Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Henry Holt and Co. (2021), 480 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Thriller. HTML: #1 New York Times Bestseller From Liane Moriarty, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, comes Apples Never Fall, a novel that looks at marriage, siblings, and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest. The Delaney family love one another dearly�??it's just that sometimes they want to murder each other . . . If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father? This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings. The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They're killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they've finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable? The four Delaney children�??Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke�??were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that's okay, now that they're all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon. One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy's door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted. Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure�??but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member flourgirl49
I adore Liane Moriarty's books, and this one was no exception. There's not a whole lot of action, but rather the story line is character-driven, and the dialogue is marvelous and so beautifully written as always. Everything was tied up neatly by the end, no loose ends at all, which drives me crazy
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with other books. And the final resolution was great - I loved it! Show Less
LibraryThing member brangwinn
This wasn’t one of my favorite Moriarty books. The ending was wonderful, but the buildup took forever. I kept wanting to bring out my red editor’s pencil and make it move more quickly. The story line was not complex. When Joy, a 70-year-ld mother of four goes missing, the police are called in
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and Stan, her husband, may be arrested for her murder. What Moriarty does well in the book is showing the complex family issues between siblings and parents. Caroline Lee is an excellent narrator. She had Joy’s voice down perfectly. Show Less
LibraryThing member fredreeca
Joy and Stan have a weird relationship. They have been married for a very long time. They have owned their own tennis coaching business. But, there are so many past transgressions it is hard for each partner to let it go. (I guess that is how you would explain it!). When Joy comes up missing, there
Lord have mercy! I just don’t know how to explain this novel. It is good. It is more character driven than plot driven. It is too long, but I have no idea what the author could have cut out. And…I could not stop reading it. I fluctuated between 3-5 stars. So, of course, I settled on 4.
I have always been a fan of this author. She is intelligent and it shows. She has, what I call, “smart reads”. You cannot skim anything or you miss something. This novel is no different. I wanted to skim so badly and when I did, I would have to go back and see what I missed.
Every character in this novel is flawed and captivating. Joy and Stan have 4 children and each one has some kind of issue. And don’t even get me started on Savannah.
It sounds like I did not enjoy this novel…oh but I did. I could not stop reading. I just wish it had been a tad bit shorter.
Need a novel with characters you can’t stop reading about…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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are many unusual clues which point straight to Stan!Lord have mercy! I just don’t know how to explain this novel. It is good. It is more character driven than plot driven. It is too long, but I have no idea what the author could have cut out. And…I could not stop reading it. I fluctuated between 3-5 stars. So, of course, I settled on 4.
I have always been a fan of this author. She is intelligent and it shows. She has, what I call, “smart reads”. You cannot skim anything or you miss something. This novel is no different. I wanted to skim so badly and when I did, I would have to go back and see what I missed.
Every character in this novel is flawed and captivating. Joy and Stan have 4 children and each one has some kind of issue. And don’t even get me started on Savannah.
It sounds like I did not enjoy this novel…oh but I did. I could not stop reading. I just wish it had been a tad bit shorter.
Need a novel with characters you can’t stop reading about…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member bblum
Starts slow, introducing the family but then the secrets and disfunction starts to unfurl first from the 4 adult kids and eventually the Delaney parents, now retired. This family is all about tennis and the tennis club the parents owned and the emphasis on winning. Great ending, didn’t see it
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coming. Best enjoyed by retiree like myself, so much good emotional info about retirement and at the end Covid enters the scene. Show Less
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
Unfolding from multiple viewpoints, Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty is an engrossing, intimate domestic drama.
Sixty-nine year old Joy Delaney hasn’t been seen or heard from for a week before her four adult children, Amy, Troy, Logan and Brooke, notice. Their father, Stan, has no good
As the timeline moves between the present and the past, Moriarty unravels the complex dynamics of the Delaney’s, it’s disruption by a mysterious interloper, and the puzzle of Joy’s absence.
