Andrea is still looking for her role in life, easily influenced she takes the road of least resistance. Not the most likeable of characters until she is the victim of a violent shooting attack, which shows a different side to her mother and leads Andrea(Andy) on a life-endangering journey of discovery. Laura is well-respected in her small community, but she has a secret past, one she has hidden from her daughter and now threatens their lives.

The beginning is atmospheric and shocking, as is Laura's reaction to the danger in the mall. The story reveals Laura's story in 1986 as her daughter Andy discovers it in the present day in the aftermath of the mall incident. The detailed plot portrays the late eighties ethos and prejudices accurately. Urban terrorism is a predominant theme, and again this is realistic and reminiscent of actual events in the late 1970s and1980s.

The mother-daughter dynamic is the foundation of this crime thriller, and it gives the story depth and poignancy that would otherwise be missing. Andy finds out she knows little about her mother but their bond is strong, finding out about her mother's past frees Andy to be herself and her character development is extensive. She is far more empathic and likeable by the story's end.

The action is intense and realistic, and necessarily horrific, the language is often crude, but again this adds to the plot's authenticity. The vivid descriptions make it easy to visualise the action and the characters although sometimes difficult to understand are complex and believable.

A crime thriller with intrinsic suspense and an absorbing family mystery.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Fiction - Harper Collins UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Another great thriller from this Author - this books explores the complexity of a mother/daughter relationship where all you know is not all that it seems .

Andy's mother , Laura , is a pillar of the Community , a mother to aspire to .
Andy is just drifting through life , going through the motions of living - her work
and personal life a mess .
Using her mother's cancer as an excuse to return to the comforts of home from a dismal ,
drifting life in New York , she is happy to help nurse her mother through the worst of the cancer treatments .
Whilst having lunch with her mother in a diner a young man enters and starts shooting …………
Andy is next in his sights , when suddenly her mother steps in front of her - telling
the shooter to kill her instead ………..everything goes into slow motion with her mother , using
almost ninja type moves , overpowering the young man and killing him .

The shooting has been captured on camera and soon questions are being asked …………
her mother's actions at total odds with all that Andy has known ……….. the media soon portraying her
mother as a killing machine .
Andy is shell-shocked and events soon escalate with unexpected and horrifying events occurring that hint at Laura's clandestine past ..She at last follows her mother's instructions to go to a storage unit , take the contents and travel to Idaho ……………..telling no one , trusting no one , contacting no one , even her mother and step-father ,
Peeling away the layers of her mother's past brings Andy great danger BUT through it all she is certain
of one thing ………..her mother's love .

I was in two minds about this book - I found Andy's character difficult to relate to . Could anyone holding
a position of 911 call handler be so totally lacking in character , falling apart at the least sign of trouble .
But the journey to the truth was ultimately worth it .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own .

'Pieces of Her' is International Bestselling author Karin Slaughter's seventh standalone novel and after thoroughly enjoying 'The Good Daughter' I was happy to not have to wait long to read this one.

Andrea (Andy) believes she knows everything about her mother, Laura. and wants nothing more than to live a conventional life in peace and quiet untl one day everything is turned on its head. Andy agrees to meet her mother at a local diner at the time when a deranged gunman decides to launch his attack shooting two people in the process. He then turns his attention to Andy but Laura takes Andy by surprise by disarming and killing the shooter in a calm and professional manner, a side she has never seen before in her mother. Although understandably shaken as well as relieved, Andy tries to reconcile this measured, skilled killer with the version of the mother she has known all her 31 years, needless to say she has many questions. After a second attack which leaves Laura in hospital, she tells Andy to run. Andy obliges and begins driving north aimlessly across America promising to herself that she will discover who her mother really is and exactly what she has hidden from her.

