

Because long before Isabelle lost Mason, she lived with her mother, father and sister, until something happened, something that was covered up and never spoken about. We are nothing but what we choose to believe, but it's all a mirage, bending and warping and shimmering in the distance, changing its form at any given second.Īll the Dangerous Things is a psychological thriller about memory and mental health, about questioning your own mind and your own past.

"I was asleep the whole night" she says when the police ask, and it's true- she was. This is where Isabelle finds herself when her son goes missing in the middle of the night. Imagine wondering, when tragedy strikes in the middle of the night, if it could have been your fault. Like being haunted by a ghost, but the ghost is yourself. Or in familiar places, but with objects moved around, a trail of muddy footprints leading out your front door. Imagine not knowing what you'll do- where you'll go, what you're capable of- while you're asleep. How is it I never realised how creepy sleepwalking can be until now? Both for the sleepwalker themselves and for those around them. In this book, Willingham creates a really creepy and unsettling thriller out of the subject of sleepwalking. Cliches like "on the edge of my seat" come to mind, but I will try to do better than that. This book is ridiculously hard to put down.

It’s realizing that you’re not really alone at all.Ī Flicker in the Dark was good, but All the Dangerous Things was far better, in my opinion. I understand that there’s something even more unsettling than being alone in the dark. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster-but his interest in Isabelle's past makes her nervous. Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her-literally.Įxcept for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room.
