The Grapevine by Kate Kemp is an impressive debut novel set in the height of summer in 1979 Australia. What can I say? I absolutely adored this book and was completely blown away by it!

The story begins in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac as a housewife is scrubbing the bathroom tiles at 3am in the morning, desperately trying to remove all traces of blood. Her husband, on the other hand, is remarkably calm considering their young neighbour Antonio Marietti has just been murdered.

As a new day dawns on Warrah Place, news of a severed foot being found is spreading like wildfire. The foot is identified as belonging to nineteen year old Antonio Marietti who is now missing presumed dead. As gossip and suspicion mounts, 12 year old Tammy decides to begin an investigation of her own. But Warrah Place is a neighbourhood with many secrets – and the identity of the murderer turns out to only be the tip of the iceberg…

The Grapevine is very much a character driven tale that encompasses everything from prejudice to the hidden lives of women, with 12 year old Tammy taking centre stage as, with the help of 8 year old Colin, she tries to uncover the identity of a murderer.

A fascinating study of a small Australian community, this is a book that instantly transports you to the stifling hot summer of 1979 as it brings Warrah Place and the larger than life people who live there vividly to life.

A tense and atmospheric read, The Grapevine is a stunning debut that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. Kate Kemp’s writing is gorgeous and I can’t wait to read whatever she comes up with next.

Highly recommended.

A foot is found of a local boy, who it seems has been murdered. A young girl wants to tell everyone that she has found this out, but no one wants to listen to her. This book has too many characters, and as a result they all lack depth. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately it was not for me.

This book was fascinating. You start with the knowledge of the culprit. You watch as the folk around you scramble to figure out who is a murderer, what secrets are they hiding, what political, ethical and moral divides are there between our neighbourhood. So we know who but what is the why?
The characters have such wonderful growth. The story is pacey and rich.

With a twist that you won't see coming, you have to read this.

A fairly slow paced read told in multiple timelines before and after a murder that happened in suburban Canberra, Australia during a heatwave in the 1970s
The book opens with the aftermath of the murder and concentrates on the inhabitants of a small cul de sac - Warren Place
Loved how each chapter slowly introduced you to different households, gradually revealing what happened leading up to the murder
So many secrets hidden behind closed doors - who is the murderer?
An excellent debut novel - atmospheric and simmering with tension, prejudice and suspicion
Thanks @katekemp.writer @orionbooks and @netgalley for the atmospheric eARC

A story of a neighbourhood in a hot Australian summer. A man's severed foot is discovered and Tammy decides to investigate. But what will the repercussions for the neighbours be?
I found this story quite slow which made it hard to get involved with.

Kate Kemp’s debut novel, The Grapevine, offers a compelling glimpse into suburban life in 1979 Australia, weaving a tale of murder, secrets, and community dynamics. Set in the sweltering heat of a Canberra cul-de-sac, the story begins with a grisly murder of a neighbour and unfolds through a number of perspectives. Our main narrator is twelve-year-old Tammy, who embarks on her own investigation, uncovering more than she anticipates.

Kemp excels in creating a vivid sense of place, immersing readers in the atmosphere of the era with authentic 70s Australian slang and detailed settings. The character-driven narrative delves into themes of prejudice, secrecy, and the complexities of human relationships, particularly among the women of Warrah Place. Tammy’s perspective adds a unique layer, offering both innocence and insight as she navigates the adult world of gossip and hidden truths.

However, the novel’s pacing can be uneven, with some sections feeling slower as the intricate web of character backstories is unraveled. It was also slow to come together, and while the loose ends were tied up as neatly as possible, it may turn away readers who prefer a more evenly paced read.

Additionally, the broad range of themes explored - from racism and misogyny to homophobia and family dynamics - while enriching, may overwhelm some readers seeking a more focused narrative from start to finish.

Despite these minor drawbacks, The Grapevine stands out as a richly observed and engaging debut. Kemp’s sharp social commentary and evocative storytelling make it a noteworthy addition to contemporary fiction. For readers who appreciate character-driven mysteries set against a richly detailed backdrop, this novel is a rewarding read.

Very atmospheric and the descriptions really took you there so obviously well written however I struggled to get into it.

