Liane Moriarty, queen of suburban noir, has family life firmly in her sights in her new page-turning whodunnit, Apples Never Fall, from Pan Macmillan ($32.99). This New York Times bestseller is chock-full of her expertly crafted characters, acute wit and sharp observations.
When an hysterical domestic violence victim arrives at their door, empty-nesters Joy and Stan are themselves knee-deep in domestic ordinariness – unloading the dishwasher and parked in front of the TV.
As an aspiring grandmother, Joy promptly begins feeding the young waif and bandaging her wounds. But both her husband Stan and the couple’s grown children express concern when Joy then invites the woman, Savannah, to stay indefinitely.
So naturally, Savannah is an easy scapegoat when Joy suddenly and inexplicably goes missing.
Exploring the complex relationships between siblings, and between grown children and their aging parents, Apples Never Fall is the latest addictive offering from the author of Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers and more.
Having sold more than 22 million copies of her novels, Moriarty is one of Australia’s most successful authors. She will be talking about Apples Never Fall and adapting her works for television at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, Carriageworks, on 22 May, alongside fellow author Caroline Overington.
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