What Waits in the Woods

Parlato’s grim second mystery featuring Det. Rita Myers (after All the Dark Places) opens with 29-year-old Esme Foster returning to her hometown of Graybridge, Mass., after a hip injury ends her career as a professional dancer. The last thing Esme expects to see when arriving at her ailing alcoholic father’s home is a crime scene in the woods behind the house. Hours earlier, Esme’s childhood best friend, Kara Cunningham, was killed there by an assailant who crushed her skull with a rock. Immediately, Esme recalls the car accident that killed her mother years earlier, and the strange man who appeared at the scene and threatened to murder Esme. She suspects that he came back and attacked the wrong woman, given how closely she and Kara resemble one another. When Rita gets assigned to the case, she focuses her attention on Cynthia Ridley, a mentally disturbed neighbor of Esme’s father who killed her own younger sister 20 years ago. As more secrets come to light, however, Rita’s list of suspects grows. Parlato’s multidimensional characters and effective use of red herrings will keep readers invested right up to the gasp-worthy conclusion. Series fans and newcomers alike will look forward to Rita’s next case. [em]Agent: Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary. (Jan.) [/em]