Sunday 28 August 2016

Review: Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf

A woman uncovers earth-shattering secrets about her husband's family in this chilling page-turner from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf

Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the small farm town of Penny Gate, Iowa, where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, hospitalized in a coma, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.

Upon arriving in Penny Gate, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago—barely a trace of the wounds that had once devastated them all. But as facts about Julia's accident begin to surface, Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Caught in a flurry of unanswered questions, Sarah dives deep into the puzzling rabbit hole of Jack's past. But the farther in she climbs, the harder it is for her to get out. And soon she is faced with a deadly truth she may not be prepared for.


Kindle Edition, 288 pages
Published February 1st 2016 by MIRA
Genre: Mystery

Kristine's Thoughts:

I've read quite a few of Heather Gudenkauf's books and I've really liked them all so I thought I'd pick up Missing Pieces when I found myself with the time to tackle my tbr pile.

I have to admit that I didn't enjoy this book as much as any of her other books that I've read. It wasn't terrible and I didn't hate it but I didn't warm up to it like I did her others.

Sarah and Jack returned to Penny Gate, Jack's home town, after being away for more than twenty years when his aunt had an accident and was hospitalized. Jack didn't talk much about his past or his family with Sarah so it came as a shock to her when she started discovering some of the truths from that time. Not only did she discover that her husband had lied to her but she also discovered some similarities between the death of his mother and his aunts accident.

There were many twists and turns in the plot but it was here that I was slightly underwhelmed. The finger pointed at different characters as the murderer but I had it figured out from the very first moment the actually murderer was introduced. I thought it was obvious and I didn't waver in my thoughts of who it was for even a second. I hoped that I was wrong so that it would get more exciting but I was spot on. There were no real surprises for me along the way.

I also found the characters to be a little dull. Usually there is at least one stand out character that grabs me but not in this book. They all seemed to lack in the personality department. I'm not sure if developing the characters more would have helped or not.

Don't get me wrong, the book was still entertaining. It was a quick and easy read. I think I am being overly critical because I loved her other books and although this one was good, it didn't compare to them. I remain a huge fan of Gudenkauf and will continue to seek out books of hers in the future.





About the Author

Heather is the NYT and USA Today Bestselling author of THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE and MISSING PIECES.

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