i love Karin Slaughter and this is another brilliant 'stand alone' story from her Iread this in one day whilst on holiday

Thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Karin Slaughter never disappoints her readers and this is certainly another page turner and totally different from any of her previous books. The story looks at the mother daughter relationship, Laura the mother and her daughter Andy. Andy is 31 and is discovering that her mother had a life, totally different from the one she has now, before she had Andy.
The story is told in two timelines, Andy’s time, on the road in the present, running from the police and authorities, and her mothers past, and I did wonder how the two timelines would come to meet as Andy tries to figure out who Laura is and what she is hiding? On the road she learns a lot about herself, but will she be able to save both herself and her mother.?
Personally I didn’t like either of these two main female characters, I felt Andy at 31 was naive and a little annoying.,
Lots of unexpected twists, short sharp chapters, there is some crime and mystery and although not my favourite book by this author I still enjoyed the read and applaud the author for trying something totally different.

Being an avid Karin Slaughter fan, I was hugely excited to finally get to read this book.
I've read most of her books, and have found that this one is very different to her usual style but that isn't a bad thing.

This book is set in two different timelines. The present day follows Andy who, after a distressing incident, starts to realise her mother is not all she thought to be. A gripping read of how the people closest to you can be not all they seem.

Karin Slaughter is an outstanding writer, and I enjoyed reading something different from her. So if you are a Karin Slaughter fan, give this a try. It may not be what you are expecting but it's definitely worth the read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I spent much of the book not quite sure what was going on but eager to read on to find out. Laura is a hugely interesting character and it's invigorating to see Andy coming into her own as the story develops. They feel so real! Slaughter has given us an exhilarating thriller which explores many themes and has a whole lot going on. I was waking up in the middle of the night to read it.

You believe your Mother is a reliable, safe and somewhat boring small town speech therapist.
Then one day all that changes, dramatically.

It starts with lunch, just a simple lunch for Andy (Andrea) and her Mum Laura. Then a lone gunman starts shooting.

What unfolds in the next few minutes sets off a trail of destruction and unveils Lauras' not so boring past life.
Andy is forced to go on the run, and along the way unpeels the layers of her mothers previous life, putting herself in serious dangers from a cast of shady characters.

A fine, fast paced adventure with a few nice twists and turns along the way.

Many of Ms Slaughter’s usual themes are well-represented in this novel: well-constructed characters; a multi-dimensional story that, in this case, spans decades; and more than its fair share of explicit violence. However, readers will need to decide for themselves whether these themes combine to make a satisfying whole in this book compared with her normal high standards, particularly in respect of the fluency of her narrative. For this reader, at least, that question remains open.

The basic story links more or less current events with the actions of the lead female character and the terrorist gang she worked with some thirty years previously. There are shades of the Patti Hearst kidnapping and other well-documented groups that shared the characteristics of cults led by a charismatic leader and various left-wing urban terrorists. The action jumps between these two timeframes - not always seamlessly- so that, eventually, the reader learns how events from three decades previously have shaped more recent events. Unusually, in this reader’s experience, the pace of the narrative is somewhat unevenly maintained, with perhaps rather too much introspection on the part of the lead character. Perhaps a more ruthless editing would have improved this aspect.

Having set out a few somewhat negative comments, it should be emphasised that these are made in the context of the usual extremely high standard of Ms Slaughter’s writing. There are passages that are as good as those in any of her books, and possibly rate amongst her best descriptions of adrenaline-fuelled action. Readers are unlikely to feel too short-changed if they hand over the purchase price and walk away with a copy. Recommended.

Pieces of Her is the first Karin Slaughter I have read and I can't wait to read more. The book was very in depth, but gripped me from the beginning. I was thinking about the characters when I wasn't reading and had to keep going back to read another chapter.

Andrea lives at home with her Mum after a failed attempt at living in New York. Her life changes in an instant one day when a gun man kills two people in a diner and almost shoots her too. Andrea's Mum is hurt in the cross fire, but it would appear all isn't as it seems. Andrea is forced onto the run to protect herself and her Mum, but she doesn't know why. She begins a long journey of discovery, but will she be able to save her Mum in time?

I’m a big Karin Slaughter fan, and am always willing – not to mention, eager – to dive into more of the author’s work. Karin Slaughter is one of those authors I will happily read no matter what, knowing I will have a story that hooks me.

Such was true with Pieces of Her. From the start, Pieces of Her pulled me deep into the story. I was sucked right in and was quickly creating all types of possibilities to explain how everything would come together. With multiple storylines playing out, I was desperate to see how they would come together in the end.

