Enjoyed this one. i like a police procedural type. I think the narrators really did a great job and set the book up well. It was a bit of a slow burn and while there were some good twists. A little predictable. But j still liked it.

3/5

Thank you RB Media for the advanced listening copy!

Esmé Foster has just returned home to Graybridge with her tail between her legs. After an injury and a breakup, she was forced to leave Boston and her dream job as a professional ballerina. To make matters worse, she arrives home to find out that her childhood best friend, Kara Cunningham, has been found dead in the woods behind her Dad's house, and they suspect foul play. With Detective Rita Myers on the case, more and more darkness and chaos unfolds from the seemingly idyllic small town. Esmé is shocked to uncover the truth about the people closest to her, those she has known her entire life...

While there were some good and surprising twists, but I feel like this book wasn’t too hard to predict overall. They pushed too hard on one suspect (don’t wanna give anything away) that I knew it had to be someone else. I didn’t connect with the narration, and I think that's part of what kept me from really loving this one.

I noticed this in the first book, too, but the author switches back and forth between characters’ first names and last names, depending on whose perspective we’re getting. While I think that adds to the character voice, it’s SO confusing as a reader, especially on audio. It takes away more than it adds imo.

I liked book 1 better than this one, but this wasn’t bad! I’d read more by this author, just maybe try to stick with physical copies.

What Waits in the Woods is the 2nd book in a series featuring Detective Rita Myers, yet it can be read as a standalone. I have not read the first one, but I definitely want to check it out! I would also really be interested if more books were written in the same series.

The story is told by Esme & Detective Foster along with dual point of views. The detective is much older and well established into her career. We see into her life as a detective and get small peeks into her personal life as well that did not have anything to do with the story, but maybe it sets the stage for those future books in the series. The plot took some time getting into but I did not expect the ending, so that was something. I did not love the voice of the police narrator when she changed her voice for characters other than the police woman. It was a slow burn mystery, and I didn't think there was too much to keep me engaged. It was an average read, and like I said, I would like to continue the journey with Detective Foster and see what lies ahead.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the book.
I applied to it because of the cover which is so beautiful.
But I liked listening to it.
And now I am in love with audiobooks

Thank you, RB Media for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

Part domestic thriller and part police procedural, I thought What Waits in the Woods was a good read.
While it was quite a slow burn, the emotion behind the story really kept me engaged.
The ending was definitely a surprise for me, and I really liked how everything wrapped up!

This was my first book by Terri and I look forward to reading more.

🎧📖 note: Christina Moore & Leah Horowitz did a fantastic job with the characters and setting the tone of the audiobook.

Unfortunately, this didn't do it for me. The concept was there, but the execution was lacking. You may love it, though!

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley

Narrated by Christina Moore and Leah Horowitz, this riveting haunting thriller that follows Esmé and Detective Rita Myers. The dual perspectives, presented a captivating story. The mysterious man haunting Esmé's memory added a layer of suspense. As Esmé digs deeper into her tragic past, her journey is filled with darkness, secrets, and an ending that brings everything into focus.
This was certainly a listen I binged on. It was so good!

I've listened to both books in the series and while I see mixed reviews I liked this one. It defies odds since I don't normally like slow burn mysteries, but I really like the characters that Terri Parlato develops and Christina Moore and Leah Horowitz bring to life.

I thought it brought a lot of creep factor to a part domestic thriller and part police procedural storyline. Every time the woods came up I felt the creepiness amp up. There is dual narration and a bit of misdirection as it relates to the potential suspects.

The audiobook helped set the atmospheric tone and kept me engaged through the entire book.

If the pace was a little quicker, this would have been a five star listen for me.

I find this a very interesting read. The emotional side of the build-up was great, covering the state and the growth of the main character (I would even call it an emotional coming-of-age) of a young heroine, who returns to her smalltown home after her dreams had crashed and her relationship with boyfriend had burned. This kinds of return are never easy - but what awaits her is a murder. The murder of her best friend from her childhood.
Also, there is that resurfacing memory from the time she and her family were in a crash that had killed her mom - that there was a guy saying something about killing her.

As I said, I very much liked Esmé´s emotional way through all of it. I enjoyed her feelings, her insecurity and her growth.
But from the point of murder mystery - well. There is a lot of hints, a lot of possibilities. But when the real "who" hits the ground, I was not pleasantly surprised by this random name. I like when my mysteries have plot you can see when looking back. the signs, the breadcrumbs.
So while I liked this as a women fiction, human drama, the detective angle needs more sharpness and focus.
But still, I very much liked it and enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was so so for me. Very slow moving and the narrator was just ok.

This was my first Terri Parlato book and I enjoyed it. I definitely didn't anticipate the ending, even though I had many thoughts as to how it would unfold. I liked the story, but didn't feel like it was super griping.

Esmé Foster left Graybridge, still in her youth but ready for a career as a professional ballerina. Less than a decade later, her career abruptly ended by injury, Esmé decides to finally return home to help her brother care for their ailing father. How was Esmé to know that she would be coming back to a tragedy?

