PARTS AND PIECES
A Dr. Sarah Whitley Psychological Drama
An ambitious anatomist. An associate dean with a secret agenda. One wrong step could mean the end of everything Sarah has worked so hard to achieve.
Dr. Sarah Whitley has been hired as one of the founding professors at the new Carlton College of Medicine in San Francisco. She sees the opportunity to prepare a series of instructional cadaver dissection videos and a one-of-a-kind exhibit of plastinated human anatomy specimens as her chance of establishing her reputation as an expert anatomist and foremost educator. But the Associate Dean of Basic Sciences, Dr. Sidney Toffer, has other ideas.
Sarah soon learns how underhanded and manipulative Dr. Toffer can be, and exposing him is nearly impossible given his controlling influence over Dean McSwain and President Baron. When she finds herself locked in a cat and mouse game with Sidney, she realizes that only one of them can win…
Parts and Pieces gives the reader a unique glimpse into the dark and devious soul of a total narcissist, and how far they’ll go to be the center of attention. If you like captivating characters, unpredictable twists, and psychological suspense, then you’ll love L.L. Spriggs’ riveting tale of corruption and intrigue.
Buy Parts and Pieces today to find out how Sarah resolves her precarious situation.
PARTS AND PIECES EDITORIAL REVIEWS
1. This is my second novel now by L.L. Spriggs, and they have both been very good and quite a departure from the types of books I normally read (The other being “The Dissector”- check it out!!) I like the fact that “Parts and Pieces” uses the same main character from the first book (Dr. Sarah Whitley), but in a new city and new circumstances, so even though it had been awhile since I’d read the first book it was totally ok. And the author does a great job of bringing us up to speed on her (and the other characters) backstories and roles. “Parts and Pieces” is a full realized and insightful look “behind the scenes” of a new medical school that is opening in San Francisco, and the scandalous drama and shenanigans that occur, but without all the excessive, contrived melodrama that can ruin the believability. The main characters are so well done, and even though Sidney Toffer was super shady, he made for a very interesting ‘antagonist’. I was happy with their storyline and ending. Like Spriggs’ other book, I thought “Parts and Pieces” to be darker and more character-driven than action driven (more of a drama/suspense than a ‘thriller’ or ‘action’ novel), and definitely on the weird side, but I mean that in a good way. You can tell the author has amazing knowledge of the whole medical school/teaching/class angle and shines light on areas we might not usually think of. Some similar themes and motifs present, but Spriggs does a fantastic job of putting her own unique and unusual spin on them. The writing is lovely, literary and flows well and the editing is practically perfect. I did think there could have been more of an obvious ‘hook’ or conflict sooner, but an intriguing, original story that definitely entertained and made my eyes widen several times. The ending is very satisfying (and I like that we learn what the title of the book means) and seems to wrap up but also leaves possibility for more…maybe? Recommend for fans of suspense and drama (5 stars) Essie Harmon—Goodreads; Indie Book Reviewers
2. I’d read another book by L.L. Spriggs last summer and really enjoyed it. I was delighted to read her latest novel featuring Dr. Sarah Whitley, “Parts and Pieces” and hoped it would be just as good as the first… and it did not disappoint! I was just as mesmerized by this one as I was the first and was very impressed with how original and fresh the storyline and writing is. Even though I thought it started off a little slow – it does take a while for the real conflict to “expose” itself, it is all bound together in a way that is nothing like anything I’ve read before—And I really liked it! Liked having the backdrop be San Francisco (one of my fave cities) and having it set in a medical school and with all the stress of setting up the new school (where Dr. Sarah is teaching) gives it more depth and intrigue I think. There is a lot of narrative in the beginning, and I would have preferred more conversations with characters to pull the story forward instead of the narrative ‘telling’. But it picks up and for the most part the editing and pacing was terrific. There are a few surprises along the way but for me the real strength of this book lies within Dr. Sarah’s character – her tenacity and strength and perseverance and how complex she is. Trouble seems to find this woman, but she’s a tough cookie! Happy she gets what she deserves in the end (as do Dr. Toffer, lol) and I’m excited for more books by Ms. Spriggs– it would be cool it she could do another follow up. (4 stars) Laura Clarke—Goodreads; Indie Book Reviewers
3. I’m not sure exactly how to describe this book by L.L. Spriggs, other than being unusual, fun and easy to read. Like her other book I read last year (“The Dissector”) I was genuinely impressed with not only the descriptive and detailed medical- world building and her strong writing, but it was also the way the characters interacted with one another in a way that really made me feel something. I always felt like I was really part of the story. L.L. Spriggs clearly has comprehensive and first-hand knowledge of much of med school academia and pulls you right into the believable-world where we feel we know just as much as she does (which is hard to do), and doesn’t hold back any punches. Again, Dr. Sarah is a great heroine to follow, and even though Dr. Toffer definitely has some “issues” he was a good character as well (for being not so good). I did think much of the supporting cast felt a bit on the thin side, however. But the strength of this book lies with seeing them interact and how everything played out with them – very cat and mousish. The pacing was still a little on the slower side (for me), and I was frequently waiting for something dramatic to happen. It eventually does, but I think there is great potential in these books for real profound thrills and chills, and they should manifest themselves much sooner in the story so that we the reader are really grabbed right away. As it is, there is definitely more excitement toward the end than the beginning, which focuses more on the plot set up and character backstory. But a great read, and one I enjoyed. Hope to read more about Dr. Sarah Whitley soon. (4 stars).Sherrie Warner—Goodreads; Indie Book Reviewers
