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The Birdcage
**AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!**
The new novel from the author of The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde and Sunday Times bestseller and Richard and Judy Pick The Glass House
'Gorgeously written, atmospheric and twisty . . . I devoured it!' Claire Douglas, bestselling author of The Couple at No. 9
'Immersive, tense and ultimately redemptive, while I was reading, it held me completely in its grip' Sarah Vaughan, bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal
***
Some secrets need to be set free . . .
1999: The summer of the total solar eclipse. Three teenage half-sisters - Lauren, Kat and Flora - are staying at Rock Point, a remote Cornish house, under the neglectful eye of their artist father. They sit for his famous portrait, Girls and Birdcage. And hide a devastating secret.
2019: A winter reunion at Rock Point throws their lives into disarray. It's the first time they've been back since that summer - and they're trying to put it behind them. But someone is watching the house. Someone who recognises the girls in the painting. And won't let the past lie...
Nor the secret that lies at the heart of this family, far darker than the sisters ever knew . . .
Praise for Eve Chase:
'Enthralling' Kate Morton
'Riveting' Rosie Walsh
'Transportative' Erin Kelly
'Pacy and suspenseful' Independent
'Simply stunning' Dinah Jefferies
'The most beautiful book you will read this year' Lisa Jewell
'Beautifully written, atmospheric' Heat
'Filled with intrigue' Clare Mackintosh
'Exquisite and evocative' Sarah Vaughan
The new novel from the author of The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde and Sunday Times bestseller and Richard and Judy Pick The Glass House
'Gorgeously written, atmospheric and twisty . . . I devoured it!' Claire Douglas, bestselling author of The Couple at No. 9
'Immersive, tense and ultimately redemptive, while I was reading, it held me completely in its grip' Sarah Vaughan, bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal
***
Some secrets need to be set free . . .
1999: The summer of the total solar eclipse. Three teenage half-sisters - Lauren, Kat and Flora - are staying at Rock Point, a remote Cornish house, under the neglectful eye of their artist father. They sit for his famous portrait, Girls and Birdcage. And hide a devastating secret.
2019: A winter reunion at Rock Point throws their lives into disarray. It's the first time they've been back since that summer - and they're trying to put it behind them. But someone is watching the house. Someone who recognises the girls in the painting. And won't let the past lie...
Nor the secret that lies at the heart of this family, far darker than the sisters ever knew . . .
Praise for Eve Chase:
'Enthralling' Kate Morton
'Riveting' Rosie Walsh
'Transportative' Erin Kelly
'Pacy and suspenseful' Independent
'Simply stunning' Dinah Jefferies
'The most beautiful book you will read this year' Lisa Jewell
'Beautifully written, atmospheric' Heat
'Filled with intrigue' Clare Mackintosh
'Exquisite and evocative' Sarah Vaughan
416 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2022
751 people are currently reading
11690 people want to read
About the author
Eve Chase
11 books1,378 followersEve Chase is an internationally bestselling British novelist who writes rich, layered and suspenseful novels. Including R&J pick, no.1 kindle bestseller The Midnight Hour, The Birdcage, The Glass House (The Daughters of Foxcote Manor, US) Sunday Times top ten and Richard and Judy Book Club pick, The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde (The Wildling Sisters, US) longlisted for the HWA Gold Crown Award, and Black Rabbit Hall, winner of Paris' Saint-Maur en Poche prize for Best Foreign Fiction.
Say hello @evepollychase on Instagram, X, and Facebook
Say hello @evepollychase on Instagram, X, and Facebook
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 992 reviews
December 9, 2022
Charlie has three daughters and they are all half sisters. Each daughter has a different mother. They all want their Dad's attention. He also is an artist. He invites them all to a reunion at Rock Point. He has some news for them.
There are some terrible secrets that will be revealed. Someone is watching the house and knows what they did.
This one was a very very slow burn. Just not my kind of book. I was intrigued a couple of times. and kept waiting and waiting to find out what happens, and didn't find out until the end which was just late for me.
I didn't care so much for the characters. When reading a book like this I have to at least love one character. I just felt like I didn't connect with them.
All of the action is at the end. But I did not like the ending at all.
