Review: All the Dark Places - Terri Parlato

Review: All the Dark Places - Terri Parlato - December 2022

There’s something about settling in with a good psychological thriller on the Libby that just feels like the ultimate cosy escape and All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato absolutely delivered that for me.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The story opens with Molly planning a beautifully thoughtful 40th birthday surprise for her husband, Jay. You can feel the warmth of the celebration, the comfort of friendships, and the ease of a life well-built together. It’s the kind of opening that lulls you into a false sense of security and then everything shatters. Molly wakes to find Jay missing from their bed, only to discover him in his office, murdered in the most brutal way. That moment gave me chills.

What follows is a tangled, slow-burn unraveling of secrets within their close-knit friendship group. I loved how the story peeled back layer after layer, revealing hidden affairs, long-buried resentments, and the unsettling truth that someone in their circle is capable of murder. It really plays on that idea of how well we truly know the people closest to us.

One of the things I found especially compelling was the dual timeline. Alongside the present-day investigation, we’re taken into Molly’s past back to a time when she was known by another name and experienced a traumatic event that still echoes into her present. These chapters added depth and emotional weight, making Molly feel like such a real, fragile, yet determined character. I found myself quietly rooting for her, even when I wasn’t entirely sure I could trust her perspective.

The mystery itself kept me guessing right to the end. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another twist would gently nudge me in a different direction. It wasn’t overly fast-paced, but that worked in its favour ,it felt more like sitting by the fire, slowly unpicking a knot of secrets rather than racing through a high-octane thriller.

For me, this book was as much about relationships as it was about murder. The cracks in marriages, the quiet betrayals, the double lives , it all felt so human and believable, which made the darker elements even more unsettling.

Overall, All the Dark Places is a gripping yet intimate read that’s perfect for fans of character-driven thrillers. It’s the kind of story you sink into for an afternoon and emerge from feeling like you’ve just uncovered something deeply hidden.

Amazon: https://shorturl.at/jyH6c