2.5 stars. This was just okay for me. Kept me reading, but not as compelling as the first in the series. My favorite aspect was Detective Rita Myers--love to see an older woman in a starring role! But her personal life interludes really did not feel like they were adding a lot to the story or helping us understand her much better. Esme as a character was not particularly interesting to me, and I didn't get a good sense of place or the character of the town. I was definitely kept guessing as to who the murderer was and was all over the map with my guesses. I wouldn't try to dissuade someone from reading this book but ultimately did not think it offered anything special.

This is the first book that I finished in 2024 and boy was it a rollercoaster ride of a murder mystery. What Waits In The Woods grabbed my attention in the first chapter and did not let go. There are so many twists, secrets, and red herrings. I did not correctly guess the killer!

The story is told from dual POVs. Esme returns back to Graybridge to help care for her sick father on the same day that one of her former BFFs from school is murdered. Detective Rita Myers is determined to figure out who the killer is.

I highly recommend grabbing this book to read in 2024!

Thank you @kensingtonbooks for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website.)

A solid moody mystery filled with two complex main characters, Esme and her struggles with her past colliding with a messy present with her return to home and her murdered best friend, and Rita (detective) and her own uncertainties but persistence with understanding the murder and the people involved. This is more a 3.5 book for me

I will note at times the pacing was a bit slow and for me this is more a character driven mystery than plot driven but the moodiness, the pacing, and the character development overall worked for me. I do think that Rita felt a little under developed to me, this happens with dual POV for me and with a range of secondary characters competing a bit for reader's time/energy, at times character focused scenes/chapters disrupted the flow of the mystery for me (because overall this is a mystery)

Content notes: substance use, alcoholism, and related themes with family dysfunction

Thank you @netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this ebook! Thank you @netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this ebook!

crime-thriller, fiction, mystery, suspense, dual-narrators, procedural, Massachusetts, friendship, former-ballerina, relationships, relationship-issues, nightmares, detective***

I really expected to love this, but I wasn't a good match this time. The alternating chapter narrations from Esme and Detective Meyers were a distraction as I wanted to skip around to make a better sense of it. The suspense was pretty good, the twists were inspired, but too many of the characters felt flat for me. But I am looking forward to the next in series.
I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley.

Thirteen years ago, Esme Foster was in an accident with her parents that killed her mother. All Esme can remember from that cold and dark night was a man who appeared after the wreck threatened to kill her and then disappeared. No one believed her and blamed it on her concussion.

After school, Esme left Boston to pursue her dream career of becoming a professional ballerina. Eleven years later, Esme's career was ended by an injury and her company did not renew her contract. To top it all off, her six-year relationship with Kevin also ended. Now.. Esme decided to come home...

Esme returns home to help her brother, Byron, care for their dying father. But upon her arrival, she discovers that a shocking crime has taken place right in her backyard.

Kara Cunningham, one of Esme's high school friends has been found murdered. The crazy thing is.... Kara and Esme look a lot alike from behind. Could this be the mystery man from thirteen years ago, coming back to finish the job?

This story is told through dual perspectives of Esme and the detective Rita and I was instantly immersed within this story because I had to know WHO KILLED KARA?? I enjoyed most of the characters throughout this story and the author did an amazing job of keeping me guessing. I thought three different people were the murderer but I was wrong every time! Great plot twist at the end.

This was my first time reading a book by Terri Parlato but it definitely will not be my last! This book just came out and you should read it if you like murders, mystery, and a little mayhem! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5+ stars

This book was okay. Partially, my lack of enjoyment was my own fault; it was advertised mainly as a thriller/suspenseful mystery, which it was, but I didn’t read closely enough to realize that it was the second in a series of cop drama/mysteries, and while I’m fine with multiple protagonists, I don’t tend to love those that focus on cops/detectives in that way. I almost DNFed the book closer to the beginning, but I kept going, and it did get better. However, elements of the story seemed to remind me too much of other books in the genre from the past few years, so it didn’t feel fully original. I didn’t love or hate this one, but I probably won’t continue with the series, nor do I intend to go back and read the first one.

