Another amazing book by Karin Slaughter. The book just swept me up and carried me through. I resented it when real life got in the way of reading this book. Highly recommend

"I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review"

What if the person youthought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all?

Andrea Cooper knows everything about her mother Laura. She's knows she's spent her whole life in the small beach side 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. Because we all know our mothers, don't we?
But all that changes when a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. A side which is a million miles from the quiet, gentle woman who brought her up. And more than that, news coverage of the mall attack puts Laura's face on every TV screen in the country - and leaves her terrified. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura she was someone completely different. For nearly 30 years she's been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one will ever find her and re-open the wounds left by the terrible events which made it impossible for her ever to go back. But now she's been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.
Twenty-four hours later Laura is in hospital, shot by an intruder who's spent thirty years trying to track her down and discover what she knows. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumbs of her mother's past. And if she can't uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either of them.

Well this is my first Karin Slaughter novel I have ever read and I am only up to chapter 7 and I am already so confused but want to keep reading to find out what the hell is going on. I am 133 pages in and I am already hooked so I would say that is a good thing about a book when you are first getting into a new author. Normally by now I can see where things would be starting to lead by now, but I am completely clueless and I am loving it. I plan to do an up date around the 25% mark of the book, so my next will be around 50% etc. I will try and stay spoiler free when it comes to the plot and characters (mind you at the moment I know little of each so everyone is safe)

I am up to chapter 11 and I have really gotten into this book. I didn't release that it has a past and present element to the story and I love those kinds of books. I still am so full of questions and have no idea what is going on but for me that is a good thing because I normally know the ending to these kinds of books very early on, so I see myself buying more Karin Slaughters books (already brought 2 already) because I love her writing style. Well back to the book and see if I can figure out who did what and when.

On to chapter 14 now and things are making a lot more sense than they where before now. I am still loving the book and very interested in how it is going to end with how thing are at the moment. I really hate Nick, they're no words to express my hatred of him and what he has done so far.

Well that was a 4 out of 5 read, I loved the story and the ending tied everything up the way I needed it to. The only reason it is not a 5 star book is because at someone thing I found I was missing and even as I write this I am not sure what it is. I know at some point in the story not sure when now but I remembered feeling slightly bored and maybe that was it. I found some small parts in the book boring. Even with saying that I really did enjoy her book and am look forward to reading more books by her. I just need to get some of these other back logged Netgalley TBRs over with first.

Absolutely fabulous as always. Karin Slaughters books never disappoint, and this one is absolutely fantastic!!

Slaughter says in her name! She is the queen of crime. Sit down & be prepared to me engaged. Every book she writes is worth reading and this one doesn’t disappoint.

It's hit and miss with Karin Slaughter for me. I enjoyed this okay, but I was okay to put it down and not pick up for a few weeks as well. It's an interesting mystery, but not enough to keep me at the edge of my seat.

When an incident in the mall occurs whilst Andrea and her mother Laura are spending some time there, it isn't the incident itself which is shocking, but her mother's reaction to it.

Before she knows it, Andrea is on the run, going on an unexpected road trip of sorts and meeting all sorts of interesting characters along the way, some of them terrifying. She needs to figure out how these people fit into her mothers life, from a time before she was even born. She is learning there is a whole other aspect to her mother that she had no clue about. Who is this woman anyway?

This was an interesting book in many ways and the premise of the story was a good one. I felt like it got a bit confusing about two-thirds of the way through but things became clearer again by the end.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins.

Thank you Harper Collins Australia and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This is the first Karin Slaughter book I have read, although I have had many of my TBR list. I really enjoyed this book as well as the change of genre. I look forward to reading more by this author.

3.5 stars. Karin Slaughter has continued to grow as an author, with increasingly complex but relatable characters that make her books great to read. Initially, I wasn’t sure whether I would enjoy this book, as it slowed a lot after a fast-paced opening, but it picked up again with the reluctant protagonist, Andrea, trying to uncover who her mother really is, and why there are people trying to kill her.

