Mystery | Adult
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I am a fan of Kate Morton‘s work; I’ve liked everything I’ve read and loved The Forgotten Garden in particular. Once again, Morton offers a time-shifting mystery involving a grandmother and her granddaughter. The book opens in an Australian summer with a shocking crime – in 1959, grocer Percy Summers is on his way home on Christmas Eve when he discovers the bodies of his neighbour Isabel Turner and three of her four children; baby Thea is missing. The bodies are lying under a tree where they’d been having a picnic; when he describes the scene to the police, he says they looked as if they’d all fallen asleep. Jump forward to 2018 – elderly Nora Turner-Bridges lives in Sydney, Australia, and when she has a fall and lands in hospital, middle-aged Jess Turner-Bridges leaves her home in London to attend to the woman who effectively raised her, but she remains unconscious. Soon Jess finds herself unravelling a mystery as she discovers the story of the Turner family deaths and their connection to Nora, and Jess herself. Why did Nora keep this a secret? and what was Nora doing in the attic when she fell down the stairs? The story keeps shifting back and forth between the two timelines, slowly revealing clues and new information from various characters; there are a lot, but Morton does a great job as always and it’s easy enough to keep them all straight. This is a slow burn of a novel that rewards the reader with unexpected surprises and twists. Most readers will figure out one of the twists early on, as I did, but there are so many reveals in the last few chapters I was delighted every time to return to the book. All the characters are beautifully developed, a fascinating blend of flaws and strengths that lead to misunderstandings and, shall we say, a kind of created lore. So much truth, there! The middle part is slow; I think a good editor could have helped Morton tighten the story, but it’s a multigenerational saga with many perspectives, surprising reveals, and a tender story of love, family, and home. And Morton’s writing is powerful and honest. This bit particularly struck me, almost at the very end: “The opposite of ‘home’ wasn’t ‘away,’ it was ‘lonely.’ When someone said, ‘I want to go home,’ what they really meant was that they didn’t want to feel lonely anymore.” Like Jess, I live far away from where I grew up, so the word “home” is complicated for me; this perspective gave me lots to think about. My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Grand Forks (B.C.) pals will find a copy in the library’s Adult Fiction collection; you can also find e-versions for reading and listening.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62692525

This book had such an interesting premise but dare i say the execution was poorly done. It was my first book of Kate Morton's. The book, for a murder mystery was unnecessarily long and laboriously detailed. I picked this book book up about four different times before I could eventually move past two chapters, and even then, it was a long and painful ride to finishing this book and I almost DNF'ed it multiple times.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I have been a fan of @katemortonauthor for years, and The Lake House happens to be an all time favourite of mine from the author.

This last vacation read happened to be another multigenerational family saga, this time set in lovely South Australia.

In Homecoming, the author weaves a complex tale built on what was either a tragic accident or a horrific crime involving a prolific family. Deceit and lies are passed down through the generations, but it’s difficult to say if anyone is actually being protected from them or if it has done more harm than good.

In true Kate Morton fashion, she has such a way of tying all of those different characters and storylines together that is so delicious. The mystery element of the book wasn’t fully revealed until the very end, and it was oh so satisfying once all of the minutiae were finally revealed. It kept me guessing right until the end.

I will say, that this book felt unnecessarily long, clocking in at 560 pages. It was a slow burn to tie it up, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. And I don’t want to give anything away, but there was a really special ode to the magic of reading and sharing that magic with others who read the same books as you. I think all of us here on bookstagram can appreciate how heartwarming it can be to share your love of a book with someone else who feels the same at about it!

I’d recommend if you’re a Kate Norton fan, or like complex family tales. Available April 4th!

I originally requested this novel mainly because the protagonist and I share the same name. It took me a while to really get invested in the story. The first few chapters I was confused due to the switching of timelines. While I thought the writing was interesting and lyrical, it didn't excite me. I was hoping for a story of a bit more scandal, but instead I was often underwhelmed and just sad. The story was slow-paced and for some books I love the slow reveals (like Mexican Gothic), but for this one it was a struggle to continue on. There wasn't much to keep me invested. Despite my original attachment to one of the protagonist, the connection dwindled away as I got into the story. For people who enjoy gradually unfolding stories and historical fiction, I think this could be right up your alley.

