Helpful Score: 3
This book started out strong, but the middle lagged because whodunnit was so obvious. Correction: I was wrong! It was a surprise! 4 stars for fooling me.
Helpful Score: 2
This was so good! It grabbed me right away but I had some doubts early on because it seemed so obvious where it was going. However, it wound up being much better than I expected. It took several twists and turns that made me question my deductions. Was I right? Maybe...but the journey was suspenseful and fun.
Helpful Score: 1
Riveting! I didn't have much hope for this story in the beginning as I find it difficult to relate to people who drink wine and down prescription drugs.(It's just a personal aversion to this weakness that has always bothered me.) That said, the story picks up and by the middle of the book, I absolutely couldn't put it down; finished it in a rainy afternoon. I'm impressed that this was Stacy Willingham's first novel. Will look forward to her next!
Chloe is damaged goods. She is currently a psychologist in Baton Rouge, helping teen girls who have suffered trauma. Chloe gets it, she suffered at age twelve when she turned in her father for the murder of six teen girls in their town. Saw him on tv, confessing to these horrendous crimes. Seeing her mother withdraw into a shell of a woman Chloe no longer knew. But happiness has finally found a way into Chloe's life, she's getting married soon to a man she loves and trusts. Until a teen girl goes missing in Baton Rouge. And then another.
The twists and turns in this novel will keep you guessing and WOW, when the truth is revealed you will ask, "How did I not see it?"
Chloe is damaged goods. She is currently a psychologist in Baton Rouge, helping teen girls who have suffered trauma. Chloe gets it, she suffered at age twelve when she turned in her father for the murder of six teen girls in their town. Saw him on tv, confessing to these horrendous crimes. Seeing her mother withdraw into a shell of a woman Chloe no longer knew. But happiness has finally found a way into Chloe's life, she's getting married soon to a man she loves and trusts. Until a teen girl goes missing in Baton Rouge. And then another.
The twists and turns in this novel will keep you guessing and WOW, when the truth is revealed you will ask, "How did I not see it?"
Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe's father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison. Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. Then a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, and that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, and seeing parallels that aren't really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer? This debut novel was an interesting book and had me guessing all the way through. I thought I knew who the killer was but had to finish the book in order to find out if I was right. I kept changing my mind but in the end it turned out to be who I thought it was. With lots of twists and turns I felt confused at first but really knew who it was. I like the way the author kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. Well done, Stacy! If you like twisty thrillers then you would love this book.
Congratulations to Stacy Willingham for publishing her debut novel A Flicker in the Dark. This well-written thriller kept me engaged throughout the plot's twists and turns.
The premise: When Chloe Davis was 12, her father was put in prison as a serial killer responsible for killing several young girls. Soon after, her mother became severely disabled, leaving Chloe and her older brother Cooper to be raised by family members. At age 32, Chloe is finally finding happiness and success - her new psychology practice is growing and she's engaged to Daniel. But on the 20th anniversary of her father's conviction, teen girls begin to go missing ... and Chloe's past haunts her again, especially when details of the current murders match her father's crimes.
I don't read many thrillers and I enjoy being surprised, and this book provided lots of red herrings in the course of unraveling the mystery. I didn't always agree with Chloe's actions, but I appreciated that the loops were closed by the end of the story.
I'm grateful to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the review copies of this great debut. I'm eager to read Ms. Willingham's next novel.
The premise: When Chloe Davis was 12, her father was put in prison as a serial killer responsible for killing several young girls. Soon after, her mother became severely disabled, leaving Chloe and her older brother Cooper to be raised by family members. At age 32, Chloe is finally finding happiness and success - her new psychology practice is growing and she's engaged to Daniel. But on the 20th anniversary of her father's conviction, teen girls begin to go missing ... and Chloe's past haunts her again, especially when details of the current murders match her father's crimes.
I don't read many thrillers and I enjoy being surprised, and this book provided lots of red herrings in the course of unraveling the mystery. I didn't always agree with Chloe's actions, but I appreciated that the loops were closed by the end of the story.
I'm grateful to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the review copies of this great debut. I'm eager to read Ms. Willingham's next novel.
This is the first novel by this author and it does not disappoint. When Chloe was 12 years old, 6 girls disappeared in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life. 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. A local teenager goes missing and then another, bringing back all the memories and feelings from the past. This book moved quickly with a lot of twists and turns with a totally surprising ending. Great read!!
If you like dark and twisty books, this one hit all the marks. It will keep you guessing until the very end. I will definitely read more books by this author.
