A mint green, retro style bicycle lies on the side of the road, near a scattering of green apples. An intriguing opening to a totally absorbing, utterly brilliant story.
This is Liane Moriarty’s best book ever! I have loved all of Liane’s books and think of her as Australia’s Anne Tyler but this time she has outdone herself.
This is the story of the Delaney family: father Stan, mother Joy and their adult children: Amy, Logan, Troy and Brooke. As is usual in Liane Moriarty’s books each character is drawn meticulously, allowing the reader to get to know and, in some cases, love them all, even those peripheral to the main cast. Joy and Stan have sold their successful, long running tennis school and are living in the family home in an unnamed Sydney north shore suburb. The children have all moved out although Amy, the eldest at almost 40, comes home every now and then. Suddenly out of nowhere Savannah enters, making a profound impression on the lives of Joy and Stan and, consequently, their children.
The story is constantly fascinating and the suspense builds up quietly and deliciously (apple crumble, anyone?). The children’s lives, their past involvement with the superstar tennis player, Harry Haddad, and their growing uncertainty about the state of their parents’ marriage all become significant when a disappearance occurs causing much soul searching as well as physical investigation to be undertaken.
I would have hated to be given any more insight into the story than I have outlined above, before I began to read it. The twists and turns are exquisite!
Liane’s legion of fans will devour this book and new readers will become instant devotees. It’s got to be 5 out of 5. What’s not to love?
Published by Macmillan
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