Chloe Davis is a medical psychologist working in Baton Rouge Louisiana. She specialises in working with young people who have faced trauma and trouble in their past, an uncomfortable niche for some. Unlike most psychologists Chloe has an added advantage when working with troubled youth, an edge that gives her extra insight into what they are going through. Chloe knows what it is like to sit on the couch and play the game, knows what doctors keep in their filing cabinets - because twenty years ago Chloe was the one sitting on the couch. Twenty years ago her world came crashing down when her father was arrested and imprisoned for the murder of teenage girls in their small town of Breaux Bridge. It was a traumatic time, not just because of losing their father, but also because of what came after.
Escaping from Breaux Bridge was just the start of a new life for Chloe and she has worked hard to get to where she is. It hasn't been an easy ride but she has a home of her own and a loving fiancée who accepts her as she is - even after she told him about her past and her father. Things aren't perfect, her brother Cooper doesn't approve of her whirlwind romance and engagement, and a reporter has started sniffing around about her father and the case - but she's coping. Then a teenage girl goes missing, and Chloe is drawn to the search, which turns out to be a mistake. Then a second girl goes missing - a girl that has a connection to Chloe. Thrust into the police spotlight Chloe is eager to help, but her past is more of a hinderance than a help - and the finger of suspicion can easily point both ways.
Escaping from Breaux Bridge was just the start of a new life for Chloe and she has worked hard to get to where she is. It hasn't been an easy ride but she has a home of her own and a loving fiancée who accepts her as she is - even after she told him about her past and her father. Things aren't perfect, her brother Cooper doesn't approve of her whirlwind romance and engagement, and a reporter has started sniffing around about her father and the case - but she's coping. Then a teenage girl goes missing, and Chloe is drawn to the search, which turns out to be a mistake. Then a second girl goes missing - a girl that has a connection to Chloe. Thrust into the police spotlight Chloe is eager to help, but her past is more of a hinderance than a help - and the finger of suspicion can easily point both ways.
A flicker in the dark is one of the better psychological thrillers I have read in the past few years - and there are parts of the story that make it really tricky to review well without giving spoilers! Chloe is an interesting character with all the flaws that make us well rounded people - she is a psychologist who really should know better, self prescribing and drinking to deal with her past. The people in her life are also complex and 'real' - and the interpersonal relationships are part of what makes this an interesting and very realistic read. The story is straight forward on the surface, but the more you read, and the more you learn, the more you realise that you don't really know anything - about anyone.
This is a rewarding read and it will be interesting to see if Stacy Willingham is able to bring us more books of this caliber in the future - highly recommended.
If you like this book then try:
- Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
- The puppet show by M.W. Craven
- The edge of normal by Carla Norton
- Every last fear by Alex Finlay
- Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
- The coast to coast murders by James Patterson and J.D.Barker
- The lost by Simon Beckett
- The better sister by Alafair Burke
- Gathering dark by Candice Fox
- Good me bad me by Ali Land
- Look what you made me do by Elaine Murphy
Reviewed by Brilla
