The Birdcage

By: Eve Chase

Narrated by: Taj Atwall, Aurora Dawson-Hunte

In the spirit of Lisa Jewell and Kate Morton, an emotional mystery set in the rugged remote landscape of north Cornwall full of dark secrets and twists, about three unusual sisters forced to confront the past.

Some secrets need to be set free…

When half-sisters Kat, Flora, and Lauren are unexpectedly summoned to Rock Point, their wild and remote Cornish summer home, it's not a welcome invitation. They haven't been back since that fateful summer twenty years ago—a summer they're desperate to forget.

But when they arrive, it's clear they're not alone. Someone is lurking in the shadows, watching their every move. Someone who remembers exactly what they did...

Will the sisters be able to protect the dark past of Rock Point? Or are some secrets too powerful to remain under lock and key?

©2022 Eve Chase (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Eve Chase does it again! The Birdcage is glorious; a bittersweet, beautifully written, slow burn family drama with a killer kick in the closing chapters. I loved every word of it.” —Lisa Jewell, author of The Family Upstairs

“Atmospheric and twisty: think Daphne Du Maurier for the modern day.” —The Sunday Telegraph

“Eve Chase never disappoints. The far west of Cornwall is evoked in all its wild and mystical glory in this lyrical and propulsive family drama about three sisters whose lives have been overshadowed by a tragedy on the day of the 1999 eclipse. Chase conjures up a bohemian, artistic world filled with damaged daughters and their charismatic, largely absent and narcissistic father. Immersive, tense and ultimately redemptive, while I was reading, it held me completely in its grip.” –Sarah Vaughan, author of Little Disasters

Needs a good edit

I wanted so much to like this book. I have listened to all of Eve Chase’s books and enjoyed them. This one was just too long and too repetitive. Three grown women having never-ending conversations with themselves. Ending was seen coming long before it was finally revealed. The attempt to continually build tension just became tiresome.

Delightful Fun

The multiple twists keep the characters on their tip-toes and the reader hip-hopping through this story with high emotions.

The grammar was incorrect, and the story was pretty slow

I would prefer a faster more interesting story. And it really does bother me when somebody’s a professional writer, and they don’t know how to say “ so and so and me”, instead of “me and so-and-so”. A professional writer usually has a professional editor, and nobody caught those constant mistakes?

I thought it was pretty slow paced. It was good enough that I listened to the whole thing and I’m pretty picky. I don’t finish a lot of books. I don’t love all readers either when they overact and pretend cry over things that really don’t deserve tears. I thought this reader did a pretty good job and was easy to listen to.

The Birdcage by Eve Chase

I forgot to write my review about this audio recording at the time I finished it...😏
I remember that it is about 3 half sisters, their artist father and at least one of the girl's mother. A great painting called The Birdcage is the center of the story as is the house 🏠 were the father lives. The girls used to visit the house in the summer, that is how they got to know each other. Something happens one summer ☀️ and that is a secret that effects everyone. Not my favorite Eve Chase book, but not horrible either. 😎

Give it until the end

At first I was disappointed it wasn’t “as” historical as Ms. Chase’s other novels, but by the end I loved it. Characters so well done, so accessible, and relatable by the end. The narrator is great for this novel. I finished it in 2 days.

great story

I found this to be a difficult listen. However, the story was intriguing enough that it kept me listening. There were so many flash forward, flash backs and character changes that it was a little bit difficult to follow. The story overall was slightly predictable, but still entertaining.

STUNNING

Exquisitely choreographed, both narrative and performance, a dance from present to past, past to present, weaving in and out and back again, across time and space. Simply, stunning.

Good story, but could have used a bit of editing...

I like Eve Chase's storytelling, but there were a lot of distractionin this one. I enjoyed the story itself, but there were so many similes that it they became a bit distracting and almost comical. Also, a typical 4-year-old doesn't speak in 3rd person and sentence fragments. That is suggestive of a developmental delay that I don't think the author intended. Overall, it was an entertaining story, but could have used some polishing prior to release.

I couldn’t put it down!

Such a good book and really takes you in! Reader is awesome. I look forward to reading more of Eve’s works.

Disconnected and Rambling

I've enjoyed Eve Chase's books, but this one was a dud for me. Something or things just didn't connect. Too much about some characters that fall by the wayside and not enough about others that hang on to the end. Just weird. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. If you've not read her work before maybe start here so the books to follow will be more enjoyable.