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. For years Jack has 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, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago. But as facts about Julia's accident begin to surface, Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. 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.

"An action packed thriller.... Gudenkauf's best book yet!” — Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl

“Missing Pieces is an emotional roller coaster of suspense that will keep you guessing until the final page is turned." — Jennifer McMahon, New York Times bestselling author of The Winter People

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Feb 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781760374297

Heather Gudenkauf

Heather Gudenkauf is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound. Heather lives in Iowa with her family.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

1985

LYDIA GAZED ABSENTMINDEDLY outside the kitchen window, the bright May sunshine glinting off the dew-glazed sweet-potato vine that cascaded from the window box just beyond the screen. It was barely seven thirty, and fifteen-year-old Jack and eleven-year-old Amy were already on the bus, making the forty-minute ride to school. Their last day before summer vacation began. She’d have to make a special supper to celebrate the occasion. Waffles topped with strawberries and freshly whipped cream, lemonade garnished with mint snipped from the windowsill herb garden.

Outside, Grey, their pewter-eyed silver Lab, began barking. A relaxed, friendly yapping. Lydia leaned in, scanning the yard for the source of Grey’s excitement. From her vantage point, the farmyard was deserted. John’s truck was still gone and wouldn’t return until after six. The bedsheets that she had forgotten on the clothesline overnight flapped languidly in the mild morning breeze. The gravel road that wound its way up to the main highway was empty, no telltale dust announcing the arrival of a visitor. Someone could have come by way of the old mud road, but few dared to, for fear their tires would become stuck in the mire brought along by the early-summer rain. Lydia cocked her ear toward the window; Grey’s barking was replaced by the impatient clucks from the henhouse, the Sussexes waiting for their breakfast. Lydia sighed. It had been a long, lonely winter and spring and she was finally beginning to feel better after weeks of nausea and dizziness and a fogginess she could not explain. She looked forward to the hot summer ahead, taking the kids to the swimming pool in town, going on picnics, spreading a blanket across the front lawn at dusk and staring up into the navy blue night pinpricked with stars.

She turned from the window, mentally ticking off the items she would need to make the waffles: heavy cream, last summer’s strawberries stored in the cellar freezer. In her periphery a shadow slid darkly behind the sheets fluttering on the clothesline. She paused. Slowly she turned back toward the window, trying to make sense of what she had just seen out of the corner of her eye. The linens swirled lazily with the rising breeze. Nothing there. A trick of light.

She moved toward the cellar with slow, determined strides and stopped in front of the closed door. Normally she avoided the dank, stale cellar and she reluctantly reached for the knob, briefly considering scrapping the dinner of waffles and frozen strawberries. There was leftover meat loaf and mashed potatoes in the refrigerator, a plate of brownies on the counter.

Lydia laughed shakily, slightly embarrassed with her skittishness. She had lived on this farm for fifteen years and had never been afraid. Lonely, yes, but never frightened. With a deep breath she twisted the knob, her fingers fumbling for the light switch. A rush of musty air filled her nose. Over the years she tried to remove the damp, fetid smell by placing bowls of vinegar on the floor, sprinkling baking soda and mothballs into the corners and strategically placing the box fan as far as the extension cord could stretch in order to blow fresh air down from the top of the stairs. Nothing worked. With the naked lightbulb above her head doing little to illuminate her way, Lydia carefully moved down the wooden steps, sliding her hand down the iron handrail. Shelves of small, neatly labeled jars of strawberry, rhubarb and raspberry jams, and quart-and gallon-size glass containers of sweet pickles and chutney preserves lined one wall. In the narrow space beneath the stairs was where they kept the twelve-cubic-foot Coldspot deep freezer. John had bought it for her on their seventh anniversary, and while not the most romantic of gifts, she had to admit it was helpful. Whenever she wanted a pound of ground hamburger or the Iowa chops that John liked, all she had to do was go down to the cellar and retrieve whatever she needed.

With effort she lifted the heavy freezer lid and was met with a blast of cold air. Quickly riffling past the wax-paper-wrapped pork loins and the plastic bags filled with blanched kernels of sweet corn, Lydia plunged her hand into the depths of the freezer in search of what she was looking for: a quart-size package of sliced and sugared strawberries from last summer.

The initial push was the slightest of shoves, a nudge, really. Tentative. Almost a caress. A bird, maybe. A wayward wren or sparrow flying down the chimney and into the house and in its frantic state fluttering its wings against her back. That had happened before, birds getting into the house. Jack and Amy would howl with glee at the bird swooping at their heads, desperate to find its way back out into the open air.

But a second blow followed immediately, striking her in the lower ribs. Her breath was knocked from her lungs and she scrambled to steady herself against the deep freeze.

With difficulty she twisted around, needing to see, needing to know who wanted to hurt her.

Oh, it’s you, was Lydia’s final thought before being struck in the temple, their eyes locking one last time.

1

PRESENT DAY

THE CALL, LIKE many of its kind, had come in the early hours of the morning, waking Jack and Sarah from a dead sleep. Jack’s hand had snaked from beneath the covers, fumbling for the phone. He grunted a sleepy hello, listened for a moment, then sat up suddenly alert.

Is it the girls? Sarah asked as she turned on the bedside lamp. They had dropped the girls off at the University of Montana just a few weeks earlier and Sarah’s worst fear was receiving an early-morning call like this. Jack shook his head and Sarah breathed a sigh of relief.

It’s Julia, Jack said after hanging up, his voice thick with emotion. She had a fall. I need to go home.

Now, as their airplane ascended into the blue Montana sky, Sarah settled into her seat and gazed down at the expansive landscape below. The mountains, tipped with white, seemed to burst from the trees, while rivers meandered across the earth and deep lakes glittered in the midmorning September sun. Though she had grown up in Larkspur, she never tired of its beauty and she hated leaving, even for just a short time. She and Jack hadn’t strayed from Montana in years, saw no need to travel to exotic lands, to ocean coasts or dry deserts. All they needed they found in their home on Larkspur Lake.

She looked over at Jack, who was shifting in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position for his long legs. The crosshatched lines that rested at the corners of his eyes had become more pronounced overnight, and two deep grooves above the bridge of his nose extended to his forehead like a ladder of worry. She had seen this same look on his face when the first of their twin daughters, Elizabeth, was born and had waited a full sixty seconds, an eternity, to take her first breath. Saw the same expression when their other daughter, Emma, took a nasty tumble from her bike and came to them crying, her elbow dangling helplessly at her side. She knew that look. Jack was scared.

