Homecoming

By Kate Morton

A Consuming Story of Secrets and Intrigue

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SUMMARY

Christmas Eve 1959 Isabel Turner and her four children set out for a picnic at the watering hole on the grounds of their mansion in Adelaide Hills. It's a beautiful warm day, and the sun is shining. Hours later, a delivery man stops by the watering hole to water his horse and instead makes a shocking discovery. At first glance, it appears the entire family looks as if they were asleep, But upon closer inspection, he finds all members of the family are dead. Local police are called in from the nearby town of Tambilla. The Turner Family tragedy becomes one of the most perplexing cases in the history of South Australia.

December 2018 Jess Turner-Bridges has lived in London for twenty years when she receives a phone call that her beloved grandmother, Nora, has fallen down the attic stairs and is in a Sidney hospital. Jesse flies back to Australia and finds that her grandmother is much weaker and more confused than she expected. The housekeeping tells Jesse that Nora has been distracted and upset the weeks before her accident. As Jess Some digging into her grandmother's recent activities on her own, she discovers a true crime book chronicling the Turner Family tragedy of Christmas Eve 1959. It is only when Jess skims the book that she finds a shocking connection between her own family and this infamous crime, a crime that has never been solved. Jess, an out-of-work journalist, can’t help but be drawn in by this cold case.

REVIEW

HOMECOMING is a consuming read full of buried secrets and intrigue. It covers multiple generations of the Turner family and the extent families will go to protect the lies and the effect these secrets have. Motherhood, love, and loss play a central theme in the story.

HOMECOMING is also about healing and hope once secrets are uncovered. The captivating writing is descriptive, poignant, and atmospheric. You can not help but feel the humid air around the lake and hear the quietness of the mansion on the hill early in the morning. The story is meticulously built and equal parts tragic and hopeful. It’s a continuous flow of suspense that keep the pages turning.

The characters are plentiful, and so many of them seem to play a pivotal role in the unfolding drama. Character development is essential with such a large cast, and author Kate Morton does a stellar job of character introductions and descriptions.

Morton has written six previous novels and all have been NYT bestsellers. She lives with her family in both London and Australia.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Mariner Books

Published April 4, 2023

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com