Eve Chase's writing is exquisite and this book takes you by the hand and leads you to Cornwall, fabulous scenery, outrageous relationships and intrigue. A perfect get away from it all read with plenty of mystery.

North Cornwall with its rugged landscape and shadowy coves come to life in this intriguing family drama which introduces us to half sisters Kat, Flora and Lauren. The women all have the same enigmatic father but very different mothers which has made life complicated for each of them.

As children, the girls met at Rock Point, their father's family home perched high above the Cornish cliffs, and in 1999, when the solar eclipse overshadowed the world, the girls sat for a painting which their artist father called Girls and Birdcage. This time of dramatic family secrets comes to life when twenty years later the half siblings meet up once again to spend time at Rock Point with their father.

There's a strong sense of unease which permeates right from the start and with a distinctly gothic edge Rock Point becomes a character in its own right however, it is the sisters themselves where the real strength of the story lies. They all have their faults and failings, one is rather more fragile than the other two but collectively they all keep their secrets about what happened during the summer of 1999 extremely close.

The story flows well and is beautifully reminiscent of this author's unique ability to convey time and place so accurately you feel as if you are staying at Rock Point with them. The languorous nature of the summer of 1999 is juxtaposed against the modern day setting when the Cornish coast is battered by storms and the family secrets which have been hidden away for far too long.

The Birdcage is a beautifully written family drama which moves effortlessly between past and present and which captures the essence of sibling rivalry alongside their deeply buried secret which if not confronted will continue to overshadow all their futures.

This book was a bit of a flop for me. I liked the setting a lot. It really captured the windswept cliffs of Cornwall well and the weather that was backdrop to the whole book was described really well. I also liked the characters. It was easy to get to know and care for them. But what really put me off was the way the cliffhangers were handled.

So every few chapters we'd leave the present day story and go back to see what happened to Lauren in 1999. A lovely way to drill up tension and occasionally leave the reader on a cliffhanger desperate to read on, right? Well it would have been if every single cliffhanger hadn't resolved with the characters all safe and happy and the author telling the reader how the cliffhanger had resolved. It's like every bit of action that happened was only half written. I'm not completely against telling. It can work in some circumstances. But in the case of this book, I wanted to stay in the drama and actually see how it was resolved.

There was also a bit at the end that didn't quite make sense. Something was explained about the grandfather and it was only in one paragraph without much detail. It seems like the sort of thing they might fix before the finished copy though.

All in all, not the best read for me.

This is my first book by this author and I did enjoy it. The writing is atmospheric and I definitely felt drawn into the world of the Finch sisters.

The storyline was a little confusing and you had to focus at points to fit things together. It is a intricate tale of Charlie Finch’s numerous off spring!

The characters are gritty and real and we learn the secrets they have all kept buried. When the secrets are shared each person starts to be released from guilt and the roles they felt they had to play.

A complex look at sibling rivalry, love, friendship, secrets and trauma.

A family drama, centered around 3 half sisters (all with different mothers) and their father. Told via a dual timeline across the Eclipse summer of 1999 and the family reunion in 2019. Set in Cornwall. What’s not to love?

This is a highly dysfunctional, disparate family trying to be normal and each character brings something different to the narrative. Flora is downtrodden, Kat is brisk, and Lauren is raw.

The writing is so atmospheric, it really paints a picture of Cornwall. Slightly gothic in places, through the eerie depiction of the Heaps’ house and the cliffs to the wild and stormy weather.

Loved the bird imagery throughout and how the story unfolded, revealing bit by bit the terrible secret that each sister has tried, unsuccessfully, to bury since that fateful summer of ’99.

Dixie is the real heroine in this piece, I wish we’d got to be in her presence more. But she won. The way the sisters came together, learnt to love each other again and find themselves was lovely.

Beautifully written and thoroughly evocative.

