People Who Eat Darkness, Richard Lloyd Parry
People Who Eat Darkness, Richard Lloyd Parry
9 Rating(s)
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People Who Eat Darkness
The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo—and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up

Author: Richard Lloyd Parry

Narrator: Simon Vance

Unabridged: 13 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/16/2012

Synopsis

Lucie Blackman—tall, blond, twenty-one years old—stepped out into the vastness of Tokyo in the summer of 2000 and disappeared. The following winter, her dismembered remains were found buried in a seaside cave. The seven months in between had seen a massive search for the missing girl involving Japanese policemen, British private detectives, and Lucie’s desperate but bitterly divided parents. Had Lucie been abducted by a religious cult or snatched by human traffickers? Who was the mysterious man she had gone to meet? And what did her work as a hostess in the notorious Roppongi district of Tokyo really involve? Richard Lloyd Parry, an award-winning foreign correspondent, followed the case from the beginning. Over the course of a decade, as the rest of the world forgot but the trial dragged on, he traveled to four continents to interview those connected with the story, assiduously followed the court proceedings, and won unique access to the Japanese detectives who investigated the case. Ultimately he earned the respect of the victim’s family and delved deep into the mind and background of the man accused of the crime—Joji Obara, described by the judge as “unprecedented and extremely evil.” The result is a book at once thrilling and revelatory.

About Richard Lloyd Parry

Richard Lloyd Parry is the Asia editor and Tokyo bureau chief of the London Times and the author of several nonfiction books.

About Simon Vance

Simon Vance is the critically acclaimed narrator of approximately 400 audiobooks, winner of 27 AudioFile Earphones Awards, and a 12-time Audie Award-winner. He won an Audie in 2006 in the category of Science Fiction and was named the 2011 Best Voice in Biography and History and in 2010 Best Voice in Fiction by AudioFile magazine.   Vance has been a narrator for the past 25 years, and also worked for many years as a BBC Radio presenter and newsreader in London.  Some of his best-selling and most praised audiobook performances include Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies (an Audie award-winner), Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander series (all 21 titles), the new productions of Frank Herbert’s original Dune series, and Rob Gifford’s China Road (an AudioFile 2007 Book of the Year). Vance lives near San Francisco with his wife and two sons.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Paul on February 26, 2011

This is a page-turner in which very little happens but a whole lot is discovered, about Japan particularly, and also about the grand-canyon-sized gulf of mutual squalor called the sex trade. It’s a sad and, well, banal story – Western girl goes to foreign parts to make some big money and never comes......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on March 31, 2023

In 2000, a 21-year-old English girl named Lucie Blackman - unhappy with her job as an airline hostess, deeply in debt, and wanting an adventure - moved to Japan with her friend Louise Phillips. Lucie Blackman Lucie and Louise rented a cheap apartment and took jobs as hostesses in the 'Casablanca' nigh......more

Goodreads review by Roxane on July 22, 2017

Interesting true crime account of a young British woman who went missing in Tokyo. At times Parry goes on a bit too much with excessive minutia but this is a fascinating look at the Japanese system of justice. Hmmm.......more

Goodreads review by Mara on October 28, 2018

Even after reading the entirety of this seemingly interminably long book, I'm not exactly clear on who these supposed "people" are who "eat darkness." What I do know is everything (and quite a bit more than) I ever wanted to know about the disappearance/murder of 21-year-old British national, Luc......more

Goodreads review by Michael on May 09, 2018

I read PEOPLE WHO EAT DARKNESS faster than any true crime book I've ever read, though, admittedly, I am not a big true crime reader. That's going to change. Richard Lloyd Parry has written an extremely engrossing, fascinating, and well-researched book that examines the darker side of our human nature.......more

Quotes

“Everyone who has ever loved someone and held that life dear should read this stunning book and shiver.” Chris Cleave, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“A searing exploration of evil and trauma and how both ultimately elude understanding or resolution.” New York Times Book Review

“[A] masterful literary true crime story, which earns its comparisons to Truman Capoteʼs In Cold Blood and Norman Mailerʼs The Executioner’s Song…Parry subtly encourages an understanding that goes past the headlines. It is a dark, unforgettable ride.” Los Angeles Times

“A big, ambitious true-crime book.” Esquire

“Parry has a knack of tacitly cross-examining his readers…not implicating them exactly, but immersing them in a darkness that thickens as facts come to light…[He] skillfully manipulates the narrative to keep the reader in a state of awful uncertainty about what will happen next.” Observer (London)

“Utterly engrossing and brilliantly crafted—a glimpse into the heart of darkness we hope never to know firsthand.” BookPage

“An exceptional—and terrifying—account of sexual sadism, the Japanese legal system, and a family ripped apart by tragedy.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This true crime tale reads like a novel, but few of its fictional counterparts have this much insight into murder cases and the psychology of the people involved…Parry’s prose is reminiscent of true crime greats Truman Capote and Vincent Bugliosi. This well-written story, likely to elicit tears and even nightmares from readers, is recommended for all who enjoy true crime, thrillers, and cross-cultural narratives.” Library Journal (starred review)

“An utterly compelling read.” Mo Hayder, internationally bestselling author

“Extraordinary, compulsive, and brilliant.” David Peace, author of the Red Riding quartet and the Tokyo trilogy 

Awards

  • Publishers Weekly Top 10 Book
  • New York Times   Bestseller
  • Time Magazine Top 10 Book
  • Entertainment Weekly Best Book
  • Kansas City Star Top 100 Book
  • Amazon Top 100 Book
  • New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books
  • Edgar Allan Poe Award
  • BuzzFeed Books Pick
  • BookRiot Pick
  • BookPage Top Pick
  • Slate Magazine Best Book
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