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
Terri Parlato
In the first couple of pages, maybe even within the first few lines, you could tell there was a hesitation to the writing.
We open the book from Molly’s perspective and if there wasn’t another POV my rating would’ve been lower. Molly’s character from conception to execution including the narrator’s choice was built for a lighter piece of fiction. This book however is crime fiction.
Molly’s character is ungrounded and feels like she was created secondarily, as an afterthought. She is presented as the main character, yet she is not the one who the light is shining on. She amongst the other, very well-formed characters, stands out as weak.
When we are in the other perspective, we are with Rita. Rita is a veteran and is constructed as such. She is chiseled and intimidating. I think her character was strong enough for her to be continued on in a series.
When we are with Rita, in her chapters it is reminiscent of listening to older Sue Grafton novels. There is an expectancy to what is coming; if you miss it the first time, don’t worry. The author will most certainly rehash the important details.
Imagine that when you are with Molly you are reading women’s fiction and when you are with Rita you are reading crime fiction. It felt like that big of a difference, from tone to pacing, dialogue, and narrator choices. Rita’s perspective felt better executed.
The mystery is very straightforward, so much so that other things must be introduced to make the first storyline seem more interesting and twisty. And I didn’t feel it was very successful in doing so. The action is tepid. There are several passages where things are wrapped up with little explanation, skipping over scenes where action-filled details are required and then in other cases, too much explanation is given, bogging down the reading experience.
I did appreciate most of the characters and I think Parlato’s strong hand is creating characters that feel real and are distinguishable from one another.
I gave this one three stars and think it will split the line between readers who want a solid mystery and those looking for something a little soapier.
This one comes out December 27, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley, RB Media, and Recorded Books for the advanced copy!
ALL THE DARK PLACES… ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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