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Detective Rita Myers #1
All the Dark Places
10 hours, 33 minutes
A savage murder rocks a quiet Massachusetts suburb, revealing the dark secrets at the center of a group of friends and setting two women–one with a traumatic past, the other a Boston police detective–on a hunt for truth in this stylish debut thriller for fans of Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena...
Snow falls softly outside Molly Bradley’s home on a frigid January night. Inside, half a dozen close friends are gathered to celebrate the fortieth birthday of Molly’s psychologist husband, Jay. Candlelight gleams against dark wood, wine flows, and the house rings with laughter. Everybody loves Jay, Molly most of all. Yet next morning, Molly discovers Jay dead on the floor of his office, his throat brutally slashed.
After decades working with the Boston PD, Detective Rita Myers has grown accustomed to the banality of evil—the murders that make no sense beyond bad luck or a tragic brush with the worst of humanity. But Jay Bradley’s murder isn’t random, or a mere crime of opportunity. Rita is convinced that someone in the couple’s small circle killed him. Someone who was celebrating with them that night.
Devastated, Molly tries to make sense of her husband’s death. Jay was her rock, the only person who really understood the nightmare she lived through long ago. He knew the horrors she’s kept hidden even from her friends. But shocking revelations are making her question if Jay was all he seemed to be—and whether someone else knows her past too. And until Molly figures out who she can really trust, she won’t be able to stop herself becoming the next target . . .
A savage murder rocks a quiet Massachusetts suburb, revealing the dark secrets at the center of a group of friends and setting two women–one with a traumatic past, the other a Boston police detective–on a hunt for truth in this stylish debut thriller for fans of Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena...
Snow falls softly outside Molly Bradley’s home on a frigid January night. Inside, half a dozen close friends are gathered to celebrate the fortieth birthday of Molly’s psychologist husband, Jay. Candlelight gleams against dark wood, wine flows, and the house rings with laughter. Everybody loves Jay, Molly most of all. Yet next morning, Molly discovers Jay dead on the floor of his office, his throat brutally slashed.
After decades working with the Boston PD, Detective Rita Myers has grown accustomed to the banality of evil—the murders that make no sense beyond bad luck or a tragic brush with the worst of humanity. But Jay Bradley’s murder isn’t random, or a mere crime of opportunity. Rita is convinced that someone in the couple’s small circle killed him. Someone who was celebrating with them that night.
Devastated, Molly tries to make sense of her husband’s death. Jay was her rock, the only person who really understood the nightmare she lived through long ago. He knew the horrors she’s kept hidden even from her friends. But shocking revelations are making her question if Jay was all he seemed to be—and whether someone else knows her past too. And until Molly figures out who she can really trust, she won’t be able to stop herself becoming the next target . . .
Audible Audio
First published December 27, 2022
About the author
Terri Parlato
5 books452 followersTerri Parlato was born and raised in upstate New York. She currently lives in a small north Georgia town with her husband and their dog Lucy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,253 reviews
December 26, 2023
All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato
Narrated by Stephanie Cozart; Christina Moore
I really enjoyed this story and the audiobook narration by two narrators was great. I especially loved the narration of Boston PD Detective Rita Myers. It just seemed perfect for the character of Rita, who was so droll and generous with odds and ends asides. I would love another book featuring Rita and with this narrator. I'd follow her around all day long.
Molly's narration is good, too. Poor Molly, after a fun birthday party for her husband, Jay, Molly wakes up to a horrendous scene. Jay has been murdered and Molly's world has fallen out from under her. He had held her up and allowed her to feel safe as she continued to deal with something terrible that happened in her past. It's as if Molly is a magnet for tragedy.
I must say that I think the adult Molly seems to wave a red flag at danger as if she's saying, "come and get me". I have a long list to things that had me shaking my head when she did them. Really? You are going to do that, stay there, on and on. I guess that's why there will never be a book written about me, I'll just stay safe and sound even it that means I'm boring and nothing ever happens.
But never fear, Molly has an emotional support dog. She really does deserve one but she's not going to go through proper channels to get one. Instead she does the Insta Fake Emotional Support Dog trick of rescuing a big, sweet dog, buying a fake emotional support harness for it, and there you have it. And she'll glare at anyone who doesn't like it!
Rita really carried this book for me. I enjoyed it all but loved getting back to Rita and hearing her voice. She was such an interesting character.
Pub Dec 27, 2022
Thank you to RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.
Narrated by Stephanie Cozart; Christina Moore
I really enjoyed this story and the audiobook narration by two narrators was great. I especially loved the narration of Boston PD Detective Rita Myers. It just seemed perfect for the character of Rita, who was so droll and generous with odds and ends asides. I would love another book featuring Rita and with this narrator. I'd follow her around all day long.
Molly's narration is good, too. Poor Molly, after a fun birthday party for her husband, Jay, Molly wakes up to a horrendous scene. Jay has been murdered and Molly's world has fallen out from under her. He had held her up and allowed her to feel safe as she continued to deal with something terrible that happened in her past. It's as if Molly is a magnet for tragedy.
I must say that I think the adult Molly seems to wave a red flag at danger as if she's saying, "come and get me". I have a long list to things that had me shaking my head when she did them. Really? You are going to do that, stay there, on and on. I guess that's why there will never be a book written about me, I'll just stay safe and sound even it that means I'm boring and nothing ever happens.
But never fear, Molly has an emotional support dog. She really does deserve one but she's not going to go through proper channels to get one. Instead she does the Insta Fake Emotional Support Dog trick of rescuing a big, sweet dog, buying a fake emotional support harness for it, and there you have it. And she'll glare at anyone who doesn't like it!
Rita really carried this book for me. I enjoyed it all but loved getting back to Rita and hearing her voice. She was such an interesting character.
Pub Dec 27, 2022
Thank you to RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.
December 27, 2022
There is a “lot to like” about this debut from Terri Parlato!
Snow is falling outside, but inside it’s all warmth as a half dozen of Jay Bradley’s closest friends gather to celebrate his 40th birthday party. The candles are lit, the wine is flowing and everyone seems to be having a wonderful time.
In attendance are his partner, Dr. Elise Westmore and her husband Scott, his hockey buddy Cal and his wife, Laken, and Molly’s best friend since second grade-Kim and her husband Josh.
His wife Molly retires to bed first, but Jay decides to get some work done on his new book before joining her upstairs. He is a psychologist and is writing about abnormal psychology, exploring some gruesome crimes.
But when she wakes up, his side of the bed is still cold, and she doesn’t smell the coffee that would normally be brewing by now. She finds him dead on the floor of his office, his throat slashed.
Could someone from his small circle of friends be guilty? Why was he preoccupied the week before his death? Could this have to do with his book? And, why was Molly crying just before the first guests arrived?!
Enter seasoned Detective Rita Myers from the Boston P.D. and her new partner, Chase Fuller, tasked with solving this crime.
Rita has 30 years of experience, and she likes to keep written notes in a notebook along with sketches of the suspects that she draws as she interviews them. Sometimes it puts them on edge, and makes them speak, and sometimes it helps her to make sense of things. Chase, is of a new generation-taking notes on his Smart phone.
But they work well together and work without egos getting in the way, inviting help from Lauren Broderick, who may be the smartest cop in the precinct, and collaborating with Sheriff Skinner from a nearby town, and with FBI Agents Joe Thorne and Allison Metz when the case suddenly becomes linked with a couple of crimes in the past.
This CHARACTER DRIVEN police procedural unfolds in short chapters which alternate between the POV’s of Rita, our main detective and Molly, the Victim’s wife, making it an easy “just one more chapter” before I turn out the lights, kind of book!
Descriptive writing brings this to life, making the characters and the suburb of Graybridge where they reside feel real.
Oh, and if that isn’t enough-there is a rescue dog named Sadie too!
I am not a regular reader of police procedural series-but this is one that I would DEFINITELY continue following if the author chooses to let us solve another case with Detective Myers.
But, I will be watching for whatever Terri Parlato writes next!
If you like to solve crimes and appreciate smart, capable female detectives-get acquainted with this book!
NOW AVAILABLE!
Thank You to Kensington Publishing for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
Snow is falling outside, but inside it’s all warmth as a half dozen of Jay Bradley’s closest friends gather to celebrate his 40th birthday party. The candles are lit, the wine is flowing and everyone seems to be having a wonderful time.
In attendance are his partner, Dr. Elise Westmore and her husband Scott, his hockey buddy Cal and his wife, Laken, and Molly’s best friend since second grade-Kim and her husband Josh.
His wife Molly retires to bed first, but Jay decides to get some work done on his new book before joining her upstairs. He is a psychologist and is writing about abnormal psychology, exploring some gruesome crimes.
But when she wakes up, his side of the bed is still cold, and she doesn’t smell the coffee that would normally be brewing by now. She finds him dead on the floor of his office, his throat slashed.
Could someone from his small circle of friends be guilty? Why was he preoccupied the week before his death? Could this have to do with his book? And, why was Molly crying just before the first guests arrived?!
Enter seasoned Detective Rita Myers from the Boston P.D. and her new partner, Chase Fuller, tasked with solving this crime.
Rita has 30 years of experience, and she likes to keep written notes in a notebook along with sketches of the suspects that she draws as she interviews them. Sometimes it puts them on edge, and makes them speak, and sometimes it helps her to make sense of things. Chase, is of a new generation-taking notes on his Smart phone.
But they work well together and work without egos getting in the way, inviting help from Lauren Broderick, who may be the smartest cop in the precinct, and collaborating with Sheriff Skinner from a nearby town, and with FBI Agents Joe Thorne and Allison Metz when the case suddenly becomes linked with a couple of crimes in the past.
This CHARACTER DRIVEN police procedural unfolds in short chapters which alternate between the POV’s of Rita, our main detective and Molly, the Victim’s wife, making it an easy “just one more chapter” before I turn out the lights, kind of book!
Descriptive writing brings this to life, making the characters and the suburb of Graybridge where they reside feel real.