Though the intrigue regarding Joy’s disappearance is central to the story, Apples Never Fall is a very much a character driven novel. I always appreciate how authentic and grounded Moriarty’s characters are, each with distinct and nuanced personalities. I found Joy’s frustrations, worries and hopes to be relatable, while Stan is more of a traditional patriarch. Their children, despite a rather extraordinary childhood, are fairly ordinary adults, with an interesting mix of strengths and flaws, accomplishments and regrets.
As with most family’s, the Delaney’s relationships are a mix of love and rivalry, secrets and lies, resentments and guilt. I really liked the way in which Moriarty shows how each member has differing perspectives on the same incidents, and how that plays into how they define themselves, and each other. It’s with keen insight that Moriarty also explores a wide range of issues from empty-nest syndrome and domestic violence, to the pressures of elite sport, and the weight of family expectations.
This is not a fast paced story, but there are plenty of surprises in Apples Never Fall. I’ve read more than a few complaints about the ending(s) of the novel (especially with its reference to the pandemic) but I thought there was a subtle and clever implication in it.
Offering compelling characters, authentic emotion, and sharp wit, I found Apples Never Fall to be an entertaining, incisive and absorbing novel.
Sixty-nine year old Joy Delaney hasn’t been seen or heard from for a week before her four adult children, Amy, Troy, Logan and Brooke, notice. Their father, Stan, has no good
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explanation for her absence, or the scratches on his face, and the siblings, aware things have been tense between their parents for some time, struggle to defend him when the police suspect he has murdered her. As the timeline moves between the present and the past, Moriarty unravels the complex dynamics of the Delaney’s, it’s disruption by a mysterious interloper, and the puzzle of Joy’s absence.
Though the intrigue regarding Joy’s disappearance is central to the story, Apples Never Fall is a very much a character driven novel. I always appreciate how authentic and grounded Moriarty’s characters are, each with distinct and nuanced personalities. I found Joy’s frustrations, worries and hopes to be relatable, while Stan is more of a traditional patriarch. Their children, despite a rather extraordinary childhood, are fairly ordinary adults, with an interesting mix of strengths and flaws, accomplishments and regrets.
As with most family’s, the Delaney’s relationships are a mix of love and rivalry, secrets and lies, resentments and guilt. I really liked the way in which Moriarty shows how each member has differing perspectives on the same incidents, and how that plays into how they define themselves, and each other. It’s with keen insight that Moriarty also explores a wide range of issues from empty-nest syndrome and domestic violence, to the pressures of elite sport, and the weight of family expectations.
This is not a fast paced story, but there are plenty of surprises in Apples Never Fall. I’ve read more than a few complaints about the ending(s) of the novel (especially with its reference to the pandemic) but I thought there was a subtle and clever implication in it.
Offering compelling characters, authentic emotion, and sharp wit, I found Apples Never Fall to be an entertaining, incisive and absorbing novel.
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LibraryThing member CandyH
I devoured this book with all the family secrets and twists and turns but was disappointed in the ending. It seemed to me that the ending was separate from the rest of the story. But it’s a great read and I highly recommend it.
LibraryThing member jfe16
Review of Advance Reader’s Edition
Married for some fifty years, Stan and Joy Delaney have four adult children [Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke]; they’ve sold their venerable tennis academy in order to settle into retirement and do whatever it is that people do in the golden years of their lives.
When a bedraggled young woman shows up at their door one night, Stan and Joy bring her into their home. But Savannah is not at all what she appears to be and she definitely has an ulterior motive for her presence in the Delaney home.
When Joy unexpectedly goes missing, and Savannah disappears as well, Stan becomes the obvious person of interest. But there are far more questions than answers, the four siblings are taking sides as they struggle to cope with the puzzling situation, and any clues to Joy’s whereabouts remain stubbornly elusive.
Has Joy fallen victim to unexpected abuse or did Savannah have something to do with her disappearance? And what will the children discover as disturbing truths come to light?
The narrative alternates between past and present with a focus on when Savannah appears on the scene and settles in with Joy and Stan. The backstory throughout the telling of the tale is both sweeping and extensive; it is possible that readers will also find it overly protracted and a bit too capacious.
