I had no idea WATCH YOUR BACK, by Terri Parlato, was part of a series until I’d finished reading it. The story was easily read as a standalone and I never felt at a loss on who the characters were… the author did an outstanding job writing the book so that anyone can jump in with any book and find enjoyment. The story is told from three different POV: Detective Rita Myers; Psychiatrist, wife, and mother Eve Thayer; husband and father, Nathan. Eve and Nathan’s marriage is crumbling, but it gets much worse when their baby daughter is abducted and Nathan is attacked. I had my suspicions about who the culprit was, but the twists and turns kept me guessing throughout and changing my mind with every new chapter. Detective Rita Myers is tenacious, as she is thorough in her investigation. She’s a strong, fully developed character and I enjoyed her POV segments the most. The read was fast-paced, especially by the rotating POV chapters, and the hair-raising ending had me on the edge of my seat. It will have me going back to read the previous books in the series and catch up!

I am so excited to have Rita Meyers back! I absolutely love a good series but this one could also be read as a stand alone with no issue. Watch Your Back is a twisty domestic suspense that will keep you wondering what is actually happening. One of my favorite things about the book is the multiple POVs used, this really added to the story.

While this is technically the 3rd book in the Detective Rita Myers series, I read it as a standalone.

This book is a multi-POV following Detective Rita Myers, Psychiatrist Eve Thayer, and Mechanic Nathan Liddle in a suburb of Boston, MA. The recently married couple, Eve and Nathan, find their world turned upside down after a series of deadly accidents. Detective Myers is the lead investigator for these events along with a few others and she is not sure if they are all connected or coincidence.

The beginning of the book was a bit slow. It took me awhile to get a feel for the characters but once it all started to connect, I couldn't put the book down. There were a few parts where I wasn't sure if what I was reading mattered or was just a filler, but I think that was done on purpose. I really didn't figure out who did what until a page or so before the Detective figured it out. The book was almost written like a mystery movie with a few twists I did not see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley, Terri Parlato, and Kensington Books for my advanced copy in return for my honest review.

What a hell of a ride!! Had me guessing all the way through. Great reading and fantastic well done characters
Throughly enjoyed this book.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

This book has been one of the most unputdownable books I've read lately. I sat down and read 2/3 of the book before I realized I needed sleep to function the next day. Nathan and Eve seem like they are dealing with new marriage and a young baby at first. Stress shows up and it seems like someone is targeting them, but is the suspect Eve or someone else? Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars - Watch Your Back is the latest thriller by Terri Parlato. The book opens with Nathan Liddle waking up in a hospital after falling down the steps at home. The book then flashes back a few weeks showing Nathan's wife, Eve, balancing a stressful job with Nathan and their daughter. When Nathan and Eve's worst fear occurs, Detective Rita Myers is called in to find out what's really going on. Rita is a wonderful character and is definitely the most likable in the book. She was the detective in Parlato's prior two books. Don't worry if you've missed them, because this story stands on its own.

Everyone seems to be hiding something at the beginning of the book, and I wasn't sure who to trust. The point-of-view alternates between Nathan, Eve, and Rita which gives the reader a well-rounded look at the story. I don't want to give away anything about the plot, but the book is an engaging, suspenseful read with an ending that really surprised me.

I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley and Kensington Books for review consideration, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Dark, atmospheric, and loaded with twists, Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato is the kind of psychological thriller that grips you by the throat and doesn’t let go.

From the outside, psychiatrist Eve Thayer’s life looks perfect—loving husband, adorable baby, dream home. But beneath the surface, shadows loom. Between an eerie past at her clinic, unsettling neighborhood break-ins, and a mounting sense of paranoia, the cracks in Eve’s life begin to spread. And as Detective Rita Myers peels back the layers, it’s clear that no one—not even Eve—is entirely innocent.

Parlato masterfully blends domestic suspense with psychological intrigue, crafting a story as chilling as the ice storm that barrels through its climax. The tension is palpable, the characters are complex, and the secrets are downright sinister.

This book is perfect for fans of The Couple Next Door and The Girl on the Train. You’ll find yourself questioning everyone’s motives—and maybe even looking over your shoulder by the time you turn the last page.

