Wonderful book ! Realistic storyline and characters , relevant to today’s society . Different themes for a well established exciting author .
Highly recommended .

First of all, my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book.

I'm a Karin Slaughter fan, my favourite being the Will Trent series. So I should start by saying this stand-alone is something very different.

We follow Andrea and her mother, Laura. Their separate stories are told in the present (Andrea) and in the past (Laura).
The beginning of the book is brilliant and really grabs the reader. There's a terrible incident in a diner and Laura shows a side of herself that seems impossible to believe when she stands up to a violent young man.

We then start to delve into the mystery of Laura when, straight after the diner incident, she seems to turn against her own daughter and tells her to leave home and never come back. Laura may face criminal charges for the incident in the diner, but Andrea simply has no explanation for her mother's bewildering behaviour.

Andrea is a young woman who seems lost in life. She drives across America in search of answers. And the reader is told the backstory of Laura's life and all that she has kept hidden from Andrea and Andrea's father. I can't say much without spoilers. What I will say is that Laura's story was believable but it did not stir sympathy in me. In her long and intricate past, she was at times lost and weak, at times manipulated and a victim, and she came from an extremely wealthy background.

Andrea is thirty-one. She still lived at home and her job in New York hadn't worked out as she wanted. Her drive in search of answers makes her grow up. It makes her stand on her own feet and face problems. However, she also puts other people in danger and nice people are killed because of her blundering. I found this difficult to forgive.

In summary, I have to say that I didn't really like Andrea nor did I like Laura.
Laura has done things that I found believable, and yet they didn't sit comfortably in the story. Maybe because I wasn't expecting terrorism and such like to be included in the book? Or maybe because the story seems an impossible mix between crime thriller and psychological thriller? Or because the parts about Laura became a bit tedious and drawn out and the tension wasn't really there? I'm not sure.

I think Karin Slaughter is especially good at characters. Anyway, by the end of it all, I have to say my favourite characters were minor ones - Clara and Edwin, and Laura's current estranged husband who is always kept out of the picture but is deeply moral and tries to do the right thing.

Gore and blood is what thrillers are about and this one has it's fair share of brains being splattered. However, there are also huge doses of cruelty and that I found more difficult to bear. Especially when the main characters showed such a lack of morality.

But I can't rate the story low because there was something about it that was very good.
After all, I'm a Karin Slaughter fan and her writing in this book was as great as it usually is. The idea was ambitious. Did she pull it off? Almost.
So it's a four stars from me. And with a bit more tension in Laura's backstory and a bit less whining from Andrea and a bit more insight from her, and it might have been a five.

Pieces of Her is a character-driven thriller focusing on themes of self-discovery, the tension of mother/daughter relationships, and a search for the truth.

The book is very different from Slaughter’s previous work, and I feel that fans of hers should know this up front. Pieces of Her is a wonderful story, intriguingly told with well thought out characters, but doesn’t have quite the grit or hard plot turns that many of her crime thrillers have.

I love domestic suspense, so this was a great one for me. The story follows Andy, a mousy, insecure woman incapable of making any decisions and her steely, elegant, confident mother, Laura. The plot moves between Laura’s past in which she’s part of an anarchist group trying to screw ‘the system’, and Andy’s present, as she’s running from an unspecified threat thrust on her after a shocking attack that exposes a side of Laura she’d never seen before.

There are many of Slaughter’s trademark gory scenes and some really great plot twists, but overall this is a character driven novel exploring the complex relationship between mothers and daughters and how that relationship changes as we realize our mother had a life totally separate to us before we were born.

Pieces of Her is another standalone from Karin Slaughter so it’s very different from the Will Trent series, even her other standalone novels and it gives her a chance to explore less criminal issues and more human behaviour and psychological issues.  And boy, did she really explore the psychological.

Andrea (Andy) believes she knows everything about her mother, Laura, a 55 year old speech therapist and recent cancer survivor, who wants nothing more than to live a conventional life in peace and quiet until one day everything is turned on its head.  To celebrate Andy's 31st birthday Laura takes her for lunch to a diner in Belle Isle, when a gunman comes in and starts shooting.  Whilst Andy is cowering in a corner her mother Laura single-handedly takes on the spree killer in a calm and collected way leaving everyone shocked and the murderer dead.  Andy tries to reconcile this cold mercenary behaviour with the kind and caring suburban mother she knows but it seems that person has gone and left a sharp and unfeeling person in it's place.  Or has it?

What if everything you thought you knew about your quiet, middle-aged mother was wrong?