Instead of being nuanced and distinctive, the idiosyncratic characters come across as stereotypical. And, adding frustration to the reader’s efforts to establish empathy with any of them, they all tend toward being overly introspective. They are also thoroughly unlikeable. Each seems to be harboring long-held hurts and disappointments they’ve allowed to fester for years; everyone embraces a truckload of resentments and secrets. This tennis-obsessed family gives new meaning to dysfunctional; their complicated relationships often seem mean-spirited or deliberately denigrating toward each other.
There is a tendency for the narrative to ramble as it occasionally takes on the mantle of tedious, oft-repeated soap opera-dom. Unfortunately, so much of the telling of the tale comes across as superfluous nonsense, leaving readers shaking their heads in disbelief. [Readers might consider skipping the pointless Covid-19 chapter that adds nothing to the narrative and seems included simply to remind the reader of the pandemic . . . as if anyone needed reminding.]
A few unexpected plot twists may surprise readers . . . ultimately, the mystery of Joy’s disappearance is solved, thanks to the dogs [cue the eye-rolling]. However, the malicious final act of this drawn-out and disconcerting tale seems to serve no purpose other than to shock the reader. It’s a less-than-satisfying conclusion to an antagonistic narrative.
I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program
Married for some fifty years, Stan and Joy Delaney have four adult children [Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke]; they’ve sold their venerable tennis academy in order to settle into retirement and do whatever it is that people do in the golden years of their lives.
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But neither one of them is happy with the turn their lives seem to have taken.When a bedraggled young woman shows up at their door one night, Stan and Joy bring her into their home. But Savannah is not at all what she appears to be and she definitely has an ulterior motive for her presence in the Delaney home.
When Joy unexpectedly goes missing, and Savannah disappears as well, Stan becomes the obvious person of interest. But there are far more questions than answers, the four siblings are taking sides as they struggle to cope with the puzzling situation, and any clues to Joy’s whereabouts remain stubbornly elusive.
Has Joy fallen victim to unexpected abuse or did Savannah have something to do with her disappearance? And what will the children discover as disturbing truths come to light?
The narrative alternates between past and present with a focus on when Savannah appears on the scene and settles in with Joy and Stan. The backstory throughout the telling of the tale is both sweeping and extensive; it is possible that readers will also find it overly protracted and a bit too capacious.
Instead of being nuanced and distinctive, the idiosyncratic characters come across as stereotypical. And, adding frustration to the reader’s efforts to establish empathy with any of them, they all tend toward being overly introspective. They are also thoroughly unlikeable. Each seems to be harboring long-held hurts and disappointments they’ve allowed to fester for years; everyone embraces a truckload of resentments and secrets. This tennis-obsessed family gives new meaning to dysfunctional; their complicated relationships often seem mean-spirited or deliberately denigrating toward each other.
There is a tendency for the narrative to ramble as it occasionally takes on the mantle of tedious, oft-repeated soap opera-dom. Unfortunately, so much of the telling of the tale comes across as superfluous nonsense, leaving readers shaking their heads in disbelief. [Readers might consider skipping the pointless Covid-19 chapter that adds nothing to the narrative and seems included simply to remind the reader of the pandemic . . . as if anyone needed reminding.]
A few unexpected plot twists may surprise readers . . . ultimately, the mystery of Joy’s disappearance is solved, thanks to the dogs [cue the eye-rolling]. However, the malicious final act of this drawn-out and disconcerting tale seems to serve no purpose other than to shock the reader. It’s a less-than-satisfying conclusion to an antagonistic narrative.
I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
The trick to this book is just to forget that it’s by Moriarty. I loved her early books, wasn’t a huge fan of the last two, and enjoyed this one. That being said, this one feels nothing like her early books. It’s a slow meditative look at motherhood and family ties. It’s about how our
“All four of her children each fervently believed in separate versions of their childhood that often didn’t match up with Joy’s memories, or each other’s, for that matter.”
“Any marriage of that many years has multiple motives for murder. Every police officer and hairdresser knows that.”
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childhoods shapes us and the delicate line between our memories and adulthood. Recommended with that caveat. Expect a quiet, leisurely read. “All four of her children each fervently believed in separate versions of their childhood that often didn’t match up with Joy’s memories, or each other’s, for that matter.”
