impressed with her tackling Isabelle as a child.

If you enjoyed Stacy Willingham's debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark, then you will love her latest thriller, All the Dangerous Things. Many of the same themes are present in both books including missing children, a possibly unreliable female narrator, and plenty of twists and turns throughout. In All the Dangerous Things, we are introduced to Isabelle Drake, who had her son Mason taken from his bedroom one year ago. Since then she has been unable to live a normal life, staying awake all the time and doing all she can to go through the evidence to find out who took her son. Her relationship with her husband Ben has crumbled, and she's been thinking more and more about her past which is causing her to question what might have happened to Mason. Full of surprises that will keep you reading up into the night Willingham's latest is a great sophomore novel!

I can say right off that All the Dangerous Things is my favorite whodunit of the year ( read in 2022). Stacy Willingham revealed details at a pace that made me not want to stop reading. The main characters are interesting and kept me wondering if anyone was reliable with their side of the story. There's a missing baby, a distraught mother, a father who, after a year, wants to move on with life, and an array of other characters who play significant parts in the mystery. I enjoyed it all especially with Karissa Vacker doing the narration. Her voicing of each character was distinct, believable and kept me listening and walking for longer than planned times. She's quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators. This is my first time reading Stacy Willingham and I look forward to more of her books.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for giving me access to the widget. I loved it!

I LOVED THIS BOOK and now Stacy Willingham is 100% an autobuy author for me. She nailed this missing child, unreliable narrator trope and had me shocked over and over again as everythig is revealed. Go in blind and don't try to figure anything out — you won't.

2 stars

The accurate length of this book is 10 pages. Everything else is internal dialog, doubts, suppositions, thoughts, unnecessary back stories, suppositions, irrelevant scenarios and lots of repetitions.

We have Isabelle and Ben, the parents of a baby that mysteriously disappears during one night.
The book starts one year after this tragic event, Isabelle and Ben are separated and Isabelle can't sleep more than a few hours. She is extremely sleep deprived.

I did not like the main character at all. She was quite annoying, rude and sorry to say but stupid and utterly blind to more than obvious things.
I did not enjoy any of the extremely lengthly passages of inner thoughts. You'd basically get a line like "how are you feeling today" and then 12 pages of inner dialogs and scenarios and irrelevant things.

The ending was absolutely terrible. The police was incompetent in the past, as they haven't properly everyone and they've missed huge red flags. And once again they are oblivious and taking for granted one person's story who succeeded to create the perfect crime.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian audio for allowing me to read this book!

Another slow burn from Stacy Willingham, but I enjoyed it! It's not always a fast mover but it was interesting with a few different layers.

After the disappearance of her son exactly a year ago, we meet Isabelle, who has not slept since the incident. Immediately, we know we have an unreliable narrator because of her lack of sleep, and the concept itself is also horrifying and fascinating. For someone who falls asleep while watching TV on the couch, I can't imagine what it's like to not be able to sleep like that and the confusion, exhaustion, and terror that it brings. We also learn that Isabelle has had sleep problems in the past and that there was an incident that leads to even more doubt that even she could be involved in the disappearance/kidnapping of her son without her even knowing it. It was incredibly interesting just to follow the story and wonder if everything that Isabelle is thinking and discovering is true or if she's trying to shield herself by looking for other answers and avoiding potential culpability.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS isn't always exciting and it's definitely slower paced than some other thrillers out there. It is a slow burn, allowing you to take in the personalities of the different characters and how they may have played a part in the story. The readers can being to put the pieces together from two different past time lines (Isabelle as a child with her sister Margaret and Isabelle's story of falling in love with her husband a few years ago) to see how some of these characters have shaped this story even from years ago. While there are some plot twists (which I liked!), it's still a lot of plot and character development rather than action and heart-racing scenes. I'd say this swings more on the suspense side of the mystery/thriller/suspense category, but it does have some thrills too!

I know this book will not be for everyone, for sure. If you're waiting for wild plot twists and lots of action, this won't be the book for you, but if you're interested in something that will slowly creep into your head and get inside there, this could be a good match! While this isn't my normal thriller read, it definitely had that same kind of feel as A FLICKER IN THE DARK, Stacy Willingham's debut, and I appreciate it for that.

It's been a while since I've given a thriller an easy and solid 5 stars, I can't even remember the last one, so you know this one is good!

I really liked A Flicker in the Dark, but this one was even better!

I was hooked so fast, never bored and surprised over and over by the constant pot twists.

