Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter was so intense and packed with shocking surprises that once I started reading, I didn’t stop until I devoured the whole book. At each chapter I hoped to feel a slight resolve so that I could pause reading, but that was impossible.

Could a suburban mother actually be a trained killer?

Andrea lives in a quaint coastal town with her mother Laura. In her 30’s, Andrea still hasn’t found her career and has kind of drifted through her adult life without purpose. Her mother Laura has always been kind and patient with her. Gently nudging her to carve her path without ever giving her an ultimatum. Until the moment Laura is injured in a random act of violence in front of Andrea. Suddenly Andrea needs to move out immediately. Laura has flipped a switch and is now a cold, distant woman that Andrea doesn’t recognize.

The aftermath of trauma has turned Andrea’s mother into a complete stranger.

Andrea remains in shock not just from her own near brush with death, but from the callous reaction she receives from her mom. The pain of rejection hinders Andrea throughout the story. It keeps her from making smart and rational decisions for her own safety. While in hiding without any explanation of whom she’s hiding from, Andrea tries to uncover her mother’s secrets. The sudden push by Laura leads Andrea to mistrust everything she ever knew about Laura. Ultimately this leads her further into danger and encounters with dangerous strangers.

Coming soon to Netflix!

It’s clear to me why this books is being adapted for a Netflix series. There are so many moments that have you nervously hanging on to the edge of your seat. Readers can’t help but place themselves on the run with Andrea. They’ll wonder if they’d be more or less paranoid than her. When she makes mistakes, readers will wonder if they would have made the same choices, or played it safe.

I have a very close relationship with my own mother. That said, I’m not sure I’d be able to blindly trust her if this happened to us. I can’t say that I would just take off into hiding without questions. If I can’t ask my mom for answers, I bet I would go into detective mode as well. 

I am very excited to see this series come to Netflix. Karin Slaughter always delivers suspense and keeps her reader’s nerves on edge. I expect Pieces of Her will debut on-top, and will be the next trending binge-watch.