A Flicker in the Dark

Preview

Failed to add items

Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.

Add to basket failed.

Please try again later

Add to wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Remove from wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Adding to library failed

Please try again

Follow podcast failed

Unfollow podcast failed

LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free + £10 Audible voucher

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Get this deal

Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.

More purchase options

A Flicker in the Dark

By: Stacy Willingham

Narrated by: Karissa Vacker

Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £15.50

She thought the murders had stopped. She was wrong. The instant New York Times bestseller and a Sunday Times Thriller of the Year, soon to be a major TV series, developed by Emma Stone

‘Very few debuts are as insightful, cunningly plotted and well written as this.’ The Sunday Times Best Thrillers of 2022

‘I couldn’t put this one down’ Prima

‘This was dark! Edge of your seen stuff… incredibly atmospheric and tricky.’Platinum

‘A smart, edge-of-your-seat story with plot twists you’ll never see coming.’ Karin Slaughter, Sunday Times No. 1 Bestselling Author

Chloe Davis’ father is a serial killer.
He was convicted and jailed when she was twelve but the bodies of the girls were never found, seemingly lost in the surrounding Louisiana swamps. The case became notorious and Chloe’s family was destroyed.

His crimes stalk her like a shadow.
Now Chloe has rebuilt her life. She’s a respected psychologist in Baton Rouge and has a loving fiancé.
But she just can’t shake a tick-tick-tick of paranoia that, at any moment, it might all come crashing down.

As does something darker.
It is the anniversary of her father’s crimes, and Chloe is about to see her worst fears come true –
a girl she knows goes missing.

The nightmare has started again…

Stacy WillinghamKarissa VackerHarperCollins

Crime

Crime Thrillers

Domestic Thrillers

Genre Fiction

Mystery

Psychological

Suspense

Thriller & Suspense

Women Sleuths

Murder

Fiction

Crime Crime Thrillers Domestic Thrillers Genre Fiction Mystery Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Murder Fiction

Critic reviews

‘As Chloe’s mind moves restlessly between her traumatic past and nightmare present, her inner voice — candid, intelligent, vividly evocative, details-obsessed, but prone to error — is superbly rendered.’ The Times

‘Spectacular […] This beautifully constructed story sends a shiver down the spine as it twists and turns to a conclusion that leaves you gasping for breath.’ Daily Mail

‘I couldn’t put this one down’ Prima

‘This was dark! Edge of your seen stuff… incredibly atmospheric and tricky.’
Platinum

‘A smart, edge-of-your-seat story with plot twists you’ll never see coming. Stacy Willingham’s debut will keep you turning pages long past your bedtime.’
Karin Slaughter, Sunday Times No. 1 Bestselling Author

'Tense, twisty and threatening, A Flicker in the Dark will make you abandon your box sets’
Val McDermid, No. 1 Bestselling author

‘Equal parts lush Southern Gothic, penetrating character study, family tragedy wrenching enough to bruise, taut psychological suspense, and – best of all – a mystery as profoundly satisfying as any I’ve read in years.
A.J. Finn, no. 1 Bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

‘An impressive debut – full of switchback twists’
Cara Hunter, author of the Sunday Times bestselling DI Fawley series

‘Haunting, lyrical and utterly compelling! Author Willingham takes us on an unstoppable journey through the psychology of evil, and of courage (in many senses), all told in a pitch-perfect literary style. Once you start reading, you will not put it down.’
Jeffery Deaver, author of the Sunday Times bestselling Lincoln Rhyme and Colter Shaw series

'A Flicker in the Dark is a bright debut indeed… Chloe is a terrific heroine whose justified paranoia will have you jumping at shadows and suspecting everyone you know. A brilliant new crime-writing talent has arrived.'
Jane Casey, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Maeve Kerrigan series

Most relevant

This is my first book by this author, which I listened to on Audible Books, Narrated by Karissa Vacker.

Overall, it is a well written and an enjoyable book.

The story is written in 1st POV by the main character Chloe. I found myself intrigued by her dark side, clearly shown by her addiction to tranquilisers/sleeping tablets whilst being a therapist herself.

She has experienced much trauma in her life, and consequently has some issues and a lack of trust. Her dark past involves a serial killer who hunted down girls, including her own friends, and Chloe’s father being locked up in prison for the crimes. The setting of the book is some twenty years later when a killer strikes again, mimicking the earlier crimes and all seemingly connected with Chloe.

Characters are all well developed, and relatable. The plotline kept me gripped and guessing until the end. The author manages all the twists and turns with great expertise, and I enjoyed her style of writing.

A very satisfying ending.