A top notch thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I never knew what to expect next as the twists were shocking. It's a sadly believeable plot and it's plotted so you don't really like any of the characters.

I’m all for a fast paced thriller but this was almost too fast that it felt hard to keep up with and just felt a bit rushed to me.

Bad Apple follows Becky, a former police officer whose ex-husband John was accused of rape. She is determined to prove that he did it.

It was a very timely concept and focused a lot on the idea of male police officers abusing their power but unfortunately I just don’t think it was executed particularly well. It jumped up and down and all over the place and was very unrealistic plot-wise.

I’m sure some people will love it but it wasn’t for me.

I found this book difficult to immerse myself in. Sadly I gave up after 25% as I was not excited but a little bored. There were twists and turns but the narration was drawn out. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

A jaw dropping read. Such a scary story. This is believable and terrifying. Also has a kick ass heroine! A great solid plot that takes us through a crazy scenario made worse by the fact that you don’t even know if you can trust your friends. A great read

Bad Apple failed to deliver the gripping narrative I was hoping for, resulting in a regrettable DNF.

This book was so good, very intense and thrilling, all in one sitting. Becky Lawson is such a strong character, going against a very powerful man who is protected by an institution that was originally designed to protect her, or not. She is going head to head against a man, a monster that has been freely abusing women and has gotten away with it. She must do what she can and she must do it alone in order to save the next woman who unfortunately crosses his path.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bad Apple by Alice Hunter is an intense psychological thriller! It's really intense! There is so much happening but the main storyline is so frustrating! So much suspense, twists, and turns – and an ending! The ending I did not predict! The ending made me gasp out loud! Whatever I expected, definitely I didn't expect what happened!

This book is frustrating! And I mean it! It's just shows how much unfairness happening around us! Certain parts made me so angry! Oh well, when you pick up this one, make sure you remember to breathe!

Becky and John have been married for 5 years, and both are police detectives. Then things crush like a card house as Becky discovers that her husband is accused of rape. She is doing the right thing and reports the incident. And this is where it gets frustrating - she loses her job and friends and work colleagues while he carries on with life like it never happened!

As we can guess Beck's mission is to find justice! The only minus is that she does not realise how many people can be put at risk!

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this copy!

I love this author and was really looking forward to another exciting read and that’s exactly what I got. Becky Lawson is a detective in the Manchester police and is married to John who is a fellow officer. However, she is shocked when she discovers he is also a rapist! The writing is well crafted and the plot powerful and compelling.

Briefly, Becky does the right thing and reports John however he is exonerated and she is the one who is forced to leave her job. Living alone in a grotty flat and finding out that John is living with another woman with a young daughter, and is up for promotion, she is determined to make sure he pays for his crimes. But can she do it before he catches up with her and can she obtain evidence to incriminate him before it is all destroyed.

This is a clever mix of psychological terror and mystery crime with plenty of great twists and a shocking climax. The tension was high with Becky taking dangerous action risking more than just herself. A book that exceeded all my expectations.

Book Review:
Bad Apple by Alice Hunter
Avon Books UK, 9th May 2024

If you've read any of Alice Hunter's previous books, or watched the adaptation of The Serial Killer's Wife on Paramount, Bad Apple being a tense psychological thriller with a deftly woven storyline will come as no surprise.

Compelling protagonist Becky is an ex-detective who is determined to take down her vile ex. Becky plays a dangerous game, involving ex-colleagues and other players, while the author ramps up the pressure through each and every chapter. Reading this made me so anxious for Becky and a couple of the other characters!

The twists, and it wouldn't be an outstanding thriller without a few, are unexpected, and one in particular left me completely blindsided - I had been barking up the wrong tree and that doesn't happen very often!
Alice Hunter, take a bow; this is phenomenal writing!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Avon Books UK and Alice Hunter for the eARC provided via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

#BadApple #AliceHunter #AvonBooks #NetGalley #BookReview #Bookstagram #ARCReview

I had a really hard time getting into and staying interested in this thriller. Part of this was due to the subject matter being difficult, and partially I found it really hard to connect with the characters. No one was particularly likeable, so I didn't really feel invested in finding out the ending. I finished it, but was unsurprised by the outcome.

