Item: What Waits in the Woods
Rating: 3.50
Author: quirkycat

by Terri Parlato

Her ballet career derailed by injury, a once-promising young dancer returns to her hometown only to face a grisly discovery – and the increasingly alarming realization that nothing from her past is quite what she believed – in this electrifyingly twisty suburban thriller for fans of Stacy Willingham, Greer Hendricks, and Megan Miranda.

“A moody, atmospheric thriller perfectly crafted.” —Charlie Donlea, USA Today bestselling author of Twenty Years Later on All the Dark Places

When Esmé Foster left the Boston suburbs to become a professional ballerina, the future shimmered with promise. Eleven years later, her career has been derailed by an injury, and Esme knows it’s time to come back to Graybridge to help her brother care for their ailing father. But her return coincides with an unthinkable crime. Kara Cunningham, one of Esme’s high school friends, is found dead in the woods behind the Fosters’ house.

Esmé is shocked and grieving, but also uneasy. In her dreams, she still sees the man who showed up at the scene of the car accident that killed her mother—and told Esmé he was going to kill her too. Family and friends insisted the figure was a product of Esmé’s imagination, that she was concussed after the crash. But she and Kara looked alike, sharing the same petite build, the same hair color. Could Kara’s murder have been a case of mistaken identity?

Detective Rita Myers is familiar with close-knit communities like Graybridge, where, beneath the friendliness, there are whispers and secrets. The town has seen other tragedies too, including the long-ago drowning of a young girl in a pond, deep in the woods. Even within the once-close circle of friends that included Kara and Esmé, Rita discerns a ripple of mistrust.

Day by day, Esmé discovers more about the place she left behind—and the friends and family she thought she knew. Soon, shining a light into the darkness to learn what really happened the night Kara died is the only way she can bring the nightmare to an end . . .

"A must read...I loved this book.” —Lisa Jackson, # 1 New York Times bestselling author on All the Dark Places

“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 on All the Dark Places

Book Summary:

Esmé Foster had dreams of bigger things. That’s why she packed up her bags and left to become a professional ballerina. Unfortunately, the next part of her story is all too familiar, as an injury ruins her career, and an illness in the family brings her home.

Her timing couldn’t be worse, as her old best friend was found dead the night before. This is not the first time her small town has been through an upheaval. It’s not even the first time it’s felt so personal to Esmé, but this time, she will get the answers she craves.

My Review:

There’s nothing better than a thriller/mystery series, at least in my mind. So I was excited to see Rita Myers’ series getting a sequel - What Waits in the Woods. That said, I don’t think it quite lived up to the first novel in the series.

What Waits in the Woods is split into two perspectives—Esmé and Detective Rita Myers (obviously). One portrays the highly emotional side of the story, while the other delves into the forensics of it all. It’s a nice balance, for the most part.

This book has a solid concept and twists, but I think the middle lacks the most. It’s almost like we could have cut out five to ten chapters and made the book stronger for it.

Overall, What Waits in the Woods is worth reading, especially for fans who want to stay updated on the series. I intend to continue the series and hope the next one hits harder.

Highlights:
Psychological Thriller
Mystery Thriller
Diving into the Past

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What Waits in the Woods

by Terri Parlato

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Sep 8, 2024

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