What Waits In The Woods was a compelling story, but it just didn't deliver for me. I didn't realize it was a police procedural when I requested, I am not a huge fan of those.

The characters were very one dimensional. They had no redeeming qualities. They were all overly negative and I just didn't connect to any of them.

I was expecting thrills but I did not get that, just because the pacing for me was a little slow. I think fans of police procedurals and slow burn mysteries will enjoy this one. It is book 2 but can definitely be read as a standalone.

🎧 The audiobook is what kept me intrigued, as I do believe if I would've read this one I wouldn't have finished it. Christina Moore & Leah Horowitz did a good job with the narration and kept me interested.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley & RB Media for my free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to “What Waits in the Woods” in my car and I was hoping for traffic so I could listen longer. I listen to audiobooks almost every day and I’ve heard many narrators- many are just okay. This book NAILED it! Rita’s voice was exactly what I thought a middle aged cop's voice sounded like. And Esme sounded just like the millennial I pictured her to be.
This was a twisty thriller that had me guessing until the end. I recommend this one!
Many thanks to the author, RB Media and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

If this doesn't give you chills, I don't know what will. A house in spooky woods. A best friend dead in the yard. Creepy neighbors. Creepy family members. And a big, scary twist! Edge of my seat! Great narration.

This book had promise but needed a bit more work on plot.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to listen to this book!

I have not read any of her other books, but this was fine as a stand alone book.

I loved seeing a little of Upstate New York in the book! However, this one was a slow burn for me. Overall, I felt the books was good and loved the twist. However, it felt a little more heavy dramatic than a suspenseful thriller.

I did find it hard to connect with any of the characters and the twist, of course you didn't really see coming but it was so far out of left field for me.

Overall it's a decent read. but just not for me

Part thriller, part police procedural, this story is told from the alternating perspectives of a young woman returning to her hometown and finding that one of her childhood best friends has just been murdered and the detective that is investigating the case. I really enjoyed the detective’s character and I thought the narrator did a great job voicing her thoughts and asides. I was not completely surprised by the twist, but I was surprised by the motive. There were a wealth of suspects - a real variety of characters. I enjoyed this book and would read other works by this author.

Narrated by Christina Moore, Leah Horowitz
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Novel by Terri Parlato ⭐⭐⭐

I absolutely love Rita's character and the narrator that brings her to life.
This was a solid mystery. Definitely a series I'd continue with.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of What Waits in the Woods by Terri Parlato.

If you're looking for a chilly thriller, you could probably do better than this one. I just doesn't have the umph needed to stay fully compelling. I think my biggest complaint is how the situation of the cop and Esme, the protagonist, were just too similar. I think I saw what the author was going for, but it just ended up confusing to me.

🩰Book Review🩰
*
Summary: When Esmé Foster left the Boston suburbs to become a professional ballerina, the future shimmered with promise. Eleven years later, her career has been derailed by an injury, and Esme knows it’s time to come back to Graybridge to help her brother care for their ailing father. But her return coincides with an unthinkable crime. Kara Cunningham, one of Esme’s high school friends, is found dead in the woods behind the Fosters’ house.

Detective Rita Myers is familiar with close-knit communities like Graybridge, where, beneath the friendliness, there are whispers and secrets. The town has seen other tragedies too, including the long-ago drowning of a young girl in a pond, deep in the woods. Even within the once-close circle of friends that included Kara and Esmé, Rita discerns a ripple of mistrust. Soon, shining a light into the darkness to learn what really happened the night Kara died is the only way she can bring the nightmare to an end . . .
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts: thank you @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the audio book arc of this one. The cover really drew me in on this one but I think the story really fell short. It’s part of a series but I read this as a stand alone and wasn’t lost. I thought this was kind of dull and too slow of a burn, I also just couldn’t connect with a single character in this one. They were all kind of awful and had no redeeming qualities, also the father was sick but with what ? No idea ? The main issue for me was that the book spent so much time giving red herrings as to who the killers was that when the killer was finally revealed it was totally unbelievable and just kind of dumb 😂
*
QOTD- what is the last book you read that you didn’t enjoy ?
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#whatwaitsinthewoods #bookreview #bookstagram #booksofig #booksofinstagram #booknerd #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookobsessed #booknerd #readersofinstagram #readersgonnaread #readmorebooks #readersofig

