I knew the name but hadn't read any of Karen Slaughter's books before. Struggled a little with this one but glad I preserved as I really enjoyed this one. Will definitely be reading more of her work.
Thank yo to the author and to NetGalley for the ARC.

I love a good Karin Slaughter book. She is one of my favorite authors and has shown true class in her writing. Moving away from the debit Granted County series, the author has shown she is a truly multi skilled writer.

This book is a standout read and gripping at every page, keeping the reader on tenderhooks about what the mother has done, drawing the reader to a phenomenal conclusion.

Another international best seller coming this way, from Karin Slaughter.

I loved the premise of the story and think that is it wonderfully written. The way that Slaughter effortless weaves between the past and present is fabulously done. At no point is the story confusing and every single element of it works to draw you in explain that nothing within Pieces of Her is black and white.

I loved Laura as a character. She starts off as interesting as her actions at the mall makes you wonder how this suburban mother can react in such a manner. However, it doesn't stop there. As Laura’s story unfolds in the past, you realise the extent of the journey she has been on and realise that for her the line between right and wrong is blurred. It was Laura and her story that kept me turning the page.

Back in the present though, unfortunately I did not feel the same way about Andy. For me, she let the book down as I found her to be whiney and annoying. Her tepidness and hesitancy were frustrating to say the least, and I found her journey and development as a character to be far less believable than Laura's. 

As a result, I spent the first half of the book convincing myself not to give up and to keep going. I almost put it down for good so many times, but I am so glad that I didn't as suddenly I was hooked and was up until 2am reading 'just one more chapter'. Therefore, if you are like me you will need to persevere with this one, but you will be glad that you did.

Overall, I have to admit that I didn't 100% love this one as I felt the second half was so much better than the first. That being said, it was a good solid summer read and once things kicked off in the past for Laura, I just couldn't put it down as I had to know how it all ended.

You think you really know someone, especially someone as close as your own mother, with whom you’ve been living together for the last three years, until the day everything changes and you see her under a completely different light and you find out that your mother’s life is full of secrets. Every time I read a new Karin Slaughter’s novel I know that I will be surprised, captivated, and completely glued to the page, and, once again, I wasn’t disappointed.

PIECES OF HER starts with what it was supposed to be a normal day at the mall. Andrea is thirty-one years old, she is living in her mother’s garage, working the night shift as a dispatcher, and going through her days with nothing barely exciting going on. She certainly didn’t expect to be snapped out of her monotony during her birthday lunch with her mother, Laura. After a man starts shooting at the mall and another one breaks into her mother’s house and threatens her, Andrea finds herself on the run across the United States while she tries to uncover her mother’s secrets.

Although the novel is slow-paced, the tension is always high. The present narration is interrupted by flashbacks to a past linked somehow to Laura and I found myself completely absorbed in both narratives. While reading about Andrea’s investigation on her mother’s past I couldn’t wait to go back to the story of a naïve young girl who found herself involved in something that she couldn’t control, and vice versa.

Even though I expected some of the twists, I still found myself mesmerised and eager to find out what would happen next. The beautiful writing style of the author makes for an entertaining read and, once again, Karin Slaughter created well-developed characters. At the beginning, I found the character of Andrea often irritating and frustrating, but it was fascinating watching her mature and pull out her surviving (and also investigative) skills and half-way through the book I started really liking her.

PIECES OF HER is a stunning, compulsive, and unusual read that it’s not easy to put down and I’d like to thank HarperCollins for providing me with an early copy of the book.

Thanks once again to netgallery for letting me read early release copy of this book, I found the story of this book very good, Laura and Andy story was very intriguing but I also found it very hard to read as well as I found the way it written hard to get into but i wanted to know what happened in the end.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an advance copy of Pieces of Her, a stand alone novel, set in various US locations.

Andy Oliver doesn't recognise her suburban speech pathologist mother, Laura, when she takes down and kills a spree killer in a diner. The sudden notoriety brings danger to their door so Laura forces Andy to flee and in doing so arouses Andy's curiosity about the mother she thought she knew but obviously doesn't and sets her on a voyage of discovery.

I thoroughly enjoyed Pieces of Her which is a long, sprawling novel with a dense plot line and some good twists. It is told in two timelines with the flashbacks to the events of 1986 informing the present day narrative. Ms Slaughter does, however, keep it simple with each timeline having one narrator. I found both timelines compulsive reading with the 1986 one having a slight edge, being seemingly more eventful but as there is plenty going on in the present day this may be a false impression on my part. I must admit that I found much of the plot a bit difficult to swallow at first until I realised that as much of the 1986 events are extrapolations of real life events it's not as fanciful as it may seem. I'm purposefully being vague so as not to reveal spoilers.

It is initially difficult to like either Laura or Andy as protagonists, Laura because she's fairly hard nosed and has made some terrible decisions in her life and Andy because she's an awful ditherer without a practical bone in her body. It is, however, fascinating to watch them evolve as the novel progresses.

