I love Hunter’s The Serial Killer's Family series! So it was a no brainer to jump at the opportunity to read and review Bad Apple by Alice Hunter.
I found it engrossing and captivating from the start all the way to the finish.
A suspenseful and taut page-turner that is impossible to put down!

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

After having loved the authors previous books I thought that Bad Apple had such a strong premise to it, and actually the story itself was really interesting and timely. However I did feel let down by the ending, I think that things were not totally wrapped up and things didn't make sense to me, it fell really close to the trope of *woman with anxiety isn't believed* which I really dont appreciate.

What do you do when you discover your husband, a highly regarded police officer, is a potential rapist? This is the dilemma faced by Becky Lawson, who is also a police officer, when she finds something that blows her world apart. She does the decent thing and reports it to the authorities but ends up losing everything, her marriage; her home and her career, because nobody believes that John Lawson could possibly be that man and, with no evidence, no charges are brought against him. Becky then finds out that he's now living with another woman and her young daughter and, fearing for their safety, she sets out on a very dangerous path to bring him down once and for all.

Bad Apple is the latest thriller by Alice Hunter, whose previous books I've loved and this one was no exception. This is a well written, fast paced, rollercoaster of a read which grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go till the end. It's a tale of secrets and deception, highlighting how far one man will go to cover up his misdemeanours and the power he had to ensure everyone else kept quiet about them too. I loved the dogged determination of Becky to try and bring her ex husband down, to protect any future women that could come up against this monster and gain justice for those that already had, although she really didn't do herself any favours in the process and also learnt that you can't always trust those you thought were on your side. This is an action packed thriller with an unexpected twist at the end which I highly recommend and would love to see it adapted to a tv series.

I'd like to thank Avon Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

I liked how this was written. The intrigue and suspense had me flying through the chapters. There was clearly more than just a single ‘bad apple’. It’s truly disturbing to consider the possibility of corruption within the policing system and even worse to see how it can be covered up / allowed to continue rotting .
Thank You to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Alice Hunter for the invitation/opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

I have loved all of Alice Hunter’s previous books but this one I struggled with. I found it to be quite mundane and predictable. There was no real “get go” and pace to the book, it became a bit of a chore to read. Unfortunately not a book I could recommend, especially as Hunter’s other works are head and shoulders above this.

Becky was happily married to the love of her life, a fellow policeman, until she discovered evidence that he was abusing his power to take advantage of young women. Although she tried to report him, the system let her down and now - newly divorced and jobless - she needs to find another way to make people see the truth and protect his future victims.

This was a wild ride, and in places a difficult read. Alice Hunter is brilliant at tension and twists! An excellent read for any thriller and mystery lovers!

This is a fast-paced, twisty novel about a woman fighting for justice. The main character is Becky, an ex-cop who used to be married to a cop. She discovered he was a rapist and murderer, but nobody believed her, and she ended up getting fired. Now she's on a mission to keep her ex-husband from hurting other women. But he has friends in high places and he's a master manipulator, so there's danger at every turn. I've enjoyed Alice Hunter's three previous novels, the Serial Killer's Wife series, and I enjoyed this one too. Great main character, and it will definitely keep you turning the pages til the very end!

Thank you NetGalley, Alice Hunter, and Avon for early access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I couldn't get into this book, this is my first DNF of the year. It was repetitive and challenging to follow along.

A little bit predictable (and in some cases repetitive) in parts, but an enjoyable and suspenseful thriller none-the-less.

I absolutely loved this book. A story of corruption and abuse of power, betrayal and courage. It’s fast paced, full of suspense and has so many twists that keep you turning the pages right to the surprise ending. Just brilliant. I was totally hooked and couldn’t put it down.

Becky’s life is shattered when she discovers her husband, a trusted police officer is a monster. After reporting him and no charges are brought Becky tries hard to get justice against John.

