Title: A Flicker in the Dark
Author: Stacy Willingham
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Synopsis:
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 review:
A Flicker in the Dark is a gripping and intense read. Prepare yourself for wanting to stay up late finishing this book!
The first half of the novel really drew me in… so much so that I didn’t want to put it down. The build up of tension, the slow reveal of clues as Chloe finds out more and we learn more about her background and history, and her family…
The third quarter I have to admit I found less engaging as not a lot happens, but the plot really picks back up in the last quarter – although some parts felt a little rushed, I was left feeling like I’d been on a real adventure!
The characters are also really intriguing. Chloe is likeable but at the same time rather unreliable, as we’re never sure if what we’re hearing inside her head is the real truth. Her narration certainly made me want to read on. The people around her range from seemingly solid and dependable to sneaky and suspicious – we’re never sure exactly who to trust.
There are twists that kept me guessing, and although I guessed some of the more predictable aspects of the plot it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.
A Flicker in the Dark is compulsive reading and left me excited to explore more from this author.
My rating: 4/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Harper Collins UK, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.