A Paradise Purchase Turns Deadly
In Kate Mildenhall's compelling fourth novel, The Hiding Place, what begins as an idyllic vision of communal living rapidly descends into a nightmare of secrets and suspicion. The story follows a group of progressive friends who pool their resources to purchase an abandoned mining town, seeking to create what instigator Lou describes as 'a place for connection and rejuvenation'.
An Ensemble Primed for Conflict
The venture brings together four families: Lou and her wife Marnie; their longtime friends Flick and Josie with their partners; Lou's recently divorced sister Ness; and their mother Avril. Despite their shared progressive values and left-leaning politics, the group is far from harmonious. Mildenhall masterfully establishes underlying tensions from the outset, revealing that one member is secretly cultivating psychoactive plants on the property while two others are engaged in a clandestine affair.
Financial pressures and workplace stresses further strain relationships, while individual insecurities and petty resentments continually undermine Lou's utopian vision. The stage is perfectly set for the explosive conflict that follows.
A Weekend of Unravelling Secrets
The group's inaugural weekend at their new property begins with simple plans - fixing the toilet, preparing a communal meal, and organising a children's talent show. However, their arrival is immediately marred by disturbing events. A deer with a strangely misshapen head causes Ness to crash her trailer, unwelcome squatters are discovered camping by the river, and a boundary dispute with a neighbour turns aggressively confrontational.
Mildenhall employs multiple perspectives - including those of Lou, Phil, Ness, Flick, Josie, and Lou's sixteen-year-old daughter Stella - to gradually reveal the web of secrets connecting the characters. This narrative approach ensures readers understand the hidden tensions before they erupt into open conflict.
The Moral Compass of Youth
Among the various viewpoints, Stella emerges as the novel's most compelling voice. Positioned on the precarious border between childhood and adulthood, she possesses both the fury of youth and limited agency. Her observations cut through the adults' hypocrisy, particularly when they debate removing the squatters with self-righteous indignation.
Stella privately reflects that the squatter family likely has a deeper connection to the land than the new owners, and astutely notes that the adults' response would be entirely different if the interlopers were First Nations people or refugees. Through Stella's sardonic yet hopeful perspective, Mildenhall exposes the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the adult characters, making them increasingly unsympathetic as the story progresses.
A Thriller with Social Commentary
While delivering all the expected beats of a satisfying thriller, Mildenhall infuses The Hiding Place with sharp social satire. The irony of white settlers imposing themselves as custodians of stolen land is particularly biting - they erect an acknowledgement of country sign moments after building exclusionary fences.
The novel takes a dramatic turn less than halfway through when one character dies under suspicious circumstances, with the responsibility clearly falling within the group. Mildenhall maintains relentless tension by exploring whether these supposedly close friends would help each other conceal a crime.
Published by Simon & Schuster, The Hiding Place establishes Kate Mildenhall as an accomplished storyteller who delivers both edge-of-your-seat suspense and thought-provoking social commentary. The novel's shocking conclusion will leave readers thoroughly stunned, cementing Mildenhall's reputation as a clever writer adept at navigating genre conventions while putting her own distinctive stamp on them.
