Apples Never Fall is an absorbing, well-written novel which, although a mystery at its heart, is more about the complicated lives of the main characters: the Delaney family. They’re a big Tennis family, with both Joy and Stan Delaney having played at a high level and then ran a coaching business until their retirement, and their adult children – Amy, Troy, Logan and Brooke – also playing when they were younger. We learn at the beginning of the book that the mother, Joy, has gone missing. Is it connected to the strange house guest they had last year, Savannah, who turned up at their house one night at random following a fight with her boyfriend? Or has her husband Stan done something to her?

The book itself felt pretty long when I was reading it – and it is almost 500 pages, after all – but I found myself completely absorbed in the story. I think it could perhaps have done with some editing, but Apples Never Fall is tightly plotted and, as you get towards the end of the book, it feels like you get so many moments of realisation and seemingly unimportant things become tied up nicely.

If you’re looking for a book that will be fast-paced and all about mystery, this isn’t for you. Although we see some chapters from the perspective of Christina (the detective, who I really liked), who is investigating Joy’s disappearance, we don’t focus on that a huge amount. The story jumps backwards in time to the lead up to Joy’s disappearance, and back to the present day as the family tries to cope. We also see inside the characters’ thoughts and, through this, we see memories from when they were very young. We learn that Stan is certainly no perfect dad, which makes us start to wonder if he could be hiding something.

There’s some humour within its pages as well as well developed characters that feel convincing, although they sometimes seem a little naive. The way they interact together is really interesting and feels like a reflection of many true life families – everyone has their roles to play, whether intended or not and sometimes it’s hard to break free from that mould. The characters all have their own secrets which may or may not be relevant to Joy’s disappearance, and I really found myself wavering between what I thought had actually happened.

If you’re wanting something full of twists and turns (though this does have plenty too) and fast-paced, then this probably isn’t the novel for you. But if you’re after something beautifully written, reflective and with great character development, then give Apples Never Fall a go! Another great release from one of my favourite authors.

A cleverly crafted read. This has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. A gripping tale where you just want to know what happened! There are plenty of surprises within these pages and I was not disappointed! Hi glue recommended.

Thank you Netgalley

This is a mystery come thriller with the addition of all the family quirks and relationships.
It was very well written, easy to read and the characters were so well defined it was easy to find a place for each of them in this weird family tennis driven family.
Having read it I wondered how well I really knew my family members and what a surprise I would receive when all was disclosed.
Great book that kept me wanting to continue to read

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I absolutely love this author and was thrilled to be able to read this

So well written, fantastic plot
Engrossing

Strange and complicated. Mixed up ,muddled up family who don't seen to have much of an idea about each other. Not my cup of tea.

Oh my goodness I absolutely loved this book! I feel as if I really got to know every character. Very well written with a fantastic plot. I’ll definitely be recommending it to everyone! Thank you #netgalley

An engrossing story of a tennis-obsessed couple and their grownup kids whose flaws and vulnerabilities rise to the surface when their mother disappears. Is it murder and is the murderer very close to home?

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like the way Liane Moriarty writes. There is the right amount of general narrative/background and the right amount of actual story. Her characters are interesting and well developed.
For me though, the middle bit of the book dragged a bit, so I grew restless and a bit bored. But the unraveling of the story then picked up pace and played out nicely.
I really enjoyed the family dynamics and the individual characters and issues of each of the siblings.
Overall a good read. 4 stars

Such a great book about a family where the mother goes missing. Such great characters who you can visualise and feel you know. Excellent and highly recommend

Joy and Stan Delaney ran a successful Tennis Academy for years. The whole family were involved but when they retired they found themselves at a bit of a loose end. Travelling didn't seem to help. Joy dreams of being a granny but there seems no sign of that. When a young woman arrives on their doorstep escaping from domestic abuse Joy takes her in. The family are not particularly happy as they wonder what she is after. Not long after she moves on the family get a text from Joy saying she is going 'off-grid' for a while. After a while the family decide they need to report her missing. Her phone is found in the house & the delay in reporting lead the police to suspect foul play- is Joy still alive?

I loved 'Big Little Lies' & the way Liane Moriarty created such a mixed cast of characters. Again there is a mix of characters, but for me something is missing in this book. I found I didn't really care what had happened to Joy- even though she was the most likeable character. The book was far too long-winded & took too long for things to happen. For me this was just an OK read & I'll hope her next book is back to her usual high standard. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Wow, what an enjoyable read!
My first Liane Moriarty read and certainly not my last.

When Joy Delaney, a happily married mother of four grown up children goes missing, the family are reluctant to report the incident to the police. All evidence points towards Stan Delaney, her husband of almost 50 years.

When the police start asking questions, the Delaney siblings are very cagey at providing information and Stan is adamant he has nothing to do with her disappearance.

Everyone has an opinion on what has happened but without a body or any other leads, nobody know the truth.

And who really was the young girl who appeared on the Delaneys doorstep a few months earlier.

A fantastic read that will have you guessing until the very end. I loved the way the momentum builds in this book, and absolutely had not guessed the outcome.

An excellent read!

I have loved this authors other books and was really looking forward to this one. I liked the idea behind it but I struggled as I felt it dragged on far too much and I found it quite boring, skipping several parts. There were several funny moments but it could have been cut in half and it would have been more enjoyable. Not for me I’m afraid

Rating 3.5/5

There is something about family drama that always makes for compelling reading and this book was full of family drama. I have to say that that is something that Liane Moriarty does really well, creates stories with family dynamics that really draw you in and keep you invested. This particular story I felt was going to be the kind of book that would keep me hooked because of the elements that I read in the description, a stranger in the mix, family secrets, a family member missing, it didn’t quite hit in the way that I thought it would but it was still the kind of book that I had to get to the end of to find out what happened.

