All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

★★★★☆

In this slow-burn suspense novel, Isabelle Drake has been suffering from insomnia for a year since her son, Mason, was kidnapped from his crib while she and her husband, Ben, slept in the next room. She’s so sleep-deprived she’s no longer sure of reality.
This isn’t the first time Isabelle has had sleep troubles. Isabelle faced sleep demons during her childhood. To help solve Mason’s disappearance, Isabelle must look to the past for answers.
I was hesitant to read All the Dangerous Things, which was my December 2022 book of the month pick. I put off reading it for over 6 months because the storyline revolved around a missing child – and I’ve read a few of those lately. As a mother, those kinds of stories can be hard to read so I have to space them out and be careful not to read too many in a row.
I am glad I finally picked it up. Once I started reading, the story held my attention and kept me guessing until the very end. Willingham’s portrayals of women – especially mothers – in this book were interesting. All of the women were flawed and damaged, and pushing through guilt while grasping for a better life. (The men were flawed, too, but, for the most part, their weaknesses were in the background).
I appreciated Isabelle’s evolution as a character. Character growth is something you don’t always get in a thriller. I also enjoyed that there’s a tidy resolution at the end without ringing too false.
Reading All the Dangerous Things has taught me that the next time I see Stacy Willingham’s name on a book, I should pick it up and not wait so long to read it!