Pieces of Her is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I’m a bit of a Karin Slaughter fan and this isn’t a Will and Sara book.
It tells two stories: today, Andrea finds herself caught up in a set of terrible circumstances on her birthday that lead her to find out that her mother isn’t the person she thought she was. We also get caught up in the events in 1986 that shaped Andrea’s mother Laura.
It’s an intricately plotter thriller - at times I struggled to keep up - and the pace varies from a little slow to edge of your seat. I didn’t find it as big a page turner as Slaughter’s previous novels, and the characterisation sometimes felt a bit forced, but she’s still an accomplished writer and you won’t be disappointed.

I’ll be honest, I got a bit lost in the political-side of this book and I’m not entirely sure I really understood it to a point where these people would collaborate in such a way to commit murder.

The weathly family sucked into a battle or wealth vs morals - nothing new there. Lies, corruption, a love story (or two) and a family based on a hidden past. The journey we take through Andy’s eyes is a fast and furious affair spanning many states and getting into all manner of situations that no one would want to experience. Whilst reading you can feel your heart quicken to ensure that she’s safe, that she gets where she needs to go and she gets out alive. It’s a fast-paced exhilarating journey to discover her mum’s true identity and past demeanours.

Apart from the reasoning, I loved the book and couldn’t wait to read every page - I love getting half-way through a gritty book to find there’s still more drama and excitement to come!

Well worth a read - a great book for one sitting! Expect to get your heart-rate racing with the adventure.

Andreia (Andy) came home from New York to nurse her mother, Laura, who was suffering from breast cancer. Although her mother wasn’t aware of it, this was no great wrench for Andy, who was, literally, drowning in New York; struggling to pay rent on a shared apartment she hated and with dead end jobs. Now, her mother is recovered, but Andy is still something of a drifter. She has a fairly low paid, undemanding job and is just beginning to come under pressure to move out – she is thirty-one – and to get her career together.

One day, after an arduous night shift, Andy and her mother are sitting in a diner, when an incident occurs which changes everything. It makes Andy see her mother as a completely new person and results in her having to go on the run, her former life shaken to the core.

It is, to be honest, hard to review this book without giving spoilers. This is a fast moving and exciting novel, which explores Laura’s past, while also following Andy’s journey. It is a novel which also looks at the relationship between mother’s and daughter’s and moves into a dual time frame. I am never really that fond of novels which take place during two different times, as I think the whole dual time frame idea has been incredibly over-used. However, I would say that the author manages to weave the storylines together well, so that she keeps Andy’s point of view at the forefront of the novel. Overall, an interesting and exciting read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

WOW! Two thrillers for the price of one! Well-written, well-constructed, well-paced. Explores the relationship between mother (Laura) and daughter (Andy/Andrea and how each relies on the other. Explores what you will do for the people you love, how far you will go and what happens when you reach your limit. The story is well-balanced between the past and the present - a cliff-hanger is reached in one time frame and then left hanging while we are returned to the present. Cleverly done.
Karin Slaughter always gives a good tale but this is another step up.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Karin Slaughter/Harper Collins for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Andrea knows everything about her mother Laura. They’ve lived in the idyllic seaside town of Belle Isle for most of Andy’s life. She’s seen her mum through breast cancer and divorce and watched her become a much loved speech therapist at the centre of the small community.

Meeting Laura for brunch at the mall takes them both into the path of a lovelorn armed teenager desperate to take revenge on the girl who dumped him. Laura’s heroic attack on the killer to save her daughter is filmed on a mobile phone and goes viral. Life will never be the same again. The life that she escaped thirty years ago threatens to catch up with both Laura and Andy with devastating results.

I’m always a bit nervous when I pick up a Karin Slaughter book that doesn’t feature the enigmatic Will Trent. Over the past decade I’ve loved the stories with him and Sara Linton and there is a certain comfort in falling into the arms of much loved characters and “old friends”. I needn’t have worried on that score though. Andy is a sassy character who really comes into her own as the book goes on. She’s got a heart of gold and loves her family but hasn’t found the life that makes her happy yet. It is a complex story with some pretty dark and disturbing characters.

Slaughter has a marvellous way of writing that makes you feel like you are on the run with Andy, keeping pace with her attempt to escape and helping her to piece together the real woman behind Laura. It is an intense thriller, often violent and a little graphic but that realism is the key to what makes Andy tick. If you’re looking for something a bit more engaging for your holiday read you won’t be disappointed by Pieces of Her.

Supplied by Net Galley and Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

When I pick up a Karin Slaughter book, I know before I start reading that it's going to be thrilling, and that I'm going to love it.

Andy is in her 30's. She tried and failed to make it on her own, and returned to the open arms of her loving mother - lost and deflated. Her mother, Laura, was happy for Andy to stay in the apartment above her garage and take as long as she needed to find her feet.

Andy and Laura are in a diner, when a troubled man starts shooting people. All of a sudden, Andy's caring mother becomes a different person. She kills the man, and it seems like she knows what she is doing. She becomes distant and uncaring. She tells Andy to move out. Andy is confused, she doesn't know who her mother is anymore. The book follows her journey to find out who Laura really is, and what secrets she is keeping from her only daughter, who spent the last 30 years believing her mother was just a normal wife and mother.