3.75 stars

It’s 2018. Jess has been living in England for a long time, but is called home to Australia when her grandmother (who pretty much raised her) ends up in the hospital. Her grandmother, Nora, makes some odd comments. Jess, being a reporter, investigates and finds some family secrets.

In 1959, Percy is walking in a neighbour’s yard to find a mother and three of her children dead, not a mark on any of them. There was a basket hanging and he hadn’t realized there was a baby in the basket, but by the time the police have arrived and realize there should have been a baby there, the baby is missing.

This was good, but it took a long time to set up and get going. I had a hard time focusing initially, and many of the characters would delve back into memories which made it a bit harder for me to follow, as I was still figuring out characters, time frames, etc. Eventually, I figured things out and it did pick up, and I was interested to know what was going on/what had happened in 1959 (and, of course, how it related to Jess and Nora).

I’m not generally a fan of a “book within a book” and this one had that. That might have been at least part of the reason it took me longer to get “into” the book? Of course, there were twists. I thought I had one figured out, but I was incorrect in what I’d thought. So, my star rating has it just a bit higher than “good”, but I didn’t want to bring it quite up to 4 stars due to the slow start for me.

A sweeping family saga, exploring legacy, family, and the secrets we keep to keep the ones we love close

In 1959 in Adelaide Hills on Christmas Eve a tragedy occurs that leaves an entire family and town scrambling for answers to a murder so baffling it leaves it's echoes decades later. Jessica is an Australian born living in England, when she gets a call that her grandmother fell and is in the hospital she drops everything to return home. As she tries to piece together what happened in the days before her grandmother fell she starts to unravel the story of her family's past and find out what really happened and if the detectives got it wrong all those years ago.

This novel was very long and slow, but I really think the pay off was worth it. I felt part of the story, like i was really there and I have known the characters all my life. The exploration of family, and the secrets that hold it together and break it apart were so well crafted. Every character even the side ones felt well rounded and fully realized. This was masterful writing.

Great new book by Kate Morton I have thoroughly enjoyed it!!! Thank you so much for letting me a part of early readers

This was a really good book, though I found it slow at times, I still enjoyed the characters and the setting. Jess lives in England, originally she's from Australia, she gets a call one day letting her know that her grandmother has taken a fall and is in serious condition in the hospital and if she wants to see her before she passes, to visit soon. Jess returns to Australia for the first time since she left some twenty years prior. She's a journalist and had told a magazine that she would write a travel themed article while visiting. Not long after she arrives and visits her grandmother who is barely conscious and mumbles some phrases that make non sense to Jess, but ignites her curiosity Jess soon starts to investigate her family, her grandmother had raised her after her mother had abandoned her, she grew up in a large house and thought she knew it well. Jess discovers an incident that happened many years ago, a woman and most of her children were found dead, murder/suicide was the rumor. Jess uncovers more of her family history, the way the details are shared are almost like layers being peeled back, there are flashes back to the time the family passed, a journalist had written a book about the incident and Jess found a copy, that led to further discoveries. A very good book and I would highly recommend, especially if you like Australia (you can almost feel the heat) and twisty family histories. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Mariner Books for the ARC. .

Kate Morton-an automatic read!
Kate Morton delivers again with Homecoming, proving why she is an automatic go to for me.

In Homecoming, Jess returns home after learning of her grandmother’s health issues. She uncovers a grisly family mystery with long buried secrets which damaged relationships over three generations. But when the truths are revealed so is the power of motherhood.

Recommended if you like:
Kate Morton
Family drama
Time shift

Not recommended if you:
Prefer medium or fast paced novels

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reader copy of this book! I was so excited to read it I applied for an electronic copy and entered in a giveaway for a paper copy of this one (which I won)!

IG Review to come!

Kate Morton brought the 1960s setting to life in her latest The Homecoming. The descriptions of the landscape are vivid, and the heat is palpable. I truly felt like I was in Australia.
This historical mystery has multiple POVs, two timelines and contains a book within a book. It is a fun and fascinating read.



Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a huge Kate Morton fan for years and to say I was excited for her latest book would be a gross understatement! Unfortunately despite a haunting opening scene, overall this book was way too much of a slow burn miss for me. I struggled to connect to the characters in the 'present' storyline as a granddaughter investigates a tragic murder mystery/suicide from the past. I really felt like this book could have been edited down by a significant amount.

