Author: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense
Number of Pages: 368
Date Published: 2010
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I long ago abandoned reading mysteries because it began to seem that they all followed the same overdone formula. It doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to predict the ending of most mysteries, even after reading just a few chapters. There are always exceptions to the rule, however. My interest in Gillian Flynn was sparked while working at a bookstore this summer. Customer after customer came in asking for the author’s books, so I eventually decided to give her a chance and picked up Dark Places. I was surprised to find myself so quickly enthralled in the dark, twisted story of the Day family. The story is told through the eyes of Libby Day, the youngest of four siblings. When Libby was just seven years old, she became famous for testifying against her brother when the rest of the family was brutally and mysteriously murdered in what comes to be known as the “Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” Libby is approached by a strange organization called the Kill Club, whose interests lie, as you may have guessed, in unsolved murders. Funded by this club, she delves back into her past to discover what really happened to her family and determine whether her brother, who she previously accused of the murder, is truly guilty. In this process, Libby yet again finds herself in grave danger and must escape the clutches of a murderer. I loved this book because it was a ridiculously fun but dark read with an interesting premise that didn’t disappoint. Flynn is a talented writer and deserves the great buzz she has received for her novels Dark Places, Sharp Objects, and her most recent bestseller, Gone Girl. If you love mysteries and thrillers but want to read something fresh, I highly recommend this book.
Review by Maria Peroni, A&S '16