Becky Lawson thought she and her husband John had a good marriage. Both detectives on the police force, they’d spent the past five years together in career and wedded bliss. But when she finds a burner phone containing texts that reveal her husband as a rapist, the life she thought she had crumbles around her. Horrified by his crimes and determined to bring him to justice, she reports him immediately. However, when the investigation clears John of all charges, it’s Becky without a job and John more powerful than ever. But she isn’t giving up. Resolved to prove his guilt, Becky goes after him on her own with the support of some former colleagues. She has to be careful who she trusts, though. John’s not the only bad apple on the police force. He and those doing his bidding will see Becky dead rather than allow her to expose him for the monster that he is.

Filled to the brim with moments of white-knuckled suspense and clever twists, “Bad Apple” is the new, addictive thriller from author Alice Hunter. Propelled forward by continual action and plenty of tense, heart-in-your-throat moments, the story moves along at a good clip without slowing down. Hunter writes with a smooth, easy-to-read writing style. She never bogs down the pace with lengthy descriptions or unneeded details. The story is compelling, but her way of writing makes it nearly impossible not to become completely immersed in it.

Told mainly from Becky’s point-of-view in present day, as well as from a year before when she found the text messages, Becky struggles with realizing she missed signs that would have clued her in to the truth about her husband. This gives her character depth and makes her relatable. But more than anything, she wants justice for his victims and him behind bars where he can’t hurt anyone again — even if it means putting her own life at risk. The other characters in the book are periphery, even John. He’s a menacing, dark shadow that lurks over the pages and makes for some harrowing, anxiety inducing scenes in the book. However, he’s not a multi-dimensional character. He’s scary and evil. He’s all he needs to be.

I got sucked into “Bad Apple” early on. It’s an addictive story that’s hard to put down. That said, though, it was the ending that blew me away! Typically, epilogues serve as a conclusion to a story. Often times, they are set a few months or years after the last chapter ends and wrap things up. But the epilogue in “Bad Apple”? It isn’t like that! Not at all. It leaves you with a final twist that’ll knock off your socks and leave your jaw on the floor. It’s that much of a shocker. It makes me wonder, too… is “Bad Apple” the first book in another series by Alice Hunter? Let’s hope so! She’s one of my auto-read authors for a reason.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

*Bad Apple* by Alice Hunter is a suspense-filled thriller that captivates from the very start. Hunter's writing is sharp & engaging, drawing readers into the seemingly perfect life of Becky. Her world is turned upside down when she discovers her husband’s burner phone, & with that discovery, the suspense truly begins.

The novel is packed with an interesting cast of characters, each adding depth & intrigue to the unfolding drama. Hunter expertly weaves a story full of twists & turns, keeping readers on their toes. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist would come along, making it impossible to put the book down.

This is a highly recommended read for fans of suspenseful thrillers. Thank you to #NetGalley, #BadApple, #AliceHunter #AvonBooksUK for providing this ARC. All expressed opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

I didn't enjoy this as much as Alice's previous books. An ok read sometimes a bit uncomfortable. And a bit predictable. I'm sure others will enjoy this but just not for me sorry

Description sounded very good but I found the book didnt keep my attention as much as I had expected . An OK read though
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC

Becky and John are two police officers who have a good marriage. That is until she discovers he is a monster. She reports him to the authorities but no consequences ensue. They don't believe her. Now she is divorced, alone and without a job, but determined he will not get away with his crimes.

A story of police corruption is not a new thing. This book brings it all to light in a great way. I liked the characters and how they were presented. The story had me on the edge of my seat for most of it.

A game of cat and mouse and who you can trust.

A fun and quick read.

Thanks to netgalley and Avon books UK for the arc.

I have heard good things about this author and this book however for me the story telling and writing fell flat. It just was boring and confusing and not for me at all.

Alice Hunter has become one of my favorite authors! And to no-ones surprise, this book did not disappoint at all!

This was a quick and easy read by Alice Hunter.

Becky is recently divorced from her husband John. She's lost everything- her job, her house, her friends. She knows John is a bad apple in the police force where he works, and where she used to, and sets out to prove just how bad he is.

This was a thriller, which sometimes had your heart in your mouth, but at times went a little too far for me. With themes of extreme police corruption, rape, stalking and more, I felt at times that it became beyond beliveable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alice Hunter writes great thrillers. You might have seen The Serial Killer’s Husband on Paramount.
Just enough grit to shock you but not enough to put you off.

