A thrilling novel set in NEW YORK / USA
Engrossing thriller set in LONDON
22nd February 2022
Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty, an engrossing thriller set in London.
You know how it is when you set off on holiday and you are looking for a variety of books to pop in that suitcase? I am so out of practise with packing for distant (or not so distant) shores that I forgot quite a few essentials. But of course I didn’t forget my holiday reading.
I am late to the party with Apple Tree Yard, as it came out in 2013 and has even been adapted for TV as a 4 part miniseries.
I have to say it was pretty stressful getting to the point of departure but when we got to our destination and I picked up this novel, I was riveted and the immersive nature of the plot further took me away from everything happening in England and the world, and just added to the pleasure of the holiday.
Yvonne Carmichael is a bright woman, holding down an amazing job in genetics. At home she has a husband and son and daughter, and in her early 50s she is doing pretty ok. As the novel opens, she is in the dock being tried at the Old Bailey, which alerts the reader to the fact something jolly serious has gone down. We don’t as yet know why!.
On one of her innumerable visits to the Palace of Westminster – she has to speak in front of various committees – she happens to bump into a man who offers to show her the crypt, where there is a small chapel. Before she is really cognisant of what is happening, she is having an intimate moment with him in the very tight confines, just underneath the buzzing cogs that purport to be parliamentary governance (or not 😉) above their heads. What a frisson! In some ways she got carried away by the moment but she finds she cannot get this man out of her mind. They meet for coffee, they have dark encounters and she finds herself gradually sucked in. It definitely wasn’t in her plan and thus it is extremely perplexing but also very gratifying and titillating.
Then, at a department drinks party, her life changes and the ripple effects from that point move the narrative into darker terrain.
What I very much liked about his novel is that it has the perfect level of tension and explanation, and the author carries the reader along in the palm of her hand as she unfurls the intricacies of the plot. The web of deceit builds easily, the psychological and physical fall-out is tangible. I never once got lost, she ensured that any loose ends were tied up, and just kept a good sense of pace. She tackles some insidious issues that permeate society, how easy it is for a woman to be condemned for behaviour that is tolerated in men. She feathers in control and submission, which isn’t overt but rattles along in the background. And she does a good job of making court proceedings interesting, offering just the right amount of detail. I would say that overall this is a pitch perfect thriller and it’s a shame I have come to it so long after publication,
This is a good book if you are looking for a novel set in London, mainly around the Borough of Westminster, as she has her characters passing through all kinds of nooks and crannies in the city, that only a local would know.
I am of course now intrigued to see what the TV series was like!
Highly recommended.
Tina for the TripFiction Team
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A lovely, thoughtful review, Tina.
You have no idea how many of these ‘late to the party’ books I have, both on my physical shelves and on Kindle, many dating much further back than 2013!
In fact, thinking that I recognised the title, I have just found a physical copy of this book on my shelves, so I have pulled it to the front, where I can see it looking back at me longingly every time I sit at my desk.
I hope that you enjoyed your break when you finally arrived and settled at your destination 🙂