Oh, and if that isn’t enough-there is a rescue dog named Sadie too!
I am not a regular reader of police procedural series-but this is one that I would DEFINITELY continue following if the author chooses to let us solve another case with Detective Myers.
But, I will be watching for whatever Terri Parlato writes next!
If you like to solve crimes and appreciate smart, capable female detectives-get acquainted with this book!
NOW AVAILABLE!
Thank You to Kensington Publishing for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
July 13, 2022
The morning after Molly Bradley celebrates her husband Jay's fortieth birthday with a group of close friends, she finds her husband murdered in his home office. With experienced detective Rita Myers leading the investigation, the police delve deep into Jay’s life and those of his close associates – everyone is a suspect and everyone's lives are under the microscope. A psychologist by profession, Dr. Jay Bradley was considered a nice guy and the perfect husband. He didn’t appear to have any trouble professionally and was working on a book. But he was murdered and the police suspect it was someone from his close circle. Who killed Jay? Was he truly the nice guy everyone thought him to be? Could the killer be a disgruntled patient or was Jay murdered by someone he knew and trusted?
As the narrative progresses, our attention is drawn to traumatic events from Molly’s childhood of which few people except her husband and immediate family were aware. When she starts receiving threatening phone calls from someone who seems to know quite a bit about her she begins to fear for her own safety. Is there any connection between Molly’s past and what happened to Jay?
The narrative is shared from alternating PoVs of Molly and the lead detective Detective Rita Myers. which gives us a well-rounded look at the crime(s) and the investigation. I liked that the lead detective in the case is a woman of 60+ with over thirty years of experience who enjoys mentoring younger recruits. The pacing of the novel ranges between slow and medium. The first half of the novel is quite slow and the writing is on the descriptive side. The story picks up after the halfway mark but even then the investigative angle was too slow for my liking and it looked like the detectives (and the FBI who entered the fray later) were not quite on top of things. Overall, the energy level was on the tepid side. There are many characters and multiple threads to keep track of which required the writing to be crisp and the plot to flow smoothly which was not the case despite the short chapters. Though I was underwhelmed with the writing and the pace of the novel, I did like how the story came together in the end and was surprised with some parts of the final reveal. Overall, while I didn't dislike Terri Parlato’s "All the Dark Places", I wasn’t quite blown away by it. But many have enjoyed this book more than I have, so I would request you to read other reviews before deciding on this one.
Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley, for providing the digital review copy of “All the Dark Places” in exchange for an honest review.
As the narrative progresses, our attention is drawn to traumatic events from Molly’s childhood of which few people except her husband and immediate family were aware. When she starts receiving threatening phone calls from someone who seems to know quite a bit about her she begins to fear for her own safety. Is there any connection between Molly’s past and what happened to Jay?
The narrative is shared from alternating PoVs of Molly and the lead detective Detective Rita Myers. which gives us a well-rounded look at the crime(s) and the investigation. I liked that the lead detective in the case is a woman of 60+ with over thirty years of experience who enjoys mentoring younger recruits. The pacing of the novel ranges between slow and medium. The first half of the novel is quite slow and the writing is on the descriptive side. The story picks up after the halfway mark but even then the investigative angle was too slow for my liking and it looked like the detectives (and the FBI who entered the fray later) were not quite on top of things. Overall, the energy level was on the tepid side. There are many characters and multiple threads to keep track of which required the writing to be crisp and the plot to flow smoothly which was not the case despite the short chapters. Though I was underwhelmed with the writing and the pace of the novel, I did like how the story came together in the end and was surprised with some parts of the final reveal. Overall, while I didn't dislike Terri Parlato’s "All the Dark Places", I wasn’t quite blown away by it. But many have enjoyed this book more than I have, so I would request you to read other reviews before deciding on this one.
Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley, for providing the digital review copy of “All the Dark Places” in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2022
Terri Parlato's solid debut!
It's Jay Bradley's 40th birthday and his wife of three years wants a special birthday for him. It isn't an easy task since it's right after the holidays but Jay as perfect as he is only wants it simple. Molly invites only close-knit friends. When morning arrives, the house felt different, a bit cold without the morning coffee aroma. She looks for Jay only to find him dead in his office with his throat slashed. Everyone loves Jay, who could've done this?
Boston PD Homicide Det. Rita Myers is in charge of the investigation. I like the police procedural part and her perspective. This is one strong character with depth and she moves the story forward. I think Parlato can make it a new series with Rita as a lead!
I also like Molly's point of view. Her past and the people in their lives tie the mystery and keep me wondering who coulda dunnit.
"All the Dark Places" has a nice pace and the writing flows well. I had many suspects in mind, but most characters are decent and "good people". Since Jay was a handsome psychologist, he potentially have more enemies than meets the eye. This one kept me guessing.
The dual narration by Stephanie Cozart and Christina Moore was excellent and not confusing for listeners to differentiate whose POV it was.
Thank you Recorded Books and Netgalley for my ALC.
Expected release date: Dec 27, 2022!
It's Jay Bradley's 40th birthday and his wife of three years wants a special birthday for him. It isn't an easy task since it's right after the holidays but Jay as perfect as he is only wants it simple. Molly invites only close-knit friends. When morning arrives, the house felt different, a bit cold without the morning coffee aroma. She looks for Jay only to find him dead in his office with his throat slashed. Everyone loves Jay, who could've done this?
Boston PD Homicide Det. Rita Myers is in charge of the investigation. I like the police procedural part and her perspective. This is one strong character with depth and she moves the story forward. I think Parlato can make it a new series with Rita as a lead!
I also like Molly's point of view. Her past and the people in their lives tie the mystery and keep me wondering who coulda dunnit.
"All the Dark Places" has a nice pace and the writing flows well. I had many suspects in mind, but most characters are decent and "good people". Since Jay was a handsome psychologist, he potentially have more enemies than meets the eye. This one kept me guessing.
The dual narration by Stephanie Cozart and Christina Moore was excellent and not confusing for listeners to differentiate whose POV it was.
Thank you Recorded Books and Netgalley for my ALC.
Expected release date: Dec 27, 2022!
November 23, 2022
Thank you Kensington Books for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.
2.5 rounded up to a 3
One sentence review: A lil shaky
SYNOPSIS
Molly wakes up after her husband's birthday party to find him ded af with his throat slashed. As Detective Rita looks into his murder, Molly's past begins to catch up with her.
MY OPINION
If I didn't know Terri Parlato was a debut author, I wouldn't have been surprised to learn so after I finished reading. This is what I expect a debut to be like: 50% basic, cliche thriller writing and 50% of solid writing that I hope is indicative of her true talents. You could tell Terri was trying to hit the "markers" of the genre, which left some sections and events feeling forced. But then she'd write some bangerlicious and insightful moments. This made it tough for me to rate it. I'm interested to see what she comes out with next. Will she go the more traditional, popcorn thriller route or carve her own path with unique prose? DUN DUN DUNNNN
Anyways. One particular "moment of greatness" was Rita and her drawing habit. I found this an interesting character trait that I haven't seen in other books (not saying it doesn't exist, so chillax), but it wasn't totally flushed out. It would've been cool if the drawings were used to solve the case. It felt kinda lame when she was like yeah drawing calms me down and that was it. If this is a series, hopefully the drawing quirk becomes more integral to her crime solving process.
Now ya'll know I keep it a stack, so I need to tell you about the not so great moments. When Molly adopts Sadie and decides she's gonna be her emotional support dog so she orders her a service dog vest off Amazon and viola 😂😂😂 I was cracking up. Oh Molly... that's fraudulent.
Then we've got lines like:
"The water sloshes in my stomach, making me feel slightly seasick." PARDON?? LOL. That's... not how that works.
"....their four-year-old, Indie. Short for India." Both names have five letters???
"Professional distance is a must, even if that means being a little distant." Face palm.
Ok, moving on. My problem with citizen gone rogue thrillers is that I usually despise the citizen LOL. They're always on some dumbass shut. This was a rare case where not only did I not despise the citizen, but I actually empathized with them (yes, I am indeed capable of that emotion). Molly seemed like a scared cat who was found living in a cardboard box at the side of the road; but given her background, it was understandable. Homegirl was really going through it but she was trying her bestest LOL.
Rita, on the other hand, was the epitome of "ok boomer." At first I was like damn this chick is annoying, but when I found out she was 60 years old her attitude made more sense. Ok, that came out rude AF but hear me out... Some of her thoughts/attitudes are more typical of someone that age who grew up in different times (there's lots of Vietnam references in this book). For example, when Lauren tells Rita she's a visual learner, Rita thinks: "I've always thought in pictures. I guess that's what they call people like me nowadays when everybody's got a label or collection of labels. Whatever." ???LMAOO??? Literally "ok boomer" vibes. Why are you so pressed about being told you're a visual learner?
In conclusion, this book was a mixed bag. Some serious editing could've helped; there were many chapters where we learned dick all except Rita thought Colin was too much of an uncultured square for his well-travelled mans. There were times where Terri showed us she could write, and she did have my ass intrigued as to how things were gonna pan out... but ultimately this fell a bit short.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: some moments of good writing, I was intrigued (albeit because I was confused but anyways), I didn't wanna slap the stupidity out of Molly
Cons: Rita needed to chillax, unanswered questions at the end, closed caption ass writing at times, filler scenes
2.5 rounded up to a 3
One sentence review: A lil shaky
SYNOPSIS
Molly wakes up after her husband's birthday party to find him ded af with his throat slashed. As Detective Rita looks into his murder, Molly's past begins to catch up with her.
