Mystery

Review: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

~ megs14malloy

Darling GirlsDarling Girls by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Oh my gosh, I read this so quickly. I always find Sally Hepworth’s stories incredibly readable. They’re addicting. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down.

All the twists and turns gave me whiplash. Also, I loved the three main characters. Bonus, this left me with the devilish grin that I always enjoy at the end.

But what’s it all about?! Let’s discuss.

In this story, we follow three sisters: Jessica, Norah and Alicia. While not biologically-related, the girls spent many of their formative years together in a foster home run by Miss Fairchild. Their experiences there bonded them for life.

From the outside, it looked like the idyllic place to be a child. Certainly better than the circumstances the girls came from, however, there were secret things happening behind closed doors, as there often are, and Miss Fairchild wasn’t necessarily as sweet as she appeared from the outside.

Eventually, the three were able to break free from Miss Fairchild’s home, and although they never saw her again, the hurtful memories remained.

As adults, they have kept in very close contact, and are all living mostly satisfying lives well away from their traumatic childhood home. Then one day out of the blue, they receive word that a body has been discovered under the home where they used to live with Miss Fairchild.

Shocked by the discovery, the three women join up and travel back to that place they left long ago, but are they returning as possible witnesses, or suspects?

I had a blast reading this. It was a super intriguing set-up and I loved learning about all three women. They were each unique and well-developed, and even though they were quite different, their shared history made for very close and believable relationships.

This story is expertly-constructed using past and present timelines, both of which I found equally interesting. I think Hepworth did a great job of creating suspense, as well as characters that you could care about.

Finding out the truth about the girls’ time with Miss Fairchild was fascinating. I never knew what was going to come next. It made me tense, in a good way.

IMO, Hepworth is an incredible, dramatic storyteller. She never fails to draw me in quickly and hold my attention. Although I guessed some things, it made it no less enjoyable, or impactful. In fact, I think I was probably realizing things at the pace in which Hepworth was intending.

The pace picks up closer to the end and I found the conclusion to be fun and satisfying. There were some surprises left in the tank and I walked away a happy girl.

I would recommend the audio format, as the narration was very well done and seemed to fit the overall story nicely. It kept me focused and relaxed.

Thank you to the publishers, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to the latest from Sally Hepworth, and this definitely did not disappoint.

10-out-of-10 recommend!!

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Review: She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

~ megs14malloy

She's Not SorryShe’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

In She’s Not Sorry, we meet dedicated ICU nurse, Meghan Michaels. Meghan is recently divorced and has primary custody of their teenage daughter, Sienna.

As the Reader, you really get to know Meghan and follow her both in her work life and her personal life. Let me just say, Meghan has a lot going on.

Her divorce has caused a lot of self doubt and she’s had to work extra hard to provide for herself and Sienna. Frequently reminding herself that she’s done the right thing.

The divorce was her choice. She felt she and Sienna deserved better than what her emotionally unavailable ex-husband, Ben, was providing; particularly when it came to Sienna. She had to move them out of their comfortable condo though, and into an apartment she’d be comfortable with financially.

Their new place isn’t in the greatest area, with a few vacant buildings and parking lots surrounding their apartment building. Additionally, the L runs directly beside their flat, so that’s a fun disturbance every hour.

Sienna also has moods. She’s a teenager, so typical stuff. That sums up Meghan’s current home life.

At work, Meghan is assigned as the primary care nurse for a young woman, Caitlin, brought into their unit in a coma, suffering traumatic brain injury, after allegedly jumping from a raised pedestrian walkway.

By all parameters Caitlin should be dead. She’s holding on however, and Meghan becomes quite emotionally involved in her case, spending a lot of time with Caitlin’s parents, the Becketts. She finds Caitlin consuming her mind.

Just when she thinks Caitlin’s situation couldn’t get any more disturbing, the police arrive on the unit. A new witness has come forward, stating they believe Caitlin was in an altercation on the bridge just prior to her fall.

