Missing Parts

by Lucinda Berry

Secrets never stay buried...

Growing up abandoned by her father and raised by a single mother, Celeste was determined to create the perfect family but even perfect families have secrets. Celeste’s days are filled with a rewarding career, a devoted husband, and her four-year-old daughter. Only Celeste knows the precarious house of cards her family is built upon until the day her daughter falls critically ill. Celeste’s world quickly spirals out of control as her secret threatens to destroy her marriage, family, reputation, and sanity. She’ll go to any lengths to protect her family—take any risk, break any law—anything except tell the truth.

"A natural fit for fans of Gone Girl-style narrators and fast moving plots— Closer Weekly

"A gripping psychological thriller...Read it in one sitting—Bookish Girl

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Suspense

419 pages, ebook

First published September 20, 2016

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Lucinda Berry is a former psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. She’s written multiple bestsellers reaching millions of readers worldwide. Some of her bestselling works include The Perfect Child, Saving Noah, When She Returned, The Best of Friends, and Keep Your Friends Close. Her books have been optioned for film and translated into several languages.

If Berry isn’t chasing after her son, you can find her running through Los Angeles, prepping for her next marathon. To hear about her upcoming releases and other author news, visit her on social media (@lucindaberryauthor) or sign up for her newsletter at https://lucindaberry.com.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biggest issue I had with the book was the pace. There’s a ton to unravel, and everything went too fast. If Dr. Berry had taken the time to go through the slower, this could’ve been a home run. Characters were going through the motions of the plot, but other than some internal mania experienced by Celeste, there was little insight into any of the other characters. They were all mono dimensional at best. Her other books were so much better than this. Lots of important things to talk about in here, but none were really addressed adequately. Tons of trigger warnings folks, so make sure you know ahead of time, or stop reading and walk away if any of it takes you down a road too dark for yourself.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 STARS

When Celeste’s daughter life is endangered, secrets come to light that cause ripples throughout the lives of everyone she knows.

Lucinda Berry is usually a five star read for me, so giving MISSING PARTS such a low review pains me. Aside from great writing and Celeste’s complexity, I dislike the reading reading MISSING PARTS. She made so many uninformed decisions with her friends and family, choices with potentially catastrophic consequences. I sympathized with the raw deal life handed her, understood why she became so but couldn’t get myself to root for her. I rooted for her to make less destructive choices. The secondary characters weren’t fully fleshed out.

The ending of MISSING PARTS was a real letdown, except for the last sentence. I recommend Berry’s other books, but not this one.

[Tertia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could have been a good book. Could have been. But it was utterly disappointing. The characters are highly unlikeable. Especially David. Talk about cold hearted. Your wife is attacked and raped but you treat her like crap. A child is born out of it and you force your wife to sign away her parental rights? You go behind her back and legally adopt her child, born out of rape? And then Celeste? Where do I start? She is so screwed up. So pathetic. I could not stand her attitude. Not one second. And then there is THE child. Little brat. Every scene she is in, I wanted to spank her bottom for how she treated her mother. I really hated this book. What a waste of time.

[Kaylah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I HAVE OFFICIALLY READ EVERY LUCINDA BERRY NOVEL!! this is her most underrated book in my opinion, one of her best!!! I filmed a video ranking all of her books. Check it out! https://www.tiktok.com/@whereismylibr...

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book started fine. I enjoyed listening /reading about it. Then things got a little weird when the main character drenched herself in self-pity, even when her daughter was in coma. Few medical facts didn't seem completely right. The story dragged from 50% to 70%, then came the time of truth. But by then, I hated all of them. The writing didn't make me feel empathy for any of the characters, which saddened me.

A book into which I was invested in became something I was completely disenchanted with.

[Rhonda 🌒🌕🌘 🐈‍⬛ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 🌟
4/5 ❤️‍🩹
2/5 🥰
0/5 🌶️
0/5 🔎
3/5 😰A
4/5 🎭T

⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️

Mentions of Rape
Violence
Mentions of Alcoholism
Divorce
Terminal Illness
Organ Transplant
Infidelity
Lies
Deceit
Blaming the Rape Victim

🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️



Growing up abandoned by her father and raised by a single mother, Celeste was determined to create the perfect family but even perfect families have secrets. Celeste’s days are filled with a rewarding career, a devoted husband, and her four-year-old daughter. Only Celeste knows the precarious house of cards her family is built upon until the day her daughter falls critically ill. Celeste’s world quickly spirals out of control as her secret threatens to destroy her marriage, family, reputation, and sanity. She’ll go to any lengths to protect her family—take any risk, break any law—anything except tell the truth.

