Title: Gone Girl
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Author: Gillian Flynn
Publisher: Crown, 2012
Source: Library
Rating: 4.5
Sexy Rating: 5
Description from amazon.com:
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl 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 in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
With her razor-sharp writing and trademark 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.
**
This was undoubtedly the most hyped book of 2012. So I knew that sooner or later I would succumb to its lure. My one sentence reaction: It definitely deserves all the hype.
The book starts out, appearing to me, like a fictionalized version of that real life California case. You know the one with that guy named Peterson who killed his pregnant wife. At least that is how it was playing out to me. But Flynn had more surprises and twists to deal out in this novel. Was it a bit over the top at times, you bet, but it was definitely a can’t-put-it-down read. It is scary to think that there are people in this world like Scot Peterson but Gillian Flynn gives us some ideas about how a psychopath operates as she lays out the story of the marriage of Nick and Amy Dunne. I recommend this one to all mystery, suspense and thriller lovers.
La Deetda Reads 
I do read the occasional thriller (mainly Michael Connelly) between doses of romance and this sounds like a good one to pick up from the library.
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This one was well written, Carol. I realize I said that it was the most hyped book of 2012 but I must have forgotten 50-Shades. So it is the second most hyped book of 2012. 🙂
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Dot, you liked this much more than i did. While i agree that the writing was very addictive and the book was unputdownable to a point, i though all characters in the book were unlikeable. The fact that the police couldn’t solve the case is unbelievable to me. And the ending ridiculous. There were so many things that were not investigated by the police, which should have been. The resolution for many things felt so pat. I wanted to throw my book at the wall! The setup was interesting, but for me, it failed to deliver a credible ending.
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Ah-h-h, we agree to disagree. I was totally immersed in the unraveling of Nick and found it believable and understandable, even how he ended up. I thought the police procedure was par-for-the-course for a small town and I liked that what’s-her-name police woman was not swayed by overt circumstances. I think the ending was horrific but not incredible. Living in the USA this kind of thing is going on all the time….unfortunately.
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Mo, I forgot to say “thanks” for promoting this discussion. I love to debate books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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****spoilerish****
Lol! Oh well, we can’t agree on every book. I thought in the end Nick was a selfish narcissit. He ‘chose’ his end. Why? It made no rational sense unless he was the same as Amy. They probably deserved eachother. I did not buy the ex plotline. For me, this entered fantasy territory. Plus if the policewoman had misgivings why didn’t she pursue them? This played to small town stereotypes.
The more i think about this book the angrier i get. I feel like the author manipulated her readers. I’m not an avid reader of this genre. I will give Flynn credit for her writing style.
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How boring if we agreed on “every” book. 🙂 You have made valid points, so I’m thinking if the author created this much discussion she may have achieved her goal in writing the book. But don’t get angry just toss the book across the room and read a fun HR. That is how I usually handle reading Thrillers; I always need an HR to lighten the weight that a thriller throws out.
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I think she definitely achieved her goal. She aroused ‘feelings and reactions’.
I haven’t read a new HR in 6 months, been taking a break. But there are a few there, waiting :-).
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My book club read this book and it was really good book to read, but at the same time very disturbing and gave us a lot to talk about.
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Oh yes, gayle, it is a disturbing book most definitely. I find sociopaths to be extremely interesting and scary at the same time. I read a magazine article not so long ago that talked about the sociopaths that are not necessarily murderous but that get by on their intelligence and charm and live among us with us not being the wiser. Scary.
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Well Dot that is certainly disturbing but does make sense.
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