Have you heard about the cool girl syndrome? It’s the one that many women suffer from when they first start a relationship with a guy. It’s the one that makes us say: “Hey I’m cool with you staying out all night for a poker game with the boys. Want me to drop buy with bacon & egg rolls for you all in the morning?” It’s the one that makes us assert that there’s nothing wrong with watching porn or a visit to the strippers. It’s just window shopping right? “As long as he comes home to me I don’t care a bit. I’m not the jealous type.” It’s the one where you pretend to enjoy video games, and violent movies, and stay out all night drinking tequila shots and being super fun even though you have an 8am start the next day.

It’s no wonder men get confused as the relationship becomes long-term. All that stuff we used to be cool about, now makes us dish out the silent treatment. When we say we’re ‘fine’ with it: you know we’re not. But guys, we’ve actually always felt shit when you pull an all-nighter and ignore our texts. And we’ve never felt OK about someone else’s fanny gyrating in your lap. We spent our ‘quiet nights alone’ downing bottles of wine and Lean Cuisine, stalking your Facebook profiles and cursing you for not being a mind reader.

It is this very concept that is weaved subtly into Gone Girl. A book that sophisticated, compelling and a genuine thriller.

Written in the voice of the two main characters, the author introduces us to Nick and Amy, a married couple who met and lived a cosmopolitan life in New York. They have now moved to Nick’s hometown in Missouri and things have turned sour. On their fifth anniversary Amy goes missing, with evidence of a struggle in the home and all signs pointing to foul play.

What’s awesome about this story is that you get insights from both characters; Amy’s from her private journal, but there is still a sense of mystery and you never fully understand or believe either of them. Nick does not behave like a husband whose wife is missing, and the detectives are breathing down his neck (interesting folk in their own right.)

There’s a killer twist in this book, and there’s a risk that too much will be revealed if I carry on with the synopsis. Just know that it’s a captivating, unsettling crime drama that’ll keep you turning the pages and questioning your perception after each chapter.

There is no doubt that this book is Popular Fiction and will appeal to the edgier masses. It will likely enjoy the same mainstream success as Sebold and Picoult but it has more grit. It’s also worth mentioning that Hollywood has their hands on it, so watch out for spoilers in the media.

In short: Enjoy the twists and chills now; before the movie effs it up.