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)

Embracing

Finished the book in no time.
Feels like some dark, terrifying visit by strange part of my family I had no idea existed, came to an end.
Recommended to the theory lovers.

Love the twist

I read a lot and this was a nice change . Keeping me guessing and on the edge of my seat !

My Favorite Gillian Flynn book!

I've read Gone Girl and Sharp objects but this was without a doubt my favorite. This book completely caught me off guard at the end.

Drawn in by then Darkness

What made the experience of listening to Dark Places the most enjoyable?

Story line told from several character's perspectives. Fast pace while still proving plenty of background for character development and historical context of complies relationships.

What did you like best about this story?

Style of unraveling through many eyes.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Narration brought richness to characters.

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

I could have easily. However, taking breaks to think about the storyline, plot development, and the characters brought additional connection with them and the protagonist's mission.

Any additional comments?

Dark, sad and, frightening could describe the feel of this story; yet, hope, perseverance, even love are threaded through the tapestry of a tale of a family facing poverty, children living as outcasts, adults trying to do right for their children, and ultimately triumph of the very children who survived a tragedy unimaginable to most.

Good concept, but...

The murder mystery story line was really well done. There were some loose ends that felt like they should wrap up, but didn't. Also, there was some oddly sexualized moments that seemed to be attention seeking and 'trying too hard' to be something it was not. Overall, it was decent. It kept me company through a long drive. I wouldn't recommend it outright, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it either.

I'd really give this a 3.5 Star Rating

I'd prefer to give this a 3.5. I'm not quite sure what was so "thrilling" about this book but it didn't do it for me. The writing was good. The story had a ton of potential but it was lacking in the thriller type of book.

A great whodunit

Outstanding. Great mystery expertly woven and performed. Real people. Better than Gone Girl in my opinion although I would give that a 5 star as well. The writing in this book is top notch and the story slowly grabs you and sucks you in...couldn't wait to get to the end to find out what happened. Twists and turns masterfully crafted.

When I get twisted...

it's a really good book. I honestly thought I had it figured out....Nope, so wrong! The twists and turns ... bravo!!!! It's funny on what turns your stomach....not what I expected either.

I couldn't finish this book fast enough....24 hours and it's all I wanted to do.

difficult but good

The story is hard to get through. Bought this book to listen to on a long car ride and had to take breaks because it gets so dark and heavy. Even still, the readers were great, and I listened all the way through because even though the story was awfully hard to listen to, I just had to know who done it!

Very Good Book!

It started off slow, but boy was this book good! The ending is so surprising and you can picture everything happening. Excellent writing.