Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Format: eBook
Pub. Date: 2009
Type: Fiction ~ Library Book
Pages: 349
Read: 7/19/2014
Rating: Was O.K.

This book was included in the download with Sharp Objects, that is why I read it even though I swore I wouldn’t read any more Gillian Flynn.

The murder in this book happened 24 years before the story starts and the murderer is behind bars. The Day family was massacred and seven-year old Libby testified against her brother, Ben, resulting in his conviction. Since then Libby has been living from relative to relative, paying her expenses with money raised through charity and a book deal. Now the money is running out and Libby is not qualified – or doesn’t want to – work. These circumstances lead to her contacting a group willing to pay for her to appear at a “Murder Convention”, what she is not told, this group believes Ben is innocent. They want Libby to help them get him released from prison. Libby doesn’t like thinking about that day, she calls the memories “Dark Places”, but she needs – wants money, so she agrees to contact, her brother, her father and others to find out the truth.

The story is told from two different points of view, Libby’s in the present, first person narrative, and in the past, the day of the murder third person narrative, told from differing points of view. So you know you’re going to find out what really happened. There is a twist at the end though.

Libby is not a sympathetic character, she is also not ‘strong woman protagonist’, she is whiny and manipulative, she doesn’t see any reason to be a responsible adult, I don’t remember if she got therapy after the murder of her family, but she is definitely a damaged person. Much like Camille is in “Sharp Objects”, Libby however, makes no attempt to get better, just spends time blaming everyone else for her problems. Another offering that didn’t thrill me.