Thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books UK, and Alice Hunter for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bad Apple started off really well. I was quickly hooked and loved the main character Becky straight away. I really love Alice's writing style, her books are always easy to get into.
I felt that the book lost it's way a bit in the middle, which I found harder to get through. It pulled my attention back again before the end, with a pretty decent twist.

Overall, I enjoyed Bad Apple, but I liked her previous novels more, especially The Serial Killer's Sister.

A solid read and 3.5 stars from me.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. This was gripping from the start. The plot was painfully believable, perhaps moreso than most in the genre, and Hunter referenced real life examples of similar stories in her book. Although the thriller element was perhaps rushed, the story on its own was a powerful representation of important societal problems.

Having previously read The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter, I was looking forward to reading another book by the author, and I actually ended up enjoying Bad Apple more.

The story begins with a horrific incident involving an off duty officer, and the aftermath that follows. The opening chapter is a tough read, and I highly recommend checking trigger warnings, but it sets the tone for the entire book. We then move on to Becky, an ex-officer who was struck off for speaking out against a higher ranking officer, an officer who at the time was her husband. Becky knows what John is, and what he has done, and the story follows Becky as she does everything in her power to show the world what type of man he truly is.

I liked Becky. She was clearly deeply troubled, and had been through a hell of a lot, but I was routing for her to bring John down, to have people on her side, and to get her happy ending that she deserves. Her memory was at times hazy, which made the storyline much more unpredictable, because her thoughts and recollections became unreliable. The unreliable narrator trope is one my favourites, so I loved this aspect of the book.

There was a big twist towards the end of the story, but I had already made a slight guess at it before the big reveal. Nevertheless, it was still a very enjoyable reveal, in the midst of an intense showdown that kept you on the edge of your seat.

The story highlights the ongoing issues within the police, and how we (especially us women) are no longer sure if officers can be trusted. It’s a sad reality that we are all facing. This book was exciting and tense from the very start, and the final lines sets you up perfectly for a sequel, which I will definitely be reading!

Synopsis-Becky Lawson’s life has been shattered.
When she discovered her husband, John – a trusted policeman – was a monster, she reported him. But her faith in the system was crushed when it didn’t lead to any charges or consequences.
Now, John lives freely with a new girlfriend and her young daughter, while Becky battles guilt over missing the obvious signs.
Determined for justice, Becky hunts him down. But John wants her silenced – at any cost. Becky knows only one of them can survive, and she’ll do anything to make sure it’s her.
Becky must tread carefully though, because John isn’t the only bad apple lurking in the shadows…

My thoughts—

Becky used to be a respected police officer she lost her job , she reported her husband for a heinous crime but he is a powerful police officer.

Corruption, lies, interspersed with character driven investigation. Bad Apple police very current topics. A psychological thriller with many twists and turns a bit repetitive at times but worth a pick up!

Bad Apple is a fast paced gripping read ,Becky reported her Policeman husband when she found evidence he was a serial rapist but it came back at her as she wasn't believed and he got promoted and she lost her job .Becky's mission now is to get evidence to convict him and protect other woman from his evil ways ,but John is a psychopath with friends in high places and will stop at nothing to protect his secret. The ending was brilliant I did not see it coming ,very clever .Than you to NetGalley for my ARC .

A riveting read that could be ripped from the headlines. Becky discovers her Detective husband is a predator she reports him but he's promoted and she loses her job as a Detective, fighting to uncover her husband leads to a excellent book that I couldn't put down. Good characterisation well plotted. Thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for this review ARC.

When Becky, a serving police officer, finds out her husband, also a police officer, has been committing crimes, she reports him. But, it seems he has friends on the inside and he is believed instead of her. This means she loses her job. She, then, tries to find evidence to support her accusations only to put herself and others in danger
A compelling storyline,

Becky Lawson thought she and her husband John had a good marriage. Both detectives on the police force, they’d spent the past five years together in career and wedded bliss. But when she finds a burner phone containing texts that reveal her husband as a rapist, the life she thought she had crumbles around her. Horrified by his crimes and determined to bring him to justice, she reports him immediately. However, when the investigation clears John of all charges, it’s Becky without a job and John more powerful than ever. But she isn’t giving up. Resolved to prove his guilt, Becky goes after him on her own with the support of some former colleagues. She has to be careful who she trusts, though. John’s not the only bad apple on the police force. He and those doing his bidding will see Becky dead rather than allow her to expose him for the monster that he is.

Filled to the brim with moments of white-knuckled suspense and clever twists, “Bad Apple” is the new, addictive thriller from author Alice Hunter. Propelled forward by continual action and plenty of tense, heart-in-your-throat moments, the story moves along at a good clip without slowing down. Hunter writes with a smooth, easy-to-read writing style. She never bogs down the pace with lengthy descriptions or unneeded details. The story is compelling, but her way of writing makes it nearly impossible not to become completely immersed in it.

Told mainly from Becky’s point-of-view in present day, as well as from a year before when she found the text messages, Becky struggles with realizing she missed signs that would have clued her in to the truth about her husband. This gives her character depth and makes her relatable. But more than anything, she wants justice for his victims and him behind bars where he can’t hurt anyone again — even if it means putting her own life at risk. The other characters in the book are periphery, even John. He’s a menacing, dark shadow that lurks over the pages and makes for some harrowing, anxiety inducing scenes in the book. However, he’s not a multi-dimensional character. He’s scary and evil. He’s all he needs to be.