This is not a thriller. I would say that it is in the contemporary genre which I am not a big fan of this genre unless I love at least one of the characters.
This was a buddy read with DeAnn.
I want to thank Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons
for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There are some terrible secrets that will be revealed. Someone is watching the house and knows what they did.
This one was a very very slow burn. Just not my kind of book. I was intrigued a couple of times. and kept waiting and waiting to find out what happens, and didn't find out until the end which was just late for me.
I didn't care so much for the characters. When reading a book like this I have to at least love one character. I just felt like I didn't connect with them.
All of the action is at the end. But I did not like the ending at all.
This is not a thriller. I would say that it is in the contemporary genre which I am not a big fan of this genre unless I love at least one of the characters.
This was a buddy read with DeAnn.
I want to thank Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons
for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2022
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
“…the eclipse only took two minutes twenty‑three seconds to change everything. A lot can happen in a couple of days. And time is mutable at Rock Point. Blink and it buckles.”
Eve Chase once again explores the complicated bonds of sisterhood in her fourth gothic thriller.
The Birdcage focuses on three estranged half-sisters, Flora, Kat and Lauren. They are all the daughters of Charlie Finch, a still life painter. His only famous painting was called Girls and the Birdcage, which depicted his daughters sitting on a couch next to a birdcage. It was painted in 1999, the year of the eclipse.
The chapters alternate between the viewpoints of each daughter in 2019 as well as through flashbacks from 1999.
When Lauren’s mother Dixie passes away, Charlie Finch assembles his daughters back at Rock Point estate in Cornwall to make an important announcement. However, everyone is hiding secrets that threaten to upend everything they thought they knew. Why is Angie there? What actually happened on the day of the eclipse? Will Bertha the African Grey parrot spill the beans?
“What have we done?” Bertha squawked in Flora’s voice. “What have we done?”
When threatening notes are found at the house and tires are slashed, the family wonders who might also know their precious secrets.
The Finch family must learn to accept, love, and support each other in order to finally let the truth be known.
This book also deals with themes of alcoholism, infidelity, and abusive relationships.
I am a huge fan of Eve Chase, whose books always focus on the relationship between sisters. This book started off very slow due to little dialogue and just the inner thoughts of the characters. The pace sped up around 50%, when I correctly guessed the twist. Regardless of knowing how it would end, I enjoyed Chase’s message and the creepy birds!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 7/19/22
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of The Birdcage in exchange for an honest review.
“…the eclipse only took two minutes twenty‑three seconds to change everything. A lot can happen in a couple of days. And time is mutable at Rock Point. Blink and it buckles.”
Eve Chase once again explores the complicated bonds of sisterhood in her fourth gothic thriller.
The Birdcage focuses on three estranged half-sisters, Flora, Kat and Lauren. They are all the daughters of Charlie Finch, a still life painter. His only famous painting was called Girls and the Birdcage, which depicted his daughters sitting on a couch next to a birdcage. It was painted in 1999, the year of the eclipse.
The chapters alternate between the viewpoints of each daughter in 2019 as well as through flashbacks from 1999.
When Lauren’s mother Dixie passes away, Charlie Finch assembles his daughters back at Rock Point estate in Cornwall to make an important announcement. However, everyone is hiding secrets that threaten to upend everything they thought they knew. Why is Angie there? What actually happened on the day of the eclipse? Will Bertha the African Grey parrot spill the beans?
“What have we done?” Bertha squawked in Flora’s voice. “What have we done?”
When threatening notes are found at the house and tires are slashed, the family wonders who might also know their precious secrets.
The Finch family must learn to accept, love, and support each other in order to finally let the truth be known.
This book also deals with themes of alcoholism, infidelity, and abusive relationships.
I am a huge fan of Eve Chase, whose books always focus on the relationship between sisters. This book started off very slow due to little dialogue and just the inner thoughts of the characters. The pace sped up around 50%, when I correctly guessed the twist. Regardless of knowing how it would end, I enjoyed Chase’s message and the creepy birds!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 7/19/22
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of The Birdcage in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2022
4+
On January 3rd, 2019 Lauren returns to Rock Point in Cornwall the home of her artist father Charlie Finch after an absence of 20 years, August of 1999 and the summer of the eclipse being the last time she was there with her half sisters Flora and Kat. All Lauren‘s insecurities come to the fore and secrets the siblings have suppressed stem back to that summer. This is a dysfunctional, disparate family group trying to be functional. Can they succeed and can past ghosts be laid to rest? The story told in duel timelines and by the siblings.
