person or book cover
Image courtesy of Allen & Unwin
y separately published work icon The Shifting Fog single work   novel   mystery  
Alternative title: The House at Riverton
Issue Details: First known date: 2006... 2006 The Shifting Fog
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Set in England between the wars, this novel tells the story of an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death and a way of life that vanished forever, told in flashback by a woman who witnessed it all and kept a secret for decades.

'Grace Bradley went to work at Riverton House as a servant when she was just a girl, before the First World War. For years her life was inextricably tied up with the Hartford family, most particularly the two daughters, Hannah and Emmeline. In the summer of 1924, at a glittering society party held at the house, a young poet shot himself. The only witnesses were Hannah and Emmeline and only they - and Grace - know the truth.

'In 1999, when Grace is ninety-eight years old and living out her last days in a nursing home, she is visited by a young director who is making a film about the events of that summer. She takes Grace back to Riverton House and reawakens her memories. Told in flashback, this is the story of Grace's youth during the last days of Edwardian aristocratic privilege shattered by war, of the vibrant twenties and the changes she witnessed as an entire way of life vanished forever.

'The novel is full of secrets - some revealed, others hidden forever, reminiscent of the romantic suspense of Daphne du Maurier. It is also a meditation on memory, the devastation of war and a beautifully rendered window into a fascinating time in history.' (Publisher's blurb)

Notes

  • Dedication: For Davin, who holds my hand on the roller-coaster.
  • The Shfiting Fog was selected as a featured book on the United Kingdom's Richard and Judy Show. Published in the UK under the title The House at Riverton, Morton's novel was one of eight 'Summer Read' selections and featured on the television program on 18 July 2007.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Crows Nest, North Sydney - Lane Cove area, Sydney Northern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: Allen and Unwin , 2006 .
      person or book cover
      Image courtesy of Allen & Unwin
      Extent: 480p.
      ISBN: 1741148006 (pbk.), 9781741148008
    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Pan Macmillan ,
      2007 .
      image of person or book cover 6953506903916560156.jpg
      Cover image courtesy of publisher.
      Alternative title: The House at Riverton
      Extent: 608p.
      Note/s:
      • Published June 15th 2007
      ISBN: 9780330448444
    • New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,
      :
      Atria Books ,
      2008 .
      image of person or book cover 7125014935350604794.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Alternative title: The House at Riverton : A Novel
      Extent: vi, 473pp.
      Note/s:
      • Includes author's note (pp 471-473)
      ISBN: 1416550518 (hbk.), 9781416550518 (hbk.)
    • New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,
      :
      Washington Square Press ,
      2009 .
      image of person or book cover 2357040539797679456.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Alternative title: The House at Riverton : A Novel
      Extent: 473p.
      Note/s:
      • Published March 3rd 2009
      ISBN: 9781416550532 1416550534
    • Crows Nest, North Sydney - Lane Cove area, Sydney Northern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: Allen and Unwin , 2012 .
      image of person or book cover 5668877167980136265.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 576p.p.
      Note/s:
      • Published October 1st 2012 
      ISBN: 9781742379708
    • Crows Nest, North Sydney - Lane Cove area, Sydney Northern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: Allen and Unwin , 2016 .
      image of person or book cover 8177955825380183232.png
      Cover image courtesy of publisher.
      Extent: 568p.
      Note/s:
      • Published April 2016
      ISBN: 9781760292935
    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Pan ,
      2017 .
      image of person or book cover 5717749546566559183.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Alternative title: The House at Riverton
      Extent: 624p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 15 June 2017
      ISBN: 9781509841417
Alternative title: Das geheime Spiel
Language: German
    • Munich,
      c
      Germany,
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Diana Verlag ,
      2007 .
      image of person or book cover 4433690083707818273.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 688p.
      ISBN: 3453290313

Other Formats

  • Sound recording.
  • Large print.

Works about this Work

Morton a Publishing Phenomenon Linda Morris , 2015 single work column
— Appears in: The Age , 14 October 2015; (p. 51)
Morton Shoots up Sales List and Lands in Esteemed Company Linda Morris , 2015 single work column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 14 October 2015; (p. 18)
Writers Gather Strength Fiona Purdon , 2010 single work column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 11-12 September 2010; (p. 24)
The Ethics of Writing Inga Simpson , 2010 single work criticism
— Appears in: Perilous Adventures , vol. 10 no. 1 2010;
'The ethics of writing are rather like the ethics of life: hard to define, open to interpretation, and vulnerable to corruption for love, money, success or revenge. As an art form, writing affords us certain privileges. Yet the act of putting words on a page, writing stories that will enter the public domain, also brings responsibilities. There are moral, ethical, and even legal issues to consider. As the author behind a published work, we, too, enter the public arena. We become role models and spokespeople, and, consciously and unconsciously, construct a public persona.'
Sifting Through Sands of Time Madeline Healy , 2009 single work column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 14 - 15 February 2009; (p. 23)
[Review] The Shifting Fog Tim Coronel , 2006 single work review
— Appears in: Bookseller + Publisher Magazine , April vol. 85 no. 9 2006; (p. 44)

— Review of The Shifting Fog Kate Morton , 2006 single work novel
As the Champagne Flows and the Laughter Echoes Amanda Hooton , 2006 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 8-9 July 2006; (p. 32-33)

— Review of The Shifting Fog Kate Morton , 2006 single work novel
Mystery a Clear Winner Fran Metcalf , 2006 single work review
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 8 - 9 July 2006; (p. 27)

— Review of The Shifting Fog Kate Morton , 2006 single work novel
Knowing Her Place Lorien Kaye , 2006 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , August no. 283 2006; (p. 59)

— Review of The Shifting Fog Kate Morton , 2006 single work novel
Duo Step Anew on to Well-Trod Stage Kate Morton , 2006 single work review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 16 September 2006; (p. 12)

— Review of The Dickinson Papers : A Funny and Tender Love Story Mark Ragg , 2006 single work novel ; The Shifting Fog Kate Morton , 2006 single work novel
Behind the Fog 2006 single work interview
— Appears in: Bookseller + Publisher Magazine , April vol. 85 no. 9 2006; (p. 50)
Bookseller + Publisher speaks to Annette Barlow and Christian Cornell, both of Allen & Unwin, and to literary agent Selwa Anthony about Kate Morton's first novel, The Shifting Fog.
Word Spreads for Debut Novelist in Record Deal Rosemary Neill , 2006 single work column
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 17-18 June 2006; (p. 7)
Word Spreads for Debut Novelist in Record Deal Rosemary Neill , 2006 single work column
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 17-18 June 2006; (p. 7)
How It Feels : To Write a Bestseller Kate Morton , 2007 single work column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 2 January 2007; (p. 23)
British Readers Just Love Our Kate Charles Miranda , 2007 single work column
— Appears in: The Sunday Mail , 21 October 2007; (p. 33)
Last amended 28 Jul 2021 13:00:56
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