The cover and title of this book drew me in and I couldn't wait to read it. I found it hard to get into at first but once I was in, I was hooked.

What's that? Historical, dual timeline fiction that includes a hidden diary, a ruined Scottish castle and New York in the Gilded age? Count me in!

When I heard about this book it immediately sounded so up my street and I was not disappointed.

It did initially take me a wee while to get into the story perhaps because I didn’t particularly warm to the character of Emily in the beginning but once I was in I couldn’t put it down.

I particularly enjoyed Hesters story especially her life in New York and there's a wonderful passage which I think captures the energy of the city wonderfully “ ….New York was different entirely , continually replenished in the same way that the sea is simultaneously ancient and new, a single hour heaving with as many people and languages as one might expect to see or hear elsewhere in a lifetime.”

I also really enjoyed the inclusion of real people and events in Hesters story - the building of the Brooklyn bridge for example - which had obviously been well researched.

Freya does tension so well. The secrets of Emilys past, Hesters problems in New York and the forebonding presence of the remote castle and its strange inhabitants build wonderfully to a tense and satisfying conclusion.

I did guess a couple of the twists but this in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the story. This is a great read.

Also need to give a shout out to that beautiful cover - gorgeous

Huge thanks to Headline & Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy

A whimsical, atmospheric gothic mystery.
Dual timeline, told from two POV’s - Emmy Blackwood in 1932 and Hester Vogel from the late 1800’s
Emmy travels to Scotland following a new commission to catalogue Heinrich Vogel’s vast collection of stuffed animals.
When she arrives she finds a creepy ruined castle and the strange old man Heinrich Vogel, haunted by his past.
She discovers the ripped pages of Hester’s diary rammed into the walls of the castle and it’s then that Emmy realises dark secrets lie within the castle waiting to trap her like a gilded bird cage.
You need to read the opening chapters very carefully or the plot can become confusing.
A slow burner novel centring around the treasure and clues found in Hester’s diaries, leading to twists and revelations.
Very cleverly written - it’s a mystery within a mystery and had a Daphne Du Maurier vibe about it.
Thanks @freyaberry @headlinebooks & @netgalley for the eARC

📙📙BOOK REVIEW📙📙
The Birdcage Library by Freya Berry

This is a dark historical gothic style read set largely in a remote Scottish castle in 1932 and 50 years earlier in Manhattan. Told from two POV’s; Emily ‘Emmy’ Blackwood in the most recent time and Hester Vogel who was married to Heinrich’s brother, from her diaries, in the late 1800’s. Emmy is a strong character who has a past full of secrets and sadness. She is a botanist and has been travelling to far flung places but when the Wall Street Crash results in the loss of her fortune she has to get a job to support herself and her ailing father. So she accepts a position working for former animal trader and now taxidermy collector, Heinrich Vogel. I will say at this point that I did find some of the talk about wild animals and birds being treated as ‘pets’ and the taxidermy aspect a bit distressing at times, I know it’s a fact that this happened, but it still didn’t make me feel any better!

Briefly, arriving at the castle Emmy soon finds that she has been employed on a false basis and that Heinrich wants her to hunt for a treasure that was hidden some 50 years earlier. Initially reluctant she agrees and soon finds the first clue, one of Hester Vogel’s diaries which leads her to The Birdcage Library…

This is a slow build novel centred around the treasure and I enjoyed searching for the clues alongside Emmy. Clearly well researched with factual people and events included alongside the fiction, I enjoy historical fiction particularly when it does include factual aspects and this was done really well here. The mystery is well built and the atmospheric storyline whilst dark was enticing in its delivery. A good read.

I was drawn to the beautiful cover. 1930s a mysterious animal and bird collector in a remote castle enlists the help of a young woman who explores and catalogues plants to solve the mystery of a missing family diamond, hidden somewhere in the castle. It had mystery, murder, family betrayal and puzzles galore. A great historical whodunit and where is it 🥰

Whilst I did enjoy this, I did find it a little hard to get into and a bit slow in places. That being said I did like the dual timeline and the sense of magic it gave me throughout! I thought it was well researched and the main characters were well fleshed out.

I absolutely adored this book! I saw someone compare the writing to du Maurier - who is my absolute favourite author - and I was not left disappointed. Its a dark, twisty, atmospheric mystery that keeps you guessing at every stage.

Some hard hitting topics are covered, including domestic abuse, and I felt that they were dealt with really well - being an intrinsic part of the story as opposed to being there just for the sake of it.

A definite 5/5 for me, and a must for those who enjoy historical fiction

A remote castle is a fitting setting for a mystery that is a slow burner. Exposing us to clues oh so slowly through out the novel, but never once dropping the suspense.

Told from two timelines, not too far apart.

Our main protagonist Emmy is a well regarded botanist, who has spent several years abroad searching for rare plants. Returning home only to tend to her father who is in failing health, and earn some money after the recent financial crash.

Although it is different to her usual work, Emmy accepts a job as a taxidermist at a remote castle. But she soon learns that her employers intentions are not exactly as advertised...

An enjoyable read, but not one I'm sure I'd go back to.

A very clever mystery with a treasure hunt included. A great storyline and historical fiction.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The Birdcage Library tells a story about people who lost themselves in one way or another, for different reasons. Told through two timelines, the mystery reveals itself piece by piece – this is a great example of slow-paced but suspenseful storytelling, which keeps the reader hooked. From the very start of the book until the last chapter, it is quite difficult to tell how the story will end, as the plot is full of twists and turns – exactly how I like it to be. Characters are well-developed with interesting and strong personalities.
While the treasure-hunting notion is not necessarily my favourite choice to read about, this book is so much more than that. The birdcage metaphor is so strong and persistent in this story, which eventually becomes a key component of the story and a huge clue in the mystery.
Okay, no spoilers! The book is a great read, entertaining and a page-turner. If you are into the mysteries, of the Scottish landscape, and wish to have a glimpse into adventurers’ lives – this book is for you.

