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Apple Tree Yard
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 14 hrs
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
Non-member price: $22.78
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Editorial Reviews
Publisher's Summary
Yvonne Carmichael has worked hard to achieve the life that she always wanted: a high-flying career in genetics, a beautiful home, a good relationship with her husband and their two grown-up children. Then one day she meets a stranger at the Houses of Parliament and begins a passionate affair with him - a decision that will put everything she values at risk.
At first she believes she can keep the relationship separate from the rest of her life, but she can't control what happens next. All of her careful plans spiral into greater deceit and, eventually, a life-changing act of violence.
Apple Tree Yard is a psychological thriller about a woman's adultery and an insightful examination of the values we live by and the choices we make, from an acclaimed writer at the height of her powers.
Critic Reviews
“A compelling cautionary tale of what happens when fantasy begins to occlude real life. ‘The trouble with stories is, they are addictive,’ Doughty states. In this case, she may never have written a truer word.” ( Guardian)
“ Apple Tree Yard is a chilling novel, in part because of the unsparing light it shines on our ability to deceive ourselves. Doughty has a particular gift for unsettling stories, for making us ask difficult questions of ourselves, our own relationships and choices, and this is her strongest book yet. It's not a comfortable read, but it is entirely compelling.” (Stephanie Merritt, Observer)
“Taut and psychologically persuasive ... A disquieting, perceptive and gripping read.” ( Daily Mail)
“Gripping.” ( Sunday Times)
“Welcome to Louise Doughty's world in which individuals are complex and fallible ... Doughty drops sharp, shiver-inducing insights, like winter raindrops, on every page ... The story is compelling but Doughty makes sure that we're enthralled by teasing us with tantalising glimpses of future events ... Her writing is piercing and potent, overpowering emotions captured in sharp, pithy phrases ... The court scene is one of the best I've ever read, the suspense and tension building to a taut peak ... Riveting.” ( Independent on Sunday)
“If a prologue to a novel is to whet the reader's appetite, Louise Doughty provides irresistible temptation with the opening of Apple Tree Yard... A compelling read ... Recollection, interspersed with the growing tension as the trial plays out in the Old Bailey, provides a perfectly dovetailed structure. But within the thriller framework lies a wealth of acutely observed detail, a dissection of social attitudes and an examination of lust, trust, predatory sex, risky behaviour and responsibility ... there is considerably more to Apple Tree Yard than thrilling narrative alone.” ( Herald)
“Nobody who reads Apple Tree Yard is likely to complain about feeling short-changed ... Here the sharp domestic details are powerfully combined with (among other things) a dark crime thriller, a gripping courtroom drama and an unforced meditation on the pleasures and dangers of self-deception ... Superbly teasing.” ( Readers Digest)
More from the same
What listeners say about Apple Tree Yard
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lyn McQuade
- 20-08-2014
Enthralling
What did you like most about Apple Tree Yard?
I found this book a little confusing to start with but once I got into it I couldn't put it down.
What other book might you compare Apple Tree Yard to, and why?
This book is different to anything I've read so find it hard to compare.
What about Juliet Stevenson’s performance did you like?
Juliet has a well modulated voice and was easy to listen to. She didn't try to overdo the reading. She just let the story tell the tale.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I listen to audio books on my train journey to and from work. I was never ready to turn it off when I reached my destination.
Any additional comments?
very entertaining and kept you interested.
3 people found this helpful
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- Can't listen enough
- 26-03-2014
Loved it!
What made the experience of listening to Apple Tree Yard the most enjoyable?
Well read. Well paced. Very suspenseful. Well written, gives you empathy for the characters. I changed my mind at every chapter.
What did you like best about this story?
It starts briefly with the end and then returns to the beginning. You get to see the characters from the beginning develop and you love them, like them, don't agree and then change your mind all over again at the next chapter.
What does Juliet Stevenson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Excellent Orator. Well read, well paced and lovely on the ear. If I had read this book I would have probably sped through some spots to find out what happened!!
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Lots of emotions. I could empathise with main character and then at times not at all. It was all a mixture of reactions. The depth that this book explored is brilliant.
At times I was questioning why why why! It all ties up in the end.
Any additional comments?
You won't be disappointed.
3 people found this helpful
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- debra
- 07-03-2015
Highly recommended
Loved it! Thought provoking and tense. Great twist at the end. Like able and believable characters. Insight into gender discrimination.
2 people found this helpful
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- Ken
- 06-08-2016
A gripping story.