Perhaps it was a me thing but even finishing this as an audiobook did not help. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. I was also privileged to be selected as a Canadian VIP for a Tandem Collective Readalong. Unfortunately this was a big miss for me but I hope others find more enjoyment than I did. At the very least the cover is GORGEOUS and I hope others love this more than I was able to!

I was absolutely thrilled the have the opportunity to read an ARC of Kate Morton’s new novel. I always love Morton’s writing; her stories always feature a multigenerational cast of characters and some very subtle plot twists and many skeletons in the closet. Homecoming is another Morton classic and I throughly enjoyed immersing myself in the story and have already recommended to family and friends.

Content Warnings: miscarriage, child death, infertility, mental illness, grief, murder


› Christmas Eve 1959, Adelaide Hills, South Australia

Percy Summers is on his way home on horseback reminiscing about the time he discovered the Wentworth house when he was younger. Long ago, Mr. Wentworth built a big, beautiful house for his love, but she died on the boat while travelling to Australia. The house became overgrown by the surrounding forest. Fourteen years ago, the Turners moved in and cleaned it up. While cutting through the Turners' land to let his horse have a drink from the creek to cool down Percy discovers Isabel Turner and the children dead under a tree beside the creek.

December 2018 London:

Jess receives a phone call explaining her grandmother Nora had a bad fall and is in the hospital. Jess's mother, Polly, abandoned her when she was 10 years old, which is how Jess became Nora's next of kin. Jess travels to Australia to see Nora who remains in the hospital after her fall. She mutters words to Jess..."Halcyon", "Christmas together"...what could this mean?

While staying at Nora's house Jess discovers a true crime book about the Turner family tragedy that happened in 1959 and is shocked to discover her family is connected to this unsolved mystery.

Many ideas are dropped along like delicious tea biscuits, making me feel like I can relate to every character. For example:

"Science was also yet to explain the unique humanizing properties of strawberry jam and butter on warm toast."
I don't know about you, but that's one of my comfort foods. I recently hurt my leg, and a friend dropped off homemade bread, tea, and jam at my door.

When people read the same book they now share a world and know the same people and places. It's an intimate idea that I never pondered before.

"The sea was calm tonight: tide rolling in and then pulling away again. It was his favourite sound."
Absolutely one of my favourite sounds.

"Home was a feeling, a sense of being complete. The opposite of home wasn't away, it was lonely. When someone said, I want to go home, what they really meant was that they didn't want to feel lonely anymore."
This just hit me in all the feels. Goosebumps, eyes welling.

Homecoming is one of those books that I finished and immediately wanted to flip back to the beginning and start again. You'll get 20% in and think you have it figured out...then you'll change your mind a few times. You may feel quite confident. But I'm certain you will be blown away by the ending.

› I rate reviews based on my own little tweak of the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 9
All this needed to make it a 10 was diversity.

› Atmosphere: 10

› Writing Style: 10
Absolutely love Morton's writing style.

› Plot: 10

› Intrigue: 10

› Logic: 10

› Enjoyment: 10

Average 9.9

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★★★

The Forgotten Garden ★★★★
The House at Riverton ★★★
Homecoming ★★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• Homecoming is Morton's memorable masterpiece. This book is emotional, mysterious, dark, and moody with family secrets, deception, a great plot and strong character development. It's about the power of the written word and left me wondering about "home" and what that word means to each of us. It reminded me of Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker, Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty, Rebecca by Dauphne du Maurier, and The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Kate Morton’s latest was one of my most anticipated reads this year. I love her stories and her writing. But this one just missed the mark for me. Her writing is still beautiful and let’s face it, no one can write more lovingly about incredible homes like she can.

Where it fell a bit flat for me was the use of a book within a book. Full on chapters from another book we’re included and it just seemed to add little to the overall plot. I think if those sections were much smaller excerpts I would’ve enjoyed it more. By the end, I was just skipping those sections all together.

I actually enjoyed the modern storyline between Jessica and her mother and trying to uncover these secrets but the book within a book kept pulling me out of it.

I considered DNFing this at one point but the ending saved it for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschusterca for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Kate Morton puts out a book, it is an EVENT. Customers eagerly await her titles and swarm the store within a couple days of release. It is still the bestselling title within the Indigo company at the moment. One customer purchased it on a Thursday and came in on Saturday begging for her other books. She is a publishing force, and we absolutely love selling and talking about her books. Another triumph.!

