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)

Least Favorite of Flynn's Novels

Would you recommend Dark Places to your friends? Why or why not?

I have recommended it to a friend, but warned her that its my least favorite of Flynn's three books. With that being said, it is still a worthwhile read.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Will her dark family secret be brought to light?

Any additional comments?

I love the multiple narrations in the audiobook.

very dark place

Way better than the movie. Loved the narration. Especially Libbey. I thought the reader really brought out her character.

great book

I loved this book. I definitely recommend it. narrator did a great job and the story was well written.

Really Dark Places

Where does Dark Places rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I had been warned beforehand that Dark Places was not as good as Flynn's Gone Girl. Gone Girl has been one of the few audiobooks I've not only been able to listen to in it's entirety but would opt to listen to over watching tv, which is very rare for me. This is not Gone Girl but it is quite good.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gillian Flynn writes flawed characters and makes them somehow likeable. I'm not sure if it's the the writing or the narration or maybe a little of both. I liked Libby Day and how she reminded me of the person inside that I don't dare let anyone see.

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

Lowman brought a dry wit to the story that some may not have interpreted though just reading words on a page.

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

Not really. It starts a bit slow. I never thought about not finishing but I thought it would be a book that would last me a few weeks sitting in traffic. Instead, I started listening to it at work, in the car and a few times at home.

Phenomenal read

I loved how well the story was told. From the beginning it captures your attention and you become hooked and cannot put it down. The performance was great and the book is captivating. I highly recommend it.

Great read

This book was great. At first, the protagonist got on my nerves, but as the story progressed I found myself rooting for her. Great book.

DARK STORY

What a great audio.
All Narrators were just great.
I haven’t seen the movie. I didn’t want to see the movie before I heard the book.
And now I don’t know if I want to see the movie. That’s how good the book is.

Not her best work

I really liked the book,but the ending seemed thrown together leaving me unfulfilled. narrator good.

fantastic audiobook all around - totally gripping

I loved everything about this audiobook. Gillian Flynn is certainly a genius and the performances and production were flawless.

The one complaint

Any additional comments?

The ONE thing that bothered me about this book is that the narrator mispronounced Salina.(Well, and Wamego, depending on who you talk to.) But it was a fantastic audiobook, and I'll be getting Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects with my next credit. (Gone Girl was also riveting.)