Missing Pieces

By: Heather Gudenkauf

Narrated by: Christina Traister

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf returns with a chilling pause resister about a woman chasing clues into a decades-old mystery that could have shattering repercussions.

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, 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.

©2016 Heather Gudenkauf (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

an excellent Gudenkauf

Iowa author Heather Gudenkauf has written a good, tight 'whodunit' thriller. I don't often get scared listening to books but I was thinking 'don't go down into the basement' at the end of this one.

It's a bit hard to think that a small town in Iowa, one of which I'm from, can have a murder mystery like this but they do happen. But in reading the summary of the book beforehand and with a title of 'Missing Pieces' you know there are long held secrets that will come out as the mystery unfolds. It only takes the first few chapters before you start thinking to yourself who might have done it? Before the book is finished you really think that almost everyone central to the story could have been involved.

I know my small hometown has lots of secrets so it really isn't surmising that this fictional town has some really good ones. A lot of nuances of being from a small farming community come out in this book as well, a part which I enjoyed.

Give this book a try, you won't be disappointed.

Voices

Great book that was a little marred by the voice the narrator chose to use for Jack, one of the main characters. The rest of the voices were good but Jack ‘s was a soft monotone that didn’t sound real. Great suspense in the plot.

Great Story

Enjoyed this complex mystery. Liked Sara’s tenacity but her feeling so sure took away a bit, making her words redundant. Character development was ok. I would have loved more insight into this family!! Overall an enjoyable listen.

Narration was really good with the story!!

Family, love and heartache! Great

Wonderfully written. Beautiful suspense aith being graphic! Performance was superb! Don't miss this one! Enjoy!

Great Story

What did you love best about Missing Pieces?

Not knowing what was happening next!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sarah and Amy

Which scene was your favorite?

The setting

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES!

Any additional comments?

I wish there were 2 readers and man and woman, this was only a woman
and and it is weird to hear a woman try and be many men.

Stellar

Grade: A

Sarah's husband Jack never talks about his childhood. When Julia, the aunt who raised him since his parents' tragic death, has an accident the couple reluctantly agrees to return to the small Iowa town where he grew up. Sarah sees this as an opportunity to learn more about Jack's family and childhood. Instead, she finds that his mother was murdered by his father and most everything she thought she knew about her husband is untrue. Now Julia's accident is thought to be a crime and accusations are flying, with Jack right in the middle. The more Sarah investigates, the closer she comes to danger.

MISSING PIECES, part family saga, part murder mystery, part thriller had me guessing the truth almost from the beginning. I just knew Julia's injuries didn't come from a fall down the steps, but Heather Gudenkauf pulled me in slowly until I was ignoring texts and phone calls to see what happened next. I couldn't not finish MISSING PIECES in one sitting. I HAD to know. Gudenkauf, one of my favorite writers, writes such gorgeous prose, the dialogue do authentic it speaks from pages. My only hang up, was the name of Jack's town, Penny Gate. Every time I read the name, my mind wandered go The Beatles' Penny Lane.

Sarah was a likable character, the story told in her 3rd person POV. A lot of the plot took place inside her head, as she processed not only the new information about Jack, but also how that impacted her feelings about their marriage and his culpability, if any, in his mother's murder. She was no pushover, at first understanding, then slowly losing hurt patience with the compounding lies. I loved her integrity, strength and resilience. I didn't agree with all her decisions and would have been abundantly more cautious, but her background in journalism probably made her gutsier than me.

If you haven't yet discovered Heather Gudenkauf, all of her books are stellar. Her books feel more organic than Jodi Picoult's, and will appeal to her fans and are reminiscent of Diane Chamberlain's.

Bottom line: You will want to reread MISSING PIECES as soon as you finish to see what pieces you missed of this compelling novel.

On The Edge of My Seat!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout!! The narrater made it more meaningful! Great experience!!

Narrator overly excited

The narrator reading was overly excited throughout the book. like readin headlines from newspaper

A Fair Who Done it

I kind of figured out the plot from the introduction of that character. Still it was a good listen.

So Intriguing!

I really enjoyed this book and could not figure out what the outcome would be! I felt so bad for Sarah, as she kept finding out more and more things about her husband’s traumatic past that he had never shared with her; not to mention the outright lies. Did she know him at all? And then there are so many questions about the rest of his family and the secrets that have been such a part of this small town where her husband grew up. I could not stop listening, and I highly recommend this book!