PLOT & PACING:
Chloe Davis is the daughter of a convicted serial killer—and twenty years after his arrest, young girls are going missing again. As the plot unfolds, Chloe’s sense of reality starts to unravel. The pacing is brisk and addictive, with well-placed reveals and a constant feeling that something isn’t quite right. You’ll suspect everyone—especially the people Chloe is trying hardest to trust (spoiler alert! Even I suspected the wrong person).

CHARACTER & VOICE:
Chloe is a complicated narrator. She’s not always likable, but she’s always believable. Her trauma, her self-doubt, her reliance on medication and alcohol to function—it all makes her a more layered and realistic protagonist. Some readers may find her frustrating at times, but that’s the point: she’s not here to be comfortable. She’s here to survive.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Willingham’s prose is sharp and accessible, with just enough atmospheric flair to create a steady undercurrent of dread. The Louisiana setting could have been used more vividly, but the emotional landscape more than makes up for it. You’ll feel the fog settling in, even without much description.

THEMES & DEPTH:
This novel is fascinated by one idea: the monsters we fear aren’t hiding in the dark—they’re beside us at the dinner table, in our homes, in our memories. It asks how much we can trust others when we can’t even fully trust ourselves. Addiction, repression, and inherited guilt all factor in. 

PERSONAL TAKE:
I was hooked from that first line. The central question—who are the real monsters—is one I never get tired of exploring, and Willingham handles it masterfully. I didn’t trust anyone, and I loved that. It’s one of the few thrillers where the emotional instability of the narrator enhances the mystery instead of muddling it. Not perfect, but absolutely worth reading.