What do you think?
Rate this book
The Girl Who Stole the Apple
A page-turning psychological thriller full of twists and turns by best-selling author Peter Tickler
Who can you trust?
Who wants you dead?
They'll kill for what they think you have.
A little girl dressed in a Snow White costume walks into a store and steals an apple . . . then the store blows up. One of the staff, Maggie Rogers, is conveniently out of the store when all this happens. Maggie turns out to have a past full of secrets and betrayal, and attracts the attention of the police as well as more sinister forces. Maggie and the little girl end up on the run, not knowing who’s on their side or even what their pursuers really want.
Then they seem to have reached the end of the line. Nowhere else to run, nowhere else to hide. Maggie and the little girl face a desperate struggle for survival.
Find out the answers in this beautifully written novel which will take you on a darkly gripping journey to a surprising end.
Great for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ian McEwan or Paula Hawkins who love fast-paced suspense thrillers
Also by Peter DEAD IN THE WATER.
Who can you trust?
Who wants you dead?
They'll kill for what they think you have.
A little girl dressed in a Snow White costume walks into a store and steals an apple . . . then the store blows up. One of the staff, Maggie Rogers, is conveniently out of the store when all this happens. Maggie turns out to have a past full of secrets and betrayal, and attracts the attention of the police as well as more sinister forces. Maggie and the little girl end up on the run, not knowing who’s on their side or even what their pursuers really want.
Then they seem to have reached the end of the line. Nowhere else to run, nowhere else to hide. Maggie and the little girl face a desperate struggle for survival.
Find out the answers in this beautifully written novel which will take you on a darkly gripping journey to a surprising end.
Great for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ian McEwan or Paula Hawkins who love fast-paced suspense thrillers
Also by Peter DEAD IN THE WATER.
- GenresMystery
199 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 8, 2016
53 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 13, 2016
A little girl in a Snow White costume complete with wig walks into a store and steals an apple .. runs back out the door. The shop clerk follows her ...and a moment late the store explodes.
Maggie Rogers, another store employee, is conveniently out of the store when it explodes ....but she knows who did it. She has a past life full of secrets. The police are after her, as well as other men who are not the nicest people to interact with. Maggie and the little girl end up on the run.
Who can she trust? Who wants them dead? Not everyone is who they say they are ... and they all pose a danger to Maggie and the little girl.
An engaging Psychological Thriller full of surprises. It's well-written with a lot of action. The ending is quite volatile.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Maggie Rogers, another store employee, is conveniently out of the store when it explodes ....but she knows who did it. She has a past life full of secrets. The police are after her, as well as other men who are not the nicest people to interact with. Maggie and the little girl end up on the run.
Who can she trust? Who wants them dead? Not everyone is who they say they are ... and they all pose a danger to Maggie and the little girl.
An engaging Psychological Thriller full of surprises. It's well-written with a lot of action. The ending is quite volatile.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
September 15, 2016
A little girl who's dressed in a Snow White costume goes into a shop and steals an apple. The sales assistant goes after her she sees Maggie another employee who should have been working that night. Then the shop explodes. It turns out that Maggie's past is full of secrets and betrayal that attract the attention of the police and some sinister people. Maggie finds herself on the run with the girl who stole the apple.
There are quite a few twists and turns in this dark psychological thriller. I could not put this down. I read it all this afternoon.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Joffe Books and the author Peter Tickler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There are quite a few twists and turns in this dark psychological thriller. I could not put this down. I read it all this afternoon.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Joffe Books and the author Peter Tickler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2016
The Girl Who Stole The Apple by Peter Tickler Would Be Better If It Were Made Into A Television Show
Read Review On The Black Lion
by Christina Lydia
Yes. That’s right. I said it.
For those who say “the book is better than (the movie) (the television show): Have you ever came across a book that you felt would be best suited in a different medium? No? There have been instances where television shows and/or films have produced a better experience for me than the reading of the book. I can think of one show that I can say I definitely thought was better than the book (The Vampire Diaries). The Girl Who Stole The Apple by Peter Tickler would be one of them if turned into a visual medium, such as a television show.
