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)

Worth the read

A little slow to start but worth the read. Couldn't put it down once I got into it.

Page Turning, Nail Biting Read!!

Big fan of Gillian Flynn. Loved this book. Loved the narration. I am always leary when audio books are read by single male and female figures because of how awkward they sound narrating opposite sex voices. The four narrators of this book were absolutely awesome!! The story was great. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Loved it!!

Not a "Nicholas Sparks" bubblegum novel !

The single mother is struggling, the teenage boy is rebelling, the daughters are needy, the ex is a jerk. Gillian Flynn writes about the darker places in people. These people make stupid decisions, just like each and everyone of us has done at least once in our lives (although not as dramatically wrong). But it IS a work of fiction.

The book focuses on the lone survivor of a horrible tragedy, but somehow I saw the story from the single mother's perspective. She was a secondary character but I could relate to her (again her situation is the picture of my worst nightmare), but still I did see myself in her.

A good book but not a "happily ever after" one.

Disturbing

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes

If you’ve listened to books by Gillian Flynn before, how does this one compare?

After reading "Gone Girl", I find this book to have a darker psychological side to more characters. The readings were well done.

Was Dark Places worth the listening time?

Yes

I liked it

What made the experience of listening to Dark Places the most enjoyable?

It had a good story that had a few twists. I didn't figure it out early so that is a good thing.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It is the story of a girl who survives the murder of her entire family. It is told by her, so she would have to be the favorite character.

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

I listened to it as I commute. Not something I would listen to in one sitting,

Very good

This was my first gillian flynn and I really enjoyed it. Interesting format and thrilling story telling.

I liked the flashback style...

...because the elapsed time helps you cope with the heinous nature of the events by tempering the horror. It doen't remove the horrific nature of the defining moment of the book. It sneaks up on it with sidelong glances that allow it to be viewed slowly until it comes into view and even then, takes several angles until it is fully focused and brought into sharp relief.

The flashback style makes this different from Ms. Flynn's other books. She, of course, uses flashbacks in "Sharp Objects" and "Gone Girl" to great effect, but they are more incidental and peripheral.

"Dark Places" is another story of broken people that is every bit as dark and foreboding as "Sharp Objects" and "Gone Girl". I recommend it to anyone that likes her other books.

Wow!!!

Was hooked on this book, anticipating who the real killer was. Now I can't wait to watch the movie!!!!!

A+

Excellently written. The story was compelling and kept me guessing. The narrative was spit on. I didn't want this book to end.

Creepy story, good listen

Listened to this for book club. Performances were good. I enjoyed each character reading their portion of the story.