Thriller Review: A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

- September 24, 2026

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,

A Flicker in the Dark is the Debut novel from author Stacy Willingham; published by Minotaur Books. In it, we are introduced to Chloe Davis, daughter of notorious serial Killer, Dick Davis. She has fought hard these past twenty years to escape her father's legacy. She is a successful psychologist and about to be married. Life is better because she moved away and started over.

But when girls in her area begin to vanish, the eerie similarities to her father's crimes are undeniable. Caught up in the latest disappearances, her past comes calling in the form of a reporter bent of investigating these copy-cat crimes. As the clues pile up, Chloe does not know who to trust. She is suddenly alone and in the crosshairs of a killer.

A Flicker in the Dark is an impressive first novel by Willingham. I loved her writing style and ability to plunge the reader into the mind of her protagonist. Chloe is a doctor abusing prescription drugs and alcohol, making it difficult to judge if what she sees is real. This novel delved into PTSD and the affects it has from childhood to adulthood. This played out well across the bayous of Louisiana, hiding secrets in the shadows. The narrative was a twisty road through Chloe's past and present, ending on a nail-biting finale.

I read A Flicker in the Dark in part with the narration of Karissa Vacker. Her transition between character voices moved seamlessly. Her reading of action sequences added an extra layer to the book. Vacker is becoming a new favorite narrator for me.

A Flicker in the Dark came in at three stars for me. I had a great time with this cast of characters and the setting was spooky at times. This is a great book to read to break up a reading slump.

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