11/14/2022
Journalist Isabelle Drake, the narrator of this lyrical thriller from bestseller Willingham (A Flicker in the Dark ), is struggling with overwhelming grief and guilt a year after her toddler son, Mason, disappeared one night from their Savannah, Ga., home. She’s tried just about anything to find Mason, even addressing conventions of true crime addicts, but these emotionally draining efforts don’t seem to be making any more headway than the stalled police investigation—which is why the usually guarded Isabelle agrees to cooperate with podcaster Waylon Spencer in hopes of persuading any listeners with possible leads to come forward. Answering Waylon’s painfully probing questions, including ones delving into the childhood tragedy that ended her father’s congressional career, could either provide the fresh perspective the podcaster promises—or prove one of her worst decisions ever. Though some of the climactic twists don’t quite convince, Isabelle’s vivid memories of a past she’s coming to question nicely intersect with her increasingly dangerous drive for answers. 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 a writer to watch. Agent: Dan Conaway, Writers House. (Jan.)
Praise for All the Dangerous Things “Gripping.” –National Examiner “Stacy Willingham is a bona fide rising star in the mystery and thriller genre.” –Goodreads "A clever, well-written book that will keep you guessing until the end." –Free-Lance Star "Terrific... Willingham’s strong affinity for characters and her superior plotting elevate All the Dangerous Things . . . seals her place as a talented novelist." –South Florida Sun Sentinel “ Stellar suspense at its very best. . . this one will rightfully find itself on many a year-end, best-of list.” –Vulture “Slow-burning yet simmering with tension and suspense, All the Dangerous Things is hypnotic, immersive, and emotionally-impactful—the kind of mystery you’ll sink into, not coming up for air until you’ve turned the final page.” –Crime by the Book “This is a mind-bending psychological thriller of the highest order. Willingham speaks the same literary language as the likes of Sandra Brown, Lisa Gardner and Lisa Scottoline and is heading down a path toward the same greatness they achieved.” –BookTrib "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) “Willingham is so relentless in linking Isabelle's sleeplessness to her deepening sense of waking nightmare that fans can expect some seriously sleepless nights themselves.” —Kirkus Reviews "[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!” —Jeffery Deaver Praise for A Flicker in the Dark "Exceptionally smart, entertaining." —The Washington Post The gripping A Flicker in the Dark sets a terrific course for the new year, shining a bright light on a new author to savor in Willingham.” —Oline Cogdill, South Florida Sun Sentinel “A smart, edge-of-your-seat story with plot twists you’ll never see coming. Stacy Willingham’s debut will keep you turning pages long past your bedtime.” —Karin Slaughter
06/10/2024
As a child, Isabelle Drake slept deeply, even sleepwalking and participating in events she couldn't remember upon waking. Now her 18-month-old son Mason has been abducted and she hasn't slept—really slept—in the year since he's been gone. Listeners learn that Isabelle's marriage has been ruined, and she is having flashbacks to her childhood when her younger sister drowned. Her plans to find her son are hindered by the police and complicated by visions she may or may not have had while sleepwalking. Isabelle runs through the scenarios and leads she generates by speaking at CrimeCon conventions about the events leading up to the abduction of her son. She follows up the speaking engagements with investigations of the attendees, hoping to find someone who is "too interested" in her story. Narrator Karissa Vacker skillfully captures Isabelle's unraveling mental state as she reveals her past life and distorted memories. Vacker's soft, dreamlike tone fits well with the shifting realities within the story. VERDICT Although sometimes repetitive and heavy on detail, expect interest in this psychological thriller, especially given the popularity of Willingham's debut, A Flicker in the Dark .—Laura Brosie
08/01/2022
Unable to sleep but for the occasional quick nap after her toddler was taken from his crib a year previously, Isabelle Drake is willing to do anything to discover what happened to him—including being interviewed by a true-crime podcaster. But the way he probes into Isabelle's past is making her nervous. Following her skyrocketing debut, A Flicker in the Dark .
Narrator Karissa Vacker meets the challenges of this thriller about the unsolved case of a missing infant. Isabelle Drake is facing the one-year anniversary of a parent's worst nightmare: the disappearance of her son, Mason, who was taken from his crib. Though her estranged husband is moving forward, she's desperate to keep the case active, even though it triggers disturbing memories of her childhood. The story is told in two time periods, and Vacker masterfully alters her delivery and vocal range to distinguish the sections told by young and old Isabelle. Vacker skillfully handles the various red herrings and the characters' emotional states without tipping off listeners, keeping them wondering what happened to Mason until the final reveal. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
2022-10-12 A bereaved mother’s year of sleepless nights is turned even more dire by percolating revelations about her past and present.
Isabelle Drake, a lifestyle reporter for The Grit who turned freelancer so that she could marry Grit publisher Ben Drake without raising too many eyebrows, hasn’t slept through the night since her 18-month-old son, Mason, was snatched from his crib as his parents snoozed a few yards away. She’s been so tireless in pursing leads, even breaking the nose of a supermarket cashier she suddenly learned had a record, that Det. Arthur Dozier of the Savannah Police Department has tuned her out and warned her off the case. Exhausted from touring true-crime conventions across the region, publicizing the tale of her lost boy and the breakup of her marriage that followed, Isabelle agrees to tell her story at length to podcaster Waylon Spencer so that he can spread it more widely while she searches for sleep. But his questions are so unsettling that she begins to wonder if she was the one responsible for Mason’s disappearance—and what her role might have been in a family calamity more than 20 years earlier that was likely papered over because her father was a South Carolina congressman from a long line of congressmen. The windup is anything but tidy, for the multiple mysteries end up requiring multiple culprits. No matter: Willingham is so relentless in linking Isabelle’s sleeplessness to her deepening sense of waking nightmare that fans can expect some seriously sleepless nights themselves.
“People love violence—from a distance,” reflects the protagonist. This one’s for readers who can love it up close.