Just like her other books, 'Pieces of Her' is endlessly compelling with everything done exceptionally well. The author uses dual timelines to tell the story - the first in the present day following Andy's story, the second in the 1980s follwing Laura's. Not only is it a great thriller but it's almost a coming-of-age story too, with 31 year-old Andy discovering the truth about her mother and herself in the process. There is a feeling of not knowing who to trust or what is going to happen from one chapter to the next which I love in crime fiction and is not an easy thing to perfect. The denouement was extremely satisfying and all of my questions regarding the plot and the characters were answered sufficiently.

One thing you can rely on Karin Slaughter for is to produce an original, unique story that is well thought out and plotted and paced perfectly. There are none of the indistinguishable and banal stories doing the rounds in the crime fiction genre here, that's for sure. She explores many timely and topical subjects throughout the book too, including gun violence which gives a nod to the current upsurge of shootings and other violence in London and the #metoo movement.

All in all, I feel this will appeal to ardent fans and newcomers alike. Slaughter has proved time and time again that she is a class act and I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

After thoroughly enjoying ‘The Good Daughter’ I was filled with anticipation when ‘Pieces of Her’ was brought to my attention. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Karin Slaughter has provided the reader with a very intricate plot, interweaving two storylines to bring together an exceptionally good read.

The plot was so multifaceted that delving into it within a review will either not do it justice, or would take me days to write. In summary though the story is character and plot rich and worth every one of its pages.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy

When Andy and her mother, Laura, are caught up in a shooting at a local diner, Laura risks her life to defend her daughter. In the aftermath, Andy tries to reconcile the almost professional manner in which Laura disarmed and killed the gunman with her memories of her mother. When public opinion comes down firmly against her Laura, Andy is left questioning whether she ever really knew her mother at all.

The truth of Laura and Andy’s existence is revealed through a confusing and sometimes absurd series of flashbacks to the older woman’s past. The story itself has merit, but the flashbacks frustrated me, as did the main protagonists. It was difficult to empathise with either, and Andy was particularly weak and annoying.

This could have been a good novel, but the disjointed story-telling and lack of relatable characters drag it down to merely average.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WOW, I loved this, I've always enjoyed Karin Slaughters witting but this one, Pieces of her just kept up the momentum and I couldn't put it down, It starts with Andrea (Andy) and her mother Laura having a break in a diner when someone burst in and starts shooting, Andy's mum becomes a surprising assassin and then every thing Andy thought she knows about her mother explodes as she is forced to go on the run, where she finds out her mother has been hiding a massive secret.. Roll on to the next story even though I do still miss the enigmatic Will Trent.

Excellent book, loved it. A real page turner! The plot had many twists and turns to keep the reader hooked on every word. The characters were brilliant and very relatable. Five stars. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Karin Slaughter for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I have read every one of Karin Slaughter's books and have always been a fan. However, in the last several years I haven't enjoyed her stories as much as previously and Pieces of Her is the least gripping by far. The story unfolds over two different time periods. The present day's protagonist is Andrea and in the 1980's it's Jane. Neither character is particularly going to make you root for them. Andrea without doubt is Slaughter's most annoying character ever for the first half of the book at least. Jane is more interesting. It wasn't a terrible read but completely forgettable.

Very different from her previous books story-wise, but still with the excellent story-telling and twists that will keep you guessing. After a very slow first half, the second half of it saved it for me.

Pieces of her has made my head hurt (but in a nice way), After reading and enjoying the book, I have come to realise that I am a linear sort of person, liking events to be like footsteps one in front of the other. Told along two interlaced timelines the action was fascinating and all too possible. If you enjoy convoluted stories about people and events that could so easily appear on tomorrow's news then this is a book for you.

How well do you know your mother?

Life for Andrea (Andy) is conventional until she agrees to meet her mother and friends at a coffee shop at the time when a deranged shooter decides to commit suicide by cop - except Andy is not a cop. She is a dispatcher for the police wearing a similar uniform. So starts the plot which will take Andy all over the USA not knowing who she can trust.

