"I know a little bit about trying to do the right thing and fucking up completely," I added. 
 "You talking about Mom?" Ben said. 
 "I was talking about me." 
 "You could have been talking about all of us." 
 So she could--and how easily it could happen to anyone. 
 Because I read Gone Girl first, I have to start out with a comparison. I enjoyed reading this book, at least the first half, less than reading Gone Girl, but I think it is at least equal in terms of plot and characterization. Dark Places was less chilling and ultimately disturbing than Gone Girl, but it was sadder and more...downtrodden, if that makes sense. I just felt so damn sorry for everyone, when I wasn't a little grossed out by them as human beings. 
 Man, Gillian Flynn is one hell of a plotter. She is also great at drawing characters, of course, and talented with words, but her plots just knock me down. They're so intricately woven, with details strewn throughout a deliberate pace, and alternating viewpoints and time frames used pretty flawlessly to distribute the right information at the right times and from the right people. It's hard to imagine a better way to tell a story like this. 
 As a reader, I find this kind of book the most satisfying because it's not predictable, couldn't be predictable, because the truth is buried in the details you won't get for 200 pages or more. As a writer, I am in awe of her patience and foresight, the consideration she put into everything, the way she must have "started at the end" like they say you should do with a mystery. 
 This book will stick with me for a long time.