A Flicker in the Dark

My Book of the Month selection for December was A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (the other options were Olga Dies Dreaming  by Xochitl Gonzalez, A History of Wild Places by Shea Earnshaw, Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford, and The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox). It is an atmospheric psychological thriller that is almost impossible to put down! It has been twenty years since Chloe Davis provided the evidence leading to the arrest of her father for murdering six teenage girls in the small town of Breaux Bridges. She is now a successful psychologist in Baton Rouge about to be married but she still has difficulty reconciling the loving father she once knew with the serial killer that he is and, as a result, she has had problems trusting people, especially men, and often self-medicates with prescriptions she writes herself. When several young girls go missing in a manner eerily similar to her father's modus operandi, she fears that history is repeating itself and that, once again, she has placed her trust in a monster. I really enjoyed the structure of this novel because the narrative takes place in the present with Chloe having flashbacks when events in the present seem to mimic those of the past. It is a really effective device because it shows how much Chloe is still traumatized by the past despite her best attempts at normalcy. I also enjoyed all of the many twists and turns as Chloe comes to suspect everyone in her life and then begins investigating each of them when her suspicions go unheeded because of her drug use and paranoia in past relationships. I predicted one of the major twists early in the proceedings but started to doubt myself as the narrative went on and I have to admit that I didn't see the final one coming (I love it when that happens). Finally, the writing is fantastic and I especially enjoyed the lyrical descriptions of the setting because it is so eerie and contributes much to the tension. This kept me reading during every spare moment I could find this weekend and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

Note:  It is hard to believe but this is Willingham's debut novel! As a fan of psychological thrillers, I am now eagerly awaiting more from this talented author!