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.

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.