This book was a DNF for me and put me into a reading slump. The beginning was just too slow for me and I would have preferred a stronger lead.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to preface this review by saying that I've been a Kate Morton fan since her first novel, The House at Riverton (aka the Shifting Fog), which holds a special place in my bookshelf since I first read it. That being said, I'm not sure if it is because I've gotten older such that my tastes have really changed or that this novel wasn't up to the same level (or a combination of both), but I wasn't very thrilled by this book. I mostly enjoyed it but it was a struggle to get through at least 1/3rd of the novel that I felt didn't really add much to character development or the plot and could have been edited out to make it a much more concise read.

The novel starts on Christmas Eve of 1959 on the Turner family estate - Halcyon in Tambilla, South Australia - where a man stumbles across the bodies of a mother and three of her children. The family's newborn daughter is declared missing for several years since the events of the day. It is declared a murder-suicide for decades and a child's remains are found two decades later. The present day portion of the novel is set in 2018 and follows Jess, a journalist who lives in London, who receives a call that her grandmother Nora Turner-Bridges (relation to the Turner family above) has suffered a fall and Jess rushes to her side in Australia. Desperate to be there for Nora, she begins to dig deep hoping to get to the root of what is tormenting her beloved grandmother and caused her grandmother to venture into her house's attic - including the events that occurred on that fateful day in 1959.

The novel is told from a few perspectives - Jess, the man who discovers the family - Percy Summers, Polly (Jess's mother), and a true-crime novel written by an American journalist that details the events preceding and after the events in 1959. While it was an interesting approach and relatively easy to follow, these varied perspectives seemed unnecessary and added to the length of the novel. Several mysteries are presented throughout the novel, most of which I guessed early on but one caught me by surprise. Unfortunately, even with the good story and well-developed characters, the unnecessary length of the novel really took away from my enjoyment of it.

HOMECOMING by Kate Morton is an adult, historical fiction, mystery thriller focusing on one family, two distinct time lines 1959 and 2018, and several intersecting memories, reflections, journals and books following in the aftermath of the murder of an entire family.

Told in nine parts, from several third person perspectives, numerous timelines as well as a novel recounting what happened years before, HOMECOMING follows UK journalist Jessica Turner-Bridges in 2018 as she is tasked with returning to Australia in the wake of her beloved grandmother’s fall but upon her arrival Jessica begins to unravel a dark, family secret revealing the 1959 murder of a not so distant family she knew nothing about. When Jess was a child, her mother Polly walked away from her only daughter, leaving her in the care of her grandmother Nora Turner-Bridges, and the two have been estranged ever since. Fast forward to present day, Jessica battles between head and heart when her ailing grandmother’s strange utterances and cries prior to death, reveal a dark family secret that immediately pushes Jessica to uncover the truth, a truth about the murders connected to her past.

HOMECOMING is a complex, detailed, thought provoking and powerful story of secrets and lies, family and relationships, betrayal and acceptance. The world building is intricate and exhaustive, meandering through sixty years of secrets and rumors, secrets that reveal a troubling past predicated upon murder and deception. The premise is expository and tangible; the characters are numerous, trouble and looking for answers.


THE READING CAFÉ: https://www.thereadingcafe.com/homecoming-by-kate-morton-a-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5463074032


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It is important to note that most of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the book's subject matters & those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the death of children, infidelity, intergenerational trauma, Postpartum Depression, psychological abuse, & others.

When I learnt that Morton would be releasing a new book in 2023 I was ecstatic. Since the first fluke encounter with her books, one afternoon wandering a local bookstore, & over the years since, I have found myself drawn, repeatedly, to the stories that Morton crafts. There is something very special about how she views her characters' lives; their worlds evoke a nearly identical feeling to ours, with enough mysticism to keep the reader from dread. I appreciated that in many words, relying on the redundant & at times tedious nature of the obvious, Morton was able to whisk me away. It did not greatly matter to me whether or not I was able to clock the mystery or detail a reveal—the journey was worth more to me, in the end.

However, this time around, I am faced with a confusing sentiment of disappointment. Rather than reading a story that was brimmed with intrigue & interpersonal relationships, I found myself reading a book within a book, & letters & articles that quaintly described everything that was obvious to me from the beginning. I am confused. Where did the odyssey go that I was habituated with embarking on? What happened to the glory of a lengthy delight? Clocking in at around 544 pages this book felt like a long tireless meander through dastardly pointy rocks coating a searingly hot sandy beach.

