She Thought She Was Safe
- Judith D Collins
- Feb 26
- 8 min read
By: Terri Parlato
Narrator: Kelli Tager
Recorded Books
ISBN: 9781496755704
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: 02/24/2026
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
A young woman is reunited with the famous father she never knew at a secluded lakeside community hiding nightmarish secrets in this immersive modern-day gothic for readers of psychological suspense by Mary Kubica, Sheri Lapena and Megan Miranda.
After the double blow of divorce and her mother’s death, Emma Shrader receives an invitation to meet her estranged father for the first time. Alex Spencer is a wealthy, renowned author who had a brief fling with Emma’s mom, then disappeared. Now he’d like Emma to come stay at his beautiful home on Cheshire Lake in Maine.
The Spencer house is a towering Victorian steeped in history and lore, from its ornate turret to the little cemetery nestled in adjoining woods. It should be an inspiring place for Emma to finish working on her own novel, especially with Alex’s guidance. But when a neighbor is found dead under strange circumstances, the surroundings begin to feel less idyllic and welcoming. Not everyone is happy about Emma’s arrival, either—especially not Alex’s other daughter, Sunny.
There are things Emma keeps to herself about her chaotic childhood and ex-husband, but Cheshire Lake harbors secrets too—some recent, some decades old. What exactly has been going on in this quiet, close-knit community? And how much of it has to do with Emma’s arrival?
As Emma learns of other disappearances and mysterious deaths, what seemed like a fresh start begins to fill her with unease. Emma thought Cheshire Lake held the home and family she’s long been looking for. Now she wonders if she’ll ever be allowed to leave alive . . .
My Review
In Terri Parlato’s gripping, spine-chilling psychological thriller, SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS SAFE, Emma Shrader embarks on a tumultuous journey as she seeks a fresh start following the heart-wrenching loss of her mother and the devastating fallout from a divorce that shackled her with her ex-husband's staggering gambling debts.
As the narrative unfolds, Parlato masterfully delves into the shadowy undercurrents lurking beneath the facade of a seemingly "perfect" life, revealing the hidden dangers and unsettling truths that lie just beneath the surface.
Highlights...
The father:
Emma reaches out to her estranged biological father, Alex Spencer, a wealthy and famous author of historical mysteries. After a DNA test confirms their relation, he invites her to stay at his secluded Victorian home on Cheshire Lake in Maine.
The Setting:
The community is a tight-knit and insular one, comprising only four houses on the lake. Emma hopes to use the isolation to finish her own novel under Alex's guidance.
Rising Tension:
Emma’s arrival is met with hostility from Alex’s other daughter, Sunny, who manages his career and is fiercely protective of him. Emma also learns about a new pregnant wife and the complex Spencer family history.
The Murder:
The idyllic atmosphere shatters when a neighbor, Simon, is found brutally murdered. As the police investigate, Emma realizes the community is hiding dark secrets, including past disappearances and mysterious deaths.
The Investigation:
Emma forms a bond with Noah, a journalist who is the only person she feels she can trust. She begins to suspect that her father’s successful novels are based on real-life, potentially criminal experiences.
The Discovery:
While investigating, Emma finds a hidden room in the attic containing evidence that may offer connections to the community's deadly history.
The Climax:
Emma discovers she is in immediate danger as she realizes that those closest to her—including Alex, Ruth, and Larry—may be working against her to keep their secrets buried.
As Emma begins to uncover the unsettling tales of other disappearances and eerie deaths surrounding Cheshire Lake, what initially appeared to be a fresh start quickly transforms into a source of growing dread. She once believed that this quaint lakeside town held the promise of the home and family she had yearned for all her life. Yet now, an insidious doubt creeps in, leaving her to question whether she will ever be granted the freedom to leave this haunting place alive . . .
My thoughts...
If you've delved into Terri Parlatos ' previous novels, you likely recognize her remarkable skill in weaving an atmosphere thick with tension and unease. Her narrative expertly engulfs the reader in a suffocating sense of malice and claustrophobia, creating a world where shadows loom large, and every turn of the page heightens the feeling of dread. A big fan of the author and highly recommend all her novels.
The tightly-knit ensemble of characters is not only insular but also grows increasingly menacing with each passing moment. Beneath a veneer of cordiality, every display of "kindness" is a carefully orchestrated maneuver, motivated by veiled agendas that linger just out of sight. Their polished smiles conceal intricate webs of deception, making each interaction feel like a dance on the precipice of danger.
Atmospheric and claustrophobic, the Maine lakeside setting is moody and evocative, acting as its own character. Despite the vast woods, the community creates a stifling sense of being trapped.
Every character is deceptive and wears a mask, making the narrative unreliable and twisty. There is a constant, lingering dread that Emma's "fresh start" is actually a trap surrounded by Gothic vibes with the secluded estate and family secrets with a sharp, modern edge.
Both Emma and her father are attempting to rewrite their stories. Emma wants a fresh start, while Alex uses his fiction to reprocess or hide his reality, suggesting that identity can be a tool for survival or deception.
Emma’s survival depends on acknowledging the small red flags she initially dismissed for the sake of comfort while vulnerable and looking for a savior.
The author cleverly explores the dark underbelly of the perfect life through recurring themes where nothing is as it seems. The serene lakeside setting masks her father's prestigious status, a chilling history of violence and manipulation.
