ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS by Stacy Willingham

 

MY THOUGHTS

I enjoyed this author's first book "A Flicker in the Dark" very much. I also enjoyed this one. This is a book that takes you deep into the mind of someone who feels they have lost everything. Someone who doesn't get more than a couple of hours of sleep a night if that much. Someone who's child was taken in the middle of the night. Who's husband leaves because she can't seem to just move on. Someone who blames herself for her younger sister's death. A desperate mother, sister, wife.

Isabelle has been trying to find answers. What happened the night her son went missing. Did she do something to him or did someone come in her home and take him? Who would do such a thing. She won't stop until she finds some answers. No matter what. Even if it was her who did something wouldn't it be better to know? Wouldn't it be better to be able to finally sleep? Or would the guilt or pain be so horrendous that she would want to die? What if she was sleepwalking and did something? But she doesn't do that anymore. She can't sleep anymore. Not since her sister died in the marsh. 

Waylon is trying to help Isabelle. Trying to find out what happened to her son. He has a podcast and is working on his sister's murder also. But what dark secrets does he hide? Just exactly who is Waylon and why is he trying to help Isabelle? While I figured out who he was almost from the first time he was mentioned it did not take from this story at all. In no way. I liked him a lot. He was in my opinion a pretty good guy. Yes he had secrets. Yes he omitted the whole truth. But he had a good reason. Didn't he? 

I didn't like Ben a lot. He was just not that likable to me. He was too perfect in ways. To flawed in other ways. Not a good husband in any way. He played women and didn't stop until he got them exactly how he wanted them. Give up everything for him. Don't have a mind of your own. Don't want anything except me. He knew how to play the game. He was a jerk.

I liked and disliked Izzy's parents. They had so much going on also. Many secrets in their lives. And Margaret I adored. She thought Isabelle was the best sister ever. She followed her everywhere. She also disliked that her big sister was a sleepwalker. It scared her. What happened the night Margaret drowned? Who was at fault? Isabelle never completely got over that. She felt it was her fault and that her mother blamed her. That her mother was afraid of her. 

This book kept me wanting more from start to finish. It had me holding my breath so much. I felt so bad for Isabelle. A mother who loved her son. Who questioned her thoughts at times. But what mother hasn't done that? We all do. No mother has all the answers. No mother becomes a mother and has a playbook that tells her who and why things happen. 

After you read this story be sure and read the Author's Note. It contains a lot of things that you will enjoy. Or that will open your eyes. If you have ever or know someone who has ever suffered from postpartum syndrome then you will understand. Being a mother is a very hard job. You have basically given up your life to take care of another little human being for quite a few years. It's a hard but fulfilling job. But it does not come with a manual. You learn as you go. It can be a very bumpy ride. Just read the Author's note. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #StacyWillingham, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book. 

4.5 stars and only loses one because again I figured out who a half star character was. I did not figure out other vital parts though and that is a huge plus. Great book. I loved it!

SYNOPSIS

Following up her instant New York Times bestseller, A Flicker in the Dark, Stacy Willingham delivers a totally gripping thriller about a desperate mother with a troubled past in All the Dangerous Things.

One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.

Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.

Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle's past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust... including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.