Read by Rebecca Lowman, Cassandra Campbell, Mark Deakins, Robertson Dean
Published May 2010 by Turtleback Books
Source: audiobook checked out from my local library
Publisher's Summary:
Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice" of Kinnakee, Kansas. She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.
My Thoughts:
I've had this book in print for several years; I bought it and Sharp Objects after being impressed with Flynn's Gone Girl. I read Sharp Objects but it wasn't until after I watched the HBO mini-series of that book that made me decide it was time to read this book. Fortunately, my library had it on audio which always makes it easier for me to find the time for a book.
Let's be honest, Dark Places could be the title of any of Gillian Flynn's books. Like her others, Dark Places is a deeply twisted story and, yes, dark, novel, filled with complex characters and no easy answers. Libby is not a likable character - truth be told, none of the characters is likable. And yet, you can't help hope that she will find what she is looking for, be able to find some healing.
The book alternates between present day, as Libby begins working with the Kill Club to try to find out what really happened twenty-five years ago, and 1985, where Flynn alternates again between Ben's and mother, Patty's, points of view leading up to the night of the murders. It's a slow build, as we meet all of the characters and move back and forth in time, but all of the build is essential to keep readers guessing. You all know by know that my track record of solving the mystery is not great and this one lands on the side of "I did not see that coming." I'm still a little unresolved about how I feel about the ending; but I was satisfied. If you read this one, I'd love to hear what you thought of it.
Because of the way Dark Places is formatted, it really calls for multiple narrators and this cast of readers did not disappoint. I definitely can recommend the audiobook version of this novel.
A warning - there is quite a lot of foul language and some very gruesome scenes. This one is not for the faint of heart.
Yes, she is known for her gruesome story lines for sure.
ReplyDeleteI have this one but was not a fan of Gone Girl so I never picked this one up. Someday, I will. My thing with Gone Girl had to so with the red herrings... too many. But as far as the twisted-ness of the main character, she was pretty skilled there.