I've spent the last couple of days reading Gillian Flynn's Dark Places, and it's one of those rare books that I don't want to end. Normally, I don't like books that alternate between narrators, time periods, and points of view, especially with murder mysteries--this almost always strikes me as a lazy writer's way of trying to drum up suspense. This way of writing usually kills a story's momentum, sends the plot slamming into a brick wall. But Flynn juggles all of her storylines with ease and plants clues that tie everything together.

Dark Places is a nasty, violent piece of work. With its gore and satanic theme, it's as much a suspense novel as it is a horror novel. Flynn is acutely aware that suspense comes from characterization; without carefully-shaded characters, there's no convincing suspects, no believable motive, and ludicrous plot twists. But in Dark Places, everyone's a suspect, each with his or her own motive for chopping up a family of four on a cold January night. Crime novels should adhere to very strict rules of logic, and Flynn doesn't use sleight-of-hand plotting to hop over a gaping hole. She doesn't need to; she's confident that her white-trash characters will guide readers through the story, and she doesn't insult her readers' intelligence. Literary crime fiction might sound contradictory, but that's exactly what Dark Places is.

(I also recommend Sharp Objects. Trust me, Flynn will renew your faith in crime fiction.)

Comments

[stefanie]

Ok, you've convinced me. I will have to give her a go sometime. Thanks for the tip!

[Shafic]

Pleasure mineetg you guys as well. Ill be sure to keep you in the loop and glad to know we have another CSA to point folks to. Keep up the good work.