This is another book by Eve Chase that I’ve greatly enjoyed. That storytelling is lovely, there are some vivid descriptions that make you feel like you are there. The house, Rock Point is at the centre of the story, it’s the key and you see it in all its faded glory. I love Bertha, the talking African grey parrot, owner of one of the birdcages of the title (Berthington Palace) who interjects herself magnificently into the storyline. The characterisation is excellent from Dad Charlie (just a bit of a player, the daughters have three different mothers!)to the sisters and Ange who works for the family in ‘99 and reappears in 2019. The dynamics are complex and chop and change which makes for interesting reading. There is a very good air of mystery that pervades and tantalises you and you get Cornwall thrown into the bargain! The pace is good throughout, there’s plenty of tension, moments of suspense, it becomes a bit dark at time as truths emerge which releases characters from its bonds. It builds well and has an ending I enjoy too with Charlie’s art being centre stage. An engrossing and compelling read.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
On January 3rd, 2019 Lauren returns to Rock Point in Cornwall the home of her artist father Charlie Finch after an absence of 20 years, August of 1999 and the summer of the eclipse being the last time she was there with her half sisters Flora and Kat. All Lauren‘s insecurities come to the fore and secrets the siblings have suppressed stem back to that summer. This is a dysfunctional, disparate family group trying to be functional. Can they succeed and can past ghosts be laid to rest? The story told in duel timelines and by the siblings.
This is another book by Eve Chase that I’ve greatly enjoyed. That storytelling is lovely, there are some vivid descriptions that make you feel like you are there. The house, Rock Point is at the centre of the story, it’s the key and you see it in all its faded glory. I love Bertha, the talking African grey parrot, owner of one of the birdcages of the title (Berthington Palace) who interjects herself magnificently into the storyline. The characterisation is excellent from Dad Charlie (just a bit of a player, the daughters have three different mothers!)to the sisters and Ange who works for the family in ‘99 and reappears in 2019. The dynamics are complex and chop and change which makes for interesting reading. There is a very good air of mystery that pervades and tantalises you and you get Cornwall thrown into the bargain! The pace is good throughout, there’s plenty of tension, moments of suspense, it becomes a bit dark at time as truths emerge which releases characters from its bonds. It builds well and has an ending I enjoy too with Charlie’s art being centre stage. An engrossing and compelling read.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
March 25, 2024
5 stars!
2024 Favourites List! 🏆
A famous artist father.
Three daughters.
A solar eclipse.
An isolated, seaside family estate.
Gothic palpable atmosphere.
Deeply buried family secrets.
Three half sisters reunite at their father’s Cornish seaside estate, Rock Point, twenty years after their last visit that ended in tragedy.
I had no idea this book premise was based around a solar eclipse, so that was an added bonus considering we are due for an eclipse in two weeks.
Eve Chase is a top favourite author of mine. Upon finishing this book, I have now read all of her work and rated every novel 4.5/5 stars. There is something about her writing that shoots straight to my heart and leaves a lasting impression. I compare her writing to Kate Morton, but on a less detailed level. Multigenerational, multiple perspective family sagas that I find myself completely engrossed and consumed by.
This author writes complicated, unique, broken-but-working family dynamics so very well. Her books often feature unconventional families and focus on the relationships that make them work. I always find the relationships the most fascinating pieces of her stories. Her characters always feel real and bring forth emotions and thought provoking scenarios.
Sisterhood is explored and challenged throughout these pages. The three half sisters love and grow with each other as they navigate the path of their complicated relationships with their shared father.
The atmosphere and setting is always a huge connectable aspect with this authors work and this book was no exception. I adored Rock Point and all that it added to the story. It was like a character itself. The seaside cliffs, aviary, crumbling decor, hidden nooks, echoing hallways, etc all had me enveloped within the palpable setting.