About half way through this book I got an incredible sense of Déjà vu and I still cannot pinpoint why!
Set in Cornwall at their childhood holiday home the three disparate sisters are called together by their shared parent for a mysterious announcement.
Reliving the horrors of their childhood holiday the plot is complex and dots between the viewpoints of the sisters and their families and friends, all the while skirting around the elephant in the room.
The truth of the past eventually comes to light via a series of tantalising hints and glimpses through the eyes and memories of the sisters (mainly Lauren) and whilst it is not a shocking twist its gradual revelation is a masterstroke of writing style.

I don't particularly enjoy stories that keep going backwards and forwards in time but managed to keep up with this complicated family story., Well described characters and a lot happening all the time. Great background to the story which was very atmospheric. Satisfying conclusion.

What a really good story - full of suspense and mystery right to the end. Personally I am it fond of the backwards and forwards in time format, but it worked here and kept me on my toes throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this tense and intriguing tale.

This story took place in the lovely setting of Cornwall. It was told in the year 2019 and 20 years previously. The Finches are a dysfunctional family, Charlie’s three daughters having different mothers. Laura, the youngest, had had difficulty in remembering what happened in the past but knew it was something that had affected her mental state. There are a number of secrets that come to light and a mystery concerning written notes. This was an engaging read with a good mix of interesting characters. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Eve Chase has been one of my favourite authors since I read and adored Black Rabbit Hall, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Birdcage - and look at that beautiful cover!

Twenty years after their last visit, half-sisters Lauren, Kat and Flora are summoned to Rock Point: the beautiful and windswept Cornish cliff house where they sat for their father's most famous painting, Girls and Birdcage. The last time they were all together, in 1999 for the Eclipse, something terrible happened. Now they're back, no one mentions it - which Lauren finds unsettling and confusing, because there's a bit of a gap in her memory...

The Birdcage is a dual timeline story, switching between 1999 and 2019, and told from each daughter's viewpoint. 'Dysfunctional' hardly covers the Finch family. Famous artist Charlie Finch, now in his 60s, has slept with practically every woman he's ever painted. He has three daughters by three different women. Beautiful Flora; cool, clever Kat; and shy Lauren. While Flora and Kat were born six months apart and have had regular contact, Lauren is a new addition to the family and her sisters resent her.

In 2019, Flora, once the most confident of the sisters, is unhappily married with a young son. Kat eschews relationships for work but her business is in trouble; Lauren has withdrawn further into herself but is determined to find out what happened on the day of the Eclipse. Will spending time at Rock Point finally bring them together as a proper family? Hmm...

The Birdcage will appeal to anyone who loves stories about big old houses, family secrets, old mysteries and larger-than-life characters. (I loved Charlie, even though he was a terrible parent. Kat's imitation: "Don't ever smoke girls. Disgusting habit. Right, where are my Camels?") There's a domineering grandmother, a prospective step-mother everyone loves to hate, mysterious men looming out of the mist, lovable Labradors and a parrot called Bertha, who loves to repeat overheard phrases. Beautifully written, with a heart-warming ending that brought a tear to my eye, The Birdcage is utterly fabulous and one of my favourite reads this year.


Thank you to Eve Chase and Michael Joseph for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

An intricate book plot surrounding three half sisters and their father who is a famous artist and an incident that happened after the total eclipse of the sun in 1999.
It is evident from the start that what happened that summer had life changing consequences that lasted well into the sisters adult lives.
The book which time lapses between 1999 and a reunion in the winter of 2019 gradually reveals the lives of the sisters and what occurred that fateful time.
It is a mystery read as well as a story of sibling rivalry.
Great read can’t recommend it enough

I really enjoyed Eva Chase's last book and was looking forward to reading this one. I found it an enjoyable read, particularly the sense of place. However, and I think this may say more about me than the author, I found it very difficult at the beginning to distinguish between the half sisters and work out which of them had which back story., and that feeling of having to stop and think about it at various stages in the book did spoil it for me somewhat
thank you to netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book

A cracking read! I loved this from the off, the characters, the ambience...the intrigue... It was clear that there was much more than initially met the eye and the plotting by Eve Chase in The Birdcage was brilliant! The exploration of family dynamics and the holding of past secrets and mysteries makes for a fascinating read... not read anything by Eve Chase previously but I’ll definitely looking into some of her other stuff... Many tahnks to NetGalley for my ARC, this is my unbiased opinion.

