Pieces Of Her by Karin Slaughter

 

Andrea is in a rut.  Thirty-one years old, she went to New York after college hoping to break into the art world.  That never happened and instead she worked three part-time jobs and shared a small apartment with several roommates.  When her mother Laura developed breast cancer she went home to Florida to be with her and help her during her treatment.  Now she is still there, working a night shift as a police dispatcher and living in an apartment over her mom's garage.

Then something happens.  Laura and Andrea are having lunch in a local restaurant when a boy bursts in and starts shooting.  He has killed several people when he gets to them.  To Andrea's shock, her mother disarms the boy and when he keeps coming with a knife, takes that away and kills him.  The whole thing is captured on film and soon it is nationwide, some calling Laura a hero and some a killer.  

Andrea is further shocked when her mother tells her that she must leave.  She gives her directions to a storage shed in a city hours away and tells her that she should drive the car she finds there instead of her recognizable one.  When Andrea gets there, in addition to the car she finds a suitcase full of money.  Who is her mother?  Why are there people trying to find her?  Why are they willing to kill Andrea to find Laura?

This is a stand alone Karin Slaughter and has been made into a television series.  It has the typical Slaughter twists and turns and a back story that will have the reader continuing to turn pages.  Andrea seems a bit old to still not have figured out her life yet but that's a small criticism.  This book is recommended for thriller readers and delivers plenty of chills and excitement.