All the Dangerous Things: The gripping new psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark

Product Information

Willingham also manages to get her characters JUST right...flawed, complex, interesting, and yet accessible. Unlike another thriller I read about insomnia earlier this year that shall remain nameless, Isabelle's insomnia and how she dealt with it were handled in a REALISTIC way, which only added fuel to the fire. On the surface, this could be characterized as a 'Is she an unreliable narrator or not?' type of story, and on some level it is...but I promise, this read is SO much more than that. Isabelle (Izzy) Drake's toddler, Mason was snatched from his crib in the middle of the night, the baby monitor ran out of battery and there was no break-in. A year later with no clue to go by, the investigation stalled and it's up to Izzy to keep the case going and maintain public interest. Isabelle talks about the case, literally gives talks about the case any time she can. She figures talking about it, keeps the case alive. It keeps Mason's missing status in the forefront of people's minds. If you’re sensitive to stories about the hardships of motherhood and postpartum life, I wouldn’t recommend reading All the Dangerous Things. In fact, I’m kind of surprised I liked it so much since I currently have a seven-month-old baby! Twelve months ago, Mason the 18-month-old son of Isabelle and Ben goes missing from his cot while the family slept in another room.

In a Nutshell: A slow, slow, slow “thriller”. Worth it for the final resolution, but the journey to reach that point was eye-roll-inducing. I’m making it official: I am tired of 1st person unreliable narrators that ramble too much and trust only themselves. One of my most anticipated 2023 releases, this slow-burn mystery thriller with an unreliable narrator by Stacy Willingham does not disappoint. The novel is told exclusively through Isabella's POV and as she gets to know Waylon better, they begin to work as a team. Isabelle Drake can’t sleep. Even as a child she struggled with what happened after she closed her eyes at night. Her repeated sleepwalking episodes were a mystery to her parents and troubling to her little sister, Margaret, who adored her big sister but was frightened by these behaviors. Mason was kidnapped one year ago. His case is still unclosed. Its every parent's nightmare. He was taken at night from his crib while his parents were sleeping.

Customer reviews

A young boy goes missing from his bedroom while his parents, Isabelle and Ben, are sleeping. Less than a year after his abduction, Isabelle and Ben, separate as they struggle to come to the acceptance of his disappearance. Isabelle continues her desperate search for answers alone.

I understand that there’s something even more unsettling than being alone in the dark. It’s realizing that you’re not really alone at all. —Stacy Willingham, All the Dangerous Things As this is advertised as a thriller in every blurb and almost every review, I was hoping for something fast and high-octane. But this was too slow and meandering for my mood. Thank God for the audiobook!Even though this is only her second book, Willingham's future is SO bright and my only quibble is that I now will have to wait for her next book to arrive! It may be early, but I'm thrilled to add this to my list of 2023 favorite reads and that Willingham continues to not only stun and surprise, but much like that rippling pond in the moonlight...she simply DAZZLES.

For her though, she just couldn't understand how Ben seemed to move on after Mason. He gave up on him. Isabelle can't do that. She's not going to chalk it up as a loss and move on. Her son could still be out there. She refuses to see him as gone forever.

I was so excited to be granted an arc for Stacy Willingham's latest novel after hearing so much praise for it so it always pains me to be the dissenting opinion in the crowd. 😞 But alongside this, Isabelle is also turning her attention inwards, asking long-ignored questions about herself, her past, and what really happened all those years ago. Motherhood meant sleep deprivation but since Isabel's baby was taken, she's had no real sleep in a year. She's at a new level of sleep disfunction and it's hard to think straight. She doesn't even trust herself now or her memories of the past. Are there more reasons to feel guilty than she already knows?

Her husband Ben already lost his hope and moved on in his life, dating with a new woman who is younger version of Isabella. It would seem trauma follows Isabelle though!!! However, there is also something about Ben, who is now in the arms and bed of another women. The same situation Isabelle found herself in when she met Ben because he was already married then too. Although events took care of themselves when Ben’s first wife commits suicide. Isabelle has barely slept in the last year, meaning extreme sleep deprivation makes it hard for her to function, to trust her own thoughts - did she do something wrong on that dreadful night that Mason went missing, she knows that the detective investigating the case looks on her as a suspect. As if she doesn’t have enough to worry about, her husband Ben has ended their marriage - it’s difficult to maintain a relationship when you’re both grieving and are unable to communicate, but whilst Isabelle is unable to move forward in her life, Ben appears to want to do exactly that. We are nothing but what we choose to believe, but it’s all a mirage, bending and warping and shimmering in the distance, changing its form at any given second. —Stacy Willingham, All the Dangerous Things With plenty of twists, endless revelations, and no shortage of suspects, Isabelle’s story and that of her missing son is sure to grip many readers, as the plot elements unfold, and the hidden secrets provide motive, a better understanding but also more clarity. With a few surprises.Isabelle Drake has barely slept in a year. Not since the night her toddler, Mason, disappeared from their home. Her and her husband were asleep in the next room, but they heard nothing, saw nothing.