What Waits in the Woods is narrated by Christina Moore and Leah Horowitz. The audio version of the book gives life to Esmé Foster and Detective Rita Myers. Rita is a no-nonsense detective who leaves no stone unturned. Esmé Foster is a bit jaded and has both strength and determination. Both narrators do a good job of portraying their respective characters and are the bright spots of this novel.

Overall, the ending was telegraphed too much for me, as I had figured out the perpetrator early on. As an avid mystery thriller reader, I did wish to be more surprised. That being said, What Waits in the Woods was a well narrated audiobook and readers who like mystery thrillers may like this novel.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy of What Waits in the Woods by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to review this book rested entirely with me.

Esme Foster's ballerina career has ended due to an injury and she's decided to move back to her hometown. Shortly after arriving, a shocking crime occurs in the woods behind her house. Is it a coincidence? Or a case of mistaken identity where Esme was the intended victim. The story involves flashbacks to Esme's traumatic youth when a motor vehicle accident took the life of her mother and a mysterious man threatened Esme at the scene. Esme is still haunted by the memory and possibly the mystery man. The other perspective is detective Rita Myers (who first appears in the author's book, All the Dark Places.)

Overall I enjoyed this sophomore suspenseful thriller. I thought the ending wrapped the mystery up nicely and had a few twists and turns. I really enjoyed the narration and recommend the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for providing me an ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Audiobook review : I did not find the narration likeable in the start but I guess as I got interested into the story, the narration too got better than before. Overall a pleasant experience as an audiobook.

When I started I did not know that this is second book in the Rita Myers detective series but you can definitely read it as a standalone as well.

Author has spent quite a time on the background of many characters so you know almost all of them but she has painted almost all grey so you either do not really like them or you do not care for them. Atleast I did not.

Esme Foster has been estranged from her family but an injury which lead to ultimate fall of her career, she decided it's time to be back at home to her alcoholic and sick father and divorced brother. What she doesn't know is there's another tragedy waiting to happen at the same time which leaves her devastated.

"It's just hard to picture that people from your past have moved on, have had other lives. You think of them as they were, stuck in your memory."

Detective Rita Myers is trying to figure out what and how and why of the tragedy and who is responsible for it. The end reveal was good even when I had it figured out still it left me surprised. It wasn't easy to guess and was definitely shocking. Overall an enjoyable and we'll written thriller mystery novel I would like to recommend to fans of the genre.

Star rating : 3.5 stars

Audiobook rating : 4 stars

Thank you Netgalley and RB media for the audiobook ARC in exchange of an honest review.

What waits in the woods - Terri Parlato

Very slow moving story and a lot of it unnecessary. Wasn’t the worst read but definitely could have been better in my opinion.

All along I thought it was the wrong person. And the person who was wrongly accused didn’t even get a proper apology?? Then the culprit wtf?? I felt the story ended abruptly and was unfinished. I think I read too much true crime. 🤨🤷‍♀️

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio!

WOW!! Just wow!! This book creeped me out a bit. Sooo good! Such a good story and that plot twist! Chefs Kiss!!

A well-written mystery of a past murder and how it all connects to a present-day murder in a small town. I was guessing until the end as I had no clue who did it. It was interesting as an audiobook, and the narrator Christina Moore did a great job with the different characters. The detective Rita Myers had a fun personality that at times made me laugh as she was putting the pieces of the puzzle together to find a killer. At times the high school reminiscing did become mundane although it is an important part of the story. It just was maybe a little too much of the past and some pieces were not relevant to the plot. I enjoyed listening to What Waits in the Woods and will be looking for her other audio books.

This is my second glimpse into the world of Detective Rita Myers. Esme has returned to her childhood home, only to find one of her closest friends murdered. I enjoyed how the suspects were revealed as red herrings accumulated. I also liked how the story was told from the POV of Detective Myers and Esme. The eerie atmosphere of the woods added an element of suspense with an overall creepy feeling that saturated the plot. This character-driven mystery captivated me from start to finish. I look forward to more books with Detective Myers in the future. Narrators Christina Moore and Leah Horowitz masterfully bring the characters and story to life adding a layer of intrigue and emotion. Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media for my audiobook.

*Thanks to Netgalley and Recorded Books for this advanced copy audiobook*

I had no idea what to expect from this book, but I didn't expect this! I enjoyed this book, which definitely had police procedural vibes, while also being called a thriller or suspense novel.

Esmé, a ballerina, was forced to change her life's course when she developed a hip problem. The day she comes home, her best friend from high school is found murdered in the woods.

Apparently this is the second book in a detective novel series following Rita Myers. I didn't feel that I needed to read her other novel first to understand or appreciate this book.

A few things on this:

The premise was interesting and immediately grabbed my attention.
One narrator was good and I hated the other one!
I'm pretty sure Rita Myers is the worst detective ever.
This book was dark, dark, dark. I found myself falling into a pit of despair while reading this.

HOWEVER, I actually enjoyed this book in the end. I enjoy a little dark dark dark once in a while, and I'd honestly read Rita Myers' other book just to see how she cracks other cases!!

3 out of 5 stars

Found the story very creepy, which was just what I wanted from this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.