By Karin Slaughter

Fans of mystery/thrillers will go nuts over Karin Slaughter’s Pieces of Her.

Andy is a 30 year old woman who left her failing school work in New York to move back home and take care of her mother after her breast cancer diagnosis. Except, now her mother has been in remission and Andy has no future plans. She lives in the apartment above her mother’s garage, works as a 911 dispatcher, and has no motivation to pursue anything further.

Laura is Andy’s mother, a successful speech therapist living a quiet life on the beaches of Georgia. She is poised, organized, and a survivor… in more ways than one.

Andy thinks she knows everything there is to know about Laura. What you see is what you get. But after a tragic altercation involving her mother starts to raise questions, Andy realizes she may not know her mother at all. Who is the real Laura?

This is my introduction to Karin Slaughter who has an impressive list of published novels. I was hooked from the beginning. Slaughter’s mix of gore, violence, and mystery kept me turning page after page.

Andy, our main character, is quiet and reserved. But when she is forced to separate from her mom for her own safety, she has no choice but to make decisions and own the consequences. All along the way picking up little bits of history that could lead her to her mother’s true identity.

Pieces of Her alternates between 2018 and 1987, tying two completely different people together. The confusion starts to come together as Andy uncovers her mothers secrets. The chapters are lengthy – around 30ish pages – but fast paced. The character development flows naturally and, for an over 400 page book, there isn’t any fluff or unnecessary word filler.

This book is intelligently researched and written and it will be a 5/5 on my list forever.

I recommend this book to:

• Any Karin Slaughter fan
• Fans of Gillian Flynn
• Fans of The Girl on the Train
• Mystery/thriller/conspiracy readers