Dark Places by Gillian Flynn – Reviewed by Guy Portman
Libby Day was only seven when she witnessed her family being brutally murdered in their Kansas farmhouse. It was Libby’s testimony that saw her then teenage brother Ben sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime. Now thirty two, Libby is damaged, unfulfilled and running short of money.
An opportunity arises in the form of a ‘Kill Club’, who offer cash in exchange for re-examining the case. They suspect that the brother is innocent, and soon Libby will have doubts too. The story flits between the present and 1985 when the murders were committed.
Set against a backdrop of rural poverty and inadequate parenting, Dark Places is a psychological thriller in which everyone has something to hide. The suspense, unpalatable subject matter and reprehensible characters intrigued this reader. His only criticism was the author’s decision to employ the first-person point of view for several characters in addition to protagonist Libby.
