Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

You know how families are—can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em. But what if the people you love most in the world suddenly became strangers? What if everything you thought you knew about your parents, your siblings, and your entire childhood, turned out to be built on shifting sands? That’s the unsettling terrain Liane Moriarty explores in her latest page-turner, “Apples Never Fall.” With her trademark wit and insight, Moriarty serves up a deliciously twisty tale of tennis, long-buried secrets, and the ties that bind (and sometimes strangle) families. It’s an ace of a novel that’ll keep you up way past your bedtime, I promise.

The Setup: Game, Set, Match?

Picture this: Stan and Joy Delaney, married for 50 years, pillars of their community, and former tennis champs turned successful coaches. They’ve just sold their beloved tennis academy and are settling into retirement. Should be smooth sailing, right? Um, not so fast. Their four grown children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—are all dealing with their own mid-life crises. Then one night, a young woman named Savannah shows up on Stan and Joy’s doorstep, bleeding and clearly in distress. Being the good Samaritans they are, the Delaneys take her in. But faster than you can say “deuce,” Joy goes missing, Savannah vanishes, and suddenly Stan is looking mighty suspicious.

I’ve gotta say, Moriarty hooks you from the get-go. The way she sets up the family dynamics, you can feel the tension simmering just below the surface. It’s like watching a really intense tennis match—you know something big is gonna happen, but you’re not sure who’s gonna come out on top.

Characters: A Grand Slam Ensemble

Let’s break down this dysfunctional family, shall we?

First up, we’ve got Stan and Joy. On the surface, they’re #relationshipgoals—still crazy in love after all these years, partners on and off the court. But dig a little deeper, and cracks start to show. Stan’s got a temper, Joy’s got secrets. They’re both struggling with retirement and wondering if they’ve wasted their lives pushing their kids too hard.

Speaking of the kids… whew, where do I even start? There’s Amy, the oldest, a hot mess with possible mental health issues. Logan, the steady one who can’t seem to commit. Troy, the golden boy with a chip on his shoulder. And Brooke, the baby of the family, desperately trying to prove herself. Each of them is so vividly drawn, you feel like you’ve known them forever. Or maybe they remind you a little too much of your own family. (No? Just me?)

And then there’s Savannah. Oh boy. Is she a victim? A con artist? Something else entirely? Moriarty keeps you guessing right up until the end.

Plot: Advantage, Moriarty

Okay, so here’s where things get really juicy. The story bounces back and forth between the present day, where Joy is missing and the family is falling apart, and the months leading up to her disappearance. Moriarty weaves in backstory about the Delaneys’ past, their triumphs and disappointments, and all the little resentments that have built up over the years.

As the police investigation heats up, family loyalties are tested. Two of the Delaney kids think their dad is innocent, two aren’t so sure. And everybody’s got something to hide. It’s like peeling an onion—every time you think you’ve got it figured out, another layer of secrets is revealed.

The pacing is spot-on. Moriarty knows exactly when to dole out new information and when to hold back. There were moments when I literally gasped out loud. (Sorry, fellow subway passengers.) And don’t even get me started on the twists. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out… BAM! She hits you with another curveball.

Themes: Love All

At its heart, “Apples Never Fall” is about family—the good, the bad, and the ugly. It explores the ways we can hurt the people we love the most, often without even realizing it. There’s a lot of meaty stuff here about parental expectations, sibling rivalry, and the weight of unfulfilled potential.

But it’s not all heavy. Moriarty has a knack for finding humor in even the darkest situations. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, especially in the family banter. (The scene where they’re all arguing over brownies at a Father’s Day lunch? Chef’s kiss.)

Apples Never Fall also delves into themes of identity and reinvention. What happens when the thing that’s defined you your whole life—in this case, tennis—is suddenly gone? How do you figure out who you are without it?

Writing Style: Ace Serve

Look, I’m gonna level with you—I’m a sucker for Liane Moriarty’s writing. She’s got this way of getting inside her characters’ heads that just feels so real. The dialogue crackles with wit and tension. And her descriptions… man, she can paint a picture with words like nobody’s business.

Take this line, for example:

“Joy felt all at once desolate, because she knew that Savannah had just lied to her, and Joy didn’t understand the lie, but if she was lying about that, then perhaps Joy’s children were right about Savannah, and she so didn’t want her children to be right about Savannah.”

That’s pure Moriarty magic right there. The way she captures Joy’s conflicted emotions, the subtle shifts in her thinking—it’s like she’s inside your head.

And can we talk about the structure for a sec? The way she jumps between different characters’ perspectives, between past and present – it could be confusing in less skilled hands. But Moriarty makes it feel effortless. You’re always exactly where you need to be in the story.

Comparisons: In Good Company

If you’re a fan of Moriarty’s previous works like “Big Little Lies” or “Nine Perfect Strangers,” you’re gonna love Apples Never Fall. It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic Moriarty novel – complex characters, family drama, and secrets galore.

It also reminded me a bit of Celeste Ng’s “Little Fires Everywhere” in the way it explores the tensions bubbling under the surface of a seemingly perfect family. And there’s a touch of Gillian Flynn’s “Sharp Objects” in the dark family secrets and small-town claustrophobia.

But make no mistake—this is pure Moriarty. Nobody does domestic suspense quite like her.

The Verdict: Game, Set, Match

Alright, let’s bottom line this thing. “Apples Never Fall” is a knockout. It’s got everything you want in a good mystery—compelling characters, a twisty plot, and enough red herrings to stock a fish market. But it’s also so much more than that. It’s a nuanced exploration of family dynamics, a meditation on aging and regret, and a reminder that we never really know the people closest to us as well as we think we do.

Is it perfect? Nah. There are a couple of plot points that strain credibility a bit. And if you’re not into tennis, some of the sports stuff might go over your head. But honestly? Those are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a fantastic read.

I blazed through this book in two days, and I’m already itching to read it again to catch all the little clues I missed the first time around. It’s the kind of book that’ll have you up way too late saying, “Just one more chapter…” And when you’re done? You’re gonna want to call your family. (Whether that’s to hug them or yell at them… well, that’s between you and your therapist.)

From Page to Screen: The Peacock Adaptation

Now, for all you visual learners out there, you’re in luck. “Apples Never Fall” has just been adapted into a miniseries by Peacock, and let me tell you, they’ve assembled one heck of a cast. We’re talking Sam Neill as Stan (perfect choice, by the way—the man can do grumpy yet lovable in his sleep), Annette Bening as Joy (can you say “Emmy bait”?), and Alison Brie as Amy (I mean, have you seen her in “Community”? The woman knows how to play quirky and intense).

The series just dropped this March 2024, and from what I’ve seen, it’s a pretty faithful adaptation. They’ve captured that tension-filled family dynamic perfectly, and the Australian setting is gorgeous. It’s like “Big Little Lies” meets “Succession,” but with more tennis metaphors.