This was another fabulous book from Terri Parlato. I listed to All the Dark Places last year and fell in love with her writing. I absolutely loved Christina Moore and Leah Horowitz narrating this book. They make it enjoyable and easy to follow. I love Detective Rita from the last book so I was excited when I found out she was in this book too. What Waits in the Woods is a whodunit police procedural, murder mystery, and family drama. We get to know Esmé through her chapters and she had quite a traumatic childhood life. This is a slow burn thriller but once it picks up oh boy hang on for the ride!! If you want a good thriller with twists then please pick this book up. I highly recommend this book and All the Dark Places too. ENJOY!



Thank you NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for allowing me to listen to this ARC in advance for my honest opinion .

I was excited to follow up on Detective Rita Myers and I loved the ballerina and police procedural coming together. I think anyone who has enjoyed Terri Parlato's previous book would like this one. I did love the dual narration from Christina Moore and Leah Horowitz and thought it really helped to have dual narrators for this one.

Thank you so much to RB Media, Recorded Books for the ALC.

It was about time to reunite with Detective Rita Myers. Even though this is the second book, it also can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Esmé Foster returns to Graybridge to support her brother who cares for their father. Becoming a professional ballerina are shattered after an injury, and she's embarking on a new journey, doing whatever it takes. Upon her return, she discovers that an old high school friend has been murdered in the woods near her home.

The story is brought to us through alternating perspectives of Rita and Esmé. I really enjoyed the character development throughout the story and the end....I didn't really see that coming.

The narration by Christina Moore, Leah Horowitz was a pleasure to listen to!

Thank you #NetGalle #RB Media, Recorded Books for this audiobook

<i> A fascinating dance between a detective seeking answers and a ballerina unraveling secrets…..i>

<b>Book Information</b>

What Waits in the Woods by Terri Parlatois a 342 page mystery published on December 26, 2023. The audio version is Narrated by Christina Moore & Leah Horowitz and spans 10 hours. Thank you to RB Media for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy for review.

<b>Summary</b>

Esmé Foster, once a promising ballerina, returns to her hometown of Graybridge after a career-ending injury, only to find herself amidst a shocking crime – the murder of her high school friend, Kara Cunningham. Haunted by memories of a past threat and questioning if Kara's death is a case of mistaken identity, Esmé, along with Detective Rita Myers, unravels hidden secrets in the close-knit community. As she delves into the town's dark history, Esmé must confront the truth to bring closure to the nightmare surrounding Kara's murder.

<b>My Thoughts</b>

In Terri Parlatois' "What Waits in the Woods," we dive into an engaging mystery with a touch of police procedural. Even though it's the second book in the Rita Myers series, you can easily enjoy it on its own, thanks to solid character development and a storyline that stands independently.

The book has a deliberate pace, more of a slow-burn approach, emphasizing character exploration and family dynamics. Through the perspectives of Esmé and Detective Myers, the story gains depth, especially when experienced through the two distinct narrators in the audio version.

While the plot offers twists and turns with misdirection and red herrings, some readers might find the storytelling a bit measured. There's a fair amount of revisiting suspects, discussing day to day activities, and delving into details that might seem less crucial to the main storyline.

The conclusion, though surprising, might leave some readers wanting more. Unlike mysteries with clues leading readers to connect the dots, this ending appears to come out of the blue. This is not a mystery that you will smack your head and ask yourself how you missed the critical elements.

The use of two narrators to achieve very distinct voices that effectively differentiate the two main characters was a good choice and both were proficient. However, I was not entirely satisfied with the fit of the detective's voice to the character. This is obviously just my experience and while your mileage may vary, this disconnect detracted from my overall immersion in the story.

<b>Recommendation</b>

"What Waits in the Woods" by Terri Parlatois is a decent mystery with a deliberate pace and strong character development. While the plot was not a roller coaster ride and the ending was less than predictable, the book's nuanced storytelling makes it a decent choice for those seeking a family dynamic leaning mystery.

