“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.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Grapevine by Kate Kemp. The Grapevine will be published by Phoenix Books later this week on 13th March 2025 and will be available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow. I chose to read a free eARC of The Grapevine but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for inviting me to join the blog tour and for sending me a digital copy of the book.

The Grapevine is, without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite book of the year so far. I bloody loved it! I loved the Aussie-ness of it (yes, I do have a bit of a thing for Australian fiction), I loved the quiet cul-de-sac setting of the novel and I loved how beautifully the author unravels the plot for her readers. But most of all, I adored the characters. Gosh, the characters in this novel are strong. Occasionally you pick up a book and find yourself completely and utterly immersed in everything about it. This is what happened with me and The Grapevine. I lived every second of this story alongside the characters.

The residents of Warrah Place, Canberra, are shocked to hear that a severed foot has been discovered in the hills overlooking their quiet, suburban cul-de-sac. It feels too close for comfort. Their shock intensifies when it’s confirmed the foot belongs to Antonio Marietti, their neighbour from number two. Then the rumours start. Everyone has something to say about the Marietti family. Some of it, not pleasant at all. Twelve-year-old Tammy is determined to find out what has happened to Antonio, who she considered a friend. After all, no one really pays much attention to Tammy, not even her own mother. She’ll be able to snoop on her neighbours, eavesdrop on conversations she’s not meant to hear, whilst staying under the radar. But Tammy discovers a lot more than she bargained for. Warrah Place is full of devastating secrets that will change – and destroy – lives forever…

Would I recommend this book? Hell yeah! I loved everything about The Grapevine. I know I rattle on about characters a lot here on the blog but, for me, the characters can make or break a novel. Kemp has created a stellar cast. A real cross-section of society with their own views and beliefs. The book opens with Naomi Kreeger on her hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom floor. She’s a woman on a mission, obsessed with the task at hand. Ensuring all of the evidence is removed, even if that means throwing out her brand-new towels, bathmat and toilet seat cover. You think you know the direction the story is heading in following this shocking introduction, but you don’t. Not really. Everyone in Warrah Place has something to say about Antonio Marietti. They’ve all had a run in of some sorts with the lad. Yes, this is a murder mystery but it’s also so much more than that. The reader really gets to see what makes this small group of people, people who perhaps wouldn’t necessarily choose each other, tick. There are secrets and there are lies a plenty. Neighbours who receive smiles and warm greetings to their faces are judged behind closed doors, deemed second-class. And in the middle of it all, you have Tammy trying to make sense of the world around her. She is reluctantly assisted in her endeavours by eight-year-old Colin, son of Naomi and Richard. There is so much to love about this book but the friendship between Tammy and Colin is the icing on this well-written cake. Colin’s father is away a lot. Colin’s mother is distant, not really present in her son’s life. So Colin roams Warrah Place looking for something (anything!) to do. Being passed from one family to the next. First he’s an annoyance to much-older Tammy. But it doesn’t stay that way for long. Their friendship builds to something special. Colin is a gem of a character. Upon entering Tammy’s house, he makes his way to her wardrobe and selects the dress he’s going to wear that day. He gets the odd look from the locals, but they tend to shrug off his unique style and let the kids carry on with whatever they’re doing — scientific research into ant colonies, if the adults ask (but really, they’re investigating a murder!). It’s truly wonderful. Totally captivating, highly immersive and impossible to put down. I loved The Grapevine. It will most definitely feature on my top books of the year list. It could even be my favourite book of the year! From now on everything else I read in 2025 has an awful lot to live up to! Beautifully written with gorgeously rich characterisation, a totally enchanting and engrossing story, with a completely unexpected ending. A superb debut. Count me in for everything else Kate Kemp writes in the future please. Absolutely bloody LOVED IT! Highly, highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Grapevine. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Grapevine by Kate Kemp was published in the UK by Phoenix Books on 13th March 2025 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

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.