All The Dark Places by Terri Parlato Book Review! #AlltheDarkPlaces #NetGalley

 

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 . . .

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.

https://terriparlato.com/bio/

My Thoughts 

"SOMETIMES I WANT TO CAPTURE HAPPY A MOMENT TO KEEP FOREVER."

"Not like a picture or a video, but a feeling. A feeling that I want to relive for the rest of my life. (Why is it that nightmares insist on the same treatment?) I shudder and move away from the dark hallway in the the light of the living room, where my husband stands in front of the blazing fireplace while he relates a funny story to our friends. They've gathered for his birthday celebration and laugh with honest mirth. Everyone loves Jay. No one more than me."

Thus starts All The Dark Places by Terri Parlatto. By the next morning, Jay will be dead. Murdered in his office. Who would do such a thing to the man that everyone loves and respects. Jay is a psychologist. Molly is devasted to say the least. 

Rita is a detective with the Boston P.D. and is the lead detective on the case. It is up to her to interview and determine who if anyone of the group of friends of Jay and Molly is to the murderer. It is unearthed that Molly has a dark past. It comes out in bits and pieces during the investigation. 

Someone starts calling Molly leaving ominous messages for her about her past and that the person knows who she is and will be coming after her. Molly gets herself a service dog to protect her. All of her friends are interviewed but still no one knows who murdered her husband.

Another body is unearthed, literally on the mountain property and is owned by Jay and Molly. Now Jay becomes a suspect. Why would he murder this woman? Rita and her partner Chase Fuller must figure this out. Soon the FBI is brought in to assist with the case.

This is a police procedural, that is deeply character driven, each alternating chapter is told in Molly's Rita's viewpoint respectively. Each chapter drives the story to it's conclusion. 

I love a good murder mystery and this one is very good. The plot is addictive, and it is written in such a way that keeps the reader moving through the book. Even though there are a lot of characters, that does not detract from the story. The storyline flows right along. I kind of knew or thought I knew who the murderer was but was surprised to find I was wrong.

I give this book 5 stars.

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.