ABOUT THE BOOK
There are secrets behind every closed door in the Warrah Place neighbourhood, and who killed Antonio Marietti is the biggest one of all . . .
It’s the height of summer in Australia, 1979, and on a quiet suburban cul-de-sac in Canberra a housewife is scrubbing the yellow and white chequered tiles of the bathroom floor. But all is not as it seems. For one thing, it’s 3 am. For another, she is trying desperately to remove all traces of blood before they stain. Her husband seems remarkably calm, considering he has just murdered their neighbour.
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 . . .
**********
MEET KATE KEMP
Can you tell us about your childhood?
I moved around a fair bit when I was a kid. I’d lived in Melbourne, Darwin, Adelaide, Canberra and rural NSW by the time I was ten. Not having any one place that I call home has had an impact on my relationship to place when I’ve travelled as an adult (I’m currently settled in the UK) and I’m always curious about the different meanings that can be attached to place.
My family were in Cyclone Tracy in Darwin in 1974 and were very lucky to survive. Our house was destroyed and we lost all our possessions. Although I was too young to have any memories of the cyclone, I’m sure it influenced what we valued as a family. Both my parents changed careers during my childhood and I benefitted enormously from that – the idea that you don’t have to stick with one job just because you started there.
Can you tell us a little about your new book and what inspired the story?
The Grapevine is about the people who live on a suburban cul-de-sac in Canberra in 1979 and how their lives are upended when a young man is murdered. There’s a murder mystery, a coming-of-age story, forbidden love and unrequited love, a heatwave and lots of gossip, suspicions and prejudice. At its heart, though, it’s about the hidden lives of women, all of whom want to reinvent themselves in some way.
The idea for The Grapevine came to me after I’d had risk-reducing surgery because of a family history of cancer. My mum had died too soon for science to give her the same chance, and I was wishing I could ask her about what life was like for her and other women when she was my age. At that time, we lived on a cul-de-sac in Canberra similar to Warrah Place in The Grapevine. Writing this story was my way of going back in time to have a chat with Mum about what it meant to be a woman in that place and time, and how that might be different for women who occupied various spaces where gender intersects with race, sexual orientation, age, class, religion and mental health.
Why did you choose to set The Grapevine in 1979, particularly in suburban Canberra?
The obvious answer is because that’s where we lived when I was a kid. But as I wrote I became increasingly interested in Canberra as a designed city and how deliberate decision-making about the city’s layout and functioning impacted daily living. Similarly, I was interested in Canberra as Australia’s political hub at a time when Australia was on the cusp of change, and the relationship between national policy change and cultural attitudes in suburbia. I think Australia has a very complicated history with identity and so I created a twelve-year-old girl as one of the main characters who is also grappling with identity, searching for one she can claim as her own.
Your background as an occupational therapist and systemic psychotherapist gives you a unique perspective on human behaviour. How has this informed your writing, particularly in creating the characters in The Grapevine?
There are ways in which my training and experience helped me create characters. For example, each character has a backstory that lends coherence to their patterns of behaviour, choices, motivation and interiority. There were a few times I had to rewrite backstories for it to be plausible that a character would do what the plot required of them. The most useful thing I bring from systemic psychotherapy, though, is thinking of characters as relational beings. That’s why it was important to me to write about a community and have an ensemble cast where a number of characters get their turn in the spotlight and you get to see the difference between how characters present themselves and how they are perceived and positioned by others.
My work has made me curious about how we make meaning of our lives, how we know ourselves through the stories we tell about ourselves and that are told about us, how some stories become dominant and others subjugated, how we get recruited into believing some stories and not others, and how we can go about reauthoring the stories that don’t serve us.
The concept of gossip plays a significant role in the novel. How did you approach using the grapevine itself as a narrative device? Did you always want to explore how gossip can shape a community?
I love the way you’ve phrased this question, because yes, the way gossip shapes a community is exactly what I wanted to explore. I’m fascinated by the potency of language, how it not just describes our reality but creates it, how every utterance contributes to the power structures within which we are all embedded. The assumptions we make, how we give voice to them, who is part of the conversation and who is not – all of this creates what kind of spaces are available for people to occupy. I’m equally fascinated by the potential for talking (perhaps we won’t call it gossip in this instance) to create new possibilities, where narratives and voices that don’t usually get a look-in are heard, where assumptions and prejudice give way to curiosity and human connection.
