Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty is a mystery told with an enjoyable, stunning wit that I’ve come to expect from a Moriarty novel.
On an ordinary evening, a young, pretty woman saying
she's in trouble randomly knocks at the door of retired tennis instructors Joy
and Stan Delaney. This stranger, Savannah, claims she is a victim of domestic
violence and has nowhere else to go. The Delaneys take her in and give her a
place to stay indefinitely.
Personally, at this point, I'm wondering why these people
would allow a complete stranger stay in their home. The Delaneys’ four adult
children, Troy, Brooke, Logan and Amy, have no idea why she’s there either.
In my opinion, maybe her showing up there wasn’t so
“random”. Perhaps, Stan knows Savannah or even having an affair with her. They
got along quite well. He even offers to buy her a car. What is Savannah really
doing there was the question in my mind. She's full of personal questions
for the Delaney family. She also made herself at home very quickly. Well,
that’s how my suspicious mind works.
A year after Savannah’s arrival, Joy goes missing and
Stan is the prime suspect in her disappearance. Their marriage was on the rocks
at this time. The detective handling the case, Christina Khoury, noted that the
scratches on Stan’s face look like defensive wounds. Also, it was two of the
Delaney children who reported her missing, not Stan, which also made Christina
more suspicious of him. She interviews each of the Delaneys and senses the deep
dysfunction within the family.
As the story unfolds, we learn about the Delaneys’
marriages, relationships, temperaments, disorders, betrayals, resentments,
former tennis students, family dynamics and disappointing tennis careers.
Although they are an interesting bunch of characters, much of the book is this
- making me feel like the mystery of the disappearance is lost in the family
history. On the other hand, maybe the solution is hidden in all these details.
Half way through Apples Never Fall, a piece of
information about Stan’s family life is revealed. I believe this is key in
knowing who Savannah is and why she’s there. I really thought I had it all
figured out, but the more I read, the more I had doubts, which is a credit to
Liane Moriarty’s writing. Just when you think you know what's going on, she
throws you a subtle curve that keeps you guessing.
Savannah’s domestic abuse story begins to fall apart when
Logan sees a woman on t.v. tell the same exact story word for word. The Delaney
children are really wary of her now and decide to investigate her themselves.
Once again, I thought I had everything figured out, but who can be certain with
this scenario.
In the meantime, Savannah fills a void for Joy that her
children – especially her daughters – couldn’t or wouldn't fill. At the same
time, Stan and Savannah’s relationship becomes stained and despite their close
relationship, Joy starts having questions about Savannah too. Soon, Stan and
Joy realize how much trouble letting a total stranger into their home and lives
would cause.
Finally, when the truth came out about Savannah. It was
nothing that I imagined it would be, as hard as I tried. My initial reaction to
her motivation was that it's sort of silly. However, by the time I finished
the book, it made more sense to me. Additionally, the revelation that came out
as a result of Savannah’s disclosure, I didn’t buy either at first, but after
reading more and giving it some thought, I could see where the situation could
be plausible.
And then, at last, the truth about what happened to Joy
Delaney is revealed. It is somewhat of a surprise to me, I suppose. Honestly,
I was too busy wondering what the deal was with Savannah that I really didn’t
think about solving Joy’s disappearance.
While not a perfect book, there is more than enough there
to recommend it. There were many moments - even at the height of its drama -
when I found myself laughing out loud. Also, because it kept me guessing, I
wanted to keep on reading.
I also have to acknowledge Caroline Lee, narrator of the
audiobook. She truly makes a Moriarty novel a fun experience.
On a final note about Apples Never Fall, its story
ends at the beginning of the pandemic. Moriarty’s writing about this period of
time is spot-on and so eloquent, and of course, done with a little bit of
humor.
E-mail: mariabookbanter@gmail.com