Through a shroud of mystery, the reader is introduced to Jessica (Jess) as she contemplates life as a forty-year-old single person living by the scraps of her savings, trying to find her way in the world (London). We are introduced to the blurry world in which Jess lives rather quickly & it is never touched on again as the story unfolds. This is of note as the issues that Jess is attempting to deal with are ones that will shortly involve other people, namely a team of legal representatives that might repossess her home. Because Jess does not have a proper income & is unsure of where she fits in, we meet her at the perfect time. A week later & it might have been too late, a week earlier & she might never have travelled back to Australia at all.

The reason I highlight Jess’ situation in London is that it doesn’t play any substantial role in building her character. I have appreciated the dual presence of England & Australia throughout many of Morton’s previous books but, in this case, when contrasted with Polly or Nora, Jess’ background story is found lacking.

When Jess goes back to Australia it is to take care of her grandmother, Nora, after she took a tumble that left her hospitalized. The mature reader is left to wonder how Jess was able to venture off to another continent without so much as a second thought about the debt she was accumulating in the process. This leads me to my first qualm. Part of the charm that exists in Morton's books is her ability to make a reader long to set aside the logical world in which they live. The point of this story is for the reader to be met with family secrets & a murder mystery so haunting, nothing else should matter. Yet, I found myself utterly annoyed with Jess for the majority of her narrative & therefore could not help myself but gaze at the scenery while it passed me by.

Perhaps I should grant Jess some reprieve. Upon arriving in Sydney, Australia, we learn about the complex relations that exist between Jess & her mother, Polly. Throughout the years, the relationship between the women has become so strained that Jess has fostered a cruel animosity towards a person she refuses to acknowledge experienced abuse at the hands of her parent. I acknowledge that abuse is not always easy to notice & it is often very difficult to broach in conversation. I cannot rightly expect Jess to know that her mother was abused by Nora as Jess herself was raised to view Polly as a lowly second-class citizen. This was very difficult to read.

It is important for me to take a moment to emphasize that this book does deal with domestic abuse. For some readers, the relationship between Nora & Polly is simply a product of the time; an overly confident mother who grew up during a period in time when world wars ravaged the land & people did not “have the time” to “dwell”. I put these in quotation marks because I think that is a ridiculous excuse & minimizes the damage done to millions of people who experienced & continue to suffer the consequences of war. We would all be better off had Shell Shock been taken more seriously & not viewed as someone “having a bad war”.

Regardless of my personal sentiments towards the field of psychological health, Nora raises Polly in derogatory ways. We read chapter after chapter of instances in which Nora disregards her daughter as being a silly sentimental girl, all the while, we know that Nora is the person that raised her to be that way. It is excruciatingly difficult to overcome trauma responses let alone grow to hold the bravery to leave abusive environments. I cannot imagine that Polly had the freedom to sit with her mother & explain to her that by degrading her, making every decision concerning Polly’s life about her own, infantilizing her, talking down to her & encouraging the world to view her as feeble, tormented, & inept, she was hurting her.

That being said, I appreciate that this plot line was included because it was subtle. Polly was a sensitive person & she viewed the world through a fearful lens. I would not blame the reader for not understanding that this is not a case of someone simply being cautious but rather, this is a case wherein someone was never given the chance to view themselves as capable individuals. It made me sad to read this. I became angry every time we read about Nora acting as though Polly is a failure only to split her shins every time Polly attempted to be self-reliant. Nora reeks of abusive behaviour & I was not sad to know that we would not be exploring her point of view firsthand.

I wish that we had been given more of Polly’s point of view. When she is finally given a voice, the narrative is so far along it feels as though the reader is meant to be tired of whatever recollections Polly has to present. The reason I hold this deduction is that the story stalls for the bulk of its rollout. Jess is given a couple of chapters throughout the bulk of the book to intermingle some of the present with the literature she is consuming at the moment. I did not appreciate or see the value in having the entire story presented to both Jess & the reader via such exposition.

Again, Morton has a talent for intertwining narratives in ways that feel seamless. Whereas her stories take place in whatever year of the twenty-first century, there is always the inclusion of a time period that rivets the story with intrigue; something so far gone it's difficult to acknowledge that it happened at all. This story did not have the magic that lingers between realities. To have a book within a book exist simply to exposition the entire second timeline felt cheap & it was no pleasure to read. I found it difficult to maintain the belief that what Jess was reading was a book at all. Morton’s writing style did not adopt that of a Non-Fiction writer, let alone one that was recounting the lead-up to an unsolved Familicide.