Does that mean someone pushed Caitlin, and if so, who?

With a man stalking the neighborhoods around Meghan’s apartment, attacking women at their most vulnerable times, and the potential attack on Caitlin, her assailant still at large, Meghan begins to feel incredibly unsafe.

How is she supposed to keep everyone safe?

Honestly, She’s Not Sorry has A LOT going on, but it kept me enraptured. I was literally glued to the pages and had so much fun going on this journey with Meghan.

I remember everything about this story. It was so memorable for me. In a world where constant Thriller, Suspense and Mystery stories begin to blend together, this one stands out.

Well executed by Kubica!

This kicks off with a Prologue, though only a few pages long, absolutely gripped and stunned me. It grabbed me by the throat and said, hey, pay attention!!

Then the story truly begins. I would classify this as a slow burn, but I never mind that and loved how it was done here. The intensity steadily builds as more and more is revealed.

Kubica really gave me time to get to know and connect with Meghan. I absolutely adored her as a MC. I cared about her situation. I felt like I was reading about a friend.

This is such a ride; an exciting read. There are so many twists, turns, and red herrings. Kubica would successfully lull me into a sense that I actually knew what was going on, and then, BAM, throw something new in my face.

It was great; a lot of fun. I would recommend it to the world. Intriguing, suspenseful and full of drama. If you read for fun, escape, or for jaw-dropping intrigue, pick this one up!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Park Row, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If you don’t have this added to your Spring TBR, you need to add it immediately.

She’s Not Sorry is releasing April 2, 2024!!

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Review: The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill

~ megs14malloy

The Mystery WriterThe Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Mystery Writer is the latest release from Sulari Gentill, author of The Woman in the Library.

I have heard so many great things about The Woman in the Library, so when I was offered the chance to read The Mystery Writer a little early, I jumped on it.

This story follows Theodosia Benton, an aspiring author, who has just left her native Australia and moved to the United States, to Lawrence, Kansas, to live with her older brother, Gus, a successful attorney.

The two had an unconventional upbringing and you can tell that there is a lot of history there, yet they have a loving and supportive relationship. Gus is happy that his sister is pursuing her dreams, instead of going along with the path her parents and grandparents had in mind for her.

As part of her writing process, Theo begins to visit the same local cafe everyday. It’s there she meets and befriends, Dan Murdoch, who turns out to be a best-selling author.

Their relationship develops at a hasty clip and then one day, Theo finds Dan has been murdered. The stuff hits the proverbial fan from there.

Gus has a friend, Mac, who happens to be a private investigator, and he sort of takes on a role as Theo’s protector, as they work together to try to figure out what happened to Dan.

This was a difficult book for me to rate. It started out strong for me. I was deeply intrigued for like the first 40%, or so, then it just went absolutely off the rails.

I got to the point where I wanted it away from me. I was over it. It was such a sharp turn, I looked up like, what the actual heck am I reading?!

There was a mixed media element to this that I did not enjoy. Usually I am totally down for mixed media use, but in this case, I found it to be more distracting than anything.

I understand what it was supposed to represent in context to the overall plot, but yeah, just because I understand it, doesn’t mean I enjoyed it.

Then there’s Theo herself, who was way too naive for my tastes. Her naivety kept being explained away by the fact that she had moved from Australia, but that doesn’t track. It’s Australia, not the moon. She felt more like a time traveler straight out of the 1920s, or something; absurd.

This is the type of story, where I really have to be able to get behind the MC and I found her to be truly annoying. I did like Gus, Mac and the dog, Horse. Theo though, not so much.

Also, I didn’t enjoy where the plot went. The baddies seemed mere caricatures of baddies, versus something that would make sense to this story. I just couldn’t get behind it all.

With this being said, I understand that this is 100% due to personal taste and that a lot of Readers may end up really enjoying this one. After all, just because it wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it won’t be for you.