Stacy Willingham is going to be thriller author to beat in 2023! I can't wait to read what she writes next!

The audiobook is narrated by Karissa Vacker, who absolutely pulls you into every story she reads. She also narrated A Flicker in the Dark!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to and review this audiobook prior to release. It will be available for purchase on Jan 10, 2023!

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the narration on this book! Her voice is perfect for the character and read it so well I thought there was a separate narrator for the younger version of the character! I really enjoyed the story and absolutely adore unreliable narrators! I didn’t know whether to sympathize with her for her missing son or peg her as the main suspect. I really liked the twists towards the end and was pleasantly surprised with how the story wrapped up. I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers!

Isabelle Drake woke up to every parent's worst nightmare- her baby is not in his crib. It has now been a year and the police are no closer to solving the mystery than they were the day it happened. Isabelle is trying to solve it on her own. She travels and speaks at true crime conventions to keep Mason's kidnapping in the news. She also knows that perpetrators commonly show up to these things. She meets a podcaster after an event and he sparks a few ideas. Isabelle realizes that she needs answers about her own childhood to figure out what happened to Mason.

This is Stacy Willingham's second book. I enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark a lot so I was a bit nervous. Was it a fluke? Would this be as good? I think I enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark more, but this was still really good.

For most of the book, I had 4 stars in my head. I found the chapters flashing back to Isabelle's childhood distracting and mostly irrelevant. I knew they had a purpose, but they felt like they weren't really going anywhere. However, upon reflection, I felt the rest of the book was strong enough that it was deserving of 5 stars.

There are many things to unravel in this one. I think that is why I enjoyed it. Obviously, you have the who and why of Mason's kidnapping. But there were some unexpected things that popped up as well.

Karissa Vacker narrates the audiobook and does an excelled job. She has become one of my favorite narrators.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review. (less)

I liked this one even more than A Flicker in the Dark. It was fast and addictive and the ending was tied up in a twisted bow.

I enjoy an unreliable narrator. As someone who struggles with sleep and is familiar with sleep walking, I was so invested in the outcome of this story.

A Flicker in the Dark was a book I really liked and this new book didn’t disappoint. I was able to listen to it in two days and felt like it was fast paced, twisty and interesting I would recommend.

Stacy Willingham has done it again. I can easily say this will be one of my favorite thrillers of 2023, and it hasn't even started yet!

This was an engaging story throughout. An initial mystery, then a slower period that allowed for the setup of the story and the slow burn of the revelation. I was in it the whole time, and that narrator read through in a way that was engaging and held my attention. I could feel the buzz of the intensity building, especially toward the end, and thought the revelation was so well done and surprising. I also liked the characters, how they were flawed and not perfect which made them more relatable and real.

This book should be on any thriller lover's radar for 2023, so well done!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
Narrative by Karissa Vacker (9 hours, 55 minutes)
Audiobook review -4.25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

The talented Stacy Willingham has written her sixth book. Readers may be familiar with A Flicker In The Dark from last year's reading lists. It is an intriguing book with a strong conclusion, All the Dangerous Things is her latest book.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed All the Dangerous Things audiobook much more than the book. I read the book first, then listened to the audiobook two weeks later. Karissa Vacker's narration added a lot of voice inflection to the story, making it so much more suspenseful. Karissa is an expert in her field. Her tone completely changed the entire story, and I loved it!

Synposis:
Mason was only a baby when he was taken from his bed while his parents slept just a few rooms away. It has been a year since his disappearance, and no leads have surfaced. As a result of their son's disappearance, Isabelle and Ben's marriage was severely strained. In order to keep the public interested in her son's case, Isabelle tells Mason's story at true crime conventions. Will Isabelle find the truth about Mason's disappearance? Will the case be solved?

On January 10th, the book and audiobook of All the Dangerous Things will be available.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sharing this audiobook with me. Your kindness is appreciated. You are awesome!

#AllTheDangerousThings #StacyWillingham #KarissaVacker

4.5 stars

Yes. Willingham has done it again! Readers who had fun with _A Flicker in the Dark_, as I did, will enjoy their experiences with this one, too!

Isabelle, the m.c., is having a tough time, and this is no surprise. She has been plagued by sleep-centered issues throughout her life, including sleepwalking even as a child and now persistent insomnia. As a child, her unusual habits seemed to be connected to the deaths of both of her sisters, and as an adult, her insomnia clearly ties to the kidnapping of her son, Mason, about a year ago (in relation to the present day of the novel). As anyone who has ever experienced insomnia or sleepwalking knows, these issues are often exacerbated by stress and add a lot of stress to the lives of the people who experience them. They also make for a RIVETING m.c., especially in a psychological thriller!