Note - my digital copy appeared to have some formatting errors on Adobe Digital Additions, so I waited to buy a copy of this to finish reading, as it wouldn't let me bookmark pages and i had to keep sifting through to find where I was at.

This has been really hard to read as i was sent a corrupt copy and it seems there are bits missing, hence this can't really be reviewed properly. Since i love Karin's writing, i will perhaps buy a copy and review as such.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read any of Karins books yet so I was very excited to be able to do so. Well it didn't disappoint. I loved it. I found the characters were great and so easy to read and follow. I also liked the fact it was a standalone and not a series. I look forward to reading more of her work.

Thirty-one-year-old Andrea (Andy) Cooper had rushed home to Gullaway Island from New York when her mother had rung to tell her she had breast cancer. To be by her side, caring for her through chemotherapy and the hair loss, the nausea and all that went with it was all Andy wanted to do. Now Laura was in remission, Andy knew it was time to plan for her future; to move on. But the day she and her mother were in the mall café chatting over coffee and a young man bent on murder walked through the door, was the day Andy realized she didn’t know her mother at all.

On the run and terrified for her life, Andy followed the instructions from her mother as though on auto pilot. She had no idea what was going on; no idea who her mother really was; if she was even her mother at all. But the further she travelled, the more she learned and the more confused she became. What would be the outcome in this strange and convoluted case?

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter switches back and forth between 1986, told by Laura and 2018 in Andy’s voice, and telling of the horrifying events which eventually led to what happened in 2018. The twists and intrigue were well done; while Andy became really annoying. Laura was a well-crafted character, but the events of 1986 – wow! Pieces of Her was a mostly enjoyable psychological thriller, but definitely not the author’s best IMHO. Recommended.

Every time I pick up one of Karin Slaughter’s novels, I think – oh my gosh, that woman can write! So of course I couldn’t resist the temptation of Pieces of Her, despite the doleful stares of the books in my Alpine TBR pile that are impatiently waiting to be read.

I went into this book totally blind, which often is the best way, so the story line took me completely by surprise. It starts off innocently enough: Andrea Cooper is a thirty year old woman with a long history of dead-end jobs behind her and no real direction in life. She has recently moved back in with her mother Laura, a speech therapist, initially to help her get through chemotherapy for breast cancer and later until Andrea can figure out what to do with her life. On Andrea’s thirty-first birthday, mother and daughter go to a local diner for a celebratory lunch, when an unknown gunman barges into the restaurant and opens fire on the patrons, instantly killing some and wounding others.

I will not give away any more, except to say that Andrea and Laura’s lives will be altered forever by the events of that afternoon, and Andrea will soon discover that the straight-laced woman she has thought her mother to be may be hiding a few dark secrets! Secrets that will soon have Andrea on the run for her life. It was at this point that I gleefully rubbed my hands together – a cat-and-mouse game with a woman on the run as well as dark family secrets, it really couldn’t get much better than this! For some reason I just looove books where the main protagonist is on the run, whether from the law or from assailants (or both), maybe because I appreciate the subterfuge and the tension of the chase.

From here, the book unfolded in two separate timelines, one from Andrea’s present POV, the other from Laura’s past. Whilst I initially felt more engaged with Andrea’s story, I was soon drawn into the events of the past, and was happy to see that both stories came together beautifully in the end, each carefully preserving their secrets until the explosive finale. This is a skill not to be underestimated, as I often find that a) one POV is usually more engaging then the other; b) one POV often gives something away too soon and destroys the mystery; and c) switching between past and present, plus different POVs, can make the story feel disjointed. None of this was the case here, which just shows Slaughter’s skill as a writer!

I loved the somewhat bumbling and scattered Andrea and felt that her cross-country flight could have gone on a lot longer and I would have still enjoyed every step of the way, and each breadcrumb of information she uncovers. The political background of the 80’s, Laura’s timeline, was well explored and added a depth to the story I appreciated more and more as it accelerated speed on its way to the abyss.