"The Birdcage Library" by Freya Berry is an unashamedly good old-fashioned treasure hunt. What's not to like? Hidden diaries with clues to the whereabouts to the next section of hidden diary, people disguised as others, a spooky Scottish castle... I'd say the only thing that let it down for me was the constant analogies to cages, being trapped etc. I felt that these could have been slightly more subtle but that's down to the writers' style.

What a super read! Treasure hunt, dual timelines - although not many years apart - and a remote castle. What is there not to love? Our main POV is Emmy who has spent several years searching for rare plants all over the world - a sort of botanical Indiana Jones. Now home, her father is not in the best of health and the financial crash has affected them she takes on a position cataloguing a taxidermy collection in a remote castle. Emmy herself is an intelligent young woman but she is tormented by her past and has secrets for which she drinks - secretly. She is also insulin dependent for her diabetes. But - she is a character I really liked. Arriving at the castle and meeting the rather eccentric owner, she quickly learns that she is also required to go on a bit of a treasure hunt - I won't say more - and during this time she learns about Hester and begins to read her diaries. Reading Emmy's story and Hester's diaries, I found that I was invested in both women, their stories were both gripping. As for the castle, so creepy and oppressive. The quest, the mystery, was cleverly constructed and I needed to know ... I needed to keep reading and trying to follow the clues. A really enjoyable read.

This book has a lot of my favourite things, history, taxidermy, collecting, a library and a great story line.

It is a very atmospheric book, as a reader you get sucked right in from the start. Mystery and intrigue What is there not to like. A great book that took me back in time and I loved it. Thank you #netgalley for the eArc 😀

The Birdcage Library is a beautiful and captivating read full of secrets and mystery.
I thought the dual point of view chapters worked really well and felt that both Emily and Hester were such interesting and well developed characters. Each of them had fought so hard for independence and self worth, it was interesting to make comparisons between the two of them as we learned more.
I loved the idea of the treasure hunt and the remote setting of the island and castle certainly fueled the mystery and added such depth to the story.

The beautiful cover atteacted me to this book, the storyline kept me intruiged enough to read it.
An atmospheric gothic novel with a treasure hunt twist.
Emmy arrives in the wilds of Scotland to document Mr Heinrich Vogel's stuffed animal cillection. After travelling around the world she had returned to the UK to care for her ailing father but finances forced her to take this job. There she finds a diary written by Hester and she discovers secrets held for years.
I enjoyed this book although I did find it a slow read. I loved the setting, the writing was almost poetic at times. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the links to real events.

Dear Reader, the man I love is trying to kill me......

It's 1932. Emily Blackwood, adventuress and plant hunter, travels north for a curious new commission. A gentleman has written to request she catalogue his vast collection of taxidermied creatures before sale.

On arrival, Emily finds a ruined castle, its owner haunted by a woman who vanished five decades before. And when she discovers the ripped pages of a diary, crammed into the walls, she realises dark secrets lie here, waiting to entrap her too. A treasure hunt begins, over two timelines, one in the 30s and the other 50 years earlier.

My Thoughts:
An unusual storyline that continues to develop.
Beautifully written, feeling at first like a gothic intrigue with a mysterious castle and even more mysterious owner.
I'm not usually keen on the idea of treasure hunts and finding clues, but Berry managed to hook me in.
The pace is a little slow.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the year of 1932 Miss Emily Blackwood has just accepted a new job position in an old Castle in Scotland.
Miss Blackwood is an adventuress, a Botanist.
I found this book a slow burn start for me, A good story, maybe a bit slow in places, but kept my interest enough to want to try solve some of the mysteries.
Some of the food eaten during the book made me wince.
I like reading historical novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

Open The Birdcage Library and let the treasure hunt begin... The year is 1882, and the most important thing, unknown reader, is this: The man I love is trying to kill me. It's 1932 and adventuress and plant-hunter Emily Blackwood accepts a commission from Heinrich Vogel, a former dealer of exotic animals in Manhattan, living now with his macabre collection in a remote Scottish castle. Emily is tasked to find a long-lost treasure which Heinrich believes has been hidden within the castle walls. But instead she discovers the pages of a diary, written by Hester Vogel, who died after falling from the Brooklyn Bridge. Hester's diary leads Emily to an old book The Birdcage Library and into a treasure hunt of another kind, one that will take her down a dangerous path for clues, and force her to confront her own darkest secret

This was a great gothic novel full of atmosphere, darkness and mystery. I loved the slow build up, the setting, the characters and the gothic setting
This book gives a good sense of time and place through the authors beautiful writing while the characters are well fleshed out and the story and mystery are gripping

I DNF this one, unfortunately., which saddens me since I love historical fiction. There is nothing wrong with the writing style, is actually really good and you can tell research has been done... but the pace is too slow for my taste. This will suit someone who likes a slow historical fiction book.

I liked this book but I didn't love it - I found it a little slow in places.

This book is about Emmy and is set across two timelines - the 1930's in a castle in Scotland and 50 years earlier in an animal emporium in New York. Emmy is employed to search for a long lost item and she finds a clue which leads to a diary page written by Hester in the earlier timeline. I enjoyed the mystery which follows.

The historical narrative is littered with names of real people from the time, so is obviously well researched. But I felt some of the characters lacked depth - you see plenty of the control and nastiness in some of the men but I felt Hester in particular was portrayed as downtrodden and without a voice and yet her escape from that situation was at odds with this.

This will be a nice book for the summer - an ideal holiday read. It's easy to read a bit, put it down and come back to.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.