Everyone is waiting to get their hands on the new novel from Australian author Liane Moriarty, Apples Never Fall.
It tells the story of the Delaneys, who appear to be an enviably contented family. Even after all these years, former tennis coaches Joy and Stan are still winning tournaments, and now that they've sold the family business they have all the time in the world to learn how to 'relax'. Their four adult children are busy living their own lives, and while it could be argued they never quite achieved their destinies, no-one ever says that out loud. But now Joy Delaney has disappeared and her children are re-examining their parents' marriage and their family history with fresh, frightened eyes. Is her disappearance related to their mysterious house guest from last year? Or were things never as rosy as they seemed in the Delaney household.
While you are waiting to read Apples Never Fall, you might enjoy these other authors whose stories also explore suburban family life and relationships with a dash of mystery, secrets, maybe a murder or two and a little bit of humour.
Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
Every family has its secrets. Fred and Sheila Mercer have worked hard their whole lives. And it's paid off. They have a beautiful house in the dream neighbourhood and their three adult children have always had everything they could have wished for. The family has had it good. But now, after a family dinner, the Mercers are dead. Murdered. Their children are devastated, aren't they? Even as they are set to inherit millions. Surely a stranger is responsible and not one of them . . . This family's secrets are deadly.
The Mothers by Genevieve Gannon
Two couples. One baby. An unimaginable choice. Grace and Dan Arden are in their forties and have been on the IVF treadmill since the day they got married. Six attempts have yielded no results and with each failure a little piece of their hope dies. Indian-Australian Priya Laghari and her husband Nick Archer are being treated at the same fertility clinic and while the younger couple doesn't face the same time pressure as the Ardens, the Archers have their own problems. Namely Nick's infidelity. Both Grace and Priya decide to go ahead with the IVF cycle. Grace becomes pregnant, Priya does not. But when the baby is born it is obvious that something is not as it should be.
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
Fern Castle works at her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister, Rose, three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be … dangerous. When Rose discovers that she cannot fall pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple. Fern’s mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of unexpected love.
That Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Daisy knows she's got it good, living in her beautiful house in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband and daughter. So why is she up all night? While Daisy tries to identify the root of her dissatisfaction, she's also receiving misdirected emails meant for a woman named Diana Starling, whose email address is just one punctuation mark away from her own. While Daisy's driving carpools, Diana is chairing meetings. While Daisy's making dinner, Diana's making plans to reorganise corporations. Diana's glamorous, sophisticated, single-lady life is miles away from Daisy's simpler existence. When an apology leads to an invitation, the two women meet and become friends. But, as they get closer, we learn that their connection was not completely accidental. Who is this other woman, and what does she want with Daisy?
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living showing other women how to do the same. A mother to two small girls, she started out as a blogger and has quickly built herself into a confidence-driven brand. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night. Seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, a security guard at their local high-end supermarket accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make it right. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix's past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other.
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