“Any marriage of that many years has multiple motives for murder. Every police officer and hairdresser knows that.”
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LibraryThing member pgchuis
This was a bit long, and the introduction of the Covid pandemic at the end totally unnecessary and jarring, but otherwise I thought it was excellent. I liked all the children of the missing Joy, and the ways tennis had shaped their lives. The structure of the book, with present day sections and
Recommended.
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sections in the past, worked well and the end was chilling.Recommended.
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
Filled with her trademark banter, crazy plot twists, and dysfunctional characters - I enjoyed Liane Moriarity's latest novel. When the Delaney children discover their mother is missing they don't call the police. After all the father would be the prime suspect and they're sure their mother is
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alright... wherever she is. The four Delaney children are all adults living their own lives (though not very well) but when they get together it's hard not to act like children competing for their parents love. The family is well known and envied in their corner of Australia, they ran a successful tennis school and all played brilliantly - they even had one of the top tennis players in the world get their start at their little academy. But if everything is so perfect then where is their mother? And why are they trying to hide things from the past. Twisty and interesting. The ending was a little rushed, but it was still another fast paced Moriarity read! Show Less
LibraryThing member ASKelmore
Best for:
Fans of the genre.
In a nutshell:
Joy and Stan have four children, and have recently retired from running a tennis school. All of them have played tennis competitively, though none still play professionally as adults. Last year, a stranger appeared at their door, and Joy and Stan took her
Worth quoting:
“It happened all the time. Talented kids turned into ordinary adults.”
“The added weight of their hopes for her success was too much for her to bear.”
Why I chose it:
Wandered into the bookshop I used to visit weekly when I was working in the office and saw this was out. I usually wait for the paperback version but I needed something for the train ride I was about to take.
Review:
Moriarty has a formula: a thing has happened. We jump forward and back, slowly joining the time lines, hearing different perspectives from different characters. There is probably a twist, usually a couple, definitely a red herring or two.
This time, it worked for me.
There’s the obvious main plot, of the missing mother. Did dad kill her? Did she leave him? Did something else happen entirely? And what is the deal with the young woman they took in a few months back?
But there are also interesting character developments here, possibly more than I recall from her previous works. The children are all not just described by themselves in their own chapters, but we see how their parents and their siblings see them. The idea that parents think they still know their adult children better than the children know themselves, because they are their parents, is interesting, especially when they are so very wrong. And the dynamics between the children are fascinating as well.
I was basically sucked in from the start, and while I don’t see this one being turned into a limited series like a couple of her other books, I definitely enjoyed it.
Recommend to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Donate it.
Fans of the genre.
In a nutshell:
Joy and Stan have four children, and have recently retired from running a tennis school. All of them have played tennis competitively, though none still play professionally as adults. Last year, a stranger appeared at their door, and Joy and Stan took her
Show More
in. Six months later, the stranger has been gone for a bit, and Joy has gone missing.Worth quoting:
“It happened all the time. Talented kids turned into ordinary adults.”
“The added weight of their hopes for her success was too much for her to bear.”
Why I chose it:
Wandered into the bookshop I used to visit weekly when I was working in the office and saw this was out. I usually wait for the paperback version but I needed something for the train ride I was about to take.
Review:
Moriarty has a formula: a thing has happened. We jump forward and back, slowly joining the time lines, hearing different perspectives from different characters. There is probably a twist, usually a couple, definitely a red herring or two.
This time, it worked for me.
There’s the obvious main plot, of the missing mother. Did dad kill her? Did she leave him? Did something else happen entirely? And what is the deal with the young woman they took in a few months back?
But there are also interesting character developments here, possibly more than I recall from her previous works. The children are all not just described by themselves in their own chapters, but we see how their parents and their siblings see them. The idea that parents think they still know their adult children better than the children know themselves, because they are their parents, is interesting, especially when they are so very wrong. And the dynamics between the children are fascinating as well.
I was basically sucked in from the start, and while I don’t see this one being turned into a limited series like a couple of her other books, I definitely enjoyed it.
Recommend to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Donate it.
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LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
Really good mystery, but too much resolution after the denouement, and a very random twist at the end.