The Grapevine starts with an interesting concept, and there’s definitely potential in the story’s focus on secrets, small-town dynamics, and the complexity of relationships. Kate Kemp’s writing style is clear and easy to read, and there are moments where the book captures a real sense of place and character.

However, the execution didn’t quite land for me. The pacing felt uneven, and I found it hard to stay invested in the characters or their motivations. While the book touches on some intriguing themes, it often felt like it was skimming the surface rather than diving deeper.

Overall, this was a decent read with some strong elements, but it didn’t quite grab me.

It’s 1979 and the residents of Warrah Place have many secrets. When a foot turns up unexpectedly a young Tammy decides to investigate the case but in doing so she unknowingly starts to unravel more than she bargained for. After Tammy is finished with her investigation will her neighbours find a way to forgive her.

I found this book very slow to come together, it was very different to anything else I have read, it reminded me of a weeks worth of Home and Away or Neighbours so very soap drama like.
I enjoyed the read but found it a little too slow.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a soap drama style book.

Thank you to NetGalley for offering this
ARC in exchange for my personal thoughts.

The neighbours of Warrah Place all have secrets and when one of their number is murdered their suspicions and prejudice of each other become very apparent. Set in Australia in 1979 many of these characters are living very different lives behind their closed doors and many of their opinions and behaviours would not be accepted in today’s society. This book has often been likened to A List of Suspicious Things and I can see the similarities- if you liked that book you will love this. The story is toldthrough the eyes of Tammy who at 12 years old finds herself to be an outsider with many of her contemporaries and who decides that in order to belong she must find the murderer. A story of betrayal which deals with difficult topics such as misogyny, xenophobia ,homophobia and also coercive control . I held my breath as the secrets were uncovered and the neighbours discovered the true story of what happened. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

A hot summer in the Canberra suburbs. A missing man and a neighbourhood full of secrets and lies.

Tammy is a young girl, yet to find her place in the world. When neighbour Antonio goes missing and human remains are found dumped, she makes it her mission to covertly investigate and solve the crime. But Tammy uncovers more secrets than she could ever have imagined. Affairs, forbidden relationships and surprising friendships form that will shape her future.

Skilfully crafted, this is a slow burner of a book that mirrors the languid heat of that hot summer. The adage that you never know what goes on behind closed doors, is never more appropriate than in The Grapevine. Intrigue a-plenty makes this a compelling read and it is an intimate portrayal of human relationships with all the complexity we bring to the world.

I very much enjoyed this.
It reminded me in some ways of Only Goats and Sheep - except, this is Australia and we already know the answers, or do we...
It's a clever little book, but more than that, a well written debut - I think it will be interesting to see what comes next, because this is a gem.
Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to read in advance - unfortunately, my TBR got in the way, so... better late than never!

The Grapevine is not the usual crime whodunnit as we are told in the prologue who kills the victim and how. This is a story about the secrets and lies of a street in suburban Australia in the late 1970s which gave me serious Ramsay Street vibes. I enjoy coming of age stories and The Grapevine centres around year old Tammy’s determination to uncover the truth as she launches her own investigation. Subsequently much of this is told from Tammy’s POV but I felt perhaps too much information was fed through Tammy and the story would have benefited from switching POVs allowing us to see behind closed doors as the other neighbours meltdown in the heat of the Australian summer and under Tammy’s investigation. This was a simmering pot of tension that never quite made it to the boil for me but was an enjoyable read. If you like a whydunnit rather than a whodunnit and enjoy teenage narrators than this is a solid 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great book. Love the mix of characters and how their interactions are portrayed

Brilliant debut novel which is well written and meticulously researched. It's a slow read though (at least I found that to be the case) so you really have to stick with it. There are also a lot of characters to try and remember. It was interesting and refreshing to see the murder of a local resident through the eyes of a child rather than an adult. Good read

