A Flicker in the Dark

This book was nominated in two categories for a Goodreads Award (2022). It was nominated as both a Mystery/Thriller as well as in the Best Debut Novel category.

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?

My Verdict

I love a good unreliable character and this book has one in Chloe. She has some addiction issues as well as trauma induced paranoia. She felt believable even if she was paranoid, her past clearly left her with issues and as a reader I could sympathize with that.

Stacy Willingham's novel takes the typical serial killer mystery and flips it upside down, this time focusing on what it’s like for the daughter of the perpetrator in the aftermath of the crimes. It’s a unique spin on a genre that sometimes sticks to a formula that can get repetitive.

As the plot progresses, Willingham keeps the reader guessing – although I will admit I had my suspicions early on about a particular character and my instinct turned out to be partially right.

This was a great debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from this author. I give this one 4 stars.