This is the second book of the Detective Rita Myers although you can read this book as a standalone.

The story starts with the discovery of a body of a girl near former dancer Esme's house. Esme's father is suffering from dementia and it was her brother Bryce who discovers the body. The body was none other than Kara who is one of Esme's friends. Esme meanwhile returns back home after an injury causes her to halt her dancing career. Rita Myers must find the murderer before he attacks again.

This was actually a good thriller. The story is told in the perspectives of Esme and Rita and I felt this was more like a police procedural than a thriller. I like the disturbing and creepy way Mr. York photographs the girls including Esme and Kara which gave a creepy setting to the story. The suspects list seemed to be clear but the reveal of the actual killer was quiet unexpected which actually increased my rating to this book. This wasn't really fast paced but nonetheless there were some twists and turns and overall, this book worth four stars in my opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Man, this book was slow – not a slow burn, just slow. I loved the first one and remember it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. This one, not so much. Esme is naïve and somewhat unlikeable; the rest of the characters are not much better. Rita, herself, is smarter but other than that, kind of dull; I just couldn’t connect with her (or anyone, really) in this one. The pacing is off and makes it less of a thriller and more of a mystery. Not giving up on the series or the author but this one was a miss for me.

Don’t miss this dark and twisted tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat. What Waits in the Woods is a captivating story of Esmé’s return to her old life in her hometown, where she faces the challenges of reconnecting with her family and friends. This novel is a masterpiece of storytelling, with a complex plot that may seem slow at first, but is actually full of twists and turns that will surprise you. You will be hooked by the ever-increasing suspense and the mysterious motives of the characters. Trust me, you won’t regret reading this book.

The characters are the heart and soul of this novel. They have rich backstories and realistic development that make them come alive on the page. You will get to know both Rita and Esmé through their alternating perspectives, as they unravel a cleverly woven web of domestic drama and crime investigation. You will be amazed by their authentic voices and actions, and how they relate to the events that unfold. You will also empathize with Esmé’s struggle to adapt to her new reality, as her paranoia starts to consume her. This is a novel that will make you feel and think, and leave you wanting more.

This one had so much promise!

I’m kinda bummed by this read, its summary sounded so good and it had so much promise! Honestly if there would have been 50ish pages cut it would have been a 5⭐️ for me. I was immediately hooked but got bored around the 35% mark. It did pick back up but the resolution took longer than normal as well. I didn’t guess the killer though I was convinced that I had. Again I really enjoyed the writing and plot of the book, but someone of the information about other characters, like Jack, ended up being insignificant in the end and felt like filler.

This one is out today! I will definitely be reading other books by this author!

This was one of my most anticipated reads/listens of the year after absolutely loving Rita in Parlato's debut. While it wasn't quite as enjoyable to me as her first book, I did enjoy it. I just didn't REALLY enjoy it. It felt a little lackluster and ultimately I ended up just finding it to be an average whodunit read. I didn't ever really connect with any of the characters, including Rita, who I adored last book.

There was a lot of extra information and side stories that I wasn't particularly drawn too., but that also made it so I wasn't completely sure who was guilty and how the book would end, I guess that's a bit of a double-edge sword, but I do think I ultimately would have enjoyed the book more without all the extra fluff . Some chapters seemed to end abruptly which wasn't so bad when I was reading the physical book, but it did leave me a little confused when listening to the audio version. The narrators were fine to listen too though and overall, it was easy to follow to listen at an increased speed.

Thank you NetGalley, RB Media, and Kensington Books for my ARC/ALC!

My thoughts - this one started really strong. I was immediately pulled in and interested in the storyline. Unfortunately, the middle seemed to stall a bit for me and then the ending felt way too fast.

I was really interested in the ‘interwoven stories’ with her past and the present murder, but I wish it was flushed out more to feel like a bigger part of the overall story.

Overall, this one was OK but didn’t WOW me.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A good small town police procedural. Lots of suspects and twists leaving the final reveal until the very end. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Terri Parlato returns following All The Dark Places with her popular Detective Rita Myers series #2, WHAT WAITS IN THE WOODS —a dark and twisty tale that grips you from the beginning to the end. A young woman ballet dancer returns home to find another mystery in a town she swore she would never return.