Bertha, the family parrot, was a fantastic piece of the atmosphere and plot backdrop. Bertha added an element of humour and uniqueness to the family dynamic that I loved.
There was a mysterious undertone and slight tension throughout this story. There are secrets shared by the sisters which kept my curiosity piqued. I had a hunch about two major plot points, but that didn’t detract from my connection as I was so enthralled within the storyline that the reveals were only part of my immense enjoyment.
Overall, this was an amazing read for me. 2024 Favourites Shelf! I’m sad to not have any more books left unread by this author and look forward to what she releases next!
2024 Favourites List! 🏆
A famous artist father.
Three daughters.
A solar eclipse.
An isolated, seaside family estate.
Gothic palpable atmosphere.
Deeply buried family secrets.
Three half sisters reunite at their father’s Cornish seaside estate, Rock Point, twenty years after their last visit that ended in tragedy.
I had no idea this book premise was based around a solar eclipse, so that was an added bonus considering we are due for an eclipse in two weeks.
Eve Chase is a top favourite author of mine. Upon finishing this book, I have now read all of her work and rated every novel 4.5/5 stars. There is something about her writing that shoots straight to my heart and leaves a lasting impression. I compare her writing to Kate Morton, but on a less detailed level. Multigenerational, multiple perspective family sagas that I find myself completely engrossed and consumed by.
This author writes complicated, unique, broken-but-working family dynamics so very well. Her books often feature unconventional families and focus on the relationships that make them work. I always find the relationships the most fascinating pieces of her stories. Her characters always feel real and bring forth emotions and thought provoking scenarios.
Sisterhood is explored and challenged throughout these pages. The three half sisters love and grow with each other as they navigate the path of their complicated relationships with their shared father.
The atmosphere and setting is always a huge connectable aspect with this authors work and this book was no exception. I adored Rock Point and all that it added to the story. It was like a character itself. The seaside cliffs, aviary, crumbling decor, hidden nooks, echoing hallways, etc all had me enveloped within the palpable setting.
Bertha, the family parrot, was a fantastic piece of the atmosphere and plot backdrop. Bertha added an element of humour and uniqueness to the family dynamic that I loved.
There was a mysterious undertone and slight tension throughout this story. There are secrets shared by the sisters which kept my curiosity piqued. I had a hunch about two major plot points, but that didn’t detract from my connection as I was so enthralled within the storyline that the reveals were only part of my immense enjoyment.
Overall, this was an amazing read for me. 2024 Favourites Shelf! I’m sad to not have any more books left unread by this author and look forward to what she releases next!
January 3, 2023
I've read and adored all of Eve Chase's books. Each has intriguing, strong female characters and good men too. She delves into women's lives and their relationships, especially those of mothers and their daughters and sisters and the destructive secrets that families carry. In each book prior to this one, I've identified with and rooted for the women.
This one has a couple of tough, fair, but loving mothers, but they are peripheral characters. One, a wonderful mom, Dixie, has died and the other mother, Viv, is seen only through flashbacks until the end. I could find no center in the novel and with no one to root for, I found it hard going at times. Laurie, the main character, is fashioned out of such spineless stuff, as to be ephemeral. You know she's been traumatized, but aren't given enough to go on to feel for her.
When the big reveal comes at the end, I was sad and disheartened. What the sisters did that day is horrific and I don't know if I could forgive them or forget.
This one has a couple of tough, fair, but loving mothers, but they are peripheral characters. One, a wonderful mom, Dixie, has died and the other mother, Viv, is seen only through flashbacks until the end. I could find no center in the novel and with no one to root for, I found it hard going at times. Laurie, the main character, is fashioned out of such spineless stuff, as to be ephemeral. You know she's been traumatized, but aren't given enough to go on to feel for her.
When the big reveal comes at the end, I was sad and disheartened. What the sisters did that day is horrific and I don't know if I could forgive them or forget.
August 1, 2022
3.5 eclipse stars
Eve Chase writes atmospheric mystery/thrillers and this one has just such a setting – Rock Point, a Cornish cliff house. The story features three half-sisters and we learn about their summers together and we discover early on that something terrible happened one summer during the eclipse.
