A Flicker in the Dark
A Flicker in the Dark is an entertaining debut thriller that brings a haunting past to life as the hunt for a serial killer begins.
Synopsis: When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.
Now twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So when a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, seeing parallels from her past that aren't actually there, or for the second time in her life, is Chloe about to unmask a killer?
Did this book work well as a buddy read?
Actually, my favorite part about reading this book was getting to discuss it as I went with Erin and Kaley. From the very beginning the three of us each had different theories as to how the mystery would unfold (guess who nailed it?). We also each had varying opinions on the characters and storyline. This made for fun and thought-provoking discussions, and really added to the story.
What are your thoughts on Chloe?
I have to point y’all to Erin’s review on Chloe’s character. She really led that discussion with several valid points that I had not thought about while reading.
For me, Chloe's constant blaming herself for all of the bad things that happened to everyone got very, very old. It was the same thing over and over, the same rehashing of the crimes over and over. Chloe also had a less than stellar connection with the police, and the police weren't really enamored with Chloe. Therefore, her hysteria and impulsive reactions didn't help matters. It also bothered me that she was a psychiatrist and acting like this. So, I had a hard time with some of the less than realistic choices she made in her hunt to identify the serial killer.
How’s the pace?
This is a slow burn, but just having to know how everything was going to turn out kept me captivated and turning the pages quickly.
Do you recommend this book?
The writing is excellent, the storyline captivated me, but there was just something about the characters that failed to make me buy into their lives. Overall, I enjoyed the story and I think this is definitely worth reading. I look forward to reading future publications from this author.