Sisters don’t always see eye to eye or even like one another. If they happen to be half-sisters, then that can be an added drawback. In ‘The Birdcage’ we are introduced to three such young women. Flora and Kat remain a tight-knit unit, though their younger sister, Lauren, still feels like she doesn’t quite fit in.

They share a flamboyant, famous-in-his-heyday artist father but have different mothers. A recipe for disagreement and a lack of security, perhaps. But they have another crucial thing in common that unites them. Their childhood summers were spent on the wild Cornish coast, with their father and mutual grandparents.

The house, Rock Point, was a steadying place holding these disparate sisters together. The focal point and gathering site where they were able to reconcile their differences, and where their father created the evocative ‘Girls and Birdcage’ painting of them.

But now, as adults leading separate lives, they are summoned back to Rock Point years later by their father. Curious, intrigued and mystified, they all eventually obey. Lauren struggles most of all because her memories of their last summer there 20 years ago are incredibly painful. Reminders are jarring, as revealed in the narrative’s now and then timelines.

Before long, it becomes apparent that someone else is in on the dark, secret events that took place in the past, and seems determined to spook them. They start to wonder who they can trust. Also, unanticipated, deeply hidden family secrets slowly come to light, surprising yet uniting them all.

This is a lyrically written, cleverly crafted, perfectly plotted, riveting read that will keep you up in the small hours trying to unravel the mystery, discover what truly happened in the past, and note the impact on everyone today. Grateful thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

An exquisite book telling the story of three half sisters struggling with , for various reasons , different dysfunctional or missing mothers and an eccentric spirited father who believes the rules were written for everyone but him. Enriched with a charismatic personality and as a successful artist in his career has ensured there was never a shortage of women to the detriment of family relationships. The sisters return to the idyllic home of their father, each struggling with personal issues compounded by a secret from their past that has ultimately destroyed their ability to engage with each other and an extended social life. The mystery lingers as the elephant in the room, throughout the turbulent interactions between all protagonists struggling to establish stability in their personal and family relationships. Beautiful written with a background of the wild and wonderful Cornish coast , moving between the present and past as young girls involved in a terrifying secret that no one is prepared to discuss. Wonderful premise for an engaging story full of three dimensional figures, each holding the personality and background to enthral the reader. Many thanks to author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC. Definitely Intend to seek out further books from this author.

This book centres around the lives of three half-siblings who all share a recalcitrant artist father, and whose childhoods converged at times at Rock Point, his Cornish cliff house. Although they have not been there a while, not since the year of the eclipse, when something horrid happened. But they have all been summoned to a reunion and, whether they want to or not, all feel compelled to attend.
And so we meet Kat, Flora and Lauren. All very different people. All with a shared past though. A past incident that affected each in a different way. Kat is a successful career woman to the detriment of her personal life. Flora is married with a son, Raff, who accompanies her. And Lauren is a bit of a drifter to be honest, unsettled, and still grieving for her recently dead mother.
The story then flits between the year of the eclipse, the incident, 1999, and the present reunion in 2019. The past is injected at just the right times to complement and add background to the present. Both together allow the author to unwind the past and reflect it into the present. We see how the sister's relationship was shaped, how they treated each other, always hinting at some incident and the repercussions of that. But it's also about the truth of what happened and how it has affected each of the characters going forward. A truth that changes with each character.
A story that is chock full of secrets and lies and more than a healthy slice of dysfunctional behaviour. I mean, a father with three similar age children from different mothers speaks volumes as to his character! Ok so I guessed one of the secrets way too early and so when that doozy was revealed I was a bit meh! But that said, there was more than enough of the rest to keep me on my toes throughout.
Characterisation was, on the whole, good. I do however admit to my favourite two characters being the Parrot Bertha and Raff. I thought the rest of them were a bit too hard to really get behind as I didn't really feel much affinity for any of them. That said, they did play their parts well and were nothing if but engaging.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph for approving me for an ARC of this book. A special thank you to Kallie from Michael Joseph for inviting me to take part in the blog tour. I have read and loved two previous books by Eve Chase and the third is sitting on my bookcase so I was very excited to be involved in this one.

