A Flicker In The Dark Review

Author: Stacy Willingham

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: Jan. 11, 2022

Order Link: Amazon 

My Rating: 4 Flickering Hearts

Special thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc of this book.

From debut author Stacy Willingham comes a masterfully done, lyrical thriller, certain to be the launch of an amazing career. A Flicker in the Dark is eerily compelling to the very last page. In a debut novel that has already been optioned for a limited series by actress Emma Stone and sold to a dozen countries around the world, Stacy Willingham has created an unforgettable character in a spellbinding thriller that will appeal equally to fans of Gillian Flynn and Karin Slaughter. 

Review:

Flicker in the Dark is an intense psychological thriller that turns readers every which way but loose.  It's been awhile since I've been this impressed and entertained by a debut novel.  Willingham has penned a psychological thriller that pushes readers off the deep end, leaving them floundering alongside the characters just out of reach of safety and searching for answers without a clue who to trust and who to avoid like the plague.  An unreliable narrator, psychotic serial killer and a cast of well-manipulated red herrings make it nearly impossible to figure this one out before the reveal at the end.  Strap yourself in for a fast-paced, twisted ride!  

As children, Chloe and Cooper Davis suffered the disastrous fallout of their father's arrest and conviction for the brutal murders of several young local girls.  Being the closest to her father, young Chloe was devastated to be the one who found and turned over the evidence that resulted in her father's conviction.  Alone and guilt ridden, she spiraled into a dark depression where she learned young that solace could be found in alcohol and drugs.  Local gossip, accusations, doubt and guilt hounded Chloe throughout her teenage years, shaping her into a weary, fragile adult struggling with a ton of baggage. 

Twenty years later, thirty-two year old Chloe Davis emits the illusion of finally standing on solid ground, and she is to a point - with heavy daily doses of alcohol and prescription drugs.  Ironically, she's working as a psychologist to young troubled girls while moving ahead with wedding plans to her fiance Daniel in spite of her brother's strong objections.   Chloe feels like she's finally leaving the past behind . . . until a young girl goes missing and then another - both killed with the same MO as her father's victims.  Driven by guilt and the need to finally come to terms with the truth of her past, Chloe begins her own investigation.  Unfortunately, she's not mentally prepared for the revelations and dark secrets that surface when her past and present collide.  As the story and case progress, Chloe worries she's losing touch with reality but the one thing she's sure of is to suspect everyone, trust no one.

A Flicker In The Dark's lyrical prose is beautifully written and smooth as silk with what feels like an experienced author's hand.  Delivered through the voice of an extremely unreliable narrator who's possibly experiencing psychotic episodes of paranoia, the author manipulates characters and readers through twists and turns while dangling numerous well-developed red herrings in front of them.  Transitions from past to present flow seamlessly lulling readers into a false sense of security while filling in much needed back story.  Willingham's expert use of descriptive settings lends an ominous tone to the dark plot, driving the story at warp speed until the big reveal at the end.  I honestly don't remember the last time I was so impressed with a new author's debut novel and mad writing skills.  Willingham is surely an author to watch, and I look forward to reading her sophomore novel when it comes.  Fans of mystery, suspense and psychological thrillers are going to be challenged by the mystery in this book.  Highly impressive for a debut. 

Synopsis:

When 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 and the rest of her family were left to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. She finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to get. Sometimes, though, she feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. And 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?