MY OPINION
If I didn't know Terri Parlato was a debut author, I wouldn't have been surprised to learn so after I finished reading. This is what I expect a debut to be like: 50% basic, cliche thriller writing and 50% of solid writing that I hope is indicative of her true talents. You could tell Terri was trying to hit the "markers" of the genre, which left some sections and events feeling forced. But then she'd write some bangerlicious and insightful moments. This made it tough for me to rate it. I'm interested to see what she comes out with next. Will she go the more traditional, popcorn thriller route or carve her own path with unique prose? DUN DUN DUNNNN
Anyways. One particular "moment of greatness" was Rita and her drawing habit. I found this an interesting character trait that I haven't seen in other books (not saying it doesn't exist, so chillax), but it wasn't totally flushed out. It would've been cool if the drawings were used to solve the case. It felt kinda lame when she was like yeah drawing calms me down and that was it. If this is a series, hopefully the drawing quirk becomes more integral to her crime solving process.
Now ya'll know I keep it a stack, so I need to tell you about the not so great moments. When Molly adopts Sadie and decides she's gonna be her emotional support dog so she orders her a service dog vest off Amazon and viola 😂😂😂 I was cracking up. Oh Molly... that's fraudulent.
Then we've got lines like:
"The water sloshes in my stomach, making me feel slightly seasick." PARDON?? LOL. That's... not how that works.
"....their four-year-old, Indie. Short for India." Both names have five letters???
"Professional distance is a must, even if that means being a little distant." Face palm.
Ok, moving on. My problem with citizen gone rogue thrillers is that I usually despise the citizen LOL. They're always on some dumbass shut. This was a rare case where not only did I not despise the citizen, but I actually empathized with them (yes, I am indeed capable of that emotion). Molly seemed like a scared cat who was found living in a cardboard box at the side of the road; but given her background, it was understandable. Homegirl was really going through it but she was trying her bestest LOL.
Rita, on the other hand, was the epitome of "ok boomer." At first I was like damn this chick is annoying, but when I found out she was 60 years old her attitude made more sense. Ok, that came out rude AF but hear me out... Some of her thoughts/attitudes are more typical of someone that age who grew up in different times (there's lots of Vietnam references in this book). For example, when Lauren tells Rita she's a visual learner, Rita thinks: "I've always thought in pictures. I guess that's what they call people like me nowadays when everybody's got a label or collection of labels. Whatever." ???LMAOO??? Literally "ok boomer" vibes. Why are you so pressed about being told you're a visual learner?
In conclusion, this book was a mixed bag. Some serious editing could've helped; there were many chapters where we learned dick all except Rita thought Colin was too much of an uncultured square for his well-travelled mans. There were times where Terri showed us she could write, and she did have my ass intrigued as to how things were gonna pan out... but ultimately this fell a bit short.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: some moments of good writing, I was intrigued (albeit because I was confused but anyways), I didn't wanna slap the stupidity out of Molly
Cons: Rita needed to chillax, unanswered questions at the end, closed caption ass writing at times, filler scenes
September 1, 2022
4.5*
A fantastic debut thriller!
It’s Jay's 40th birthday, and wife Molly wants to do something special for the occasion. Well…what better way to celebrate than to throw a small, intimate party at home with their closest friends. How thoughtful! Except the birthday boy will not survive the night!
Rita is a seasoned homicide detective partnered with young up and coming detective. She loves teaching, so for her it’s a perfect pairing. While investigating Jay’s death they quickly realize there’s more to this mystery and now everyone is a potential suspect!
Told from the perspectives of both Rita and Molly. Both with distinct voices, I never had any trouble differentiating between the characters.
I was quite fond of Rita’s character and enjoyed getting a peak into her personal life away from the job.
This book held me right from the start, I was immediately drawn into this storyline. The writing is smooth and flows easily. And with short chapters I breezed through this book. Although There’s a playlist of characters in this book they were easy to tell apart because of this author’s great writing ability, giving life to each one of them.
Putting on my own detective cap, I was pointing my little sleuth finger at every single character. Well…with the exception of eleven year old Alice.🤣 Otherwise, I had everyone in my sights at one point!🕵🏻♀️
I have high hopes this is the beginning of a series. I believe Rita could definitely hold her own as the main character of an ongoing series!🤞
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books.
A fantastic debut thriller!
It’s Jay's 40th birthday, and wife Molly wants to do something special for the occasion. Well…what better way to celebrate than to throw a small, intimate party at home with their closest friends. How thoughtful! Except the birthday boy will not survive the night!
Rita is a seasoned homicide detective partnered with young up and coming detective. She loves teaching, so for her it’s a perfect pairing. While investigating Jay’s death they quickly realize there’s more to this mystery and now everyone is a potential suspect!
Told from the perspectives of both Rita and Molly. Both with distinct voices, I never had any trouble differentiating between the characters.
I was quite fond of Rita’s character and enjoyed getting a peak into her personal life away from the job.
This book held me right from the start, I was immediately drawn into this storyline. The writing is smooth and flows easily. And with short chapters I breezed through this book. Although There’s a playlist of characters in this book they were easy to tell apart because of this author’s great writing ability, giving life to each one of them.
Putting on my own detective cap, I was pointing my little sleuth finger at every single character. Well…with the exception of eleven year old Alice.🤣 Otherwise, I had everyone in my sights at one point!🕵🏻♀️
I have high hopes this is the beginning of a series. I believe Rita could definitely hold her own as the main character of an ongoing series!🤞
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books.
August 1, 2022
3.5 stars: I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of “All the Dark Places” at my local library. It’s billed as a novel for fans of Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena. Count me in!
Author Terri Parlato structures her story with alternating character chapters. And, these are short chapters, which I enjoy for building suspense. For me, short chapters always make a book one that you want to read compulsively.
The story begins with Molly preparing for her husband’s 40th birthday party. Jay, the birthday boy, is a psychologist with an interest in serial killers. The morning after the party, Molly finds Jay dead in his office, with his throat slashed.
Rita Myers is a Detective with the Boston PD and is charged with solving Jay’s murder. There were 8 people at the birthday party, including Molly and Jay. Rita feels it’s an inside job and decides to focus on the 3 other couples.
In Molly’s chapters, we learn that she has a dark past, something that happened to her when she was six years old. Her past seems to collide with why her husband was killed.
For me, what makes a great thriller is misdirection, multiple suspects, good pacing, and multiple motives. Parlato uses them all very well. While Rita is trying to determine which of the party goers is responsible, Molly has a growing fear that her past is merging with her present life.
For a debut novel, Parlato does a fine job. The estimated publication date is 12/27/22. My only niggles are in character development. Not only the other party goers could have been developed better, but Molly’s parents are almost ghosts in the story. The final edited cut might change that. Plus, it took me a bit to get into the story….a slow start.
I look forward to more work from Parlato. This is a solid thriller.
Author Terri Parlato structures her story with alternating character chapters. And, these are short chapters, which I enjoy for building suspense. For me, short chapters always make a book one that you want to read compulsively.
The story begins with Molly preparing for her husband’s 40th birthday party. Jay, the birthday boy, is a psychologist with an interest in serial killers. The morning after the party, Molly finds Jay dead in his office, with his throat slashed.
Rita Myers is a Detective with the Boston PD and is charged with solving Jay’s murder. There were 8 people at the birthday party, including Molly and Jay. Rita feels it’s an inside job and decides to focus on the 3 other couples.
In Molly’s chapters, we learn that she has a dark past, something that happened to her when she was six years old. Her past seems to collide with why her husband was killed.
For me, what makes a great thriller is misdirection, multiple suspects, good pacing, and multiple motives. Parlato uses them all very well. While Rita is trying to determine which of the party goers is responsible, Molly has a growing fear that her past is merging with her present life.
For a debut novel, Parlato does a fine job. The estimated publication date is 12/27/22. My only niggles are in character development. Not only the other party goers could have been developed better, but Molly’s parents are almost ghosts in the story. The final edited cut might change that. Plus, it took me a bit to get into the story….a slow start.
I look forward to more work from Parlato. This is a solid thriller.
December 12, 2022
All the Dark Places
by Terri Parlato is a suspenseful and atmospheric mystery thriller. This debut novel is well crafted and hooked me in the first chapter. Molly Bradley has thrown a fortieth birthday party for her husband Jay with their closest friends gathered for the event. Everyone loved Jay, but the next morning Molly finds Jay dead in his home office in the detached garage.
Detective Rita Myers and her partner Detective Chase Fuller, with the Graybridge, Massachusetts police department, get the case. Jay’s murder doesn’t seem to be a crime of opportunity or random. Did one of his and Molly’s friends kill him? As the police dig into Jay’s life and those of their friends, everyone becomes a suspect. Meanwhile, Molly is devastated. Jay is the only person who really understands the horror she lived through when she was young. Now, her rock is gone. Who can Molly trust and who killed Jay?
Molly is haunted by her past, but readers only gradually learn what happened to her. She no longer feels safe. However, some of the things she does made me believe she wasn’t thinking straight. I found myself asking multiple times: Why did Molly do that? Rita is an experienced Boston police officer and detective who accepted the job in Graybridge when a friend became the police chief there. She loves training new detectives, has recently turned sixty, and still likes the challenge of the job and solving mysteries.
This fascinating story is told from the points of view of Molly and Rita. It had the combined aspects of a police procedural, a murder mystery, and a psychological thriller. As readers, we get clues as the characters do. Will you guess who the killer is?
This author brought a wide variety of characters together, but they weren’t extremely diverse. I hope that changes in the next novel. Most of the characters are self-confident, but are their stories truths or lies?
With a strong start to the novel, readers have to decipher the clues with Molly and Rita. Everyone seems to have secrets. The plot is deeply involved with several twists to the story to keep readers captivated to its dramatic conclusion.
Parlato brought suspense, interesting characters, and an exciting story line together in a thrilling novel. I am looking forward to reading her next book. I would also love to see a series featuring Rita. If you enjoy intriguing police procedurals, mysteries, and psychological thrillers, then this may be the book for you.
Kensington Books and Terri Parlato provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for December 27 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3.98 rounded to 4 stars review will be coming soon.
Detective Rita Myers and her partner Detective Chase Fuller, with the Graybridge, Massachusetts police department, get the case. Jay’s murder doesn’t seem to be a crime of opportunity or random. Did one of his and Molly’s friends kill him? As the police dig into Jay’s life and those of their friends, everyone becomes a suspect. Meanwhile, Molly is devastated. Jay is the only person who really understands the horror she lived through when she was young. Now, her rock is gone. Who can Molly trust and who killed Jay?