First of all thank you so much to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Alice Hunter for kindly sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
3.5 stars, I genuinely enjoyed it. It was such an easy read, with the right amount of plot, twists, story building and thriller to it. Once I got into it I couldn’t stop reading.
Definitely another best seller in the making and would love to see this one turned into a series as well.

WHAT A THRILLER!!!!… This one caused me sleepless nights because I couldn't put it down!!
Great book!!!!

This uses the psychological thriller element that I wanted from this type of book, it was tense and had that atmosphere that I was looking for. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and how they worked with the setting of the story. I was on the edge of my seat from the first page and so glad I was able to go on this journey. Alice Hunter has a great writing style and can't wait for more. It was suspenseful and I was hooked from the overall story being told.

I have read and enjoyed other Alice Hunter books and this one did not disappoint, a twisty tale of corruption and abuse of power in the police force.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

I’d like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Bad Apple’ written by Alice Hunter in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Becky Lawson finds proof that her husband John is a rapist but he’s a policeman too and despite reporting him to his superiors she gets pushed out of her job with the police force. When she later learns that John is going to be promoted Becky decides to do anything she can to stop him hurting other women and with the help of two detective friends Charlie and Hannah she starts her own investigation although she’s aware she could be arrested for stalking. As she finds evidence that could put him behind bars, Becky starts to wonder who can be trusted and who wants to cause her harm.

‘Bad Apple’ is a topical thriller that’s had me gripped from the start as it tells of what happened to Becky in the past and the present time, as she’s living in a rented flat in a rough area with no job or money but a determination to save other women from being abused by her ex-husband. This well-written plot has all the drama and intrigue I’ve come to associate with Ms Hunter’s novels, as the tension gradually increases page by page until there’s a final unbelievable twist in the last chapters and we find out who can be trusted. This is an excellent novel that’s involving and thrilling, and is one I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Another fantastic thriller by Alice Hunter. Becky and her husband John are both police officers who work for the same department. While working different shifts they make the most of the time they have together and are a happy couple. That is until Becky finds out that her husband is committing heinous acts against women in the community and is being covered for by the other officers on the force. Fast paced, edge of your seat thriller that I absolutely could not put down, clear your day before you start this diabolical thrill ride.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me and I gave up at around 12%. The opening chapter was great, really gripped my attention but when we moved to Becky in the present I found my attention wained. I'm not a fan of overwriting and describing every minute detail and that is what hampered my reading enjoyment of this book. Every tiny detail was described from walking down a hallway to the front door to bending down to pick up a letter. There was far too much description as well as every little thing being analysed in the characters internal dialogue as well. For me it slowed the pace of the book right down and I just didn't want to continue reading.

This was a well paced thriller full of lots of twists and turns. Some topics were hard to read but overall I enjoyed this.

Would recommend

John is not the man Becky thought he was when she married him nor is he the man his colleagues seem to believe he is. Becky discovered his crimes, turned him in and was crushed when she was the one who paid the price, Now, she's determined to set things right and to uncover the corruption that's allowed him to go free. Police corruption and crime are on trial here with a brave woman in Becky. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A nicely written and paced thriller.

How can you live with yourself when you find the man you love is rotten to the core?

Trusted Officer. Family man. Murderer.

Becky's life has been shattered.

When she discovered her husband John - a policeman she once trusted - was a monster, she reported him. But it didn't lead to any charges. Now, John lives freely with a new girlfriend and her daughter - while Becky battles guilt for missing the obvious signs. Determined for justice. Becky confronts John. But he targets her. He wants her silenced - and at any cost. And now, survival is the only option because he's not the only bad apple lurking in the shadows....

Becky was once a respected police officer, but now she's lost her job and home. She had reported her husband, John, for an extremely horrible crime, but he's still got his job in the police force. All Becky wanted was justice, and she will stop at nothing to get incriminating evidence to do it.

Becky comes across as the psycho ex-wife, so it makes you wonder if John is as bad as Becky makes out. But Becky wasn't going to be silenced. There are parts that are quite repetitive. I did not like John for obvious reasons. I was rooting for Becky all the way. The ending was a bit predictable, but I still enjoyed this book.

Published 9th May

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #AliceHunter for my ARC of #BadApple in exchange for an honest review.