I have read all of Kate Morton’s previous books and am a huge fan of her writing, so I was very excited to be sent her first novel in four years by the lovely people at Mantle books. I really enjoy how her books have strong female characters, split timelines, are always set in stunning locations, quite often including beautiful gardens, have a mystery at their centre and they are always atmospheric. Homecoming had all traits in abundance, with its murder mystery in a small town in South Australia in 1959 to the story of Jess in 2018 who comes back to see her Grandmother Nora after she has a fall, and finds herself looking into a family secret. An epic read that crosses generations, this is an immersive read about family, mothers and daughters and how secrets will always come to light.

Kate Morton always has wonderful, intriguing and beautifully drawn characters that you feel like you know as the book progresses. In Homecoming Jess is the pivotal character in 2018. She has been living in London for twenty years, when her grandmother Nora has a fall and she has to fly back to Australia and Darling House, the idyllic home of her childhood. Jess is a journalist so after her recollections from her childhood, and things her grandmother has uttered in hospital she begins to look into Halycon, a house owned by Nora’s brother and where in 1959 there was a shocking murder. I loved Jess’s tenacity, she wasn’t going to give up on finding the truth no matter where it took her, even if it meant seeing her beloved Grandmother Nora in a different light. I have to say as the book went on Nora, who was the perfect mother and grandmother, and was held in high regard in her social circles, began to become tarnished, which changed my opinion of her, especially around her daughter, and Jess’s mother Polly.

As with all her previous books Kate Morton seamlessly weaves the two stories together with her eloquent and lyrical prose. Her writing is evocative, capturing the stunning settings in Australia, the gardens with their beautiful flowers and trees, the scents and the colours jumping off the page. The murder mystery element was brilliantly plotted, with twists and turns that play out over the six hundred and fifty pages of the book. I loved the idea of a book within a book, as Jess reads As If They Were Sleeping about the murders that took place, and we get to read them with her, picking up the evidence about what really happened. I was completely consumed by this book, particularly in the 1959 plot, and its not often I stay up until 1 am reading but I just had to finish this book to find out what happened to the characters.

As you can tell my review I adored this book, completely losing myself in the story and lives of the characters, giving me a huge book hangover. Homecoming is the perfect read with aimiable and intriguing characters, a seamless blend of both timelines, a gripping and complex murder mystery and some beautiful settings. It is six hundred and fifty page read so not a quick read, but I wanted this epic read to never end. This is another amazing book from Kate Morton and I hope I don’t have to wait another four years for her next book.

Jess was brought up in Sydney, Australia, by her grandmother Nora. At the age of 20, she moved to London to work as a journalist, but visited her grandmother often. She has a strained relationship with her mother.
20 years later, she gets a call telling her to come back to Australia quickly as Nora has had a fall down the attic steps and is in hospital.
She gets there and finds her much-diminished grandmother in hospital. She appears confused, calls Jess Jessie, which she has never done before, and mentions Halcyon.
Jess determines to ask Nora about it, but before she can, Nora dies.
Thus begins Jess's quest to find out what made Nora go into the attic, why she called her the wrong name, and what Halcyon is.

And so Jess discovers her true background.

A great book. It starts a bit slowly, but once it gets going, the story is well woven. Lots of twists and turns in the plot make this a real page turner.
Well worth a read.

I always get excited to hear of a new Kate morgen book.
Historical fiction, dual timeline, a death.
Coffee, chocolates and a blanket. Was the best weekend ever.
Highly recommend

I really loved Homecoming. I’ve read and loved other books by the author so expected to feel the same about this book. I loved the complex, interwoven stories of Jess now and her family in 1959. The narrative switches between both eras and this an effective form of storytelling, gradually revealing what happened in 1959 and how it still impacts Jess and her mother Polly’s life. This is the kind of book where revelations slowly unwind and what you think you understand about the characters and their circumstances is turned on its head every few chapters. This is a gripping, heart-breaking read.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this. A book to get immersed in, a slow reveal but one which explores family and secrets in a way that had me hooked once things got underway.
The story focuses on a mysterious case of a family found dead by the waterhole near their Adelaide home in 1959. Mrs Turner and her children did not appear to have suffered, but the general consensus was that she had killed them all. The youngest child - a baby - had gone missing and her remains were found in the rose garden of the property some years later.
The Turner’s story is one that could have been lost to the footnotes of history. However, in the present day we focus on Jess who has to return to Australia when her beloved grandmother has a fall. Nora was always determined to keep details of Jess’s past secret, but as Jess digs into the things that appear to have prompted her grandmother’s fall she uncovers a book about the Turner case by American Daniel Miller. What she uncovers was a shock to say the least!
The less you know about the various strands the better, but they are combined masterfully to draw us in and help us to understand the dynamics that brought about such a situation.

