The Birdcage: The spellbinding new mystery from the author of Sunday Times bestseller and Richard and Judy pick The Glass House

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The present day story (2019) alternates between the points of view of the three sisters. Interwoven with this is Lauren’s first person narrative of events in 1999. The author skilfully ramps up the tension through fleeting references and tantalising snippets of detail about events on an August day in 1999. It soon becomes apparent that no-one has the full picture of what took place on the fateful day. It’s only when all the pieces are put together that the sisters – and the reader – find out what actually happened. Like me, you may have an inkling about the direction of some of the story but I’m pretty sure you’ll discover a few surprises.

This is my first book by this author who writes in a vein similar to Maeve Binchey. I didn’t realize until I was about ¾ of the way through the book that it is part of a series of books Willett has written with recurring characters, but no matter, you can read this as a “stand alone” quite easily. There’s lots I liked in this book: it’s set in Scotland, strong female protagonist, scientific exploration, mystery. The creepy castle in a remote location was excellent, in spite of it being such a wide space, it felt very claustrophobic. The few but odd inhabitants created a constant, oppressive feeling of malaise. This book did atmosphere very well. The allegory of birds and cages is all throughout this novel. In a physical sense, the birds that were kept in stylish cages (Hester's time), and metaphorically, a woman's place in society/home/the world. I found both Hester and Emily to have much in common, and genuinely enjoyed each woman's chapters. They were both emotionally potent and riveting in a thrilling/survival sense.There are secrets that all of the characters in the book are keeping. It does get a bit confusing keeping everything straight with 5 characters in two different timelines. I would've preferred a more direct telling of the story. The best part of the book is the last 20%. It was really good and I wish the rest of the book had been as good. I would recommend this book if you like drama, but I wouldn't consider it a thriller. Many critics have said the film's resonance is due to its core theme of family, its depiction of a loving, long-term relationship between two men, and how the parents ultimately come together to make their children happy. [9] Nathan Lane commented, "Homophobia is still alive and well but there's something about that film that touches people because it's ultimately about family, what you do for your family, why you love your family even though they drive you crazy. Then ultimately — not to sound corny — it's about love. It's about love in both families and coming to accept one another in their differences." [9] When Marina discovers the affair, she forces Felix to end it, threatening him not only divorce, but with ensuring that Felix will never again see his beloved son. Felix despairing of the end of his relationship with Piers, lets Marina have her way and ends the affair with Angel. Piers their son is pulled between loyalty to his hurt and betrayed mother to his adored father who he blames for hurting her.

Vilanch, Bruce (April 30, 1996). "Battling Over The Birdcage". The Advocate. p.51 . Retrieved November 8, 2023. This book continuously fell just a hair short of what it was trying to be. I wanted to write out a long detailed review, but the truth is it's just fairly forgettable. The characters are boring and come across as one dimensional despite what should be really interesting dynamics between them. We know something terrible happened at that house during the eclipse of 1999, but what? And who exactly knows about it? The house with its large birdcage is the setting for a cleverly narrated unravelling of the past and the myriad ways in which it has shaped the present. Layer by layer we get closer to the truth.

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I read an eARC of this book so thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing this. A deliciously gothic and utterly atmospheric, Daphne Du Maurier style historical mystery that will definitely have you on the edge of your seat.