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Apples Never Fall By Liane Moriarty

Apples Never Fall‘Apples Never Fall’ is the latest book by Liane Moriarty.

The Delaney family love one another dearly – it’s just that sometimes they want to murder each other. Joy Delaney and husband Stan have done well. Four wonderful grown-up children. A family business to envy. The golden years of retirement ahead of them. So when Joy Delaney vanishes – no note, no calls, her bike missing – it’s natural that tongues will wag. How did Stan scratch his face? And who was the stranger who entered and suddenly left their lives? What are they all hiding? But for the Delaney children there is a much more terrifying question: did they ever know their parents at all?

I actually read this book back at Christmas and it was another great thrilling story from one of Australia’s greatest authors and in true, Liane’s style, the story starts right at the pivotal moment of major change in the Delaney family’s lives.

The story is written in and past present tense and is seen through the narrative of Joy Delaney and her children, Brooke, Amy, Troy and Logan and how their lives dramatically changed when a stranger called Savannah appears in their parents lives and fits seamlessly and replaces them. One day, both Joy and Savannah disappear and Savannah’s husband Stan is seen as the main culprit in her disappearance despite his protests.

I loved this story, the multiple narratives and dual tenses made for gripping reading. I found Savannah to be a fascinating character, she appears in Joy’s and Stan’s lives one evening in complete distress and they take her in knowing nothing about her. Joy treats her Savannah like the daughter she never had as her relationship with her own daughters is quite strained at times, as they were brought up in a competitive family and this upsets both Brooke and Amy and are immediately suspicious of Savannah.

The Delaney family are a complex group of people. Both Joy and Stan are tennis instructors and their children were brought up to be tennis champions but sadly that wasn’t the case and that’s left a sour taste in Stan’s mouth and this causes friction in the family. They try to live up to their father’s high standards but are constantly letting him down. Stan is a petulant man with a temper and is prone to leaving when the going gets tough. All the children, now grown ups have their own issues in their lives, separation, mental health as well as fertility and their troubles make for relatable reading.

Joy is at a standstill in her life, she has spent her years coaching and bringing her children up and now Savannah has come into her live and exudes excitement and mystery, but she also shows an interest in Joy, something that she’s been missing for years.

The present tense are seen through the narrative of the police investigating Joy’s disappearance, her friends and children as they all wonder about the mysterious Savannah and what caused Joy to disappear.

‘Apples Never Fall’ is another rollercoaster of a suspenseful domestic noir from Liane, packed with drama and intrigue from the first mysterious text from Joy to her children to the final scene that hooked my attention throughout. Cleverly and wittily written, ‘Apples Never Fall’ is an observational story about family dynamics and mishaps, that was a complete guessing game!

You can buy ‘Apples Never Fall’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Liane Moriarty Reveals New Book Called Apples Never Fall

Liane MoriartyExciting news for fans of Liane Moriarty as it has been announced her new book for 2021 is called ‘Apples Never Fall’ and will be released on 14th September 2021.

‘The Sunday Times’ and ‘New York Times’ Number One international bestselling author’s eagerly awaited novel will once again take us behind the closed doors of seemingly tranquil suburbia.

What the back cover says –

From the outside, the Delaneys appear to be an enviably contented family.

Even after all these years, former tennis coaches Joy and Stan are still winning tournaments, and now they’ve sold the family business they have all the time in the world to learn how to ‘relax’.

Their four adult children are busy living their own lives, and while it could be argued they never quite achieved their destinies, no-one ever says that out loud.

But now Joy Delaney has disappeared and her children are re-examining their parents’ marriage and their family history with fresh, frightened eyes.

Is her disappearance related to their mysterious house guest from last year?

Or were things never as rosy as they seemed in the Delaney household?

The author of ‘Big Little Lies’ and ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ expertly peels away the layers of a family to reveal heartfelt truths, deeply felt wounds and moments of humanity with her signature wit and expert observational powers.

‘Apples Never Fall’ is set to be one of the biggest books of the autumn – 3 million copies of Liane’s books have sold in the UK and over 14 million worldwide. Her previous novel ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ has sold nearly half a million copies since its release in 2018; the paperback spent 20 consecutive weeks in the top 10 and was the biggest paperback fiction title released in 2019. The TV adaptation, starring Nicole Kidman alongside Melissa McCarthy and Luke Evans, recently finished filming and is due to be released this year by Hulu.

I’ve loved all of Liane’s books and eagerly look forward to this release.

You can pre-order ‘Apples Never Fall’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 14th September 2021.