Well …. I’m still reeling! What on earth just happened???!!!

I won’t give any spoilers away, i was lucky enough to read this ARC from @netgalley

I will be honest I thought it was a little slow starting and was a bit of the usual storyline however DO NOT BE FOOLED!

I am so pleased I carried on and finished it and now I’m left thinking I have no idea what I’ve just read but In a good way!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was sent a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Such an interesting, gripping and thought-provoking story, which showed that things aren’t always what they seem. Really liked the book.

#NetGalley #AllTheDangerousThings

Overall an enjoyable read. I did. think that it was perhaps overly descriptive at times and probably a bit over long as a result. However, I particularly enjoyed the last third of the book when it picks up pace and twists around and I was satisfied by the ending. Recommended.

Wow, Having read "A flicker in the dark", I was intrigued to see what came next from Stacy Willingham and I'm very impressed.

A year ago Isabelle Drake's young son Mason, disappeared and was taken out of his bed in the middle of the night, while she and her husband were asleep. There's not much evidence and the Police are struggling to for evidence and any leads in the case and it quickly turns cold. However Isabelle cannot rest until Mason returns. She's barely slept at all in a year and suffers severe insomnia and tries everything to find out what has happened and wont take no for an answer. She even speaks at various events in the hope of somehow finding a lead and eventually agrees to take part in a true crime podcast.

This is a truly thought provoking and unsettling book with so many twists and turns and gets you completely engrossed in the story. I found myself unable to sleep the first few nights of reading the book as had to know what happens next. as was so hard to put down and slightly disturbing too, including the mansion in the marshes of her childhood..

Its written from the point of view of Isabelle and goes back in time to her as a child and when she got together with her husband, giving you a true picture of her entire life. and how she got to where she is and what makes her tick.

A big thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the opportunity to read and review the second book by Stacy Willingham. I can easily see this being made into a limited tv series and will definitely be one of the first to watch it when it does.

First 5 star read of the year, Stacey Willingham will now be an auto buy. Finished the book in on sitting. Gripping and haunting.
Isabella Drake's life changed a year ago when her toddler
Mason was taken from his crib while she and her husband
(Ben) were sleeping. She has literally been unable to sleep
fixated on finding him.
aso onn went cold. Izzy
The police had little to go on, the case soon went cold
resorts to taking part in a true crime podcast interview
Chronic sleep deprivation is an interesting mix into a child
abduction storyline, with the way it affects cognitive
function and mental health
The time frame moves through various periods during the
year. It also goes back to Isabella's childhood.
I was sure ! knew where the storyline was going, but there's
some good twists along the way, and good red herrings. The ending just perfect.
Can not wait to read her next book.

This is my first time reading a Stacy Willingham book and it definitely won’t be my last. I cant wait to read her debut A Flicker in the Dark soon.
All the Dangerous Things is such a page turner and every time I put down this book I had to jump straight back in again.

"All The Dangerous Things" has a fascinating premise. A small child taken from their crib is always going to create some emotional tension. Willingham manages to portray that incredibly well in Isabelle's insomnia - the mother struggling in many ways who seems to be teetering on the edge. Unlike many around her, she clings onto hope. And the story follows her repeated efforts to locate her missing son still alive. These strands of the story weave together extremely well and tell a striking story.

There is another story arc too though. Actually there's another one and a bit, both looking back at Isabelle's earlier life, but only one gets labelled as "Then". It tells a story of her as a young child and, frankly, is another striking story. The thing is, it feels like both timelines suffer somewhat as we jump back and forth. The other looks into the past, when Isabelle was a woman starting to venture out into the world and her own life, feels a more natural fit. The childhood story just feels a little shoehorned in at times. It feels a harsh assessment - that sub-plot is powerful and, although it takes a while for the full significance to become clear. It really does add to the main story, and removing it would've hurt that considerably, but I still found myself wanting the "Now" story.

I think ultimately it becomes fractionally too crowded. Both timelines would stand wonderfully as main stories. They both deliver something fresh and captivating, but when sharing a book it feels like both would benefit from a little more room to breathe. I'd have loved a book on just the childhood storyline, even mixed with an adult timeline looking back at it since that did add richness. And the modern plot is definitely better with the core aspects of that childhood storyline included too. Maybe I feel cheated - there are two great stories here, so to have them rolled into one just leaves me thinking I could've had more. And I did want more, especially post-conclusion. After offering so many interesting characters I wanted more resolution. The story gets wrapped up very neatly, but after some intense writing neat also feels slightly abrupt.

It's a powerful read and a good story. I just wanted more chapters to savour it properly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lots of story emotive stuff and lots of twisty turns - enough to keep me reading on. Really enjoyed it and would read another book by this author.

Stacy Willinghams second book is an excellent mystery novel with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing right up until the finish.
Isabelle will not give up on the search for her missing child, stolen from his crib whilst she and her husband slept. She has suffered from insomnia since that day and her guilt has brought back childhood memories that only add to her troubled mind. One year on she is separated from her husband and concerned that the police investigation has gone cold so Isabelle is becoming more and more desperate to find a clue or witness to help her in her search. A true crime podcaster has offered to help, but can be be trusted?
This psychological thriller builds and builds and I was fooled by its direction a number of times. A first class read, I was enthralled by it.

I was grateful to receive an ARC via Netgalley in return for this independent review.

