Apples Never Fall by Australian author Liane Moriarty is a suspenseful thriller, family drama filled with sacrifice, rivalry, hope, trust and love.
Joy and Stan Delaney and their four children Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke are well known in their community for their love of tennis. Joy and Stan met over 50 years ago at the top of their game, when their careers ended they opened a tennis academy to coach beginners and upcoming players.
Upon their retirement Joy and Stan are finding it hard to adapt to this life-changing event, initially escaping their responsibilities seemed like a great relief. But, Joy starts to feel bitter with a range of issues.
She has been the backbone of the family as a wife and mother, taking care of everyone’s needs above her own as well as running a business with extra responsibilities and making sacrifices when it all got too much for Stan.
She is longing for grandchildren, but it seems it will never happen.
One night an unexpected woman, Savannah arrives on Joy and Stan’s doorstep claiming she had a fight with her boyfriend. She knocked on their door in the hopes someone would help her. They offer her a place to stay where she could get back on her feet and feel safe. The children are sceptical of Savannah’s motives and are concerned their parents are being deceived.
February 14, 2020 Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke receive a strange text from Joy saying she was going “off the grid” for a while. Days pass and the whereabouts of Joy is unknown; the family fear for her safety and contact the police. Detective Senior Constable Christina Khoury leads the investigation, and everyone is questioned with Stan being the main suspect. Where has she gone? Will she found, if so what will be the outcome?
I loved how each of the four siblings’ characters feels like a realistic product of a childhood being raised by parent figures who have achieved great things and expect them to do the same. Instead, Amy, the eldest has mental health issues, she is single, lives with housemates and has no regular job or little desire for success or achievement.
Brooke has invested all she had into a physiotherapy practice which is failing, she has split with her partner, due to the unpredictability in her daily life she is struggling with anxiety and insecurity. Logan, recently single feels disgruntled teaching at a community college and wishes he had accepted a tennis scholarship in Chicago, he dwells on the past wishing he had made better choices.
Troy, the most competitive out of the lot is a successful trader, due to his position and travelling for his job he feels superior to the rest but still doubts himself. The rivalry but love between the children will strike many chords.
Liane is a gifted storyteller; she writes with her heart and soul. Apples Never Fall has an intriguing plot and is thought-provoking. It promises to captivate those who enjoy stories portraying the complexity of a family dynamic complicated by the demands of adulthood and expectations.
It was a pleasure getting to know the characters’ individual stories, which kept things moving along, giving readers a much clearer and endearing understanding of their motivations and actions. I felt sorry for Joy who clearly is going through something hard and her psychological wellbeing is suffering. Savannah was a sneaky character that plotted very well into the storyline with her over nice intentions and secrets.
The storyline moves between past and present, which added extra depth, the pieces of the puzzle are dramatic and intense as it builds to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Thank you, Liane, for this unforgettable story. I highly recommend it.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan Australia for the opportunity to read and review.
Author: Liane Moriarty
ISBN: 9781760785024
Copy courtesy of publisher Pan Macmillan Australia
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
My love of books started at a very young age. My mum has always been a reader and encouraged me to read, buying me endless book from classic fairy tales advancing to the world of Enid Blyton, CS Lewis, Louisa May Alcott, Kathryn Kenny, Carolyn Keene, Francine Pascal. In my adult years the list of authors is endless and every room in my house is filled with books.
One of my favourite novels is Narnia which has always has a special place in my heart. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 1978 and when I was given this book to read it let me escape to another world where I felt like I was in the book with all the characters, it wasfun and exciting to escape from reality and eased the ups and downs of the disease at such a young age.
In books nothing is impossible and there is endless potential and hundreds of places to explore or being taken to places that are only made up from the authors’ great minds, the past and future to navigate, characters lives you step into taking you on an emotional rollercoaster ride or being scared out of your wits. I can experience things that I can’t in real life because they’re not possible or real. It challenges my perspective and mindset expanding my worldview.
I find joy, comfort and peace with books, many people may not get it, but I know bookworms like me truly understand. Reading makes my heart happy.
Couldn’t put this book down. I don’t how how she does it but Liane Moriarty is back with another winner.
A dysfunctional family with a wonderful cast of ‘real’ characters.
The Delaney family Mum, Joy; Dad, Stan and their four adult children Amy, Logan, Troy and Brooke provide the family drama in ‘Apples Never Fall’. The family business was tennis until Joy and Stan retired. Joy is now at a loss as to what to do with life. Her children aren’t giving her the grandchildren she so desires so when Savannah a stranger knocks on the door seeking refuge from her abusive boyfriend Joy takes her in. The Delaney children aren’t happy but they all have their own secrets, issues and problems to deal with then Joy disappears and the children fear their father has something to do with her disappearance.
Family relationships, sibling rivalry with childhood grievances and lots of twists and turns make this a really enjoyable read. Can’t wait to to see this as a mini series. 4/5
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty a suspenseful family drama.
Joy and Stan Delaney have sold the family tennis coaching school and retired.
Their four adult children lead busy lives. Not always sharing the details with their parents or each other.
Joy send her children a mysterious text “ gone off grid”.
No note is left for Stan.
No one knows where Joy is.
Joys mobile is found under the bed by the cleaner.
Could Stan have had something to do with her disappearance ?