4. When I heard L.L. Spriggs had another novel out, I was excited to read it because I’d read and enjoyed her first one, “The Dissector”. And I’d been in a little bit of a reading funk lately. But much to my dismay, as much as I wanted to make it last longer, I gobbled up “Parts and Pieces” in two nights! Spriggs just paints scenes and characters so well we are in their lives and invested before we know what hits us. And the short chapters and third-person omniscient narration makes it a fast, but well-crafted read. The premise itself perhaps seems a little on the tame side for a ‘psychological suspense’, with the Dr. Sarah Whitley arriving at the soon-to-be opened Carlton College of Medicine in San Francisco where she is to teach anatomy. But the real drama lies with the other characters in the book, some who are really unscrupulous and are crafting a world of dishonesty and deceit – and then one goes mysteriously missing. This whole book reads like a HR nightmare, but it is interesting to see events unfold from the behind the action perspective. And if you like corrupt characters and surprising, dark twists, then this book is just what the doctor ordered (pun intended). I did think it could benefit from some narrative trimming, but still a compelling and enjoyable journey that delivers an entertaining and memorable experience. Loved the ending and would happily read more! (4 stars) Layla Messing—Goodreads; Indie Book Reviewers
5. The first book I read by L.L. Spriggs was good, “The Dissector” but this one left me with mixed feelings. Some things I liked more… some things I liked less.…I like that it seems like she has really found her ‘narrative voice’ and she really writes well in this niche (medical based suspense, psychological thrillers). L.L. Spriggs produces such high quality books with edgy and exciting characters who are well rounded and have a depth to them that many other book’s characters lack. Spriggs is meticulous with her detailing, from characters to scenery to settings and plotting. I do enjoy the characters, especially Dr. Whitley… and it’s their dialogue and the way they interact with each other and their actions that make the connections really seem real and sell the story well. At times I lamented the slow pacing and that it took far to long for any real inciting incident to occur… the ‘so what?’ moment – the one that makes you just HAVE to read and find out what will happen. Things felt far too safe and normal to too long, and this isn’t what you want in this genre. I was anxious for the action to start. A lot of focus spent on the ‘character development” and plot set up and while interesting, lacks an urgency that makes us invested so that we have to keep reading. But since I’d read another book by this author I was confident that we’d get a good story with a good payoff at the end (which we definitely do). Just could have used some more oomph sooner. But I hope this series continues, because like I said, she writes very well in this niche and these books are as entertaining as they are enlightening – I feel like I learn something about med school life! But also has an emotional quality that makes us care. Clean editing and formatting, recommend for mature readers of psychological suspense, and literary drama. (3 stars). Jason Thackery—Goodreads; Indie Book Reviewers
6. I admit, I liked this book much more than I thought I would. This was the second one I’ve read from this author L.L. Spriggs, and while I liked the first one, I didn’t love it. And while this one seemed to have less of the obvious high stakes drama of the first, what I really liked was how well L.L. Spriggs does the characters, even the ‘bad’ ones, so that we see all sides of them. Dr. Sara is a strong lead, but the supporting cast was just as good, and then the “Man” himself, Dr. Toffer is great antagonist and while his crimes may be more white collar than anything, there are real ramifications to his behavior and people get caught up in his web. We see the almost step-by-step process of the school being built, and the complications that arise make for a heck of a ride. Tight, focused writing and {near} flawless editing as well. Overall I was impressed with this book and will be looking to read more of her books very soon. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys psychological drama with an intelligent and unpredictable plot that feel very authentic and true-to life, and explores the darkest, most creative corners of your psyche. (4-5 stars). Eliza Brown—Goodreads; Indie Book Reviewers
7. I was a little hesitant to read this book “Parts and Pieces”, only because I didn’t read the first one in this series “The Dissector” so I didn’t know if I’d be lost or not understand it. So I decided to just read the first few chapters to see if I wanted to continue. Here are my thoughts: I immediately liked the narrative voice and the characterizations and found that it was just very easy to read and was intriguing. I never felt lost or confused, in fact each character that is introduced, from Dr. Sidney Toffer to Dr. Sarah Whitley (and all the others) are all given very thorough ‘character bios’ and backgrounds to their backstory (some might argue too much…) so we are perfectly grounded in this world as Dr. Toffer is set to try to get the new med school up and running and Dr. Whitley s accepting her new position as a professor there. But then the story starts to take a more cryptic, nefarious turn when true natures are revealed, and then people are pitted against each other in unexpected ways. The in-depth characterizations is what gives this story it’s robust flavor, that and the attention to the detailing (this author is very experienced in the medical field and it certainly shows). This is the kind of story that I like reading, because it feels plausible enough and the characters feel real. Even when there wasn’t intense action, L.L. Spriggs is able to make the story and these fascinating, flawed characters come to life. In terms of world-building, there is not an enormous amount, (this is set at a medical school in San Francisco) but there is great detailing that sells the story nicely. A solid read and I liked how it ended. Makes me want to read the first book now—and hopefully others. (4-5 stars) Brenda Maxwell—Goodreads; Indie Book Reviewers