Kept me on the edge of my seat. Juliet Stevenson's reading is outstanding. Highly recommended.
1 person found this helpful
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- Bec
- 15-04-2015
Totally absorbing mystery
Highly recommend this title. An entertaining, dark mysterious story that gripped me from the beginning.
I had a love/hate relationship with Yvonne, the protagonist which reflected just home how complex we are as human beings, how flawed and how normal, and how close we all are to life-altering moments.
Juliet Stevenson was a wonderful narrator, perfect for Yvonne.
I really enjoyed this book, even the uncomfortable moments!
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 13-10-2019
Dreary
i had the urge to close this book due to boredom right at the beginning.
i persevered even though the story was lackluster and i was almost resigned to the fact that it would not improve. Not sure my time couldn't have been better spent.
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- wesley
- 27-10-2017
gripped to the very last line
I'm burning my way through all of Juliet Stevenson's audiobook. her voice breathes life into each of the characters; i was among them. i even found myself stupidly standing there gripped to my phone, unable to hit pause. thank you Juliet for uncovering another brilliant writer
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- Michelle
- 15-08-2017
Don't bother
This book is so very boring. I only kept listening to hear the pathetic ending. Blah blah blah on and on it goes. I skipped several chapters as the main character was driving me mad. How did this get published?
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- Alana
- 23-06-2017
great read
I'm watching the series so decided I had to read the book, glad I did there's more in there as always
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- Beatriz
- 22-01-2017
Great story
Great story, hard to put down. Juliet Stevenson is a fantastic narrator bringing the story to life. Can't wait for the BBC adaption.
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- andrew
- 29-01-2017
The reveal
Would you consider the audio edition of Apple Tree Yard to be better than the print version?
I was intrigued by Part 1 of the TV version so decided to hear it and was delighted to find the narrator was Juliet Stevenson.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
(Minor spoiler alert)
I do not know why the author gave away the courtroom reveal earlier in the story. There were enough other hints such as the chimp experiment discussion Yvonne had with her solicitor. I would have omitted that earlier piece of the barrister's cross examination as it comes up again virtually verbatim later. Always difficult to get stories told in flashback right and balance out suspense versus too much information.
What does Juliet Stevenson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Incredible characterizations by Ms.Stevenson. Sometimes I can imagine voices when reading in print but not all the time. She adds so much by her voice acting.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I was moved by the family and friends' reactions. I was also moved by the human fallibility component in general and how life can "turn on a dime".
2 people found this helpful
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- Ilana
- 10-03-2014
Sordid
Dashing off a quick review after finish this book. I did not like it at all. I'm giving it a three-star overall rating though because it's a well told story, but the topic of sex and adultery is one that doesn't appeal to me in the least and I found the story very grim and depressing. A respected researcher and scientist, Yvonne Carmichael, is happily married and with grown children when she meets a strange man wearing a snazzy suit one day while at the house of commons. He takes her down to the crypt to the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft (I did not know there was a church in the house of commons), where they have quick sex in a broom closet. From there they begin a sordid love affair, sordid because her unnamed lover is addicted to risky sex in unlikely places. This is supposed to be a smart woman in love with her husband and with everything to lose, and she nearly does when a work colleague rapes her when she gets drunk at a university party, which lead to even more dreadful consequences. I almost dropped it toward the beginning, but then stuck to it only because it was one of my favourites, Juliet Stevenson narrating, and I knew things were bound to get interesting since it's a thriller. But I almost wish I hadn't read it, because I feel dirtied by it now. Wondering whether I should ask Audible for my credit back. I would certainly be in my rights, but then I guess it wouldn't be morally acceptable for me to publish a negative review in such a case, would it? I got this originally because of the narrator, as not infrequently buy books I know nothing about when they are read by someone I really like, and also because none other than Hilary Mantel and Helen Dunmore were among those who gave it rave reviews. I'm sure others who aren't turned off the topic of sex like I am will find it quite good. I blame the antidepressants for preventing me from fully enjoying it, but then I would need antidepressants anyway after finishing the book, so it all evens out in the end.
5 people found this helpful
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- Bjerkana
- 07-10-2014
Complex questions
Where do I start to review this book. It has so much in it. A profound psychological drama, cleverly unfolded, with so many facets. The book explores relationships, morality, motivations, perceptions, personality and the exigencies of circumstance which can turn our lives inside out. The author considers the working of the law and its relationship to underlying moralities, the meaning of truth and lies. Her central character lives and breathes through the outstanding performance of Juliet Stevenson. I loved this book and will look for more by this author.
