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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363 pages

Average rating: 7.41

88 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

aviationmet
Mar 31, 2025
6/10 stars
Not a bad book - numerous plot twists, clues (both legit and red herrings), leaving the reader guessing a bit until the final wrap up at the end. The main character, Chloe, is somewhat unlikable, though not to the point of not wanting to finish the book. Her choices throughout the book are often frustrating and maybe even cliche. Took a bit longer to get through this one than others of the same genre because of this.
Lauralee🧚‍♀️
Mar 25, 2025
4/10 stars
This turned into something that anyone could see coming when paying attention to the things they mentioned and what they made you read between the lines. The story was dragged out until the point of actual conflict and then resolved quickly. There are still some questionable things that could have been answered.
Anonymous
Dec 19, 2024
10/10 stars
DUDE this book fr captivated me,, like i could not put it down for even a second. It was so twisty and turny and i never knew what was coming next. 10/10 would recommend.
lizac
Dec 09, 2024
4/10 stars
mehhh
martinca17
Sep 09, 2024
4/10 stars
Well, here are my notes from during this read:


A FLICKER IN THE DARK
- [ ] Too much description of boring shit
- [ ] FOUR MGS OF XANAX?? via the phone?
- [ ] well, it is louisiana
- [ ] did her dad take the fall for her brother?
- [ ] FOUR MILLIGRAMSSSSS
- [ ] too much description of her brother
- [ ] never want to read about a tongue in a mouth again

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