What do you want readers to take away from your portrayal of suburban life?
On the first page of The Grapevine, the idea is introduced that a woman must play the hand she is dealt. The rest of the novel is an exploration of that. What if a woman doesn’t like her lot and wants to change her life? What are the constraints to change and where are the possibilities? How might it be different for different women? My hope is that readers feel there is plenty of room for them to bring their own experiences and reflections to these questions. This book started with me wanting to have a chat with my mum, and I want to open up that conversation to readers too.
What are you reading now?
One of the great things about being a writer is that I get sent advance copies of novels not yet published. I’m currently reading The Eights by Joanna Miller, which will be published in April, 2025. It’s a wonderful debut, about the first women to study at Oxford University during the 1920s. It’s a story about women carving out opportunities for themselves and each other through courage, friendship, bloody-mindedness and daring to hope for the future.
What are some books that have made a lasting impact on you?
I would read anything Hannah Kent wrote. She is exquisitely talented at immersive storytelling.
I’ve learnt much from Sarah Winman about joy in fictional relationships and how narrative drive can still be maintained while characters are being abundantly good to each other. I particularly love Tin Man and Still Life.
Emma Flint is so good at conveying a woman’s embodied experience in Little Deaths.
For plotting, pacing and narrative tension, I can’t go past Sarah Waters.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller are wonderful examples of what can be done with structure and form.
And for sheer delight in the elasticity of words and their meanings, I love the short stories of Eley Williams.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kate Kempis 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 debut novel.
(5/5)
Welcome to Warrah Place – a seemingly repectable suburban cul-de-sac on the outskirts of Canberra. “The Grape Vine” by Kate Kemp, is set in January 1979, and the reader can feel the slow, drawn-out days of an Australian summer holiday.
The story begins with a clean-up after a murder, with the victim Antonio, the perpetrator Richard, and his accessory, wife Naomi, all identified in the first few pages.
The questions of why and how Antonio, a 19-year-old Italian immigrant, came to be a murder victim would appear to be the basis of the plot.
And yet this clever book is about so much more.
Kate Kemp has chosen as her unlikely heroine, a lonely, bored 12-year-old girl Tammy, who is fascinated with scientific projects and ants. The author’s injection of information about ants at the beginning of each chapter is a very powerful social commentary.
Following Tammy’s curiosity and desire to solve the murder mystery, we are drawn into the homes and lives of the nine families residing in the cul-de sac.
Kate Kemp’s description of the suffocating sticky heat of an Australian summer, before air-conditioned homes were standard, totally reflects the stifled frustrations and narrow- minded thinking of the residents. Everyone harbours suspicions based on ignorance, resentments, prejudices and disappointments. It is a hot bed of emotion.
The reader is caught up in the unravelling of secrets behind the facade of respectability and phony community spirit. This book will reel you in, and then totally catch you out with a wonderfully crafted twist. This is Kate Kemp’s first novel, and I am already a fan. I am so looking forward to further offerings from her pen.
(4/5)
A compelling, twisty murder mystery set over a steamy summer in 1970s Canberra suburbia, The Grapevine offers readers a fascinating glimpse behind the closed doors of a multicultural neighbourhood where nothing is quite what it seems. With relatable, real life characters and touching on issues including race, sexism and gender that still resonate strongly today, The Grapevine will quickly draw you into its tangled web and have you guessing until the very end.
(5/5)
This is a story about a group of people living in 9 houses in Warrah Place. The story covers the dynamics in each family, and the interactions between individuals in each family. It covers murder, love, loneliness, prejudice, sadness. The characters were believable and I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. As with murder stories, just when you think you had sorted out who did what, another angle would pop up to change your mind. A very enjoyable read.
(4/5)
A family drama and murder that happens in a quiet court in Canberra. This book starts with the victim who has been murdered, then continues with a character examination of everyone who lives in the court. It is mainly told through the eyes of Tammy who is a very intelligent child, but finds it hard to fit in with her peers. It seems that everyone in Warrah Place could have been Antonio’s murderer.
