Gillian Flynn’s GONE GIRL was the book of the summer, but her second novel, DARK PLACES, deserves just as much attention. When Libby Day was seven years old, her mother and two sisters were murdered in their home in the middle of the night. Two members of the family survived: Libby, who climbed out of a window and escaped into a freezing January night, and Ben, the eldest of the family, who was jailed for the murders, partially thanks to Libby’s testimony.

Now in her thirties, Libby is struggling for money, as generous people are no longer financially supporting her. She receives a letter in the mail from Lyle Wirth, head of “The Kill Club,” a group that studies famous murders. He asks her to speak at the Kill Club convention and is willing to pay, so Libby agrees, despite having tried desperately not to think about her family or that night for years.

At The Kill Club, Libby learns that there are a lot of people who think that her brother is innocent, a scenario that she’s refused to consider. Against her better judgment, Libby begins looking into just what happened that night–and the truth is more surprising than Libby could ever imagine.

Flynn’s writing flows easily on the page, and the story is fast-paced. The novel goes back and forth between the present and the day of the murders, switching perspective from Libby, her mother, and Ben. As soon as you get one more clue as to what occurred in either the past or the present, Flynn sends the reader to another moment in time, never giving the facts away too quickly. DARK PLACES is definitely a great read for when you have enough time to be completely absorbed in a mystery. It’s not easy to put down.