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)

Great Murder Mystery.

Loved the story and the performance , Just when you think you think you know what happened "plot twist" and you find out another Dark secret that has u questioning everyone and everything . it's and awesome murder mystery, tho I feel the ending could have been much better " I was a bit disappointed in the end that's why I gave 4 stars instead of 5

Not great

I loved Gillian Flynn's other works and gave this a try as well and was seriously disappointed.

I disliked her portrayal of true crime fans and thought the physical description of the main character was something a sex-starved man would write. The ending was so outlandish it stripped away the appeal of a whodunnit and rendered it a twist for twists sake.

The writing was great, as usual Flynn is a wordsmith and her metaphors and her ability to write real and flawed characters shines through the murky plot.

If you go in with lowered expectations (Gone Girl this is not) and you have a strong stomach you may enjoy the book.

Holy Cow

This story is dark, but welcoming.
You crawl into it and curl yourself up in its darkness. I love it when a book just draws you in, there’s no getting through boring chapters or tolerating someone’s story to get to the ending. Every part was good. I fully recommend this book, just know it’s darkness will creep in a little bit and you’ll dream of it.

Dark Tale

Dark tale with all the macabre necessities. Little far fetched, little draggy, but with the components of suspense. Not difficult to figure out but enough to keep you reading on to see if you're right.

Liked even better than Sharp Objects

Maybe because there were several things I could relate to in this book about Libby's personality & mental issues & the financial worries her entire childhood, and I lost a sister at 11, I REALLY got into this book even more than her others, both which I loved. And the weird, dark, unpredictable, twisty Gillian Flynn story was so tight & brilliant! Figured out Sharp Objects early on, but not this! The narrators each were so incredible that I truly felt everything they said, and they made the story one I couldn't stop to go to sleep!

Perfect title!

This book took me to so many different places, convinced I knew where it was going. I was wrong. So wrong. Perfectly narrated, difficult at times to listen to (I'm a mother of young kids), but overall, SO GOOD!

great book and even greater narration

I usually don't like dark novels but this really was an exception. early in the story I realized I have seen the movie but, to be honest, the narration of it is excellent. I highly recomend it

Gillian Flynn never disappoints

I love the dark, twisted writing of Gillian Flynn. This book kept me guessing until the end.

WOWED

This book had some really amazing twists. I love the performance and the different voices for the characters. Would buy again 100%

Be prepared

So first off, I will say, if you are put off by pretty intense gore or animal ritual killings, you should avoid this book.

That being said, some people didn't like the ending, but it's the most plausible scenario I could imagine in this situation. Sometimes things just go bad. Besides, are you really reading fictional suspense novels for complete reality?

Flynn's character development is incredible! I'm all about a flawed protagonist, and Libby is deeply flawed. But I loved her dark way of viewing the world. The descriptions of these characters brought such life to the story and they felt real. This is one of my favorite books that I've ever experienced.