"Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn
It’s a cold, January night at a secluded farm. Little Libby is only seven years old, and yet she watches as her older brother, Ben, macabrely sacrifices her mother and two sisters in what become known as "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas". Libby found a way to escape her farmhouse and made her way through the snow. Although she lost a few toes and fingers, she lived.
Now, more than twenty-five years later, Libby, now a troubled and tormented woman, is living off what remains of a trust created to help her while her brother still sits in jail.Everything was going on its course until one day Libby is approached by The Kill Club, a society which is interested in notorious crimes.
As they try to extract details on the case from Libby in hopes of setting Ben free, she has an idea which changes the course of her life; she will use her tragedy to achieve her ends. For a certain sum of money, she offers to investigate the case for The Kill Club, visiting all those involved in that night one way or the other.
In her search, Libby is taken from seedy Missouri strip clubs to ghost towns in Oklahoma. While she goes on with her investigation the narration switches from time to time back to the night where it all began, re-telling the happening from the points of view of all those who were present, including Ben himself. Soon enough, Libby learns that Ben had a very disturbing relationship with a new girl in town. When the unimaginable and macabre truth is pushed into the light, Libby is forced to relive her past once again and escape from the real killer.
While the twist itself may not be as surprising as we would have liked, the way in which it is delivered makes it more than worthwhile, without mentioning the spectacular finale. All in all, this is a great mystery murder thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole ride.
Now, more than twenty-five years later, Libby, now a troubled and tormented woman, is living off what remains of a trust created to help her while her brother still sits in jail.Everything was going on its course until one day Libby is approached by The Kill Club, a society which is interested in notorious crimes.
As they try to extract details on the case from Libby in hopes of setting Ben free, she has an idea which changes the course of her life; she will use her tragedy to achieve her ends. For a certain sum of money, she offers to investigate the case for The Kill Club, visiting all those involved in that night one way or the other.
In her search, Libby is taken from seedy Missouri strip clubs to ghost towns in Oklahoma. While she goes on with her investigation the narration switches from time to time back to the night where it all began, re-telling the happening from the points of view of all those who were present, including Ben himself. Soon enough, Libby learns that Ben had a very disturbing relationship with a new girl in town. When the unimaginable and macabre truth is pushed into the light, Libby is forced to relive her past once again and escape from the real killer.
Gillian Flynn’s second effort, with the first one being Sharp Objects, is better in terms of style, pace and quality of writing. In other words, when it comes to the technical aspects of writing, everything is there and while some parts could have been better, it really doesn’t draw away from the complete picture. As far as the story goes, we are once again plunged into a dark, violent, hateful and disgusting universe of a troubled woman who had to endure a terrible tragedy in her childhood.
While the twist itself may not be as surprising as we would have liked, the way in which it is delivered makes it more than worthwhile, without mentioning the spectacular finale. All in all, this is a great mystery murder thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole ride.
 | Gillian FlynnPersonal site Gillian Flynn is a former television critic and currently an American author who published three novels so far: Sharp Objects, Dark Places and Gone Girl. Though she is still making a name for herself, her talent for writing smooth and intriguing murder mysteries sure has captured the imaginations of readers around the world. |
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