”A natural fit for fans of Gone Girl-style narrators and fast moving plots— Closer Weekly

🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔

This book stems from tragedy and just snowballs. It is an emotional and thought provoking novel about being raped, hiding it from your loved ones. A pregnancy as a result of that rape and a child with a devastating genetic illness. It is heartbreaking. The possibility of a new found love. You should read this!

I enjoyed this book despite my emotions. This book was phenomenal!

RATING KEY:

🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️‍🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scared/Anxious - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy/Tragedy based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a C or T to indicate Comedy or Tragedy

[Jacqie Wheeler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very very bad book. Do not read this as your first Lucinda Berry or you may never continue with this author. This book made absolutely no sense - it was like 2 books mushed into one, with no direction! Terrible.

[Katie Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one hooks you quick and I found myself having a hard time putting it down. The story in itself is harrowing and provoked a lot of negative emotions while reading. The main characters are so unlikable it made it difficult to resonate with their journey. Some parts of this book were just truly unsettling and hard to read as well. That being said, it was a unique twist and another binge-worthy Lucinda Berry book filled with deep darkness and psychological turmoil - per usual.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook 🎧
In the beginning, I was hooked and was enjoying it, but when stuff went down, I was kind of disappointed about the plot.
I went in blind and was expecting something better with twists.
I've enjoyed a lot of this author's books, but unfortunately, this one didn't quite hit for me personally.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always been a huge Lucinda Berry fan…. No need to ever read the synopsis , just “click to Purchase” and Boom…. I’m reading……

Just a tiny bit disappointed with “Missing Parts”. Not my favorite book from Berry but then again my expectation of anything Berry is over the top. Still, a good story line and great plot

Growing up abandoned by her father and raised by a single mother, Celeste was determined to create the perfect family but even perfect families have secrets. Celeste’s days are filled with a rewarding career, a devoted husband, and her four-year-old daughter. Only Celeste knows the precarious house of cards her family is built upon until the day her daughter falls critically ill. Celeste’s world quickly spirals out of control as her secret threatens to destroy her marriage, family, reputation, and sanity. She’ll go to any lengths to protect her family—take any risk, break any law—anything except tell the truth

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favourite Lucinda berry book to date unfortunately. I’m sure there was supposed to be a big reveal at the end but I’d already guessed what had happened from the start. For me this had none of the unsettling psychological intrigue that I’d come to expect after reading a few of her other titles.

[Tiff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am really loving Lucinda Berry, this is the 4th book of hers of read in just two weeks. Enjoyable book but didn't have the depth of character development as the others and it was pretty predictable.
Good but not great.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Now was the time for me to freak out, but I still felt nothing. Dr. Koven had just told me my daughter was suffering from a medical problem that had the potential to kill her, and I was numb. Maybe I was in shock. People responded to bad news differently all the time. I was sure any minute the emotional impact of the news would hit me. It had to. Until then, my job was to be there for David and Rori.".....

Celeste has spent her life creating it to be just the way she wants. She's married, with a daughter. She has a career. She has mom friends that meet for dinner and gossip. David stays home to care for Rori, since Celeste is at work. He handles the play dates. She also has a secret she refers to as, "That Night." Celeste seems to have a pretty good life.

Celeste grew up without her dad and wants more for her own child. She"ll do anything to protect the life she has created. Everything is about to be on the line when Rori becomes extremely sick. Celeste's reaction to the illness creates friction between her and her husband, David.

There were things about Celeste's character I found unusual as a parent, but not necessarily unique to moms world wide. Many can have children, not everyone should. There's a complicated connection sometimes. It's created a chasm in her marriage.

Is 4 year old Rori going to die? Will their marriage get through this trial? What lengths will Celeste go to protect her family? What happens when the details of "That Night" are finally revealed?

