Marriage can be a real killer. One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn, takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. As The Washington Post proclaimed, her work "draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction." Gone Girl's toxic mix of sharp-edged wit with deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick Dunne's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick Dunne isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but hearing from Amy through flashbacks in her diary reveal the perky perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge.
Under mounting pressure from the police and the media - as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents - the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter - but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister Margo at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was left in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
Employing her trademark razor-sharp writing and assured psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.
On finishing Gone Girl I immediately contacted my friends to insist they read it; it's one of those books that I simply couldn't wait to discuss with others. I found it to be an original, engaging mystery that kept me guessing throughout. It's the perfect novel for readers looking for fast-paced escapism. (Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review. One of those rare thrillers whose revelations actually intensify its suspense instead of dissipating it.
Booklist
Starred Review. Both a compelling thriller and a searing portrait of marriage, this could well be Flynn’s breakout novel. It contains so many twists and turns that the outcome is impossible to predict.
Library Journal
Starred Review. Flynn cements her place among that elite group of mystery/thriller writers who unfailingly deliver the goods... Once again Flynn has written an intelligent, gripping tour de force, mixing a riveting plot and psychological intrigue with a compelling prose style that unobtrusively yet forcefully carries the reader from page to page.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Flynn masterfully lets this tale of a marriage gone toxically wrong gradually emerge... Compulsively readable, creepily unforgettable, this is a must read for any fan of bad girls and good writing.
Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of Faithful Place and Into the Woods Gone Girl is one of the best and most frightening portraits of psychopathy I've ever read. Nick and Amy manipulate each other with savage, merciless and often darkly witty dexterity. This is a wonderful and terrifying book about how the happy surface normality and the underlying darkness can become too closely interwoven to separate.
Kate Atkinson, New York Times bestselling author of Started Early, Took My Dog and Case Histories
"The plot has it all. I have no doubt that in a year's time I'm going to be saying that this is my favorite novel of 2012. Brilliant.
Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Dangerous Thing and I'd Know You Anywhere Gone Girl builds on the extraordinary achievements of Gillian Flynn's first two books and delivers the reader into the claustrophobic world of a failing marriage. We all know the story, right? Beautiful wife disappears; husband doesn't seem as distraught as he should be under the circumstances. But Flynn takes this sturdy trope of the 24-hour news cycle and turns it inside out, providing a devastating portrait of a marriage and a timely, cautionary tale about an age in which everyone's dreams seem to be imploding.
Adam Ross, New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Peanut
Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is like Scenes from a Marriage remade by Alfred Hitchcock, an elaborate trap that's always surprising and full of characters who are entirely recognizable. It's a love story wrapped in a mystery that asks the eternal question of all good relationships gone bad: How did we get from there to here?
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Cloggie Downunder witty, scary, funny, brilliant Gone Girl is the third novel by American author, Gillian Flynn. “She was the girl that every girl wanted to be: beautiful, brilliant, inspiring and very wealthy. He was the guy that all men admired: handsome, funny, bright and charming. But on July... Read More
Rated of 5
by CWWJ A savage disappointment What a waste of a clearly skilled writer's talent. To destroy a creepy, suspenseful novel with such an awful ending is simply unforgiveable. In spite of its dreadfully illogical plot, Gone Girl was a page-turner until we turn the last page, when... Read More
Rated of 5
by Vivian Harrington Mind Candy Gone Girl is the break out novel by Gillian Flynn that has received a significant amount of press and adulation since it was published last summer. Gone Girl is what I term “mind candy”, a novel of suspense that also causes one to... Read More
Rated of 5
by Becky H Gone Girl From the moment Nick announces he has lied 10 times, you will wonder! When did he lie? Is he telling you a lie now? Is Amy telling the truth? Is Amy really dead? Has she been kidnapped? By whom? Who is the “bad guy? Amy? Nick? Go? Maribeth and... Read More
Rated of 5
by techeditor The end should be rewritten. Right up to the second-from-last page GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn should be rated 5. Every page of the book builds more and more tension. It really is the best kind of book: unputdownable.
But the end: Other reviewers have said that it comes as... Read More
Rated of 5
by Sunny What a Page-Turner! I couldn't put this down...a great psychological thriller while at the same time a pretty darn accurate portrayal of the complexities of marriage and male/female relationships. Does anyone really know anyone? Great book! I finished it and... Read More
According to the FBI's National Crime Information Center, 678,860 people were reported missing in 2011. The suspected cause of a disappearance was only recorded in about half of all cases. Of these, 3% were adults; 96% were juvenile runaways, about 1% were abducted by a non-custodial parent, and 0.1% abducted by a stranger. It should be noted that the police are required to alert the NCIC of any person under 21 who is missing, thus the NCIC stats should be a fairly accurate count of missing juveniles, but likely underestimate the number of adults who went missing, as those who were located within a short period of time were probably not reported to the NCIC.
The vast majority of missing person cases are cleared each year. In fact, in 2011 the NCIC actually cleared more cases than were opened; but this superficially happy fact should not detract from the sheer terror that a person goes through while a loved one is missing, nor the real danger that a runaway child is in.
At the end of 2011, the NCIC had 85,158 active missing person records. These represent...
More than a decade ago, Harry Bosch worked on the case of Marie Gesto, a twenty-two-year-old who went missing but was never found. Now, with the Gesto file still on his desk, Bosch gets a call from the District Attorney: A serial killer has confessed. Did Harry miss a key clue? Or is something more going on here?
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(854 words).
Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of Faithful Place and Into the Woods
of 5
by Cloggie Downunder
of 5
by CWWJ
of 5
by Vivian Harrington
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