If you’re into crime and solving mysteries, Gillian Flynn’s novels are for you. Flynn is an American author who has written three top-selling novels — "Sharp Objects," "Dark Places" and "Gone Girl" — and a short story, "The Grownup," which was released in 2015 as a standalone book. Her books have spent over 300 weeks total on the New York Times best-seller list and have received much acclaim. Read on to learn more about these three novels.
"Sharp Objects"
"Sharp Objects" tells the story of Camille Preaker, a crime journalist who visits her small hometown with an assignment to cover the murder of two preteen girls. During her stay, Preaker begins uncovering clues that may ring a little too close to home — literally and figuratively. While facing her own psychological battles, Preaker continues to cover the story of the closely linked murders, unraveling the mystery of who is really behind the death of these two girls.
"Sharp Objects" is a book that keeps the reader engrossed. The characters are well thought out and unique — each with underlying traits that add to the plot. Although it is gory at times, this can be expected from any murder-mystery novel.
"Dark Places"
"Dark Places" is a murder mystery following the story of Libby Day, whose mother and two sisters were mysteriously murdered one night in what became known as “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” Libby Day escapes, but her brother Ben Day is found guilty and thrown in jail.
The story begins 25 years later when a club that investigates mysterious murders reaches out to Libby Day and suggests that Ben Day might not be the murderer. Libby Day begins to get more involved with trying to solve the case, and as she begins to unravel the mysterious case, an unimaginable truth emerges.
"Dark Places" is full of cunning detail and characters, each with their own unique narratives of what exactly happened that night. Switching character perspectives between chapters keeps the readers guessing what’s going to happen in each story line, ultimately connecting them in the end.
"Gone Girl"
The day of Amy and Nick Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne gets a call at work that their cat is out and comes home to find their front door open and his wife missing. With no lead on what has happened, he begins getting seriously questioned by the police. As searches start for Amy, Nick finds a series of clues left by his wife — an anniversary tradition of theirs. With the town against him, he must make sense of her disappearance.
New York Times best-seller "Gone Girl" is deserving of the 37 weeks it spent on top the best-seller list. The cunning plot that Flynn crafted makes this novel a standout among other mystery novels — a devious, riveting thriller that will keep readers on the edges of their seats.