LibraryThing member diana.hauser
APPLES NEVER FALL is written by Liane Moriarty. Ms. Moriarty is a very successful, well-known Australian author. She is best known in the US for her book, BIG LITTLE LIES which morphed into the award-winning HBO series of the same name, BIG LITTLE LIES.
I have read several of her titles and enjoyed
The books are very quirky and one must adapt to a certain rhythm while reading. We are in the present, in the past, in the future, last Valentine’s Day, a child’s 10th birthday party. We are taking on the role of the family, of the police, of neighbors and friends. There are ‘back stories’ to the ‘back stories’; copious details and intertwining events and relationships.
In APPLES NEVER FALL “the Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy are the envy of all their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after 50 years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?”
This is a book about love, about family, about family dynamics, about relationships (of all sorts), about jealousy, about marriage, about tennis.
A recommended read ****
I have read several of her titles and enjoyed
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each one.The books are very quirky and one must adapt to a certain rhythm while reading. We are in the present, in the past, in the future, last Valentine’s Day, a child’s 10th birthday party. We are taking on the role of the family, of the police, of neighbors and friends. There are ‘back stories’ to the ‘back stories’; copious details and intertwining events and relationships.
In APPLES NEVER FALL “the Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy are the envy of all their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after 50 years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?”
This is a book about love, about family, about family dynamics, about relationships (of all sorts), about jealousy, about marriage, about tennis.
A recommended read ****
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LibraryThing member gpangel
Apples Never Fall by Lianne Moriarty is a 2021 Henry Holt and Co. Publication.
This one had my name on it!
The Delaney family was destined to be a tennis dynasty of sorts. Joy and Stan ran a tennis school, but while all their children played tennis, none of them made it into the pros...
The children
Switching back and forth in time, we learn that once Joy is left with an empty nest, a chance encounter with a troubled young woman named Savannah, morphs into a full-fledged bond for Joy, bordering on a mother/daughter type relationship between the women.
We also learn of Stan’s massive career disappointments, mainly being dropped as the coach for a student who went on to massive success in the tennis world.
Each of the Delaney children are given a voice, and each is as different as night and day, except that each harbors resentments, disappointments, and suffer from relationship woes. Each responds differently to their mother’s sudden disappearance.
We also get an up close and personal glimpse inside Joy and Stan’s marriage. To anyone who knows them, the couple is the epitome of a perfect marriage- on and off the tennis court. Of course, everything is not always as it seems…
I really liked this book and for anyone who knows me, that will come as no surprise. I’m always up for a good family saga and it’s even better if there’s a mystery involved in there somewhere, too.
The story, for those who are looking primarily for a thriller, goes much deeper than what is on the surface. Joy’s disappearance is a catalyst for the Delaney’s, as memories surface cataloguing the many familial resentments, misunderstanding, and secrets - past and present - that bubble up to the surface.
The mystery, the ‘gotcha’ moment, which sort of made me laugh, since I already had my suspicions, might be too much for some- and I get that- but the mystery, in my opinion, was mainly a means to an end.
At the heart of the story is the character study of a family, and life.
Moriarty nails family and human dynamics- even if our lives are nothing like the Delaney’s, there’s recognition in there, all the same.
While the criminal element is quirky, and perhaps the weakest link in the story, overall, I think the author is going for something deeper here.
I thought the story was brilliant- smart, clever, thought provoking and entertaining.
4 stars
This one had my name on it!
The Delaney family was destined to be a tennis dynasty of sorts. Joy and Stan ran a tennis school, but while all their children played tennis, none of them made it into the pros...
The children
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are all grown now, with various occupations, and riddled with various life challenges, but everything comes to a crashing halt when Joy goes missing. Switching back and forth in time, we learn that once Joy is left with an empty nest, a chance encounter with a troubled young woman named Savannah, morphs into a full-fledged bond for Joy, bordering on a mother/daughter type relationship between the women.
We also learn of Stan’s massive career disappointments, mainly being dropped as the coach for a student who went on to massive success in the tennis world.
Each of the Delaney children are given a voice, and each is as different as night and day, except that each harbors resentments, disappointments, and suffer from relationship woes. Each responds differently to their mother’s sudden disappearance.
