One of the audiobooks I listened to on my car trip to Texas for Thanksgiving was Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. It was 18 hours and 4 minutes long which I mostly listened to on the way there and back. Here’s my take on it.

This story centers around the Delaney family and a strange woman who shows up at their door one dark and stormy night. Not too long after that, the mother disappears without a trace. Her cell phone is found under the bed she shared with her husband who is found to have scratch marks on his face.

Though the above main plot is exciting, there are lots of family flashbacks that, in my opinion, clog up the flow of the mystery. Different clues are sprinkled in every so often, but the bulk of the book focuses on the family dynamics and the relationship the parents have with their children. They are a tennis family, and tennis is brought up quite a bit. I must admit that if I read the book, I would have flipped forward to avoid all the details about tennis and family history. Those sections dragged on for me.

Would I recommend this book? No. If you’re looking for a good mystery, look for other titles. The solution to the mystery left me unsatisfied though I did not see it coming. Usually that’s my litmus test for a good mystery, but in this case, what I imagined happened was far more interesting than what actually transpires. I would give this listen 2 out of 5 stars. I would have given it a 1 out of 5 but the accent of the narrator was intriguing and pleasant to listen to for 18 hours. It made me laugh out loud a few times which I also enjoyed. But I found myself wanting to give up on the title many times but didn’t because I already invested so much time.

Now that I’m done, I need some good book recommendations. What have you read/listened to lately that you’ve loved?

xMae

P.S. I am a writer myself, so I know how hard it is to finish a novel let alone publish it and make an audiobook out of it. I support Moriarty, but I’d suggest finding another one of her titles to explore.