Homecoming, the highly anticipated new novel from Kate Morton (Pan MacMillan), renowned Australian author of The Clockmaker's Daughter, takes readers on an enthralling journey. Set in the picturesque Adelaide Hills of South Australia, the story unfolds on Christmas Eve in 1959 when a shocking crime is discovered on the grounds of a grand country house, leading to one of the most perplexing murder investigations with lasting effects echoing across continents and generations.
Jess, a journalist who has worked in London for many years, finds herself out of a job, urgently searching for a good story to put her back on the map. A phone call from her hometown reveals that her beloved grandmother, Nora, who raised her, has suffered a serious fall and is now hospitalised in Sydney, Australia. Without hesitation, Jess rushes back home to be by Nora's side.
At Nora's house, Jess discovers a non-fiction crime book chronicling a long-buried police case about the Turner Family Tragedy of 1959. It is only when Jess skims through its pages that she finds a shocking connection between her own family and this notorious event – a mystery that has never been solved.
In the book, written by a journalist, Jess reads the details of the shocking deaths in 1959 of Nora’s sister-in-law, Isabel and three of her children as well as the disappearance and presumed death of Isabel’s baby. Despite feeling a sense of betrayal that Nora had kept this tragedy hidden, Jess's journalistic instincts propel her to delve deeper into the truth surrounding the fateful events of that bygone era and to unravel the secrets of her own lineage.
Homecoming is a slow-burning tome, filled with wonderful characters, history, and descriptions of the beauty of the South Australian landscapes and the tight-knit communities and its people. A gifted writer, Morton artfully weaves together the intricate threads of the plot while unveiling the mystery surrounding the decades-old crime. Alongside this central mystery, she skilfully unravels complex family relationships, lies, and buried secrets from the past, leaving Jess questioning everything she thought she knew about her own kin.
It is an epic story that spans generations. I found Jess’s homecoming experience after two decades abroad — and how that impacts her perspective of her home country and family — especially interesting. Morton's writing is captivating, drawing readers into a world where the past and present intertwine, ultimately revealing the transformative power of understanding one's roots.
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