Certainly All the Dangerous Things is an original story on a sensitive theme with some very chilling, possibly triggering moments. It is all handled very well but sometimes, from a reader's perspective the pudding can be over egged dragging out the narrative, building up the atmosphere maybe a bit too much.
I sruggled to feel empathy for Isabelle even though I sadly know first hand what it's like to lose a child, there was just something missing for me.
The various outcomes were really surprising and all the more welcome for that.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this unique book.

A slow burner which was convoluted at times. A good premise but is probably padded out too much for my liking.A few twists and turns which kept me reading. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

This is such an interesting thriller. The twists and turns were unique and I really liked the commentary on true crime fans!

I will be picking up more from this author. The writing was so good, and the pacing was perfect.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for my e arc!

There was something eerie about this story from the start. A heartbroken mother and yet there were question marks all around her. The story unfolds that her son has been taken and I got real chills reading it. Was the child taken or does she have a dreadful secret and who is the old man she meets at night but doesn’t see again!? It’s a story that will keep you entranced from the beginning until the end; wondering what is her secret and what’s in her past? This book really got to me so for those of you who read it, especially if you are a mother, prepare for a roller coaster of emotions.

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the plot (you can find reviews like that out there already if that's what you are looking for).

Having read Stacy Willingham's previous novel, A Flicker in the Dark, I was very pleased to receive an ARC of this book. I was not disappointed...this is an atmospheric and intense read.

The plot is very well thought out, with more than one twist - I guessed one but not the rest. The characters are interesting, and many of the main and supporting cast are harbouring secrets, making for a multi-layered and realistic feel to the book.

As a mother myself, I found some parts of the novel upsetting, but at the same time that helped me to understand the motivation of some of the characters (I won't say more for fear of spoilers!).

I wasn't quite sure how I felt about the ending to be honest - you'll have to read it for yourself to understand!

Enjoyed this rather dark tale, and would definitely read more by this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

It appears from Goodreads and what I've seen on booksta that I have an unpopular opinion on this book. I did not enjoy it at all and kept reading because it was an ARC and I was giving it a chance to improve.

For starters, this book needs 95% less similes. It is extremely painful and just OTT descriptive with fillers galore.

The plot got totally lost. This could have been told in about 50% of the number of pages with nothing changing but for less "likes.....". In addition, a lot of the ending was very predictable. 

I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because the English wasn't bad, I've seen books that are unedited and just make zero sense and it is far better than that.

This has a goodreads rating of 4.28%. It may be your jam, some people love all the description and enjoy that style so don't be disheartened by my strong dislike for this book. 

Publication Date on Netgalley: 2 Feb 2023
Publication Date on Goodreads: 10 Jan 2023

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Following on from author Stacy Willingham’s debut novel , A Flicker in the Dark, All the Dangerous Things is another captivating and suspenseful thriller that will keep you totally engrossed till the last page is read.

Isabelle’s young son Mason disappeared without a trace, taken from his cot in the night and one year on she is no nearer to finding him and is still frantically searching answers .

Great characterisation, I suspected them all of being involved with Mason’s disappearance at one time or another and a brilliant plot and storyline ,love the use of the dual time lines Then and Now makes this a highly recommended read from me.

Loved it- 5stars all the way .

Many thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for a copy for my honest review.

I loved Stacey’s debut novel last year A FLICKER IN THE DARK (a must read if you have yet checked it out 👀) so, the excitement when hearing she was bringing out a new thriller!

Told in two timelines, then and now. We’re taken along on one wild ride as we uncover what happened to missing child, Mason. Who disappeared a year ago from his bedroom, without a trace and no suspects. There is so much going on in this story that you won’t know what to think, who to believe and trust … our MC is a sleep deprived mother - is her account reliable? Is that really what happened? 👀

Honestly, I just couldn’t put this down, or when I had to (to like eat and sleep…) I kept thinking about it! It was a slow-burn style build up as we were exploring the characters and piecing everything together … but with intense suspense throughout 😬

Pick up if you’re in the need of a spine tingling , compelling read with plenty of twists to keep you hooked! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Posting review on 10th jan in IG

All The Dangerous Things has a really gripping premise which immediately draws you in during the first few chapters - a missing toddler and a podcaster, Waylon, who’s offering his help to solve the awful predicament.

What transpires is an exploration of different women - good, bad and the conflicted. This was really refreshing to see.

At the same time, the male characters (Isabelle’s husband Ben and her dad) are fairly weak and emotionally impotent.

Mental health is a strong theme throughout and may trigger some readers - so be aware.

For Stacey’s second novel, she definitely is an assured writer and I’m looking toward to what she writes next.

364 nights ★★★☆☆

Isabelle hasn’t slept since her baby son Mason was taken a year ago. She spends her days searching for clues, giving talks at crime events, and badgering the police. At her wit’s end, she agrees to work with true crime podcaster Waylon.

However, Waylon has his own secrets and motivations and Isabelle risks turning over the rocks of her own past, including the death of her sister and her own dangerous sleepwalking habit.

The author keeps us guessing and at times even Isabelle is convinced of her guilt. Waylon’s identity is a puzzle we could unpick but the truth of Mason’s disappearance was harder for the reader to solve as not all of the pieces were in place until near the end of the novel. The frustration of this is balanced with a gripping ending.

A twisting story of the power, instinct and danger of parenthood.