The Grapevine is a great debut for this author.
It’s 1979, Australia, in Warrah Place there has been a murder, a young Italian man that lived there with his parents. Only a foot has been found but he is presumed dead, due to a birth mark on his foot he was able to be identified quickly by a neighbour as his parents are away. Twelve year old Tammy liked Antonio and is going to find out who the murderer is even if it’s just to get her some street cred before moving up to high school. Tammy has a lot to learn though as she becomes aware of the knowledge that what she says has a ripple effect on the cul de sac. The neighbours all get along so who could it be?
This was a murder mystery set up a little different to what I’ve read before. I liked how the chapters moved from weeks before the murder to get a good back story of the neighbours to months after the murder and all told through the eyes of Tammy.. Tammy was a likeable character and grew throughout the duration of the book. The neighbours were all very different characters with different problems. If I was to be picky for 1979 in a quiet cul de sac there were a lot of issues within the neighbours, ranging from teenage pregnancy to racism and homophobia
. The book had a good pace and was a decent read.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group, Pheonix for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

There is a large cast of characters here, it can be hard to remember just who is who, this is exacerbated by the characters being sometimes referred to by their names and sometimes by "Tammy's dad", "Colin's mum". etc. It is not that important to have everyone set in your mind however as some of the minor characters are scene setters rather than active in the story.

This book reminded me a little of Harriet the Spy and the more recent A List of Suspicious Things where a bored child sets out to solve mysteries and causes havoc in the lives of neighbours - not a type of book I enjoy. I suppose it is also a bit like Peyton Place and would make a good TV series.

A lot goes on in the book but I did feel that it took a long time to tell its tale and there are mysteries left unsolved - does the mother in law deception get discovered? Is Maureen a victim of abuse?

There are some very well written parts - Debbie's letters, for example, are cringingly authentic. but overall I felt that the characters were a little flat. There is an excellent jaw dropping reveal at the end.

A good enough read but might be better on TV.

From the first page we are straight into a scene where two individuals are clearing up a murder scene. Who has been killed is soon revealed, but the why takes a little more time to answer. Warrah Place is certainly no Ramsey Street. It reminded me of those films about small town America back in the mid-twentieth century. A place full of prejudices, usually driven by people who are the ‘pillars of society’ and above reproach in their community.
Twelve year old Tammy (Tamara), is a lonely child living with parents who for the most part, really aren’t very interested in her. She occupies her own little bubble, often using her knowledge of the ant world to investigate the disappearance of a neighbour’s son (Antonio). Most of her knowledge is gained from adult conversation which she assembles through eavesdropping. Anxious to solve the mystery of what has happened to Antionio (someone she thought of as a friend), and earn herself a reputation at high school when she joins later in the year, she decides to investigate. Although Tammy is central to the action, the characters who live in Warrah Place, provide an intriguing support cast.
This was a very different story, which made it all the more absorbing. A thoroughly enjoyable read from a new writer I shall definitely look out for in future.

My thanks to Orion, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Grapevine in exchange for an honest review.

Set in an Australian cul-de-sac in 1979, the story skips from before the day one of the residents went missing to after. Tammy has just left primary school and in the long summer break she devises things to do to fill her time, no longer having her friend living nearby.
We meet the residents and follow their lives.
A really well written book that had me hooked from the outset, even though at times I struggled to keep pace with the jumps in time back and forward. A totally unexpected twist at the end.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc..

What a brilliant debut! I was gripped from the beginning and couldn’t put it down.
Murder, hidden secrets, deceit, simmering tension and so much more. It’s very well written, atmospheric with clever twists and intriguing characters that draw you in. And their backstories all adding depth to the story. Told through the POV of Tammy, an inquisitive 12 year old girl, who is determined to solve the mystery of her killed her neighbour and friend Antonio, with help from Colin. I liked the friendship that builds between Tammy and Colin.
An enjoyable and compelling story. I look forward to reading more from @kate.kemp.writer
Definitely recommend this one. It’s well worth a read.
With thanks to #NetGallery #OrionPublishingGroup for an arc of #TheGrapevine in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 13 March 2025

Disappointed that this one wasn’t for me. It started off well but think there were too many characters and switching between timelines was confusing.

It seems to have been enjoyed by most readers and expect it will do well.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is both interesting and thought provoking. A good mystery read. Unusual plot and strong characterisations.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

A stunning debut. I was rooting for Tammy from the very beginning and invested in these people’s lives.

This was engaging and well written and would recommend to others.

I liked the different take on a murder mystery.

Firstly thank you to the publishers & Netgalley for giving me access to this arc.

While the plot was interesting and gave me desperate housewives vibes, sadly it wasn’t for me. There were too many characters (especially when a few were called by different names throughout and I didn’t connect with any of them; they were all slightly annoying) & too much going on, from too many perspectives, which made it very complicated & confusing at the start trying to figure out who everyone was & what’s going on. I also found the timeline quite confusing. The constant flip between past and present added to the confusion and made it harder to read.