In truth, I was a wee bit disappointed by the ending with this one. You see, I worked it out in advance. Such is rarely the case with Karin Slaughter. Karin Slaughter usually leaves me guessing until quite late in the story, but I managed to put the pieces of this one together sooner than usual. It was not a bad ending, I simply expected things to be a bit more explosive.

Without a doubt, this is another great read from Karin Slaughter. It’s not my favourite of the author’s books, but it’s certainly worth a read.

What can I say! Karin Slaughter has done it again. I have been a huge karin slaughter fan since I was a teenager and love her grant county series but I also love her standalone thrillers. They are just so fast paced and keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I loved the characters and dual timeline and flew through this book. It is a must read for any fans of thrillers

Imagine thinking you know your mother, and who she is, and then suddenly she reveals a part of her that you did not expect to ever see..... Recommended.

I have to admit, I didn’t enjoy this story as much as I’d hoped. The premise was good - Andrea Oliver is back in her home town to look after her mother, Laura, following a cancer scare. Whilst eating together at a diner, a gunman appears, shoots dead two customers then turns the gun on the pair. Rather than being afraid, Laura confronts the gunman and stabs him in the neck. What follows for Andy is a nightmare trip across America as she discovers that Laura is not the innocent she appears.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I found myself losing interest, and not really bothered whether Andy discovered the truth and sorted out her problems or not. A shame, because I’ve really enjoyed other Karin Slaughter books I’ve read.

Not my cup of tea, but may appeal to others.

A terrifying act of violence… It takes a split second for your life to change forever. And for Andrea Oliver that split second is a mass shooting in her local mall.

A woman whose life is built on a lie… But this shocking act is only the start. Because then, as the bodies fall around them, Andy’s mother Laura takes a step forward into the line of fire.

A fight for survival… Hours later, Laura is in hospital, her face splashed over the newspapers. But the danger has only just begun. Now Andy must embark on a desperate race against time to uncover the secrets of her mother’s past before any more blood is shed…

I'm not going to say anything about this book for fear of giving spoilers. A good 3.5*

As usual I really enjoy Karin Slaughter's writing style! I'm a massive fan of hers having read several of her books Pretty girls being one of my favourites.
This kinda let me down a little if I'm being honest.
The first half of the book had me so intrigued and then it fell flat. It's nowhere near as gruesome and gritty as her other books. This one felt a bit lacklustre.
I'm not saying it's a terrible book at all and I guess if I hadn't read her previous work this may have got a higher rating.
I enjoyed the characters and the plot I just feel like thrillers should have you gasping out loud and at points the story seemed to build suspense for it then just not to lead anywhere.
Overall this isn't my favourite book of hers but then she's wrote a lot that I completely love so I guess one that didn't wow me is to be expected.

As a big fan of Karin's two main series' I won't compare this book to them as they have developing characters. This book took me a few chapters to get into, as does any book with new characters. I did enjoy the storyline and characters, and the ending was very good.

Pieces of Her is an exciting thriller by Karin Slaughter and quite different from the previous books of hers that I’ve read. The study is told from two different points of view from two different eras. At first I found it hard to work out how the two stories would fit together but it all became clear further into the book.

I really enjoyed Andy’s point of view but found some of Jane’s scenes too slow to be enjoyable and was wishing to be back in Andy’s story.

Wow. This book was amazing kept you guessing how all the characters were intertwined. You really felt for Jane having such abusive relationships with her father and then her boyfriend Nick - is it a cult, is he the leader . Is anyone who they say they are? Or do.they all have secrets they want to keep buried? I loved this book couldn't put it down, even when on holiday I was reading by the pool, which I don't normally do!

Thank you net galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and to Karen Slaughter for writing it, can't wait to read more from her.

I love Karen Slaughter’s books and this one is another belter! It’s a stand alone book so don’t worry if you’ve never read her before. The two main characters are so well depicted and deep that you feel like you know them. A good way of breaking up the plot is to have two timelines and voices. This book is a cross between a crime thriller and a psychological drama.

I really enjoyed this chilling thriller - Very clever plot over 2 time frames and different from the other books in this genre which was very welcomed. Every step of Andreas journey I was with her and wondering whether I would of been so brave! The dynamics and relationships between the characters were complex and fascinating. Lots of little twists and turns throughout the book and a very satisfying ending for those of us who like everything being tied up neatly.

A rollercoaster of a read that kept me turning the pages! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy.

Karen Slaughter on song with this offering exploring mother and daughter relationships through a fast paced thriller. Andy cones home to nurse her sick mother Laura and ends up being she’ll shocked when Laura steps in to a dangerous situation. What had she done in her earlier life. The background then unfolds