Nick and Amy Dunne were once a glamorous New York couple, both writers, until the recession cost them their jobs and they moved to Nick's small hometown of North Carthage, Missouri, to care for his ailing mother. On the morning of their fifth anniversary, Amy disappears, leaving signs of a struggle in their living room.
The story alternates between Nick's account of the investigation and entries from Amy's diary charting their courtship and marriage. Police and media attention soon turn on Nick, whose awkward behaviour and evasions make him look guilty. As each narrator reveals more, the reader is forced to keep revising what they believe about both of them and about the marriage itself.
Flynn's novel is a sharp dissection of marriage, media frenzy and the roles people perform for each other, including the much-quoted idea of the effortlessly agreeable 'cool girl'. Its unreliable narration made it a publishing phenomenon and a model for a wave of domestic thrillers. David Fincher's 2014 film, with a screenplay by Flynn, was a major success.
Book details
| Author | Gillian Flynn |
|---|---|
| First published | 2012 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 422 |
| Setting | North Carthage, Missouri, and New York City, around 2012 |
Themes
- Marriage
- Deception
- Media sensationalism
- Identity performance
- Gender roles
Who should read it
Readers who enjoy dark psychological suspense and unreliable narrators.