Gone Girl

Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn
Crown Publisher
Random House, Inc.
New York
ISBN: 978-0-307-58836-4
2012
$ 25
419 pages

Why is this book on the New York Times Best Sellers' List?

Gone Girl is about a woman who disappears and it appears that her husband murdered her.

In any relationship, especially marriage, there are times when both partners are not exactly pleased with their spouse. After living together for years, most married couples know how to irritate each other and also realize the expectations placed upon each of them.

Lately their life as the successful couple in New York City has greatly changed since they both have lost their jobs as journalists, but they do have Amy's trust fund so that they will be destitute. The plan is to move back to Nick's hometown in Missouri and to help with his parents with his mother fighting cancer and his father suffering from dementia. With the money, Nick and his twin sister open a bar in this small town. Life is certainly different from New York City.

Amy and Nick are nearing their fifth anniversary. Amy is accustomed to being the center of attention and being “amazing” in her relationships. Her parents even wrote a series of books featuring Amazing Amy as she is growing up in a household of overly doting parents of an only child. Amy is perfect in every way to those who do not know her extremely well. Every year Amy plans a treasure hunt for Nick as an anniversary surprise and unfortunately, he never succeeds in figuring out the clever clues that are just too cryptic for him. Of course, the clues are strictly based on Amy's memories, not those memories of the twosome together.

Amy disappears on the day of their fifth anniversary. Will the treasure hunt lead Nick to Amy? With Nick's past failure record of figuring out the clues, does he even have a chance? Where is Amy? Did someone kidnap her?

What I find most disturbing about this book is that someone could use it as a manual to get rid of their spouse! Would anyone actually think of that? The details of the disappearance are compelling even when you figure out the mystery. You can't stop reading because you want to know more and wonder how it will end.

Gillian Flynn is also the author of Dark Places and Sharp Objects. She is a former writer and critic for Entertainment Weekly.

Gone Girl is an unusual mystery explaining the events from the perspective of Nick and then Amy alternating. This aspect of duo viewpoints permits a truer understanding of each character since you see them through their own and each other's eyes.


Gone Girl is disturbing, but realistic. This book will definitely affect how I look at husband's accused of killing their wives from now on.

(Maybe I should start writing a diary - - This is only relevant to those who have read Gone Girl.)

Why is this book on the NY Times Best Sellers' List? Could this be a way that people are trying to get rid of their spouses?