This was a real let down.
The main character was so weak and the whole story line was totally unrealistic.
Far from the authors best.

Veteran author Karin Slaughter really sinks her teeth into this great- but decidedly weird- book about cults and family. The story itself is split between Andrea, who witnesses her mother, Laura, perform an extraordinary act of self-defence in a restaurant one day- and Laura herself, whose backstory we cover in detail as Andi tries to find out just who she is.

Though there were several parts where I felt lost, the story itself is full of mystery and violence, laid atop a slowly unravelling mystery that unfolds across its two storylines. Slaughter excels at writing fully-rounded characters that leap from the page, and it’s no different here: we watch Laura develop from a scared girl into the person we see in the present day, as we do with Andi as she tries to make sense of a world that’s spiralling out of control. It’s fast-paced, if a little convoluted, and, with a backstory all about domestic terrorism, it’s certainly very different to anything else you’ll pick up this winter!

You know, I was beyond stoked when I got my hands on this book. You all know how deep a love I have for Karin Slaughter's work, and there are few authors I get as excited about when they have a new book coming, so I was over the moon when I got my paws on this. My joy, however, was short lived.

It is not that I hated Pieces of Her, not at all, but I did not find it nearly as thrilling or as well crafted as Slaughter's other work. I didn't like any of the characters, which in and of itself is not something that would ruin a book for me, it's just that I wasn't keen on the story. Usually I am fascinated with cults, I really am, and I was interested to see where this would go, and in parts it is really good, and others it is just... bland.

I was so interested to read about the relationship between Andy and Laura, but it never really felt real for me. I did like Gordon. I seriously thought we had some espionage thriller on our hands, and then it went another way. I am seriously struggling to write a review for this. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I just found it to be a bit of a chore to read in the sense that it did not hook me and take me captive, where I just had to know what was going on every second of the way. It is, without a doubt, the most disappointing Slaughter read I have ever read. That is all I can really say on it.

Another stonker from Slaughter!

How a thriller should be written.

Amazing characters, incredible strong independent women.

LOVED it!

A perfect read.
Completely different from previous novels, full of twists and turns. Relatable characters whom I would be ready to find again in a further novel

Pieces of Her goes to great lengths to show how little you know someone, even those closest to you!
The research and thought that have obviously gone into the creation of this is evident in the storytelling and only Karin Slaughter could have put it together so brilliantly.
I found once I’d began reading this, it was impossible to put it down. I would like to see the characters again, maybe finding out how the revelations in this have had an impact on their relationship, and how they can go forward .
I can’t recommend this highly enough!!

Amazing-Karil Slaughter is a quality writer and this one does not disappoint. A little graphic and not for the faint-hearted. Rather a long book and slightly predictable but nonetheless a cracking read from one of the worlds best authors.

Mother/Daughter relationship books always draw me in - I think it's fascinating that some people can think of their mother as their best friend while others grow up fearing that one day, they'll turn into their mother. Andy and Laura's relationship is an interesting one - Andy assumes she knows everything about Laura, but an event changes all that in seconds.

As with most of Karin's books, this one starts with a bang (literally). We go back and forth between 2018 and 1986, and see the contrast between the two women (including the opportunities available to them). The issue of overprotective parents is not hammered home, but it's there - Laura has done everything she can to protect Andy, but has it backfired? Is it possible to grow up with a parent and still never really know who they are?

Overall this is another fast-paced, action packed thriller from Karin that would be a great holiday read.

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…

A stand-alone thriller by Karin Slaughter which does not disappoint.
Told from two different and interesting viewpoints, the plot is fast paced and suspenseful.
The setting, spread across various cities once it gets going, is atmospheric and edge of your seat.
The two main characters and quite a few of the supporting ones are deep and intriguing, with their own story to tell, Andrea is a strong woman who just doesn’t know it but is soon forced to acknowledge her own inner strength, whilst Laura is a mystery to all those who thought they knew her but didn’t.
A good solid thriller, that I couldn’t put down.

'Pieces of her ' is a stand alone novel from author Karin Slaughter.

Andrea Cooper thinks she knows everything about her mother Laura, but everything is about to change. When Andrea and Laura get involved in a violent encounter, Laura shows a different side to her personality. Laura is shot by someone who has spent the last thirty years trying to track her down. The gunman is stopped in his tracks by Laura who displays a coolness while overcoming the killer, while everyone else is left paralysed with fear.
Laura instantly notices the change in her mother and begins a search for the truth. She is determined to discover the truth about her mother past and uncovers secrets that threaten several lives. The story is told through two timelines allowing the reader to discover the events as they happen in the past and present.
This is a fast paced thriller which I found a little different to previous novels I have read by the author.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Harper Collins for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Slightly different to Karin Slaughters other books but I enjoyed the added level of mystery this one had. Thanks for allowing me to review this book.

An interesting story from Knowing Karin Slaughter. Written from two perspectives, a mother, in the past and the current, her daughter. You wonder all through the book, what is it that the mother has done that causes all the drama for her daughter so many years later. A real page turner and one not to be missed.

