The Grapevine

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 . . .

‘Kemp re-creates 1970s Canberra with deft elegance, triggering a time-travelling sensory overload with her prose . . . The result is a novel that doesn’t just inhabit its time but dissects it with the keen curiosity of an anthropologist ready to catalogue its secrets.’ THE SATURDAY PAPER

‘The Grapevine was a joy to read. Its flowing, witty prose and deft characterisation transported me effortlessly into a small suburban street in 1970s Australia’ DIANNE YARWOOD

‘I absolutely adored this debut, which instantly creeps up on you. The Grapevine is claustrophobic and sharp’ LUCY ROSE

‘Superb . . . written with effortless grace, it’s a rich tapestry of a book that’s psychologically astute. The wit and humour is incisive’ CHRIS BRIDGES

‘From its shocking opening to its impeccable conclusion, The Grapevine is a cleverly revealing close-up of a claustrophobic community. I loved it’ JENNIE GODFREY

‘With a youthful (and wilful) detective reminiscent of Tippy Chan from RWR McDonald’s The Nancys and the heady nostalgia of Holly Throsby’s Clarke, Kemp’s debut is an engrossing slice of deceptive life.’ BOOKS+PUBLISHING