If this synopsis sounds intriguing to you, or if you enjoyed this author’s previous work, you should absolutely give it a go. Perhaps I’m just in a mood. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I do appreciate it and should say that the audiobook was very well narrated. I may not have gotten through this one, if it wasn’t for the audio format!

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Review: Ghost Island (Jessica Niemi #4) by Max Seeck

~ megs14malloy

Ghost Island (Ghosts of the Past, #4)Ghost Island by Max Seeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Ghost Island is the 4th-installment in Max Seeck’s Jessica Niemi series, also known as the Ghosts of the Past series.

These Nordic Crime novels follow MC, Jessica Niemi, who is a Helsinki Police Detective. Admittedly, this is the first novel that I have picked up in this series, and personally, I feel it worked well as a standalone.

With this being said though, I enjoyed it so much that I intend to go back and read the previous 3-books. I’ve already got the 1st-book, The Witch Hunter, on loan from my library and am excited to start it soon.

I found Jessica to be a very compelling protagonist, and she did refer to some things in her past that I am interested in learning more about. Most specifically, her relationship with an apparent mentor who has since passed away.

In this installment, at the very beginning of the story, Jessica gets in a bit of trouble while leaving a therapy appointment. She gets in an altercation with a belligerent man, who goes so far as to put his hands on her.

Defending herself, Jessica fights back, although in hindsight, she may have taken it a little too far. When video of the incident spreads, Jessica’s supervisor suggests she take some leave to get her head on straight. The Department doesn’t need this type of negative publicity.

Jessica travels to a remote island in the Åland archipelago, where she rents a room at a historic seaside inn. She doesn’t tell anyone in her life where she is going.

Hoping for solitude, Jessica is a bit rattled when a group of elderly travelers arrive, one of them begrudged that Jessica is inhabiting the room she usually stays in.

Jessica learns this group is the last of the ‘birds of spring’, former refugees who fled Finland as children during World War II and lived together for a few months in an orphanage on the island. They return every year, for a reunion of sorts.

The orphanage has been abandoned for years, but the building still exists and local legend has it that one of the orphans, a girl named Maija, who went missing decades before, still haunts the island.

Maija is said to appear, in her signature blue coat, late at night at the end the pier, the last place she was ever seen.

When one of the ‘birds of spring’ is found dead, drowned by the pier, Jessica suspects foul play. She begins to dig into the past of the orphanage and discovers two other deaths that suggest a copycat killer may be on the island.

With inclement weather closing in, making travel an impossibility, Jessica must get to the bottom of this and quickly, before more people end up dead.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this. As mentioned, I hadn’t read the other books and wasn’t sure if that would damper my enjoyment or not.

Nevertheless, this synopsis was intriguing enough for me to want to take the risk and I’m so glad that I did. I was invested in this very early on, as I found Jessica’s character extremely compelling.

I was surprised that this turned out to be a dual timeline, with us getting a huge chunk of the story told via Maija’s perspective, set in the mid-1940s, at the time when she resided at the orphanage.

I am not a big Historical Fiction Reader, but it seemed well done here. Maija’s perspective did manage to keep me engaged and wanting to discover the connections to the present and Jessica’s stay at the property.

This brings me to the setting. I loved it. As someone who lives on a small island, that is remote and difficult to get to, I love island-set stories. It makes it so easy for me to picture just the overall feel of that landscape.

This was made infinitely better by the inclement weather that descends just as the plot is heating up. It brought a claustrophobic feel, as you realize that there is literally no escape for these characters. Someone is dead, and they are stuck. There’s a killer amongst them, but who?

I am an atmosphere girl, first and foremost, and this transported me. I felt like I was there alongside Jessica. I could feel the cold, the wind, the isolation. It was gripping.

My only slight criticism would be, once we got to the big reveal, I felt like the end dragged on a little two long for my tastes. Perhaps, if I had read the earlier books and had more backstory on Jessica I wouldn’t have felt that way, IDK.