This time we have a police couple. The wife has lost everything after accusing her husband of being corrupt.

Now she’s on her own and still trying to prove his actions. It’s an uphill battle. One that does frustrate the reader at times. However, the action and constant twists will keep you up after your bedtime.

There are occasional chapters from other characters and at times I did wonder what they added as they were not that often.

Like I said, the action more than made up for it and I couldn’t put it down.

Becky is a divorcee who lives by herself. She rents a flat in a less than safe neighbourhood, because that’s all she can afford. She used to be a policewoman, married to a prominent policeman, John Lawson.

However, she discovered that her husband was a monster, a “bad apple”, so she reported him. No charges were ever brought forward, and imagine Becky’s shock when she discovers that John is up for promotion.

What’s worse, she finds out that John is seeing someone new, and that she has a daughter. Becky vows to bring John down now more than ever. She has to protect the innocent women who may fall into trap…

I am a big fan of Alice Hunter’s writing, but this book has left me feeling a bit flat.

There were parts that I enjoyed, like the dual timeline as I was desperate to discover what really happened.

Someone was really messing with Becky’s head, she started forgetting things and she couldn’t really trust anyone.

I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe a bit more comeuppance for John? I am not sure, but as I was reading I was thinking “Is that all there is?”.

A mixed bag for me.

Thanks to Avon Books for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

I have read a few of Alice Hunter's previous books and have enjoyed them but this one not as much unfortunately.

I found Bad Apple to be very slow in pace and whilst the plot was intriguing, I found it a little predictable and, I'm sad to say, boring. The characters were interesting but the thoughts of the main character (Becky) were repetitive so I found myself skimming some sections which is never good. There were tense moments but it wasn't enough for me to feel much enthusiasm to pick it back up after a short break.

Whilst this one didn't hit the spot for me, it has done for others so please read more reviews and it certainly won't put me off reading more of Alice's work in the future and I must thank the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Bad Apple.

I'm in the middle of this one..the story works but it also meanders and needs to catch itself to bring back on track. It's not my favorite in this genre but interesting enough that I will try the authors other work. Some may find the themes difficult to continue you with however.

Unfortunately this book was a disappointment and I really struggled with it so a DNF. I found it too repetitive and the main character not convincing. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for early access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was tangled web of intrigue and mystery but also felt busy in places too. I had a feeling I knew who was the helper and it didn't disappoint.

After reading Alice's other books I was sure not to disappointed with this read! I was right, loved this book!

This was a great story with so many twists and turns that you don't know who you can trust or is Becky going mad. There are some brilliant hooks in there to trip you up.

Once a respected police officer, Becky's life unravels as she loses her job, home, and marriage after reporting her husband, John, for a grave crime—only for him to remain on the force unpunished. Determined to bring John to justice, Becky delves into uncovering incriminating evidence, shocked by the revelations about the man she once loved.

Seeking support from former colleagues and friends Hannah and Charlie, Becky pursues her mission with unwavering resolve, despite their initial hesitation. While the story unfolds in a suspenseful manner, some readers may find Becky's narrative repetitive, prompting a desire for a faster pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This is another incredibly addictive read by Alice Hunter!
The story is a difficult read in places due to the nature of the crimes involved but it is a book that was so well written and with such relatable characters that it was pretty much unputdownable and I found the pages were speeding past as I fed my need to know who exactly was involved!
The author has written this book with, I feel, a great degree of sensitivity. Yes, these crimes are hard to read about but they were not sensationalised in any way just used to tell the story. As a survivor I found it interesting how some people justified covering for the Bad Apple of the title even knowing or suspecting what he was doing. This is definitely a book that we hope was not inspired by real events!

As with her previous books, there was the after the end couple of pages with an OMG twist/quirk to the story which is what keeps me coming back to her books each time there is a new one and that will continue as long as more come!

Bad Apple by Alice Hunter is a propulsive read that had me tearing through the pages.

Becky Lawson's ex-husband John is a policeman who is a very bad apple, though, in this case, the description is a gross understatement. Reporting him, but to no avail, Becky decides to take matters into her own hands and hunts him down, determined to bring him to justice. Becky must proceed with caution, however, as John is not the only source of evil that lurks in the shadows.

I flew through this one, firmly invested in Becky's unflinching determination to hold wicked and immoral behaviour accountable. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC.

A clever and gripping story full of twists which I enjoy. A little bit too much detail with the sex scenes but, otherwise a good thriller. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.