Dark, but a great read.
349318
I loved Gillian Flynn's books..... Was told to read this one.  Very good book.  Brought out emotions only a very few other books have done.
2560075
Very dark and deeply disturbing but still very good. I don't know if I would recommend it because of the graphic content but if you aren't easily disturbed,  you should give it a try.  It's unlike anything I have ever read before and I purchased book 2 just to see how it all ends.
2966274
This is a dark and delightful read if you are like me and like journeying into the shadows with your books every now and then. This book takes you onto a journey deep into the dark and a story of revenge and corruption of those innocent people. Not going to say much more, but i really enjoyed it, and cannot wait to read the other books in this series as this book can be read as a standalone
3040195
I have mixed feelings about this book. I can honestly say I had trouble putting it down and it definitely was an enjoyable read. I had a hard time with a few of the characters..in fact they drove me nuts but this story was interesting and had a pretty good ending. I would recommend I to someone looking for a pretty dark read.
4336617
This was an extremely dark read. I'm ok with that as I read a lot of dark work. This one, surpassed so many I've read before. The premise is a woman is kidnapped by a serial killer. it's interesting because, the characters are minimal but they are so incredibly well written that they suck you in. I don't want to give anything away but the only reason I didn't give it five stars was some of her irrational behavior and reactions to him and events seem to minimal. Especially for some of the things she witnessed. Don't read this if descriptive, graphic killing bothers you but if you like dark, then go for it. I also wish there was more. It ended kind of abruptly and I just hope the author gives us more on these two.
1269439
This story is short, but very moving. It's dark, raw, and real. It is a fast read, but will stick with you. Very well written. I look forward to more from the author.
3638673
This prequel is very dark. I like dark and this is definitely dark as it gets. There are triggers some people might need to think about with this book i.e. kidnapping and rape. This story was very intense, a true page turner for me. I just know this story has great things to come. Cant wait to read the rest of this series. If you like dark romance youll love this book like I did. I recommend reading it.
3017635
First I'd like to say, I loved this dark book.  Like I said in my header, this is not for someone easily offended, that as soon as something happens they give a 1 star review.  There is swearing, blood, Gore, and sex.  If you can handle it you will not put this down until you are finished.  Sometimes marriages grow a part, and both parties do things to irritate the other.  But sometimes the best laid plans end with being captured by a demented cult.
4001831
I really enjoyed this book.  I don't want to give any of the plot away, but its told from several different perspectives both "good" and "bad" characters.  Lots of twists in this one, and being a reader of a lot of dark fiction, and many of those books don't end on a postive note.  I have to say I really enjoyed the ending and the message it sends.  The characters are memorable, the dialogue is believable, and the plot kept me turning pages wondering what would happen next.  If you're looking for something a little different, but enjoy dark fiction, I would definately recommend giving this one a try.
2019833
Wow, finally a book labelled as dark that truly is dark. This is the somewhat violent, often twisted and definitely dubious and steamy story of Nicky and Andre. And what a well written, attention holding, mind-blowing story it is. There are parts of this I'm not sure that I should enjoy, and other parts that I read whilst hiding behind a cushion ..... reactions that only a really good dark read will elicit.

Nicky is a strong female, whose naive innocence leads her into a nightmare situation, one where death would be a blessing. However she is a light that calls to Andre's black soul, the monster wants to save her from others, but will she survive him?

Andre wasn't quite as black as he painted himself. His soul had a teeny, tiny chink of light in it - or perhaps it wasn't quite as pitch dark as the rest of it. He'd once been good but too long in a dark and violent underworld had stripped his humanity. However Nicky could see, and brought out, the good in him. But don't be fooled - this is Jennifer Bene with one of her dark reads and the heroine will have to survive some horrendous ordeals. Andre's not a hero, but I can guarantee that by the end of the book you will love him. This just goes to show how talented the author is at crafting deranged and dangerous anti-heroes that we just can't resist.

You know you'll be rooting for Andre to become Nicky's knight in shining armour. However that isn't what he wants to be, or can be and there will be parts of this book that are both unexpected and difficult to read. They are also what makes this such a gripping story. The writing is excellent, I flew through the story, totally mesmerised by it and unable to put it down until it was finished.

It's not a book for the feint of heart but if you like dark you'll love this.
826750
This book was really good. I read it in one day. It is unlike anything that I have ever read before. It sucks you in....it is dark, but you cannot quit reading it.
3618072
A disturbing, dark, and complex love story. The book does start out a bit slow, and some of the parts about Danny are a bit odd, but once you really get into the book it is hard to put down, especially after Katherine and Danny finally meet.
However, the very end was a bit of a letdown, hence four stars instead of five, but still worth reading.
Not a romance, but there is love, more of an obsession type of love, and the story borders on the darker aspects of the human condition.

Recommended
3736876
This is the first book from Flynn that I have read. I did not want to put this book down. Read through it in about a day. It is not a book for the lighthearted. It is pretty dark, disturbing, even depressing and Flynn does a great job of writing that. The mystery aspect of the book was done very well. There were times I thought I would figure something out and then there was more information that just didn't fit what I thought. Flynn just sucked me in from the beginning. The book didn't necessarily have me locking all my doors and windows, but it did make me think wow what goes on in this authors head?
1432234
Actually, there's a lot of skill here weaving a tale that keeps you turning pages. It's definitely dark and I won't call it a fun read.  It is very dark fatalistic noir.  It's about bad choices that get the lead character deeper and deeperWe have here the type of character Robert Mitchum did so well back in the 40's.  This is a great read and one which you8 will not soon forget.
689335
This is not an easy reading, though very interesting. Do not expect anything similar to TV series. This one is quite dark. A lot of factual information. But I've read it in two or three evenings. Definitely worth it.
1133865
A dark read. That left me many times very emotional. I had to put this book down alot but always picked it back up because I needed to know what was going to happen next.  This was a well written book and worth the read.
3551786
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for an honest voluntary review. This is a very dark book with a happy ending, I wasn't fond of the content but I won't let that change my feelings about the book itself. The story was well thought out although it had very dark content. The characters changed over the course of the story and the insight into the character's thoughts made the story possible. Leo and Sophia were complex and unique and they would not have been able to do what they did without each other and find a way for their story to unfold and their love to develop. The writing is great like always coming from Gabi. If you're into the mob and darker parts of that type of story, then this is a good book for you.