The story had some shocking surprises! Definitely a psychological thriller you will enjoy. What is wrong with Celeste? I developed some empathy for her along the way. What has she done? Celeste has some "Missing Parts,"and those she love will suffer for it.

Thank you Lucinda Berry, Rise Press Publishing.

[Jill Bowman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated every ridiculous, bratty and stupid character in this book. I liked Saving Noah so much I thought I’d read more by Berry. Had I started with this book that would have ended my journey! I’ll try another of hers, but good riddance to these immature, cruel people.

(Stop sobbing and explain yourself like the adult you’re supposed to be and MAYBE he’d listen. Though I doubt it.)

[Hannah Bugey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book at first. But then it started getting messy in the middle. There were too many storylines going on at that time. Spoiler ahead: and the ending? What was that? After all that Celeste just signs over her parental rights with no fight? Makes no sense but the book wasn’t bad just kind of confusing.

[BookNerdsBrainDump · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short Take: I see what you (almost) did there…..


**Note - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**


I have been known to dip out of my preferred genres on occasion. Maybe I should spend more time reading Serious Literature, and less time with works that are scary or gory or fast-paced. I think that my tastes are skewed to the point where I might not be the best judge of what is “good”. And the whole time I was reading “Missing Parts”, I just couldn’t get past my own prejudices.


I do want to say, up front, that Ms. Berry attempts to tackle some real, difficult, and timely issues with this book. Societal expectations of mothers are horrifically unfair even to the best of them, and for some women, difficulty in bonding with their children is a genuine issue that most people pretend doesn’t exist. So I have to commend the author for being willing to tackle some very uncomfortable truths.


That said, this book was described to me as a thriller, similar to Gone Girl (we know how I feel about that particular comparison, right?), twisty, fast-paced, and so on. And I just didn’t see any of that. What I saw was “one terrible woman’s journey of self-discovery in which she learns nothing.”


Celeste has a great life in LA - she’s a force to be reckoned with at work, has a perfect partner in stay-at-home dad David, a great group of supportive friends, and a four year old daughter. It’s quite picturesque. That is, until her daughter becomes deathly ill, and the secret that Celeste has been holding onto for years threatens everything in her life.


On the surface, this sounds pretty good. The problem is that Celeste is, quite simply, terrible. We are assured repeatedly that she is very strong, and has always kept everything together, but in virtually every scene of the book, she’s having some kind of breakdown - crying, weeping, sobbing, tears streaming, eyes wet, and whatever other synonym for blubbering you can name. She also throws up frequently, complete with descriptions of the color & consistency. There’s even a bonus fainting spell.


Celeste is pathologically selfish to a degree I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. A big chunk of the book is long, melodramatic, drawn-out exposition of her life, and I swear, the only part of her entire life in which she was happy is when she & her husband were first married, and she was 100% the center of attention in their little family. (I should add, everyone is miserable in all the flashbacks as well.) We’re talking about a person who joins AA, not because she has a drinking problem (not even remotely) but because hearing other people talk about the terrible things they’ve done makes her feel better about herself. Because it’s totally OK to use people in recovery as props, right? Seriously… who DOES that?


There is a big reveal towards the end that should probably make her more sympathetic, but because a lot of it was telegraphed heavily early on, it didn’t have nearly as much impact. Knowing the Big Secret, without it being actually addressed for most of the book, rendered it almost meaningless. Had it been completely revealed up front, it might have made the rest of the story slightly more relatable.


And that’s my other major issue - for all the pages in this book, there just isn’t much story. In fact, the main issues of the book (her child’s illness, possibly a terrible crime) are barely touched on for most of it. There’s a lot of exposition, and more navel-gazing than anything else. Celeste’s only thought for anyone, and I mean ANYONE else is “Gee, I hope they don’t think I’m a bad person!” There’s not one other person whose feelings are ever even considered, other than for the possibility that they might see Celeste as not-perfect.


Sociopaths can be fun to watch, and narcissists can be fun to hate. But there’s hard to find much fun in someone who is just so empty of everything but self-pity.


The Nerd’s Rating: TWO HAPPY NEURONS (and some anti-depressants. Please.)