What interested me the most when I saw The Girl Who Stole The Apple was the cover image. It reminded me of Twilight (NO I HAVE NOT READ THE SERIES NOR DO I PLAN ON READING IT ANYTIME SOON BECAUSE I ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT’S ABOUT PLUS I’M MORE INTO THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS AND SHOULD I REALLY SAY ANY MORE?). So, I believed it was a book aimed for a young adult audience. And I still consider myself a young adult — age now seems to be so varied that young adults can still be considered young even when near their thirties or over, though I’m not yet thirty (heck, you’re young if you feel young).
The book’s description implies that The Girl Who Stole The Apple is a story that involves a Snow White-like character set in modern day. This story is founded as a detective story and so is advertised as a thriller. Without much spoilers, we have a mysterious incident in the beginning that leads to a murder, an investigation with harsh cops, and a stereotypical back-and-forth hostile interview that got my blood running for reasons unrelated to this book.
We read multiple view points throughout, often jumping from scene to scene with a different character’s point of view or returning to where one character’s narrative left off.
This style of storytelling can work well for some readers, and most definitely works well for certain types of stories (Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles comes to mind); however, for The Girl Who Stole The Apple, I felt it doesn’t work. To be quite polite, I felt disillusioned, often working to hold together what was going on, who was who all throughout, etc. This disillusionment definitely marked a negative reading experience for my part.
While expertly written, no doubt about that, it was a bit difficult to imagine what was going on, especially at the beginning. Yet, after the end of the first chapter, I knew I it would be an interesting book, nonetheless. Though wordy, I can say that Mr. Peter Tickler is a good storyteller and that The Girl Who Stole The Apple (no relation to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Series by Sieg Larson) is an appealing story, overall.
Yet while reading, I truly wished for this story to be translated as a television show someday. Honestly, I believe it is better suited for a visual medium — there are certain scenes that need to be “seen,” if you get my point, in order to be better understood. Being detailed enough, I could imagine that The Girl Who Stole The Apple has potential to be a great show, something in the style of Shetland or even Broadchurch. And on reading, you slowly learn how interweaved the character’s lives are to each other — you eventually see a family held together by secrets and you want to know how the little girl is involved throughout. This knowledge, however, is gained by meticulous attention to detail and to the character’s conversations — hard work for those who want to have an interesting thriller without a long contextual set up.
¡PSST! ©2016 The Black Lion Journal
Read Review On The Black Lion
by Christina Lydia
Yes. That’s right. I said it.
For those who say “the book is better than (the movie) (the television show): Have you ever came across a book that you felt would be best suited in a different medium? No? There have been instances where television shows and/or films have produced a better experience for me than the reading of the book. I can think of one show that I can say I definitely thought was better than the book (The Vampire Diaries). The Girl Who Stole The Apple by Peter Tickler would be one of them if turned into a visual medium, such as a television show.
What interested me the most when I saw The Girl Who Stole The Apple was the cover image. It reminded me of Twilight (NO I HAVE NOT READ THE SERIES NOR DO I PLAN ON READING IT ANYTIME SOON BECAUSE I ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT’S ABOUT PLUS I’M MORE INTO THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS AND SHOULD I REALLY SAY ANY MORE?). So, I believed it was a book aimed for a young adult audience. And I still consider myself a young adult — age now seems to be so varied that young adults can still be considered young even when near their thirties or over, though I’m not yet thirty (heck, you’re young if you feel young).
The book’s description implies that The Girl Who Stole The Apple is a story that involves a Snow White-like character set in modern day. This story is founded as a detective story and so is advertised as a thriller. Without much spoilers, we have a mysterious incident in the beginning that leads to a murder, an investigation with harsh cops, and a stereotypical back-and-forth hostile interview that got my blood running for reasons unrelated to this book.
We read multiple view points throughout, often jumping from scene to scene with a different character’s point of view or returning to where one character’s narrative left off.
This style of storytelling can work well for some readers, and most definitely works well for certain types of stories (Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles comes to mind); however, for The Girl Who Stole The Apple, I felt it doesn’t work. To be quite polite, I felt disillusioned, often working to hold together what was going on, who was who all throughout, etc. This disillusionment definitely marked a negative reading experience for my part.
While expertly written, no doubt about that, it was a bit difficult to imagine what was going on, especially at the beginning. Yet, after the end of the first chapter, I knew I it would be an interesting book, nonetheless. Though wordy, I can say that Mr. Peter Tickler is a good storyteller and that The Girl Who Stole The Apple (no relation to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Series by Sieg Larson) is an appealing story, overall.