Either way, I cannot wait to read the other books in this series and I hope there are more coming. Jessica definitely has a lot of room to grow as character. I feel like there are big things ahead for her.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me a copy to read and review. You’ve hooked me. I’m looking forward to more Jessica Niemi!

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Review: The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club #4) by Richard Osman

~ megs14malloy

The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club, #4)The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Last Devil to Die is the 4th-installment in Richard Osman’s wildly-popular Cozy Mystery series, The Thursday Murder Club, following sleuthing retirees.

This is the most emotional installment yet, and I’m left wondering, if this is a Cozy Crime Mystery, why am I crying!?

The answer is simple. It’s because of the way Osman writes his characters. I feel like it would be impossible to read this series, and not come to love Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim, like they’re your own grandparents.

I absolutely adore them. The humanity and humor that is brought to these stories brings them to life in a natural and engaging way. It’s so enjoyable.

In this installment, one of Stephen’s old friends, Kuldesh Sharma, an antiques dealer, is killed. Shot in what looks like a professional hit. Shocking to say the least.

Unable to let a good murder pass them by, the Thursday Murder Club decides to investigate. Who would want to kill dear old, Kuldesh? It doesn’t make sense.

This multilayered mystery is fun and fast-paced. There’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of characters. We’re thrown into a world of oft-corrupt antiques dealers, art forgers, and most entertainingly, believe it or not, heroin dealers.

In addition to the mystery, I feel like with each installment we are given more info on the backgrounds of our MCs. We get to know them a little more with each mystery.

I loved seeing Joyce come into her own in this one, as Elizabeth is preoccupied with some personal issues. Joyce really stepped up to fill the void and it was nice to see how much her confidence has grown since the 1st-book.

We also learned more about Ibrahim and got some insight into his past. It was touching to see him feel comfortable enough to open up in the way he did here.

As you can tell from the above-statements alone, these books are about so much more than just the murder mystery. Small note of advice before you dive into this one, be sure you have some tissues handy.

I’m actually not sure what the plans are for this series. I’m hoping this isn’t the last book. There were some aspects of this that felt conclusive, but there’s still a lot of life left to live for these characters, nonetheless.

If you haven’t started this series yet, let me assure you, the hype is real. You don’t want to miss out on this!

I definitely recommend these to anyone who enjoys Cozy Mysteries, character-driven stories, or stories following older characters. Just be prepared to feel things…

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Review: You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen

~ megs14malloy

You Know What You DidYou Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

You Know What You Did is an intensely-suspenseful Mystery/Thriller debut from a hot up-and-coming author, K.T. Nguyen. And what a crackling debut it is!!

This story follows a fascinating-MC, Anh Le, who goes by Annie. She’s married, and the mother of a teenaged daughter. Annie is also an artist, although she’s feeling unsatisfied with her career lately.

In fact, a few aspects of Annie’s life are beginning to derail after the passing of her Mom, a Vietnam War refugee, who Annie had a contentious relationship with.

Annie’s mother had been residing in an out-building on their family property, so she had been a fairly constant presence in Annie’s life.

The loss impacted Annie in a lot of unexpected ways. Her severe-OCD comes roaring back and the dark fixations of her mind seem to be morphing into her reality.

When Annie’s most wealthy patron goes missing, shortly after Annie visited her home, the police come knocking.

The disappearance is shocking and it has Annie questioning everything, even herself. She can’t seem to keep current events straight in her mind.

She’s confused about many things and it’s scary. She begins to distance herself from her family and friends.

With Annie’s husband traveling for work, and her daughter off to summer camp, Annie is left to her own devices. As you can imagine, that doesn’t go well.

Waking up in a hotel, with a lifeless body beside her, Annie has officially hit rock bottom. The police are back and she doesn’t have answers that make sense, not even to herself.

Y’all, I loved this. I found it completely engaging, creepy and thought-provoking. K.T. Nguyen delivered all the tense, claustrophobic, desperate, unreliable narrator vibes that I could ever hope for.