Once again, Terri Parlato pulled out all the stops with Watch Your Back and delivered an undeniable home run. The third book in a series, I’ve been looking forward to getting my Rita fix for altogether too long. This time around the well-developed characters and jaw-dropping twists kept my eyes firmly glued to the pages until the soul-satisfying conclusion. After all, the dynamite storyline was perfectly plotted with an attention-grabbing start and a deliciously unhinged climax. I was even tempted to skim despite wanting to make the book last, and I swear that I just barely resisted.

As for the characters, Ms. Parlato managed to craft solid personas who not only delivered in spades, but also had me looking at them all with barely veiled suspicion as the plot rolled along. Told via the multiple POVs of Eve, Rita, and Nathan, that alternating perspectives elicited plenty of deftly obscured clues and perfectly plausible red herrings. And while I did somewhat put the puzzle pieces together before each well-thought-out twist, there were still quite a few that shocked me but good. All told, despite a slightly over-the-top feel towards the end of the book, I was over the moon thanks to what was an out-and-out winner.

All said and done, this whodunnit of a plot was the perfect mashup of a low-key police procedural and suspenseful domestic thriller. With short chapters, immersive storytelling, and a sinister vibe, what was a step up from a slow burn utterly sizzled from the first page until the last. And while all of the books in this series could easily be read on their own, I beg you to reconsider. After all, why would you pass up the chance to get to know Rita better? Now comes the long, drawn-out wait for (hopefully) book four. Please say that it’s so, my dear Ms. Parlato? I’m here ready and waiting. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Terri Parlato and Kensington Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the eARC.

I love a fast paced book with short chapters, in fact I'd say I am a sucker for it. Terri Parlato's "What Your Back" had me reading and reading and looking forward to seeing what was going on. I also really enjoyed the FMC being a psychiatrist.

After enjoying Terri Parlato's All the Dark Places, I decided to request Watch Your Back. When I read a synopsis about a psychiatrist, an old psych institution, and some mysterious incidents, I knew it could be a good one.

Psychiatrist, Eve, has the perfect-seeming life from the outside. Inside, she's feeling unsettled. She's constantly working, her marriage seems rocky, and she misses her life as a single woman. Nathan, her husband, felt similarly about his marriage and finds himself about to "break up" with his mistress. Everything is turned upside down when their baby is kidnapped. Detective Rita Myers is on the case.

This may be a good fit if you're interested in:
- domestic suspense
- a ton of suspects
- fast-paced reads with multiple POVs

I was surprised how quickly I flew through this book! The short chapters had me constantly saying "just one more". This was on pace to be a solid 4-star popcorny read for me. The ending brought it down a half-star for me because it felt like there was too much going on, a few too many coincidences. Ultimately I enjoyed my reading experience and would recommend this to someone looking for a fast-paced palate-cleanser type read.

Rating: I liked it! (3.5 rounded up)

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

I loved book 1, but book 2 fell a bit flat for me. SO I was super excited to see what I thought of book 3. I read this in one sitting. Like literally I could not put it down. The ending was predictable to me, but I still had fun on the journey there. I hope there will be more books coming in this series!

My first Terri Parlato story was definitely one that was hard to put down!!! I must say that I’m already a fan!

A thriller that is told in three POV. The wife, the husband and the detective, Rita. The first chapter hooks you right away. Someone wakes up in the hospital from a coma and has no idea how they got there. However, they think someone tried to kill them.

Everyone is a suspect! Parlato does a fantastic job setting up the characters and on a whodunnit chase! The ending was a little wild but I highly enjoyed this one!

Unbeknownst to me, this was the third in a series. It can be read as a standalone.

Thank you to Terri Parlato, Kensington and NetGalley for the opportunity!

Release Date December 24, 2024
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato is a highly recommended domestic thriller/mystery set in the Boston suburb of Graybridge and the third novel with Detective Rita Myer. It works as a standalone.

Opening with Nathan Liddle hospitalized, unable to move, and frightened his wife, Psychiatrist Eve Thayer, is about to finish the job, the narrative jumps back three weeks earlier. The couple's relationship is strained. The two have a nine-month-old daughter, Rosewyn. Nathan is the parent who takes and picks her up from the babysitter Barbara Singleton, a neighbor. While Eve works long hours heading the medical staff at a new psychiatric center, Nathan cares for Rosewyn in the evenings. Nathan has a brief extramarital affair with a woman named Nicole, but they both break it off after a few weeks.