This story starts with a family reunion that brings three estranged half sister’s back to their summer holiday home. Lauren, Kat and Flora as adults couldn’t be anymore different from each other if they tried. Kat seems to be the most vocal of all three and is the career woman who is hell bent on succeeding but is desperately lonely, even if is she won’t admit it. Flora is married and has a delightful little 4 year old ,Raff. Whilst on paper it seems that Flora has everything she could ever hope the cracks in her life start to show very early on and we realise that not everything is as it seems. Finally we have Lauren the quietest of the three and the one who seems to still be struggling with what happened the last summer they were all together.

As the story flicks between 1999 and 2019 we learn that there were a lot of secrets being kept that summer. Everyone had something to hide and went out of their way to keep it concealed. Eve Chase slowly unravels the lies and deceit as we dive further into the complex sibling relationships and their father’s life. I felt so much sympathy for Lauren and how her older sister’s treated her that summer. I have 4 older half sister’s myself and I can’t imagine any of them being so cruel and hurtful towards me.

Rock Point itself was beautifully eerie. The house felt like a character and the scenery perfectly matched the story, as the bad weather came in and the eclipse stared the characters and their lives started to spiral and fall apart. I could Imagine the moors and the ruined cottage during the thunderstorm but could also see the beauty that made Rock Point a wonderful place to be.

Once again Eve Chase has delivered an atmospheric, chilling and beautiful read with sibling relationships at the heart of it. I was intrigued from start to finish, completed engrossed in the characters but I also wanted to savour every moment!

There's nothing I love more than a thriller that verges on the edge of historical fiction and gothic mystery, and The Birdcage perfectly combines these genres.

A compelling and atmospheric mystery led by engaging characters, The Birdcage is a compelling and suspenseful read centred around the innocence of youth, the burden of family secrets, and the pressures of guilt and grief.

We have to begin with the stunning atmosphere of Rock Point. Located on a Cornish cliff, the imagery feels very vivid throughout as Chase paints the perfect picture with her beautiful descriptions. As a resident of Cornwall, I love reading stories that are set here. I instantly felt the harsh wind of the coast, tasted the salt in the air and felt haunted by the memories that overwhelmed this ominous house.

It's the perfect setting for this historical mystery, isolating these characters from their outside pressures to bring them together and broach a subject that they have buried for twenty years. The suspense of what happened during this previous summer builds throughout as you're slowly dripped pieces of information to reveal a story that evokes many emotions.

Swiftly moving between two timelines, everything comes together with great detail and fluidity. By the end, I felt so attached to these characters that their story left me filled with such warmth, leaving me completely satisfied with its subtle twists and surprising revelations.

I loved every minute spent with these wonderfully developed characters, and I definitely want to read more by Chase soon!

I'm on the blog tour for this book on the 29th April so my reviews will be live then.

The Birdcage is fantastically written. I read it in one sitting. Definitely the type of book is give as gift as well enjoying personally. Also the cover is very eye catching

The Birdcage is the story of three half-sisters, the daughters of celebrated artist Charlie Finch. The setting for the story is the rugged Cornish coast where the girls spent the month of August in their childhoods forging friendships but also experiencing sibling rivalry.
There is a secret in the family; something that is never discussed and this makes for a real page turner of a book.
The Birdcage is so beautifully written that as soon as I'd finished it I wanted to read it again. It is just gorgeous.