This is quite a big book for a debut novel and had a lot of characters to keep up with. Luckily, I was sent a card with the descriptions of who lived in what house in the court, without this I would have had a hard time keeping up with who was who!
Personally, I felt that some of the characters were unnecessary and the book could have been a bit shorter without losing any of the drama within. Just when you thought you knew ‘who did it’ all was revealed with a surprising perpetrator!
(2/5)
Unfortunately I stopped reading about 120 pages in.
Whilst the book is written well, I had no compulsion to keep turning the pages, mainly for the following reasons: I didn’t feel it was a crime/thriller and I’m hoping it doesn’t get marketed as one because it will leave a lot of people who enjoy the genre disappointed.
There were too many characters to keep track which made the read difficult to follow, although I did love the little map card that came with it, I’d highly recommend putting this in the book.
What I did like: The setting was Canberra 1979, there were elements that reminded me what life was like as a 10 year old girl.
A great first chapter…won’t go into details.
The Cover, and yes I’m a judger!
This is just my opinion, I’m not a book reviewer, I just love reading.
Like anything in life, if something is not bringing you joy…move on and with 700 unread physical books in my library that’s what I chose to do.
(4/5)
What a fantastic debut novel! Although this was a “crime” novel, I found it light-hearted and at times quite funny. The story is set in the 1970s in an Australian suburban street, where the neighbours are all involved in each other’s business. It reminded me a lot of the tv show Neighbours!
The story starts with a murder of one of the street’s residents. From there we find out more about the neighbours and the secrets that they are hiding from each other.
There was a twist right at the end (which I did not see coming!) which made for a very clever ending to this book.
The Grapevine had me hooked from the very beginning and I will be looking out for more books from this author in the future.
(3/5)
Debut novel The Grapevine, written by Kate Kemp is a solid entry read, although feels a little too long.
The setting had me feeling as though I lived in Warrah Place and was peeping through my curtains into the lives of my neighbours, channelling my inner ‘Esme Watson’.
Thankfully the included map card made for quick reference to said neighbours, and helped keep me on track during the course. With numerous characters playing big parts just when I thought I was on to the culprit, nope… think again!
The Grapevine isn’t your typical crime novel, more of an observation of family/neighbourhood drama. The setting of the late 1970’s was a delightful touch of nostalgia, and painted pictures of growing up surrounded by my Nan and close family.
Never one to judge a book by its cover, but this cover is a true delight!
Looking forward to seeing where Kate takes us next.
(3/5)
When I received the book I was delighted to read it. The abstract inspired me to read the book thinking about a murder set in 1970 in Suburban Australia, showing people full of characters, gossip, secrets, and lies as the news of Antonio’s death spread.
As a reader, I was very engaged by the first chapter. Unfortunately, the more I read, the less interest I find – too many residents to remember, quite confusing (little map of the cul-de-sac was very helpful).
Kate Kemp writes well for a debut novel, however, I had expected more of a thriller.
(5/5)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It is set in Canberra, in 1979 and being a child of the 1970s, I could very much relate to the time setting of the story and the thoughts/views of a lot of the community at this time. I’m sure the suburb I was growing up in was much the same! I also related very much to Tammy who was the main narrator of the book. Seeing the story unfold through her eyes was very appealing to me, as well as being able to relate to all the things she was experiencing as a 12-year-old growing up in the suburbs in 1979. I found myself wanting to keep reading as each chapter came to an end and it was hard to put the book down.
I also appreciated the reference card provided with the book and referred to this a lot to assist me with getting to know all the characters – this was a great idea and nicely designed/presented.
Given that this is Kate Kemp’s 1st book, I can’t wait for more!
