A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

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.

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?

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.

Kindle Edition, 368 pages 

Expected publicationJanuary 11, 2022 

by Minotaur Books

4/5 stars

A Flicker in the Dark is a thriller by debut author Stacy Willingham, it's a book that grabbed my attention initially with its cover - one can almost feel the creep factor.

With a unique POV - the daughter of a serial killer. While sympathetic to her plight and all she and the family went through 20 years ago she was an unreliable character.   An reliable character is good, it leaves me wondering and at times second guessing my predictions. 

This was a well written story going back in time to see what happened and how these crimes were committed.  As history begins to repeat itself, opening the door to either a copy cat or maybe, just maybe they got the wrong guy - but he didn't confess, or did he?  I enjoyed this book, the suspense, the clues and the not knowing who to believe.

Hats off to Stacy Willingham for this solid debut, definitely will be on the lookout to see what she comes up with next.

My thanks to Minotaur Press (via St. Martin's Press and Netgalley) for a digital copy in exchange for a honest review.