Dark Places

A Novel

By: Gillian Flynn

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Cassandra Campbell, Mark Deakins, Robertson Dean

Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas". As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived, and famously testified that her 15-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer.

Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who've long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details, proof they hope may free Ben, Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she'll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club...and maybe she'll admit her testimony wasn't so solid after all.

As Libby's search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby's doomed family members, including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town.

Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started...on the run from a killer.

©2009 Gillian Flynn (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

"Gillian Flynn is the real deal, a sharp, acerbic, and compelling storyteller with a knack for the macabre." (Stephen King)

"A gritty, riveting thriller with a one-of-a-kind, tart-tongued heroine." (Booklist)

“A riveting tale of true horror by a writer who has all the gifts to pull it off.” (Chicago Tribune)

So depressed

Here's what I have learned from Gillian Flynn novels: the Midwest sucks, everyone is crazy and you won't like anyone. Basically life will give you lemons, you will not make lemonade and your life sucks.

Dark and Twisty

Gillian Flynn is brilliant. And scary. Dark Places was twisted and dark, tense and surprising. Libby Day was another trademark Flynn heroine: damaged, frightening, and not totally reliable. I had suspicions, but was never sure who murdered the Day family, and why. I love the hard twists, and the not knowing.

Dark Places had three main narrators, with another thrown in at the very end. All were excellent storytellers.

Great Mystery

What did you love best about Dark Places?

The different voices for different characters really helped to break up the story and make you see different points of view.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, you never knew what was going to happen next. You would begin to like a character, then hate them, then like them.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes it was

Great Story with realistic ending

Even though the ending carved itself out well before the last few chapters, it was a well thought out story with great narrators.

American Culture

This book captures the cultural norms of a poor, yet hard-working, American farm family. The farm, led by an American woman, and her shiftless, alcoholic, good-for-nothing husband was not making enough money. It showed how the men farmers got their feed, seed, and equipment at low prices, while she was made to pay much higher prices simply because she was a woman. It showed how this farm woman had to put up with sexual harassment and other indignities, just to sell her farm goods. Meanwhile her no-good husband drank and frittered away money, and the children suffered without food, heat, clothes, and proper hygiene. It showed how callous American farmers were toward their peers who fell on hard times. The entire social system sounds awful. Awful people, in an awful environment, doing awful things to each other. The economic system is even worse and more predatory. There is not even one decent adult in this whole debacle. Yet and still, there are murders committed and the suspense of who did it will carry you right through to the end, where I find my head shaking in disgust as the real “who-done-it” story is just as awful as the farm community and the people in it.

It’s a riveting and suspenseful tale, which is well written, as I was able to envision the town, the farm, and the people. It’s such a realistic tale, that sometimes you forget it’s a fictional story. Definitely worth the read if you enjoy the genre.

Just alright

Narrators were good but the story was slow. Considered not finishing. No climax to it.

Dark

Loved it! Had some serious dark moments within it, that made me cringe a little. But the mystery and intensity kept up through the end.

Awesome

Loved this audio book and cannot wait for the movie! I have been so impressed with Gillian Flynn and I am going to listen to Sharp Objects next!

Gripping story

I enjoyed this audible very much. interesting story and narrator did well telling it. At times or was hard to go from present to past events but I feel like this was my fault and doesn't reflect on book or narration. I got through this one very quickly I was engrossed with it.

Wow- great read!!

Amazing book. Great flow and a twist that totally unexpected. Never a boring moment. Highly recommended read