Readers of our December issue know that we’ve dubbed Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl the breakout book of 2012. A word-of-mouth sensation, this novel is guaranteed to keep you on your toes—and have you talking about it to your friends.
If Gone Girl whetted your appetite for unpredictable plotlines, dark and twisted characters or jaw-dropping finales, here are a few suggestions on what to read next.
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. One of the themes of Gone Girl was the fascination that missing women and girls hold in today’s society. Atkinson takes on a similar topic in her first Jackson Brodie mystery, which links the recent murder of a young woman to a child’s disappearance decades before.
Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder. If you thought the ending of Gone Girl was messed up—well, the last page of this story will have your head spinning. Really, all of Hayder’s dark, well-written tales should appeal to the Flynn aficionado.
Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross. A husband who fantasizes about his wife’s death sees his guilty nightmare come true. Those who enjoyed Flynn’s exposé of the ugly underbelly of marriage shouldn’t miss Ross’ debut, which features three couples bound by love, hate and, possibly, murder.
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Today’s detective fiction is a descendant of Victorian “sensation” fiction—and The Woman in White, arguably the very first in that genre, is still one of the best. Like Flynn’s, Collins’ tale is told through the written statements of different protagonists, each with their own biases that the reader must consider. (Amy’s diary has nothing on Count Fosco’s!)
Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan. One of the pleasures of Gone Girl is its exploration of male-female dynamics and the power of creating a “story.” McEwan deals with some of the same issues in his latest novel, which also contains one of those brilliant (and exceedingly rare) surprise endings that casts everything that came before in a different light.
Perfume by Patrick Suskind. You’d have a hard time finding a more dark and twisted main character than Jean-
Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi. A male writer is taken to task by his female muse for his unfortunate penchant for killing off the women he writes about in Oyeyemi’s imaginative fourth novel, which shares Gone Girl‘s interest in violence against women and the dark side of marriage.
What books would you recommend for Gone Girl fans?
RELATED ON THE BOOK CASE: Previous posts on Gone Girl.
Anything by Tana French
Mr. Peanut is EXCELLENT! It’s very cerebral, with lots hidden in it, and one of the best novels I’ve read.
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
“S.J. Watson’s electrifying debut, Before I Go to Sleep, has all the makings of a classic thriller. At the center of the novel is Christine, an amnesiac who has lost her memory after a strange accident. Each day, her husband, Ben—whom she no longer recognizes—must supply Christine with the backstory of their life together. At the prompting of her doctor, Christine begins writing in a journal, an exercise that will hopefully spark her memory. When Christine discovers that she’s written the words “Don’t trust Ben” in her notebook, she feels the ground beneath her feet shift yet again. Faced with fresh misgivings about the past as well as the present, Christine finds herself struggling to navigate a daily existence that’s marked by danger and doubt. Should she rely on Ben? And what, exactly, was the nature of her accident? Watson, who lives in London, writes with the assurance and polish of a seasoned author in his gripping first novel.”
Case Histories and the rest of Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie books are great suggestions. I would also suggest Rosamund Lupton’s “Sister.” Haven’t read her second book yet, so don’t know if it’s as good as the first.
Amusingly, although I have a unread copy of Sister on my bookshelf, I recently read Afterward (her second novel) for a reading challenge I’m participating in. I didn’t find it suspenseful, but it was a very, very good book, and I would definitely recommend it.
I’m actually in the middle of Gone Girl right now and I find it very interesting and I look forward to finding out how it ends. I’m definitely going to check out the recommendations you’ve written about here since they truly sound like my types of stories.
DIE FOR YOU by Lisa Unger, except the husband rather than the wife is missing. Really good. It sold me on Lisa Unger.
Just finished “Mary Coin.” I was blown away by the writing and the story. Don’t miss this.
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