Readers constantly wonder exactly what Isabelle's roles in her one sister's death and her son's disappearance are because even Isabelle cannot fully answer these questions. Isabelle experiences missing chunks of time, but she is also surrounded by questionable figures, so truly it seems that anything is possible. It's unsettling for readers and characters alike to encounter so many options with so few answers, but the journey to resolution is a real treat.

Isabelle is one of those characters who makes me think that some folks really get the short end of the stick. On the surface, she has so much going for her, but WOW, has she had a tough life in terms of the various circumstances she has faced and/or have happened in her immediate environments. I'm so glad I'm not her, but I'm most glad that I get to read about her, and I expect this will be a widespread sentiment among Willingham fans and those who enjoy psychological thrillers in general. This is a good one, and it's made even more compelling with great narration in the audio version.

Very well written. Great story and plot. The characters are well developed. I could not put this book down.

I loved A Flicker in the Dark. I loved this book! Great narrator!

Mystery - where’s baby Mason? He’s been taken with no signs of a break-in. A year has passed. No resolution.

Oh the tangled webs that were weaved. The story has multiple timelines as the main character works through the mysteries (horrors) of her life.

The story was gripping, I couldn’t put it down. Will the mystery of Mason remain unsolved? Read & find out.

Thank you, great book, fabulous narrator.

You don't have to pull the trigger to get away with murder. Sometimes all you have to do is load the gun and let it go off on its own."


Wow wow wow is all I have to say about this one. It's no secret that I LOVEEEE a good psychological thriller and THIS. BOOK. WAS. EVERYTHING. I loved Flicker in the Dark, but this one... Stacy outdid herself 👏👏👏

This book will be a top read of 2023 for many people. I just know it.


All the Dangerous Things is a psychological thriller about a mom's obsession to find the truth behind her baby's dissapearance.

The narrative alternates between two timelines.. between Isabelles childhood and present day all told from her perspective. As the flashbacks happen, we find out that Isabelle has a sleep disorder that makes her sleep walk and doesn't wake easily.

While Isabelle tries to keep her son's case from going cold, she she zeroes in on a few suspects. Her husband's left her, and a new girlfriend is in the picture. Isabelle begins questioning everything as memories of her own childhood come to the surface. This book kept me guessing until the very end.

I also can't go without saying that @karissavacker was phenomenal as always with her performance. It was so good that I listened in one day!

Thank you @stacywillingham @mcmillanaudio and @netgalley for this audiobook ARC! I enjoyed it so so much.

Willingham.

Just like her other novel “ A Flicker In the Dark,” Stacy Willingham delivers a storyline that grabs you from the first minute of reading.

As the main character Isabelle, struggles with the loss of her son, you find something unnerving about her narrative in the story.
Characters come in and out of the book that connect with the storyline, but they are also elusive in their place in this story.

As the story line switches between Isabelle as a grieving mother in the present and Isabelle the young girl who recalls her childhood memories, you are on a ride that you didn’t know you bought a ticket for.
You think you are about to get off the rollercoaster, and then you’re back on again only to realize that you hopped on another track.
Fast paced and fingered gripped, the ending was perfectly foreshadowed and you didn’t even see it.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillianaudio for this e-copy in exchange for my honest recview.

Novel set for publishing January 10th, 2023. So on the meantime check out her other book A Flicker aim the Dark.

This book had me fully immersed from page one and didn’t let up until the end. I couldn’t stop! I had to know what happened to Mason. I really liked the little tidbits here and there that really made me question so many things and wonder what was really going on. There was also more than one mystery going on which made it so interesting. I also was dying to figure out what happened with Margaret.

I felt so much for this main character with her inner dialogue about motherhood and how raw and real it was portrayed. And her loss. Especially having read the authors note and realized the author isn’t even a mother. She clearly did a ton of research and it really showed. I loved all the layers and discussions of mental health.

I kept guessing with this one and while i did figure out some of the twists, it really wasn’t bothersome because i wasn’t sure if i was right or not and it was one of those things that was like yess! I knew it! And then the end definitely left me shocked. I didn’t see the twist of events there.

I devoured this book and she’s definitely on my autobuy list.

And the narrator! I just love every audio I’ve listened from her. She’s a fantastic narrator and really knows how to bring a story to life.