"Morton's best yet." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Morton keeps the secrets coming, leading up to a powerful, emotional conclusion. This is storytelling at its finest." — Booklist (starred review)
"Gorgeous." — Elle
“Captivating.” — Real Simple
“Morton’s layered writing leaves surprises for even the keenest of detectives.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Captivating.” — BookPage
“Immersive. … Combining mystery, romance and a layered family saga.” — AARP.com
“Reading a Kate Morton novel is more than a delight; it’s a whole-senses experience. … Once again, Morton proves why she’s hailed as one of the best.” — Bookreporter.com
“An intricate, carefully crafted work of suspense populated by scores of vibrant characters and imbued with an abundance of humanity. … Homecoming stands as another stellar example of Morton’s excellence.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch
“An elaborate tapestry. . . . Morton doesn’t disappoint.” — Washington Post on The Clockmaker's Daughter
“The Clockmaker’s Daughter is an ambitious, complex, compelling historical mystery with a fabulous cast of characters. This is Kate Morton at her very best.” — Kristin Hannah
"Classic English country-house Goth at its finest." — New York Post on The Clockmaker's Daughter
"Morton's moody, suspenseful latest is the perfect page-turner for a chilly night." — People on The Lake House
"A deliciously compelling mystery." — Liane Moriarty on The Lake House
★ 02/06/2023
Morton (The Clockmaker’s Daughter) delivers an eerie epic involving a wealthy family’s mysterious deaths in Adelaide Hills, South Australia. It’s Christmas Eve 1959, and patriarch Thomas Turner is abroad on business, leaving behind his wife, Isabel, and their four children. One day, neighbor Percy Summers happens upon the family while riding his horse. At first, it appears they’re resting on blankets after a swim, but upon closer inspection, he realizes they’re dead and that baby Thea is missing from her basket. A painstaking investigation begins, and Percy is grilled by a detective who was brought in from out of town. Morton then cuts to 2018 as journalist Jess Turner leaves her London home to travel back to Adelaide after her grandmother, Nora, injures herself in a bad fall. At Nora’s house, she finds an old book about the unresolved Turner deaths, which Jess never knew about, and discovers the family’s connection to her own. Jess’s gripping inquiry into what happened brings up staggering revelations. Along the way, there are beautiful descriptions of the region’s landscape and canny insights into the neighborhood’s tight-knit community. This is Morton’s best yet. Agent: Lizzy Kremer, David Higham Assoc. (Apr.)
2023-02-08
A woman discovers that everything she knows about her family is a lie.
When journalist Jess Turner-Bridges receives a call that her grandmother Nora is in the hospital following a fall, she leaves her chosen home of London and returns to Darling House in Sydney, Australia. Nora, who raised Jess for much of her childhood, suffered her fall when climbing to the attic. Jess is perplexed by this—what could her elderly grandmother have needed so badly that she couldn’t wait for her home aide to help her?—and when she arrives at the hospital, her confusion is heightened by Nora’s panicked utterances: “The pages,” she says. “Help me....He’s going to take her from me.” Jess is determined to seek out answers to help comfort her grandmother, which leads her to find Nora’s copy of a book called As If They Were Asleep by Daniel Miller. This journalistic work details the story of the shocking deaths in 1959 of Nora’s sister-in-law Isabel and three of Isabel’s children and the disappearance and presumed death of Isabel’s baby. Jess knew nothing about the deaths—presumed to be murder-suicide—and while she does feel betrayed that her grandmother kept this from her, she immediately vows to do whatever it takes to learn more about her family. Morton weaves together Jess’ sleuthing with segments of Daniel Miller’s book along with flashbacks from 1959 and moments told from Jess’ estranged mother Polly’s perspective. At times Morton’s pacing could use some tightening. And while mystery readers will likely figure out a big twist long before it's revealed, Morton’s layered writing—realized most successfully in the scenes from the past—leaves surprises for even the keenest of detectives.
A slow-paced novel that rewards patient readers.