2 people found this helpful
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- Jane F. Clifton
- 20-09-2014
Juliet Stevenson could read me the phone book.
If you could sum up Apple Tree Yard in three words, what would they be?
Brilliant story, cleverly told and perfectly narrated.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Apple Tree Yard?
It's such a slow build but you're there all the way - scared, intrigued - and you care about all the characters.
What about Juliet Stevenson’s performance did you like?
Perfect pitch, rhythm and pace. She is The Business.
Any additional comments?
I am almost prepared to listen to it again.
2 people found this helpful
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- M. Place
- 16-10-2019
Well Writen, Well Told
First, cudos to the narrator, Juliet Stevenson - maybe the best narration I've ever heard. Not a whole lot of drama or suspense in the first half of the book but it's so well written and narrated, and the main character so well portrayed, that there is no loss of interest . As well, from the beginning, there is a sense of impending doom Well more than a sense - it's introduced in the opening scene. I found the ending, I mean the very ending, a little baffling -- open to interpretation in my view. Was she remembering or imagining?
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- Donna Stephenson
- 12-08-2017
surprise.......last page
great story and book. enjoy, right up to the ending. would read this author again for sure
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- David
- 23-01-2014
Bit of an ordeal in places but a great story
I downloaded this book on the strength of the advertising poster, with no indication at all of what it was about until I started listening to it
A minutely observed tale of lust, trauma and consequences.
Charts the course of an illicit relationship through its many faces, from the woman's point of view, in the form of an intimate letter in much the same style as We Need to Talk About Kevin.
Could this book have been written by a man? I can't help but wonder. The wit of it for me is in the subtlety of the things she notices. (Things that men, apparently do not.) The things that remain unsaid.
I once read that an affair isn't about two people leading a double life; it's about two people leading half a life each. This story sets out to prove that in spades.
Most exciting story in months, which helped by being intelligently and sensitively read.
It made me find lots of excuses to keep listening just to see what would happen next!
31 people found this helpful
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- Richard
- 24-01-2014
A Gem, But Not Flawless.
A middle aged female academic, an affair, two brutal crimes, a trial and a conclusion. Sound familiar, a typical thriller ?. Well no, this dark intimate look into the human psyche is so much more than that, disturbing revealing and totally absorbing. Author Louise Doughty is a truly gifted writer, her use of language is well judged, her characters are beautifully drawn, their flaws and idiosyncrasies are subtly weaved into the story.It is not a comfortable listen, as the story unfolds the author reveals small insights into future events, this works really well, however you are left to ponder, as to how the story will unfold.
The real strength of the book is Louise Doughty's superb dissection of how we perceive ourselves and how we are able to make the facts fit our version of events, and sometimes we are only fooling ourselves.
The scenes set in the courtroom at The Old Bailey are probably the finest description of a legal case that I have ever read, a great insight into the workings of the British legal system.
Narrator Juliet Stephenson is quite brilliant, I could listen to her reading the Great Western Railway timetable, every character is distinct and her tone and intonation are just perfect.
In my opinion the book has one very minor flaw, the book is written in the first person, through the eyes of the previously mentioned female academic. The story is told in a series of letters written to her lover, though never sent, The letters are in the form of monologs both telling the story and revealing the main characters feelings as she attempts to justify her actions. I felt that in some of the monologs the author dragged thins out a little too far, this made the story feel a little ponderous, thus my only real minor criticism is that the book lacked pace. The book did not quite make 5 stars for this reason, but it was a very near thing, a very good, thought provoking book, I can only recommend that you read it.
56 people found this helpful
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- Saffy
- 12-01-2014
Gripping, shocking and thought provoking
I have been waiting for this audiobook to appear for the last six months since it came out in hardback and I was so excited to download it. It's my first listen of the year and I really can't imagine listening to a better novel this year. Louise Doughty has always been one of my favourite writers since the early novels such as 'Crazy Paving' (why are they not on audio?) but this is far superior to anything she has written before. It is gripping, shocking, thought provoking and completely consuming. I really did not know what to expect next and was completely mesmerised by Juliet Stevenson's perfect narration. Louise Doughty writes so well and her excellent prose is so well matched by the narration that I felt my life was completely overtaken by this amazing novel.
41 people found this helpful
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- Mrs. Helen M. Herbert
- 09-02-2014
Brilliant Recommendation!
What made the experience of listening to Apple Tree Yard the most enjoyable?
What a great choice of narrator, Juliet Stephenson used just the right tempo and intonation in her voice, which is like silk, to keep you wanting to hear more.