Yet while reading, I truly wished for this story to be translated as a television show someday. Honestly, I believe it is better suited for a visual medium — there are certain scenes that need to be “seen,” if you get my point, in order to be better understood. Being detailed enough, I could imagine that The Girl Who Stole The Apple has potential to be a great show, something in the style of Shetland or even Broadchurch. And on reading, you slowly learn how interweaved the character’s lives are to each other — you eventually see a family held together by secrets and you want to know how the little girl is involved throughout. This knowledge, however, is gained by meticulous attention to detail and to the character’s conversations — hard work for those who want to have an interesting thriller without a long contextual set up.
¡PSST! ©2016 The Black Lion Journal
November 28, 2016
I wasn't that keen on this book to many loose ends for my liking.
It was a quick read but not much of a gripping thriller I didn't like the ending much either sorry.
Thank you Netgalley the Author and Publisher for a chane to read this book
It was a quick read but not much of a gripping thriller I didn't like the ending much either sorry.
Thank you Netgalley the Author and Publisher for a chane to read this book
September 14, 2016
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
Sadly I did not enjoy this book as much as I hoped to. It is a quick read but, for me at least, not the gripping thriller it promised to be.
Sadly I did not enjoy this book as much as I hoped to. It is a quick read but, for me at least, not the gripping thriller it promised to be.
June 22, 2020
Another great story
Another great story by Peter with lots of interesting g characters. A great start to the book and the action just kept moving on and keeping you guessing right up to the end.
Another great story by Peter with lots of interesting g characters. A great start to the book and the action just kept moving on and keeping you guessing right up to the end.
April 8, 2022
Interesting plot and characters I just felt like I'd started a series at episode 4 so had missed some vital information how everybody was linked, the whole point of the story.
December 25, 2016
The girl who stole the apple by Peter tickler is a mystery and thriller read.
A little girl dressed in a Snow White costume walks into a shop and steals an apple . . . then the shop blows up. One of the shop’s staff, Maggie Rogers, is conveniently out of the shop when all this happens. Maggie turns out to have a surprising past and attracts the attention of the police as well as more sinister forces. Maggie and the little girl end up the run, not knowing who to trust or even what their pursuers want.
Who can they trust and who are they really running from?
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. Lovely and magical. Maggie was my favourite character. Full of twists and plots. I was clueless as to who it was. Really had me thinking. I do hope there is more to come. 5*. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
A little girl dressed in a Snow White costume walks into a shop and steals an apple . . . then the shop blows up. One of the shop’s staff, Maggie Rogers, is conveniently out of the shop when all this happens. Maggie turns out to have a surprising past and attracts the attention of the police as well as more sinister forces. Maggie and the little girl end up the run, not knowing who to trust or even what their pursuers want.
Who can they trust and who are they really running from?
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. Lovely and magical. Maggie was my favourite character. Full of twists and plots. I was clueless as to who it was. Really had me thinking. I do hope there is more to come. 5*. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
November 4, 2016
The Girl Who Stole the Apple by Peter Tickler was quite different from what I expected when I decided to get the book. I read the blurb and thought that the mention of Snow White(plus the apple) meant that the book had some aspects of the original fairy-tale perhaps integrated into the thriller as a retelling. However, the book is more of a police procedural or a crime thriller.
The story is narrated in multiple POVs. There is Maggie who is on the run with a little girl. I liked her narration because most of what was happening was around her. It was hard to know who to trust based on her perspective which heightened the suspense and unpredictability of the story. There was also an alternative POV from the villains who were looking for Maggie. There are also investigators working the case and so we get to follow the investigation. There are minor POVs that I also enjoyed like Maggie’s dad. I liked the guy and found myself sympathizing with him. He ended up being one of my favorite characters in the book.The girl in the snow white costume (Beth) was endearing and so I found myself looking forward to the sections that involved her.
The book is quite fast-paced. The first chapter starts with drama and tension which is maintained to the last page. There are also quite a number of twists that made the story unpredictable.