The book follows Andy's 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 to be just a regular wife and mother.  This book is a continuous chase - Andy is chasing the truth, and someone may be chasing her, too.  Constant tension and suspense is held tightly throughout, but it isn't a mindless action thriller, I would say it was more of a mystery suspense, as I would expect from Slaughter, it's both psychologically and emotionally challenging.

There's plenty of confusion and uncertainty as the plot slowly unfurls.  Pieces of Her is most definitely all about the characters and the insight into the minds of these characters.  Slaughter has the ability to write such beautiful characters with such twisted and intricate family dynamics. So many themes are covered, such as family, grief, and guilt.  There are two storylines going on here (past and present flashbacks) and two main narrators, Andy and Laura, and Slaughter does a stellar job of seamlessly alternating between them.  Pieces of Her is a gritty and suspenseful read that will have you immersed from the first few chapters.  It’s not a quick read, with the page numbers leaning on the heavy side, but stuck on a plane for over five hours had me whizzing through it.  Highly recommend this multi-layered expertly plotted story.

I found this book gripping.
A really clever plot which switched between now and the 1980s.
What was great about this story was the way in which it very gradually revealed what happened, I didn’t guess the plot but when it was revealed it made sense!
4.5*

Another gripping read from Karin Slaughter! This book is truly enthralling from start to finish! The twists and turns made me dizzy but I honestly couldn’t put it down!! An absolute must for all Karin Slaughter fans! 5 stars from me!

I love Karin Slaughter books and am always looking out for the next one so when netgalley offered this, I was so eager to read it. And it did not fail to please. I could not put it down. The first chapter grabbed my attention and this is what I love about Karin Slaughter as an author. There is no slow build up, you are entrapped straight away. And she does it sensationally.

The story is set around three women: Andy, Laura and Jane, their stories are intertwined and even when you realise how they fit together you still want the story to continue and not end. There are so many twists and turns and Karin manages to keep the suspense right till the end. I give Pieces of Her 5 stars.

Spellbinding!!! Karin does not disappoint with her new suspense novel spanning multiple decades as we learn that even your own mother is not necessarily who you think she is. I couldn’t put this book down as I was totally invested In all of the characters and loved the twists and turns of the story that confined till the very last page.

Andy (Andrea) lived a fairly aimless life. She didn't seem to know what to do with her life. She is close to her mother, Laura, who is a speech therapist who seems to have her life together until one day a violent incident in a diner revels that a side of Laura she never knew existed. Before long Andy finds herself on the run with a large amount of money and just one destination in mind- the one her mother told her to make for. On the way she discovers more about her mother's past and a lot about herself.

Running alongside of Andy's story is the story of Jane- a gifted pianist who managed to get herself involved with an extremist group.

I loved this book. I was totally involved in both storylines which is quite rare as I often find myself wishing I was in one line or another! Karin Slaughter keeps the pace up throughout this exciting ride & I could not put it down.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for this five star read.

A rollercoaster of a ride. The first few pages failed to hold my attention but suddenly the whole story exploded. I was mesmerised and completely enthralled. The pace of the story felt like I was in a Formula1 car with Lewis Hamilton twisting and turning but the ending felt a little as if I had then turned in to a put stop for a change of tyre as it slowed right down.

I also found the jumping between the characters and their names a little confusing but once again Karin Slaughter has a hit novel on her hands.

★★★★☆/★★★★★
Book Review: Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

Positives
👍 Intriguing plot
👍 Once I got used to it I did like two pov's

Negatives
👎 Slow paced, didn't grab me until 30% ish
👎 Quite different to what I was expecting

I was really pleased to be approved for Karin Slaughter's latest standalone, Pieces of Her. The plot was intriguing and I was keen to see how well a standalone would hold up to her Grant County/Will Trent series', both of which I love.

Told from two third person povs, Andy's pov is over a week in the present (which is actually in the future, a few weeks away from now - spooky!) and Jane's is over the course of a week in Summer 1986. I will admit to being confused when the first past pov appeared, somewhat out of the blue but once I got used to it, I really enjoyed reading both. Initially I found both Andy and Jane irritating, both of them appear to be very passive until something shocks them. The book itself was fairly slow paced until around 30% when I started to enjoy it more, but I was truly unable to put it down once I got to 58% when it just came together. Overall I did enjoy the book, it was cleverly done and all was not as it seemed.

What a yo-yo of a book. Demonstrates the complexities of the human psyche. How relationships that are loving can also be very destructive. Thoroughly enjoyed.

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

What a read! So many twists and turns, where would the story go, it was an impressive story. Just goes to show you never really know a person.

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.