Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn is the well-known author of Gone Girl, and so I suppose that every book she ever writes will be compared to that standard. BT recommended this one, and while it held my interest and I had to read until the bitter (and bloody) end, it just didn't move along fast enough for me. The story revolves around a mass murder that took place on a Kansas farm in 1985 where a mother and two daughters where brutally murdered. The son was convicted of the crime, and the youngest daughter, Libby, survived. The book jumps from Libby in the current day to various family members on the day of the murder. Of course, as the story unfolds, Libby and the reader question whether the son, Ben, is really guilty, and if he isn't the murderer, then who is. There are lots of suspects and all of them are pretty messed up with drugs, devil-worship, and various issues, but the end may still surprise you. And it may even leave you scratching your head and saying, "huh?" A good beach read. -June

After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman

I've read several books recently where the author jumps from character to character plus jumps back and forth to different times. This one was by far the most confusing of all of them. The story is about Felix who disappears leaving behind a wife, three young daughters, and a girlfriend. There's lots of twists and turns but this basically is a "who dunnit" and while the ending is a bit of a surprise, the way it comes out seems extremely rushed. The book kept me reading to find out what happened, but I think the ending ruined it for me. -June