I do the majority of my reading through audio books and Dark Places was no exception. Usually I simply listen while I drive to and from work (45 minute commute). But from the very first line of this book, I was hooked. I listened at the gym, I listened at home instead of watching TV (my DVR is now overflowing), and I even listened while I was preparing meals. Gillian Flynn is a master at creating characters, and though Gone Girl has received the majority of publicity, I find Dark Places to be a superior work. Her construction of Libby, her mother Patty, and most disturbingly Deandra allowed for a very dark, but all too real story of damaged people—people who just never caught a break—gritting their teeth and bearing it the best they can. Ben was also a masterfully drawn character, and despite the revelations at the end *MINOR SPOILER* I think he should have stayed in jail. He deserved to be there. I was intensely emotionally invested in Libby's investigation and I liked the minor character of Lyle and how he slowly helped to draw out her humanity. Even the small characters get their due in this book and I loved every word of it.