The Grapevine

'I absolutely couldn't stop reading . . . It took me hostage' Marian Keyes 'Lively, original . . . packed with tension' Janice Hallett 'A revealing close-up of a claustrophobic community. I loved it' Jennie Godfrey 'Deeply impressive . . . The final twist is devastating' The Times Australia, 1979. It's the height of summer and on a quiet suburban cul-de-sac a housewife is scrubbing the yellow and white chequered tiles of her bathroom floor. But all is not as it seems. For one thing, it's 3 a.m. For another, she is trying desperately to remove all traces of blood before they stain. Her husband seems remarkably calm, considering their neighbour has just been murdered. As the sun rises on Warrah Place, news of Antonio Marietti's death spreads like wildfire, gossip is exchanged in whispers and suspicion mounts. Twelve-year-old Tammy launches her own investigation, determined to find out what happened, but she is not the only one whose well-meaning efforts uncover more mysteries than they solve. There are secrets behind every closed door in the neighbourhood - and the identity of the murderer is only one of them . . . Richly atmospheric and simmering with tension, The Grapevine is an acutely observed debut novel about prejudice and suspicion, the hidden lives of women, and how the ties that bind a community can also threaten to break it. What readers are saying about The Grapevine: 'A brilliant debut novel' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A gripping suburban drama steeped in mystery and neighbourhood intrigue' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A compelling blend of psychological suspense and domestic drama' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'An absolutely brilliant read which I couldn't consume quick enough. And that plot twist at the end!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Kept me up all night' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kate Kemp is an Australian writer living in the UK. She trained as an occupational therapist and then as a systemic psychotherapist, and has worked with families and individuals in mental health services in both Australia and the UK. In 2021, she won the Stylist Prize for Feminist Fiction and the Yeovil Literary Prize. The Grapevine is her first novel.