Missing Pieces

Rating:
Summary: All the characters were so lame.
Review: I found this book to be unbelievably ridiculous. Kate Sinclair is a family therapist but she is unable to handle her own family's problems. I disagree with the other reviewers who say she is stupid. I think Kate's sister, Jo Lynn, is stupid!! Kate totally does not have any common sense and she is weak, whines and is a total pessimist. She lets Jo Lynn and her teenage daughter, Sara, walk all over her. Kate over-analyzes everything, but she is unable to take any ACTION! She lacks control of her family. Thank goodness for her sweet, levelheaded younger daughter, Michelle. Kate, however, had incredible patience with her mother while her mother was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. And what about that lame husband?? He was good for nothing, basically. Talk about passive. I did not feel that there was that much in this book which involved the serial rapist/killer, Colin Friendly, and I thought that was the basis of this book. My mistake, I guess. The depressing tone of this book grew tiresome very quickly. I recommend that you read one of Joy Fielding's other books. This one missed the mark by far.

Rating:
Summary: Missing Plot
Review: Missing Pieces Joy Fielding
(pg 420 Florida Mystery)

I recently rediscovered this author after bypassing her on the shelves. In the past I read "See Jane Run" and highly recommend it to all I talk books to. I then read her latest '
Whispers and Lies" another mind tingling read. This book leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The main character is a family therapist and it seems Fielding has given her the most dysfunctional family in the world. Kate has a mother who is either losing her mind
or plotting to kill her neighbors in the senior citizen complex. Her sister Jo Lynn who has airhead down to an art, opens the morning paper and decides her true love is the serial
killer on trail for killing nine woman. While we are at it, throw in a perfect daughter who worships her mother like an idol, the out of control teenager who has no feelings for anyone but herself and the husband who hovers on the sidelines. With all this going on, the plot is lame and the ending did nothing to support the story. Every great author has a bad day and I hope this is Fielding's. I have her many great things about this author and will give her another chance. Rating 7

Rating:
Summary: Love and the serial killer.
Review: The premise for this book is so absurd I can hardly believe there was a story to go with it. After reading Fielding's 5 star GRAND AVENUE, I wanted to read everything she has written.

Kate's sister JoLynn opens the paper one morning and decides she will fall in love and marry the serial killer who's handsome picture is plastered all over the front page. His trial is moving along and JoLynn decides to meet with him to give him her support.

The rest is totally absurd with little merit. I find it hard to believe the same author wrote both of these books. The one redeeming aspect is that this author excels at creating living, breathing, characters, even the ones that behave in the most unbelievable manner. Kelsana 4/23/02