There is always a mix of excitement and fear when a favorite author releases a new book. I think Kate Morton is an exceptional writer with an admirable talent for setting a captivating scene to enchant readers. In HOMECOMING, she brings readers to Australia to unravel a generational mystery.

There is much I enjoyed about the story: strong, relatable characters, expertly revealed plot points and vividly remarkable scenes. And yet, I was also disappointed. I felt like some characters were introduced and then abandoned, complicating an already crowded cast. Certain aspects of the multi-layered plot felt shallow and under-explored while others took my attention into the deep minutiae only to be rapidly resolved, leaving me feeling conflicted and confused. The ending was sudden and abrupt–I felt like the story just stopped at an arbitrary point.

For me, HOMECOMING missed the mark. Yet Kate Morton remains one of my favorite writers, and I am eagerly looking forward to her next story.