Dark Places
Author: Gillian Flynn

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

I read and enjoyed Flynn's novels GONE GIRL and SHARP OBJECTS a couple of years ago. DARK PLACES has been sitting on my shelves for awhile but finally got around to reading it. The title is very appropriate for this book—indeed it does take the reader to very dark places! The antagonist, Libby Day, was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in the dead of night. Her mother was killed by stabbing and then a shotgun blast to the head; one sister was killed with an axe; and the other was strangled to death. The old farm home was covered in blood and Satanic symbols leading investigators to believe that Libby's brother Ben was the killer given he was involved in Satanism. But then 25 years later, Libby is approached by a member of the "Kill Club", a group obsessed with brutal crimes. They believe Ben to be innocent and want Libby to contact people who may have been involved to see what she can find out. Libby is short on funds so the money she will receive from the club invokes her to reconnect with the players from that fateful night. She contacts Ben in prison who is pretty uncooperative but then tries to find her father, Runner Day, a drunk who was always looking for easy money. So is she able to find the truth of what happened that night?

This was a really intense thriller that kept me glued to the pages. The novel does delve into some really dark things including devil worship and blood sacrifice. There were lots of twists to the story and I was really surprised with the ending and what really happened to the Day family. I did think that there were a lot of coincidences in the story which were somewhat far-fetched but overall I would recommend this taught thriller. I found out that there is also a 2015 movie version of this starring Charlize Theron that I will be on the lookout for.

Wishlist tag going to Aberpeter in Washington. Enjoy!

Thank you for the RABCK. I look forward to reading this book.

Wow. Just wow. This book was so good.

I don't want to say too much as I don't want to give anything away to future readers. I will say this suspense novel delivered. The whodunnit element was executed very well. I kept guessing and changing my guesses all along and never nailed it. Libby's character growth, from withdrawn and sullen to hopeful and optimistic, was very believable and fit well with the narrative of the book.

This is the best book I've read in awhile. Definite 10/10.

adding to waternixie's Small Mystery book box

This book arrived via the Small Mystery Bookbox organized by @waternixie.