She wished there was something that she could say to ease his nerves, but Jack was a reserved man who kept his worries to himself. She reached for his hand and absentmindedly he fiddled with her wedding band, spinning it around and around her finger like a talisman. When do you think we’ll get to Penny Gate? Sarah asked.

Jack checked his watch and mentally calculated the distance to the small Iowa town where he grew up. I’d say we’ll get there about seven if we go straight to the hospital. Uncle Hal said they stabilized Julia in the emergency room and now she’s in the ICU.

From what you’ve told me about your aunt, if anyone can pull through such a bad fall, it’s Julia. Thank God your sister found her so quickly.

Yeah, if Amy showed up at the house any later, I don’t know if she would still be alive. Jack went silent then, as if lost in thought, focusing intently on the seat in front of him.

Sarah could hear the worry in his voice. What would they find when they arrived in Penny Gate? Would his aunt be awake and grateful to see him or would she succumb to her injuries and not survive the night? We’ll be there soon, Sarah assured him.

You know, it’s been twenty years since I’ve been home. After the accident, I just couldn’t go back there. Hal and Julia took us in and treated us as their own, and I couldn’t even be bothered to visit in all these years.

Jack rarely spoke of his life in Penny Gate, of the years before the accident that took the lives of both his parents. He kept those memories well hidden, the only part of himself that was off-limits to Sarah. All she really knew was that on a rainy spring night the year Jack turned fifteen, his mother and father climbed into their rusty old pickup truck and Jack never saw either of them again.

Jack had been her physical therapist, treating Sarah’s injured shoulder after her own car accident, and after twelve painful but productive rehab sessions he announced that he had done all he could for her, at least physical-therapy-wise, then promptly asked her out on a date.

She remembered the night Jack told her about the accident as if it was burned in her memory. They had been dating for about a month and spent the weekend kayaking on Deer Lake, three hours north of Minneapolis. It was a warm summer night; the sun was beginning to set, a large gilded orb melting into the lake’s horizon. They were in no rush to return to shore and laid their paddles across their laps and drifted languidly across the water.

Sarah, at the front of the kayak, gently waved away mosquitoes that hummed past her ear and asked Jack about the night his parents had died. She wasn’t sure why he chose that moment to answer; he had sidestepped her questions so many times before. Perhaps it was because in the rear of the kayak she couldn’t see his face. Perhaps it was the remote location; they hadn’t seen another boat in hours. The only sound was the gentle slap of water against the side of the kayak. Jack had breathed the details of the story in staccato, short-clipped phrases that seemed to punch the air from his chest: He was drinking again. I should have stopped her. Stopped him. The roads were wet.

Sarah wanted to turn and reach for Jack but forced herself to remain facing forward in the kayak, afraid that any movement would cause him to stop talking.

He flipped the truck. Upside down in a cornfield. Killed instantly.

Jack’s breath came out in jagged chuffs and Sarah could tell that he was crying. Slowly, carefully, as one might to a skittish animal, she reached behind her and found Jack’s hand.

A year later they were married, she quit her job as a reporter and they moved to Larkspur to begin a family. In the past twenty years Sarah had wanted to ask Jack so many questions. Not just about the accident and the years that followed, but about what his life was like before his parents died. Simple questions. Did he look more like his mother or his father? What books did she read to him before bedtime or did she call him by a pet name? Did his father teach him to bait a hook or skip rocks across a pond? But every time she broached the subject, Jack would find a way to avoid the conversation. He wouldn’t let her in.

Jack released Sarah’s hand and ran his fingers through his gray-flecked hair, a nervous gesture that she knew he would repeat a hundred times before they landed. I shouldn’t have waited so long to come back, he murmured.

Jack jiggled his leg up and down, striking the back of the seat with his knee. The man in front of him turned around and glowered with irritation. Jack didn’t notice.

I’m sure they understand, Sarah said, laying a hand on his leg to still it. But she wondered if Jack’s aunt and uncle truly understood how the boy they took into their home could stay away for nearly two decades.

I should have called her back. Jack’s voice caught and he cleared his throat. It just slipped my mind and I knew she’d call again in a few days. Jack’s aunt, without fail, called the house each Sunday evening to check in and catch up on the events of their week. But the previous Sunday they were out for a walk and had missed Julia’s call. She had left a message on their machine, but it was late when they returned home and Jack had forgotten to call back the following day.

When they came home and listened to the message, Sarah had thought she detected a shakiness in Julia’s voice, a tremor that made her think of Parkinson’s. At the time she had dismissed it, but now she wondered if she should have said something to Jack.

Do you think that Julia sounded different the last few times she called? Sarah asked, pulling her cardigan more tightly around herself to stave off the plane’s chilly temperature.

Jack narrowed his eyes as if mentally shuffling through recent conversations with his aunt. I don’t think so. What do you mean?

Sarah hesitated. I’m not sure. Has Hal said anything about any health concerns?

No, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t had any problems, Jack admitted. He tilted his head back against the headrest and stared up at the plane’s ceiling. I can’t believe they still live in that house, he said, changing the subject. It’s too big for two people. And those steps. They’re so steep. I tripped down them all the time when I was a kid. I just can’t believe that someone hasn’t had a bad fall before now. The place is a death trap.

Jack crossed his arms in front of his chest and burrowed more deeply into his seat. We used to go to this pond, he said as she slid her hand through his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. The comforting scent of his shaving cream and the starch used to iron his shirt filled her nose. Aunt Julia would pack these elaborate picnics. Strawberries that we’d spent hours picking and pickled herring on crackers, cheese with names we couldn’t pronounce and her homemade bread. Jack’s voice sounded far away and Sarah hung on his words. Then we’d all climb into the back of Uncle Hal’s truck and drive down the old mud road to the pond. We’d sit on the bank and fish for hours and would end up with just a few bluegills, a bass if we were lucky. Julia would make a big deal out of each one we caught, though, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.

Sarah thought about the times they had taken Elizabeth and Emma fishing. The girls squealing over the wiggling worms that Jack used to bait their hooks. Their delight at Jack pretending to buckle beneath the weight of their catches.

Sometimes I can still taste those strawberries. Jack smiled sadly and Sarah squeezed his hand.

It must be hard going back, Sarah reflected. Lots of memories.

He nodded tentatively, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. Everything seemed so simple then. Easier somehow. Jack turned to the window then and looked out at the far-reaching landscape below. The world was endless from this vantage point, full of infinite wonder and possibility, and Jack drifted off in thought as he took in the view.

I remember on stormy summer nights, he started, his voice tinged with sadness. When the power would go out, my mom would scavenge through the cupboards and drawers looking for flashlights. Sarah’s breath caught in her chest. Jack never spoke about his parents. Ever.