I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed Pieces of Her, but for fear of giving something away I will try to sum it up in four words: fresh, multi-faceted, adrenaline-fuelled and utterly addictive! I loved to see Slaughter deviate from police procedurals for this novel, which offered new characters and a completely different perspective – once you read it you will see what I mean. This was a definite winner for me!

EXCERPT: Andy squeezed her eyes shut. Immediately, the images started scrolling like one of Gordon's vacation slide shows.

Laura holding up her hand.

The long blade slicing into her palm.

Wrenching the knife away.

Backhanding the blade into the man's neck.

Blood.

So much blood.

ABOUT 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.

MY THOUGHTS: Karin Slaughter includes the following by Emily Dickinson in her book. It perfectly describes how I felt on reading Pieces of Her.

'I felt a cleaving in my mind -
As if my brain had split -
I tried to match it - seam by seam -
But could not make them fit.
The thought behind, I strove to join
Unto the thought before -
But sequence ravelled out of sound
Like balls - upon a floor.'

I started out loving Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter. I loved the premise of the book, 'What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all?' I mean, really, how well do we know our parents? We know what they choose to reveal to us. Usually no more.

I loved the opening chapter. I was firmly hooked, and said so. But as the book progressed, I lost interest. Not enough to make me abandon the read, but neither was it the reading frenzy I usually experience when reading this author.

Between the title and the opening chapter, I was expecting something deliciously dark. It wasn't to be. The chapters alternate between 2018 and 1986. It is like reading two different stories and it takes an inordinately long time to make the connection between the two. I didn't feel emotionally invested in any of the characters. Andy is extremely immature and her dithering monologues became extremely wearing and repetitive, as was much of the book. Laura's story also became extremely repetitive, and it seemed like a very long read.

So from the initial excitement, this read deteriorated into a grind for me, and I was relieved to finally close the cover on Pieces of Her.

😍😍.5

THE AUTHOR: Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her eighteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and the instant New York Times bestselling novels Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programing. A native of Georgia, Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta. Her Will Trent series, Grant County series, and standalone novel Cop Town are all in development for film and television.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers, Australia via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

The Good Daughter was one of the most heart wrenching novels I have ever read but also one of the best. I love Karin Slaughter. So I was left very disappointed after reading Pieces of Her. This time I didn't enjoy the storyline and I didn't really like any of the characters. It was just very blah blah and didn't speak to me at all. It's sad because I have to wait another year before I get to read her next one. I think it might be a good time to go back to the Will Trent series. I miss him and Sarah, it's about time she wrote another one anyway.

I must admit my heart was pounding while reading this - the story held me spellbound. There was a lot of action and mystery with characters being challenged and being put in situations that were well beyond ‘normal’. There were many twists and turns with the plot that left you feeling almost dizzy but the main characters held you there as you followed the unfolding of this mystery.
The publisher’s blurb is an excellent introduction to this reverting story which I highly recommend.
What else can I say but you need to read it yourself!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harpers Collins Publishers Australia for an ARC ebook to read and review.

A quiet birthday celebration at a local mall turns deadly in the opening pages of Slaughter's new standalone book, Pieces of Her. A gunman opens fire killing one woman and then turning his sights on a mother, Laura Cooper and her 31 year old daughter, Andrea (Andy). In the middle of the ensuing chaos, Andy watches, paralyzed by fear and shock, as her mother calmly and coldly not only faces down a killer but overcomes him. Like most of us, Andy thought she knew everything there was to know about her mother, but in the aftermath of this tragedy, she's left scared, confused, and devastated . . . wondering who this woman she calls "mother" really is.

Yet another great read by Karin Slaughter, this was very different from the other books I have read by her. With two totally engaging timelines that come together with a fair few surprises, this book was one I didn't want to put down. I enjoyed the way that Andy grew and became a much stronger person as the story developed and she was forced into situations that were so far out of her comfort zone and understanding. As we uncover the secrets from her mothers past through the second timeline it made me think about the kind of personalities that create followers and those who follow.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in return for an honest review.