Themes...
~Deception of Appearance
~The Danger of Desperations
~Family as a Threat
~Identity and Reinvention
~Isolation and Power
The physical isolation of the Maine woods reflects the power imbalance between Emma and the established residents.
The takeaway of SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS SAFE is that safety is a fragile construction that can be easily manipulated by those in power, serving as a cautionary tale. Parlato highlights how success and prestige act as a shield for predators. The Spencer family uses their status to create a fortress of complicity, proving that the most dangerous monsters often live behind a facade of wealth masking the wickedness.
Recs...
SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS SAFE is for fans of the author, featuring her signature shattered domestic illusions. Also for fans of authors, Shari Lapena, Emily Carpenter, Mary Kubica, Lisa Jewell, and Riley Sager.
Special thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Feb 24, 2026
My Rating: 5 Stars
Praise for Terri Parlato
"Menacing...A deliciously twisty adventure."
—PEOPLE Magazine, Best Books of December for Watch Your Back
“Brimming with creeping dread and isolation, this novel held me in its thrall from page one. Parlato tightens her expert grip, layering a creepy backstory of families enmeshed in disturbing and deadly ways, with increasingly nerve wracking circumstances in the present, and leading the reader to an explosive finale.”
—Emily Carpenter, author of Gothictown on She Thought She was Safe
“Parlato smartly splits the novel into chapters narrated by Eve, Nathan, and Rita, using each perspective switch to cast things in a new light.”
—Publishers Weekly on Watch Your Back
“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.”
—Publishers Weekly on What Waits in the Woods
“A failed ballerina’s return home is turned upside down by the appearance of a dead body in her family’s yard…Parlato piles on the rumors, menace, and revelations.”
—Kirkus Reviews on What Waits in the Woods
“Rita’s perspective as an older, single woman with family issues of her own complements Esme’s tale as they each confront the secrets of Graybridge. Another highlight is Esme’s background as a dancer: the fading of her dreams grounds the narrative in realism as she struggles to adjust to her new life, for better or worse.”
—Criminal Element on What Waits in the Woods
“A suspenseful thrill ride…Plenty of red herrings and twists-and-turns will keep readers guessing until the very end.”
—Fresh Fiction on What Waits in the Woods
“A riveting plot.”
—CrimeSpree Magazine on What Waits in the Woods
“A creepy debut most notable for the nightmares it finds beneath apparently untroubled surfaces.”
—Kirkus Reviews on All the Dark Places
“An inexplicable murder kicks off Parlato’s gripping debut…Assured pacing matches accomplished characterizations. Parlato is off to a strong start.”
—Publishers Weekly on All the Dark Places
“Part police procedural, part domestic suspense, All the Dark Places provides mystery fans with the reading experience they crave.”
—Brian Kenney, First Clue on All the Dark Places
“This debut novel is well crafted and hooked me in the first chapter…The plot is deeply involved with several twists to the story to keep readers captivated to its dramatic conclusion.”
—Mystery & Suspense Magazine on All the Dark Places
"Terri Parlato's debut All the Dark Places checks all the right boxes for domestic suspense fans. This chilling whodunnit hooked me on the first page and kept me guessing to the last."
—Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author
“All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato is a must read for anyone who loves a good mystery! The suspense was spine-tingling and the characters were interesting but believable. I loved this book and had to force myself to lay it aside at night. Seriously, a must read!”
—Lisa Jackson, # 1 New York Times bestselling author
“A moody, atmospheric thriller perfectly crafted with just enough clues dropped along the way to keep the reader guessing and hopelessly addicted. I know I was.”
—Charlie Donlea, USA Today bestselling author of Twenty Years Later on All the Dark Places
“Hooks you immediately. Sharp characters and a plot full of twists kept the pages turning to the last. Fantastic read!”
—Mary Burton, New York Times bestselling author on All the Dark Places
“From the first pages to the stunning conclusion, All the Dark Places hums with tension. With meticulous plotting and a tenacious detective, Parlato peels back the layers of Molly and Jay’s seemingly ordinary life to reveal that dark secrets rarely stay hidden.”
—Tessa Wegert, author of Dead Wind
“If you are a fan of thrillers that will keep you up at night, whispering "one more chapter" to your alarm clock, Parlato's murder mystery is the book for you. Two women—one with a traumatic past, the other a police detective—come together after a savage killing at a 40th birthday party rocks a tight-knight Massachusetts community. You know what they say about small towns: They often have big secrets.”
—Enews (eonline.com) on All the Dark Places
About the Author
All the Dark Places author Terri Parlato was born and raised in upstate New York. She currently lives in a small north Georgia town with her husband and their dog, Lucy. She spends her time writing, reading, and visiting craft breweries with her husband.
Inspired by the small towns of New England, All the Dark Places is set in the fictional town of Graybridge, Massachusetts. Terri is a die-hard history nerd and loves exploring Boston and the surrounding areas. She has even located the grave of her six times great-grandfather in a small cemetery in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where generations of her family lived before moving to upstate New York.
Terri holds a BA in English Education from the State University of New York at Albany and an MS in Technical Writing from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. While she has always been a writer, Terri spent most of her professional career as a high school English teacher. She and her husband have three children. Terri is an animal lover, baseball fan and a rock music enthusiast. WEBSITE
