Summary

From the outside, the Delaneys 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?

Comments

We really enjoyed this book.  The Joy and Stan Delaney are recently retired after running a tennis school for many years, when Joy suddenly goes missing.  Forcing her four children, to face up to whether their father could possibly have anything to do with her disappearance. Liane Moriarty knows to write about families and all their complexities.  We can never really know what goes on when everyone else goes home.  While for the most part we enjoyed the way the story unravelled, flipping from ‘past’ to ‘now’, at times we did get a little confused.  We loved all the little character stories and how they all came together in the end, linking back to the main story.  Definitely a more engaging read than her last novel.  We would definitely recommend this book. 

Rating 7/10 read by Cultcha Club