(3/5)
The Grapevine starts with a murder but quickly shifts focus to the complex relationships between the residents of a 1970s Australian cul-de-sac. The setting is rich with nostalgic details, from the music and fashion to the societal issues of the time, like racism and sexism. I really appreciated the street map and character list—it made it so much easier to keep track of all the characters, especially since most of the story is told through 12-year-old Tammy’s eyes.While I enjoyed the character development, the book can feel a bit slow at times, and some characters seemed unnecessary. The story keeps you guessing with twists and turns, and just when you think you know who did it, a surprise comes along that flips everything on its head. I do have to admit, though, the ending didn’t quite live up to the build-up for me.Overall, The Grapevine isn’t a fast-paced thriller but more of a character-driven story about secrets and community. If you like slow burns and exploring relationships, it’s worth a read.
(4/5)
My first thought was, it’s a murder and I already know who did it, what’s left to know?
Well, what’s left is a tangled, interesting, believable web of residents at Warrugul Pl, Canberra in 1979.
Who is telling the truth, who is lying, and who is lurking somewhere in between?
Can I say that the bookmark provided showing the street map and residents’ names is genius. It could have been so easy to lose “who is who?”, “who likes who?”, and “who hates who?” very easily. This is even more so at the beginning, when initially piecing together the characters and where they live and who they live with.
Much of the story is told from the point of view of 12 year old Tammy, the eyes and ears of the innocent and invisible can be tricky for the reader to decipher, so beware.
Set in 1979, it’s “full as a goog” with fashion, music, tv and lifestyle references of the period, particularly enjoyable for those readers of a certain age.
It’s also a time of a lot more discrimination, misogyny, racism, homophobia and any other outdated biases we have thankfully improved on.
Each family unit and each character within each household has a part to play. It did get a bit bogged down in the middle but believe me and read on. Absorb these group intimacies that have a habit of imploding or exploding.
With secrets and lies at its heart, this novel takes a tangent that it sure to surprise.
(3/5)
The book launches with a murder… which starts the inquisitive Tammy, to investigate the death of her neighbour. Kate Kemp’s debut novel The Grapvine transports the reader straight to 1979, to a suburban cul de sac community in Canberra. Through 12-year-old Tammy, we scratch the surface of the neighbourhood and the secrets that simmer beneath. The Australianisms, social observations, unfolding secrets, and pace make this debut novel a fun read. I enjoyed The Grapevine and look forward to any future releases of Kate Kemp!
(5/5)
For a first novel, Kate Kemp has hit a home run. The Grapevine had me invested right from the start. With a murder in the cul-de-sac, everyone working so hard to keep their secrets hidden from others. You get to know each household and its members. Seeing everyone’s vulnerabilities shows that those we think are in control often are not. Those we think are weak quite often are the strong ones that in the end will stand their ground.
Following along as young 12-year-old Tammy decides to spend her Summer break trying to solve the murder mystery before the police do was an interesting way of getting a lot of information about the members of the street out there. Tammy figures if she can solve this mystery then she just might earn some respect with the group of girls at school. But in the end, she learns that they really don’t matter and that its true friendship that matters most. Her odd friendship with 8-year-old Colin becomes something she learns to value.
When the murderer’s identity is revealed just remember that all is not what it seems.
A must-read book for 2025.
(4/5)
The Grapevine is set in Warrah Place, a suburban cul-de-sac in Canberra, Australia, during the sweltering summer of 1979. The novel features a diverse cast of characters, with 12-year-old Tammy as the central figure. The plot revolves around the murder of Antonio Marietti, a young Italian man, which sets off a chain of events in the neighbourhood. Themes such as secrets, lies, and the hidden lives of women in 1970s Australia are explored with the murder more of a catalyst than the main event. Soft issues like gossip and suspicion, as well as tougher ones like homophobia, misogyny, and racism, are deftly illustrated in the variety of characters we meet.
I found this a compelling story that successfully combines a gripping mystery with insightful social commentary, making it an engaging read for a broad audience. In the end, you will ask yourself – who REALLY committed that murder? Clearly NOT the ants!
(4/5)
(4/5)
Kate Kemp’s book about love, loss, death and life in Australia in the 70’s was compelling and kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed reading the story at different points in time after a murder has occurred on a seemingly otherwise quiet street. However as the tale goes on it seems the neighbours aren’t living the lives they portray. The analogy of the life of ants along the way was also an interesting touch.
