All the Dark Places

By: Terri Parlato

ISBN: 978-1496738561

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: 12/27/2022

Format: Other

My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)

DEC 2022 MUST-READ BOOKS

For fans of Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena, this stylish debut thriller from a skillful new voice in suspense, Terri Parlato, introduces seasoned Boston detective Rita Myers investigating the murder of a seemingly perfect husband. Filled with unexpected twists and well-drawn characters, this modern whodunit is set against the picturesque backdrop of a Massachusetts winter, as a woman with a traumatic past tries to uncover who among her friends is a killer.

A savage murder rocks a quiet Boston suburb, revealing the dark secrets at the center of a group of friends in this clever, propulsive debut from new master of suspense, Terri Parlato . . .

Snow falls softly outside Molly Bradley’s home on a frigid January night. Inside, half a dozen close friends are gathered to celebrate the fortieth birthday of Molly’s psychologist husband, Jay. Candlelight gleams against dark wood, wine flows, and the house rings with laughter. Everybody loves Jay, Molly most of all. Yet next morning, Molly discovers Jay dead on the floor of his office, his throat brutally slashed.

After decades working with the Boston PD, Detective Rita Myers has grown accustomed to the banality of evil—the murders that make no sense beyond bad luck or a tragic brush with the worst of humanity. But Jay Bradley’s murder isn’t random, or a mere crime of opportunity. Rita is convinced that someone in the couple’s small circle killed him. Someone who was celebrating with them that night.

Devastated, Molly tries to make sense of her husband’s death. Jay was her rock, the only person who really understood the nightmare she lived through long ago. He knew the horrors she’s kept hidden even from her friends. But shocking revelations are making her question if Jay was all he seemed to be—and whether someone else knows her past too. And until Molly figures out who she can really trust, she won’t be able to stop herself becoming the next target . . .

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My Review

Terri Parlato hits the ground running with her smashing debut, ALL THE DARK PLACES —from a birthday party that ends in murder and a tenacious detective in this gripping crime thriller.

It is New England winter and snowy, and Molly Bradley is throwing a 40th birthday party for her husband Jay of three years. She is hosting at their home with some close friends.

Three couples: Kim and Josh, Cal and Laken, and Elise and Scott. All is going well with food and wine and great company.

As the night moves on, Molly is tired and goes to lie down upstairs. The next morning she senses something is wrong. She goes downstairs and finds him in a pool of blood outside his office.

Seasoned Boston PD Detective Rita Myers (60+) is assigned to the case. (really liked her).

Who would have killed Jay, a 40-year-old psychologist everyone seemed to like with no enemies? A patient? Revenge? Someone at the party?

With short chapters told from POV: Molly (wife) and Rita (detective). From suspects, theories, and motives with an ongoing investigation underway, to look at the couples at the party first.

There is also an ongoing mystery of what happened during Molly's childhood. In Molly’s chapters, we learn that she has a dark past, which happened to her when she was younger. Her past seems to collide with why her husband was killed.

Jay knew about Molly and loved her the same. She slept through his murder, and she cannot forgive herself. She could have helped. Before the party, she had been crying in the bathroom with another failed IVF try for another twelve thousand dollars. Now they will never have a child. With Jay gone, how will she keep the demons at bay?

Jay's father and grandfather were detectives for the Boston Police Department, and his grandfather worked on the Boston Strangler case.

While Rita is trying to determine which partygoers may be responsible, Molly fears that her past is rising to the surface. Jay was killed by a single neck wound. Otherwise, he was a healthy man. He was also writing a book.

A fantastic debut thriller with lots of suspects, twists, and red herrings! I also enjoyed Rita, the seasoned detective, and hope we see more of her in an upcoming series! A solid whodunit thriller, and look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to #KensingtonBooks and #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 4 Stars

Pub Date: Dec 27, 2022

Dec 2022 Must-Read Books

Praise

“An inexplicable murder kicks off Parlato’s gripping debut…Assured pacing matches accomplished characterizations. Parlato is off to a strong start.” – Publishers Weekly

"Terri Parlato's debut All the Dark Places checks all the right boxes for domestic suspense fans. This chilling whodunnit hooked me on the first page and kept me guessing to the last."

—Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author

“All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery! The suspense was spine-tingling and the characters were interesting but believable. I loved this book and had to force myself to lay it aside at night. Seriously, a must-read!”

—Lisa Jackson, # 1 New York Times bestselling author

“A moody, atmospheric thriller perfectly crafted with just enough clues dropped along the way to keep the reader guessing and hopelessly addicted. I know I was.”

—Charlie Donlea, USA Today bestselling author of Twenty Years Later

“Hooks you immediately. Sharp characters and a plot full of twists kept the pages turning to the last. Fantastic read!”

—Mary Burton, New York Times bestselling author

“From the first pages to the stunning conclusion, All the Dark Places hums with tension. With meticulous plotting and a tenacious detective, Parlato peels back the layers of Molly and Jay’s seemingly ordinary life to reveal that dark secrets rarely stay hidden.”

—Tessa Wegert, author of Dead Wind

“A creepy debut most notable for the nightmares it finds beneath apparently untroubled surfaces.” – Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

All the Dark Places author Terri Parlato was born and raised in upstate New York. She currently lives in a small north Georgia town with her husband and their dog, Lucy. She spends her time writing, reading, and visiting craft breweries with her husband.

Inspired by the small towns of New England, All the Dark Places is set in the fictional town of Graybridge, Massachusetts. Terri is a die-hard history nerd and loves exploring Boston and the surrounding areas. She has even located the grave of her six times great-grandfather in a small cemetery in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where generations of her family lived before moving to upstate New York.

Terri holds a BA in English Education from the State University of New York at Albany and an MS in Technical Writing from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. While she has always been a writer, Terri spent most of her professional career as a high school English teacher. She and her husband have three children. Terri is an animal lover, baseball fan and a rock music enthusiast. WEBSITE