I got sucked into “Bad Apple” early on. It’s an addictive story that’s hard to put down. That said, though, it was the ending that blew me away! Typically, epilogues serve as a conclusion to a story. Often times, they are set a few months or years after the last chapter ends and wrap things up. But the epilogue in “Bad Apple”? It isn’t like that! Not at all. It leaves you with a final twist that’ll knock off your socks and leave your jaw on the floor. It’s that much of a shocker. It makes me wonder, too… is “Bad Apple” the first book in another series by Alice Hunter? Let’s hope so! She’s one of my auto-read authors for a reason.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

*Bad Apple* by Alice Hunter is a suspense-filled thriller that captivates from the very start. Hunter's writing is sharp & engaging, drawing readers into the seemingly perfect life of Becky. Her world is turned upside down when she discovers her husband’s burner phone, & with that discovery, the suspense truly begins.

The novel is packed with an interesting cast of characters, each adding depth & intrigue to the unfolding drama. Hunter expertly weaves a story full of twists & turns, keeping readers on their toes. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist would come along, making it impossible to put the book down.

This is a highly recommended read for fans of suspenseful thrillers. Thank you to #NetGalley, #BadApple, #AliceHunter #AvonBooksUK for providing this ARC. All expressed opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

I didn't enjoy this as much as Alice's previous books. An ok read sometimes a bit uncomfortable. And a bit predictable. I'm sure others will enjoy this but just not for me sorry

Description sounded very good but I found the book didnt keep my attention as much as I had expected . An OK read though
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC

Becky and John are two police officers who have a good marriage. That is until she discovers he is a monster. She reports him to the authorities but no consequences ensue. They don't believe her. Now she is divorced, alone and without a job, but determined he will not get away with his crimes.

A story of police corruption is not a new thing. This book brings it all to light in a great way. I liked the characters and how they were presented. The story had me on the edge of my seat for most of it.

A game of cat and mouse and who you can trust.

A fun and quick read.

Thanks to netgalley and Avon books UK for the arc.

I have heard good things about this author and this book however for me the story telling and writing fell flat. It just was boring and confusing and not for me at all.

Alice Hunter has become one of my favorite authors! And to no-ones surprise, this book did not disappoint at all!

This was a quick and easy read by Alice Hunter.

Becky is recently divorced from her husband John. She's lost everything- her job, her house, her friends. She knows John is a bad apple in the police force where he works, and where she used to, and sets out to prove just how bad he is.

This was a thriller, which sometimes had your heart in your mouth, but at times went a little too far for me. With themes of extreme police corruption, rape, stalking and more, I felt at times that it became beyond beliveable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alice Hunter writes great thrillers. You might have seen The Serial Killer’s Husband on Paramount.
Just enough grit to shock you but not enough to put you off.

This time we have a police couple. The wife has lost everything after accusing her husband of being corrupt.

Now she’s on her own and still trying to prove his actions. It’s an uphill battle. One that does frustrate the reader at times. However, the action and constant twists will keep you up after your bedtime.

There are occasional chapters from other characters and at times I did wonder what they added as they were not that often.

Like I said, the action more than made up for it and I couldn’t put it down.

Becky is a divorcee who lives by herself. She rents a flat in a less than safe neighbourhood, because that’s all she can afford. She used to be a policewoman, married to a prominent policeman, John Lawson.

However, she discovered that her husband was a monster, a “bad apple”, so she reported him. No charges were ever brought forward, and imagine Becky’s shock when she discovers that John is up for promotion.

What’s worse, she finds out that John is seeing someone new, and that she has a daughter. Becky vows to bring John down now more than ever. She has to protect the innocent women who may fall into trap…

I am a big fan of Alice Hunter’s writing, but this book has left me feeling a bit flat.

There were parts that I enjoyed, like the dual timeline as I was desperate to discover what really happened.

Someone was really messing with Becky’s head, she started forgetting things and she couldn’t really trust anyone.

I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe a bit more comeuppance for John? I am not sure, but as I was reading I was thinking “Is that all there is?”.

A mixed bag for me.

Thanks to Avon Books for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

I have read a few of Alice Hunter's previous books and have enjoyed them but this one not as much unfortunately.

I found Bad Apple to be very slow in pace and whilst the plot was intriguing, I found it a little predictable and, I'm sad to say, boring. The characters were interesting but the thoughts of the main character (Becky) were repetitive so I found myself skimming some sections which is never good. There were tense moments but it wasn't enough for me to feel much enthusiasm to pick it back up after a short break.

Whilst this one didn't hit the spot for me, it has done for others so please read more reviews and it certainly won't put me off reading more of Alice's work in the future and I must thank the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Bad Apple.

I'm in the middle of this one..the story works but it also meanders and needs to catch itself to bring back on track. It's not my favorite in this genre but interesting enough that I will try the authors other work. Some may find the themes difficult to continue you with however.

Unfortunately this book was a disappointment and I really struggled with it so a DNF. I found it too repetitive and the main character not convincing. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for early access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.