We also get an up close and personal glimpse inside Joy and Stan’s marriage. To anyone who knows them, the couple is the epitome of a perfect marriage- on and off the tennis court. Of course, everything is not always as it seems…
I really liked this book and for anyone who knows me, that will come as no surprise. I’m always up for a good family saga and it’s even better if there’s a mystery involved in there somewhere, too.
The story, for those who are looking primarily for a thriller, goes much deeper than what is on the surface. Joy’s disappearance is a catalyst for the Delaney’s, as memories surface cataloguing the many familial resentments, misunderstanding, and secrets - past and present - that bubble up to the surface.
The mystery, the ‘gotcha’ moment, which sort of made me laugh, since I already had my suspicions, might be too much for some- and I get that- but the mystery, in my opinion, was mainly a means to an end.
At the heart of the story is the character study of a family, and life.
Moriarty nails family and human dynamics- even if our lives are nothing like the Delaney’s, there’s recognition in there, all the same.
While the criminal element is quirky, and perhaps the weakest link in the story, overall, I think the author is going for something deeper here.
I thought the story was brilliant- smart, clever, thought provoking and entertaining.
4 stars
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LibraryThing member Gingersnap000
Another stellar read from Liane Moriarty will hook the reader from the beginning. It is the ending which will be a super surprise.
LibraryThing member nyiper
I have LOVED every one of Liane Moriarty's previous books --- this one really had me complaining out loud because it took SO long to get to what really seemed to BE the story. I completely understand all the details in the buildup being necessary but it just seemed to take the first 300 pages to
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GET there. Yes, a completely clever story that has amazing pieces that interweave to keep the reader going. I did not care for ANY of the characters in the beginning but they definitely grow on you as the pages turn. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookczuk
Amazing how every little detail is important and accounted for. Every. Little. Detail.
(Spoken as a former tennis mom.)
(Spoken as a former tennis mom.)
LibraryThing member chasidar
I really enjoyed this book. I found Moriarty's previous book very disappointing but she was back on track with great characters with this one.
LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
This was great on audio! It was hard to stop listening to at night!
LibraryThing member eas7788
Excellent plot and characters. Loved many of the issues and relationships she explored, and the plot twists and pov. Ending seemed to go on a bit and interfered with structure but might have worked better if i were not listening to it, and I do tend to like to know what happens after anyway. A
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little gender essentialism interfered with my enjoyment and she got very close to the line with fake accusations by women, and also she needs more LGBT characters and characters of color. But an excellent Moriarty, and the narrator on the recording was great except she should never do an Irish accent and I don't know why Sue Lin had to have an Asian accent. Show Less
LibraryThing member librarygeek33
This was a hilarious "mystery" but I would say that it is difficult to categorize in a specific genre. The Australian accent in the audio version added immeasurably to the fun. Loads to offer in character, plot, and psychological interest.
LibraryThing member cherybear
When Joy Delaney disappears, suspicion falls on her husband Stan. Their grown children, whose lives are all complicated in different ways, are divided on whether Stan might be involved. And what about that strange person Savannah who stayed with Stan and Joy for awhile? As usual, with Moriarty, so
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many interesting plot twists and turns, and so many interesting characters. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you don't. And the very final twist, the final chapter literally took my breath away and caused me to re-read it several times. And then think about it all night. Show Less
LibraryThing member KatherineGregg
Joy Delaney, 69 years old, texted her four adult children (without wearing glasses) a cryptic message, and left a note on the refrigerator for her husband (which was eaten by the dog) about where she was going. Joy disappears and no one has a clue as to her whereabouts. The story flips between the
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past and current day, providing insights into the lives of the Delaneys. Stan, Joy's husband, is about to be arrested when Joy reappears after a three week retreat with a former house guest who had already turned the lives of the family upside down. Show Less
LibraryThing member Brumby18
Some nice twists but lightweigh on plott. I prefer a it more mystery. LM develped the characters to be complex and enjoyable. bit too nice. all a little flimzy. good read though. I took a while to get into it.
