I wasn’t sure what to expect from Liane’s latest book. I’m a huge fan of her stories but have yet to read Nine Perfect Strangers, which got mixed reviews. That being said this story was good but lacked the punch some of her other works delivered. Family is at the heart here and perception is everything. What you see isn’t always what is… no spoilers here. Liane’s development of Stan and Joy, the parents at the core of the novel is very revealing of what marriage looks like. I quickly became engulfed in their lives and liked how the book went from present day to several months prior to Joy going missing. Parenting and the lengths we will go to protect our family is slowly unraveled as we learn why and how things came to this point. Their children each offer a different perspective of growing up and in their own ways protective of their parents and the relationship they have. Where is Joy and who is this stranger that shows up at their door one evening? Savannah is complicated but in the end the reader comes to understand why and who she is. Overall a good story. Thank you #NetGalley #ApplesNeverFall for the ARC all opinions are my own.

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 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.

I listened to the audio version of this book and I may have enjoyed it more if I’d read it. It was very hard to follow the audio. So much jumping around and so many frustrating characters. Also, it didn’t feel like savannah got a satisfying ending for the reader after all the trouble she caused.

This engrossing story combines mystery and family drama and is compulsively readable. Moving back and forth between present and past timelines, the story is told from multiple points of view. Joy Delaney, a mother of four disappears suddenly. In trying to solve the mystery of her disappearance, each family member is confronted with childhood issues, hurts and trauma that has been unresolved. The multilayered story pulls the reader in with well drawn characters and insights into complex relationships. The families inner workings including secrets, rivalries, loyalties and jealousies are revealed using a mix of humor and drama. Full of twists and turns and complicated family dynamics, this is one not to be missed.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing book . It kept me reading all the time . The characters well develops the plot was extraordinary . I loved the book . 100% recommended

I'm delighted to read a new book by Liane Moriarty. She is a splendid author. She creates very real characters that one really cares about. I couldn't wait to get back to this book and am sorry to have finished it. Now I must wait for a new one. They are all well worth the wait!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Not a fast read and maybe it goes on top long. But a twisty turney not predictable plot filled with interesting characters. Save it for a cozy winter afternoon.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty is her latest book about scandal in the Sydney suburbs. This time around, we are introduced to the Delaneys, a tennis family whose glory days are in the past. The kids are grown but are all struggling to overcome the sense of having let down their parents. And the parents seem to be looking for some sort of fulfillment they were not able to get from their children. As in most of the Moriarty books, the past is dug up and secrets are revealed to create a juicy plot. The author is great at creating fast-paced stories full of tension and unexpected twists and this one does not disappoint. The ending seemed to run a bit long, describing how the characters coped during the lockdown of 2020. While interesting, it read like a multi-chapter epilogue. Future readers may appreciate this bit of historical perspective, but it may make the book dated before it's time. In any case, this will be recommended for all fans of domestic fiction.

For the first third to half of this book, I was ready to give up. I'm glad I stuck with it. It's not my favorite Liane Moriarty books but there are definitely twists and turns that are worth stick around for. This books follows the story of the Delaney siblings as they deal with the disappearance of their mom, Joy. The story delves into some typical story arcs, but does make it interesting enough with some not so typical story arcs.

Thanks to Henry Holt and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

To be honest, I didn't enjoy this one or her last (Nine Perfect Strangers) as much as her earlier books. Apples Never Fall felt a little long, it took awhile for the mystery to unravel, and the big reveal was disappointing. There was also a lot of information about tennis I could have done with it. Despite those qualms, it was a decent read. I liked how she incorporated COVID19 into the end of the book. I enjoyed the dynamic between the four siblings, and how they dealt with the possibility that their dad may have murdered their mom.

Parts of this novel were intriguing and well plotted; others were wordy and wandering. Perhaps if 100+ pages of its nearly 450 pages were edited out, the story would have moved more quickly without losing its focus on family relationships. As it is, the characters are well developed but the ending is too fairytale-like to hold its own with the rest of the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Company for the ARC to read and review.

Another enjoyable read by Liane Moriarty. A family's strained relationships are put to the test as they search for their missing matriarch. It is not easy getting older, and Joy is searching for meaning and identity in her life, as are her husband and children. A family crisis causes them all to look deep into themselves.

Moriarty is one of my favorite authors! I really enjoyed it. The beginning was a little slow for me but then the twists started and I could not put it down. I have ordered this for the library and have many patrons that will enjoy it.

What a page-turner! I couldn't put this book down! It's the story of a family consumed by tennis in all aspects of their lives. When the matriarch of the family goes missing, the mystery sets in.
What's especially interesting are the family dynamics. There are four grown-up children whose sentiments are put to the test when they examine where their loyalties lie within their family structure. The story is imbued with humor, pathos and betrayal that won't allow you to put down that book until you are finished. The twists and turns are many and fascinating. A great read!

I love the tiny details in Liane Moriarty's books. It takes a while for the story to come to light, and it always ends up concluding in unexpected ways, with unusual twists and turns. This book is no exception. The Delaney family have grown up with loving parents, and all four children as vastly different from each other. Stan and Joy raised their children with stability, love, encouragement, while at the same time nurturing their own tennis school dreams. One day Joy disappears, not long after she and Stan have "retired". As the story unfolds an unkind light is shed on their seemingly perfect marriage, and their children are left divided and wondering if their father had something to do with the disappearance of their mother. All eyes are on Stan, and so is the attention of the police trying to solve the mystery of Joy's disappearance. Family secrets begin to come to light in this unusual, compelling novel. What happened to Joy, and did Stan have anything to do with her disappearance?

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I actually waited for the audiobook because the narrator is fantastic! The story seemed to start off slow, but you find yourself drawn in and invested in the lives of the Delaney family. Plenty of twists and drama!

I normally love Liane Moriarty's books but this one was a miss for me. The beginning was really interesting and had me hooked, but the story got so bogged down in the shifting perspectives and time frame that it was almost impossible to get engrossed in the book. It took me much longer to finish than I had planned.

Stan and Joy Delaney, newly retired owners of a tennis academy, are looking forward to enjoying their golden years when Joy suddenly disappears. Despite having a seemingly perfect marriage, suspicion of murder falls on Stan and the four grown Delaney children must now face the possibility that their father is responsible for the disappearance of their mother.
Family secrets come to light, a mysterious stranger with possible ulterior motives enters the Delaney family’s lives, and jealousy, dysfunction, suspicion and loyalties are called into question as it starts to look more and more likely that Stan will be arrested.
I wanted to love this book. Unlike Big Little Lies and some of Moriarty’s other novels, I could just not find any character to root for or care about. While I think book clubs will eat this book up, I found it a slog to get through. I’m sure I will read her next novel, but I found this to be a predictable thriller with a too tidy resolution.

Apples Never Fall is a solid addition to your Liane Moriarty collection. The story is character-driven with a focus on the relationships between them. The mother goes missing and the timelines switch between when the kids were young and present day. Moriarty's writing is strong. The novel is engaging. Highly recommended if you enjoy character-driven novels.

This was a so-so read for me and I'm unsure if it was my mood or if the storyline lagged in places, or perhaps it was a bit of both. The family dynamics were very well showcased although quite convoluted at times. Most of the main characters and their neurotic behaviors were a bit on the annoying side but the story balanced itself by introducing appealing peripheral characters such as Indira, Simon, and Claire. The ending seemed to be a long time coming and the slightly ambiguous ending left me a little ungratified.

For me this Moriarty's better books (Husband's Secret is my favorite) but it was better than Nine Perfect Strangers.