On Christmas eve of 1959, a tragedy occurred in the small town of Timbilla, South Austalia. In 2018, Jess in London receives news that her beloved grandmother has had a fall in her home in Syndey. Jess heads back to Australia where she starts to uncover long buried family secrets.

Kate Morton is one of a handful of contemporary novelists that I tend to read as they are released, and like to sink into her stories. The usual elements are all here; a mystery, a grand house that is almost a character in itself, and the dual timeline. Often, one of the timelines is more enjoyable than the other, but here I enjoyed both, and found it a compelling and immersive read, and I really wanted to find out what had happened to the Turner family all those years ago.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

A family story exquisitely embroidered by Kate Morton, of tragedy, motherhood and loneliness.
Kate Morton is on great form again with this story set in Australia examining a family tragedy and its implications for the future generations.
Morton evokes a sense of time and place with perfect descriptions of houses, family and Australia.
A long book which increases in pace and ties up all it’s end pieces perfectly.

I absolutely adore Kate Morton and Homecoming is another triumph that astounded me with its exquisite writing, it's mystery and for a hefty book, reading it felt effortless.

There are multiple timelines and the quality of the writing means it never gets confusing.

The story begins on New Years Day 1959 where we're introduced to Isabel Turner. Fast forward to Christmas Eve 1959 and a horrific discovery sets the scene for this epic tale to begin.

As we fast forward to 2018, Jess has returned to Oz when she receives news that her beloved Nora is in hospital after a fall. Nora never regains consciousness but utters some words that intrigue Jess, and set her off on a journey of discovery into her family history that will reveal so many long buried secrets.

As we're given insights into the past we become amateur sleuths in trying to work out just what may have happened to the Turner family on that fateful Christmas Eve. And when you think you know, you don't. Keeping the reader guessing until the very end, I just loved the continual twists to the story. The characters were so complex and interesting, and the house Halycon was itself an integral character. Kate Morton has a magical quality to her descriptions such that you are wholly immersed.

If I had any slight critique it would be that I would have liked a little more exploration of the relationship between Jess and her Mum Polly, I felt this lacked a little in depth.

This is definitely a book I want to re-read as knowing the truth will give the story a whole other dimension.

Definitely a five star read for me.

3.5 stars
I had high expectations from this book, having read and enjoyed many books by this author but I’m afraid the pace was too slow for me. I had guessed some of the secrets but not all. Nora, Polly and Jess had a complex family relationship, not helped by Nora’s attitude. Although she thought she was doing her best for them, she was too possessive and manipulative. This is quite a tragic family story. It was only from the latter quarter of the book that secrets were revealed but it does have a satisfying ending. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book, as I knew I had would as I'm a big fan of Kate Morton. The final twists and turns kept me thinking way after I'd finished the book. It was so clever as you think you know one obvious thing early on, but really there is so much to the story that is only revealed in the final few chapters. The settings are both beautifully described - Tambilla and Halcyon and also Darling House - I can picture them both. The characters are also very well depicted. Thank you to the author, the publisher and netgalley for my arc

I,love Kate Morton’s books and have read all of them so far. This one didn’t disappoint it was a fabulous read and being a dual time-line made it even better. I couldn’t put this one down. It was so interesting. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

4.5 (rtc)

I’d like to thank Tandem for inviting me to be part of the VIP team. Kate Morton was the first author to introduce me to the world of historical fiction so her books always mean a little bit more to me.

🏠 As the title suggests this is a story about finding ones home and that can mean different things to everyone. For Jess, home has always been the safe haven her grandmother Nora offered her. Their close-knit relationships are beautifully captured and as Jess delves into Nora’s past there are one or two surprises that paint Nora in a different light.

👧🏻Polly was perhaps the most intriguing character of our three leading ladies. Her struggles with motherhood, at a young age, and her complex relationship with Nora and Jess highlighted the darker side of becoming a parent. I often found myself sympathising with her situation and couldn’t help but resent Nora a little for what she had created.