Amy and I would grab the clean sheets from the clothesline just before the rain began to fall. Then we’d throw them over the furniture to make forts. We’d pretend the flashlights were our campfire and tell each other stories...

Jack looked as if he was going to say more but instead he rubbed his hand across his mouth as if wiping away the thought. He turned back from the window and leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes.

Sarah wanted to press for more, but she knew this fleeting moment of reminiscence was over.

As the airplane carried them away from the life they had made together, she watched Jack doze. Behind his closed eyelids she knew that a thousand secret memories drifted. She wanted him to let her in, to know that he was safe. Safe with her. Maybe she couldn’t erase all the sadness and bitterness he was carrying. But she could be there for him and help him through the pain.

Despite the sad circumstances of their trip to Penny Gate, Sarah was looking forward to seeing the town Jack grew up in. She wanted to drive along the roads that he once traveled, to see the bedroom that he once slept in, to spend time with his family, whom she had only gotten to know over the years through phone calls and birthday cards. She thought it might bring her closer to him.

She let Jack rest until the pilot’s voice filled the airplane cabin, announcing their impending arrival in Chicago. The fasten-seat-belt light blinked on, and she lightly nudged Jack awake. Down below, the blue expanse of Lake Michigan was edged by miles of skyscrapers. Each drop in altitude was jarring, and Sarah’s stomach churned. She reached for Jack’s hand and closed her eyes, squeezing his fingers tightly until finally the wheels touched the runway.

They had only fifteen minutes to get to their gate in time to catch their connecting flight to the small airport near Penny Gate, and Sarah scurried to keep up with Jack’s long strides as they wove their way through crowds of travelers, her carry-on bag bumping along behind her.

When they arrived at their gate, they joined the line of passengers to board their connecting flight. Jack quickly called Hal for an update on Julia’s condition.

She hasn’t woken up yet, he reported grimly when he hung up the phone. She’s back from X-ray and she has a skull fracture, a broken pelvis and both arms are fractured.

Sarah handed her boarding pass to the gate agent. That’s terrible. Does she need surgery?

I don’t know. Not yet, anyway. They’re watching her closely to make sure there isn’t any bleeding on her brain.

They were the last of the fifty passengers to board the full flight. Because of their late booking Sarah’s seat was three rows behind Jack and across the aisle.

It was just a short thirty-minute flight to the small regional airport near Penny Gate, and as they got closer to their destination, Sarah watched from afar as Jack seemed to grow more and more restless. His foot tapped nervously and he kept checking his watch. Sarah knew that a million thoughts were banging around Jack’s head. He hadn’t seen his aunt and uncle in twenty years. How would they receive him? With open arms or cold reservation? Jack was returning to the town where he was born and raised but whose roads had taken his parents away from him. Anxiety seemed to radiate from his body and Sarah wanted to go to him, to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, and if it wasn’t she would be right there beside him.

Sarah peered out the window as they descended. Jack was right. He had told her that Iowa had a beauty all its own, and the landscape was a patchwork of verdant greens, golden yellows and rich browns.

When they landed, Jack waited for Sarah at the end of the jet bridge. Are you okay? Sarah asked with concern. His skin had taken on a sickly hue.

Just a little airsick, Jack explained as they went in search of a rental car.

The clear sky above them was quickly being replaced by a blanket of leaden clouds and a cold wind pressed at their backs, hurrying them along to the rental car. Jack loaded their bags in the trunk and then opened the passenger’s-side door for Sarah. She smiled at the small act of chivalry.

The hospital is only about half an hour from here, Jack explained as he drove out of the airport parking lot. Jack was silent as he wove his way through busy interstate traffic past an industrial area with tall sturdy buildings, smokestacks and train bridges. Gradually the landscaped shifted and factories were replaced with vast fields stretching majestically into the horizon. Farm buildings peppered the landscape: bullet-shaped silos that reached to the sky, barns painted a crisp white or deep crimson, some barely standing, weathered by years of rain, wind and snow. They passed half-harvested fields of alfalfa, striped gold and green, and acres of sun-bleached corn lying in wait for the following day’s harvest. Barbed wire pulled tautly across the wooden fence posts that lined the fields like jagged teeth.

It was nearing seven o’clock and the sun was setting behind the sharp line of the horizon, creating a golden halo across the distant fields. A light rain speckled the windshield and Sarah flipped on the car’s heater. Though the speed limit was fifty-five, Jack was barely going forty. She watched him covertly from the corner of her eye. His hands gripped the steering wheel, his eyes stared intently ahead. She wondered if he was trying to delay his arrival at the hospital, reluctant to see his aunt so badly injured, or if he simply dreaded returning to his hometown where he faced such painful loss.

The road followed the path of the Gray Fox River and curled through the countryside. Could this have been the highway his parents were driving on the night they died? Maybe one of the recently harvested cornfields was where their car had come to a final rest.

You seem distracted, she said. Do you want me to drive?

Jack glanced down at the speedometer and pressed down on the gas. No, sorry, I’m fine. Thanks for coming with me. Are you going to get behind on your column? he asked.

Don’t worry, Sarah said, patting his knee. I let the paper know I’d be away for a few days. I’ve got a bunch of responses just in case, Sarah said of the advice column she had been writing for the past seven years. Sarah nodded toward the landscape. Has it changed much?

The ditches were lined with rosy thistle and spiky purple prairie clover. In the distance stood dozens of wind turbines, rows of towering structures that seemed to have sprouted incongruously from fields of alfalfa. Their blades were eerily still at the moment, waiting to capture the prairie wind as it swept by.

Not a bit, Jack observed.

The Sawyer County Hospital was just on the outskirts of Penny Gate, and as they pulled into the parking lot Sarah could see it was a small building constructed of dark brown brick that looked nearly black beneath the ashen sky. Jack eased the car into a parking spot and pulled up on the hand brake. Sarah waited for him to open his door, but he just sat there, looking ahead.

It’s going to be okay, she said, hoping to calm his nerves. They sat quietly for a moment and Sarah wondered what was going through his mind. Was it fear? Sadness? Regret? Probably a combination, she decided, then broke the silence.

You ready? she asked.

Jack took a breath and held it awhile before letting it out with a deep sigh. I think so, he said as he popped open the door and stepped out from the car.

But Sarah wasn’t so sure she was ready herself.