4.5*

Laura and her daughter, Andy, are in the local mall when a man walks in killing two women. Whilst preventing the killer from harming Andy Laura kills him. The police investigate – is Laura actually a killer? Has Laura got secrets?

Then Andy finds her mum in trouble a man has her tied up – Andy hits him and he dies. Laura tells her to go, gives her instructions on what to do. Andy leaves but after following Laura’s instructions she starts to do some of her own investigation into her mother.

As Andy tries to find out who her mother really is we are transported back in time to meet Jayne, Nick and Andrew. It’s the 1980s in Oslo where a murder is committed – Jayne and Andrew’s father is shot. It seems straight forward, the killer takes their own life. Then back in the USA the FBI, amongst other Agencies, are looking into the incident. There is a kidnapped women still missing. They are suspicious. As the net grows ever closer on the suspected perpetrators their actions and decisions will affect the family forever.

Karin Slaughter really knows how to weave a twisty tale, her pacing is excellent and she draws you into the plot so you feel you are almost in it yourself. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to like Laura and Andy but I did, I really liked what the revelation of Laura’s past did to their relationship.

Karin Slaughter continues with her fascinating exploration into family relationships with this cracking read. Her plotting, writing and characterisation is, as always, wonderful and you race through this book to find out what happens.

Whilst I have always enjoyed the series that Karin Slaughter writes these stand-alone books are fast becoming favourites and I would happily recommend Pieces of Her, indeed all of them, to readers.

This is the fourth stand-alone book and the third that I have read, click on the link if you would like to read what I thought of Cop Town and The Good Daughter.

I would like to thanks HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the eARC of Pieces of Her via NetGalley. This is my own opinion. I have not received any payment in relation to my review.

I read Pieces of Her as one of my #20BooksofSummer challenge books.

As ever Karin displays a mastery of her art
Great Book
Great characters
Great Read
Anyone who likes this genre this is a must read

Karin Slaughter has a wonderful ability to reel in the reader with a totally absorbing story. When mother and daughter Laura and Andy are caught up in a shooting at a Mall it begins a horrifying roller coaster of events that question every part of their tangled lives. Alternating between the present day and thirty years earlier this complex story unravels in increasingly shocking installments. Love and hate become entwined questioning the fine line between the two. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, my only criticism would be that the ending felt a little incomplete.

Pieces of Her is a different type of book than usual from Karin Slaughter. It is a stand alone fast paced story with some great characters. It grabbed my attention right from the start. Cleverly written, well thought out plot. Highly recommended.

This book started brilliant, a Mum out with her daughter enjoying a birthday meal and BAM a killer enters the cafe and shoots the diners......the Mum ( with little fuss) apprehends the killer and kills him!!!!...the daughter is shocked...just who is this woman she calls Mum?....and then...well then I spent the next few hundred pages confused as the back story and present story swopped and changed and at times ( with a massive set of characters ) lost me...I spent a lot of the book wondering who was who and who had done what and that was with a fair amount of repetition in the story...the present day story was easier but again at times I was shaking my head thinking ‘I haven’t a clue what is happening’ and sadly nor did I care enough to go back and re read to find out!
I didn’t care for most of the characters tbh and although finished the book feel I am not that much wiser as to what I have read than when I started!
Karin Slaughter has 35 million books in print and is a very popular author but this book for me didn’t do it at all and well , that’s it ....

I remember reading this and feeling quite shocked and drawn in but a few days after I can't say I have the same feelings about it, I'm finding myself not really remembering it.
This is my second Karin Slaughter book and I definitely enjoy her writing style and ability to create tension and suspense. I'm not a huge fan of dual perspective novels and this one really didn't work for me. I really struggled to get a handle on constantly flitting from the present to the past especially when there were several characters to remember and know. I think part of the reason this didn't work for me was that it took away from the 'whodunnit' part of the story. When I read suspense and thriller I like to try and solve the puzzle but it was presented in front of me as more of a 'howdunnit'. So, this is a matter of personal preference.
This hasn't completely put me off of Slaughters work but I would probably do more research in future into what style of writing she uses.
Despite all this I do remember quite vividly that I enjoyed this read. The characters were mostly believable and for the most part I found the events also quite believable in a slightly unbelievable event (if that makes sense),
4/5 Stars

I’m torn between giving this book a 3 or 4 star rating. I’ve went for the 4 star as I enjoyed the read and I was hooked in parts, but it certainly wasn’t of the usual 5 star Slaughter books I’ve been used to.
I found the character of Andy quite unlikable and boring, the plot as a whole pretty far-fetched and the flashbacks tedious.
Having said that, it is well-written and gets the heart racing at times.
Would I recommend it to friends & family? Yes, but I’d tell them to wait until it’s half price.

I must confess to almost giving up on ‘Pieces of Her’ as I found the opening chapters rather boring, the hook arrived quite late but what a hook! After that it was a great read, with an intriguing plot. Nick the charismatic con man who desperately wanted to save the world by blowing it up certainly didn’t fool the readers but like so many other leaders, fooled the followers. I felt sorry for Mike who probably now walks like a cowboy without a horse! I am giving it four out of five because of the slow start.