The story is narrated in multiple POVs. There is Maggie who is on the run with a little girl. I liked her narration because most of what was happening was around her. It was hard to know who to trust based on her perspective which heightened the suspense and unpredictability of the story. There was also an alternative POV from the villains who were looking for Maggie. There are also investigators working the case and so we get to follow the investigation. There are minor POVs that I also enjoyed like Maggie’s dad. I liked the guy and found myself sympathizing with him. He ended up being one of my favorite characters in the book.The girl in the snow white costume (Beth) was endearing and so I found myself looking forward to the sections that involved her.
The book is quite fast-paced. The first chapter starts with drama and tension which is maintained to the last page. There are also quite a number of twists that made the story unpredictable.
October 10, 2016
A mystery till the end!
This was a bit different for me in the terms of the plot line and I was unsure what to expect from the story.
There's plenty of action and intrigue and the author defiantly spins the story for a big reveal. I had no idea what sets of the chain of events starting with ' Snow White ' and apple, scene which for me was an original opening for a book of this genre and what initially got my attention.
The story is full of intrigue and you never quite know just who are these people? Who are the good guys and who are the bad? No one is quite what the first appear to be, this becomes no less confusing/intriguing?! as the story develops.
Unfortunately for me the ending let's the story down. The big reveal was a bit of anti climax, given the extremes the charachters were driven to, to protect 'the secret', kinda left me thinking,"bet they wish they hadn't bothered ".
Aside from the not very revealing and slightly hmmmm?!!? Ending I did enjoy the story up to that point. I would say it falls more under a crime mystery? I don't think it quite falls under psychological thriller!
I have given 4 stars not 5 due wholly to my personal feeling about the ending, but don't let my opinion put you off. Read it and see what you think x
This was a bit different for me in the terms of the plot line and I was unsure what to expect from the story.
There's plenty of action and intrigue and the author defiantly spins the story for a big reveal. I had no idea what sets of the chain of events starting with ' Snow White ' and apple, scene which for me was an original opening for a book of this genre and what initially got my attention.
The story is full of intrigue and you never quite know just who are these people? Who are the good guys and who are the bad? No one is quite what the first appear to be, this becomes no less confusing/intriguing?! as the story develops.
Unfortunately for me the ending let's the story down. The big reveal was a bit of anti climax, given the extremes the charachters were driven to, to protect 'the secret', kinda left me thinking,"bet they wish they hadn't bothered ".
Aside from the not very revealing and slightly hmmmm?!!? Ending I did enjoy the story up to that point. I would say it falls more under a crime mystery? I don't think it quite falls under psychological thriller!
I have given 4 stars not 5 due wholly to my personal feeling about the ending, but don't let my opinion put you off. Read it and see what you think x
September 15, 2016
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and, having never previously read any of the authors other novels, read it with an open mind.
I actually quite enjoyed the multi level stories, focusing around a young girl - Beth - who left a corner shop seconds before it exploded. Her back story - never fully explained until the late stages of the book - keep your interest and I particularly enjoyed the feistiness of Maggie, the unofficial carer of Beth. There are plot twists throughout and you never quite know the full charactistics of each character until the author hits you with a reveal! A bit Jeffrey Deaver-ish.
Overall a decent enough read and I'm sure I'll check out some of Peter Tickler's other work in the future.
I actually quite enjoyed the multi level stories, focusing around a young girl - Beth - who left a corner shop seconds before it exploded. Her back story - never fully explained until the late stages of the book - keep your interest and I particularly enjoyed the feistiness of Maggie, the unofficial carer of Beth. There are plot twists throughout and you never quite know the full charactistics of each character until the author hits you with a reveal! A bit Jeffrey Deaver-ish.
Overall a decent enough read and I'm sure I'll check out some of Peter Tickler's other work in the future.
September 19, 2016
In my opinion, this is by far the best book so far by Peter Tickler. The quality of his writing and crafting of his stories is certainly developing well.
Whilst he still keeps part of the story in Oxford, he also expands the geographical setting in the fast paced crime thriller.
Is this a murder mystery? Not quite.
Perhaps it’s a family saga? Not quite.
I found myself to be confused at times about where the story was going.
Who is searching for whom and why?
Who are the real victims and why?
This story keeps you guessing right to the end. More twists and turns than the maze at Hampton Court.
My thanks to Joffe Books and to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. This is well worth reading if you like a pacey crime thriller.
Whilst he still keeps part of the story in Oxford, he also expands the geographical setting in the fast paced crime thriller.
Is this a murder mystery? Not quite.