Molly is haunted by her past, but readers only gradually learn what happened to her. She no longer feels safe. However, some of the things she does made me believe she wasn’t thinking straight. I found myself asking multiple times: Why did Molly do that? Rita is an experienced Boston police officer and detective who accepted the job in Graybridge when a friend became the police chief there. She loves training new detectives, has recently turned sixty, and still likes the challenge of the job and solving mysteries.
This fascinating story is told from the points of view of Molly and Rita. It had the combined aspects of a police procedural, a murder mystery, and a psychological thriller. As readers, we get clues as the characters do. Will you guess who the killer is?
This author brought a wide variety of characters together, but they weren’t extremely diverse. I hope that changes in the next novel. Most of the characters are self-confident, but are their stories truths or lies?
With a strong start to the novel, readers have to decipher the clues with Molly and Rita. Everyone seems to have secrets. The plot is deeply involved with several twists to the story to keep readers captivated to its dramatic conclusion.
Parlato brought suspense, interesting characters, and an exciting story line together in a thrilling novel. I am looking forward to reading her next book. I would also love to see a series featuring Rita. If you enjoy intriguing police procedurals, mysteries, and psychological thrillers, then this may be the book for you.
Kensington Books and Terri Parlato provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for December 27 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3.98 rounded to 4 stars review will be coming soon.
December 7, 2022
Decently entertaining debut thriller!
This isn't a perfect book, but it kept my interest throughout my listening experience with the audiobook. I will definitely see where Parlato goes with her writing in the future because I do see some talent here.
This story focuses on Molly, who has just celebrated her husband Jay's 40th birthday the night before with two other couples who are their best friends. She wakes up the morning after and discovers Jay murdered in his back yard office. Who could have done this and why? The other POV of the book is from Rita, a 60-year-old police detective who is assigned to the case. As the police begin to investigate, some disturbing clues come to light and there are many secrets being concealed.
Although this kept me invested, I struggled with the focus. There are quite a few extraneous things thrown in (lots of random conversations with Rita and her neighbor), but they don't help us to know the characters more. I feel like better development of the characters might have allowed me as a reader to have various suspects as we went along and kept me guessing about who murdered Jay and what their motive was. As it was, the extra elements just served to make the story looser and not as taut as it could have been. The book has shades of a police procedural, but we spend more time with Molly than with the police and I'm not really sure the police actually figured anything out.
There was one instance where they were asking all of the suspects if they would give a DNA sample. It was a huge thing--they asked everyone and a couple of paragraphs are dedicated to each of their reactions. However, it is stated as a police aside that they have NOTHING to compare any DNA to, so there is no point in actually collecting the DNA at all, nor does it ever come into play within the narrative after the people are questioned. It was just a waste of words honestly, with zero point.
Clunky parts aside, this is a solid story that kept me entertained and I look forward to another book from this author in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
This isn't a perfect book, but it kept my interest throughout my listening experience with the audiobook. I will definitely see where Parlato goes with her writing in the future because I do see some talent here.
This story focuses on Molly, who has just celebrated her husband Jay's 40th birthday the night before with two other couples who are their best friends. She wakes up the morning after and discovers Jay murdered in his back yard office. Who could have done this and why? The other POV of the book is from Rita, a 60-year-old police detective who is assigned to the case. As the police begin to investigate, some disturbing clues come to light and there are many secrets being concealed.
Although this kept me invested, I struggled with the focus. There are quite a few extraneous things thrown in (lots of random conversations with Rita and her neighbor), but they don't help us to know the characters more. I feel like better development of the characters might have allowed me as a reader to have various suspects as we went along and kept me guessing about who murdered Jay and what their motive was. As it was, the extra elements just served to make the story looser and not as taut as it could have been. The book has shades of a police procedural, but we spend more time with Molly than with the police and I'm not really sure the police actually figured anything out.
There was one instance where they were asking all of the suspects if they would give a DNA sample. It was a huge thing--they asked everyone and a couple of paragraphs are dedicated to each of their reactions. However, it is stated as a police aside that they have NOTHING to compare any DNA to, so there is no point in actually collecting the DNA at all, nor does it ever come into play within the narrative after the people are questioned. It was just a waste of words honestly, with zero point.
Clunky parts aside, this is a solid story that kept me entertained and I look forward to another book from this author in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
May 20, 2024
**4.5-stars rounded up**
All the Dark Places is the start of Terri Parlato's Detective Rita Myers Mystery series. There are 2-books released thus far, with the 2nd-book having just come out this past December.
I actually read them out of order, starting with What Waits in the Woods. I really enjoyed it and knew immediately that I needed to read this 1st-book ASAP.
I loved Rita and needed more of her in my life!
This is a dual perspective story following Detective Rita Myers, our MC, and Molly Bradley, the woman most closely linked to the mystery tackled in this book.
This story is set during the first week of January, which incidentally is when I read it. This tickled me for some reason. This has no bearing on my review, I just thought it was a funny coincidence.
So, it's the first week of January and Molly has planned a dinner party for her husband, Jay's, 40th-birthday. They have their tight-knit group of friends, which consists of three other local couples, over to the house.
It's a great time. There's plenty of drinks, laughs, food and even a beautiful cake. At the end of the night, the wine has definitely gone to Molly's head. She heads upstairs to bed while Jay sees the other couples out.
The next morning when Molly wakes, Jay isn't in the bedroom. He isn't in the house at all and no coffee has been made. Fearing something is wrong, Molly rushes out to his office, housed in an outbuilding on their property. It's there that she finds his dead body.
Detective Rita Myers is assigned to Jay Bradley's case. An experienced detective, Rita is convinced that Jay's murder isn't some random act of violence. She believes someone in their circle is responsible for his death.
The investigation leaves no stone unturned as Rita digs into Molly and Jay's life. It turns out, their group, like most, is hiding a lot deep dark secrets, including Molly herself.
It's really hard for me to not 5-star a book that keeps me invested for an entire day. I flew through this and loved it. It wasn't totally perfect, but pretty damn close.
I am well and truly invested in Detective Rita Myers now. I can't wait for more books in this series, but I have a feeling, since the second one just released, that I'm in for quite a wait before book three.
I listened to the audiobook for both and loved them so much. It's dual narrators, to fit the dual perspective and the narrators truly captured the spirit of these characters.
I definitely recommend this series to any Reader who enjoys Police Procedural Mysteries, or Crime Thrillers. Parlato's mysteries are engaging and hard to put down once you start.
Detective Myers is such a compelling MC as well. She's someone you can really get behind. She's strong, smart, determined and always looking to do what's right.
When I say I read this straight through, I'm not joking. I was on a journey with these characters. I didn't even have time to make status updates. That's how invested I was. I'm actually hoping for a paycheck from Rita's department for my efforts.
If you're looking for a strong new Mystery series to start, look no further. This is where it's at. While you're reading it, I'll just be over here patiently waiting for more!!
All the Dark Places is the start of Terri Parlato's Detective Rita Myers Mystery series. There are 2-books released thus far, with the 2nd-book having just come out this past December.
I actually read them out of order, starting with What Waits in the Woods. I really enjoyed it and knew immediately that I needed to read this 1st-book ASAP.
I loved Rita and needed more of her in my life!
This is a dual perspective story following Detective Rita Myers, our MC, and Molly Bradley, the woman most closely linked to the mystery tackled in this book.
This story is set during the first week of January, which incidentally is when I read it. This tickled me for some reason. This has no bearing on my review, I just thought it was a funny coincidence.
So, it's the first week of January and Molly has planned a dinner party for her husband, Jay's, 40th-birthday. They have their tight-knit group of friends, which consists of three other local couples, over to the house.
It's a great time. There's plenty of drinks, laughs, food and even a beautiful cake. At the end of the night, the wine has definitely gone to Molly's head. She heads upstairs to bed while Jay sees the other couples out.
The next morning when Molly wakes, Jay isn't in the bedroom. He isn't in the house at all and no coffee has been made. Fearing something is wrong, Molly rushes out to his office, housed in an outbuilding on their property. It's there that she finds his dead body.
Detective Rita Myers is assigned to Jay Bradley's case. An experienced detective, Rita is convinced that Jay's murder isn't some random act of violence. She believes someone in their circle is responsible for his death.
The investigation leaves no stone unturned as Rita digs into Molly and Jay's life. It turns out, their group, like most, is hiding a lot deep dark secrets, including Molly herself.
It's really hard for me to not 5-star a book that keeps me invested for an entire day. I flew through this and loved it. It wasn't totally perfect, but pretty damn close.
I am well and truly invested in Detective Rita Myers now. I can't wait for more books in this series, but I have a feeling, since the second one just released, that I'm in for quite a wait before book three.
I listened to the audiobook for both and loved them so much. It's dual narrators, to fit the dual perspective and the narrators truly captured the spirit of these characters.
I definitely recommend this series to any Reader who enjoys Police Procedural Mysteries, or Crime Thrillers. Parlato's mysteries are engaging and hard to put down once you start.
Detective Myers is such a compelling MC as well. She's someone you can really get behind. She's strong, smart, determined and always looking to do what's right.
When I say I read this straight through, I'm not joking. I was on a journey with these characters. I didn't even have time to make status updates. That's how invested I was. I'm actually hoping for a paycheck from Rita's department for my efforts.
If you're looking for a strong new Mystery series to start, look no further. This is where it's at. While you're reading it, I'll just be over here patiently waiting for more!!
August 26, 2023
Jay Bradley, a family psychologist who is writing his first book on abnormal psychology in his spare time, just turned forty. Arranged by his wife, they hold a small informal party with their close friends which rounds out at a subdued eight. The evening is a hit, filled with good food, good friends, and plenty of laughter. After all, everyone loves Jay, especially his wife, Molly.
The following morning, however, Molly wakes up alone in bed. This initially doesn’t worry her as Jay has always been an early riser, but when she heads downstairs, she realizes the house is too still. It isn’t until she glances out the kitchen window, however, and sees the door to Jay’s home office in the detached garage open, that she begins to truly feel uneasy. And she is right to be concerned, because inside she finds Jay on the floor with a jagged, gaping gash across his throat. Her husband of three years is quite obviously dead.
As Molly tries to process his death following the arrival of police and crime scene investigators, she finds herself nearly devastated by the grief. Their marriage, while not perfect (I mean, whose is?), was filled with happiness and laughter. He knew and loved her, flaws and all…and was the one person outside of her family who knew the nightmare she’d once endured. She is lost at the realization that her life will never be the same without Jay by her side. Until stunning information is discovered and Molly begins to wonder who her husband truly was…and whether her story was truly locked up safe and sound in Jay’s head or if there is someone else out there who knows all about her troubling past as well.
Unsure of who to trust, Molly realizes that the only way to actually move forward, without forever looking over her shoulder, is to discover what really happened. And that, without learning the truth, she may very easily become the next victim of Jay’s murderer. Will the secrets she uncovers level her already fragile condition? And will she manage to outrun a similar deadly fate? Only time will tell…
While I’ve had quite the run of excellent books, every once in awhile I come across a book that is so sublime…so well-crafted…so, well, utterly perfect that most other books will have a tough time measuring up. All the Dark Places was that book for me. I mean, I already feel sorry for whatever I read next.
Beginning with a warm, happy party where everyone was enjoying each other’s company, it quickly took a turn for the worst when Jay was slaughtered by some unknown monster. From that point on, the book was a runaway train of perfect suspense. I’m not exaggerating. At least for me, there was nothing that felt unneeded or over-the-top in a plot that felt consummately planned, written, and executed. And I know I’m using the word often, but the book truly was…perfect.
Between the depth of Molly and Rita’s characters (the two narrators) to the authenticity of all the others, it felt like Terri Parlato pulled them straight out of real life. They each had legitimate flaws and worries that they hid from others, even their friends. Buried within these everyday issues, however, lurked the bigger lies and secrets that would govern the storyline. Happily, not even I could detect them until they were revealed at the appropriate moment leading to a razor edge of tension. Each time this happened I marveled at the timing, not quite knowing how the author pulled off such, well, yes…perfection.
Other aspects I loved? Well, ok, if you must pull my leg. The twists. Each was simply mind-blowing, but also somehow coming across in an unsurprising manner. There was one, in fact, where I even asked myself afterwards how I could possibly have missed the signs. And tying this whole gift of a novel together were the descriptions that provided an evocative, crystal clear snapshot of every scene in my head. It was almost like I was watching a movie (but better because it was a book). But, by far, the best element was the climax where the murderer was revealed, because I wholeheartedly could not have predicted who that was. At. All. And, gosh, how I love being taken on a beguiling trip by a story, don’t you?
The were only two, tiny flaws (and I mean tiny). First was how Molly decided on a whim to go adopt a dog from the pound for security following Jay’s murder. To make matters worse, she decided single-handedly to make Sadie an emotional support dog and bought her own vest online. True emotional support dogs go through extensive training and rarely (if ever) would a rescued, terrified dog from the pound even work as a support animal. But I digress. There was limited focus on this, so I got over myself. The second blemish was the slightly artificial dialogue in the very beginning, but that evaporated in the blink of an eye. Neither bothered me enough to even really factor in when I rated the book, so, I repeat, they must have been tiny.
By the end (which held one whopper of a twist), the rollercoaster ride was one I both wanted to finish so I could learn the who, the what, and the whys as well as wishing it could go on and on without end. Because this part psychological thriller, part police procedural (perfect for new to or non-crime fiction readers) contained the perfect combination (sigh, I know) of storytelling, character building, and suspense, all on top of darn good writing. On a side note, I’d love to see a reprisal of Detective Rita Myers’ character as it’s poised to be an amazing series. Gah, there are so many other things I could say in this review, but I have to stop somewhere since this review is probably already too long. If any of this sounds even remotely appealing to you, get your hands on this book. As. Soon. As. Possible. Rating of 5+ stars (duh).
Trigger warning: death of a spouse, fertility problems, kidnapping of a minor, molestation, threatening messages, abduction, false imprisonment, suicide, rape, drugs
**And a trigger warning side note: the dog does not get hurt (did you know there’s a website where you can search for that and other trigger warnings named, quite appropriately, Does the Dog Die?)
The following morning, however, Molly wakes up alone in bed. This initially doesn’t worry her as Jay has always been an early riser, but when she heads downstairs, she realizes the house is too still. It isn’t until she glances out the kitchen window, however, and sees the door to Jay’s home office in the detached garage open, that she begins to truly feel uneasy. And she is right to be concerned, because inside she finds Jay on the floor with a jagged, gaping gash across his throat. Her husband of three years is quite obviously dead.
As Molly tries to process his death following the arrival of police and crime scene investigators, she finds herself nearly devastated by the grief. Their marriage, while not perfect (I mean, whose is?), was filled with happiness and laughter. He knew and loved her, flaws and all…and was the one person outside of her family who knew the nightmare she’d once endured. She is lost at the realization that her life will never be the same without Jay by her side. Until stunning information is discovered and Molly begins to wonder who her husband truly was…and whether her story was truly locked up safe and sound in Jay’s head or if there is someone else out there who knows all about her troubling past as well.
Unsure of who to trust, Molly realizes that the only way to actually move forward, without forever looking over her shoulder, is to discover what really happened. And that, without learning the truth, she may very easily become the next victim of Jay’s murderer. Will the secrets she uncovers level her already fragile condition? And will she manage to outrun a similar deadly fate? Only time will tell…
While I’ve had quite the run of excellent books, every once in awhile I come across a book that is so sublime…so well-crafted…so, well, utterly perfect that most other books will have a tough time measuring up. All the Dark Places was that book for me. I mean, I already feel sorry for whatever I read next.
Beginning with a warm, happy party where everyone was enjoying each other’s company, it quickly took a turn for the worst when Jay was slaughtered by some unknown monster. From that point on, the book was a runaway train of perfect suspense. I’m not exaggerating. At least for me, there was nothing that felt unneeded or over-the-top in a plot that felt consummately planned, written, and executed. And I know I’m using the word often, but the book truly was…perfect.
Between the depth of Molly and Rita’s characters (the two narrators) to the authenticity of all the others, it felt like Terri Parlato pulled them straight out of real life. They each had legitimate flaws and worries that they hid from others, even their friends. Buried within these everyday issues, however, lurked the bigger lies and secrets that would govern the storyline. Happily, not even I could detect them until they were revealed at the appropriate moment leading to a razor edge of tension. Each time this happened I marveled at the timing, not quite knowing how the author pulled off such, well, yes…perfection.
Other aspects I loved? Well, ok, if you must pull my leg. The twists. Each was simply mind-blowing, but also somehow coming across in an unsurprising manner. There was one, in fact, where I even asked myself afterwards how I could possibly have missed the signs. And tying this whole gift of a novel together were the descriptions that provided an evocative, crystal clear snapshot of every scene in my head. It was almost like I was watching a movie (but better because it was a book). But, by far, the best element was the climax where the murderer was revealed, because I wholeheartedly could not have predicted who that was. At. All. And, gosh, how I love being taken on a beguiling trip by a story, don’t you?
The were only two, tiny flaws (and I mean tiny). First was how Molly decided on a whim to go adopt a dog from the pound for security following Jay’s murder. To make matters worse, she decided single-handedly to make Sadie an emotional support dog and bought her own vest online. True emotional support dogs go through extensive training and rarely (if ever) would a rescued, terrified dog from the pound even work as a support animal. But I digress. There was limited focus on this, so I got over myself. The second blemish was the slightly artificial dialogue in the very beginning, but that evaporated in the blink of an eye. Neither bothered me enough to even really factor in when I rated the book, so, I repeat, they must have been tiny.
By the end (which held one whopper of a twist), the rollercoaster ride was one I both wanted to finish so I could learn the who, the what, and the whys as well as wishing it could go on and on without end. Because this part psychological thriller, part police procedural (perfect for new to or non-crime fiction readers) contained the perfect combination (sigh, I know) of storytelling, character building, and suspense, all on top of darn good writing. On a side note, I’d love to see a reprisal of Detective Rita Myers’ character as it’s poised to be an amazing series. Gah, there are so many other things I could say in this review, but I have to stop somewhere since this review is probably already too long. If any of this sounds even remotely appealing to you, get your hands on this book. As. Soon. As. Possible. Rating of 5+ stars (duh).
Trigger warning: death of a spouse, fertility problems, kidnapping of a minor, molestation, threatening messages, abduction, false imprisonment, suicide, rape, drugs
**And a trigger warning side note: the dog does not get hurt (did you know there’s a website where you can search for that and other trigger warnings named, quite appropriately, Does the Dog Die?)
January 26, 2024
3.5⭐
Genre ~ thriller
Setting ~ Boston, Massachusetts
Publication date ~ December 27, 2022
Est page Count ~ 398
Audio length ~ 10 hours 33 minutes
Narrators ~ Stephanie Cozart and Christina Moore
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ debut, police procedural, murder, childhood trauma, infidelity references
Molly is married to Jay, who turns up dead in their home after a night of partying for his 40th birthday. Rita is our detective on the case.
Molly had a traumatic childhood (I can't remember if we found out why early on, so I won't spoil why just in case), which makes her think Jay's murder has something to do with that. Could that be true or did Jay have some secrets of his own that lead to his demise?
Can't say I enjoyed Rita as a person, but I like that we had the police procedural side of things and I think they worked well to solve the case.
This was a bit slow moving at points, but I liked this one as a debut. I didn't see the murderer coming and that thrilled me, so for that I'll round my 3.5 up to 4. I'll give this author a whirl again.
