Perhaps the most effective deployment of the'unreliable narrator'in modern publishing,Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a true global phenomenon.

Alternating between the present-day narrative of husband Nick Dunne and the past diary entries of his wife Amy,we learn their previously perfect marriage has come undone following a move from New York to semi-rural Missouri. Amy inexplicably disappears without trace,apparently pregnant; Nick,whose emotions seem to betray little outward signs of grief or worry,is the prime suspect. However,is all that we read the truth Is Amy genuinely missing,and,if not,what could be her possible motive

With razor-like precision,Gillian Flynn's third novel allows a window into the lives and minds of two complex protagonists but still leaves the reader often guessing the reality of the situation; constantly,the plot flip-flops the reader's suspicion and sympathy,gradually revealing more about its leads and more about the darkness that consumes them both. Launching a vast fleet of lookalike novels,Gone Girl remains the jewel in the crown and one of the true essential novels of the decade.

Publisher: Orion Publishing CoISBN: 9780753827666Number of pages: 528Weight: 369 gDimensions: 196 x 126 x 38 mm

'Flynn,an extraordinarily good writer,plays her readers with the finesse and delicacy of an expert angler. She wields her unreliable narrators to stunning effect,baffling,disturbing and delighting in turn,practically guaranteeing an immediate reread once her terrifying,wonderful conclusion is reached... an early contender for thriller of the year,and an absolute must-read.'-Alison Flood,The Observer

'These voices are wonderfully authentic,to the point where the reader becomes a gawker at the full-spectrum of marital dysfunction. Excellent.'- The Guardian

'Gone Girl is superbly constructed,ingeniously paced and absolutely terrifying... a Five-star suspense mystery'. - AN Wilson

'...in this riveting noirish thriller and intense dissection of a marriage,nothing is as it seems.'- Woman and Home

'Flynn keeps the accelerator firmly to the floor,ratcheting up the tension with wildly unexpected plot twists,contradictory stories and the tantalising feeling that nothing is as it seems. Deviously good.'- Marie Claire

'Read it and stay single.'- Financial Times

'A chilling,stylish read about another unknowable woman'- Elle

'Flynn has created a gripping tale and a page-turner.'- Literary Review

'Immensely dark and deeply intelligent,Gone Girl is a book about how well one person can truly know another'- Metro

'Flynn is a brilliantly accomplished psychological crime writer and this latest book is so dark,so twisted and so utterly compelling that it actually messes with your mind'- Daily Mail

'You think you're reading a good,conventional thriller and then it grows into a fascinating portrait of one averagely mismatched relationship...Nothing's as it seems - Flynn is a fabulous plotter,and a very sharp observer of modern life in the aftermath of the credit crunch'- Kate Saunders,The Times

'Flynn's portrait of a woman trying to please an impossible husband is subtly drawn,but there are hints that all is not as it seems. One version of events hides another in a novel that cleverly manipulates the reader'- Joan Smith,Sunday Times

'...definitely a contender for thriller of the year... Flynn is,without a doubt,at the front of the pack of American thriller writers. - Doug Johnstone,The Independent on Sunday

'In what is so much more than a straightforward crime novel (with a mid-story twist so shocking you'll drop the book),Flynn unpicks the minutiae of the couple's personalities and relationship'- Easy Living

'A chilling tale of a hip,New York couple's failing marriage: smart,suspenseful and brilliantly written,Gone Girl is a class act'- The Independent

'...a terrifically intelligent thriller with a gasp-inducing twist'- Good Housekeeping

'...she skillfully manages to sustain tension and uncertainty to the end,as well as presenting a beautiful portrait of marriage disintegration'- Marcel Berlins,The Times

'This is Flynn's third novel and she's more than found her voice,creating taut,thrilling,deeply intense narratives about characters very much on the edge'- Henry Sutton,Daily Mirror

'...a near-masterpiece. Flynn is an extraordinary writer who,with every sentence,makes words do things that other writers merely dream of" - Sophie Hannah,Sunday Express

'Just about everyone I meet,and everyone on Twitter,is telling me it's brilliant,so I can't wait to see what the fuss is all about.'- S.J Watson,Sunday Express

'A brilliant switchback ride,you'll beg others to read it so you can discuss it with them'- John Williams, Irish Mail on Sunday

'Gone Girl confirms that Gillian Flynn is the smartest new crime writer for years.'- John Williams,Mail on Sunday

'Toxic marriage simmers in this thriller with a gasp-inducing twist.'- GRAZIA

'The set-up is simple: girl goes missing,husband looks increasingly suspect. But there's much more going on beneath the surface of this fiendishly clever thriller'- Vogue

'Single-handedly defines a genre of Media Gothic'- Brooke Magnanti,Tatler

'Exhilarating and creepy,it has sent me rushing off to her other novels.'- Tracey Thorn,New Statesman

'...a brilliant,darkly comic tale'- Laura Wilson,The Guardian

'One of the most popular thrillers of the year is also one of the smartest... Flynn's book cleverly outpaces its neo-noir trappings and consistently surprises the reader.'- Financial Times

'A tautly written thriller about the unravelling of a marriage that is deservedly topping the bestseller charts.'- The Observer

'The story of a husband searching for his vanished wife has everything - psychological acuity,humour,an unflagging pace and more twists than you could hope for in your most serpentine dreams...a sumptuous,satisfying read.'- Stylist

'The story-telling is incredibly compelling,with the cunning opening mystery soon turning down unpredictable routes,while the characters are superbly believable. No wonder it's the book that everyone seems to be reading.'- Boyd Hilton,Heat

'If you haven't yet caught up with this word-of-mouth bestseller - about a woman's mysterious disappearance and the secrets she and her husband are keeping - get hold of it soon. It really does live up to the hype.'- Woman Magazine

'This thriller is the must-read of the year.'- The Sun

'...turned the rules of your average psychological thriller inside-out...it's breathtaking'- The Times