Perhaps it’s a family saga? Not quite.
I found myself to be confused at times about where the story was going.
Who is searching for whom and why?
Who are the real victims and why?
This story keeps you guessing right to the end. More twists and turns than the maze at Hampton Court.
My thanks to Joffe Books and to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. This is well worth reading if you like a pacey crime thriller.
October 7, 2016
A thoroughly enjoyable book, fast paced with a satisfying conclusion.
Maggie's mysterious past catches up with her with a bang, the store where she works having blown up. Sam and his young daughter Beth, Maggie's best friend's daughter, are on the run, and Maggie reluctantly gets sucked in; once again. There are many threads to this story, with some truly evil characters, one of whom, Bridget, is a stone cold killer. Maggie is determined to keep Beth safe as her maternal feelings kick in and they find themselves in hair-raising situations.
The story ties up neatly, after many twists and turns, in which Maggie and Beth had me going " you go, girls".
Thank you, Netgalley, Joffe Books and Peter Tickler for the ARC of this thrill ride.
Maggie's mysterious past catches up with her with a bang, the store where she works having blown up. Sam and his young daughter Beth, Maggie's best friend's daughter, are on the run, and Maggie reluctantly gets sucked in; once again. There are many threads to this story, with some truly evil characters, one of whom, Bridget, is a stone cold killer. Maggie is determined to keep Beth safe as her maternal feelings kick in and they find themselves in hair-raising situations.
The story ties up neatly, after many twists and turns, in which Maggie and Beth had me going " you go, girls".
Thank you, Netgalley, Joffe Books and Peter Tickler for the ARC of this thrill ride.
October 7, 2016
The Girl Who Stole the Apple by Peter Tickler is a gripping suspense thriller full of twists and turns. The beginning of the story is intriguing. It's hard to figure out who to trust. Maggie and Beth face a tremendous struggle to stay alive.
It kept my interest so I gave it four stars.
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Joffe Books and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/GIRL-WHO-STOLE...
It kept my interest so I gave it four stars.
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Joffe Books and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/GIRL-WHO-STOLE...
September 16, 2016
I received this psychological thriller via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am no fan of Gillian Flynn and it could be the reason why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. This is a quick read with plenty of action and plenty of twists and turns. I rarely write what a story is about, as I would only be repeating parts of what is in the author's synopsis. I hope to read more books by Peter Tickler.
I am no fan of Gillian Flynn and it could be the reason why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. This is a quick read with plenty of action and plenty of twists and turns. I rarely write what a story is about, as I would only be repeating parts of what is in the author's synopsis. I hope to read more books by Peter Tickler.
Read
September 13, 2016I did not finish this book so it would be unfair of me to rate it. I gave it my best but for me it seemed very disjointed and hard to read. I was confused right up until I decided to put it down.
Now none of this means it was a bad book. It was just not one that talked to me at this moment. I may pick it up again later down the road and try again.
Now none of this means it was a bad book. It was just not one that talked to me at this moment. I may pick it up again later down the road and try again.
September 19, 2016
Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Peter Tickler for providing me with a copy of this book for an honest review.
It was a quick read for me and full of suspense and an interesting story line that made me not want to put it down! I enjoyed the story lines of the different characters and how it all came together at the end while still keeping me guessing.
It was a quick read for me and full of suspense and an interesting story line that made me not want to put it down! I enjoyed the story lines of the different characters and how it all came together at the end while still keeping me guessing.
October 2, 2016
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This book left me very confused. It was a good mystery but has left me with too many questions. I still don't know why Maggie was being hunted. What was the big secret? Nothing was explained. I still don't know who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. Did I miss something?
This book left me very confused. It was a good mystery but has left me with too many questions. I still don't know why Maggie was being hunted. What was the big secret? Nothing was explained. I still don't know who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. Did I miss something?
January 2, 2017
A briliant thriller that keeps going in unexpected directions and keeps you guessing. Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? When you can't even trust the police, you really don't know anymore...
November 15, 2017
Really was very disappointed! Not the best thriller!
April 23, 2017
I got a bit confused as to who was on the side of who but a perfectly enjoyable thriller
April 30, 2017
I found myself quite confused throughout this book and I felt the same way at the end. Quite disjointed for the most part with too many unanswered questions, sad to say I did not enjoy it.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews