The prologue definitely starts the book out with a bang. I was enjoying the story until we got to the twist and it was so beyond ridiculous, it just ruined the rest of the book for me.

I really enjoyed Terri Parlatos first book in this series, All The Dark Places but the second book What Lies in the Woods fell flat for me. This was the tie breaker and unfortunately I think her books just aren’t for me. I think Rita as a detective is too bland of a character to have a whole series around. I didn’t care about her personal life at all and her detective skills were either nonexistent or based of a ridiculous whim that turned out to be correct.

The twist was just… so far beyond silly. I will say though, up until about 90%, I was enjoying the story. There were so many shady characters, it was fun to try to figure out who could be trusted. I know others will eat this book up and love every second of it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

A who dunnit? With twists you won't see coming until they smack you in the face.
A very twisty read! I enjoyed the multiple prospectives this thriller provides. I definitely never had the feeling that I "knew" what twist was coming. A great, edge of your seat read!

4.5🌟
Book three of the Detective Rita Myers series.
Though I missed the previous book “(how did that happen!?”) I easily caught up with her and felt I didn’t miss a beat. If you’re not familiar with the series, no worries. You can easily jump in here.

Eve Thayer is trying to balance her career as a psychiatrist, her marriage to Nathan, and now motherhood. Thankfully, they have a sweet neighbor Barbara, who is more than happy to babysit their baby, Rosewyn.

Everything unravels after Rosewyn disappears under Barbara’s care. Who’ responsible for the missing child?

Long held secrets are about to be revealed.

Enter our favorite detective, Rita! Can she get to the bottom of the disappearance in time to save the baby?
I just love Rita’s character and the revealing peak into her personal life. Felt like a visit with an old friend.

Bravo Terri Parlato! You got me! I thought, “oh, that’s an interesting twist”.
But wait for it….🎤⬇️
Be prepared for a real shocker. I love a good twist and TP delivered!

Looking forward to the next in the series. Meanwhile I plan on going back to pick up book two, What Waits in the Woods.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing

Ok, I have a love hate relationship with this book. I loved how this book got me hooked IMMEDIATELY. The short chapters and multiple POVs kept me on my toes. I loved the psychiatric hospital setting, and trying to figure out how everyone connected.

I did not like, the “why”reveal it was very not a big deal for it to turn into what it did. I also didn’t like how there was one character that was a main suspect the whole time and then it just was never talked about again.

Will I recommend this book? Sure, if you are looking for a quick mystery/suspense this is for you - if you are looking for a twisty shocking thriller, this book might not be it for you.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review. PUB DATE: 12/24

Thank You NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a complimentary copy of this novel!
Psychiatrist Eve Thayer, her husband Nathan, and their baby daughter Rosewyn seem to be living the perfect life. But things are not always what they seem. Their babysitter Barbara seems perfect, but when their baby daughter goes missing, Barbara appears to be the main suspect. As Detective Rita Myers delves deeper into Barbara’s past, it is clear something isn’t adding up. Things begin to escalate in Eve and Nathan’s lives, including an almost deadly attack on Nathan and threats against Eve. Is the attack on Nathan and Eve related to their daughter’s kidnapping or is there more going on? Could one of Eve’s psychiatric patients be behind all this? When secrets are revealed in Nathan’s life, Eve also becomes a suspect. As Detective Myers begins to piece things together, she realizes the entire case goes much deeper than they all thought!
I really enjoyed this novel! It was fast-paced and was not expecting it to end the way it did!!! 5 stars for me! Definitely recommend!!
AVAILABLE December 24, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a nice read that was thrilling enough to keep me reading. I had some issues with some of the characters.

4 suspicious behavior stars

This is book #3 featuring Boston Detective Rita Myers, and I need to go back and read the first one now! This one kept me on my toes and was cleverly written.

At the core of this story is a married couple with a baby. Nathan is the manager of a collision shop, and Eve is a psychiatrist. The two meet when Eve takes her damaged car into Nathan’s shop after a road incident.

Eve’s career is high-pressure, and she’s motivated to get ahead. She works long hours at a creepy facility, and Nathan does most of the childcare. Some of Eve’s patients have disturbing behavior.

Detective Myers is on the case when a neighborhood home is broken into. And then something terrible happens, and Nathan and Eve’s baby daughter is kidnapped. Rita wants to connect the break-in to the new crime but can’t figure out the connection.

As the kidnapping case drags on, Nathan suffers a new tragedy. Could Eve be behind everything? Rita isn’t sure, but she’s digging into every detail.

I liked the Boston winter setting for this one and the alternative POV chapters from Nathan, Eve, and Rita. I wasn’t sure who to believe! They are all keeping some secrets! This one was good, although the ending was a bit over the top for me.

