This is my first book by Alice Feeney, thank you to NetGalley, Alice and Avon books for my advanced copy.

The book kicks off from the very beginning throwing us straight in the midst of everything. Set in Manchester (my home city) Becky used to be a detective with Greater Manchester Police until she found out something shocking about her husband who is also a detective with GMP. The discovery loses Becky her job, husband and home, but she won’t give up easily until she can prove what she knows about her now ex-husband. She sets off on a one woman mission to uncover the truth and put him to their colleagues and friends, putting herself in danger and receiving threats.

I found this to be a good read, easy to follow however somewhat repetitive. The storyline highlights the #metoo women’s campaign, to try and achieve justice and for a future for women without sexual violence and assault.

This is a great thriller.
Becky is trying to pick her life back up after finding out her husband is a rapist. She reports him but his felllow Police officers stick with him and cover for him.
Becky was also with the Police, but is quickly dismissed as a liar.
She finds herself in a tiny flat in a dodgy area but is determined to make people believe her about John.
Some of her activities are a bit far fetched but I did feel for her going up against a well respected Police officer.
This is a great read.
Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Bad Apple is an exciting, read all night kind of thriller that all fans of thrillers love!!!!!!! Finished this book in one sitting

My first Alice Hunter book but definitely not my last. The characters were outstanding and kept me reading long into the night. Dark and creepy with some terrifying moments. Addicting to boot! Tough subject matter that kept me hooked nonstop.
Thank you NetGalley and Alice Hunter for the opportunity to read and review this.

Great murder mystery that really gets you hooked immediately and keeps you there, I feel like I went through so many emotions trying to figure out everything. I really enjoyed this one!

Far too slow for a thriller. I was hoping it was just a slow burn - but I just couldn't get immersed as much as I wanted to. I think some of it was due to the fact that the situation just infuriated me. It made me so so angry! (But I know things like this happen all the time! Even more frustrated!)
Not the best thriller, but just OK.

Ah, Bad Apple, a novel that promised much but, regrettably, delivered somewhat less. Penned by Alice Hunter, this book marked my first foray into her literary world, and it's fair to say that it has left me more perplexed than enchanted.
At the heart of this narrative is Becky, formerly a detective, who finds her life unravelled after making grave accusations against her husband, also a detective. The premise itself starts on a stark note: Becky loses her job while her husband’s career seemingly remains untarnished. This setup, meant to evoke a sense of injustice and ignite the fuse of an enthralling plot, unfortunately, spirals into a series of implausible events. The decisions Becky makes are staggeringly ill-judged for someone with her background in law enforcement. Her actions border on the absurd rather than the astute, and this discord grates on one’s sensibilities as a reader.
As the story progresses, Becky's journey into the quagmire of proving her husband's guilt becomes tedious. The narrative desperately needed a robust backbone to make her quest believable or, at the very least, compelling. The 'big twist', intended as the climactic revelation, was predictable and lacked the impact necessary to redeem the earlier parts of the book.
That said, there were elements that kept me tethered to the pages—particularly the sections labelled 'then', which offered a nostalgic reprieve from the current frustrations. These passages hinted at potential, suggesting depth and a narrative complexity that I wished had been more prevalent throughout.
The portrayal of Becky, which was meant to be the linchpin of the story, was perhaps the most disheartening aspect. Her lack of procedural rigour, the careless handling of potential evidence, and a baffling obliviousness to the dangers that might be closer than she imagined—all these painted a portrait of a protagonist hard to root for. The authenticity of her character as an ex-police officer was, sadly, not on the mark.
In conclusion, Bad Apple was a tale that could have been a deliciously dark and twisted journey but ended up feeling more like an under-baked pie—lukewarm and lacking. While it hasn't quite encouraged me to delve further into Hunter's oeuvre, those fleeting moments of intrigue within the book might just be enough for other readers to take the plunge. For me, however, the book was a lesson in frustration, dressed up in a mystery that promised far more than it delivered.

Becky finds evidence that her husband is a vile person. But, justice didn't prevail. John was given a promotion and Becky was kicked from the force. Becky's strong charatraits meant she wouldn't take this lying down. And so results in a quest to out her now ex-husband John. But, will it be plain sailing? Will there be bent cops in the way? And will she get and keep the evidence she needs.

Perfectly paced. This story kept me engaged throughout the narrative. We are told the story mainly from Beckys POV. Interspersed within are a few chapters from differing characters who give us the reader a hint of unease. Is Becky a reliable narrator?

I had so many theories whilst reading this story. As is the case with psychological thrillers, there are a few twists and turns along the way. Some I figured and some just smacked me in the face to be made to look a fool. How didn't I see some of these twist?

Anyway, Bad Apple was a good pacy read. Kept me engaged.