This book is a continuous chase - Andy is chasing the truth, and someone may be chasing her, too. There is constant tension, but it isn't a mindless action thriller and the pace is quite steady. As I would expect from the author, it's both psychologically and emotionally challenging. There's plenty of confusion and uncertainty, but the plot unravels beautifully.

Andy makes a great protagonist because she is easy to like, and she's so unsure of what's happening I felt like she was going through the same journey as me. I enjoyed the way a lot of the characters seemed mysterious and sinister, until Andy discovers who they really are and their true personalities come out.

I wouldn't say this is my favourite Karin Slaughter novel, but it's riveting and very well written. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or thriller.

I have been a huge Karen Slaughter fan for many years and read most of her books.
This is the first one that I have to say I really didn’t like or enjoy.
I found the characters particularly unlikeable. Andrea is one of the most irritating characters I’ve come across although during the flashbacks, Laura is just as bad. I couldn’t see what Mike adds to the story other than to add a little bit of titivation or to suggest history repeating itself.
I’m assuming the idea behind the plot is to show how people can be sucked into doing horrific acts because of one charismatic person. I can see the logic in this, it has happened throughout history, it should work.
But I really couldn’t have cared less what happened to any of them, except maybe Gordon, he seems to have got a raw deal.
May thanks to Netgalley for this copy but I’m afraid it wasn’t for me.

I loved the author' s last book, so started this with high hopes. The beginning part is brilliant; a daughter discovers that her mother has a secret past. Sadly though, the rest of the book doesn't live up to expectations, with little suspense. Maybe if it had all been written from the daughter's timeline, the plot would have had more of an edge. From halfway through there are no surprises. Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jane is besotted with Nick to the point where she would do anything he asked of her. His plans test her to her very core, his powers of manipulation know no bounds as he sweeps vulnerable people into his cult like army. This book is cleverly written and weaves a story of emotional depravity and deception, it starts in the present day and snatches back intermittently to fill in the back story which unwinds slowly and leads you to a thrilling conclusion.
Interesting and compelling although earlier chapters feel unrelated, I was at 50% before I made a connection, it is worth sticking with it as it reveals itself beautifully.

I would like to thank HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Pieces Of Her’ by Karin Slaughter in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Andy is dining in a shopping mall with her mother Laura when a gunman, Jonah Lee Helsinger, comes in and starts shooting. Laura appears to deliberately stab the gunman in the neck then tells Andy to go, move out of their home and live her own life. This begins her search to discover who her mother really is and her secrets.
‘Pieces Of Her’ is completely different to Karin Slaughter’s previous novels and I’m not sure I like it. It has a strong fast-paced plot and plenty of action but the story is very involved and I found it confusing with the number of characters and events that happened in 1986 and the present time. I didn’t like the character of Andy who I thought was weak and indecisive, but maybe that’s how she’s supposed to come over. I’ve always enjoyed reading any thriller written by this author but this one didn’t do anything for me which is a pity. I’m sure there are lots of readers who’ll love it but I’m sorry Karin, it just wasn’t for me.

Fantastic book which kept me gripped throughout. A thriller of a ride from a top-notch author. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. A compelling plot with incredible characters. Definitely would recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Karin Slaughter is one of my favourite authors, and I was extremely grateful to have the chance to read this book early. It became clear quite early on that this story would be different to many of her other works, and it took me a few chapters to get into the rhythm. Once I did I really enjoyed the story. The back and forth between timelines, and blurring of lines between good guy and bad guy. The characters felt vivid and real, which is a skill Slaughter never fails to amaze me with. Another great stand alone from one of the genre’s best.

This is a stand-alone book and is a clever and complex thriller.
Andrea is with her Mum when there is an attack in the mall and her mum's reaction is a massive shock to Andrea.
After the attack her Mum tells her to leave and head towards a storage unit, and not come back until she tells her to.
Andrea is confused and angry that her mum seems to be pushing her away but begrudgingly follows her instructions.
Alongside this story we have flashbacks to 1986 where another shocking event took place and shaped the lives of a small group of people.
The two stories tie in together at the end and build up to a breath taking conclusion.
This is a really clever story and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all?
Andrea Cooper knows everything about her mother Laura. She knows she's spent her whole life in the small town of Gullaway Island; she knows she's never had any more ambition than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she's never kept a secret in her life.
But one day, a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura.
Twenty-four hours later, Laura is in hospital, shot by an intruder who's spent thirty years trying to track her down. Now, Andrea must go on a desperate journey to follow the breadcrumbs of her mother's past. If she can't uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either of them…

Wow!! What a story..... I didn't know what was going to happen next!

I felt that the book gave enough background to make me feel that I was going though what Andy (Andrea) was experiencing with her. I genuinely couldn't wait to see how this ended and I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting it.

The storyline is great, it is written from two points of view at times but it is not in the least bit confusing and helps to build the story up to come together.

Honestly loved it!