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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has a similar plot to The Locked Door by Freida McFadden but I thought this one was way better.
I felt like the author did a good job at making this story unique and character-driven. I like reading books from the perspective of someone who is related to a serial killer.
I couldn't give it five stars because I did find the MC to be pretty predictable. She worked in a helping profession to help her process her own trauma but she coped with it in an unhealthy way. She also made some questionable choices and I was confused about her relationship with Aaron. It didn't quite make sense to me. I was able to guess one of the twists, but it didn't bother me. I also think the ending needed more closure.
If you like character-driven stories, possible unreliable narrators, and serial killers, this is the book for you.
I felt like the author did a good job at making this story unique and character-driven. I like reading books from the perspective of someone who is related to a serial killer.
I couldn't give it five stars because I did find the MC to be pretty predictable. She worked in a helping profession to help her process her own trauma but she coped with it in an unhealthy way. She also made some questionable choices and I was confused about her relationship with Aaron. It didn't quite make sense to me. I was able to guess one of the twists, but it didn't bother me. I also think the ending needed more closure.
If you like character-driven stories, possible unreliable narrators, and serial killers, this is the book for you.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
It was a nice read. But the satisfying feeling of reading a mystery with an unreliable narrator, who will mess with our minds and make us guess until the end, is missing. It didn't do it for me.
I enjoyed the book. I think it did a great job at going between the past and present. It had great pacing. I guessed the ending from the very beginning…I fell for the deflect for a lil bit but yea seeing how spot on my guess was is kinda disappointing. The ending felt rushed too. But yeaaa idk I did like it. Like I should be sleeping right now but I’m up so I think it’s safe I got got. But man I really am craving a thriller that truly truly shocks me and blows me away with the twist.
3.5 stars
The story is twisty with a somewhat unreliable narrator. There is a lot of misdirection and many red herrings to keep it fun. There were a few holes that I wanted to be filled in, but a good, fun whodunnit.
The story is twisty with a somewhat unreliable narrator. There is a lot of misdirection and many red herrings to keep it fun. There were a few holes that I wanted to be filled in, but a good, fun whodunnit.
4.5 stars! I really enjoyed this suspenseful read!! The narrator is unreliable and paranoid which I found is one of my favorite perspectives to read lol. I liked all the twists and I was definitely on the edge of my seat, heart beating fast, during those last 50 pages. Knocked this one down a little bit because I wish there was more in that last chapter! Our MC deserves happiness after all this serious trauma and I felt like there wasn’t anything about that.
Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark had potential, but it ultimately fell flat for me. The premise of a woman haunted by her past as the daughter of a convicted serial killer is intriguing, but the execution felt predictable. I guessed the major plot twists early on and was already anticipating the “big reveal” well before it arrived.
While the writing is solid, the pacing dragged in parts, and I struggled to connect with the main character, Chloe. Her constant paranoia became repetitive rather than suspenseful, and the secondary characters felt underdeveloped. I also felt that the book leaned too heavily on clichés found in many psychological thrillers, making it feel like a rehash of familiar tropes.
Overall, A Flicker in the Dark wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t grip me the way a thriller should. It felt like it was trying too hard to shock, without delivering the emotional or psychological depth that would have made it truly memorable.
While the writing is solid, the pacing dragged in parts, and I struggled to connect with the main character, Chloe. Her constant paranoia became repetitive rather than suspenseful, and the secondary characters felt underdeveloped. I also felt that the book leaned too heavily on clichés found in many psychological thrillers, making it feel like a rehash of familiar tropes.
Overall, A Flicker in the Dark wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t grip me the way a thriller should. It felt like it was trying too hard to shock, without delivering the emotional or psychological depth that would have made it truly memorable.