“When people get hurt physically, you can see it in the bruises and the scars, but when they’re hurt emotionally, mentally, it runs deeper than that.”
A Flicker in the Dark – Stacy Willingham
My Rating
In Summary of A Flicker in the Dark
“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?” –Goodreads synopsis
WARNING: murder, PTSD, addiction, drug abuse, suicide attempt, domestic violence, violence
READ IF YOU LIKE: mystery, psychological thrillers, shows/books about serial killers, twisty plots
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Contains multiple twists to keep readers guessing | If you are an avid thriller reader, you might guess the twists (I did for a few) |
| Fast-paced and easy-to-read writing | Chloe’s reliance on drugs feels like a crutch for the author to cloud the protagonist’s judgment |
| Interesting perspective that readers don’t normally get in a protagonist |
*Happy Publication Week to Stacy Willingham and A Flicker in the Dark!
The Review
Need to get out of a reading slump or something to binge-read this week?
Let me introduce you to Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark.
First, let me start with how much I loved the perspective of this thriller. There’s something about serial killers that make people curious… but what about the perspectives of their family members? Someone has to live with the gruesome choices of their loved one. Chloe Davis is one of those people; she has lived her life with her father’s conviction, and we have the unique opportunity of seeing the situation through her eyes.
It’s truly the unique perspective we’ve all needed.
However, I was disappointed to find another female protagonist in a suspense/thriller book self-medicating to handle their trauma. Why must this be included? Is it a way of easily clouding her judgment and encouraging the reader to assume unreliability? Is it to emphasize her difficulty to cope in a healthy manner? Either way, I could’ve done without that trope.
Beyond that, A Flicker in the Dark will consume your time and mind. Although thriller readers may figure out the truth before it is revealed (like I did), this book is still a wild ride of twists and turns, which makes the experience a satisfying one.
Whether it’s through Book of the Month (get a discount when you join with my link!) or somewhere else, grab a copy of this one. You’ve got a mystery to solve, and you’ll have fun doing it.
A Flicker in the Dark Book Information
- Published: 2022
- Publisher: Minotaur Books
- ISBN: 978-1250803825
- Format: Hardback (purchased through Book of the Month)
- Length: 368 pages
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