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)

Impossible to put down.

Would you listen to Dark Places again? Why?

In a few years, sure. The characters are so interesting that I was saddened as the novel ended, since they started to feel like frienemies (too deliciously terrible to be friends). Gillian Flynn's knack for tiny details also make for such interesting, and timely, reading.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Flynn is great with pacing, dropping in twists and details and letting the plot unfurl like a rose opening to reveal a spider in the bud. Even when you've figured out what's going on, you still can enjoy the experience as the narration sweeps you to the frantic climax. So many storylines unfold all at once, in parallel formation, that you're never bored.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

The primary narrator imbues such a perfect quality of hostility, reluctant honesty, and self-loathing to the character of Libby that you can't really hate her, even when she admits horrible things. It is the ideal inflection for the character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I admit, I might have shed a tear toward the end.

Any additional comments?

If you love horrible, flawed, slightly sociopathic, very narcissistic characters (which I do) you will love this.

"I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ."

This is the first book that I've read by Gillian Flynn. I have watched Gone Girl finally, but I still haven't read the book. I started Dark Places on a whim after two of my friends flailed over the book. I also remembered catching a quick glimpse of the end of the movie, and curiosity got the better of me with this story. (I've since watched the whole movie.) This started a bit slow, but it finally hit a stride with me a few hours in. This book is told from three different perspectives--Libby's, her mother Patty's, and her brother's Ben. The latter two tell the story from the past on the day of the murder. What a journey this story is. Aside from the mystery/thriller/crime aspect, there are so many things being touched on here from abuse to poverty. It's a dark, depressing story revolving around people who didn't have much going for them in 1985 and certainly don't have much going for them now. This also captured the sensationalism that follows cases like this fairly well.

I follow a popular-ish case in the media involving a man who was convicted of his ex-girlfriend's murder in 1999 when they were seniors in high school. He recently had a hearing to see if he'd be granted a new trial after 16 years in prison--a decision that the judge is still working on after five days of testimony in early February. Parts of this book made me reflect on just how true it feels to real life as far as people putting a sensational slant on such a tragic event. I have watched supporters of the man convicted of this murder express dismay toward the family because they still maintain the system worked. It hasn't been as nasty as the portrayal in this book, but this book certainly captured the culture of amateur sleuths while showing how painful/traumatizing this can be for families that live through these tragedies. People often forget about the victims or try to pooh-pooh their feelings with cases like these.

Narration wise, the narrators for this book did such a wonderful job with the story, and I liked that there were three different narrators (with one additional narrator for a single chapter told from a completely different character's POV, which I felt could've been skipped or written into either Libby's or Ben's parts) for each of the characters. However, I can't rate this higher than a 3.5 because some parts of this plot was just too unbelievable for me to let go. A perfect storm led up to the murders with one terrible thing piling up one after another, which I largely accepted, but then the big reveal at the end had me shaking my head like: "This book is doing way too much right now with this."

suspenseful

The end caught by surprise. The plot take several different turns and kept me guessing.

Very Dark

The title of this book couldn't be more accurate. Very dark, very graphic, and so sad & depressing. The descriptive dialog makes you sad and you feel like showering after you read a few chapters. Very graphic animal cruelty! The storyline is good and it has a great ending. I didn't want to give it 5 stars because it was disturbing to listen to, but it was well put together and I think the narration was superb. Not for those who only read love stories and love feel good stories.

Mixed Feelings

I was drawn in immediately by Rebecca Lowman's narration but put off my Mark Deakins, so my reaction to the novel ebbed and flowed between chapter narrations. And while I had guessed a portion of the outcome early on in the book, the storyline and character development kept me engaged.

Mostly Great

As for the book itself, it might well be my favorite Flynn. Tense and believably messy and with small, needle sharp details that prick unexpectedly.

I enjoyed all of the female narration, despite frequent mispronunciation of Kansas and Nebraska towns. I was planning to say that Cassandra separated the voices of Libby and her mother well, while keeping them sounding related... But apparently those were separate narrators, so I guess it was just good casting.

I did not enjoy the voicing of Ben's chapters – presumably Mark Deakins – which was stiff and sounded too old. I would have preferred Cassandra take those chapters as well – then Ben's voice would have at least been consistent. Robertson Dean, brought in for one chapter near the end, was excellent.

Interesting

Shocking for sure and dark, not predictable which is good. Not bad overall, definitely makes you think about how messed up the world can be.

Superb! Exquisitely Written...

Yes, the book has dark subject matter. But the author does an amazing job with every word, every paragraph to envelop you in the story. The writing is nothing short of exquisite. I've read more than 10 books this past year. Dark Places is by far one of the best. Just excellent!

Wow

I flew threw it. She is an amazing author! I am touched by the characters and the story.

Saying it out loud makes it true- honest writing.

If you could sum up Dark Places in three words, what would they be?

She opens up the minds of the characters and says what they are really thinking. Nothing held back. No nice kind words, no extra fluff for the read. Just descriptive phrases which transport the reader into the mind and the story. extraordinarily good.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dark Places?

many memorable movements but i can almost picture the main characters house. the different rooms, the box of lotion, the state of decay. One step above abject poverty but not really living in the real world of today- a fantasy retreat.

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

Excellent narrators for this story. The feelings that they share in the depth of their voices surprised me in how they made the characters plights seem even more dire. When the character was taking drugs the voice would reflect that.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The last scene in the book moved me. Not only was i unsure how the book could end but I was unsure if the scene could even happen. it was written perfectly.

Any additional comments?

G. Flynn is two for two with me now- Gone Girl and now this. I feel like an addict- wanting more of this very stylistic multiple point of view type of writing. The story unfolds at its own pace and with so much descriptive prose you are sucked into the "life" of the "world" of the story. These are books I actually feel like talk about with others. Does not happen often.