Narration notes:
Wasn't wowed by either of their voices really. Stephanie's voice sounded robotic at times.
*Thanks to Terri Parlato, RB Media and NetGalley for my audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Genre ~ thriller
Setting ~ Boston, Massachusetts
Publication date ~ December 27, 2022
Est page Count ~ 398
Audio length ~ 10 hours 33 minutes
Narrators ~ Stephanie Cozart and Christina Moore
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ debut, police procedural, murder, childhood trauma, infidelity references
Molly is married to Jay, who turns up dead in their home after a night of partying for his 40th birthday. Rita is our detective on the case.
Molly had a traumatic childhood (I can't remember if we found out why early on, so I won't spoil why just in case), which makes her think Jay's murder has something to do with that. Could that be true or did Jay have some secrets of his own that lead to his demise?
Can't say I enjoyed Rita as a person, but I like that we had the police procedural side of things and I think they worked well to solve the case.
This was a bit slow moving at points, but I liked this one as a debut. I didn't see the murderer coming and that thrilled me, so for that I'll round my 3.5 up to 4. I'll give this author a whirl again.
Narration notes:
Wasn't wowed by either of their voices really. Stephanie's voice sounded robotic at times.
*Thanks to Terri Parlato, RB Media and NetGalley for my audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
December 5, 2022
After an evening of celebrating Jay, her husband's 40th birthday with friends, Molly wakes up to find him dead in his office. Who would want to kill him? He's a nice guy and everyone holds him in high regard.
Detective Rita Myers and her partner, Chase are called in to investigate Jay's murder. Rita is a seasoned detective and has seen it all. She is certain that someone in their close group of friends has killed him. But who and why?
While grieving Jay's death, Molly begins to wonder if she knew her husband as well as she thought she did. He knows her, her past and what haunts her. Does anyone else know what Jay knew?
This is a police procedural told through the POV of both Molly and Rita. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were fantastic! I can't say that enough, great job! This was a solid book and although I enjoyed it, there was something missing which I can't put my finger on which would have made me love it.
I always enjoy trying to do my own super sleuthing while reading whodunit's and had several suspects. I enjoyed Rita whereas Molly did not wow me. I did enjoy her backstory, but Rita stole the show for me.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing/RB Media, Recorded Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Detective Rita Myers and her partner, Chase are called in to investigate Jay's murder. Rita is a seasoned detective and has seen it all. She is certain that someone in their close group of friends has killed him. But who and why?
While grieving Jay's death, Molly begins to wonder if she knew her husband as well as she thought she did. He knows her, her past and what haunts her. Does anyone else know what Jay knew?
This is a police procedural told through the POV of both Molly and Rita. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were fantastic! I can't say that enough, great job! This was a solid book and although I enjoyed it, there was something missing which I can't put my finger on which would have made me love it.
I always enjoy trying to do my own super sleuthing while reading whodunit's and had several suspects. I enjoyed Rita whereas Molly did not wow me. I did enjoy her backstory, but Rita stole the show for me.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing/RB Media, Recorded Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
January 12, 2023
All the Dark Places is a mind blowing debut that will stay with you long after the shocking conclusion. This character driven thriller is told from two perspectives. Molly Bradley, wife of Jay a psychologist, and Detective Rita Myers of the Boston P.D. with thirty years experience. The mystery of Molly’s past and tragedy of her present gradually unfolds as tension builds in the aftermath of her husband’s murder. Who killed Jay? Is the guilty party someone from Molly’s past, or is the killer an integral part of her current life? Narrators Stephanie Cozart and Christina Moore expertly bring this tragic, compelling, thriller to life adding an extra layer of intrigue and suspense. Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for my audiobook. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 26, 2024
Detective Rita Myers #1
Molly Bradley is making birthday preparations for her husband Jay‘s 40th and six friends duly gather one snowy January evening in New England to celebrate. Jay is Molly’s rock but she’s struggling to get in the party mood but does so for her much loved husband. Next morning, she wakes and knows immediately that something is wrong. She finds Jay in his office outside, cold and utterly lifeless. Detective Rita Myers formerly of Boston PD and a very experienced detective and her young partner Chase Fuller of the Graybridge PD make their way to the Bradley residence and begin examining the scene. Who would want psychologist Jay dead? Is it anything to do with the book he is researching and writing? Or, does it relate to Molly herself? Until she can figure that out, Molly has no idea who she can trust. The story is told alternately by Molly and Rita, which works really well with a flowing storyline that keeps you on your toes.
This is a really good debut in my opinion as the author leaves me wanting more. I really like character driven novels and this one has me gripped and keeps me guessing. I really like the measured pace which fits with a character based story as 100mph wouldn’t work here and is perfect for the scenarios that the author creates. The short snappy chapters and changing perspectives adds to the intrigue and my suspicion antenna twitches in several directions and miscalling it. I like that, don’t make it too easy for us readers! There are plenty of suspenseful moments too and palpable building tension between the characters.
However, the thing I enjoy the most is the character of Rita, and it’s great to have such a well portrayed central character who is not only gutsy, but an older woman who has no intention of hanging her badge up just yet. Oh no, she still got a ton of experience to offer. She’s really smart and intuitive and a really likeable human being. Although Chase is not as well developed as Rita (may be in the next book), he’s a very good sidekick and a modern cop with all the tech accoutrements versus the more old school Rita. They can learn from each other.
Molly’s point of view is a good contrast to the practical problem-solving Rita. You feel her fears and uncertainty, the clouds that hang over her and how her life has changed so dramatically. I would’ve been a tad more cautious than her though it wouldn’t have made for such a dramatic storyline! I love Sadie, the support dog, she rescues and fret not people, she emerges just fine.
Overall, I’m well and truly up for more Rita and hoping we don’t have to wait too long to see what life and cases are thrown at her next.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hera Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Molly Bradley is making birthday preparations for her husband Jay‘s 40th and six friends duly gather one snowy January evening in New England to celebrate. Jay is Molly’s rock but she’s struggling to get in the party mood but does so for her much loved husband. Next morning, she wakes and knows immediately that something is wrong. She finds Jay in his office outside, cold and utterly lifeless. Detective Rita Myers formerly of Boston PD and a very experienced detective and her young partner Chase Fuller of the Graybridge PD make their way to the Bradley residence and begin examining the scene. Who would want psychologist Jay dead? Is it anything to do with the book he is researching and writing? Or, does it relate to Molly herself? Until she can figure that out, Molly has no idea who she can trust. The story is told alternately by Molly and Rita, which works really well with a flowing storyline that keeps you on your toes.
This is a really good debut in my opinion as the author leaves me wanting more. I really like character driven novels and this one has me gripped and keeps me guessing. I really like the measured pace which fits with a character based story as 100mph wouldn’t work here and is perfect for the scenarios that the author creates. The short snappy chapters and changing perspectives adds to the intrigue and my suspicion antenna twitches in several directions and miscalling it. I like that, don’t make it too easy for us readers! There are plenty of suspenseful moments too and palpable building tension between the characters.
However, the thing I enjoy the most is the character of Rita, and it’s great to have such a well portrayed central character who is not only gutsy, but an older woman who has no intention of hanging her badge up just yet. Oh no, she still got a ton of experience to offer. She’s really smart and intuitive and a really likeable human being. Although Chase is not as well developed as Rita (may be in the next book), he’s a very good sidekick and a modern cop with all the tech accoutrements versus the more old school Rita. They can learn from each other.
Molly’s point of view is a good contrast to the practical problem-solving Rita. You feel her fears and uncertainty, the clouds that hang over her and how her life has changed so dramatically. I would’ve been a tad more cautious than her though it wouldn’t have made for such a dramatic storyline! I love Sadie, the support dog, she rescues and fret not people, she emerges just fine.
Overall, I’m well and truly up for more Rita and hoping we don’t have to wait too long to see what life and cases are thrown at her next.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hera Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
January 10, 2023
This debut novel starts off with a bang. It just sucks you in and keep's you guessing. Really fast paced with two points of view. It did have that noticeable lull in the middle but ended pretty good. It did feature more suspense vibes than thriller, which was alright as it still pulled through pretty high for me.
July 1, 2022
Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Books and Terri Parlato for providing me with an advanced readers copy of “All the Dark Places” in exchange for an honest review.
A single brightly lighted window, darkness outside, a dead branch of a tree. A perfect, slightly spooky cover.
A perfect couple, celebrating the husbands fortieth birthday. Jay is a beloved friend, psychologist and husband to Molly. They celebrate with their closest friends. The morning after Molly immediately notices something is wrong. She finds Jay murdered in his study! But who would do something that gruelling?
We get the dual perspectives of Detective Rita Myers and Molly. Molly is devastated.
I found the writing to be fluent. Short chapters switching between Molly and Rita. At first I had a bit of trouble keeping the different couples apart, who is married to who? But it got easier. It is slow paced and until the middle I wondered if anything ever happens, other than Molly trying to cope. Toward the end I got the actions and twists I craved for.
I loved that the author picked a strong female lead as the detective. Rita is close to 60 I think. I loved the experience and sincerity she brought. I would not mind reading about her in other books, she was that good. Always thinking about the old ways and secretly smiling at the way the young detectives behave these days. I liked that the focus was on the investigation and it seemed so real.
I did not guess the twist/prep at the end, but I was not even trying. I liked that you could just get absorbed in the book and enjoy the ride. Well written!’
A single brightly lighted window, darkness outside, a dead branch of a tree. A perfect, slightly spooky cover.
A perfect couple, celebrating the husbands fortieth birthday. Jay is a beloved friend, psychologist and husband to Molly. They celebrate with their closest friends. The morning after Molly immediately notices something is wrong. She finds Jay murdered in his study! But who would do something that gruelling?
We get the dual perspectives of Detective Rita Myers and Molly. Molly is devastated.
I found the writing to be fluent. Short chapters switching between Molly and Rita. At first I had a bit of trouble keeping the different couples apart, who is married to who? But it got easier. It is slow paced and until the middle I wondered if anything ever happens, other than Molly trying to cope. Toward the end I got the actions and twists I craved for.
