Listening to the Silence

When Nick Dunne's wife Amy goes missing on what would have been their fifth wedding anniversary, he is worried and scared, immediately calling the police. But no one besides his twin sister seems able to see that. In fact all evidence seems to point increasingly towards his being the culprit.

Told in alternating chapters, the reader learns the story of a troubled marriage directly from both Nick and Amy. At first, they see like a typical couple whose marriage is in decline following drastic changes to their lives. Both lost their jobs, they left New York City for Carthage, Missouri to care for Nick's ailing parents, and Amy's enormous trust fund has been decimated.

I somehow managed to go into this book with my eyes completely shut. I had heard that the characters were unlikable and that there is a big plot twist, but otherwise I knew nothing. I am glad I didn't because this is the type of story that requires the elemen t of surprise. That said, I guessed the plot twist before it's reveal. However, it was artfully done, and while at first I didn't get the hype regarding the unlikable of these two characters, it soon became very clear. These are two people who definitely deserved both each other and the outcome.

While the story was skillfully told, I just couldn't rate the book any higher than 3.5 stars. This is not through any fault of the author, but because this is a genre I don't typically care for. This is a very good example of a psychological thriller, and if that sort of stuff is your thing, then you will probably love this book. It isn't mine, so while I can recognize it's good qalities, it just didn't do much for me.