People Who Eat Darkness

The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo - and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up

By: Richard Lloyd Parry

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Lucie Blackman - tall, blond, 21 years old - stepped out into the vastness of Tokyo in the summer of 2000 and disappeared. The following winter, her dismembered remains were found buried in a seaside cave. The seven months in between had seen a massive search for the missing girl involving Japanese policemen, British private detectives, and Lucie’s desperate but bitterly divided parents. Had Lucie been abducted by a religious cult or snatched by human traffickers? Who was the mysterious man she had gone to meet? And what did her work as a hostess in the notorious Roppongi district of Tokyo really involve?

Richard Lloyd Parry, an award-winning foreign correspondent, followed the case from the beginning. Over the course of a decade, as the rest of the world forgot but the trial dragged on, he traveled to four continents to interview those connected with the story, assiduously followed the court proceedings, and won unique access to the Japanese detectives who investigated the case. Ultimately he earned the respect of the victim’s family and delved deep into the mind and background of the man accused of the crime - Joji Obara, described by the judge as “unprecedented and extremely evil.” The result is a book at once thrilling and revelatory.

Richard Lloyd Parry is the Asia editor and Tokyo bureau chief of the London Times and the author of In the Time of Madness.

©2011, 2012 Richard Lloyd Parry (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A masterpiece of writing this surely is, but it is more than that - it is a committed, compassionate, courageous act of journalism that changes the way we think. Everyone who has ever loved someone and held that life dear should read this stunning book, and shiver.” (Chris Cleave, number one New York Times best-selling author of Little Bee)

“I opened this book as a skeptic. I am not a lover of true crime…. But Richard Lloyd Parry's remarkable examination of [this] crime, what it revealed about Japanese society and how it unsettled conventional notions of bereavement, elevates his book above the genre. People Who Eat Darkness is a searing exploration of evil and trauma and how both ultimately elude understanding or resolution.… Just as the grief of Blackman’s parents is unassaugeable, Obara and his motives are unknowable. That is the darkness at the heart of this book, one Lloyd Parry conveys with extraordinary effect and emotion.… People Who Eat Darkness is a fascinating mediation that does not pretend to offer pat answers to obscene mysteries.” ( New York Times Book Review)

“[A] masterful literary true crime story, which earns its comparisons to Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and Norman Mailer's The Executioner’s Song.… Like the case of Etan Patz, the Lucie Blackman disappearance captured the public imagination. By writing about it in such culturally informed detail, Parry subtly encourages an understanding that goes past the headlines. It is a dark, unforgettable ride.” ( Los Angeles Times)

Far too slow

Would you try another book from Richard Lloyd Parry and/or Simon Vance?

Probably not from this author, but Simon Vance is as good as always.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something upbeat.

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

His accent is appealing and he always does a good job as narrator.

Did People Who Eat Darkness inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

The story starts with Lucy disappearing, and then... nothing happens. Its more than halfway through the book before anything related to her disappearance starts to happen. I was not interested in the detailed back story of Lucy, her family, her boyfriend, her BFF and other people in the story. I also would have preferred if the story were chronological, instead of being told in chunks that go back and forth in time.

Crushingly sad. A detailed portrait of this devastating event

My heart goes out to the family and anyone who has ever been through a similar trauma. Such an evil act.

interesting look into Japan's culture

the story was great but at times it felt like the author was talking far too much about himself.

More than a murder mystery

I'm interested in Japanese culture so picked this book more on that than a murder mystery. Also prefer non fiction, this is a true story. Parts are troubling and a bit graphic but fit well and not exploitive. Insight into Japanese urban society so different from ours. Very good overall but very dark so be warned.

Good but not great

The research and backstory for this book is very good. You are drawn into feeling the pain that these women and their families were subjected to. My complaint would be the writing style and there are large parts of the book that are not needed.

Sad that it's true, but a great read.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes.This book had me in suspense from the start, given that the main character seemingly ran to Tokyo like most ppl walk out to get some air, not an ounce of caution.

What was one of the most memorable moments of People Who Eat Darkness?

How the main character despite how uncomfortable the surroundings were, took the hostess job.There were red flags all over doing that.

Which scene was your favorite?

When they got Obara into the court room.

If you could give People Who Eat Darkness a new subtitle, what would it be?

Culture driven sickness

Any additional comments?

It's amazing how some ppl reason away the overall strange behavior of this country's people.Different doesn't always mean sick, yet where these ppl are concerned if one looks at how they are when in contact with them in general, warning bells would go off whereas to be politically correct it is always said of different cultures, "That's just their way."This is one place I would never visit.

Riveting but sad story

This is a very powerful and effective audiobook. Written and narrated of high-quality. Top tier.
Highly recommended, I have just finished the audiobook and I have a feeling the memory of listening to this stay with me forever.

The authors passion shows through

Fantastic listen. Great barrator. Fascinating story. Very interesting to understand the story from all angles. Incredible that some of these things happened in real life.

Triumph of storytelling

A master class in how to tell a complex story. the writing flows and draws you in.

Should have been better

Interesting story, but should have been told far better. Like so many books, too long and repetitive
If you are willing to listen to lots of unnecessary blah in between an interesting, sad story, then this book is for you. If you don’t have the stomach for a long-winded, sometimes rambling book, then look elsewhere.