ABOUT THE BOOK
Following up her instant New York Times bestseller, A Flicker in the Dark, Stacy Willingham delivers a totally gripping thriller about a desperate mother with a troubled past in All the Dangerous Things.
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.
| Author | Stacy Willingham |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Karissa Vacker |
| Audible.com Release Date | January 10, 2023 |
| Publisher | Macmillan Audio |
What’s Being Said About All The Dangerous Things
True crime’s trending appeal and Willingham’s mastery of the domestic mystery promise popularity for this one… those who crave resolution will appreciate that Willingham tucks the story’s ends in tight.” –Booklist (starred review)
“[A] lyrical thriller… this involving, thought-provoking page-turner raises disturbing questions about the nature of the stories people tell themselves to make sense of the world. Willingham remains an author to watch.” —Publishers Weekly
“Pacey and sinister, All the Dangerous Things has a palpable tension that keeps the pages turning.” —Karin Slaughter
“All the Dangerous Things explores the often devastating secrets within families, the hard days of early motherhood and the lies we not only tell each other, but ourselves. Packed full of twists and turns, I couldn’t stop frantically turning the pages. Stacy is a must-read author for me now.” —Sarah Pearse
“Brilliant! With a sure hand, the author draws us inexorably into a harrowing blend of gothic storytelling and psychological suspense, dishing up new shocks every time another layer is peeled back. I was as sleepless as our protagonist—since I had to finish this marvelous thriller in one sitting!” —Jeffrey Deaver
I was trying to solve the mystery all through Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark, so I was looking forward to listening to her new book All The Dangerous Things.
The story felt rather familiar. An 18-month-old child disappears from his crib one night. His mother grieves the loss, is sleep deprived, and constantly searching for answers. To make the situation worse, her husband can’t take Isabelle’s obsessing over her missing child, so he moves out.
The story then unfolds with flashbacks of Isabelle’s childhood. As the plot unfolds, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself jumping from this person to that as the kidnapper.
The plot didn’t necessarily feel unique, but the combination of Willingham’s writing style and Vacker’s narration easily managed to keep me listening. And as the story progressed, so did my interest. The descriptions seemed to bring the story to life without taking up too much space.
My Concerns
The pace drug at times and even felt repetitive, though it picked up considerably in the last third.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the audiobook, though I’m not sure if the slow pace would have made reading the book difficult.
The ending didn’t come as a complete surprise, though I have to be honest, I guessed so many endings that there was no way I couldn’t have guessed it! And really, the cast of characters could almost be counted on one hand!
Stacy Willingham gently, but expertly, made it feel like the ending was relatively obvious. And it was . . . almost.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to listen to the audiobook and review the story with no stipulations.
About the Author
Stacy Willingham is the New York Times, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark and All The Dangerous Things.
She earned her BA in magazine journalism from the University of Georgia and MFA in writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Before turning to fiction, she was a copywriter and brand strategist for various marketing agencies. Her books are being translated in over 30 languages.
She lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, Britt, and Labradoodle, Mako, where she is always working on her next book.
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