On the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy Dunne mysteriously disappears from her North Missouri rental home. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, her husband Nick tells a series of lies that make him the primary suspect in her potential murder.

Flynn redefined the modern domestic thriller by splitting the narrative between Nick's present-day desperation and Amy's diary entries. Midway through the novel, a sharp narrative shift completely reframes the credibility of both narrators.