[Tracy (The Pages In-Between) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received this book for free, in exchange of an honest review, the opinions below are of my own*

I am torn with me feelings about this book. I feel like it would have been better, as Book One, and Book Two, not Part One, and Part Two. I honestly felt like I had just read two different books, binded together. I am not 100% sure if that's a good thing. The Narrator is a bit un-reliable if you don't like that sort of thing, that this book is not for you.

As a mother, I can appreciate the raw honesty that is in this book, regarding Celeste and the choices that she made. Sure a lot of them pissed me off, and left me very angry. But much like real life, not everyone is perfect.

There are a couple good shock factors to this book, and some that you see coming, but I think the Author did a great job, and with all that said, I did enjoy reading and reviewing this book.

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was something MISSING in MISSING PARTS....and that "something" was a compelling storyline.

UGH! I am a huge Lucinda Berry fan but this book just fell completely flat. The book was plugged as a thriller but there was nothing thrilling about it. Instead, the book was more about a woman who had some pretty major problems coping with life.

I listened to the book's audio version and the narrator was excellent but even this narrator could not save this book.

If this is your first Lucinda Berry book, don't give up on her. If you've never read Lucinda Berry, I suggest you start with WHEN SHE RETURNED. That was a 5-star winner.

[♡ cal ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb is definitely more exciting than the story itself. I have 2 more books from this author left and I honestly imma take a break first. I highly appreciate the message in this book but the storytelling was just so… bland.

[Raylene Prout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever I need a palate cleanser in between longer books, I reach for Lucinda Berry - and I'm almost never disappointed. Such is the case with Missing Parts. I read this book in 2 days; it moved at a quick cadence, kept me interested throughout, and I sort of loved that ending 🫶.

Though I don't always love a domestic thriller, this book hit for me! Dr. Berry has an uncanny ability to make you put yourself in the protagonist's position to wonder "what would I do" in this situation?

The themes of redemption, forgiveness and reinvention run deep, and the situation Celeste is put in truly makes you think 🤔

Great read 📚 🤓👍

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhh, Lucinda Berry—queen of “messy families and darker than your average soap opera secrets.”

If you thought your family had issues, Missing Parts is here to politely laugh in your face and say, “Hold my wine.” This book is basically the literary equivalent of opening a nice-looking gift box only to find it stuffed with snakes, trauma, and terrible life choices. Our leading lady Celeste? On the surface, she’s living the good suburban dream—husband, kids, a shiny little life. But then the cracks start showing, and oh boy, when I say cracks, I mean full-on emotional sinkholes.

Celeste is one of those characters you want to hug and strangle at the same time. On one hand, she’s trying to be the perfect wife and mother, but on the other, she’s carrying enough unresolved baggage to sink a cruise ship. And then the truth about her past starts unraveling—cue the skeletons practically falling out of closets, waving, and introducing themselves. Lucinda Berry does not play when it comes to trauma reveals; every twist had me side-eyeing the page like, “Wait, excuse me, WHAT?!”

And let’s talk pacing. This book moves like a Netflix binge—you tell yourself “just one more chapter,” and suddenly it’s 3 a.m., you’re stress-eating Doritos, and your faith in humanity is hanging by a thread. It’s not just the secrets that keep you hooked—it’s watching Celeste desperately try to hold her life together with duct tape and denial, while you, the reader, are whispering, “Girl, this is not going to end well.” Spoiler: it does not.

Is it melodramatic? Absolutely. Did I roll my eyes at some of the choices? Oh, without a doubt. But the thing about Lucinda Berry is she knows how to tap straight into your lizard brain and keep you turning pages like your life depends on it. The psychology is sharp, the twists are nasty in the best way, and the ending is one of those “well, damn” moments that makes you want to sit in silence for a minute afterward.

Four stars because it’s not flawless—some of the drama goes off the rails, and I did occasionally want to throw Celeste into a therapist’s office and lock the door—but wow, was it addictive. Missing Parts is dark, messy, bingeable drama at its best. Read it if you’re in the mood for family secrets so toxic they make your in-laws look like saints.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What did I just read? Talk about harrowing! Some moments in this novel made me angry, they also made me want to cry, to scream, to break something! This was a really dark book that took me to some very uncomfortable places! I hated some of the characters in this, but I can see a true reflection of life in this book! I'm sitting here trying to piece myself together. What did I just read?!??!?!?!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be biased since Lucinda Berry is one of my top favorite authors, so it goes without saying that I was absorbed by her literary brilliance. Missing Parts was another emotionally raw story. Lucinda has a way of delving into topics that no one usually writes about. It’s deep and psychologically twisted. Love her writing style!!

