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)

Even better than Sharp Objects!

Gillian Flynn has become one of my favorite authors. Can't believe she hasn't published more. I've read all three of her books and am anxiously waiting on the next! Story takes so many twists and turns, you think you've got it figured out, but she's much too intelligent! Great read/listen!

Great book

I really enjoyed this book. Kept me wanting to hear what's going to happen next. Performance of the narrators were exceptional, the best one I've heard in a long time. Definitely would recommend this to others. Great job!!!

depressing

loved the performance. excellent story, but so dark and depressing. the end was so unsatisfactory but understandable. ugh just drove me crazy. wanted to hate who did it and I just didn't have that feeling at the end. very well written.

Great book!!!

Awesome narration! Great story had to keep listening to it out of my car! I would Highly recommend this book

Flynn keeps surprising me.

I've been a fan of Flynn's previous work and I'm consistently surprised by her ability to write three dimensional characters, both male and female, who are dynamic and fully developed. Writing this well with multiple voices telling the same story is no small challenge and she continues to deliver mysteries that have me guessing until the very end.

Libby Day is not an easy character to like or understand. That can probably be said for most of the people chronicled in this book, but by the end you feel you know them like your own family, for better or for worse. I will say, there are some slow parts, but be patient, it's all in there for a reason and Flynn rewards the reader for staying with her the whole way. I can't wait to see what she does next.

If you liked Gone Girl, read (listen to) this book.

Loved it, good to the last word

I loved this book by Gillian Flynn. I've also listened to the audio version of her other book Gone Girl. I know Gone Girl was made into a movie and I really really hope they do the same for Dark Places. The story line took you on this is so odd but it's so freaking good that I can't stop listening" journey and I found myself wanting more and more. And it the performance was great. It might not be for everyone But if you like unpredictable story lines, clever writing and stories read from different characters instead of just one person doing a million accents give Dark Places a try. I don't think you'll be bored or underwhelmed at all.

Just got better and better!

As the story developed it really pulls you in. Readers were clear to hear. Great listen!

Suspense from start to finish.

Great story. Very suspenseful and the ending is priceless. The voice actors were stellar. Awesome.

Slow book, predictable ending

It was a good book, a little slow, it's not really till the last couple of chapters that it starts to get interesting. Predictable but suspenseful none the less.

A Great Twist

What did you love best about Dark Places?

For some reason, I seem to thoroughly enjoy depraved protagonists. When written well, you both loathe and love them. Libby Day is one of those. She is shameless, but deservedly so. She can also be easy to like, because it would seem a certain amount of her situation is not her fault, and you root for her to become a better person.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Ben Day. As a character detached from his reality in the most crucial moments, the narration was spot on.

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

It took me a little while to really get into this one, but once I did, I wanted to keep listening. The different facets of the story needed to be established to let them work together, so it is understandable. But it meant that, in the beginning, it was easy to put the headphones down at the end of a character's narration.

Any additional comments?

The one thing I could. not. stand. about this narration was the voice of Lyle. It was grating, to say the least.