It’s brilliantly written and is powerful and compelling as the tension builds up in the story. It just flows throughout making it easy to read. The storyline is very believable. It’s so intense. The story alternates between now and then which I enjoyed as you get the backstory along with current events.
Becky is a strong character and I liked her and was rooting for her throughout. There are so very untrustworthy and loathsome characters especially John.

Overall a brilliant book which is well worth a read. Definitely recommend. A must read if you enjoy domestic psychological thrillers.
With thanks to #NetGallery @AvonBooksUk for an arc of #BadApple in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 9 May 2024.

Yet another detective story from this author. Becky and her husband John are both detectives in the same department. The only difference being Becky is one of the good ones and her husband as she will soon find out isn't.
When she comes across a burner phone in their home she is horrified to see the messages on it. She has no choice but to confront John with it and this comes at a great cost. Can she prove to fellow officers that he is hurting women or will he have a way of silencing her yet again.
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Wow! What did I just read?! This was a scary and fast paced thriller. The storyline was intense and believable. Kept me guessing and reading way past my bedtime. Looking forward to more from this author

A top notch thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I never knew what to expect next as the twists were shocking. It's a sadly believeable plot and it's plotted so you don't really like any of the characters.

I’m all for a fast paced thriller but this was almost too fast that it felt hard to keep up with and just felt a bit rushed to me.

Bad Apple follows Becky, a former police officer whose ex-husband John was accused of rape. She is determined to prove that he did it.

It was a very timely concept and focused a lot on the idea of male police officers abusing their power but unfortunately I just don’t think it was executed particularly well. It jumped up and down and all over the place and was very unrealistic plot-wise.

I’m sure some people will love it but it wasn’t for me.

I found this book difficult to immerse myself in. Sadly I gave up after 25% as I was not excited but a little bored. There were twists and turns but the narration was drawn out. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

A jaw dropping read. Such a scary story. This is believable and terrifying. Also has a kick ass heroine! A great solid plot that takes us through a crazy scenario made worse by the fact that you don’t even know if you can trust your friends. A great read

Bad Apple failed to deliver the gripping narrative I was hoping for, resulting in a regrettable DNF.

This book was so good, very intense and thrilling, all in one sitting. Becky Lawson is such a strong character, going against a very powerful man who is protected by an institution that was originally designed to protect her, or not. She is going head to head against a man, a monster that has been freely abusing women and has gotten away with it. She must do what she can and she must do it alone in order to save the next woman who unfortunately crosses his path.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bad Apple by Alice Hunter is an intense psychological thriller! It's really intense! There is so much happening but the main storyline is so frustrating! So much suspense, twists, and turns – and an ending! The ending I did not predict! The ending made me gasp out loud! Whatever I expected, definitely I didn't expect what happened!

This book is frustrating! And I mean it! It's just shows how much unfairness happening around us! Certain parts made me so angry! Oh well, when you pick up this one, make sure you remember to breathe!

Becky and John have been married for 5 years, and both are police detectives. Then things crush like a card house as Becky discovers that her husband is accused of rape. She is doing the right thing and reports the incident. And this is where it gets frustrating - she loses her job and friends and work colleagues while he carries on with life like it never happened!

As we can guess Beck's mission is to find justice! The only minus is that she does not realise how many people can be put at risk!

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this copy!

I love this author and was really looking forward to another exciting read and that’s exactly what I got. Becky Lawson is a detective in the Manchester police and is married to John who is a fellow officer. However, she is shocked when she discovers he is also a rapist! The writing is well crafted and the plot powerful and compelling.

Briefly, Becky does the right thing and reports John however he is exonerated and she is the one who is forced to leave her job. Living alone in a grotty flat and finding out that John is living with another woman with a young daughter, and is up for promotion, she is determined to make sure he pays for his crimes. But can she do it before he catches up with her and can she obtain evidence to incriminate him before it is all destroyed.

This is a clever mix of psychological terror and mystery crime with plenty of great twists and a shocking climax. The tension was high with Becky taking dangerous action risking more than just herself. A book that exceeded all my expectations.