Summary: A Flicker in the Dark is told from the perspective of Chloe Davis, a woman traumatized by her family history. When we meet Chloe, she is an adult – a psychologist in Baton Rouge who is soon to be married. Chloe is doing her best to keep it together, but she struggles with anxiety and disturbing memories of the past when her father was arrested and convicted of abducting and killing young women from her small Louisiana town. Now it appears that the past is coming back to haunt Chloe. Two young girls, with distant links to Chloe, have disappeared. Who is behind this and who can be trusted?

Thoughts: It is quite impressive that this novel is a debut for author Stacy Willingham. I was pulled into this one and quickly developed “one more chapter” syndrome! Chloe is a well-developed character who struggles to appear “normal”, polished and professional in her work, but the reader can sense her fatigue at trying to keep all the plates spinning in her personal and professional life. The concept of carefully presenting a public narrative to cover a much darker truth runs throughout the book and is represented in multiple characters. The novel is well-crafted and all the threads come together in the final, tense chapters. I am not at all inclined to sing the praises of “popular” books but I have to admit – this is great thriller reading. Definitely recommended.