Watch Your Back

Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato
12/24/24; 320 pages
Kensington
Detective Rita Myers #3

Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato is a highly recommended domestic thriller/mystery set in the Boston suburb of Graybridge and the third novel with Detective Rita Myer. It works as a standalone.

Opening with Nathan Liddle hospitalized, unable to move, and frightened his wife, Psychiatrist Eve Thayer, is about to finish the job, the narrative jumps back three weeks earlier. The couple's relationship is strained. The two have a nine-month-old daughter, Rosewyn. Nathan is the parent who takes and picks her up from the babysitter Barbara Singleton, a neighbor. While Eve works long hours heading the medical staff at a new psychiatric center, Nathan cares for Rosewyn in the evenings. Nathan has a brief extramarital affair with a woman named Nicole, but they both break it off after a few weeks.

At the same time detective Rita Myers of the Graybridge police department is investigating multiple local crimes, including a break-in at a house nearby. Then Rosewyn is kidnapped while in Barbara's care, Rita is on the case. There are numerous suspects and twists that follow.

The narrative unfolds through short alternating chapters from the points-of-view of Eve, Nathan, and Rita. It starts out strong. The compelling situation is set up, almost all the characters introduced are suspects in some way, the only character you can completely trust is Rita, and you will want them to find baby Rosewyn. After that point, the mix muddles up as reviewing suspects is on reshuffle numerous times and the pace really slows as the search for the suspect is drawn out. The question of who attacked Nathan is also unresolved until late in the novel.

Eve is initially a unappealing character but garners more sympathy as the novel continues. Part of this is due to the opening when Nathan suspects her in injuring him, which lends you to view her with suspicion. Nathan is actually sympathetic until he reveals his affair. He regains trust after he is injured. Setting aside the police officers, all the other characters introduced will be viewed as dubious right up to the end. Rita is a great character and following her investigation is engaging.

Watch Your Back starts out very strong and will hold your complete attention but ends with a chaotic series of deceptions and reveals on its way to a final conclusion. Thanks to Kensington for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.