I love Hunter’s The Serial Killer's Family series! So it was a no brainer to jump at the opportunity to read and review Bad Apple by Alice Hunter.
I found it engrossing and captivating from the start all the way to the finish.
A suspenseful and taut page-turner that is impossible to put down!

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

After having loved the authors previous books I thought that Bad Apple had such a strong premise to it, and actually the story itself was really interesting and timely. However I did feel let down by the ending, I think that things were not totally wrapped up and things didn't make sense to me, it fell really close to the trope of *woman with anxiety isn't believed* which I really dont appreciate.

What do you do when you discover your husband, a highly regarded police officer, is a potential rapist? This is the dilemma faced by Becky Lawson, who is also a police officer, when she finds something that blows her world apart. She does the decent thing and reports it to the authorities but ends up losing everything, her marriage; her home and her career, because nobody believes that John Lawson could possibly be that man and, with no evidence, no charges are brought against him. Becky then finds out that he's now living with another woman and her young daughter and, fearing for their safety, she sets out on a very dangerous path to bring him down once and for all.

Bad Apple is the latest thriller by Alice Hunter, whose previous books I've loved and this one was no exception. This is a well written, fast paced, rollercoaster of a read which grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go till the end. It's a tale of secrets and deception, highlighting how far one man will go to cover up his misdemeanours and the power he had to ensure everyone else kept quiet about them too. I loved the dogged determination of Becky to try and bring her ex husband down, to protect any future women that could come up against this monster and gain justice for those that already had, although she really didn't do herself any favours in the process and also learnt that you can't always trust those you thought were on your side. This is an action packed thriller with an unexpected twist at the end which I highly recommend and would love to see it adapted to a tv series.

I'd like to thank Avon Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

I liked how this was written. The intrigue and suspense had me flying through the chapters. There was clearly more than just a single ‘bad apple’. It’s truly disturbing to consider the possibility of corruption within the policing system and even worse to see how it can be covered up / allowed to continue rotting .
Thank You to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Alice Hunter for the invitation/opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

I have loved all of Alice Hunter’s previous books but this one I struggled with. I found it to be quite mundane and predictable. There was no real “get go” and pace to the book, it became a bit of a chore to read. Unfortunately not a book I could recommend, especially as Hunter’s other works are head and shoulders above this.

Becky was happily married to the love of her life, a fellow policeman, until she discovered evidence that he was abusing his power to take advantage of young women. Although she tried to report him, the system let her down and now - newly divorced and jobless - she needs to find another way to make people see the truth and protect his future victims.

This was a wild ride, and in places a difficult read. Alice Hunter is brilliant at tension and twists! An excellent read for any thriller and mystery lovers!

This is a fast-paced, twisty novel about a woman fighting for justice. The main character is Becky, an ex-cop who used to be married to a cop. She discovered he was a rapist and murderer, but nobody believed her, and she ended up getting fired. Now she's on a mission to keep her ex-husband from hurting other women. But he has friends in high places and he's a master manipulator, so there's danger at every turn. I've enjoyed Alice Hunter's three previous novels, the Serial Killer's Wife series, and I enjoyed this one too. Great main character, and it will definitely keep you turning the pages til the very end!

Thank you NetGalley, Alice Hunter, and Avon for early access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I couldn't get into this book, this is my first DNF of the year. It was repetitive and challenging to follow along.

A little bit predictable (and in some cases repetitive) in parts, but an enjoyable and suspenseful thriller none-the-less.

I absolutely loved this book. A story of corruption and abuse of power, betrayal and courage. It’s fast paced, full of suspense and has so many twists that keep you turning the pages right to the surprise ending. Just brilliant. I was totally hooked and couldn’t put it down.

Becky’s life is shattered when she discovers her husband, a trusted police officer is a monster. After reporting him and no charges are brought Becky tries hard to get justice against John.

It’s brilliantly written and is powerful and compelling as the tension builds up in the story. It just flows throughout making it easy to read. The storyline is very believable. It’s so intense. The story alternates between now and then which I enjoyed as you get the backstory along with current events.
Becky is a strong character and I liked her and was rooting for her throughout. There are so very untrustworthy and loathsome characters especially John.

Overall a brilliant book which is well worth a read. Definitely recommend. A must read if you enjoy domestic psychological thrillers.
With thanks to #NetGallery @AvonBooksUk for an arc of #BadApple in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 9 May 2024.

Yet another detective story from this author. Becky and her husband John are both detectives in the same department. The only difference being Becky is one of the good ones and her husband as she will soon find out isn't.
When she comes across a burner phone in their home she is horrified to see the messages on it. She has no choice but to confront John with it and this comes at a great cost. Can she prove to fellow officers that he is hurting women or will he have a way of silencing her yet again.
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Wow! What did I just read?! This was a scary and fast paced thriller. The storyline was intense and believable. Kept me guessing and reading way past my bedtime. Looking forward to more from this author