I found it so easy to connect with Annie. I felt everything she was feeling. It made me incredibly anxious, but in a good, entertaining way, if that’s possible. There were times that I was crawling out of my skin of anticipation.

I was sympathetic to Annie’s character from the start, particularly since I couldn’t stand her husband, or her daughter. It often felt like they were ganging up on Annie and were just not giving her any slack.

I was happy when they both left, so Annie could be alone. Although it definitely didn’t help her mental state.

It’s funny, I was Buddy Reading this with a friend and she mentioned, like how much is what Annie is relaying to us about her husband and daughter true? Could it be her paranoia? Part of her mental spiral? Or were they really being that rotten to her?

It’s so funny, I didn’t even consider that before she said it, but yeah, Annie’s mental state definitely added so much to the suspense of this story. It was an exceptionally well-executed unreliable narrator situation.

I absolutely loved Nguyen’s writing. The character work in particular, I was so impressed. I enjoyed not only the suspense and mystery of this story, but Nguyen also chose to tackle some difficult topics, such as the immigrant experience and mental health.

I enjoyed the levels of depth that these topics added to the story. This is more than just your standard Popcorn Thriller. This story has meat and I enjoyed every bite.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a taut, engaging and emotional Mystery/Thriller. Particularly, if you enjoy an unreliable narrator.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If this is her debut, I cannot wait to see what Nguyen delivers next!!!

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Review: Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

~ megs14malloy

Twenty-Seven MinutesTwenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twenty-Seven Minutes, what I would classify as a slow-burn Literary Suspense novel, is a debut for author, Ashley Tate.

In this story, we settle into the small town of West Wilmer, where 10-years ago, their local It-Girl, Phoebe Dean was killed in a car accident on the way home from a party.

Her brother, Grant, was the driver that night and for unknown reasons, he waited 27-minutes after the crash before he called 9-1-1.

Yeah, it’s suspicious and rumors have swirled for years that the reason he waited so long was that he needed to sober up.

For a multitude of reasons, this tragedy hit the town especially hard. As the 10th-anniversary approaches, a memorial is planned for Phoebe and the town is abuzz again with theories and speculation about that night.

As you can imagine, this causes stress for those closest to the incident. It’s like they have to keep repeating the worst night of their life over and over again. Why won’t people just let them forget?

This story is told via multiple POVs and a dual timeline, as we follow those most effected by the events of that night.

Basically, if Phoebe’s death were a pebble dropped in a pond, we’d be following the ripples closest to impact. And honestly, that’s how I thought of this set-up. It worked.

As past and present begin to merge, the truth about that night is finally made clear for the Reader. It’s an emotional and angst-filled journey that doesn’t rush anything along.

I enjoyed this one. I found it to be well-written and the mystery behind that night, the pace at which all is revealed, I thought was really well done.

I think it is important to keep in mind though, this is a slow burn. If you are looking for a fast-paced Thriller, there may be better options. You have to be comfortable just sitting with characters and getting to know them through their thoughts and reflections.

For me, this was truly a story about surviving grief and trauma. Each journey through that space is going to look different. People deal with such events using the resources available to them, and some fare better than others.

I loved the small town atmosphere; she ran deep. I feel like anyone who grew up in a small town could relate with a lot of the vibes Tate created here.

I also enjoyed all the messy, damaged relationships and characters. I found them interesting and frankly, I don’t trust characters who are too perfect. I thought Tate did a great job of blending all of their stories together and pulling off a solid conclusion.

Overall, I think for Readers who really love to sink their teeth into fabulous character work, and they don’t need to like those characters, this will be a great read.

As far as this being a debut, I’m impressed. I think Tate brought everything she needed and more to this story. I am really looking forward to getting more from her!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

While this wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be, I am very pleased with what I got!

