Apples Never Fall

Apples Never Fall (2021) is a novel by Australian novelist Liane Moriarty. The book begins as a mystery thriller: Joy Delaney, a 60-something mother and retired tennis coach, suddenly vanishes on Valentine’s Day, and all signs point to her moody and volatile husband, Stan, also a former world-renowned tennis coach, as the likely killer. However, as the police search for Joy, the novel evolves into a probing psychological study of a profoundly dysfunctional family that contemplates The Power of Love, The Cost of Sacrifice, and the Toxicity of Blame.

Moriarty’s ninth novel, Apples Never Fall features provocative and emotional scenes with a cinematic sensibility and a cast of vivid characters in conflict with each other and their pasts. The novel quickly became an international bestseller, and even before its publication, it was optioned by NBC Universal for a television miniseries. Two of Moriarty's earlier novels, Big Little Lies (2014) and Nine Perfect Strangers (2018), were also made into television series by HBO and Hulu. In addition, Moriarty’s seventh novel, Truly Madly Guilty (2016), was a #1 New York Times bestseller.