Their perfect life
changes when they lose their jobs and their financial reserves begin to dry
up. Nick decides they should leave life
in Manhattan to return to his hometown of Carthage, a small town on the
Mississippi River, to care for his ailing mother. Amy reluctantly travels with
him and tries to adjust to her new life. On the morning of
their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick comes home to find his front door open
and the scenes of a struggle. With his wife missing, Nick quickly finds himself
the prime suspect in her disappearance and presumed death. What happens next is
an intriguing tale of love and lies.
Told in alternating
narratives from Nick in the present day and Amy’s voice echoing from her diary
entries, author Gillian Flynn builds the story in such a way as to make you
think you know what is going to happen. Suddenly there is a twist and another
and another until it is clear that you have no idea how the story will end. The
change in points of view with each chapter has the reader changing sides as
well – yes, he must have done it/no, he couldn’t have – perhaps their “perfect”
marriage wasn’t so perfect after all.
I really relished
this novel. It held my interest from the beginning, and I couldn’t wait to read
what happened next. Part of the reason I enjoyed it was that Flynn has created love-to-hate,
seriously damaged characters that manipulate the reader with their version of
events. Flynn’s depiction of the media circus following this case critiques our lust for true crime; where guilt is assumed before the
facts are known. The ending left me a bit flat, however, as I felt the tension and build up would have a more dramatic conclusion.
Gone Girl is an
enjoyable page-turner that is a perfect holiday read. But… it deserves a much better
title!