I can’t wait to go back and read book #1 and for future installments of this series.

Each chapter is broken down to characters and focuses on them and what they are doing. For me it helped keep of the narrative of the story and broke it down to help keep better track of what was going on. The story flowed together perfectly and left no stone unturned. It had twist and turns and keeps you guessing. I never would have put the ending together. I don't want to give away too many details as they all play a strong role in this book. This piece was definitely well thought out and written.

Eve and Nathan live a seeming quiet life with their daughter that is until she goes missing. Nathan's secret affair comes out within the 24 hours their daughter is missing. After that everyone's life is turned upside down. Who could have kidnapped her and why?

Terri Parlato brings back Detective Rita Meyers in the third installment of her Domestic Suspense/Police Procedural series, though you can definitely read this as a stand-alone.

Psychiatrist Eve Thayer never intended to get married or have children but a car accident led her to her husband Nathan’s collision shop. Now she finds herself trying to balance a high pressure career with marriage and a new baby.

She seems to have found the perfect babysitter in Barbara, until her daughter Rosewyn is abducted while under her care.

Then there is a break-in at the empty house being renovated which backs up to Eve and Nathan’s property.

Coincidence?

Detective Rita Myers doesn’t think so, although she hasn’t yet figured out how the two crimes in this usually quiet neighborhood are related - or whether Eve is a Suspect or the target-and WHY?

The story unfolds through the alternating POV’s of Rita, Eve and Nathan, and I enjoyed having the third POV of the husband included as I particularly felt his anguish while his daughter was missing. All three characters are well developed and bring something to the story which focuses more on the crumbling marriage than on the missing baby.

I picked up on a few clues (which I enjoy doing) but other twists caught me completely by surprise!

And, I felt the chill of the New England Winter as the secrets were spilled over the many cups of hot coffee consumed during the long, cold nights that Rita and her team spent searching for clues.

I am not a reader who always enjoys reading books which are a part of a series, but this is one series that I would like to see continue, which is a compliment to the author!

This was a buddy read with DeAnn. Be sure to watch for her review to find out if this case held her interest as well!

Expected Publication Date: December 24, 2024

Thank You to Kensington Books for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

#WatchYourBack #NetGalley
A must read.
Accidents happen, no matter how careful or well-intentioned you are. Psychiatrist Eve Thayer frequently reassures her patients of that fact. There are even times when accidents have good consequences—like when Eve met her now-husband, Nathan, at his collision shop after another car ran her off the road.
After a whirlwind courtship, Nathan and Eve have settled into domestic life. They have a lovely home on a quiet street, a beautiful baby girl, and even the perfect babysitter to care for her. And yet, something isn’t quite right. The stress in Eva’s life is mounting, both professionally and personally. Though the clinic where she works has been remodeled since its notorious days as an institution for the criminally insane, she feels increasingly uneasy there. And in her own neighborhood, a break-in at a nearby empty house hasn't helped, either. Detective Rita Myers hasn’t yet figured out whether Eve is a target or a suspect, but every disturbing discovery in this usually peaceful neighborhood seems to revolve around her. Only as a deadly ice storm crashes through does it become clear just how far from perfect Eve and Nathan’s lives really are. And as the cracks in the surface come to light, so do the sinister secrets that lie beneath
I really loved this book. This author never disappoints. Detective Rita is getting better with each book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lending Books for giving me an advance copy.

This book was so good! I stayed up way too late to finish it. It definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat.

My first novel from Terri Parlato, Watch Your Back, was full of unexpected twists.

Eve Thayer, a psychiatrist and her husband Nathan, the owner of his own collision shop, appear to have the perfect life with their baby daughter. When Eve goes back to work, they find a highly recommended babysitter with glowing references. Tensions at Eve’s job are mounting and the recently remodeled former institution for the criminally insane leaves her feeling unsettled. When combined with a recent break-in at a nearby house in their neighborhood, the disconcerting feeling grows and tensions in the family increase.

Told in alternating points of view between the parents Eve and Nathan and Rita - the police detective, the story gradually unfolds revealing details from their different perspectives. Full of spooky atmospheric details of wintry Boston, the setting adds another layer to the building tension of the novel. An intense and suspenseful story perfect for readers of Stacy Willingham’s All the Dangerous Things or Megan Miranda’s Daughter of Mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy.

First time reading a book from Terri Parlato. An easy read! Lots of twists and turns. Highly enjoyable and would recommend!

Watch Your Back is a gripping psychological thriller that peels back the layers of a seemingly perfect life to reveal hidden darkness. Psychiatrist Eve Thayer’s world, once centered around her idyllic family and successful career, starts to crumble as strange and unsettling events unfold in her peaceful neighborhood. Her unease builds, both at the eerie clinic where she works and at home, where a break-in raises suspicion and danger.