2

SIDE BY SIDE, Sarah and Jack made their way across the hospital parking lot, sharp pellets of rain striking their skin. They stepped through the main entrance and were immediately assaulted with the uniquely antiseptic odor of health-care facilities. The hospital was clean but dated. Institutional-green walls were lined with faded Impressionist prints and the carpet was worn and thin. Jack inquired about Julia at the information desk and they were directed to the fifth floor.

Once upstairs Jack hesitated outside the room. I don’t know if I can do this, he said softly, rubbing his eyes. Sarah slid her hand into his and waited. She knew how difficult this was for him, that coming home would release a floodgate of memories and emotions that he had kept locked up inside himself for decades.

Finally, Jack knocked lightly, pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The room was dim. The lights were off; the shades were drawn. The redolence of death hung in the air, and it was stifling.

Sarah’s eyes locked on the tiny elderly woman lying in the hospital bed. Asleep or unconscious, it was difficult to know. Next to her, Sarah heard Jack inhale sharply. Beneath the oxygen mask, Julia’s skin was bruised and pale. What appeared to be bits of dried blood clung to her tightly curled white hair, a section shaved away and covered with a thick bandage. She was connected to an IV filled with clear liquid. Both of her arms and hands were casted and her right leg was held immobile in a brace from toe to pelvis. A sense of dread washed over Sarah and she rubbed her arms, trying to

Reviews for Missing Pieces

[readinggrrl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book grabbed me from the beginning. It is filled with characters that just seem off. Jack is distant and not forthcoming about what happened to his parents when he was a child, or pretty much anything else pertaining to his life before leaving Penny Gate. His cousin Dean and wife Celia definitely seem to be hiding something and before you know it Sarah is entrenched in a decades old mystery.Sarah was a very genuine character but I had a difficult time relating to Jack and many of the other characters who just seemed to be there to move around Sarah. They mystery itself was very well done. There are a lot of different pieces that are uncovered like peeling away an onion. I found myself flip flopping around about who I thought was actually the bad guy.This was a quick read and had a very suspenseful ending that I really enjoyed.

[rowingrabbit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A decent middle of the road suspense novel. There's a high emphasis on creating DRAMA at every opportunity & I got a bit tired of the main character's constant mental meanderings. The relationship between her & her husband was very odd for a couple married 20 years, best described as polite. There are important things they've never talked about & I kept thinking really? this never came up in 20 years together? She jumped to conclusions very quickly & you'll often have to suspend your disbelief as the story reaches the end. Best described as a "light thriller".

[marcejewels · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From my blogI have only missed out on one of Heather Gudenkauf's books so far, she has became a go to author for me when she releases a new book. This one didn't feel nor read like her others, there wasn't what I would say her style or voice that came through. The prologue drew you in immediately, a brutal murder, you knew you were into a great start to a who dun-nit story. Jack gets a call that his Aunt was hurt badly and was in a coma. Jack and his wife Sarah of 20 years head back to his childhood home and small community, Penny Gate, Iowa. Sarah knows the family from the wedding but immediately feels something is off, secrets. The Aunt has a brutal death in the hospital in front of all the family and then begins an investigation into her murder. All the family are questioned, fingers being pointed and for Sarah, secrets revealed making her second guess the life she built with Jack. Similarities into the death of his Aunt and his mother have everyone entangled into a family dysfunctional mess. Can you imagine planning a funeral while the family is being investigated, emotional turmoil. Jack had told Sarah his parents died from a car accident so to hear it was murder and now his aunts murder has similarities, who should she trust. She turns to her own instinct or is it morbid curiosity and becomes private detective which puts her in the fire pan also. All fingers point to the troubled sister of Jack, Amy and she called their childhood home, 'the house of horrors' which is occupied by cousins, so it is still within the family. Sarah is an advice columnist and when she checks her email she gets a strange email and when the 3rd comes in she knows it has something to do with the murders. The first part of the book was good but there was just something off, it may have been the flow, execution not the best but I thought the 2nd half was better. I think Heather is good with layering her stories to make mysterious and in this case it was the continuous secrets revealed which for Sarah were lies. She considered catching the next plane back home. Even though I knew who the murderer wasn't, the families reactions to everything didn't make sense to me and I think it was the lack of really getting to know the characters. This was a solid read, the ending was okay but you will still have so many questions and that is due to the lack of connection with the characters. The questions are not about the story but more.... how can a husband lie about the things he did, how can family live in a home where their loved one was murdered, why did the murderer do it and the additional bodies found, is that even possible?

[susan0316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jack and Sarah Quinlan get a phone call to return to Jack's childhood home because the aunt who raised him has fallen and is in critical condition. There is a lot of mystery surrounding Jack's childhood - despite being married for over 20 years, all he has told his wife is that his parent's were killed in a car accident and his dad was drunk and at fault. When they arrive at PennyGate, Sarah finds out that Jack has been lying to her about his mother's death for their entire marriage and she begins to doubt his story and begins to doubt Jack to be the man he claims to be. There are a lot of interesting people in this book and its a real page turner. I thought that I had it figured out about half way through but I was totally wrong. My only problem with the book was the relationship between Jack and Sarah, they really didn't have a strong relationship for a couple who had been together for 20 years but then Jack kept himself very closed off from her and she just didn't seem like the kind of person who would live in a relationship like that - she was way too inquisitive. Other than that one minor issue, the book was great and I really enjoyed it.

[grumpydan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Jack returns home to Penny Gate, the town he escaped some twenty years ago. His aunt Julia has fallen down the stairs in her home and is in critical condition. Jack's wife Sarah knows little about Jack's past and less of his hometown. Once there, Sarah using her past investigator skills, finds out that Jack's parents didn't die in a car accident when he was fifteen but his mother was murdered and his dad disappeared. When Julia dies at the hospital and it is determined she was murdered, Sarah begins to suspect her own husband.I really wanted to enjoy this story, but couldn't. I have no problem with the the writing and the little suspense that helped moved the story along. But I'd didn't care for the characters at all, especially the most of the Quinlan family. It also felt like I've read this premise before and wasn't surprised by the outcome. I figured out most of it way before the reveal. Just okay.