DEADLY SECRETS TAKE CENTER STAGE.

With unexpected plot twists, atmospheric and psychologically rich, a mysterious dance between past and present.

Esmé Foster left the Boston suburbs to become a professional ballerina, leaving her hometown behind. Eleven years later, she returned to Graybridge due to an injury that halted her career.

She needs to help her brother take care of her dying father and reluctantly moves back. But she is not welcomed by some in the small town who still live as though they are back in high school.

Upon her return, there is a murder of Kara Cunningham, one of Esme's high school friends, found dead in the woods behind their family home.

There has been much grief in Esme's life from one of her childhood friends, her mom killed in a car accident, a grief-stricken (alcoholic) father, and now this.

Esme still sees someone in her dreams from the night of the car accident, warning they would kill her, too. She and Kara looked alike. Could she have been the intended target?

Years ago, a young girl (her friend) drowned in a pond in the woods. These girls, a close circle of friends, were connected. Secrets, lies, betrayal, and deception emerge from the past in this chilling suburban domestic thriller where nothing is as it appears.

Detective Rita Myers is on the case. Who is the murderer, what is the motive, and will Esmé be next? Will Detective Rita Myers be able to save her before it is too late?

Atmospheric, the author sets the mood for this multi-layered cop procedural where the past collides with the present. #CoverLove A whodunit and whydunit.

WHAT WAITS IN THE WOODS can be read as a standalone; however, I recommend you read both books. I enjoyed the wrap-up, Esmé's character, and Detective Rita!

There are a lot of red herrings, suspects, and dysfunctional characters keeping you guessing. Told from alternating POV: Rita and Esmé and lots of jealousy by the local townspeople in this small town. I look forward to seeing what comes next from this talented author.

For fans of Kate Alice Marshall's What Lies in the Woods and No One Can Know.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Dec 26, 2023
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I enjoyed this fast paced , small town , creepy cop procedural.
I couldn't holiday & this book was perfect for that .

I liked the characters of both Rita & Esme .
The short chapters were brilliant . I blew threw this one .
The whole character of Mr York was annoying & OMG IRENE!!! That woman ...

Overall I enjoyed this one . New author for me & I'd def read more 🖤

#NetGalley #WhatWaitsintheWoods

Also I need a Colin in my life to bring me yummy food . Eggplant Parm is calling my name !

No more holiday books for me - I've overdosed on them this year. Sharing with you today this gem that I devoured at rapid speed. Such an entertaining book, simply brilliant on audio too. There was a lot of suspense as we followed Esme, a former ballerina who returns to her hometown to find her best friend has been murdered. This was a real page turner that had me on the edge of my seat throughout.

Get your copy soon - it publishes on 26th December.

I read a lot of good things about the author. So when the opportunity arose to read What Waits in the Woods, I immediately took advantage of the offer. Needless to say, I was disappointed.

For me, the issues I had with the novel were the pacing and the "white noise" that detracted from the murder investigation. A lot of the "white noise" came from the two main protagonist's family dramas that really took a lot away from the suspense and mystery. And nothing exciting gets revealed even by the 33% point. By which time I gave up from boredom. An unfortunate one star DNF.

I received a DRC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

With her life in disarray and her career in question, Esme will return to her hometown, where her choices were easy and she felt safe.....until the night of her mother's death. The trauma of that accident will leave it's scars and leave her always wondering. But now she's an adult and her family needs her as much as she needs them.

When Esme's life at home is shaken by the death of a friend, a friend who looked like Esme, it will leave her wondering if her prior trauma was real and her life is in danger. Enter Detective Rita Meyers, veteran police officer and the other half of this complicated investigation. Between Esme and Rita, readers are taken deep into the dark side of a small town that seems perfect on the surface. We'll watch as these two women use every skill they have to solve a mystery that started with Esme's mother's death.

This book was just ok. The story had no spunk. Everything felt weighted down and slow. It needed some excitement or more suspense to get this up to a higher rating.