LibraryThing member tibobi
The Short of It:
There is nothing like a good Moriarty book to come home to.
The Rest of It:
Liane Moriarty became one of my favorite authors during the shutdown. Tensions were high, none of us knew how long it would go on for, and so I needed quick, absorbing reads to take me through the days and
The four Delaney children are adults now. When they were young, they all shared the spotlight because they were all tennis stars at some point in their childhood. Their parents ran a tennis training academy so to some degree, their parents expected greatness from them, but none of them had the drive to go all the way. But as adults, they still managed to become successful in their own way, just not on the court.
Stan and Joy are mostly happy but after a secret is revealed, one that goes back many years, Joy suddenly goes missing. Besides the random text she sent about going off the grid, her family hasn’t a clue where she’s gone off to. As the days and hours tick by, the Delaneys begin to wonder if she’s even alive. Especially after a detective finds a damning piece of evidence.
The four siblings begin to wonder if their father had it in him to actually harm their mother. Could he? Would he? Half say yes, the other half say no. As the investigation goes on, things become complicated when questions come up about their impromptu house guest, Savannah. She showed up on their doorstep after a fight with her boyfriend and the family immediately took her in. But Savannah’s story has a lot of holes in it and the siblings dig a little on their own to find out more about her and if she could be the reason for their mother’s disappearance.
If you love Moriarty, then you will enjoy Apples Never Fall as well but it’s different from her other books. It takes a little more time to get into the story and it reminded me a lot of Where’d You Go, Bernadette. Joy is kind of annoying. A little quirky but kind of clueless which will frustrate you as the story unfolds. This is the book I took with me on my flight to Missouri and I was noticing the person on my right trying to read over my shoulder. Can you blame her? The book doesn’t come out until 9/14. As a mystery, it did a good job of carrying me along. I wanted to know what happened to Joy and that kept me turning those pages. That said, the ending felt very tacked on. When you read it, you’ll see what I mean. Still…
Recommend.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
There is nothing like a good Moriarty book to come home to.
The Rest of It:
Liane Moriarty became one of my favorite authors during the shutdown. Tensions were high, none of us knew how long it would go on for, and so I needed quick, absorbing reads to take me through the days and
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Moriarty checked all the boxes. I’ve read nearly all of her books, so when I saw that a new one was coming out, I was pretty thrilled to be offered a review copy.The four Delaney children are adults now. When they were young, they all shared the spotlight because they were all tennis stars at some point in their childhood. Their parents ran a tennis training academy so to some degree, their parents expected greatness from them, but none of them had the drive to go all the way. But as adults, they still managed to become successful in their own way, just not on the court.
Stan and Joy are mostly happy but after a secret is revealed, one that goes back many years, Joy suddenly goes missing. Besides the random text she sent about going off the grid, her family hasn’t a clue where she’s gone off to. As the days and hours tick by, the Delaneys begin to wonder if she’s even alive. Especially after a detective finds a damning piece of evidence.
The four siblings begin to wonder if their father had it in him to actually harm their mother. Could he? Would he? Half say yes, the other half say no. As the investigation goes on, things become complicated when questions come up about their impromptu house guest, Savannah. She showed up on their doorstep after a fight with her boyfriend and the family immediately took her in. But Savannah’s story has a lot of holes in it and the siblings dig a little on their own to find out more about her and if she could be the reason for their mother’s disappearance.
If you love Moriarty, then you will enjoy Apples Never Fall as well but it’s different from her other books. It takes a little more time to get into the story and it reminded me a lot of Where’d You Go, Bernadette. Joy is kind of annoying. A little quirky but kind of clueless which will frustrate you as the story unfolds. This is the book I took with me on my flight to Missouri and I was noticing the person on my right trying to read over my shoulder. Can you blame her? The book doesn’t come out until 9/14. As a mystery, it did a good job of carrying me along. I wanted to know what happened to Joy and that kept me turning those pages. That said, the ending felt very tacked on. When you read it, you’ll see what I mean. Still…
Recommend.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
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Awards
Australian Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — General Fiction — 2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2021
Physical description
480 p.; 9.45 inches
ISBN
1250220254 / 9781250220257