The girls share a father who happens to be a famous artist. There are lots of secrets swirling about the house and Kat, Lauren, and Flora each have struggles of their own.
The timeline alternates between the past and present-day when the girls have been reunited at Rock Point to hear an important update from their father.
While I did enjoy this one, it took me quite a while to read. Perhaps if I had read it in one sitting, I would have enjoyed it more. The pace was a little slow to me and I struggled a bit to keep the sisters straight as I read it. I still am a fan of this author and I’ll be anxiously awaiting her next book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Putnam for the chance to read and honestly review this one.
Eve Chase writes atmospheric mystery/thrillers and this one has just such a setting – Rock Point, a Cornish cliff house. The story features three half-sisters and we learn about their summers together and we discover early on that something terrible happened one summer during the eclipse.
The girls share a father who happens to be a famous artist. There are lots of secrets swirling about the house and Kat, Lauren, and Flora each have struggles of their own.
The timeline alternates between the past and present-day when the girls have been reunited at Rock Point to hear an important update from their father.
While I did enjoy this one, it took me quite a while to read. Perhaps if I had read it in one sitting, I would have enjoyed it more. The pace was a little slow to me and I struggled a bit to keep the sisters straight as I read it. I still am a fan of this author and I’ll be anxiously awaiting her next book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Putnam for the chance to read and honestly review this one.
May 25, 2022
Yuppie... my turn for the BLOG TOUR of THE BIRDCAGE by EVE CHASE
Eve Chase’s The Birdcage is a story that sweeps you off your feet, the writing by the author so magical that it transports you to the lazy summers of a house called Rock Point in Cornwall. It is not just the dual timeline story that grabs the reader's attention but sewing together a quilt thru the eyes of the three half-sisters in the present times makes for some gripping reading.
Right away, we are made aware of something terrible that has affected the lives of everyone connected to Rock Point, so much that for, 20 years none of them have managed to step back into the place again. Lauren, Flora, and Kat, the three half-sisters are struggling in their respective lives but are unable to form any sort of sisterly bond or family connection between them. We get to read the perspective of their return thru each of their POVs but the past, specifically the August of 1999 when an eclipse had occurred is narrated thru the eyes of Lauren, the youngest of the trio.
Dysfunctional takes on a new meaning in this family as everyone caters to the famous artist father Charlie Finch and his lifestyle. Eve Chase unveils the complex web at a steady pace as each interaction between the members of the family brings to light the dynamics inside it and the undercurrent of something unsaid lying dormant. The African Grey talking parrot, Bertha is the highlight of the novel and I was in awe with how the parrot and its cage Berthington Palace became a focal point in the story, Lauren’s anxiety connected to the talking parrot and birds in general causes unease in the reader every time Bertha repeats certain things in perfect mimicry with the voice of the speaker.
Eve Chase explores the complicated relationships wonderfully and the face each of the sisters presents to the world and returning to Rock Point is as much a relief as coming to terms with their individuality, reconnecting them to their roots. The characterization of all of them is perfect, flawed, and more grey than white, the careless father, the grandparents trying their best with the children to form a cohesive unit, and Angie, the au pair who becomes a part of their past and present, Gemma and her mother Viv, Pete and Jonah, a whole host of characters that was sketched so beautifully. The sense of place is an advantage as Rock Point on the cliffs, the abandoned huts, the moors, and rocky outcroppings are vividly captured. The mystery element of the story is not hard to guess for seasoned readers and I did surmise the twists right from the beginning though by no means did it spoil the reading experience.
A remarkable journey to Cornwall and to the lives of a family that has to relearn to trust and forgive each other, The Birdcage is a thoroughly engrossing read.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Penguin Michael Joseph, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Book Bub, ##Medium.com, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.
Eve Chase’s The Birdcage is a story that sweeps you off your feet, the writing by the author so magical that it transports you to the lazy summers of a house called Rock Point in Cornwall. It is not just the dual timeline story that grabs the reader's attention but sewing together a quilt thru the eyes of the three half-sisters in the present times makes for some gripping reading.