[staciele · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Heather Gudenkauf is an Iowa author and sets her mysteries in small towns across Iowa. In her newest mystery, Sarah and Jack return to Penny Gate, Iowa from their home in Colorado. Jack's aunt, Julia, has had a fall and is now in a coma. Jack is forced to return home to the aunt he loves like a mother and to the place that is full of nightmares he has tried to forget. Sarah, his wife, has been kept in the dark about Jack's family history and finds herself in a frenzy of unanswered questions and maybe the next wife in Jack's family to find herself in danger.I read this novel on a long bus ride to Canada last month and it was the perfect pace and length to keep me interested and make the drive pass by. I love that Gudenkauf sets her novels in Iowa, because I always feel like I can identify with the characters and locations she describes. Penny Gate sounds like the small town in Iowa live in. I think my main issue with this novel is I didn't like the characters as much. I understood that Sarah was upset when she found out her husband had kept secrets from her about his past. But, I thought she was a bit too childish and nosy to make her character believable. There were too many situations in the novel that fell into place too easily or had too much of a coincidence. Even with those drawbacks, it still held my interest and kept me guessing as to who might be the murderer. Gudenkauf can tell a twisted story along with sharing the beautiful countryside of small town Iowa. She gives readers a glimpse into our lives.....with a murder or two thrown in. Her books make for quick reads and will fill your murder mystery need. I just may have to avoid going down into my parents' cellar at their farmhouse for awhile.

[olegalca · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as others by her.

[mmoj_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sarah and Jack Quinlan have lived in Montana during their entire marriage, never visiting Jack's hometown in Iowa but now Jack's aunt has had a bad fall and may not survive so Sarah and Jack fly to Iowa. Jack's mother and father died in a car crash, or did they? Soon after they arrive Sarah finds out that Jack has been less than honest. As details come out during their stay Sarah begins to wonder who her husband really is. Is she the man she's known for the past 20 years or is he possible of horrible things.I've been reading Heather Gudenkauf's books since her first book, "One Breath Away" and "Missing Pieces" is her best book yet. It had me interested from the beginning - it's one of those books you want to read it but yet you have to know what's happening so your tempted to read the ending - but don't because you'll miss a terrific story.

[maggie1961-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

received this book free from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.I have to say, when I realized I won this book, I was so excited. Heather Gudenkauf is definitely one of my favourite authors, I was in love with her books from the first one I read. , She weaves a story so wrought with emotion, you can't not become involved. I received the book the day before Christmas, Merry Christmas to me and I waited a couple of days, eyeing it longingly. I wanted to devour it right away, but I also wanted to put it off, since then it would be over and I'd have to wait another year or so for another of her gems. And once I started it, I couldn't stop.So enough of that. Initially I was a little surprised at this book, maybe a teensy weensy bit disappointed that this was little different than her usual books, more of a mystery/thriller than her usual drama novels, although this one does have drama, lots of it. Saying that though, it did not change the quality of her writing, her descriptions so vivid it's like you are there, and her ability to draw you into the story and engross you, her characters so real, nor did it change how I felt about the book and the enjoyment of the book, it is definitely still a five star book. Sarah's husband Jack is from a small town in Iowa, Penny Gate. He hasn't been back there in 20 years. He never talks about his past, all Sarah knows is that his parents died in a car accident. When Jack's aunt, who raised him and his sister Amy after the death of their parents, has an accidental fall, Sarah and Jack go back to the small town Jack grew up in. But almost instantly, things take a turn for the worse, actually really worse. Sarah learns that everything her husband has told her about his past was a lie, so many secrets he has never revealed. And how did Julia fall, is there more to that? The more Sarah learns, and she can't help herself, the more she learns about the man she married, does she even know him at all? Sarah is a likable character; although I didn't like how she just wanted to leave town and leave Jack in one of the worst times of his life. I tried to put myself in her position and wondered how I would feel in the same situation, would I doubt my husband, would I think my husband was capable of such terrible things? Would I truly resent him for keeping me in the dark or would I try to be more compassionate and understanding?This book kept me guessing all through as my mind went from one theory to another. Several times I would almost cringe at something Sarah would do in fear that it wouldn't end well. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, this book and all of her others are fantastic reads. Thank you to Heather Gudenkauf, Goodreads and the publishers for sending this book to me and allowing me the privilege to read and review it.

[tamarack804-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I was chosen to be an advance reader from Net Galley of Heather Gudenkauf's new book "Missing Pieces" I couldn't have been happier. I have read all her books and she is one of my favorite authors. This book did not let me down. A great mystery that slowly builds and sucks you in to keep you reading wanting to know what the suspenseful ending will be. All thought I figured out the culprit before finishing the book it kept me reading to see how everything tied together in the end. I love Heather's writing style and this book is no exception to her fine work. I recommend this book to all who like her wonderful style.

