Apple Tree Yard WITH spoilers (I hope!)

[MoreThanUs]

Hello, I'm quite enjoying the programme but would enjoy it even more if I knew what was happening and how it is going to end!

I thought it might be worth seeing if there are other people like me, or who have read the book, and would like a thread were nothing is out of bounds.

If it's not for you, please don't read on!

I have trawled the internet to find out the ending / twist and can't seem to find it.

Is anyone willing to start us off by telling me the ending?

Does anyone else prefer something when they know the outcome? I HATE surprises!

This is a very strange book ( I will read it again after the series) because most people who have read it can't remember most of it.
I think HUMP is mostly correct though and I also remember that when she denies knowing him they have the CCTV evidence from their tryst in Apple Tree Yard (remember they thought they had evaded the cameras).
But I agree I don't remember being surprised at any big twist in it.

I'm glad it's out in the open now! Means I can discuss it more thoroughly. She eventually recalls that she asked him to kill him, when they were in bed at the flat (the scene that was shown last night). But in retrospect it could have been a comment made in anger at the time.

The trial reveals more about Mr X, now called Mark. He was a would be spy, but was rejected on the grounds that he was a fantasist.

I didn't think he was a spy while I was reading it. She took it for granted given his security privileges that he was but it wasn't stated so I figured that he was something more mundane.

I think that in the ending we find out that the husband knew about the affair as he must have came across her secret file on her laptop and deleted it. He was having an affair with Rosa, his student, so perhaps his hasn't disclosed this because of the repercussions from that?

X kills George. George's body is discovered quickly by his landlady. Cross referencing witness accounts of them in the street and then High St CCTV they quickly trace the car back to Yvonne. Prior to being caught X warns her to keep quiet about their relationship and say they're just friends as that will be what will protect her. She is arrested at home, this is when her husband is brought up to speed with the rape (but not the affair). She is bailed, X is held on remand. He tries to sneak a message to her, she is recalled as a result and held in remand as well.

They both go on trial together for murder (joint enterprise). X is named as Mark. No prospect of reduced manslaughter charges as he had gone prepared with change of clothes. His defence will have to be either loss of control or that he has a psychiatric/personality disorder. Loss of control defence would require a triggering point that would make him lose control, one doesn't exist, so his defence is the psychiatric one. However, the expert witnesses end up blowing this to pieces. Things are looking very bad for them. The only way he can save himself being found guilty of murder is by throwing Yvonne under the bus and revealing their relationship - giving the trigger of why he lost control (e.g. Being taunted by George etc). He is also exposed as a bit of a fantasist - he got rejected from MI5, built up a load of fantasies/narratives about himself, it's proposed that he wanted to create the fantasy of being a knight in shining armour by pretending he'd be willing to kill for Yvonne by coming prepared etc but that he never actually intended to kill.... there's loads of detail in the court case.

He gets several years for manslaughter. She gets a few months for perjury.

Ends with her flashback to the bed in the flat where she said she wants X to "smash his fucking face in" (George's). So yes it was indeed a joint enterprise murder (from her point of view).

I'm not really a fan of murders, but can't get excited about someone murdering a rapist!

Thank you for this thread, I really needed this lol

She gets away with it, basically. She knew Mark went into George's flat for along time, and came out wearing different clothes, for example.

Thank you so much Ulysses - that is exactly the sort of thing I was after!

I can relax now!

I have a few more questions re the detail:

Is X / Mark married?
Was that 'fake' camera real? Did Mark know it was real?
Does her husband forgive her?
Does she feel betrayed by X, or did their relationship serve its purpose for both of them?

Thank you!

Mark is married. The prosecution tells the court that she and mark had sex in apple tree yard the day of the rape and she breaks down and admits it, husband forgives her. I don't even know what the twist was meant to be in the book to be honest!!!

The twist is the bit where they are in bed and she asks Mark to take care of George, isn't it?

(I agree it's an odd book, that no-one can quite remember properly! I need to find my copy of it and re-read it)

Thank you so much Wonder.
Absolutely - I did consider resting the book, but thought this might be quicker! I was looking for one of those online summaries but couldn't find one.
Pop I do exactly the same. Once I know, I can relax and enjoy the whole thing.

Wondermoomin has it correct. I just finished it the other week so most of the details are still fresh.

Thank you!!! Now i can watch this in peace

Someone else might help me out here, but I thought there would be more to the plot to do with the son who had psychological issues.

We also find out that her mother committed suicide when she was young as well.

ulysses I felt that the son's mental illness was kind of significant because Yvonne was wondering whether a rape court would take it as a sign of mental illness in her? Additionally, her mother was mentally ill too, as you say. I think Yvonne thought a potential rape case would be undermined by mental illness in the family.

I think the relationship between the mother and son is better described in the book. I think, at the end, Yvonne is scared to get better in case she drives the son away, having, she thinks, already driven him away.

wizzy pleased you feel the same!

Can someone explain why, in the scene where Yvonne is picking up X from the station, he doesn't have a bag with him? He changed his clothes after the murder, but where were they? Did I miss something?

Oooo - love a continuity question!

He had a bag but didn't take it into the house. Continuity alert!

Yes I noticed that! He had a bag when he came out of the station, didn't take it into the house. Yvonne was supposed to notice that he was wearing different trainers and trackie bottoms when he returned (but he didn't change his socks, which transferred a bit of George's blood onto the mats in her car)

Oh...so, in that case,what instrument did he use to kill George, then? Wasn't he bludgeoned?

And I'm wondering now about how X knew George was in.

I read IDMB for scary movie plot spoilers instead of going to the cinema, because I know the acting will be crap. It's like my equivalent of a short story

I think Mark beat him up and he fell in the tussle so Mark literally kicked his head in with rage.

I've found my people

Welcome Essential. A place where sane people can meet!

Just the info I've been searching for! Thanks OP