Book
Missing pieces / Joy Fielding.
Record details
- ISBN: 0385485212
- ISBN: 0770429661
- Physical Description: 368 p. ; 24 cm. : ill.
- Edition: 1st ed.
- Publisher: New York : Doubleday, c1997.
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Canadian fiction. Serial murderers > Fiction. Sisters > Fiction. Families > Fiction. |
| Topic Heading: | Festival of the Written Arts 2006 |
Available copies
- 7 of 7 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Elkford Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 7 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkford Public Library | FC FIE (Text) | 35170000136945 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Monthly Selections - #2 May 1997
Fielding has carved out a successful niche for herself as a writer of psychological suspense, and her latest novel in that vein will only help secure her reputation. This tale takes the form of a wonderfully compelling testament by Kate Sinclair, a middle-aged family therapist; her husband of 24 years, Larry, is a successful builder. One fine day, Kate's unconventional sister, Jo Lynn, announces she fully intends to marry a man on trial locally for a gruesome series of murders. Colin Friendly is accused of killing 13 women, and Jo Lynn believes he is just too handsome to be guilty of such deeds. Jo Lynn attends Colin's trial, makes herself noticed, and eventually does indeed marry him. In the midst of all these well-publicized goings-on, Kate is having problems with her teenage daughter, her mother's health is declining, and, adding to it all, a man she knew before comes back into her life, only to cause trouble between Kate and her husband. As outlandish as the relationship between sister Jo Lynn and the serial killer seems, Fielding's talent makes it all quite credible. ((Reviewed May 15, 1997)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 1997 April
Kate Sinclair has problems: her sister is marrying a man accused of serial murder, she can't handle her rebellious daughter or addled mother, and a slick talker on whom she had a crush in high school has just reappeared. It's enough to send Kate to the therapist's couch if she weren't already a therapist. Expect hard-hitting promotion for this new novel from the author of See Jane Run (LJ 3/15/91). Copyright 1998 Library Journal Reviews - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 1997 August
Therapist Kate Sinclair expertly deals with her Palm Beach clients, but her own family is flying apart. Her delusional half-sister Jo Lynn, who marries and divorces abusers, is now obsessed with Colin Friendly, an accused serial rapist-killer. Sara, Kate's wily and buxom daughter, escalates teen rebellion to new heights, seeking the unstable Jo Lynn for support, and Kate's husband of 24 years retreats into avoidance. When Robert, an old flame, turns up the heat by offering Kate her own therapy show on one of his radio stations, her prim assisted-living mother wigs out. Kate worries that if she keeps giving pieces of herself away, there won't be anything left. The suspense intensifies when Colin escapes from prison and threatens Sara. Best-selling author Fielding (Don't Cry Now, LJ 3/15/95) conjures up three-dimensional characters with fresh, rapier-like dialog. Although her spirited humor flags occasionally from credibility-straining exaggeration, devoted fans will gobble up the story and savor the tasty imagery: "sleep was curled around her voice, like a kitten in a basket." Enthusiastically recommended for library patrons. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/97; Literary Guild main selection.] Molly Gorman, San Marino, Cal. Copyright 1998 Library Journal Reviews - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 1997 June #2
Practical Kate Sinclair, 47, a family therapist married for 24 years and the mother of two teenaged daughters, is losing control of her orderly, settled life. She fights with her rebellious elder daughter, Sara, who's 17. Her mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Even her body is betraying her, as hot flashes startle her metabolism. Meanwhile, a chance encounter with an old high-school sweetheart inflames her in a totally different way. Worst of all, though, is the infatuation of her sexy half-sister, Jo Lynn, with a man on trial for the murder of 13 women. Fielding's leisurely paced latest tale (after Don't Cry Now) of psychological suspense, written in no-frills prose and set in Florida's Palm Beach Gardens, follows Kate as she watches in horror her sister's growing involvement with Colin Friendly, sociopath and sexual sadist. Trying to protect her sister in some vague way, Kate accompanies Jo Lynn on her lovestruck daily excursions to court. Though the sisters' relationship strains credulity at times, an unexpected yet believable revelation about Jo Lynn's past explains the self-destructive behavior that has led her through three abusive marriages and into a relationship with a serial killer who eventually targets Kate's family for his particular malice. Prosaic courtroom and therapy scenes and simplistically portrayed secondary figures weigh down the storytelling, but Kates's honest, strong narration is up to the task of driving this novel of a family in turmoil to its bloody if redeeming resolution. 175,000 first printing; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections; author tour. (Aug.) Copyright 1998 Publishers Weekly Reviews - School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 1998 January
YA?Fielding's novelistic version of "Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives" is almost a send-up of topics heard on advice shows. The heroine, a professional family counselor, has the hots for her old high school flame even though she is happily married to a wonderful, caring guy. She refuses to see that her mother is becoming senile and her teenage daughter is rebelling; in addition, her airhead sister marries an imprisoned serial killer to whom she becomes attracted while attending his trial. Once the tabloids move on from this sensational story, Sis helps her killer husband escape from prison only to become his ultimate victim. The desire to wring all of the characters' silly necks is strong, but the author does it first, while at the same time pointing out their motivations for being so foolish. Despite possible disgust with these women's behavior, readers will find that Fielding's writing keeps them turning the pages, and good sense prevails in the end.?Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA
