The Collaboreads criteria for October was a thriller published before 2010. Quite a while ago, I had purchased Gillian Flynn’s e-book set. (I had wanted to read Gone Girl and for a few extra dollars, I had Gone Girl, Dark Places, and Sharp Objects.)
I loved Gone Girl. Ok, maybe loved is too strong, but I read it in two days. It sucked me in. So as soon as I saw the criteria for this month, I knew I would read one of the other books in my Gillian Flynn set. I chose Dark Places, published in 2009.
Y’all, this book. Never before have I so wanted to stop reading right this minute AND finish right this minute so I know what really happened. I never read books like this–Sandra Brown and James Patterson type mysteries, yes. But not this dark, gruesome tale that I got myself sucked into.
RIVETING. What part of this book could you not get enough of?
The storyline sucked me in from the beginning. As much as I tried to solve the mystery on my own, I just couldn’t do it. Every chapter threw a new curveball and it was all I could do to keep up.
The Amazon review reads:
Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.
A quote I found humorous: “He must be Christian. He had the patience and optimism of someone who thought Jesus was watching.”
ELEMENTS. How did you relate to/care for the characters? What’s your thought on the plot line?
Flynn talks about murder and death, in all their gory details, with a very detached attitude. The mystery lured me in and kept me reading, but it was very difficult for me to read through the specifics of the crimes.
ASSOCIATE. What other books, movies, or tv shows remind you of?
I tend to shy away from this genre, so I honestly cannot think of a single thing to compare it to.
DESIGN. What did you think of the cover?
There are several different covers of this novel out there, but this was my favorite. It’s simple, but ties in greatly to the story. Locked up secrets, locked up houses, locked up bedrooms, locked up people.
STARS.
This is hard. The story was riveting and nail-biting and suspenseful, even if it wasn’t my “type” of book. I’m going to give it 4 out of 5.
Don’t forget to check out Amber or Rachel’s page for more Collaboreads goodness.
GIRL, this book was TOUGH for me. I struggled with how DARK the “Dark Places” really were… And Libby was frustrating to me with the way she sort of “sold out” to that club. And the way people loved high profile crimes like that… I mean, that’s got to be based in some sort of weird reality right? AND WHERE DOES THAT HAPPEN? I mean seriously, WHERE? Not that I want to go there. 🙂
I’m thankful I wasn’t the only one who felt like this was a train wreck where I couldn’t stop watching and yet, was dying to turn my eyes away!
Exactly! It’s scary but I’m pretty sure there are really people out there who are that obsessed with high profile/mystery type crimes. Cra-zay!
Flynn is a trip! What a mind that one has, haha.
I know, right? Crazy, dark imagination for sure.
Ah! I was a fan of Gone Girl but never have read more by Flynn because her brain and books are just so dark and twisted. I love that you said you wanted to stop reading right now but also finish it ASAP to figure out what happened, I felt that same way for GG! I expected that from my read this month but was sorely disappointed with the lack of true suspense. Can’t wait to see what book you pick for non-fiction November! Thanks for joining us!
So twisted, yes. I’m excited about non-fiction November. Thanks for hosting!
She definitely writes characters that you either really love or really hate. I read Dark Places a couple of years ago and I could not put it down until the last word. Then I had to shut the book, walk away, and just let it stew in my mind for a day or two. Then I decided I really enjoyed it, gruesomeness and all. I love a good gory horror story but this went deeper into a dark psychological place that left me unsettled on some level. Gone Girl was just ok for me. I really hated both the husband and the wife and never could connect with either of them. I still have Sharp Objects on my Kindle and I will save that for a long weekend where I can savor it.
Yes, yes, and yes. I’m not sure if I’m brave enough for Sharp Objects. I have it though, just in case.?
I’m certainly interested in reading this one. I’m not a big fan of the dark horror books, but I really like Flynn. Definitely plan to check it out! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Yes, Flynn is definitely something else. She writes from some deep, dark place I hope to never know! Lol!
I read Sharp Objects for Collaboreads this month! I guess Gillian Flynn is an obvious choice for dark mystery thriller books. I unfortunately had this book spoiled for me on another review so I’m not sure I’ll be reading it. Sharp Objects also wasn’t my “type” of book but I really loved it.
Boo for spoilers! Can’t wait to click over and check out your review!