A
well crafted thriller that plays little tricks with the reader. But the
manipulation really lies in the reader’s oblivion to this fact until halfway
through the story.
Nick
has been accused of foul play after his wife, Amy goes missing. All clues would
appear to lead to an eventual discovery of a body, but no body is found. This
confounds the police, particularly Boney who can read situations beyond what is
apparent. Something doesn’t add up.
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Alternating
chapters tells Amy’s story via a secret diary up to the point of her
disappearance. Nick apparently has been an unpleasant husband, spending all her
money and growing more moody and selfish. The final straw is when Amy discovers
Nick is having an affair with the local bimbo.
It
would seem Amy had sacrificed her life as a writer and her friends in New York
to live in the Deep South where she grows increasingly isolated and
disillusioned. The story really drew me in and I enjoyed Flynn’s eloquent
writing which underlined the sort of person Amy is. My feelings towards certain
characters in the thriller took a 180 degree swing, not only regarding Nick and
Amy, but also her ex boyfriend, Desi.
Duping the Reader
I
did feel some unnecessary padding towards the final third of the book, where
Amy loses money to a couple of tramps, and the ending was slightly
unsatisfying, but did not detract from the entertainment value. But in the end,
Flynn was making a point. Be careful of who you meet. Not everyone is what they
appear to be. Some people make an art of duping. Lies can be wrapped in truth. But
the nature of the narcissist will always come out in time.
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