Liane Moriarty is a masterclass in character-focused stories. Like Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall is not a plot-heavy story. Instead, the author delves deeply into the characters, developing backstories so convincing that it’s a shock when their truthfulness is questioned in the present timeline (wherein the police are investigating). While I am optimistic and generally give people the benefit of the doubt, I was throughly taken in by Moriarty’s characters, unsure of who to trust and what was reliable, alternating between distrust and belief in each of the characters.

This is a classic Liane Moriarty. Apples Never Fall centers around a highly competitive family, whose life has revolved around tennis, from the very beginning. Early on, the mother, Joy Delaney, disappears and a search unfolds along side the families many secrets. A strange house guest who probably isn't what she seems, adds to the sinister feeling. But, to me, the backstories of the four Delaney children is the highlight of the story. Their successes, failures, sibling rivalries and constant search for approval from their father and tennis coach, Stan Delaney.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC.

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A suspense filled mystery by Liane Moriarty. It is drama, drama, and a lot of suspense. If you love her other books then pick up Apples Never Fall.

This family drama/mystery did not disappoint. The characters were believable as were the family dynamics. I couldn't put this down and the ending was a surprise.

Moriarty did it again! Her perfection of the written word is like non other. She is a mastermind of the mystery story. Who did it? What is this person up to? This story kept me guessing until the last few chapters.

I received an advanced copy for this book in exchange for a review.

I always enjoy Liane Moriarty's books and this one was no exception. 4 stars.

A suburban housewife goes missing and her four adult children search to find her.It kept me wondering, on the edge of my seat as they say, and at one point I definitely thought she was dead. I think it was character-rich read, jumping in between the different view points and it was sometimes hard to know who to believe. I think how she wove in the pandemic at the end, it made the story feel more real.

I have loved Laine Moriarty's previous books but this one fell short for me. While I really liked the four Delaney children and all of their bickering, the beginning premise of Joy and Stan letting a stranger into their home was just off. Overall, it was just "meh" for me and not one of my favorites by her. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Liane Moriarty never fails me. Her stories are about family, friends, and murder, my favorite combination. The Delaney's are a family of tall, athletic, competitive, tennis loving, Australians. They argue, disagree, and seem to always be competing, rather in a tennis match, for their father's affections, or at life. They are loud. They are funny, they are a hot mess, and their mom is missing. Dad may or may not have killed her and who the heck is this homeless, frail, pale, waif of a girl that has come to live with The Delaney's? All of this makes for a perfect summer read that only Liane Moriarty can create. Destined to become a Hulu original.

This family drama brings the suspense. The book has a slow build of suspense. When it finally picked up speed, I stayed up til 2am to finish! I've been a longtime Moriarty fan. While I didn't fall in love with any of the characters (as I did in Big Little Lies), I enjoyed the book very much and will continue to recommend the author.

My only complaint with the book is that the American cover version is dull compared to the British one.

The Delaney family's lives used to revolve around tennis. Joy and Stan used to run a tennis school, and all four of their children competed when they were young. Then time passed, and the children became adults who stopped playing, and the parents retired. During their dull retirement, a stranger knocks on their door running from an abusive boyfriend. Joy and Stan welcome her to their home, and she stays for six weeks. Much later, Joy goes missing, and Stan has some very suspicious scratch marks on his face.

This is more a character study than a murder mystery. Most of the story is told from Joy's perspective, and she's a delight. She tries very hard to keep her family together when their children are young, and when they're older, she listens to podcasts to understand their work or their physical problems. Towards the end, I loved her character so much that I didn't want her to be found dead.

The plot is quick, and everything comes together at the end. Things that you thought were written for character development had another reason. The other characters are complex people with complex emotions in the difficult positions they find themselves in when Stan is a suspect in Joy's possible murder. There is no easy way for people to deal with this situation as Stan and Joy are a package unit. This is the best work that Lianne Moriarty has written so far.

Review based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Liane Moriarty is BACK!!! I’m just obsessed with her writing. Her complex and extremely relatable characterization (her biggest strength IMO), the gripping narrative (in each of her books I’m always like, “JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!!”), the relationship dynamics (both family and romantic ones), the differing points of views from outside characters, I loved it all. She always manages to surprise me and I LOVE her for it. One of her best books!!!



Huge thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy! Rating and opinions expressed are completely my own.

I love Liane Moriarty's books and I was excited to read this one. This has a little bit of suspense but it is primarily a family drama. Joy Delaney is missing. Her husband has scratch marks on his face and there was clearly an argument the night before she went missing. Her four children aren't sure what to believe and their loyalties are mixed.