Karin Slaughter has done it again, what an amazing book! I have read and enjoyed many of her books and this stand alone one is fantastic. If you have not read any of Slaughters books before then you really need to rectify that.. get Pieces of Her!!

Andrea and her mother Laura live in a small, quiet town. One day they are caught up in a violent attack in a cafe in a local shopping mall. When the gunman starts firing Laura starts to behave ini a way that is the complete opposite to the mother than Andrea knows. Once out of hospital Andrea is sent away for own safety and she begins to wonder who her mother really is. As she embarks on her trip she finds out a lot more than she had bargained for and slowly we learn what happened 30 years earlier to make Laura the woman that she is today.

A fantastically written story that I just didn't want to put down today.. thank you to Harper Collins Australia and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to read. My opinions are my own and are in no way biased

Karin Slaughter is yet another of my favourite authors. As well as her popular Grant County and Will Trent series, she's recently released a number of excellent standalone novels. Her latest, Pieces of Her is no different and will certainly appeal to her fans and newcomers alike.

We're given a bit of insight into Andrea (Andy) before the events that upend her life take place. She's returned to her hometown after her mother was diagnosed with cancer. It's been three years and her mother - now recovered - is wanting her to move on. Andy however, has struggled. Her life before returning home was nothing like she'd hoped and she seems to be living (existing) as if in limbo.

I was interested in this: Laura, her mother, is an energetic and vibrant woman; but Andy is seemingly disempowered. Apathetic and almost fearful. I wondered why and probably would have liked a little more backstory / info on her childhood. Despite her 31yr old daughter's seemingly lacklustre life, Laura (however) is her biggest champion...

"I want you to live your life. I want you to be happy, or, failing, that I want you to find peace with yourself....

"As much as I want to make it easier for you, I know that it'll never take unless you do it all on your own....

"You are magnificent because you are uniquely you." Laura pressed her hand to her heart. "You are talented and you are beautiful and you'll find your way, my love, and it will be the right way, no matter what, because it's the path that you set out for yourself." p 19

Andy is forced into action after her mother kills a man who opens fire at a diner. She doesn't recognise the woman her mother becomes in those moments she overcomes and disarms the shooter. Laura's quick-thinking actions mean she receives praise and criticism. And (of course) attention.

Andy's forced into action herself and blindly follows her mother's instructions as she escapes the fallout of the shooting at the diner and what comes after. She uncovers surprise after surprise, realising how little she knows of her mother's life.

The present is interspersed with events of 1986 - around the time Andy is born. Initially I was reticent to dive into the past. I'd identified with Andy and her plight... I didn't want to meet these newcomers!

In our journey back through time we meet a woman bent on revenge and young people railing against the system. And Andy's mother's secrets lie amidst the melee: siblings of an economic and business leader with a healthcare empire; the woman who dare stand up to him; as well as a cult-like leader / agitator and his followers.

This novel is quite timely in today's #metoo climate. 

"Men never have to be uncomfortable around women. Women have to be uncomfortable around men all of the time." p 119

As well as current issues around sexism and violence against women (and the wanton bullying of men as well) Slaughter also touches on the issue of monetary and social policy disadvantaging those most in need - very much in the news at the moment but probably less so when she wrote this book.

"In a nutshell, the Queller Correction posited that economic expansion has historically been underpinned by an undesirable minority or immigrant working class that is kept in check by nativistic corrections.

The progress of many on the backs of an other." p 119

It might not surprise regular readers of my reviews to know I was a tad disappointed with the conclusion. Not that we don't get closure, rather I wasn't entirely sure everyone got what they deserved! Either way, this is a well-paced book with a few surprise twists and another excellent read by the always-reliable Slaughter.

A great thriller which I found hard to put down. A mother who has a secret history you need to run from & figure out what's going on before you get killed. Loved it!