A Flicker in the Dark: A Novel

A New York Times Bestseller

“A smart, edge-of-your-seat story with plot twists you’ll never see coming. Stacy Willingham’s debut will keep you turning pages long past your bedtime.” —Karin Slaughter

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So when a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, seeing parallels from her past that aren't actually there, or for the second time in her life, is Chloe about to unmask a killer?

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.

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Published Jan 11, 2022

368 pages

Average rating: 7.37

199 RATINGS

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✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *A Flicker in the Dark* is a twisty psychological thriller set in Louisiana, praised for its suspenseful plot, unexpected twists, and enga...

Sue Dix
Mar 14, 2026
10/10 stars
What a book, what a book! If you like unreliable, but likable, narrators, read this book. Dysfunctional families, toxic relationships, serial killers, substance abuse, twisty mystery, and an ending that had me going, wait, Wait, WAIT, what is happening? Highly recommend this entertaining read!
The.readrose
Jan 28, 2026
8/10 stars
TW: Cutting and prescription drug abuse, attempted suicide attempt.
Cresta McGowan
Dec 25, 2025
4/10 stars
Bad. #cooperisthebadguy #knewinchp1
MandiCole11
Oct 29, 2025
6/10 stars
3.75
Lbri🩵
Mar 12, 2026
10/10 stars
Loved every minute of this book! Such a great thriller. I will definitely check out more books from this author.

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