Meichler's Reviews > Dark Places

This is the 3rd - and sadly - last (for now) - of the Gillian Flynn mysteries left for me and - I just love them. They're sick and twisted and hard to read but also quick and consuming and page turners. They remind me of James Patterson circa Along Came A Spider. Keeping you up at night grossed out and petrified but also totally enthralled.

Flynn gets into the darkest places of mankind - the root of evil behavior - and this is no exception. Libby Day is the survivor of a gruesome murder that took her whole family (beloved mother and 2 sisters) at age 8. Her adulthood finds her needy, traumitized, and, in her own words, a bad person. She neither works nor is a productive member of society, having lived off the notarity of her victimhood. Her brother, Ben, sits in prison, having been found guilty of the crimes. Her estranged father is a homeless, sick alcoholic.

Through a need of financial security, Libby begins an investigation into that fateful night - that leads her to - no pun intended - very dark places. Was she correct in that her brother was guilty? Or was it someone else entirely?

I'll stay spoiler free - but - finding out the truth was a fun yet perverse ride. I'd say that this was probably my least favorite of the Flynn books - some of it didn't totally work in my opinion. But that's holding it to a really high bar. Overall - these are the best modern mysteries around!