I really did enjoy getting to know the Delaney’s and getting to piece together the puzzle of how they ended up in this particular situation, especially as things escalate in the police investigation and the siblings start to feel like they need to pick sides, that led to a lot of good tension between characters. The siblings were all so different and all seemed to be hiding something, I liked that they were all very flawed but also well-rounded. Savannah was an interesting addition to the mix, highlighting how the siblings could be doing better with their parents and also putting a cat amongst the pigeons as they try to figure out her motives for being around.

I did feel that there was definitely a lack of suspense throughout the first part of the story which was a shame, there wasn’t quite the same pull that I had expected, and I felt there were parts I could have skimmed. As the book is nearing the end I definitely felt that thriller vibe that I’ve had from the authors books before and it meant that I was totally invested in the ending of the story, but I think because I had expected that from the get-go I was a little disappointed.

I did like how everything fit together though, I wouldn’t have predicted what would have happened and it was good to see at the end how a lot of the more insignificant details that are peppered throughout the book actually become relevant to the outcome of the story. It was put together cleverly and had me reflecting over the story once I had gotten to the end, I also liked the misdirection that was making me anticipate what secrets that the Delaneys were keeping and getting them wrong every time.

Whilst I wouldn’t say this is as captivating as the previous Liane Moriarty book that I have read, it is still one that I appreciated and I am definitely looking forward to what comes next.

I love books by liane Moriaty but I did struggle a bit with this one. The storyline was fantastic and I was hooked to begin with but I found the plot dragged on a bit and my interest began to waver.

The Delaney family are tennis obsessed. Joy and Stan have four grown up children and have run a successful tennis academy. Their long awaited retirement looms before them and to the outside world they seem to have it all.

When Joy mysterious disappears the family dynamics are put into question. Where has she gone? Has her disappearance anything to do with the young stranger who had recently come into their lives. Why does Stan seem unperturbed about his wife’s disappearance and what is the story behind the deep scratches he has in his face?

Joy’s disappearance divides their four children. Each one puts their parents relationship under the spotlight. Are there secrets which need to be uncovered? The book explores family life, sibling rivalry and ambition in a very relatable way.

Perhaps if the book had not been as long I would have enjoyed it more as I really did like the plot with its twists and turns. I appreciate other readers may not feel the same. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read and review.

I loved this. It felt a bit unusual too in that even when the story was solved that wasn’t the end, and all the plot lines were pulled together. Really enjoyed it, and it was a complete page turner.

A great mystery is surrounding elderly lady Joy Delaney’s disappearance, there is speculation that long time husband Stan has murdered her and done away with her body.

There were many parts to this story, the Delaney’s ran a well-known tennis school and their four children played tennis there. The children each have different memories of their childhoods and all is not what it seems.

I did rather enjoy the twists to this story and really couldn’t have guessed the ending.

When Joy Delaney sends a garbled message to her grown up children saying she is going off grid, none of them think anything of it and assume one of the others will deal with it but then when she hasn’t been heard of for over a week they start to panic and report her missing. The police immediately think the worst and start to,look much closer at her husband….

Liane Moriarty always seems to get right to the very heart of her characters and this book is no exception. She delves deep into the relationships and dynamics within the family leaving you feeling that you really know these people..

Thoroughly enjoyable and I can’t wait to watch the tv adaptation

Liane Moriarty is a must-read author for me so I was over the moon to be accepted for Apples Never Fall. The premise of this slow-burn thriller is a missing middle-aged woman whose disappearance follows a strange encounter with a young woman.

Moriarty's talents of capturing detailed and vivid characters comes through once again in this book. Each of the family members gets their time to shine and to be dissected. Each one is presenting a version of themselves that is not the whole truth, even amongst their own family members. The best chapters involved the whole family dynamic, with tensions and sides to help build the drama.

While Apples Never Fall had more plot twists than I'm used to for a Liane Moriarty novel, it still had the slow pace she's been using for her most recent books. I'm not sure if that hampered my enjoyment, but it did feel like I was sitting on this story for a long while. In contrast, the ending was sharp and so fast that I had to check with my mum that she had understood it. We compared notes to come to a conclusion. I loved the story, but at the same time I've come to expect more from a Liane Moriarty novel.

All in all, this is yet another enjoyable novel from Liane Moriarty and another one that I can imagine would make a great adaptation.

This was an excellent book, I really enjoyed it. It centres round the tennis loving Delaney family, Joy and Stan the parents and their four adult children. It is essentially a family drama with some intrigue and secrets which are revealed along the way.
I loved the way we learn about the family dynamics and the relationships between the siblings and with their parents. This is very much a character driven book and we really get to the heart of the members of the Delaney family. Although some parts of the story are heartbreaking, there is quite a lot of humour in the book too which really kept the story fresh and a pleasure to read. I could also feel myself empathising a lot with Joy which is perhaps why this book appealed to me so much!
Excellent, I would thoroughly recommend this book.

This was a wonderful family drama. A missing mum. Four slightly dysfunctional, competitive grown up children and a father who seems unfazed. A really well written story with intrigue, mystery, humour and familiar family domestics. Lots of twists and turns and a clever, unexpected ending.