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 shes 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.
Dive into the chilling and atmospheric world of Stacy Willingham's debut novel, *A Flicker in the Dark*, a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. This haunting tale explores the lingering shadows of a dark past and the terrifying possibility that history might be about to repeat itself. Chloe Davis has spent two decades trying to outrun the horrific events of her childhood. When she was just twelve years old, her life was irrevocably shattered when her father confessed to the brutal murders of six teenage girls in their small Louisiana town. The weight of his crimes has haunted Chloe ever since, shaping her into the woman she is today: a psychologist working with troubled teens in Baton Rouge. Now, on the cusp of marriage and seemingly building a stable life, Chloe finds herself grappling with the ever-present anxiety that she, too, might be somehow tainted by her father's actions. Is she destined to repeat his darkness? Her fragile peace is shattered when a local teenage girl vanishes, followed by another. The eerie similarities to the disappearances from twenty years ago trigger a wave of fear and paranoia within Chloe. Is she simply overreacting, seeing patterns where none exist? Or is something far more sinister at play? Could another killer be lurking in the shadows, preying on the innocent and mirroring the crimes that defined her childhood? As Chloe delves deeper into the disappearances, she is forced to confront her deepest fears and question everything she thought she knew about her past, her family, and herself. Willingham masterfully crafts a suspenseful and atmospheric narrative, drawing readers into Chloe's fractured psyche. The oppressive heat and claustrophobic feel of the Louisiana setting amplify the sense of dread and unease, creating a truly immersive reading experience. The author skillfully explores themes of trauma, guilt, and the nature of evil, leaving readers questioning the reliability of memory and the power of the past to shape the present. *A Flicker in the Dark* is more than just a thriller; it's a compelling character study of a woman haunted by her family's legacy, desperately searching for truth and redemption. With its intricate plot twists, richly drawn characters, and atmospheric prose, this book is perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn's *Gone Girl* and Ruth Ware's suspenseful thrillers. Prepare to be captivated by Stacy Willingham's exceptional storytelling and the unsettling secrets that lie hidden in the shadows of *A Flicker in the Dark*. This is a must-read for any lover of suspense, mystery, and psychological thrillers.