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Review: Crooked House by Agatha Christie

~ megs14malloy

Crooked HouseCrooked House by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Crooked House was a joy to try to solve. I read it with a bunch of other people and we all tried like heck to figure it out. There were so many different theories, and honestly, all of them could have worked.

This is one of my favorites out of the Christie work that I have read. It’s pure entertainment and Agatha slayed her red herrings here. Everyone is a suspect!

I say it is one of my favorites, and it is, but the author herself also described it as such. She must have been feeling especially clever after she penned this exceptional work.

I love to think about Christie’s work in context to the time she wrote it. This novel has a twist, which now, reading it in 2024, I’ve read before. We’ve probably seen this twist multiple times across all different mediums at this point.

But it’s important to remember, it didn’t start with them, the other works we’ve watched and read, it started WITH HER. With Christie herself, who went on to inspire decades, nay generations of creatives.

This is a standalone for Christie, meaning it doesn’t include one of her two most famous characters, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Jane Marple. Shocking, I know.

I’ve recently been reading the Miss Marple works in order and loving them. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this as much, not having one of those iconic characters in it.

I’m happy to report, I didn’t think of that at all once I got into this story. It’s so interesting, so compelling, the plot so tight and engaging, I was hooked from the start, no matter who the characters were.

As far as content, if you require more to spur you to pick this up, this story involves a man whose love interest asks him to look into her Grandfather’s death. Her very wealthy Grandfather, who left behind a substantial inheritance.

He has to travel to the family estate, meet all of her family members and try to determine whether or not the old man’s death was natural, an accident, or murder. And if the latter were true, then whodunit!?

I absolutely recommend this one to any fan of Christie’s work, as well as anyone looking to try her work for the first time. If you love a closed circle mystery, an inheritance story, or just good old-fashioned mystery writing, you should absolutely pick this one up!

I’m looking forward to getting to more of Christie’s standalones after reading this. Christie is an absolute gift to the literary world and I shall continue to pick up her books for years and years to come!

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Review: The Fury by Alex Michaelides

~ megs14malloy

The FuryThe Fury by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Fury, the latest from Alex Michaelides, is a unique and unsettling Tragedy from which I couldn’t look away. This kept my head spinning all the way through. We love that!

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this author’s previous novels, so had been highly anticipating this. I started to see some early reviews though that made question if I would like it.

Luckily, I found this to be engaging and intriguing from the very start. Our narrator, Elliot, addresses the fact that he is our narrator. It’s like we are sitting with him, having some drinks, and he is telling us a story from his life.

I absolutely adore that kind of narrative. It always makes me feel like I am actually a part of the action, or more fittingly in this case, of the friend group.

Elliott relates to us the details of an ill-fated trip he took with his best friend, Lana, a retired movie star, her husband, Jason, their mutual friend, Kate, also an actress, Lana’s son Leo, an aspiring actor, and Lana’s assistant, to a remote Greek island for a weekend getaway.

We know what starts out as a beautiful holiday, ends up to be anything but. The group gets trapped on the island due to high winds. Emotions and tensions are running high. The claustrophobic nature of their excursion becomes palpable.

This strain could be blamed for the violence and death that ultimately occurs, couldn’t it? Or is something much deeper lurking under the surface that leads to the bloody and chaotic conclusion?

Y’all, I was absolutely swept up into this story. I know that some Reviewers have mentioned that it was slow for them, but I didn’t have the same experience with it. I had the audiobook and listened to the first 70% just while adulting, doing my cleaning and other errands, one Saturday.

I was obsessed with learning all I could about the characters and couldn’t help but continuing on. The narrative structure is out of the ordinary, but I loved how it was done.

Michaelides kept me guessing. It also should be noted that I am a huge fan of unreliable narrators and Elliott fits that moniker to a tee.

I wouldn’t say this is a simple story to read, and I can see how it wouldn’t be for everyone. I can also see how some may find it slow. There is quite a bit of develop in the beginning, building out our group and their relationships.