[vanessacw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an enjoyable psychological thriller about family secrets and their consequences.The story begins quite slowly, feeding the reader with little segments of intriguing information as it goes along. As the build up increases, it fills in the missing pieces of the equation and leads to an exciting finale. Most of the action does actually take place within the last couple of chapters or so, but this adds to the suspense. It does what it says on the tin as they say! There are a couple of grey areas which I did let go over my head - I just went with the flow. It's an easy and entertaining read which kept me turning the pages until the end.I thought this was an engaging mystery which should appeal to those who prefer a good plot to a chiller thriller.Many thanks to Lovereading.co.uk for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[brokenangelkisses · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When is a mystery not a mystery?Is it when you can work out the killer in the first third of the book and (rarely) doubt that you're wrong?Or is it when you're always several steps ahead of the main investigative character, rendering much of their hypothesising redundant?Maybe it's when you aren't convinced by the final reveal?The last two certainly applied in my reading of 'Missing Pieces'; the first should have applied, if I were paying sufficient attention.-- What's it about? --Twenty years ago Lydia Quinlan was brutally murdered in her own home. The murderer was never found.When Julia Quinlan suffers a bad fall and ends up in hospital, her nephew, Jack, returns to Penny Falls with his wife, Sarah. Jack has barely set foot in the town since his mother's murder and has refused to discuss his past with Sarah.Sarah is intrigued by the opportunity to learn more about her husband's past, but when Julia dies and a murder investigation engulfs the Quinlan family she realises someone is prepared to kill to keep what happened to Lydia a secret.Can Sarah solve the mystery before the killer silences her?-- What's it like? --Easy to read but ultimately unconvincing.The start is promising: we witness the beginning of the attack on Lydia, then shift forward in time and are stunned to learn Sarah believes Lydia and her husband died together in a car accident. Why does she think this? What's going on?Gudenkauf aims to sustain this level of drama and uncertainty throughout the novel as Sarah is wrong footed at every turn by discovering deeply worrying truths her husband had omitted to mention. To add to the tension, Sarah begins receiving strange messages via her agony aunt alter-ego email address. Throughout it all, Jack refuses to acknowledge that his lies have caused a potentially deadly rift in their marriage. Then again, that may be because they seem like strangers to begin with.Sarah and Jack are meant to have been married for twenty years and have two teenage girls together, but there is no sense of intimacy between them and it takes surprisingly little for Sarah to begin to suspect her husband of murder. Yes, he lied to her, but as a former journalist and current agony aunt I would have expected her to be more sympathetic to his reasons for lying and more considerate of his bereavement. (Let's experiment: can you think of any reason why someone might not want to talk about the brutal death of their mother that ended their childhood? Hmm?)Instead her attempts at support are limited to shouting, "Jack, are you ok?" through the bathroom door at him while he vomits audibly. She can hear him being sick so...probably not? Then she avoids him as much as possible while: threatening to go home by herself, getting jealous of his ex-girlfriend and speculating with a woman considered a gossip about whether or not her husband is a murderer. I bet he's glad he took her with him.Though equally, why did he take her with him? He must have realised his lies would come undone, as he hadn't given his family any instructions regarding hiding the truth from Sarah, let alone found a way to keep the whole town quiet. If he wanted to keep his secrets, he needed to find an excuse to leave her at home. If she insisted on coming with her, he needed to be honest upfront.Except, I suppose, he couldn't, because then it wouldn't be plausible to speculate about him being The Murderer and the plot would take a hit. Instead, the credibility of the plot / characterisation takes a hit. Does he seriously think Sarah will sleepwalk through Iowa without asking a single potentially difficult question about his past? Has he forgotten that his wife used to be a serious journalist?Although if he has, that's not altogether surprising, as Sarah seems to have forgotten it too, despite getting support from one of her colleagues. I would expect a journalist to be more on the ball and quicker to piece together what's going on. Instead, when all is revealed the murderer taunts her that, "It took you long enough to put the pieces together, Sarah." A chapter or so later and Sarah herself reflects, "Some investigative reporter I am." Indeed.-- Final thoughts --This is very easy to read and I was curious to find out what happened to Lydia and to Julia. I like that there is closure: you learn why and who and how and the epilogue gives a glimpse into the future (in which everything seems rather easily resolved). The clues that exist support the ending, though I could query the killer (I can't reveal why without also revealing who it is so will not add anything else here) and I think this would suit a reader who likes a sporting chance at solving the crime themselves.I could see what was happening far more easily than Sarah (if you read the prologue with sufficient attention then it's quite clear who must be responsible from the limited pool of suspects Gudenkauf introduces), which was a little frustrating at times as I wanted her to be quicker to make certain connections, but perhaps this is an unfair criticism which simply shows I have read too many crime fiction novels to be easily surprised!Most frustratingly of all, I felt the story lacked credibility. Sarah gains an awful lot of information from one source that is astonishingly easy to manipulate - but even this doesn't actually help her solve the crime. Instead, a killer who has managed to stay perfectly hidden until now chooses to send her deranged "clues" (which Sarah initially ignores) and then engages in a confrontation which brings about closure but which wasn't actually required (for various reasons). I can only assume the killer had more faith in Sarah's investigative skills than I did.Could Sarah really have gained the help she did? Actually, maybe. It's a small town; the first murder rocked them, the second murder has stunned them and everyone is desperate to see justice served. I think, ultimately, this was maybe just a little too 'cosy' for my crime tastes (yes, despite featuring quite a brutal murder!).I really loved the premise of this, the idea of hidden secrets and double lives promised by the press release. Gudenkauf wrote this story because she was fascinated by the idea of people leading hidden lives that their families and friends had no idea about. Unfortunately, while I was sufficiently engaged with the storyline to read the whole book, I felt the execution was a little lacking. Arguably, the murderer was simply insane, rather than leading a true double life, and this story is more about family tensions than double lives.

[silversreviews · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Penny Gate, Iowa, sounded like such a serene place, but Sarah found out it definitely was far from serene when it came to her husband's family.The Quinlans, and especially her husband, Jack, had many secrets about family accidents /murders that were 30 years apart. Sarah found out more about the secrets in the 24 hours she was in Penny Gate than she knew for the past 20 years of her marriage.Sarah needed to know why Jack lied to her about how his parents died and answers to other secrets she found out he kept from her.What brought Sarah and Jack back to Penny Gate after 20 years was an accident that his beloved Aunt Julia had that was similar to his mother's accident. Aunt Julia had raised Jack and his sister after his parents were gone.Every hour Sarah and Jack spent in Penny Gate was an hour that added more questions and more secrets being revealed about Jack and his relatives. The revelations were not pleasant. MISSING PIECES will have mystery lovers scratching their heads until the last pages as well as loving the intrigue.Ms. Gudenkauf's detailed writing style and marvelous storyline made MISSING PIECES a book that was difficult to put down. I stayed up way into the night to finish it. See if you can solve the mystery of the 30-year-old murder as well as the current one. The twists and turns along with the very suspenseful ending will have you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the end.Don't miss reading MISSING PIECES. 5/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[dianekeenoy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sarah Quinlan thought she knew her husband well. However, when his Aunt Julia is hospitalized after an accident and they go back to his hometown of Penny Gate, she starts to learn about the death of his mother many years earlier. It seems that Jack has left out so much about his years before he met her that her feelings are starting to unravel. There are a lot of unanswered questions and Sarah wants to find out the answers before everything gets worse. Enjoyed this book.

[janjanfreeman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Jack and Sarah Quinlan are racing to get to Jack's Aunt Julia (who raised Jack and his sister, Amy, as her own children after their parents died tragically in an accident)'s side at the hospital after she fell down a flight of stairs. Jack had not been back to his hometown (Penny Gate, IA) in over 20 years and has since met, married, and started a family with Sarah in Montana. However, Penny As Amy warned Sarah in the book about Penny Gate, "people who stay around here too long either die or go crazy".The more information that Sarah comes across about her husband's childhood, the more questions she develops. The more questions that she asks, the more dangerous the town becomes. With more bodies piling up, Jack and Sarah are forced to stay in Penny Gate until the police complete the investigation. The longer they stay there, the closer they get to the killer.I had hoped for much more from this mystery book, especially after hearing so many great things about Heather Gudenkauf's other writings. However, this book lacked character development, activity, and depth. There were several chapters where the only "action" taking place was that she was digging into her husband's past and finding more about than he even knew himself. Instead of communicating this with her husband of 20 years, she avoids him (many times in a very immature fashion) both in person as well as avoids his calls and texts. However, when she tries to get in contact with her husband Jack, she gets angry that he does not answer her texts. Furthermore, the whole reason why Jack and Sarah are in town is for Jack's aunt being in the hospital in critical condition. However, a majority of the book is about how Sarah is hurt and upset because Jack never told her details of an event that happened before he even met her. Granted, it is a major event, but I felt that she blew it way out of proportion. Lastly, the jealousy that Sarah feels in regards to Jack and Celia, seemed out of place. I would have thought someone who had been married to her husband for 20 years would not be intimidated by the appearance of another woman. Particularly a woman who is the wife of Jack's cousin, even if Jack and Celia dated when they were in high school. It seemed to be too focused on jealousy of Celia's appearance. For example: "Sarah saw Celia with new eyes now that she knew she and Jack were once an item. She was beautiful. Slim and fit. Her black curls were pulled back from her face and she was perfectly put together in sharply creased khakis and a neatly pressed blouse. Sarah looked down and was dismayed to see that her long-sleeve T-shirt and jeans were hopelessly rumpled from being stored in her suitcase".In conclusion, I would have liked this book better if the main character had a better personality and if her husband had a stronger presence. Personally, I found her to be repulsively hypocritical, narcissistic, and immature. It did not help that the narrative was first-person in Sarah's voice which exacerbated her aforementioned characteristics. On the other hand, I did enjoy that I did not figure out the killer until he/she was revealed.For those who may be sensitive, there are themes of violence, domestic violence, mild language, and drug use.Please note: a copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[sharn_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite Heather Gudenkauf book but it wasn't bad either. I felt like this book was very formulated. Mystery wrapped in mystery.

