Chloe Davis was twelve years old when her father confessed to murdering six teenage girls in their small Louisiana town. Twenty years later, she is a psychologist in Baton Rouge attempting to manage the trauma of her childhood through medication and a stable engagement. However, when local girls begin disappearing during the anniversary of her father’s crimes, Chloe observes identical patterns in these new cases. She struggles to distinguish between genuine clues and her own psychological projections as she investigates whether a copycat is at work or if she helped convict the wrong man decades ago.
Readers interested in psychological tension and unreliable narrators will find a study of how childhood violence shapes adult identity. The book serves those who enjoy analyzing the technical details of criminal investigations alongside a deep focus on internal trauma. A reader walks away with an understanding of how one person’s history of betrayal influences their modern perception of safety and trust. It provides a look at the lasting social and psychological ripples that remain in a community long after a serial killer is imprisoned.
Insights from A Flicker in the Dark
“I didn't just lose my father that summer. I lost my sense of safety.”
Chloe lives in a permanent state of waiting for the other shoe to drop. She survived her father's crimes only to become a prisoner of her own suspicion.
Living with a monster in the house changes how you see every man you meet. Even a kind fiancé starts to look like a collection of secrets.
“They look at me and they see him.”
Small towns have long memories when it comes to a killer's daughter. People look at Chloe and see her father's eyes instead of her own grief.
“The smell of summer in the South is heavy. It's thick with secrets.”
The scent of honeysuckle isn't sweet for everyone. For Chloe, it is the smell of the summer the girls started disappearing.
- Published
- 2022
- Publisher
- Minotaur Books
- ISBN
- 9781250803832
- Language
- EN
