The story takes place in Kansas City, and centers around Libby Day and her family. Libby's brother, Ben, was convicted for killing her family (mom and two sisters) when she was young, and she testified in court to put him away. She is contacted by a guy named Lyle, who is part of a "Kill Club." They research various murders, and there is a section of the group dedicated to the Day murders specifically. Libby is out of money from the account set up when all the well wishers sent her cash, and has never had a job, so she meets with the group in order to exploit some cash from them. They think that Ben is innocent, and that the investigation was shoddy and left too many questions unanswered. In helping them (and getting paid), Libby starts to question the details herself and wants to know more about what happened that night.
I can't say too much without giving anything away, but in typical Flynn fashion, there are many different facets of the story. The book jumps back and forth from present day to past, and writes from different points of view, so you slowly build up to the night of the murder and what exactly happened. Meanwhile, in present day, Libby is talking to everyone involved, trying to figure out the events of that night. The style of writing keeps you hooked, as the end of every chapter has a bit of a cliff hanger, and you can't wait to return to that character.
One of my favorite things about Gillian Flynn is her books aren't happy go lucky stories. The characters are real, have flaws, have agendas, and even the one considered the "hero" is far from perfect. Or heroic for that matter. The endings always fit together perfectly like a puzzle that only makes sense once you step back and look at everything. Even now, I'm thinking of things I read early in the book, and realized it was a sign of things to come. Truly incredible writing! I highly recommend to ANYONE who loves twisting stories, or who has never read a Gillian Flynn before.
<3, jacq
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