3.75 stars! "What Waits in the Woods" is a captivating narrative that leans more toward police procedural than traditional thriller. While it stands independently, I was surprised to discover it's part of the "Detective Rita Myers" series as Rita doesn't take center stage as expected.

Esmé Foster's return to her hometown coincides tragically with the murder of her high school friend, Kara. As Esmé grapples with Kara's death and uncovers unsettling memories, Detective Rita Myers delves into the town's murky history, revealing past tragedies and hidden secrets. However, Rita's role feels secondary, casting a perplexing shadow on the series title.

Terri Parlato crafts a gripping tale with intricate layers of suspense. The story unravels steadily, weaving in themes of mistaken identity and a community concealing dark mysteries. The narrative's strength lies in its exploration of Esmé's journey and the haunting secrets from her past.

While the plot is engaging, the discrepancy between the series title and the narrative focus leaves one puzzled. Rita's character felt distant, which may disappoint readers anticipating her prominent role in the storyline.

Overall, despite the unexpected narrative shift, "What Waits in the Woods" offers a compelling mystery and an intriguing exploration of small-town secrets.

What Waits in the Woods
By: Terri Parlato

I gave this book a 3.5 ⭐️. This book started off interesting right away. I liked it.

This book is about a girl named Esme, whose ballet career is at stakes due to an injury. She goes back to her hometown to help her brother care for their sick father. The day she arrives she finds out her neighbor, Kara was found dead in the woods. Kara was Esme’s childhood best friend. As Esme grieves she has these dreams of a man that showed up at her and her mother’s car crash years ago where her mom died. He tells Esme he is going to kill her too. She wonders if the man is back and meant to kill her and not Kara.

I listened to the audiobook of this book. It was just ok. It didn’t keep me wanting to come back for more and I honestly had to make myself finish it. It just seemed to drag on. It had moments that interested me, but overall it wasn’t memorable to me. I’m giving it a 2.5, rounded to 3 stars for the rating.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the advance read copy.

It was a decent thriller. I love trying to find new thriller authors since I only have a couple of favorites. The book’s buildup was great but then the ending fell flat for me.

I received an ARC copy of What Waits in the Woods audiobook from Netgalley. Pub Date: December 26,2023. This is my first book from Terri Parlato and I really did have high hopes for this book based on the description and the cover art drew me in. This is the second book with Detective Rita Myers but it can be read as a stand alone. Esme returns home after 11 years when her career as a ballerina comes to an end. The day Esme returns home her friend Kara is found dead in the woods behind her home. Esme believes a man who appeared when her mother died in a car accident who has haunted her for years may have mistaked Kara for her and is responsible for her friends’ murder. The story is told from the point of view of Esme and Detective Rita Myers. The book was slow paced, lacked any excitement or mystery and the plot twist just fell flat. I only finished the book because I wanted to know who the murderer was and even that was not shocking. I rate this book a 2.5.

Book #2 of a series, didn't read the first book but that is all right. Not really a thriller, more of a police procedural and very slow to get interesting. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

I was so excited to be given a ALC of this book but found myself zoning in and out of the book. The plot was good but I struggled with the narrators. I was expecting more of a thrill but this was more of a slow burn. There were some surprising moments that I didn’t see coming. Overall, the story was good but I just wanted more.

This book is the second installment of the authors series Detective Rita Myers.
Although this is the second book one could easily read as a standalone.
Esme Foster returns to Graybridge, Massachusetts to look after family.
Once professional Ballerina, Esme now has to settle into her new life after a career ending injury.
Once back in her hometown her childhood close friend Kara has been murdered in none other than her own back yard,
The POV of Rita - The detective and Esme makes for a dramatic story of who done it.
The story pulls you in different directions until the shocking reveal at the end,
highly suggest
The two narrators make this an easy read and couldn’t put it down!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
This was a really good book! The twists as you read are great! Enough to keep you guessing and still give enough that you are thinking how it will go and leaving you intrigued to know more! Fast paced and easy to follow. I really enjoyed this! Highly recommend!

What a fantastic book! I flew through What Waits in the Woods, it has dual POVs and quick chapters that I ate up. I always love the trope of someone going back to their hometown and getting mixed up with new and old mysteries. This is the first book I have read by this author and after starting it I found out this is actually #2 in this series, so I will be going back and reading the first one. I do not think I missed anything by not reading them in order though.
I listened to the audiobook, there are two narrators they both did a good job.

Wow! I didn’t not see that coming. I was constantly guessing “who did it” and I never guessed correctly. I loved the narrators and really enjoyed listening to this book! Just when you think you have it figured out. You don’t!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so fast paced and was gripping. I really enjoyed Rita as a detective and want more books that feature her. Esme was a great character too and I really enjoyed the chapters from her perspective. This was a thrilling read, especially towards the end.

Well this book took an unexpected turn! A compelling police procedural thriller that was an enjoyable read.

First let me say that this is the second book in a detective series though it can be read as a standalone.

•Synopsis•
When Esmé Foster decides to come back home to Graybridge, MA after a career ending injury and dead end relationship, she stumbles into a murder mystery that sparks memories from her past and leads her on a path of secrets in a small town.

•My Thoughts•
Initially I was pulled into the mystery of this story. We get dual POV from Esmé and Detective Rita Myers and I enjoyed both. Esmé’s chapters were more thriller like with Detective Rita’s being more police procedural. It was like two different atmospheres in the chapters. We have two mysteries. The plot to me started to drag around 40% and there was a lot of family drama from Rita that was unnecessary in this book but maybe it’s there for the series of standalones. While it did drag for a bit it picked back up around 80% and things really start coming to fruition about 85% in. I never stopped wondering who the murderer was and the past link to Esmé’s memory.