[Melissa Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just not sure about this one. Love this author, but the story felt too fragmented this time and the MC was too unlikable. Yes, even more than the MC in Noah!

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t understand the point of the story. It was all over the place. Not for me I guess.

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

For a relatively short book this one dragged and felt repetitive. The story really would have benefited from a more liberal editing.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review on www.novelgossip.com

I knew this one was right up my alley as soon as I read the blurb. A mother with secrets that’s willing to do anything to keep them quiet? I’m in! While I had a few minor issues with this one, overall I was pleased.

Celeste is a wife and mother living a normal life in Los Angeles until her daughter gets seriously ill. It’s apparent right away that there is something off about Celeste and that’s she’s hiding something. Admittedly I figured out the bones of her secret fairly quickly, but there were details that were still surprising. After her secret is revealed, everything starts to crumble for her. At the end of Part One of this book, I was rather shocked. It was reminiscent of My Girl by Jack Jordan, but it didn’t have quite the same gut punch to the twist. It was still unexpected and appreciated though.

Part two went in a direction that I wasn’t anticipating after the twist in part one. Celeste’s true character is shown and it wasn’t pretty. She’s extremely hard to like and she’s unreliable, but I don’t mind that at all. I’ve read plenty of books with unlikable narrators and enjoyed them and the same can be said here. This is a hard one to review because any details I would like to share regarding character development and plot structure would ruin it for everyone.

Yes, I guessed some twists, but I wasn’t very disappointed and I think it’s because I was enjoying the ride so much. This is a read it in one sitting type of book and that’s exactly what I did. Berry’s potential as a writer is very clear and I would definitely pick up anything else she writes in the future. She’s a psychologist herself and I think this provided some fascinating insight and impacted the way she wrote this in a fantastic way.

[lettylaunica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

I wasn't expecting this kind of story at all, I was looking for a suspense thriller cause I don't like sad or emotional books, they really get me. I think the book was kinda long and SPOILERS but I hate so much when a best friend ends with someone else's partners is like incest to me. GROSS! I just hate that and I hate David sooo much also Robin being such a unsupportive friend, she was best friends with Celeste first and she knew for the longer than David and still she doesn't see nothing wrong with her relationship with him? Disgusting! Must be so hard to women getting rape and still being blamed after all, they give on her so quickly, David is such a selfish man thinking he is above everybody. But I love how Lucinda Berry is not afraid of choosing hard topics in her books it's just that I just don't like this kind of stories

[Katrina (Catching up on Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about Missing Parts by Lucinda Berry. I gave it 4 stars because it hooked me—especially in Part One, which I was fully invested in. However, Part Two didn’t land as well for me. The tone shifted, and some of the momentum felt lost.

One thing that stood out was the dynamic between the parents: the mom as the breadwinner and the dad as the stay-at-home parent. It felt realistic and refreshing. I also appreciated seeing a mother character who isn't portrayed as overly obsessed with her child—yet she’s carrying a massive secret that drives the entire story.

That said, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, which made it hard to connect emotionally at times. Still, the story’s twists and themes kept me turning the pages.

[BookstagramSam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s no surprise I am a huge Lucinda Berry fan and am making my way through all of her books.

After I finished reading this one, I needed to take a second reflect on what I read and my thoughts.

Celeste was raised by her mother and abandoned by her father and is determined to have the perfect family. Her daughter becomes life threatening ill and now all of Celeste’s secrets are about to unfold. Secrets that will destroy her family. But she’s willing to go to anything length to protect them.

I was trying super hard to figure out what was going on in the first half! I did figure one part out! Yay me. Berry writes it so you really don’t like Celeste and your heart just breaks for her little girl. The second half though I found myself just a little bored and even more annoyed with Celeste. But then all the twists come out. Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a super fast read and kept me really engaged!