Book Review: Pieces Of Her by Karin Slaughter

I don't think there is a Karin Slaughter book that I haven't enjoyed and I have to say I find her a very versatile writer, from her Grant county series to her Will Trent series and from her stand- alones like the historic Cop Town to last year's The Good Daughter. And, I have to say Pieces of Her is among the best of them. It is complex, gritty, thought provoking and get's right to the heart of the emotions of the two main female protagonists.  

A brilliant read!








Blurb

You’ve known her your whole life…
Andrea Oliver knows everything about her mother Laura. She knows she's always lived in the small town of Belle Isle; she knows she’s a pillar of the community; she knows she's never kept a secret in her life.

but she’s hiding something…
Then one day, a trip to the mall explodes into a shocking act of violence and Andy suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura.

and it could destroy you both…
Hours later, Laura is in hospital, her face splashed over the newspapers. But the danger has only just begun. Now, Andy must go on a desperate race to uncover the secrets of her mother's past. Unless she can, there may be no future for either of them…

What I think

What I found so appealing about this book was the puzzle.  Just like the pieces of the title, I spent the entire novel trying to work out how these pieces of Andrea's mother fit together. It was strangely mesmerising.  The reason for that, I think, is that as Andrea tries to piece together who her mother is, we see her growing and developing  In Pieces of Her, Slaughter has again created two strong female protagonists and what makes them each so appealing is that they are so different and yet so alike.  Both are striving to be themselves- to shake off the constraints that they've inherited and, for Andrea, the road trip she takes is her coming of age story. 

I loved the way that Slaughter took us back in time through flashback and, so tantalisingly, dotted in clues throughout Andrea's journey.  The suspense was delicious, the writing beautifully poignant and the subject matter, although hard to digest at times, was compelling. 

Slaughter's plotting is second to none. With skill and aplomb, she filled in the gaps, yet simultaneously, left enough out to keep me hooked.  She is the master of red herrings and I loved it.