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 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

Great twist

There were times I thought I knew who done it. Then I’d think again. The book kept you guessing. Wonderfully written and narrated.

Entertaining

Very engaging, page turner. Also, the voice of the narrator is great to listen to.

Follow the bread crumbs typical murder mystery.

Super mixed if I liked this book or not. At least I finished it.

The plot was super slow and nothing ever felt high stakes. The slow pacing was consistent through out the entire book. Never did I feel like it ramped up anywhere or wanted to try and do anything different.

This was also free of twists or turns, it was all super straight forward 'following the bread crumbs' type mystery story telling. The plot really just was a character following a set path of obvious clues which led to other clues. Nothing felt unpredictable or really too thrilling about it.

During the flashback scenes to the day of the murder is what kept me going. I could see where it was going or at least had a general idea. The ending felt like it used a cheap deus ex machinas type plot/character device to pin the ending. Seriously felt super disrespectful of my time but also I sorta felt like from the start something like that was going to happen. Overall I was not happy with the ending, it felt too easy and unbelievable. The writing really took a dip at the end that required a whole lot of suspension of disbelief if anyone hopes to finish this and enjoy it.

The characters were interesting. The 3 main character. The daughter Libby, her mom and Ben all were super distinct and classic poor/struggling family tropes. Ripe for something bad to happen to a family of endless bad things happening to them. This family was super disadvantaged in life and that was kinda painful and sad to keep following along for.

Overall this was super basic, boring at times but at least kept my interested enough to finish. Not upset with it but just disappointed that it didn't thrill me like I was hoping it would.