I do wish this was more of a “thrilling” read. Even though this was not a long book I feel like it could’ve been about 100 pages shorter. This book gives us a great example at how life is about perspective. How secrets stew right under your nose and you can live a life entirely blind to them. Small town, big secrets. Tons of twists. It’s an ok and I’d recommend it if you like more police procedural reads.

I’d give it 3.75 stars

First, I would love to thank NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to listen to this book, It was an absolutely thrilling ride and I am thankful!

This thriller is surrounded by friends, lies, a whole lot of mystery, and a murder unraveling as Esme Foster returns to her hometown after her time as a professional dancer (ballerina), where her former high school bestie was found in the woods behind her childhood home. It becomes a town swirling in the whodunit murder mystery. I think I was playing the game of clue in my mind up until the very last drop.

I listened to the audiobook of this book, and this was my first Terri Parlato book, which I know, I know, I read out of order, but absolutely loved the dual vantage point from Rita Meyers and Esme Foster, and additionally enjoyed the dual narration on the audiobook. Authors and Publishers that invest in a dual narration do themselves so many more favors than one narrator. It adds a necessary depth to the story. I thought both narrators gave voice to the characters, and I knew who was talking each time. I was not confused, and again, that really adds to building the characters, the setting, and the overall experience in the author's writing and seeing the vision of their story in your mind.

What I enjoyed about the book is that I quite literally felt she fully developed numerous characters, even those with a short lived appearance, and they all had their own voice. Oftentimes, especially in a mystery, having too many characters can saturate a story, but this most definitely peaked my interest that each character did not sound alike and become dry. They were all very human to me where I could feel pain and understand their grief. I've lost a parent, so understanding Esme's struggles with loss and memories of loved ones was spot on, Again, sometimes author's struggle with fully developing their characters, and Parlato had a lot to develop. I was really impressed with all of the characters, and even the unlikeable ones, I somehow liked (also very hard to do, so chef's kiss to you).

I loved that I was guessing the whole time. Trying to figure it out and identify the killer before the reveal, and I had my inklings, but some small thing would change the trajectory entirely. I quite literally thought of the absolutely WRONG person for quite a while. It can never be the obvious person, we all seem to know that--but prepare yourself for a joyride of many killer options (pun intended). I thoroughly enjoy books that I cannot fully figure it out, it adds to the fun and the thrill of it all, and What Waits in the Woods is no exception.

There were parts of the book I felt that dragged along, however, that is her describing life/and the Greybridge world to some degree. Yes, there are lulls, but it is the author creating the environment and setting the stage. Setting up for the event is never as fun as the party itself, so I most certainly understood and again, felt that Parlato did a great job describing the small town of Greybridge, and in some ways I saw my little hometown in it too.

Without giving too much away, the reveal was semi predictable and there were moments in looking back that I raised my eyebrow to the character in their demeanor and candor about certain things beforehand. But really, there are a few different big reveals, and one I most certainly did not see coming. However, I was personally (as said above) evaluating individuals the entire time, so I was suspicious of everyone. It seems secrets are always the things that reveal killers.

Overall, I am absolutely thrilled. I've heard so much about this book and I am not disappointed in the least. Again, thank you NetGalley and RB Media for this opporutunity. Do yourself a favor and pick up this books ASAP.

#WhatWaitsintheWoods #NetGalley.

three stars!

I did not realize this was the second book, it seemed fine as a stand alone and I don't feel like i was missing any key details.

this was a very slow burn, and definitely felt more "police procedural" than a thriller, there was some domestic suspense but not enough for my liking. I'm not a huge fan of police procedurals.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of the audiobook from NetGalley, and I felt the narrators were not the best. I thought the detective was male for most of the book

Thank you to NetGalley for the free advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy.

I liked that there was different narrators for characters. They were easy to listen to.

The chapters felt that they suddenly ended sometimes, in the middle of the story. I didn’t see the ending coming. But it somehow felt like a cop out.
The narrator for esme sounded like they were on speakerphone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of "What Waits in the Woods" by Terri Parlato. I love it when a book opens with a dead body and then the storylines weave around the body yet provide more intricate storylines. This book attempted to do that but the ending left me a little flat. I really liked our main character and lots of resolution for her was pleasing. It was entertaining and kept my interest, but didn't feel fully flushed out and the ending seemed a little disjoined from the rest of the story.

Thank you to the author, narrators, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio of this title in exchange for my review.
I am a fan of mysteries, suspense and thrillers, but I haven't enjoyed a new title in quite a while. I decided to take a chance on this title, and I'm glad I did. I didn't love the book, but I did binge the audio because I wanted to know what would happen next, which is a win in my book.

I would recommend this title for those who enjoy a fast moving thriller, police procedural with a touch of 'going back home' feel.

3 stars for "I liked it"

While this was slow paced in the beginning for me, I really enjoyed reading this thriller. The characters were friends in high school and come back together many years later for various reasons. The book starts off with the main character, Esme coming home to the police at her house because there is a dead body found at her house. She reconnects with her old high school friends and some of the old drama. The other perspective is from Rita, the detective in the case of the body that was found. I feel that about 1/3 of the way through, the book picked up. I enjoyed maneuvering through the turns and the people who may have done it.