- Author
- Gillian Flynn
- Narrator
- Julia Whelan, Kirby Heyborne
- Length
- 19 hr 10 min
- Publisher
- Random House Audio
Best for: Thriller fans who love unreliable narrators and a twist that rewires the whole story.
Gone Girl alternates between Nick in the present and Amy's diary from the past, and the dual narration is what makes this edition special. Heyborne plays Nick as a man who is likable for exactly as long as he wants to be: easy, a little lazy, slippery when cornered. You find yourself defending him and then wondering why.
Whelan's Amy is the star. The diary chapters begin bright and charming, almost romantic comedy, and she shades them so gradually that you barely notice the temperature dropping. When the book turns at its famous midpoint, her voice changes in a way that is genuinely chilling, and it is one of the best moments in modern thriller audio.
At over nineteen hours this is a long thriller, and the first third is deliberately slow as Flynn builds the marriage. Stay with it. The tension in the second half is relentless, and the narrators trade the spotlight like a pair of tennis players.
Production is clean and simple, with no music. The switches between narrators are crisp and always clearly signalled by chapter titles.
What we loved
- ✓Two perfectly matched narrators
- ✓The midpoint twist is unforgettable in audio
- ✓Sharp, darkly funny writing
Worth knowing
- –Slow first third
- –Strong language and disturbing themes
The verdict
The definitive psychological thriller in audio. Whelan alone is worth the credit.
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