SPOILER BOOK CLUB: 'The Hiding Place' with Kate Mildenhall
Madeleine leads a spoiler-filled discussion with Kate on her latest novel, The Hiding Place (November 2025, Simon & Schuster). Kate shares insights into the book's development, character choices, and the ethical dilemmas the characters face. Kate discusses her research process, murder plots, star picket fences and death cap mushrooms.
Kate Mildenhall is an author, writing teacher and podcaster. Her debut novel Skylarking was longlisted for Debut Fiction in the 2017 Indie Book Awards and the 2017 Voss Literary Prize. Her second novel, The Mother Fault, was longlisted for the 2021 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and shortlisted for the 2021 Aurealis Science Fiction Novel of the Year. The Hummingbird Effect was shortlisted for the 2024 ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year and longlisted for the 2024 Stella Prize and the 2024 Indie Book Awards for Fiction. In 2024, Kate released her first picture book, To Stir with Love, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft, shortlisted for the 2025 Indie Book Awards and the 2025 ABIA Children’s Book of the Year and Notable in the CBCA Book Awards for Early Readers. Kate co-hosted The First Time Podcast where she interviewed over 200 Australian and international writers.
00:00 Introduction to the Book Deal Podcast
00:56 Welcome to the Spoiler Book Club
01:50 Characters and Plot Twists
05:35 Writing Challenges and Inspirations
12:35 The Evolution of Key Scenes
22:10 Mapping Out the Novel
23:05 Realizing the Right Structure
23:24 Advice from Fellow Writers
24:15 Pacing and Reader Expectations
24:28 The Climactic Scenes
25:17 Conflicted Feelings About the Ending
26:06 The Final Scene and Its Inspiration
26:40 The Role of Surveillance
27:22 Stella's Motivations
28:10 The Play Within a Play
30:06 Multiple Endings
31:17 Questions from the Audience
35:46 Character Development and Dialogue
37:13 Balancing Realism and Fiction
37:29 Influence of Fellow Writers
39:12 Mushroom Lady and Reader Response
42:33 Research and Realism
43:49 Camping Plans and Final Thoughts
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