The Delaneys are fixtures in their Australian community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are 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. If only they had grandchildren.
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 welcome them into their home, and she becomes a permanent guest. When Joy goes missing on Valentine’s Day and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the four Delaney children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—debate whether to report their mother’s disappearance to police, because it would implicate their father. For someone who claims to be innocent, Stan seems to have a lot to hide.
“That was the secret of a happy marriage: step away from the rage.” Liane Moriarty, Apples Never Fall
Liane Moriarty’s novels are hit or miss with me, What Alice Forgot (3 stars), The Husband’s Secret (4 stars), Big Little Lies (5 stars), and this one was a miss. Apples Never Fall neither captured nor kept my attention. It was far too long—historical fiction kind of long—and too much of the plot went down rabbit trails that seemed to go nowhere. The characters were well developed, but all were unlikeable. The book was a slow burn, but not in a good way. It was a slog; tedious and boring, and the constant tennis references were tiresome. I finished the book, but I can’t recommend it. I was so disengaged in the story, I can’t even remember the ending. Many other reviewers enjoyed this book, but it only earned 3 stars from this one.
Published Date: September 2021
Genre: Psychological suspense
Read-alikes: Unraveling Oliver: by Liz Nugent, Under the Water by Paul Pen, Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger, Shelter by Catherine Jinks
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of the book.