The book that recounted the entirety of the time period (1959) in which the murder took place was grossly underdeveloped. Had this been included as tidbits throughout the story itself I might not have minded. However, the Non-Fiction account was not able to breach the divide that it caused by maintaining the same tone of voice throughout Morton’s entire book. I believe that with some further editing, the tone could have been different—perhaps more serious. I could not forgive the author for simply taking liberties wherever he saw fit because he wanted the story to flow. In that case, we are no longer reading a work of Non-Fiction, the book is a fictionalized account of a real murder involving three (3) children & their mother. This is a bizarre approach.

The tone of the Non-Fiction book aside, I grew weary of reading it. I missed the inclusion of the main character in modern times seeking to find answers by trial & error. Jess seemed to be granted everything at a moment’s notice & without ever trying to work through obstacles herself. Secondary characters flew in & out of the story whenever it was convenient to include them. This teased a plot that was well-developed but the reality was that Jess is a mature adult who was crude, selfish, impatient & rather tedious to listen to. How did someone who boasted of being a career journalist never know the right questions to ask? Why did we have to find everything in a single-sourced book? How come Jess never googled any other member of the town as she read—seeking to discern if any of them or their relatives were still around?

There were so many lost opportunities to watch Jess become a strong independent individual who understood that the life lessons Nora impounded on her were in fact total horse dun & that the world was far more nuanced than an opportunity criminal would allow one to account for. I am not saying that Nora was wrong to seek to give Thea a good life after her family was murdered. What I am saying is that it was weird that she said nothing, ever. Instead choosing to abuse said child into believing that the only person she ever needed was Nora & that nothing she would ever do on her own would be as good as what Nora could give. I understand that Nora was traumatized by both the mass murder of her family & the death of her infant. I grant her liberties here knowing that postpartum psychosis is a deadly thing to experience.

What I have no sympathy for are all of the times that Nora chose to be the bad guy. Why did she lose contact with her brother? I’m sure his grief was exponential. Did Nora not think it was a good idea to reach out to her sibling? Perhaps we are meant to view Nora as a common antagonist. No parent is perfect & we certainly all make mistakes. It feels rather rotten to read about a person that is so highly commemorated by all, meanwhile, she’s treating every child in her care like a piece of mouldy fruit.

In the midst of all of this, there is the murder mystery. For readers who will not be bothered by the obvious nature of the main mystery—who took baby Thea—the story as a whole might not feel like so much of an overhaul as it did for me. As I said at the beginning, I do not necessarily mind that Morton’s books veer on the clear, I still enjoy the journey to the final reveal. In this case, I believe my enjoyment was tarnished due to the things I listed above. As well, I found the somewhat lazy approach to research tiresome. Nora was not a character I enjoyed, Jess was something I could have lived without, Polly was never given a proper chance, Percy was intriguing but was discarded for the exposition of the Non-Fiction, & so on.

Ultimately, this was not my favourite book of Mortons. She remains an author I cherish & for whom I hold a deep appreciation. She is an author & a storyteller, through & through. We shall not appreciate every story, even by our most charming & deliberate of weavers. Had this story focused more on uncovering deep-rooted family trauma; had the story explored the realities of Postpartum Depression; had abuses been spoken aloud & reconciliation sought; had the redundancy not been so tiresome; had there been secrets kept solemnly, I would have loved this.

At its core, this is a good story. A woman falls in love with a man who has a mind filled with more worlds than exist in all the universes for he fosters the love of stories in his heart. Their love tears families apart; their pain seeps into the blood of the tantalizing hands of the curious, the victims, the unknown. A family tree is only as strong as its heartwood, without which it might become the cackling of fire in a night sombre from named sadness & lore.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, & Kate Morton for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was thrilled to receive a copy of the ARC of Homecoming from the publisher. I love Kate Morton books and knew I needed to read this from the synopsis. It did NOT disappoint!

This story follows Jess as she returns home to Australia when he grandmother ends up in the hospital. While home, Jess starts to uncover a family secret based on a tragedy from 60 years prior. It causes Jess to start to investigate the murder of an entire family from the past.

Kate Morton can weave together two timelines in the most unique way. I adored this story, the characters, and the writing style. This was another home run for me by this author.

Rating: 5 Stars