Book Reviews
| Publication year | 2021 |
| Pages | 0072 |
A Flicker in the Dark
By Stacy Willingham
REVIEWED BY BETH GILCHRIST
"A Flicker in the Dark" is an artfully written murder mystery set in modern-day Louisiana, focusing on "whod unnit" 20years after a string of murders that have started again. It has been optioned for a limited series by Emma Stone.
If you are looking for a thriller to escape reality, "A Flicker in the Dark" by Stacy Willingham should be on your reading list. Although I may seem biased because it's written by a fellow UGA classmate (go Dawgs!), Willingham's debut novel truly is a must read story. The novel should appeal to a wide variety of segments of the population of Georgia because of its lyrical writing. However, lawyers will find it particularly intriguing for its problem-solving elements, albeit without the client drama.
The novel is set in Louisiana. Chloe manages the trauma, guilt and embarrassment surrounding a string of murders tied to her family two decades ago. When Chloe was 12, six girls went missing in her small town. By the end of that fateful summer, her dad had confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison. Chloe and her family had to face the truth and move forward with the consequences. Now, 20 years later, as Chloe has built a professional practice as a psychologist in Baton Rouge and plans her wedding, her world comes crashing down. Murders begin again in a copycat manner, and she starts to question her sanity and truths. She tries to shake off any connection to her past, but "when two girls go missing within the course of a month, it's not a coincidence. It's not an accident. It's not circumstance. It's calculated and cunning and far more terrifying. ..." Then, an influential journalist shows up to report on the anniversary and recent murders, and Chloe states, "It's been twenty years and nothing has changed. Those girls are still dead, and my father is still in prison. Why are you interested?" With this statement, the author tempts the
If you are looking for a thriller to escape reality, “A Flicker in the Dark” by Stacy Willingham should be on your reading list.
reader to buckle up for the soon to be wild ride. Chloe's addiction to numbing her past comes face-forward to her present.
As Chloe tries to discern the connection of the murders, Willingham takes the reader on a winding path of "whodunnit." When another body turns up in a familiar location, Chloe questions if anyone in her inner circle is responsible for these murders. Just when I thought I knew the next part of the story, a new clue or fork in the road would surface. The story beautifully weaves between the past and the...
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