<b>Rating</b>

3 Family Stars

3.75/5
I didn't realize this was a second book in a series - it can be read as a standalone, but I wish I would have read book 1 first. Since finishing this one, I have now read book 1. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I looked forward to reading about Rita - as I think the police procedural portion of the book was more interesting. There were a lot of red herrings and I felt there wasn't an "ah ha" moment when we found the killer. It felt a little forced and out of left field. It was an interesting mystery and Esme was an alright character.
After reading book 1, I stand with this the 3.75 stars, but I enjoyed book 1 more than book 2.

Esmé Foster left her home in the Boston suburbs to become a professional ballerina and What Waits in the Woods is set when she returns home, eleven years later. Unable to dance due to injury, the time is right to return home to help care for her father; but as she comes back, the body of a friend is discovered in the woods behind her family home.
Esmé struggles to come to terms with this and the memories of previous tragedies resurface.
Detective Rita Myers is assigned the case and soon realises that not everything is as it seems.

I thought this book was 'ok'. I enjoyed learning about the small town and it's interesting inhabitants, but I just felt that it was missing something. The story wasn't bad, but it just didn't keep me gripped.

The book is the second in the series of Detective Rita Myers, however, I didn't particularly feel that she was a main character atall. I won't read the others in the series as she just didn't strike me as an especially interesting character.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

I liked how there is a mystery in current time that a detective is trying to solve, but two events from the past are explored more in this hunt for clues to solve the present day murder.

I enjoyed the two perspectives, one of a girl who is just coming back to town after leaving when she finished high school, and the other from the detective.

The audio was good and well narrated, but I think I would have preferred to read this one as I find it easier to gather and keep all the information presented when I read vs listen.

Wow! What a dark and twisted tale. From the beginning, What Waits in the Woods presented an intriguing view into Esmé’s re-entry into her former life in her hometown. Trying to find her spot in her remaining family and now adult friend’s lives, she struggled to find her place once again. Esmé discovers more about the place she left behind eleven years ago and the friends and family she thought she knew. Soon, shining a light into the darkness to learn what really happened the night Kara, a high school friend, died is the only way she can bring the nightmare to an end. Plunged into a perplexing mystery as she grapples with the question of who would want to end her friend's life. Is there a connection to the enigmatic figure she once spotted years ago, lurking at the scene of her mother's tragic car accident?

This book tends to lend itself more as a police procedural. If you are a fan of slow burn mysteries, then you should check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an ALC.

What Waits in The Woods | Terri Parlato | ⭐⭐⭐.75

This was my first read from Terri Parlato,and while by its own, it's a greatly written, quite an exhilarating thriller, compared to the great contemporary thrillers from Shari Lapena, Lisa Jewell, Jennifer Hillier, Karin Slaughter, Stacy Willingham, Freida McFadden and others, this was just okay.

It has all the elements of a great thriller: small town, high school friendships, past trauma, troubling family dynamics and of course murder and mayhem.

Esmé Foster, an aspiring Ballerina returns to her home town after ages to estranged family and forgotten friendships, only to find her close friend murdered on the day of her arrival. A friend who looked suspiciously like her.

Told from the perspectives of both Esmé and detective Rita Myers, this reads both like a regular thriller and a police procedural detective mystery.

While Parlato succeeds in holding your attention, masterfully intertwines multiple storylines to build suspense, the climax is less than satisfactory. It's a plot twist just for the heck of it. It's like getting your date a baby rhino on valentine's day just to up the surprise quotient. Also, because of the multitude of characters, none of them are well fleshed out and you don't really feel involved.

It's good for a one time read.
A rounded up four star rating because it serves the purpose of being a fast-paced suspence-ful entertainer.
Not something you will likely remember or get back to re-reading.

The narrator for this one was great! The twist at the end was very unexpected. I almost wish we had had a few more little breadcrumbs throughout the book that lead to the final twist. I didn’t know this was book two in a series and I still felt like it stood alone ok. I enjoyed the atmospheric setting of the woods. I felt like the author did a good job of character development. There were a lot of characters to keep up with but she made them all have their “own voice”. I enjoyed it but probably won’t be thinking about it in the future.

Esmé, a retired ballerina, returns home to a police investigation involving her friend Kara's death. Rita, the detective, adds depth to the narrative. While I loved the suspense, Esmé's decisions felt distant, making it hard to relate. Rita's character, on the other hand, was relatable and well-developed.