A Flicker In The Dark
by stacy willingham
ATTWB RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summary
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? (Summary from book)
ATTWB Review
The cover of this book immediately caught my attention in Barnes & Noble, with its captivating dark mood and the mesmerizing path of fireflies illuminating the woods. Intrigued, I delved into the summary and was instantly sold. As a fan of stories involving serial killers or set in the unique backdrop of Louisiana, I knew I had to give this book a chance. And oh boy, was I not disappointed.
From the very beginning, it becomes clear that our narrator, Chloe, is a woman burdened by her past and haunted by her own demons. As a psychologist running her own practice in Baton Rouge, just an hour away from her childhood home in Breaux Bridge, Chloe's life seems stable on the surface. Engaged to Daniel, a Pharmaceutical Rep who's constantly on the road, she finds solace and safety in their relationship.
But beneath the façade of normalcy lies a turmoil that constantly threatens to upend Chloe's life. Struggling with the overwhelming guilt of leaving her mother, Mona, in a facility in Baton Rouge after her suicide attempt and subsequent brain injury, Chloe grapples with her own sanity. The weight of her responsibilities and the memories of her father's scandalous murders further compound her instability.
As if her own personal struggles weren't enough, Chloe finds herself thrust into a storm of suspense and danger when one of her patients mysteriously disappears and is later discovered dumped behind her practice in a manner strikingly similar to her father's heinous crimes. Coincidentally, around the same time, she receives a call from Aaron Jansen, a New York Times reporter, who's keen on unraveling the chilling story of her father.
The plot twists and turns, laced with an undeniable sense of thrill and intensity that kept me turning the pages long into the night. Admittedly, around halfway through the book, I managed to piece together some of the puzzle, whether due to the predictability of the story or my compulsion to play detective, I’m not sure. Nonetheless, the suspense ratcheted up, leaving me perpetually on edge.
If there's one Crime Junkie life rule I've come to acknowledge throughout the pages of this gripping thriller, it's this: You never truly know anyone, ever. The intricate layers of deceit and hidden agendas showcased in this book are a stark reminder that darkness can reside in the most unexpected of places. With enough suspense and tension to keep you on your toes, this book is definitely a must-read for all fans of the thriller genre.
Book Details
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Language: English
Paperback, 354 Pages
ISBN-10 : 1250803845
ISBN-13 : 978-1250803849
Genre: Thriller, Psychological Suspense
Candace Long is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This does not affect my opinion of the book mentioned in this post.
