When the missing girl, Natalie Keene, is found strangled with her teeth removed, Camille's editor, Curry, asks her to stay in town to continue reporting the unfolding events.

Flynn wrote Sharp Objects while working as a reporter for Entertainment Weekly, writing the novel during nights and weekends, a few hours at a time.

[3] She described the process of maintaining the book's "moist", "gothic tone" as challenging, contrasting with the more upbeat style required for her day job.

[2][5] Literary critics praised Flynn for her exploration of psychological complexity, dark family dynamics, and her sharp prose.

[6] Writing for Chicago Tribune, Alan Cheuse described the book as "a first novel that reads like the accomplished work of a long-time pro", adding that it "goes deeper than your average thriller", blending "the narrative drive of a serious pop novel" with the psychological depth of a "mainstream character study".

[7] The Kansas City Star hailed it as "one of the best and most disturbing books" in recent memory, commending Flynn's skillful blend of tragedy and suspense.

[6] The Plain Dealer also praised the novel, describing it as "a sad, horrifying book" with characters that "will worm their way uncomfortably beneath your skin".

[7] In 2008, British director Andrea Arnold was set to direct a film adaptation of the novel for French production company Pathé, but the project did not materialize.

[11] The well-reviewed series,[12] also titled Sharp Objects, was directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, filmed in California and Georgia in 2017, and premiered in July 2018, starring Amy Adams as Camille Preaker.