Dervla McTiernan’s novel closely mirrors the 2021 disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman who vanished during a cross-country van trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. As in the novel, Laundrie returned home alone, and both he and his parents refused to cooperate with the police investigation, which raised public suspicion and became a central point of public outrage and media speculation, a dynamic McTiernan explores through the Jordan family’s immediate recourse to legal protection and PR spin. 

The Petito case became a cultural flashpoint, intensifying discussions around “missing white woman syndrome,” a term coined by former American Studies professor at the University of Maryland, Sherri Parks, and popularized by journalist Gwen Ifill in 2004 when, “mocking newsroom executives, she quipped: ‘If it’s a missing White woman, you’re going to cover that, every day’” (Frank, Adrienne. “3 Minutes on Missing White Woman Syndrome.” American University Magazine, 2022). The phrase has come to describe the disproportionate media coverage given to young, attractive, white women who go missing compared to similar crimes involving BIPOC victims: “Media coverage of a missing White woman tends to focus more on her role as a mother, daughter, or student, whereas stories about the disappearance of a woman of color typically focus more on an abusive boyfriend, for example, or her criminal history” (Frank). 

Petito’s case also highlighted the rise of true crime culture and armchair sleuthing, as millions of users on platforms like TikTok and Reddit analyzed the couple’s social media posts for clues, with some users even providing tips that aided law enforcement during the investigation. As reported in The Guardian, “Theories and observations picked up steam on Reddit, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter […] Users have delved into Petito’s Spotify music playlists, Laundrie’s reading habits and the couple’s digitally bookmarked trails. A TikTok user reported having picked up Laundrie hitchhiking” (“People are drawn to it’: how the Gabby Petito case fascinated internet sleuths.” The Guardian, 2021). McTiernan’s novel incorporates a similar phenomenon to underscore the novel’s thematic interest in The Use of Social Media to Manipulate Public Opinion. The Jordans hire a reputation management firm to manipulate the online narrative, seeding conspiracy theories about Nina’s own family to divert suspicion from their son. This fictional strategy reflects real-world attempts to shape public opinion through viral content and the spread of misinformation, turning a personal tragedy into a form of public entertainment and speculation.