It is hard to believe that this book, set in Australia, is a debut novel as it is so well-researched and expertly written. The author, a psychologist by training, takes us to a suburban Canberra street in the late 1970s during a heatwave. With the mysterious message ‘Antonio Marietti from the Italian House is dead’, still ringing in their ears, readers next encounter 12 year-old Tammy, an only child, who relieves her boredom not by engaging in the gossip that is openly exchanged in the backyards or by roaming the streets with other youngsters, but by following the tiniest residents of the backyard ants on their travails. Bit by bit, filtered through Tammy’s experiences, the narratorial radius opens up to show other residents of the neighbourhood – the Hong Konger Lau family, for example, the presumed World War II survivors Joe and Zlata, and the two co-habitating female residents Lydia and Ursula, each of whom encounters their own dose of neighbourhood prejudice and gossip of things allegedly ‘heard on the grapevine’. The whole ensemble forms a collage that is, in fact, a study of social mores in a time and place gone by – all in all, a fascinating read. I wish to thank NetGalley and the publishers for the digital ARC that I was gifted to allow me to read this unusual debut novel and to produce this book review. Thank you!

Set in an Australian neighbourhood with mainly relatable characters.. It was confusing for a time following all characters and remembering who they all were.

The book took me a time to get into its rhythm . It was very slow in places but picked up towards the end. Of the story. Interesting to be from a child’s perspective which is always good.

A brilliant debut, this is a clever suburban drama, the oppressive Australian heat adding to the atmosphere with one hell of a twist.
Not everybody has good neighbours.

A thoroughly gripping read set in an oppressive setting and full of surprises.
I became totally immersed in the slightly claustrophobic Australian cul de sac where the neighbours are seemingly decent folk going about their lives. When the son of an Italian family is murdered, however, it brings out the worst in them, including racism, homophobia, snobbery and conceit.
The characters are realistic and relatable – we all know all these people: the misfits, narcissists, downtrodden and victims.
Author Kate Kemp brilliantly creates a stifling atmosphere of relentless heat, dangerous gossip and unfounded suspicion as she portrays the everyday lives of this community. She also cleverly plots this story so that it’s not a typical murder mystery. We’re given clues as to the murderer right from the start. Or are we?
Recommended.

Set in the sweltering Australian summer of 1979, The Grapevine is a character-driven debut that blends suburban secrets with the tension of a murder investigation—told in part through the sharp, sometimes misplaced observations of a 12-year-old girl.

When a severed foot is found near Warrah Place, the quiet cul-de-sac is thrown into chaos. The victim, Antonio Marietti, was a familiar - if mysterious - presence in the neighbourhood. Instead of a fast-paced whodunnit, Kemp takes a slower, more intricate path: focusing on the gossip, politics, and tangled relationships within this tight-knit street.

The real standout is Tammy, the young narrator who takes it upon herself to solve the murder, accompanied (reluctantly) by 8-year-old Colin. Their perspective adds humour and poignancy, especially as Tammy interprets adult behaviour in ways both innocent and strangely insightful. The neighbourhood becomes a microcosm for broader issues - racism, misogyny, homophobia - all simmering just beneath the surface of ‘ordinary’ suburban life.

This isn’t a thriller in the traditional sense; it's more about mood, character, and the unravelling of community veneers. At times the cast felt a bit sprawling, and I occasionally lost track of who was connected to whom. The pace dips in the middle, but it picked up for me again in the final third. There’s a twist toward the end that was surprisingly well played, and I appreciated that not everything was neatly tied up.

I’d recommend this for readers who enjoy novels like A Crooked Tree or The Trouble with Goats and Sheep - thoughtful, slow-burn explorations of ordinary lives disrupted by something extraordinary.

This was a great crime novel. At the start the reader is introduced to the murderer and who they murdered, it's the why we are left to figure out. The story's setting a cup-de-sac and timing hot summer provide the backdrop for an engrossing read. The tension and sense of claustraphobia grows as the characters, inhabitants of the road are introduced, Uusing a dual timeline before and after the murder provides a firm footing for the action.

One of the narrators is a twelve year old, Tammy. She is lonely and struggling to fit in, She wants to solve the murder and find out what happended to her friend. Her atempts at deduction are often misplaced, as she uncovers clues but not really what they mean. She reluctantly forms a friendship with Colin a neigbor. His family are at the centre of the murder. Their relationship is poignant. As the story progresses we learn more about the residents, their characters and backstories, some more palatable than others.

Women's stories become a powerful focus throughout this story, their sense of place and identity amid paternalism, misogeny, recism and homophobia.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommend to those who enjoy tense drama with many strong women.

Thank you, Netgalley, the publisher and author, for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.