However, for those who enjoy some mental gymnastics, mixed with great character work, an unreliable narrator and tension so thick you could cut it with a knife, this is sure to be a success.

If any of these descriptors are buzzwords for you, give it a go. You may like it, you may not, but either way, it’s sure to be a memorable experience.

A few other aspects of this book that worked for my tastes were the remote location, particularly the fact that it is set on an island, I live on an island, so tend to love to see that, the cast of unlikable characters and the teeny bit of character crossover from The Maidens and The Silent Patient.

No, you don’t need to read either of those novels prior to reading this, but for those who have, those little name drops can be a lot of fun.

While this doesn’t have the same level of mystery as The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, it did sort of remind me of that in some ways. I think the vibe of mild confusion mixed with enjoyment is quite similar.

If you enjoyed that one, you may enjoy this as well. Overall, I think this is just so fun. It’s clever and engaging and yes, also a tad confusing at times.

I’d definitely read it again, maybe try and pick up some subtleties I might have missed this time around.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio and Celadon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a great reading experience for me and I’m happy to have a copy on my shelves.

I can’t wait to see what Michaelides comes up with next!!

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Review: All the Dark Places (Detective Rita Myers #1) by Terri Parlato

~ megs14malloy

All the Dark PlacesAll the Dark Places by Terri Parlato
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

All the Dark Places is the start of Terri Parlato’s Detective Rita Myers Mystery series. There are 2-books released thus far, with the 2nd-book having just come out this past December.

I actually read them out of order, starting with What Waits in the Woods. I really enjoyed it and knew immediately that I needed to read this 1st-book ASAP.

I loved Rita and needed more of her in my life!

This is a dual perspective story following Detective Rita Myers, our MC, and Molly Bradley, the woman most closely linked to the mystery tackled in this book.

This story is set during the first week of January, which incidentally is when I read it. This tickled me for some reason. This has no bearing on my review, I just thought it was a funny coincidence.

So, it’s the first week of January and Molly has planned a dinner party for her husband, Jay’s, 40th-birthday. They have their tight-knit group of friends, which consists of three other local couples, over to the house.

It’s a great time. There’s plenty of drinks, laughs, food and even a beautiful cake. At the end of the night, the wine has definitely gone to Molly’s head. She heads upstairs to bed while Jay sees the other couples out.

The next morning when Molly wakes, Jay isn’t in the bedroom. He isn’t in the house at all and no coffee has been made. Fearing something is wrong, Molly rushes out to his office, housed in an outbuilding on their property. It’s there that she finds his dead body.

Detective Rita Myers is assigned to Jay Bradley’s case. An experienced detective, Rita is convinced that Jay’s murder isn’t some random act of violence. She believes someone in their circle is responsible for his death.

The investigation leaves no stone unturned as Rita digs into Molly and Jay’s life. It turns out, their group, like most, is hiding a lot deep dark secrets, including Molly herself.

It’s really hard for me to not 5-star a book that keeps me invested for an entire day. I flew through this and loved it. It wasn’t totally perfect, but pretty damn close.

I am well and truly invested in Detective Rita Myers now. I can’t wait for more books in this series, but I have a feeling, since the second one just released, that I’m in for quite a wait before book three.

I listened to the audiobook for both and loved them so much. It’s dual narrators, to fit the dual perspective and the narrators truly captured the spirit of these characters.

I definitely recommend this series to any Reader who enjoys Police Procedural Mysteries, or Crime Thrillers. Parlato’s mysteries are engaging and hard to put down once you start.

Detective Myers is such a compelling MC as well. She’s someone you can really get behind. She’s strong, smart, determined and always looking to do what’s right.

When I say I read this straight through, I’m not joking. I was on a journey with these characters. I didn’t even have time to make status updates. That’s how invested I was. I’m actually hoping for a paycheck from Rita’s department for my efforts.

If you’re looking for a strong new Mystery series to start, look no further. This is where it’s at. While you’re reading it, I’ll just be over here patiently waiting for more!!

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