Terri Parlato ratchets up the tension as Detective Rita Myers investigates the secrets surrounding Eve, leaving readers questioning if Eve is a target or hiding something herself. With sinister twists and a deadly ice storm serving as a chilling backdrop, Watch Your Back will keep you glued to the page until its shocking conclusion.

Terri Parlato (favorite author) returns following ALL THE DARK PLACES and WHAT WAITS IN THE WOODS with her latest gripping domestic thriller, WATCH YOUR BACK.

Detective Rita Myers (#3) returns with a new case, shrouded in mystery and suspense. Something sinister happens in her ordinarily peaceful Boston suburb when she has to determine if psychiatrist Eve Thayer is a victim or a suspect. The plot thickens as the mystery deepens, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

“An atmospheric and chilling whodunit! Fans will be anxiously awaiting more Detective Rita Myers!”

About...

Set in Boston in the winter, Eve, a psychiatrist, and Nathan, who runs a collision body shop, have been married for about a year with a baby girl, Rosewyn. Their professions (and personal lives) play a significant role in the unfolding of the plot. In fact, they met one another after her car ran off the road during an ice storm.

They have a lovely home and a wonderful babysitter, Barbara, age 56 who lives a few blocks away

However, due to the stresses of her job, they do not have much time together for their marriage. Nathan spends a lot of time taking care of the baby.

Then strange things begin occurring at Eve's work, her patients, and the neighborhood, which seem to revolve around Eve.

The Graybridge West Psychiatric Center was built in 1940 and functioned as a psychiatric hospital until it closed in the early 2000s after years of complaints of patient neglect and mistreatment. It has been refurbished. Years ago, it was part of the psychiatric hospital where criminally and mentally ill patients were kept for shock therapy and other treatments.

What is Nathan hiding?

Detective Rita Myers is back, and FBI agent Joe works out of the Boston office (friends but more than friends).

When a tragedy occurs, and their baby goes missing, the cracks in the marriage rise to the surface, and sinister dark secrets begin to emerge.
Who is out to destroy them?

My thoughts...

WATCH YOUR BACK is a gripping novel of psychological suspense, a rollercoaster of a read that delves into a parent's worst nightmare and the devastating secrets within families. The psychological suspense will keep readers on their toes, eager to uncover the dark secrets hidden within the pages.

As with Terri's other books, I love that they are set in Boston in the winter. The chilling atmosphere of the setting adds a layer of immersion, making the story even more spine-chilling and captivating for the readers (perfect for wintry December reading).

Multiple red herrings and a host of sinister characters help keep the pages turning. Suspicion, betrayal, and dark secrets abound―all hidden just beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect suburban life.

The ongoing mystery of what happened to Rosewyn and the motive is intriguing and slow-burning. Will Nathan and Eve be able to overcome their tragedy, or will it tear them apart?

The story is told from alternating POVs: Nathan, Eve, and Rita, giving readers a clear picture of what each character is thinking. I love Rita's character (balancing business and personal life) and her relationship with Joe. I'm looking forward to more from her in upcoming books.

If you have not read Terri's previous books, WATCH YOUR BACK may be read as a standalone; however, I would recommend reading the previous two!

Recs...

WATCH YOUR BACK is for fans of the author and those who enjoy Megan Miranda, Stacy Willingham, B. A. Paris, Mary Burton, and Sarah Pearse.

Interview...

Stay tuned for my December Featured #AuthorElevatorSeries QA with Terri as we go behind the scenes of WATCH YOUR BACK and this talented author.

Thanks to Kensington Books for a digital review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Dec 24, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
Dec 2024 Must-Read Books

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

WATCH YOUR BACK had everything I like to see in a domestic thriller. It was fast paced with a lot of twists and an ending I didn't see coming. I wasn't sure what to exist but this this book was a great read that I always looked forward to picking up. While the pacing was slower than I would've liked, i still enjoyed the story.

This was an intense, suspenseful and gripping book! It kept me guessing and being shocked by the unexpected twists and turns! Highly recommend this twisty domestic thriller!

This was my third read from Terri Parlato with the same protagonist Detective Rita Myers and I continue to enjoy this series. I will say, I liked the first two better but this is still a solid read. There are twists and surprises that I have come to count on Terri Parlato to deliver. It's a good story, definetley well written but a bit slower than the first two making it drag a little for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

Doctor, heal thyself!” We are always most blind to what is close to us, and this psychiatrist goes down the rabbit hole in this dark and gloomy domestic thriller where nothing adds up. Perfect for a cold winter night under the covers! Five stars.