Setting a story using two or more timelines seems to be very popular at the moment, and Karin Slaughter is no exception. The action in “Pieces of Her” is set in the present day and 1986. The Queller company is headed by father Martin and, amongst other interests, focuses on care homes for the elderly and those mentally challenged. It’s a very successful venture, but success often comes at a price and a blurring of the boundaries between right and wrong, walking the tightrope between what is illegal and what is not.

Karin Slaughter is a well known and popular novelist who has avoided churning out undistinguished potboilers every six months or so. Her novels have innovative and unique storylines which keep the reader guessing throughout the plot. “Pieces of Her” is no exception.

The plot is essentially the chronicle of events of family members, close friends and lovers during the two time periods identified earlier. It’s a bit like a jigsaw, and everything is totally confusing at the outset, and it’s a race to try to fit all the pieces together before the end of the book. This has its disadvantages as I was totally at sea for at least the first two-thirds of the story, but it was fun trying to work out who was who.

The characters all feel like real people although I questioned whether some of their actions might be a little too improbable. The relationships between all the characters were complicated as well, so the readers have to keep their wits about them, and the switching between the timelines is equally confusing for reasons which become obvious. It’s not possible to be more specific as it would spoil much of the mystery.

Mainly as a result of the confusion it’s not Ms Slaughter’s very best work, and as a result, it loses a star, but it remains a cracking story and one well worth reading. Highly recommended.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I have read The Good Daughter so this is my second Karin Slaughter. I thought the first was OK and so was this one, but I cannot see myself reading any more of hers, because they are over-complex and there is too much violence. The only character I liked a was Jane. I had no idea what was going on until the two stories came together in the middle. She writes well and the ending was good. Three stars for plot and writing style but this author is not for me.

Not my favourite from Karin Slaughter, however still a good solid read, full of suspense and mystery!
I was intrigued from the start, and hooked by the end.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley. Another sure winner from Karin Slaughter. I have been a massive fan of her books right from the beginning and a new book by her is a delight This one doesn't disappoint. Totally gripping from start to finish.

I read my first Karin Slaughter book, Pretty Girls, about a year and a half ago and I was immediately hooked. I have since read all but one of her stand-alones and have been working my way through her fantastic Grant County series. Her books are always brutal, electrifying and nail-bitingly tense. A word of warning – her books are all pretty violent and have very intense themes so if you can’t stand violence in books then I’d give them a miss! However if you can handle it then I honestly think you’d be hard pressed to find a better crime/thriller writer.

Pieces of Her is one of Slaughter’s stand alone novels and I was gripped the whole way through reading it. I had no idea where the story was going to go next most of the time and even when I did have an inkling, Slaughter still managed to shock and surprise me. The characters are all really interesting and the relationships between them were full of layers and intricacies. The central question in Pieces of Her is one that so many books have addressed – how well do we really know the people we love? This question is always fascinating to look into and see how different authors interpret it. The book also delves in the mother/daughter relationship and the inherent strength and power of that bond. These points are addressed in a realistic way even with all the twists and turns of the plot. Pieces of Her’s point of view is split between Andy in the present day and her mother, Laura, in the 1980s. The story works so well because as Andy finds out more about her mother’s complex past, the reader also gets to understand how Laura felt when the events that shape the story were taking place. This insight into both of them gives the book more impact than if everything was simply from Andy’s perspective.

Overall I think Pieces of Her is another fantastic read from a super talented author. The plot is gripping and consistently shocking but it also feels incredibly relevant to problems that are faced all over the world. As always Slaughter has managed to create characters that are multifaceted and neither heroes nor saints but also still easy to root for. If you enjoy fast paced and gritty thrillers then I think Pieces of Her would be an excellent choice.

I have to admit that although I have a large number of Karin Slaughter books on my bookshelf and kindle I have yet to read them. The idea of a standalone novel to introduce myself to the author was very tempting and I was not disappointed.

Pieces of Her is a fast paced novel, alternating between Andrea's story in the present and Laura's story in the past. There was enough action and intrigue to keep the reader's interest all the way through to the last page.