(4/5)
The Grapevine opens a window onto a quiet, suburban cul-de-sac in Canberra, 1979, and peers into the lives of some of the women who call it home. Reflecting a cross section of ages, races, sexual orientations and perspectives, each woman faces her own, personal struggle for identity. In the aftermath of a brutal murder, the secrets they keep bubble into the light and expose the fault lines in the community. How well do you know your neighbours?
Kate Kemp did well bringing the setting and characters to life. I didn’t sense anachronism in the range of different attitudes expressed, but the people of Warrah Place also felt familiar in a way that shows that, for better and for worse, our society hasn’t changed all that much in the past 50-odd years. For much of the novel, the book prodded me to wonder which character, if any, I’m most like. I also really enjoyed the glimpse of Canberra past.
I read The Grapevine over a couple of weeks, enjoying it but not gripped. A twist in the final few chapters caught my attention and left me with a strong, positive impression. Not what I expected, but in keeping with Kate’s skillful character studies.
(4/5)
I liked The Grapevine. It’s told from a few different perspectives, and I’m impressed Kemp was able to bring a different voice to each of them. Admittedly, one character did irk me. The little map that came with the book was handy for keeping track of who was who.
Set in a suburb of Canberra in the Summer of 1979 I don’t recommend reading this during Summer as Kemp describes it in such a way to make you even more uncomfortable than you already are.
As I read the opening scene I thought, this was going to be something! Murder, secrets, suspense, twists, ants!
I’m one of those readers who can usually predict the twists, but this time I was pleasantly surprised.
Quite enjoying the abundance of books set in Australia of late. Get your hands on this one.
(4/5)
This suburban piece of life in Canberra in the late 1970’s is a snapshot of all the things we never discussed, the idea of keeping up appearances regardless of what is happening behind closed doors but at the same time hungry for any snippet of gossip or innuendo to add to the narrative.
Nineteen year old Antonino’s foot has been found in the hills behind Warrah Place and the questions, theories and finger pointing begins. There are themes of racial prejudice, gender identity, cohesive control, bigotry, religious rightness, sexuality, and just plain growing into being a teenager. Tammy at 12 is trying to find her place in the scheme of life and is convinced that if she collects all the clues the residents in her street have on offer, she will be able to solve the murder and become popular. It was a flawed plan.
The Grapevine is a great read to find out who did it but also a reflection on social mores and keeps you guessing until the very last page.
(3/5)
This book captures that sentiment if you thrive on gossip and intrigue and live in a sedate neighbourhood with not too much happening in your life.
It made me feel claustrophobic and sad that neighbourhoods, despite their shared dinner parties, even a Bible Study group, that may outwardly seem appealing; it’s the lack of boundaries of individuals coming and going into each other’s houses that I found added to the tight story of Warrah Place, the cul de sac saga.
Most of the story is seen through the eyes of twelve-year-old Tammy. The excellent inserted card with the family names and ages helps put the reader into the picture. As Tammy becomes the sleuth in a murder in the street, maybe it is a book for teenagers to find more compelling than how I felt.
And yes, I live in a cul de sac street too.
(5/5)
I truly enjoyed this book.
With so many characters to get my head around I think the bookmark was a wonderful idea and I referred to it (and used it) the whole time.
Growing up in the 70s myself I could really relate to this story and the ways and times. I was reminded of how very far we have come from the sexist and racist opinions of that era. So much goes on behind closed doors and this shows in how little we truly know about our neighbours and what life has dealt them.
Tammy & Colin were my favourite characters, with their own issues but I loved them all and how they were so real, like any neighbourhood.
I didn’t pick that ending at all. Very well told, I loved it.
(4/5)
Twelve-year-old Tammy is an observer of people who fancies herself the resident neighbourhood detective. So, when one of her neighbours is brutally murdered, she embarks on her greatest investigation yet: to discover the culprit. None of the members of this cliquey cul-de-sac are free from suspicion and in the search for the circumstances surrounding the murder, many of the neighbours’ secrets and prejudices come to light, adding to the tone of simmering tension and mistrust. At times The Grapevine felt like it wasn’t going anywhere fast, but overall, it was an intriguing, enjoyable read.