Wednesday 9 May 2018

Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty


Reviewer : Gillian Hamer, author of The Charter, Closure, Complicit, Crimson Shore, False Lights & Sacred Lake (www.gillianhamer.com)


What we thought: Superb thriller written in a really interesting style, where the narrator weaves between present and past to bring to life an intensive court case and its background. This was the first novel I’ve read from this author and I found it engaging and a complete page turner.

Written from the POV of Yvonne Carmichael a successful scientist who has risen to the top of her field, spends time lecturing at the House of Parliament, and enjoys a loving marriage and excellent home life. When she falls for a stranger and begins a passionate affair, she believes she is intelligent enough to cope with both separate threads of her life. But after an attack by a colleague at a work’s party, her life takes a dramatic turn she would never have envisaged in her wildest dreams.

I particularly enjoyed the law court house and the way the author used the first person POV to make the reader feel every twist and turn right down into their gut. Unsure at first the whys and wherefores of the case, it’s not long before the reader is predicting what will happen next.


I listened to the audio version of the book and thought Juliet Stevenson did a wonderful narration, able to bring out every nuance and emotion. From a female perspective, the careful way the author took us into darker side of Yvonne’s character was fascinating, and I found the whole story believable.

I’ve already downloaded another book by this author and hope it’s as thrilling a read as this one!

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Gillian Flynn, Jo Jo Moyes, B.A.Paris

Avoid if you don’t like: Sex with strangers.

Ideal accompaniments: Chardonnay and cheese nibbles.

Genre: Contemporary

Available on Amazon

No comments:

Post a Comment