I am now looking forward to working my way through my whole collection of Slaughter's novels.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I have really enjoyed the Karin Slaughter books over the years and, although my favourite are the Will Trent novels, I have enjoyed her stand alone novels too. This book is one of the latter. Andy is a pretty aimless thirty-something who seems to be a bit of a slob. During a lecture about this from her mother at a cafe, a young man comes in a shoots two people, He then wants to shoot Andy but her mother, Laura, saves her in a calm and measured way, killing the man in the process. This sparks questions about who Laura really is and what the truth of her past is. After a second attack, Laura tells Andy to run and she does - driving north aimlessly at first but then in an effort to find out who her mother is/was. Alongside this, we learn the story of Laura’s past life,

I was very keen to find out what had happened to Laura / Jane as she was such a complex character and not always a very nice one. Nick was such a manipulative man that you really wanted her to finally stand up to him. Andy did seem to have a bit mor about her by the end but was never really a sympathetic character or deeply drawn. I enjoyed this but not quite as much as the previous two stand alone novels.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This is a stand alone novel from Karin Slaughter and being a fan of her series books I was excited to receive this as a review copy.
The story concerns a mother and her 31 year old daughter, Laura and Andrea Cooper and through a series of events it examines their relationship.
Andy thought she knew everything about her mother but when she goes out for a birthday lunch with Laura and something awful happens, she sees a side of her that she has never seen before. How can law abiding Laura be capable of cold blooded murder in order to protect her daughter and what other secrets does she have to hide from her?
Andy sets off on a road trip trying to escape the trouble that her mother seems to have brought down on them and en route begins to discover some massive secrets her mother has been keeping. Does she really know her at all?
The book alternates between flashbacks to Laura’s past and current events and at first it is difficult to work out how these two timeframes link up.
However once I got into the parts set in the 1980s I enjoyed them as much as Andy’s story in the present. I was suddenly desperate to find out how these two plot lines were connected.
Karin Slaughter is an expert storyteller and this book, like all her series books and stand alone novels kept me hooked and indeed I was on the edge of my seat for most of the story.
It wasn’t a huge mystery but I liked the character development and the relationships between the various characters, particularly the relationship between Laura and Andy.
I found the ending slightly strange and reread the last few pages a couple of times in case I had missed something.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Karin Slaughter and Harper Collins for my ARC of Pieces of Her.
I'm a huge fan of Karin Slaughter, particularly of the Will Trent series but I've also been really enjoying her standalone novels.
Pieces of Her focuses on the main character Andrea 'Andy', a 31 year old woman who is coasting through life. Andy was living in New York trying to make a career for herself in the world of theatre, when her mum gets sick she goes home to care for her and ends up staying. Now she's working a job she feels indifferent about, living above her mum's garage and not really doing much with her life.

Everything changes when breakfast at the diner with her mother turns into a fight for their lives and Andy sees a different woman to the Mum she's known all her life. Andy's world is turned upside down as she begins to wonder who her mum really is.

This book is a combination of crime/thriller and a story of self discovery. If the main character wasn't 31 I would say it was almost a coming of age story. The story skips between modern day and the 1980s as we see Andy playing detective and the true story of what happened. I found it to be a real page turner, it was incredibly fast paced and exciting and I had no idea what was going to happen from one chapter to the next. I found the conclusion to be a very satisfactory ending which answered all my questions.
My only bug bear was part of Andy's character, at times she behaved in a way that was more like a teenage girl than someone of 31 and which didn't quite tie in with her major in performing arts or her job as a 911 call handler. I'd begun to wonder if she had a learning disability but this was never mentioned... her behaviour and attitude was at times frustrating in that she often just stops speaking and can't say anything... but that was the only small thing that bothered me about the whole book. The rest I absolutely loved!

A fantastic stand alone novel from Karin Slaughter. It jumped between mother and daughters stories and kept me guessing right up to the end.