The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy by B.M. Carroll
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Told from a multi-narrative point of view, The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy is a story of fate intervening to have a devastating impact on two families. Sophie has suffered life-changing injuries in a car accident caused by Aidan, a captain in the Australian army. His conscience compelling him to visit Sophie in the hospital, there is an attraction between them. What follows is a seemingly honourable man deserting his wife and child at a vulnerable time in their lives to become part of a couple with Sophie, whom he believes he has fallen in love with. Sophie is a determined, clever person who was at the top of her career. She is struggling with the constant pain she’s left in from her injuries. I sympathised, even admired her determination, but it soon became apparent that, at the core, Sophie is not a nice person. I wanted to know why, I wanted to delve in to her family dynamics, particularly the relationship between Sophie and her father, Richard, who is unable to accept that Aidan has become part of her life and wants justice for his daughter. What made Sophie the way she is? The book deals with some important issues many people will relate to: single parenthood, grief, bullying in the workplace, special needs and fertility problems. The overriding issue for me was that of obsession in a relationship. I’m not giving specifics for obvious reasons, but all of these issues were handled really well and sensitively. The characterisation is excellent. I found the children particularly relatable to. There was a moment where Aidan and his daughter, Jasmin, came together, which brought huge lump to my throat and delivered an extremely satisfying ending. If you love psychological thrillers with a healthy helping of domestic drama, I would highly recommend this book.
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