I loved that the author picked a strong female lead as the detective. Rita is close to 60 I think. I loved the experience and sincerity she brought. I would not mind reading about her in other books, she was that good. Always thinking about the old ways and secretly smiling at the way the young detectives behave these days. I liked that the focus was on the investigation and it seemed so real.
I did not guess the twist/prep at the end, but I was not even trying. I liked that you could just get absorbed in the book and enjoy the ride. Well written!’
December 6, 2022
Why didn't I give "all the stars" to "All the Dark Places"?
I was elated when I was approved by the publisher to review this book.
WHY?
It's a book about a savage murder that rocked a quiet Massachusetts suburb.
Although I hesitate to admit this, "savage murder" books are my sweet spot.
I live in a quiet Massachusetts suburb and "Massachusetts books" are always a real treat.
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
Even though the author did a superb job with the book's characterizations and police procedurals, the book simply lacked the pacing, energy, intrigue, and excitement that I was seeking.
I listened to the 10-hour audiobook that easily could have been a 6-hour book.
So many times, I kept on asking myself the "Are We There, Yet?" question.
I always enjoy audiobooks with multiple narrators and narrators Christina Moore and Stephanie Cozart did an over-the-top job with the narration.
Overall, this was an impressive debut for author Terri Parlato and I will be looking forward to listening to this author's future releases.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
I was elated when I was approved by the publisher to review this book.
WHY?
It's a book about a savage murder that rocked a quiet Massachusetts suburb.
Although I hesitate to admit this, "savage murder" books are my sweet spot.
I live in a quiet Massachusetts suburb and "Massachusetts books" are always a real treat.
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
Even though the author did a superb job with the book's characterizations and police procedurals, the book simply lacked the pacing, energy, intrigue, and excitement that I was seeking.
I listened to the 10-hour audiobook that easily could have been a 6-hour book.
So many times, I kept on asking myself the "Are We There, Yet?" question.
I always enjoy audiobooks with multiple narrators and narrators Christina Moore and Stephanie Cozart did an over-the-top job with the narration.
Overall, this was an impressive debut for author Terri Parlato and I will be looking forward to listening to this author's future releases.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
March 21, 2023
My real-life friend recommended this to me and as soon as I heard “husband – murdered after his own birthday party – head nearly cut off from the neck wound” I immediately requested it from the library. Now that I’m done, I only have one thing to say . . . .
First, for something with a starting point as promising as a near decapitation this sure was boooooooring. This could have easily been a short story for the lack of plot. And what plot there was? Yikes. Talk about throwing in the kitchen sink with the “superbadawful from the past” dun dun dunnnnnnnnn. And if that wasn’t enough – a dead body coincidentally pops up making the deceased a potential murder suspect? If you like the Lifetime Stabby Stabs movies of the week maybe this will be a winner for you.
1.5 Stars and rounding down because I will NEVER get the hours I wasted on this one back.
First, for something with a starting point as promising as a near decapitation this sure was boooooooring. This could have easily been a short story for the lack of plot. And what plot there was? Yikes. Talk about throwing in the kitchen sink with the “superbadawful from the past” dun dun dunnnnnnnnn. And if that wasn’t enough – a dead body coincidentally pops up making the deceased a potential murder suspect? If you like the Lifetime Stabby Stabs movies of the week maybe this will be a winner for you.
1.5 Stars and rounding down because I will NEVER get the hours I wasted on this one back.
March 25, 2024
Fantastic debut. I loved the author’s writing style which I found to be sharp and intelligent.
The plot is more complicated than at first glance with unexpected twists and turns. In addition, engaging characters including a close knit friend group with numerous secrets added to my enjoyment- just my thing! There’s a lot to uncover and rarely a dull moment as this was equal parts thriller, mystery, and police procedural.
Although the chapters alternated between two main characters, widow Molly and detective Rita, this is billed as Rita Meyers #1. Rita is a likable older officer with a lot to give and I loved reading about her.
I’ve already downloaded the second in the series and will be reading it soon.
From Kindle Unlimited.
January 25, 2024
✰✰✰✰
You won’t be able to decide who can be trusted in this intensely chilling debut thriller! The creepy cover will entice you and the gripping story will keep you reading to the final page!
Ending up dead can really spoil a party. Molly throws a birthday party for her husband—Jay. The next morning she finds him dead in his office with his throat slit. Jay is a highly-respected psychologist and is adored by his friends. Who would want him dead?
The investigation begins and the police discover that everyone at the party has secrets, including Molly. She thought Jay was the only one that knew hers. He was her protector, supporter, and her rock. She starts receiving phone calls from someone who knows the dark secret of her childhood. A secret she’s tried so hard to keep buried.
Another body is found. This time in the yard of Molly and Jay’s mountain home. Then something is revealed that makes Molly believe her husband has betrayed her. Could Jay have been hiding something?
Sincere thanks to Kensington Books and Terri Parlato for providing this gifted ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
#AllTheDarkPlaces #TerriParlato #KensingtonBooks #netgalley #honestreview #giftedARC #readwithme #bookaddict #thrilleraddict #thrillersofinstagram #edelweiss #debut #crimeandcocktailsbookcrew #mysteryandthrills #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecommendations #juliereadzintherockies #justfinishedreading #coloradoreader #bookreels #igbookreels #booksbooksandmorebooks #audiobookreview
You won’t be able to decide who can be trusted in this intensely chilling debut thriller! The creepy cover will entice you and the gripping story will keep you reading to the final page!
Ending up dead can really spoil a party. Molly throws a birthday party for her husband—Jay. The next morning she finds him dead in his office with his throat slit. Jay is a highly-respected psychologist and is adored by his friends. Who would want him dead?
The investigation begins and the police discover that everyone at the party has secrets, including Molly. She thought Jay was the only one that knew hers. He was her protector, supporter, and her rock. She starts receiving phone calls from someone who knows the dark secret of her childhood. A secret she’s tried so hard to keep buried.
Another body is found. This time in the yard of Molly and Jay’s mountain home. Then something is revealed that makes Molly believe her husband has betrayed her. Could Jay have been hiding something?
Sincere thanks to Kensington Books and Terri Parlato for providing this gifted ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
#AllTheDarkPlaces #TerriParlato #KensingtonBooks #netgalley #honestreview #giftedARC #readwithme #bookaddict #thrilleraddict #thrillersofinstagram #edelweiss #debut #crimeandcocktailsbookcrew #mysteryandthrills #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecommendations #juliereadzintherockies #justfinishedreading #coloradoreader #bookreels #igbookreels #booksbooksandmorebooks #audiobookreview
March 10, 2024
This is a Debut Thriller. I would say I found this book to be more of a suspenseful read than a thriller because I did not find it to have big twists and shock I want in a thriller vs a slow build suspense that happen in this book. If you are looking for a twisty fast paced thriller this is not the book for you. I normally do not love slow build books, but I really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed that this book kept me guessing. I did not love the police in this book because I almost feel that their point of view was not needed until the end of the book. I felt the other times could have been covered with the friends and the main character. I liked the character developing in this book, and I loved the dog in this book. How this book was written I could picture in my head what was going on because there were so many little details mixed in without over doing it. I really love when I book does that. This is a solid read that I really got into, and I really enjoyed it. I listened to the audiobook, and I liked the narrators. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Publishing) or author (Terri Parlato) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
Note: I also won a paperback copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.
Note: I also won a paperback copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.
December 26, 2022
I liked this book! It didn't read like a debut at all. I mean, it wasn't perfect either, but it had a lot to offer in terms of the plot and atmosphere.
I loved how it pulled me in straight from the start. A tight group of friends, a birthday party in the beginning of January, while everything is still settling from the holidays. A likeable, everyone's favorite guy winds up dead. And suddenly everything looks way different than it did the day before.
The way the story ended wasn't exactly my favorite, although it wasn't bad either. But other than that, I got exactly what I expected - a fun mystery, engaging plot, believable narration, and all in all - a thriller that was a delight to listen to as an audiobook.
If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato in exchange for an honest review.
I loved how it pulled me in straight from the start. A tight group of friends, a birthday party in the beginning of January, while everything is still settling from the holidays. A likeable, everyone's favorite guy winds up dead. And suddenly everything looks way different than it did the day before.
The way the story ended wasn't exactly my favorite, although it wasn't bad either. But other than that, I got exactly what I expected - a fun mystery, engaging plot, believable narration, and all in all - a thriller that was a delight to listen to as an audiobook.
If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato in exchange for an honest review.
December 25, 2022
I found this book to be a strong debut, so strong I had to double check that the author didn’t have a backlog I could dig into. The story was fast paced and had some decent twists and a good mystery. It’s told in two perspectives Molly, who wakes up the day after her husband’s birthday party to discover he has been murdered and Rita the detective investigating the case. Molly was a hard narrator to connect with. She had quite a trauma history before her husband was murdered and she understandably struggled afterwards so she was very realistic. The cast of characters was also well done with several decent suspects on the list. Alice was probably my favorite character (next to Sadie of course). I liked how the two narratives told one whole story encompassing the present mystery and it’s connections to the past.
March 14, 2023
I was going to round it up to 3.5 stars but decided not to. The story started strong and with a bang! BUT…
Molly and Jay are happily married. One winter night, bunch of their friends gather to celebrate Jay’s 40th birthday. After the party, everyone leaves and Molly goes to bed. Next morning when Molly wakes up, finds her husband murdered brutally in his library. What happened? Who did it? Why? Molly has a pretty dark past. Is she the murderer? An experienced BP detective Rita starts to investigate…. The story unfolds from there.
In my opinion, this book needed a better editor. Too many unnecessary details drove me insane 😉 For example: Why did we need to know about Rita’s neighbors who are living upstairs? Why did we need to know their relationship? They are totally irrelevant to the story. Plus in the end, there was no mention of them at all!! Why did we need to know every small detail of what Molly bought when she went food shopping?
The ending was a huge eye roll for me. I mean it was kind of cute but so unexpected and over the top. Again, no mention of that story line until the last page!?
Rita, even though was an experienced Boston detective, got no where and couldn’t put any of the clues together the whole time. She even partnered with an FBI agent and both of them got nowhere until the murderer kind of fell on their lap.
Having said all that, the bones of the story was solid and fun. I would give this author another chance to see where she’ll go with her next book. Hopefully with a better editor! 🤣
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoy!
Molly and Jay are happily married. One winter night, bunch of their friends gather to celebrate Jay’s 40th birthday. After the party, everyone leaves and Molly goes to bed. Next morning when Molly wakes up, finds her husband murdered brutally in his library. What happened? Who did it? Why? Molly has a pretty dark past. Is she the murderer? An experienced BP detective Rita starts to investigate…. The story unfolds from there.
In my opinion, this book needed a better editor. Too many unnecessary details drove me insane 😉 For example: Why did we need to know about Rita’s neighbors who are living upstairs? Why did we need to know their relationship? They are totally irrelevant to the story. Plus in the end, there was no mention of them at all!! Why did we need to know every small detail of what Molly bought when she went food shopping?
The ending was a huge eye roll for me. I mean it was kind of cute but so unexpected and over the top. Again, no mention of that story line until the last page!?
Rita, even though was an experienced Boston detective, got no where and couldn’t put any of the clues together the whole time. She even partnered with an FBI agent and both of them got nowhere until the murderer kind of fell on their lap.
Having said all that, the bones of the story was solid and fun. I would give this author another chance to see where she’ll go with her next book. Hopefully with a better editor! 🤣
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoy!
September 27, 2022
“He’s cold, lifeless. His neck gapes open beneath his stubbled chin. He’s still dressed in the clothes he was wearing last night.”
It is a snowy January evening in Massachusetts and Molly Bradley is throwing a fortieth birthday party for her beloved husband Jay. She decides to do it at their home, alongside six close friends (three couples; Kim and Josh, Cal and Laken, and Elise and Scott). Finger foods are abundant, and wine is flowing…everyone is enjoying each other’s company. As the night goes on, Molly gets tired and goes to lay down upstairs.
Molly wakes up the next morning to the absence of the aroma of coffee, her first sign that something is wrong (Jay drinks multiple cups a day). She calls his name and as she is walking around the kitchen peers outside to see his office door wide open. Rushing outside through the cold snowy ground, she finds Jay, her rock, dead in a puddle of blood.
Seasoned detective Rita Myers, who has been with the Boston PD for decades, is assigned the case. She has been around the block a time or two and gets the hitch that this is not a random murder. But who would have killed Jay, a 40-year-old psychologist, who everyone says had no enemies? Was it perhaps a patient? Possibly a friend from the party the night before? Jay was known as the “nice” guy. Did he have another side no one knew about?
Bravo Terri Parlato! You have made a fan out of me. This debut whodunit thriller shined in every way (fingers crossed that this turns out being a series). I loved the fact that the chapters were short which helped me keep track of all the multiple characters (it takes a while to learn them all, but eventually it becomes easier to differentiate based off of the author’s writing). The story is told from the POV’s of Molly and Rita. There are several suspects, different theories on motive, the mystery of what happened in Molly’s childhood, and a ton of suspense. I went back and forth with who the killer was and failed at figuring it out prior to the reveal. This is an easy, fast paced read and everything you can ask for from a thriller!
This book is set to release on December 27th, 2022. Thank you to Goodreads for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It is a snowy January evening in Massachusetts and Molly Bradley is throwing a fortieth birthday party for her beloved husband Jay. She decides to do it at their home, alongside six close friends (three couples; Kim and Josh, Cal and Laken, and Elise and Scott). Finger foods are abundant, and wine is flowing…everyone is enjoying each other’s company. As the night goes on, Molly gets tired and goes to lay down upstairs.
Molly wakes up the next morning to the absence of the aroma of coffee, her first sign that something is wrong (Jay drinks multiple cups a day). She calls his name and as she is walking around the kitchen peers outside to see his office door wide open. Rushing outside through the cold snowy ground, she finds Jay, her rock, dead in a puddle of blood.
Seasoned detective Rita Myers, who has been with the Boston PD for decades, is assigned the case. She has been around the block a time or two and gets the hitch that this is not a random murder. But who would have killed Jay, a 40-year-old psychologist, who everyone says had no enemies? Was it perhaps a patient? Possibly a friend from the party the night before? Jay was known as the “nice” guy. Did he have another side no one knew about?
Bravo Terri Parlato! You have made a fan out of me. This debut whodunit thriller shined in every way (fingers crossed that this turns out being a series). I loved the fact that the chapters were short which helped me keep track of all the multiple characters (it takes a while to learn them all, but eventually it becomes easier to differentiate based off of the author’s writing). The story is told from the POV’s of Molly and Rita. There are several suspects, different theories on motive, the mystery of what happened in Molly’s childhood, and a ton of suspense. I went back and forth with who the killer was and failed at figuring it out prior to the reveal. This is an easy, fast paced read and everything you can ask for from a thriller!
This book is set to release on December 27th, 2022. Thank you to Goodreads for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2022
All The Dark Places
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 12/27/22
Author: Terri Parlato
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating: 3.98
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: The morning after Molly Bradley and friend celebrate the fortieth birthday of Jay, he is found brutally murdered. Jay Bradley’s murder isn’t random, or a mere crime of opportunity. Boston PD, Detective Rita Myers is convinced that someone in the couple’s small circle killed him. Someone who was celebrating with them that night. Devastated, Molly tries to make sense of her husband’s death. Jay knew the horrors she’s kept hidden even from her friends. But shocking revelations are making her question if Jay was all he seemed to be—and whether someone else knows her past too. And until Molly figures out who she can really trust, she won’t be able to stop herself becoming the next target
My Thoughts: The story is narrated by Molly, grief stricken wife, and Rita, the lead detective trying to solve the homicide, in a dual perspective POV. I really like when the detective and the victim (or loved one of the victim) is narrating because you get a full circle of what happened and what both sides are thinking. The chapters are short, which I love. The story does start as a slow burn and heats up probably about half way through. The investigation was a little slow for me, I would like to have gotten through it a little quicker. The characters were well developed, emotional, they had depth to them, and written creatively. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, twisty, and was amazing for a debut author. The story starts with character building, and sometimes it was a little confusing, but as the story progressed, I was able to identify the characters with no problem; the plot is built in twisty layers, and the ending was brilliant. This was a good read that I recommend picking up if you like a slow burn turned into a page turner thriller.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 12/27/22
Author: Terri Parlato
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating: 3.98
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: The morning after Molly Bradley and friend celebrate the fortieth birthday of Jay, he is found brutally murdered. Jay Bradley’s murder isn’t random, or a mere crime of opportunity. Boston PD, Detective Rita Myers is convinced that someone in the couple’s small circle killed him. Someone who was celebrating with them that night. Devastated, Molly tries to make sense of her husband’s death. Jay knew the horrors she’s kept hidden even from her friends. But shocking revelations are making her question if Jay was all he seemed to be—and whether someone else knows her past too. And until Molly figures out who she can really trust, she won’t be able to stop herself becoming the next target
My Thoughts: The story is narrated by Molly, grief stricken wife, and Rita, the lead detective trying to solve the homicide, in a dual perspective POV. I really like when the detective and the victim (or loved one of the victim) is narrating because you get a full circle of what happened and what both sides are thinking. The chapters are short, which I love. The story does start as a slow burn and heats up probably about half way through. The investigation was a little slow for me, I would like to have gotten through it a little quicker. The characters were well developed, emotional, they had depth to them, and written creatively. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, twisty, and was amazing for a debut author. The story starts with character building, and sometimes it was a little confusing, but as the story progressed, I was able to identify the characters with no problem; the plot is built in twisty layers, and the ending was brilliant. This was a good read that I recommend picking up if you like a slow burn turned into a page turner thriller.
November 6, 2022
Another fantastic debut novel in 2022. There really have been so many new authors to get excited about and Terri Parlato goes on that list. I read this in a day, finding it hard to put down. Each twist lead to even more questions and ai had to know how it was going to end.
Molly wakes up the morning after her husbands 40th birthday party to find that he is not in bed with her and she can’t smell the morning coffee pot. She finds him on the floor of his office in a pool of blood. Police soon arrive and Mollys world is turned upside down. Police are sure that somebody from the party did this… but it was the couples closest and best friends. Who would do this? Turns out, this group of friends is hiding all sorts of secrets, Molly with the biggest.
I really loved how this one had you pointing the finger at everyone at some stage or other. It was a well put together ending and I throughly enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on December 27th.
Molly wakes up the morning after her husbands 40th birthday party to find that he is not in bed with her and she can’t smell the morning coffee pot. She finds him on the floor of his office in a pool of blood. Police soon arrive and Mollys world is turned upside down. Police are sure that somebody from the party did this… but it was the couples closest and best friends. Who would do this? Turns out, this group of friends is hiding all sorts of secrets, Molly with the biggest.
I really loved how this one had you pointing the finger at everyone at some stage or other. It was a well put together ending and I throughly enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on December 27th.
June 16, 2023
Jay's murder will shake
Molly's certainties about
the life they briefly shared,
along with her hidden past:
not as dark as I would like. ._.
Molly's certainties about
the life they briefly shared,
along with her hidden past:
not as dark as I would like. ._.
October 2, 2022
All the Dark Places begins with a big birthday celebration for Jay Bradley hosted by his wife, Molly, at their house were joined with their friends. But by the following morning, Jay is discovered murdered in his office. Molly of course a wreck is surrounded by a good support system. The story alternates between Molly and Boston PD Detective Rita Myers. The pacing is quite slow, but once the red herrings are revealed it picks up and gets twisty. Everyone is hiding secrets! Thanks to Edelweiss and Kensington for a gifted copy.
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