At the same time detective Rita Myers of the Graybridge police department is investigating multiple local crimes, including a break-in at a house nearby. Then Rosewyn is kidnapped while in Barbara's care, Rita is on the case. There are numerous suspects and twists that follow.

The narrative unfolds through short alternating chapters from the points-of-view of Eve, Nathan, and Rita. It starts out strong. The compelling situation is set up, almost all the characters introduced are suspects in some way, the only character you can completely trust is Rita, and you will want them to find baby Rosewyn. After that point, the mix muddles up as reviewing suspects is on reshuffle numerous times and the pace really slows as the search for the suspect is drawn out. The question of who attacked Nathan is also unresolved until late in the novel.

Eve is initially a unappealing character but garners more sympathy as the novel continues. Part of this is due to the opening when Nathan suspects her in injuring him, which lends you to view her with suspicion. Nathan is actually sympathetic until he reveals his affair. He regains trust after he is injured. Setting aside the police officers, all the other characters introduced will be viewed as dubious right up to the end. Rita is a great character and following her investigation is engaging.

Watch Your Back starts out very strong and will hold your complete attention but ends with a chaotic series of deceptions and reveals on its way to a final conclusion. Thanks to Kensington for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Detective Rita Meyers is back in this third installment of the series- which will be fine as a standalone-and this time she's got a puzzle and a kidnapping on her hands. Bad things seem to surround Eve, a psychiatrist who does have a lovely baby daughter Rosewyn. But then Rosewyn Is kidnapped and Rita's probing not only the neighbors but also Eve herself. This has some nice twists. I'm a fan of Rita and her team who think things through. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato is the third in the Detective Rita Myers series but the first for me. That will definitely be remedied. This multiple point of view novel is twisty and chock full of suspense around every corner. Though parts of it were predictable, many were not. Besides. There is more to the book than the plot. The psychiatric slant gripped me completely, contributing to the deliciously creepy atmosphere. I wasn't fond of most of the characters but it is not always necessary to like characters to become immersed in a book. Pacing was steady and subplots were riveting.

Eve grew up in a dysfunctional home and pursued her dream of becoming a psychiatrist. She briefly dated and married Nathan who saw himself an ordinary man with an ordinary job. Their baby daughter, Rosewyn, completely changed their lives. Some from the outside looking in would have thought their lives were idyllic. They had a lovely home and caring babysitter. But undercurrents sizzled beneath the surface and cracks soon began to show. When Rosewyn was kidnapped, gaps widened and secrets bubbled to the surface. Distrust reigned, not just in the household and friends but also with Eve's patients. Detective Rita Myers and her team stepped in and prioritized the kidnapping only to discover there was more amiss.

Grab a mug of hot chocolate, hunker down and enjoy!

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engrossing novel.

You think you know but you have no idea.. lol! I loved this book. The storytelling was done well and the plot was great. I found myself not wanting it to end. Well worth the read and definitely will recommend to friends!

Psychiatrist Eve Thayer and her husband Nathan married with 9 month old baby Roseywn seem to be living a perfect life but are they. Great twisty thriller.

"Watch Your Back" by Terri Parlato is a thrilling, suspense-filled novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Parlato excels at creating rich, complex personalities, and as the plot unfolds, the links between these characters are revealed in unexpected ways. The twists and turns in the narrative are skillfully executed, making it a challenge to predict what will happen next.

Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato
What a riveting page turner!
Eve and Nathan have a seemingly perfect life. Both are successful with a beautiful daughter, a lovely home in a nice neighborhood with a perfect baby sitter. Everything is great until one day when their baby disappears from the sitter’s home. Detective Rita Meyers finds herself enveloped in multiple mysteries that all seem to revolve around Eve. The quandary Rita is faced with - is Eve the victim or her prime suspect?
This story is filled with twists and turns and told from multiple points of view. It is well written and the characters are so well developed! It was so easy to get engrossed in the story until the last page. This is part of a series but you can read it as a stand alone and not miss a thing! I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this one! Terri Parlato did not disappoint! I am a fan.
I would like to say Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book.
5/5⭐️

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!