A Flicker in the Dark

Disclaimer: Received an advance copy from Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press and Edelweiss. I am also in charge of a library program in which the author did a virtual program (more on that later). Opinions of my own.

TW: murders, kidnappings, missing people, serial killings, drug and alcohol abuse, drugging of a character, mental health issues, attempted suicide, domestic violence

Summary: Chloe Davis is a psychologist living in Baton Rouge and is getting ready to marry the love of her life.  She is also the daughter of Dick Davis, a well-known serial killer who is in prison for killing six teenage girls. As the 20th anniversary of Dick's arrest approaches, teen girls begin to go missing again and Chole begins to see parallels.

Review: With her debut, Charleston author Stacy Willingham has written a good thriller in A Flicker in the Dark.

Even though Chloe has fought hard to create the life she has after her father's arrest, she is barley hanging on. Some would even say she has PTSD. She reminds me of a person who would be on Evil Lives Here. When murders of teen girls start again and a reporter reaches out to her to mark the anniversary of her father's arrest, her life begins to spiral and she begins to try to find out the truth.

Even though she may be seen as some as an unreliable character, I found myself rooting for Chloe. You have to realize it would be hard for someone like her to trust anyone, especially knowing her circumstances. The book also shows how the crimes affect the relationships and lives of her parents, her brother Cooper and fiancé Daniel. As she begins to find out the truth about all of the killings and disappearances, there are some twists and turns that you may not see coming.

The book is also very lyrical in its prose and is easy to read, despite the dueling timelines that go from the time of Dick's arrest to recent times.

And did I mention that this book has already been optioned to be a show on HBOMax?

I was honored to have Stacy tape a virtual interview with the Charleston County Public Library and Itinerate Literate Bookstore yesterday! The event was suppose to be with an audience on Saturday (January 15), but due to COVID, library management decided to put a pause on in-person indoor events. But thanks to technology and the help of coworkers, the program was able to go virtual and will air sometime in the week on the library's Facebook and YouTube pages (I think it's still Saturday). It will also air on Itinerate Literate's social media accounts. And I even got to dust off my interviewing skills!

Also, if you purchase a signed copy from Itinerate Literate, Stacy can have it personalized for you! Just ask for it in the notes section for checkout.

Again, this book is good for those who like thrillers and are willing to take on a new and upcoming writer.