Flashing between the past (when a stranger named Savannah shows up at the Delaney's doorstep) and the present (when Joy is missing), this book does a DEEP dive into the Delaney siblings, Joy and her husband Stan as well as plenty of random neighbors and others who have little-to-no role in this book. Herein lies the problem: by introducing and giving a chapter to so many different charaters, the reader doesn't get to really get to know and get invested in any of them. If the book just focused on the Delaney family, it might have been cleaner. Instead it is choppy and hard to read. It is also LONG - nearly 500 pages of hearing about tennis and expectations within a family.

At the very end of the book, Moriarty decided to bring in COVID, which seemed really out of place. It seemed like this book had been written in pre-pandemic times, but for some reason, she wanted to add references to the pandemic and behavior to the book. This was really clunky and awkward to read. This was easily a book that could have been evergreen and didn't need any references to a global pandemic.

Overall, the story was interesting, but it was long with too many characters and a really unnecessary pandemic chapter at the end.

I was thrilled to have received this arc from one of favorite authors. Moriarty’s latest is a character-driven saga of the tennis-playing Delaneys, a family of 2 parents and their 4 adult children. The story centers around the disappearance of the mother, who goes missing after sending a very cryptic text to her offspring. Months earlier, a stranger showed up on the doorstep of the parents’ home and inserted herself into their lives in a very intimate, and at times disturbing, way. The adult children immediately distrust her and suspect her of being involved with their mom’s disappearance. The authorities also have their eyes on the father, who has exhibited suspicious behavior as well.

Interwoven with present events are a diatribe of descriptions of past events shaping the lives of each of the characters and how they relate to one another. Each has their own reasons for no longer playing tennis, which was such an integral part of each of their lives growing up.

This was definitely not a fast-paced thriller - it was 480 pages - but it’s familial exploration was rather fascinating and held my interest throughout. Families are incredibly complex and the Delaneys are certainly no exception. The author deftly depicts these complexities in a show of writing prowess.

A bit dull at times. Glad the ending was interesting and wrapped things up. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This is a delightful page turner, from one of our most gifted authors. The mystery of a missing 69 year old wife and mother leads everyone to believe that she has been murdered by her husband of many years.

The author takes us from the backstory to a very satisfying closure, engaging the reader as the story unfolds. The story center around the Delaney Family, a famous family in the Australian tennis world. The reader gets to meet Joy, Stand and their four adult children. Each was connected to the world of tennis, though at the time of this story, Joy and Stan are embarking on their retirement.

My only critique is that there is too much about tennis for those of us that are clueless about the sport.

It is the arrival of Savanna that is a catalyst for this quiet quest for retirement to transition and the family to be plunged into a search for their missing mother.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book by Liane Moriarty, a real favorite of mine.

Impossible to put down, this is a twisted, gripping, family drama / mystery that explores the violence and cruelty as well as the compassion, kindness, and personal development of ordinary people.

Stan and Joy Delaney are tennis obsessed — champs in their youth, they ran a successful school for training and coaching tennis players, including their four tall, talented, (and now adult) tennis offspring. All appears well until one day Joy Delaney disappears, and the police turn their (frankly not so laser focused) gaze on Stan.

Let me hasten to say that this is NOT one of those tense books about false accusations and a man desperate to prove his innocence. What I just described is the structure of the story but not at all the point. The story alternates between the present day and clearly labeled time periods in the past. In Moriarity’s signature style, the plot keeps twisting, the people get more interesting, and sleep becomes impossible as you have to race to the finish. I’ve read many (most?) of Moriarity’s books. Some I like better than others — this is now one of my favorites.

Stan and Joy Delaney are practically royalty in their hometown, looked up to and revered. As they begin their retirement, however, things begin to fall apart. A woman knocks on their door in the middle of the night, claiming to be on the run from an abusive lover and the couple agrees to help her. But then Joy disappears and the woman that Stan claims to have come to their home looking for help is also strangely missing. Of the four adult Delaney children, two believe that their father had something to do with their mother’s disappearance, two believe he’s telling the truth. It turns out that the Delaney family had a lot of secrets, and some of them were deadly

I love Liane Moriarty’s novels with their snarky, witty characters and fast - paced mysteries. This tale of a missing 69 year old mother of four adult children gripped me from the get - go. And, during a very busy week, this book kept me reading until 3 am two evenings in a row. Every minute I spent not reading, I was wondering when I could pick up my book again. This is my very favorite kind of book with lots of interesting family dynamics and a good mystery to unravel.
Loved it! Unputdownable!
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An emotional page turner with multiple voices and characters who are complex. This book was a slow burn but quick paced. Loved every page