Additionally, I’m still a bit confused about the emphasis on the ants. Understandable it started off with Tammy doing an ant experiment but it had nothing to do with the name which describes the plot perfectly and as the story progressed and became more than just Tammy’s perspective, the ant descriptions became a bit redundant and boring. It also felt like it went on for too long and became slow. The ending was given away quite early on too, so the anticipation of finding out what happened disappeared and I found myself just wanting to get to the end.

However, one thing I did like about the storyline was the sense of female friendships and empowerment, the characters (both male and female) standing up themselves & others, bettering themselves and being themselves without judgement.

Overall interesting plot and characters but sadly just wasn’t for me.

The Grapevine is an atmospheric, claustrophobic mystery set in an Australia cul-de-sac. An Italian 20 year old called Antonio has gone missing and presumed dead when his dismembered foot is found. The reader knows from the outset that Richard and Naomi, a respected married couple who live on the estate, are involved in his disappearance but not why or how. A lost teenager called Tammy is determined to find out what happened to Antonio and it soon becomes clear that everyone who lives in the estate is keeping secrets. Told from multiple POVs and at different points before and after Antonio’s death, the story slowly builds to its satisfying conclusion whilst also examining themes of immigration, race, religion, feminism and sexuality in 1970’s Australia. The Grapevine is a very accomplished debut from Kate Kemp.

The Grapevine starts with a murder being covered up and we soon find out who has been murdered. So what else do we need to know? Quite a bit as it happens. In this well to do Australian suburb the neighbours may seem to be a friendly church going group but there a tensions under the surface and many secrets to discover. Through much of the book we see comings and goings from the pov of Tammy who is 12 and an extremely unreliable narrator, through no fault of her own - she’s simply too young to really understand what’s going on.
Kate Kemp cleverly peels back the layers, letting us see bit by bit what is behind each door. She also blind sides the reader, I absolutely thought I knew exactly what was going on till the last few chapters. Completely wrong! Very clever, very well written, highly recommend.

A claustrophobic observation of life in 1970s Australian suburbia, where stories are told from each character's perspective, giving a more honest glimpse into the lives behind closed doors. A great take on the crime novel, where a whole community is at pains to keep other secrets hidden.

Can't really articulate why but I didn't quite connect with this. Cover is beautiful. Writing wonderful. Maybe it's the narrative coming from a 12 year old girl? Maybe it was just a bit too long? I never seem to do well with these claustrophobic saga/drama plots and the slow burn of them. Never quite grip me. I'd recommend it to someone who does though

I am sorry to say this book was not a good read for me. I liked the sound of it, but I didn't really connect with it .Hope other readers enjoy it more.

A great debut,loved the setting of late 70’s Australia and the characters in the neighbourhood we met
Occasionally felt a bit confused as there were many voices to be heard but quickly got back on track
Good twist and overall an enjoyable read

The Grapevine by Kate Kemp
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars
Publication date: 13th March 2025

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

I liked this a lot! The murder mystery is very much second fiddle in this book - even though it's a good mystery; this is all about the cast of characters, their personalities, their strength and faults, and the making-up and breaking-up of relationships. None of them are really nice people (with the exception of Colin, who was an absolute little gem,) but Kate Kemp clearly knows how to write good unlikeable characters, by making them compelling and challenging, rather than whiny and tedious.
I know children's POVs are not everyone’s cup of tea, and Tammy could prove frustrating, but I really appreciated how Kemp involved the reader - we can see how Tammy's youth and innocence leads her to misunderstand and misinterpret the things she sees and hears, but we have maturity and experience on our side - we understand what is really going on, and it's not always pretty.
I definitely had a good time with this book, and I'd love to read more from this author.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for an arc of Kate Kemp's debut novel 'The Grapevine'. It's set in 1979, in Warrah Place, in a suburb of Canberra, Australia. Tammy, a socially awkward 12 year old, is determined to unravel the mystery of who killed her neighbour Antonio Marietti. Enlisting the help of Colin (my favourite character!) they explore the secrets and happenings of the quiet cul-de-sac. The author perfectly captures the residents, their personalities and habits. Thoroughly enjoyed this well written book and I'm happy to recommend it.

Thanks to the publishers and net galley for an advanced ecopy in exchange for a review. I really loved this book. Set in Australia near Canberra in the midst of a very hot summer, the book in set in the neighbourhood of Warrah Drive and its residents. When a human foot is found and discovered to be one of the people living in the street 12 year old Tammy makes it her mission to find out what’s happened. Under the guise of studying ants she snoops and digs and uncovers many secrets. I loved the relationship between Tammy and her younger neighbour. I also adored her as a character. I loved the plot, the writing style and it being told from a child’s point of view and one of the few books I found very believable to that affect. I will be recommending to others and looking out for more from this author.

There’s a great cast of characters in this murder mystery set in Australia. You really get a feel for the town and the people living there. Journal writer Tammy, aged 12, watches all her neighbours and wonders what’s going on in the Italian house. Then a severed foot is found. Love the comparisons between ants and humans.

I very much enjoyed this book mainly because of the strong interesting characters who lived in this Australian cul-de-sac in 1979. I almost felt as if I lived there myself. There is a good plot and a murder. A great debut novel with a very apt title. Thank you Netgalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.