[jenn88-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, returns to the place he grew up because his beloved aunt Julia has is in a coma at the hospital after falling down the stairs. While at Penny Gate Jack is taken back to a time when his mother was found dead in the cellar of their family farm, a time he did not tell Sarah about. As Sarah begins to learn the truth about what happened to Julia and about what happened surrounding the death of Jack's mother, she realizes that something is not quite right within the Quinlan clan.

When I realized this was the same author that wrote "These Things Hidden" (which I hated) I wasn't expecting anything overly good. But I was pleasantly surprised. It was a page-turner that kept me guessing. The characters were three-dimensional. I liked the setting. And the plot was way more believable than "These Things Hidden"

[flourgirl49 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was an OK murder mystery that kept me guessing until close to the end. It wasn't so good that I would check into her other books, however.

[Nancy Woodin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Heather has such a way to pull you into and love the characters from the first words on the page - and she won’t let you put the book down! I love her style, her wonderful, descriptive writing, and the way she introduces hints here and there - building excitement as the chapters fly by. Pro tip: be sure to read the prologue and epilogue! ~Nancy Woodin

[celticlady53 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Small town life can be so simple, so easy. A simple stroll down the sidewalk can turn into coffee with a friend. Neighbors look out for one another and are usually willing to lend a helping hand. Days flow into one another with pure simplicity, until something happens that shakes a small town to its very core. It was an event such as this that brought Jack Quinlan and his wife Sarah back to his hometown of Penny Gate, Iowa. His aunt had taken a bit of a tumble, if you will, down the stairs in her home. Jack and Sarah thought they would just be dropping into town for a few days to help in his Aunt recovered from her accident, but little did they know that shortly after their plane touched down, their lives were about to be altered forever.In true Heather Gudenkauf fashion, this tale unravels in a creepy way that will give you goosebumps and an urge to keep turning the pages. Missing Pieces, Gudenkauf’s latest release, is truly a murder mystery with a very modern spin. As strange events start to occur, Sarah finds herself questioning everything she has ever known about her husband Jack and the life they have built together. She finds herself befriended by a local and together they ask the questions that no one else has the nerve to ask. By doing so, a truth is revealed – a truth that this small town was not ready for and it will never be the same.In this action-packed thriller, Gudenkauf weaves a tale that only she can. This story is thought-provoking and a page-turner to say the least. While it is questionable as to whether this is her best novel so far, it will definitely leave the reader with goosebumps.

[hjvanderklis_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sarah Quinlan and her husband Jack arrive in Penny Gate, a small rural village, where Jack and his family originate from. Their aim: visit hospitalized, aunt Julia who's in coma. The moment the family stands at Julia's bed, strange things unravel one by one. Amidst a whodunnit after finding out that Julia is murdered, suspicions rise that Jack had buried secrets of his past which were never told to Sarah.Where's Jack's father that went missing after his wife was found dead in the basement of their house? Has psychologically troubled sister Amy a hidden agenda? And what about the flirts between Jack and Celia, notably married to Jack's cousin Dean. And what's the role of Julia’s husband, Hal? Sarah not only collaborates with Penny Gate sheriff Verne Gilmore, but also discovers many missing pieces on her own. Ghosts from the past haunting the family farm and its past and current inhabitants. Who will be the next victims? Is there time for mourning and burial, or will the pace of shocking events stay that steady?Heather Gudenkauf's Missing Pieces is a fine combination of crime fiction and a rich painting of characters, unexpected twists and a search for the murder(s) while the protagonist is being chased herself. Once familiarized with this dysfunctional family members, Missing Pieces is a typical book you want to read quickly until the puzzle is complete.

