2024 Book Review Series: The Return of Murder Mysteries

I've knocked out my second read of 2024 in just under a week! While I'm not sure what that says about the amount of time I have on my hands, it certainly bodes well for the quality of the book I read. I picked this book up around two years ago as a comparative title for my novel-in-progress, but I haven't had a chance to sit down with it until now. I'm happy to say that it was worth the wait.

Gillian Flynn's Dark Places is the first murder mystery I've read in over a year despite it being one of my favourite genres. The last book of this genre I read was Sharp Objects, also from Flynn. With this masterful text as my first impression of her, I had high expectations when I cracked open this book.

The novel follows protagonist Libby Day, the sole survivor of her family's murder, which is believed to have been committed by her teenage brother, Ben. Libby was seven at the time of the murder but is in her thirties at the time the story is set. The novel rotates between her present-day perspective, as well as that of Ben and their deceased mother, Patty, on the day leading up to the murders.

As an adult, Libby is contacted by Lyle Wirth,

who is part of a crime-loving club obsessed with proving that Ben is not guilty of killing his family. Libby was initially convinced that Ben was at fault but after visiting her brother at his prison for the first time in two decades, she starts to have doubts. In search of the truth, she and Lyle work together to track down characters from her past. She encounters many obstacles along the way, having to track people across state lines, unravel codes, and face her fears, ultimately putting her life in danger once again.

Considering I read this 350-page novel in less than seven days, it's clear that I not only missed murder mysteries but also thoroughly enjoyed this read. Flynn is a master of overlapping timelines and even more adept at creating red herrings. In Dark Places, she gives the reader enough information to make their guesses, but not so much that the ending is revealed early. I'm proud to say I caught enough of Flynn's clues to have been partially right, but the details that flew over my head are what brought it all together.

Flynn also does a wonderful job of creating three distinct character voices for this novel. Not only do each of these voices have unique personalities, but the characters are presented in various ages and time periods. Despite this, their traits and behaviors stay consistent throughout the years.

I held off on giving this book five stars because there were a few ends that were not tied up when the last chapter came to a close. For instance, the novel is named for what crosses Libby's mind when she thinks back to her childhood home: Darkplace. However, this thought only comes to her mind a handful of times throughout the novel and does so without much explanation or weight attached. Further, the novel opens with Libby in a tough financial situation and I was hoping for a better resolution to this vital plot point.

All in all, Flynn's Dark Places is another strong addition to her line of gripping novels. I'm happy to have ended my murder mystery drought with a book that surpassed my expectations, which were already high to begin with. I'll surely be searching for Flynn's name on my next trip to the mystery aisle.