Or Savannah, the mystery woman who supposedly randomly knocked on their door late one night and amazingly Joy let her in and allowed her to stay?
Reluctantly, the adult siblings report their Mother missing.
The police investigation unravels the complicated relationships and family secrets.
Just when you think the mystery is solved….there is even more drama!
Liane Moriarty is such a great story teller, this book certainly didn’t disappoint. Loved it !
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
I was very lucky to receive a copy of Liane Moriarty’s latest release Apples Never Fall.
I have really enjoyed all of Liane’s previous books so was really looking forward to getting in to this one.
To be honest I didn’t enjoy her last book Nine Perfect Strangers as much as her earlier books but Apples Never Fall felt more like her earlier books which I loved and this one had a great mystery component.
I really enjoyed how this book jumped between the present and the year before and also the chapters from different points of view. Although this was a bit confusing at first as the chapters weren’t labelled by each person.
I loved the tennis theme and how competitive the family were. This added a lot of interest to the story.
I also thought she handle the Covid situation really well.
Thanks so much to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read this much anticipated novel!
It is definitely worth the hype!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read Liane Moriarty’s lastest book. Like all her books, it was suspenseful, well-written and gives different perspectives from each character.
I couldn’t put this book down. If you are a parent, particularly with children/friends involved in competitive sport, this book is particularly interesting. Besides the obvious mystery, this book also delves into the subjects of sibling rivalry, competition and marriage issues.
I can already see another movie coming out of this story.
Absolutely loved it!
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty is well researched and follows the dynamics of a Tennis Family.
The Parents, Joy and Stan are former tennis coaches and have sold their famous tennis coaching school,
but still play often and are still are winning Tournaments.
Their four adult children are all living very busy lives and mostly have drifted away from
tennis after their childhood revolved around the sport.
Then Joy goes missing.
The children start to reassess their parents marriage through adult eyes,
did their Father have something to do with their Mothers disappearance?
Did the mysterious girl who was staying with their parents the previous year
have something to do with Joys disappearance?
The adult children lives are all wonderful, or are they not all as rosy as they make out?
Moriarty intertwines the family lives with a former student and there is a surprise twist
that you won’t see coming.
A totally engrossing book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Liane Moriarty has done it again in this suspenseful book with its funny and dynamic characters. I was not hopeful after reading her last book which left me disappointed but in true style she had me riveted from the start with her wit and ability to get her readers into the characters. I am three quarters of the way in and excited to know how this book ends.
Where is matriarch Joy and did her husband have anything to do with why she has suddenly either disappeared or missing? What secrets are the family hiding?
Who is Savannah and why has she suddenly turned up on Joy and Stan’s doorstep? I cannot wait to get to the bottom of this!
Liane Moriarty is a successful well known author of previous novels including the number 1 best seller Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, Apples Never Fall is her latest novel and the first one I have read.
Apples Never Fall is a family drama, Joy and Stan are retired tennis coaches with four adult children. They have sold their Tennis school and are now adapting to life as retirees, learning to slow down. Their children have moved out and drifted apart, as they have grown.
Late one night after Joy and Stan have settled in for the night, they accept the unexpected guest Savannah into their family home, as she randomly knocks on their front door desperately seeking help after fighting with her boyfriend.
A year later Joy mysteriously disappears after sending her family a text message informing them she will be going off grid. What happened to Joy? Her children inform the Police of Joy’s unusual message and report her missing.
Stan becomes a person of interest as the Police investigate Joys disappearance.
Was their marriage as perfect as it appeared? Or did Savannah have something to do with Joys disappearance?
The novel jumps between past and present delving into the lives of Joy and Stan, as well as their four children Amy, Logan, Troy and Brooke. Liane Moriarty has established relatable, realistic characters which highlight the complexities of the family dynamic. Apples Never Fall was an enjoyable novel which will keep you guessing, I’m looking forward to reading some of her previous novels.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Liane Moriarty’s latest book Apples Never Fall. Liane would have to be one of my most favourite authors so I was excited to read this one.
Joy and Stan Delaney are the parents to 4 (now adult) children, Amy, Logan, Troy and Brooke. They grew up only knowing Tennis, playing, breathing and dealing with it in every aspect of their daily lives. Joy and Stan owned a well known Tennis Club.
Joy has desperately wanted grandchildren for such a long time. She is not getting one any time soon. One night a girl named Savannah randomly turns up on their doorstep. Joy and Stan take her in like one of their own, not thinking anything of it as Savannah starts to make herself at home, cooking, cleaning and basically caring for them like her own parents.
The Delaney children start to work out something isn’t right. But its when Joy sends the children a message saying she is going off the grid for a few days that they start to worry and dig depper to find the real reason Savannah has randomly chosen their parents to stay with. Police become involved and Stan Delaney becomes the number 1 suspect.
It is a long book but it keeps you in suspense throughout wanting to know what is going on and to see how it will end. I would recommend it to others. I noticed there was also the touch of “virus” talk near the end, which is part of our life now so was a good twist into the storyline. Liane never disappoints with her books.
Omg what a book!
All the characters felt so real, the family felt like a family I would know. Each character perfectly curated and the drama that goes on. I couldn’t put the book down as I had to know what happens with Joe Daleny.
Such a beautiful book of sports, family, siblings, parents and relationships.