[judithdcollins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A special thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. A long-time fan of Heather Gudenkauf’s books, she returns following Little Mercies (5 Stars) with her best book yet, MISSING PIECES-a multi-layered, gritty, dark, mysterious, and suspenseful edge-of-your seat (action-packed) domestic crime psycho-thriller. I could not put down. Top Mysteries of 2016! A woman discovers dark chilling secrets about her husband’s family past. There is suspicion, mistrust, and nothing is as it appears. Two accidents or falls turn, into intriguing murders and a devilishly evil game of "three blind mice". A whodunit mystery, which will leave your head spinning, while trying to guess the identity of the murderer-- with twists and turns you do not see coming. Once you think you have it figured out, you suspect someone else. There are Missing Pieces of a strange puzzle hovering just beyond your reach. As the book opens we meet Lydia Tierney 1985, Iowa farm--she has sent her two children, Jack (fifteen) and Amy (eleven) off to school. She appears to be a happy homemaker planning a special dinner to celebrate their last day at school, prior to summer vacation. She is downstairs, to collect some things for dinner, from the cellar. She and her husband John had lived on the farm for fifteen years. She hears something and turns around, before being stuck down by someone she appears to know.Flash forward to present day. Jack is now married with a family in Larkspur, Montana. A happy family, Jack is a physical therapist, and wife Sarah is an anonymous (Dear Astrid) advice columnist for the Midwest Messenger, a prominent newspaper in Montana. A step down from her prior position. She had been a hard-news reporter traveling all over the world, covering major international news stories. After the girls were born she stayed close to home and the job had worked out well for the last seven years. Only a handful of people knew Astrid’s true identity. Her daughters did not know. The twin daughters in college, at the University of Montana were too busy with their own life. Some of her letters were from weekly people looking for unbiased opinions and a fresh perspective. But some were odd, disturbing, dark, violent, and needy. If so, she had been known to contact the police. Jack receives a phone call from Amy, his sister regarding his aunt Julia. She was the one who found her. Julia had taken a bad fall, and he needed to come home. Jack has not returned to his home place in twenty years. Penny Gate, Iowa does not hold fond memories for Jack. A three-hour flight from Montana, and the couple are on their way to a town of dark secrets. Hold on for a roller coaster ride. A past he has not shared with his wife. Plus, Sarah soon learns his last name was Tierney, not Quinlan? Why was he taking his aunt and uncle’s last name? Jack told Sarah his parents died in an automobile accident with the dad driving. This is what she has believed to be true for twenty years. Until now. Aunt Julia and Uncle Hal raised Amy and Jack, after they became orphans. Sarah soon learns, Lydia was murdered and Jack’s father John has not been seen since. An investigation eliminated a variety of suspects, (Jack being one of them), and it was assumed John was the killer; however, there was no such evidence and he has not been found.In this small town of Penny Gate there are many secrets. From parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, to siblings. Amy is troubled, and resents Jack for leaving. She calls their old home place a house of horror. Sarah begins to uncover all sorts of lies. Not only did her husband lie about his parents, he also was dating Celia, in high school. She now is married to Dean, Hal’s son, and Jack’s cousin. Sarah had never met Celia, previously. The last time he came was for their wedding and she had stayed home with the twins. Jack is in non-communication mode. He says he wants to forget it. Sarah is livid! There is a mystery surrounding Julia’s fall—and soon after their arrival, she dies. A full investigation is in force. All fingers point to Amy since she seems unstable with pill popping and alcohol, walking around like a zombie and losing her job. However, she loved Julia and Dean appears to dislike her. Soon thereafter Sarah with her former investigative reporting skills, wants to know more about Jack’s mom and dad’s death; however, he is not forthcoming with any answers. She begins to think the two murders may be connected. Why is Jack being so secretive? How will her marriage survive this? Why would Jack lead her blindly into a town filled with secrets, horror, evil and violence? She begins doubting her entire life with Jack and their family. Why? What is Jack hiding? Dean and Celia live in the house that Amy and Jack grew up in. In the meantime, blame is cast upon Amy, who says she is innocent. However, Sarah becomes to suspect Jack. She is trying to get Amy a lawyer, and then she then sees Dean and Celia fighting-- he has a temper. After the reports come back, appears Julia was poisoned and beaten. Who would do this to a lovely woman? What about Lydia and the murder from twenty years ago, never solved. A bloodbath in the cellar. What is Gilmore, the cop’s connection? Could John Tierney still be alive, and could someone have murdered him too? Sarah befriends Margaret Dooley, a woman dispatcher at the police department, who likes gossip. Partners in crime, she feeds her information and between the two, they are a riot----sneaking evidence, from a twenty-year-old case, copying files to flash drives, slipping into library and coffee shops, bars; gathering bits and pieces from the old and current murder. Both houses are now a crime scene. To make matters more intense, Sarah is receiving these cryptic emails about three blind mice. She ignores them, because she has too much other to worry about here in Iowa. Work can wait and she deletes them. She has not had time to answer her editor's calls. She has not a clue they could be connected to what is going on here in Iowa. However, when someone runs her off the road, and leaves a broken watch on her car windshield, and photos of a crime scene, and other texts and emails – someone here in Penny Gate could be the one behind the three blind mice? There are so many suspects: The cop, the uncle, the father, Jack, Amy, Dean—each time someone goes down the steps to a cellar or basement, I am holding my breath! Who would murder two farmer’s wives and why? Similarities between Lydia and Julia’s deaths. What is the motive?Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is the truth—trust or not? Each secret uncovered adds another crack in Sarah’s marriage. Wouldn’t someone capable of murdering show some signs of insanity, being unbalanced? Is she married to a psychopath or someone in this family? Does she even want to stay here? She has to learn the truth before she leaves. “You can’t catch me.” A text. Her cell phone.When Sarah gets her hands on the old evidence, she is afraid of her own husband. Who is this man? Nothing could prepare for darkness and evil of this town. A race against time Sarah is in the middle of danger, the closer she comes to learning the identity of the killer. Clues surface and the missing pieces of the puzzle come to light for an explosive climax. Wow, this was one intense mystery! Loved Sarah’s character and Margaret (she was a former babysitter for Jack and Amy). The two female feisty sleuths were creative, innovative, and pushed all boundaries—smart, edgy, taking risks, witty, sneaking around making excuses about the food, and uncovering the web of deceit. (they need to be PI partners). A case no one could crack years earlier. These two made the story. A number of evil players with two sides, making it difficult to determine the killer. Cryptic message, clues, beatings, murder weapons, dark cellars, poisoning. Loved the front cover Perfect title. There are so many missing pieces, clues, and mystery surrounding the two murders----an ideal book for book clubs and discussions. Different personalities and perspectives. Nice character development and plot planning-- the author hands out small clues and pieces, as the story unravels. Very clever twist with the Three Blind Mice nursery rhyme, clues, poisoning, and the eyes being covered, see how they run, etc.…There is so much unknown--and each character has flaws, making more than a few likely suspects with possible motive. By the time you reach the end, you will find another huge piece. Even though I have enjoyed all Heather’s books, MISSING PIECES is my favorite. Action-packed and a different twist than her previous books. I hope she continues to write more of these fast-paced crime psycho-suspense mystery thrillers; she is in her “element,” and since this is my favorite genre--a glowing 5 stars! Can’t wait to see what’s next! (More of this, please)

[irenecole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sarah and Jack have been happily married for 20 years. They have built a life together and raised 2 daughters, but Jack has been keeping secrets and just maybe some of them have been deadly. Sarah has always thought Jack's parents had died in an accident. Until they return to his home town where his aunt has been hospitalized Sarah really never gave it much thought or pressed him for details. Almost immediately upon arrival Sarah is bombarded with one uncomfortable and unpleasant surprise after another. There are so many things her husband has not told her, including his real name, or why his sister Amy refers to their former home as The House of Horrors. The more she finds out the less she feels able to trust him, The tension builds as Sarah investigates the past and the possibility that Aunt Julia's accident was not an accident after all. She begins to question whether she ever really knew her husband at all.
This was a highly suspenseful story.

I received an advance copy for review.

[geauxgetlit · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this domestic thriller and even after 20 years of marriage, you may not know all your partners secrets until it’s too late.