What did you like best about this story?
The way the story unfolds as Yvonne narrates her experiences, leaving you wanting to listen more and more. The twists and turns in the plot keep you guessing continually about the outcome.
Have you listened to any of Juliet Stevenson’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No I haven't but I will be checking out other books that she has narrated.
17 people found this helpful
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- Jill
- 08-02-2014
Multi-layered and absorbing
I really enjoyed this book. Excellent characterization, complex plot and very thought-provoking indeed. Juliet Stevenson's narration is utterly superb. I had never heard of this author before; I'm glad I decided to follow the recommendations of other readers, she is a great discovery!
32 people found this helpful
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- Rachel Redford
- 09-04-2016
Sex with a stranger...
At 52, respected geneticist Yvonne Carmichael had weathered her husband's infidelity and her son's mental illness. Is this why she falls to having sex in the shadows of Apple Tree Yard with a stranger who may be magnetically attractive, but who is clearly duplicitous? Yvonne tells her own story and right at the beginning of this dangerous affair she tells us that it will all end in a murder trial at the Old Bailey. But how will this come about?
Listening to exactly how Yvonne's life unravels is as addictive as her affair. What makes it utterly engrossing, credible and involving is Juliet Stevenson's superb narration. From the outside you might think Yvonne must be crazy, but the gentle, human narration makes you understand her. It's a really tense ride and one of the listening experiences you won't forget!
5 people found this helpful
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- Sandor
- 13-04-2014
Tedious Taudry Encounter
What would have made Apple Tree Yard better?
Should have been a short story.
Would you ever listen to anything by Louise Doughty again?
Never !
What does Juliet Stevenson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
She has a nice voice, but I felt sorry for her (and myself) trolling through this .
What character would you cut from Apple Tree Yard?
Anyone who wasn't necessary for the story, like woman in painfully described green dress walking down road, adding zero to the story, or woman cleaning her ears with tissue, again described in painful minute detail for ten minutes, pointless tedium.
Any additional comments?
This had the ingredients of a taught little novel, I was expecting " Brief Encounter" meets " Witness For The Prosecution" but got " stupid woman who keeps telling me how intelligent she is meets sad little fantasist" , perhaps the author believed she was being paid by the word and was therefore determined to use as many as possible to pad this boring taudry little tale out into a sizeable book. Please do not waste ( what felt like) days of your life on this, there are many better books and this one should never had made it to print let alone an audio book. I read other reviews and thought it couldn't be that tedious they'd never have let it onto their site, but I was wrong and the other reviewers right, give this a miss.
17 people found this helpful
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- Gavingks
- 27-01-2014
Think I read a different book, except at the end
Well I can honestly say this book is the first I nearly gave up on. I hated the start I was bored and the dismal erotica in the first third left me cold. Worse than that it seemed pointless. However, I stuck with it as I kept hoping it would take a twist and get interesting. It di but I was over 2 thirds in before it happened. In fairness the end third was a good legal drama and I did enjoy it. I think maybe that is why so many positive reviews hit, the end obscures the dull build up.
I also found the narration dull boring and depressing and over 14 hours was just far to much.
I accept I am on my own here but as I think I have a wide taste in literature I cant help feeling others are being overly generous.
In summary had the book been the last third with a little of the build up I would have scored it up around 3.5 or so
58 people found this helpful
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- Jules
- 15-02-2014
Excellent!
If you could sum up Apple Tree Yard in three words, what would they be?
Addictive
Evocative
Brilliant
What did you like best about this story?
The story is excellent, the characters believable, it held my interest the whole way through and Juliet Stevenson's narration was absolutely perfect.
Which character – as performed by Juliet Stevenson – was your favourite?
Yvonne
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Beware of tasting fruit from the forbidden tree
Any additional comments?
I'm recommending this book to everyone I know, it's a great listen!
10 people found this helpful
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- L
- 04-01-2014
Best novel I read in 2013 - page turning thriller
What did you like most about Apple Tree Yard?
Strong narrative, intriguing development of lead characters
What did you like best about this story?
Unreliable narrator, the unstoppable flow of events, court scenes, twist at end.
What about Juliet Stevenson’s performance did you like?
Beautiful voice, paced perfectly and excellent accents as expected of her.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes as the book was the best of all my reads in 2013 I bought the audio version on the day it was released but as it is 14 hours long I had to listen to over two days.
Any additional comments?
Read it (or listen to it) and then read Louise Doughty's other books in particular What Ever You Love.
31 people found this helpful
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