⌛This dual timeline story is beautifully created, blending both the present and the past as we discover what really happened to The Turner Family. There were many times were I thought I knew what had happened and whilst I figured out one part there were still a few surprises along the way. The gentle unravelling and drip-feeding of information kept me intrigued through the whole process.

📖We also get a book within a book, told through the eyes of journalist Daniel Miller. As If They Were Asleep was a brilliant inclusion to the story and gave me more food for thought as we got another perspective.

💫Kate Morton’s writing never fails to capture me. Her beautiful prose and compelling stories transport me to wonderful fictional worlds. I have always wanted to visit Australia and this has only fuelled that need even more.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #Mantle for the copy of #Homecoming by #KateMorton
I have read all of Kates books and really enjoy her writing, but I could have given up on this book a couple of times when It got bogged down in the middle. I stuck with it and I’m glad I did.
Jess races home to Australia when her beloved gran is rushed to hospital, but while she is home she discovers secrets that change everything.

{AD|GIFTED} Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors so I took my time reading her newest offering, savouring every page. The story is a slow mystery spanning multiple generations and set in Australia. The atmosphere is incredibly evocative and it immerses the reader entirely. The prose is lyrical and weaves a spell that completely captures the readers attention from the minute they pick the book up.

As is to be expected from a Kate Morton novel, the characters jump off the page. They're complex, engaging, and beautifully portrayed. By the end of the book, it feels as though you know the characters intimately. I'll be thinking about this book and its dynamics for months to come. If you want a book to lose yourself in, then please pick this one up.

This was a suspenseful and engrossing read — exactly what you’d expect from Kate Morton, whose writing I have always enjoyed.

The narrative follows a familiar, dual-timeline format, each with its own complex set of mysteries. As the story opens, we’re taken back to Christmas Eve 1959 and a shocking event that reverberates through the small, South Australia town of Tambilla. And in the present, we join journalist Jess as she’s called back to Australia from London, following the hospitalization of her grandmother, Nora. The two timelines intersect when Jess stumbles across family links to the still unsolved tragedy and sets out to uncover the whole story.

What Morton does really well in Homecoming is perfectly balance plot and characters. As a reader I was both invested in the multiple mysteries and in the fates of the main protagonists — including Jess’s mum Polly — and the complicated set of relationships between all three women. The peripheral characters, too, I found equally bold and compelling.

I also appreciated the evocation of close-knit, small-town Australia; the community’s bonds and loyalties, and its attempts to come to terms with the tragedy on its doorstep.

The plot, involving murder, secrets, deceit and outright lies, is intricately woven; constantly surprising with every new revelation. I doubted Polly, then Nora, never quite sure if they were likeable or deserving of my sympathy. Morton disguises the twists with cunning sleight of hand, and I quickly realized I was wasting my time trying to second guess them.

If I had any criticism of the book, I’d say it was the massive information dump at the end, where the final revelations came so thick and fast, I was almost dizzy trying to keep on top of them. I also felt that the pace dropped off in the middle of the book, losing my attention for a while.

That said, this is still and enjoyable and satisfying read from one of my auto-buy authors.

I had high hopes for this novel, one of my most anticipated releases, but I just felt this was way too messy. I don't know if it needed some more editing, or just a clearer break between jumps in storyline.

Amazing. The best Kate Morton book yet. An engrossing and page turning story, I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. The settings were superb. The story twists and turns with unexpected surprises until the end. I loved the format of a book within a book telling parts of the story from a different perspective. I am definitely recommending this read.

I love Kate Morton's books but this one in the middle of the book I was feeling that there were too many details, too many characters and the story was developing too slow. The plot itself was interesting, most characters not very loveable, every of them not without a sin.3.5⭐

Kate Morton's latest title has plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing right to the end. I have to admit I didn't see the twists coming.
Jess returns to Australia from her London home when her grandmother Nora has an accident and ends up in hospital. Over the space of 2 weeks Jess's understanding of her family is turned on its head.
The story is split between present day and 1959 when a terrible family tragedy leaves a mark on a small town.
As Jess unearths her family connection to this tragedy it forces her to re-evaluate her relationship with both her grandmother and her estranged mother.
A really good read that is well written and engaging. .

Enjoyed every page including the ending which didn’t disappoint. I will now read her other books which I seem to how over looked. Looking forward to her next one..