Right away, we are made aware of something terrible that has affected the lives of everyone connected to Rock Point, so much that for, 20 years none of them have managed to step back into the place again. Lauren, Flora, and Kat, the three half-sisters are struggling in their respective lives but are unable to form any sort of sisterly bond or family connection between them. We get to read the perspective of their return thru each of their POVs but the past, specifically the August of 1999 when an eclipse had occurred is narrated thru the eyes of Lauren, the youngest of the trio.
Dysfunctional takes on a new meaning in this family as everyone caters to the famous artist father Charlie Finch and his lifestyle. Eve Chase unveils the complex web at a steady pace as each interaction between the members of the family brings to light the dynamics inside it and the undercurrent of something unsaid lying dormant. The African Grey talking parrot, Bertha is the highlight of the novel and I was in awe with how the parrot and its cage Berthington Palace became a focal point in the story, Lauren’s anxiety connected to the talking parrot and birds in general causes unease in the reader every time Bertha repeats certain things in perfect mimicry with the voice of the speaker.
Eve Chase explores the complicated relationships wonderfully and the face each of the sisters presents to the world and returning to Rock Point is as much a relief as coming to terms with their individuality, reconnecting them to their roots. The characterization of all of them is perfect, flawed, and more grey than white, the careless father, the grandparents trying their best with the children to form a cohesive unit, and Angie, the au pair who becomes a part of their past and present, Gemma and her mother Viv, Pete and Jonah, a whole host of characters that was sketched so beautifully. The sense of place is an advantage as Rock Point on the cliffs, the abandoned huts, the moors, and rocky outcroppings are vividly captured. The mystery element of the story is not hard to guess for seasoned readers and I did surmise the twists right from the beginning though by no means did it spoil the reading experience.
A remarkable journey to Cornwall and to the lives of a family that has to relearn to trust and forgive each other, The Birdcage is a thoroughly engrossing read.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Penguin Michael Joseph, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Book Bub, ##Medium.com, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.
April 6, 2022
Kat, Flossie and Lauren are half-sisters who share a famous artist father - and a terrible secret. Each has found a way of burying it. Over the years they've grown apart, and into wildly different lives. But an invitation to Rock Point, the Cornish Cliff House where they once sat for their father's most celebrated painting, Girls with Birdcage, reunites them. Rock Point is a beautiful, windswept palace, thick with secrets, electrically charged with the one secret the family daren't discuss. And there's someone watching the house. Someone who remembers what the girls did.
This is a multilayered story with elements of surprise. The sister's are attending their father's house in Cornwall where he is going to make a surprise announcement. The sisters are dreading the reunion, they have avoided each other for years. The story is told from the three sisters perspectives in alternating chapters. The secret they share happened during the 1999 eclipse. The story flips back and forth from the present day and the summer of 1999. There's lots of little twists and one big one that made the rest of the story easy to work out.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #PenguinMichaelJosephUK and the author #EveChase for my ARC of #TheBirdcage in exchange for an honest review.
This is a multilayered story with elements of surprise. The sister's are attending their father's house in Cornwall where he is going to make a surprise announcement. The sisters are dreading the reunion, they have avoided each other for years. The story is told from the three sisters perspectives in alternating chapters. The secret they share happened during the 1999 eclipse. The story flips back and forth from the present day and the summer of 1999. There's lots of little twists and one big one that made the rest of the story easy to work out.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #PenguinMichaelJosephUK and the author #EveChase for my ARC of #TheBirdcage in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2022
Eve Chase knows how to write sister relationships, as she proves once again in her latest book, which was a delicious read full of family secrets and intrigue. THE BIRDCAGE. She is also very skilled in creating an atmospheric setting, so it wasn’t really a surprise that I instantly felt transported to Rock Point, the old artist’s mansion on top of a Cornish cliff. It is here that half sisters Kat, Flora and Lauren meet, summoned by their father, the eccentric artist Charlie Finch. Each one of the sisters embarks on the journey with some trepidation, owing to the dark secret they have been harbouring for 20 years, each of them honouring the unspoken Finch code of silence that has weighed heavily on them. Has the time come to finally confront the past?
As with Chase’s previous books, each character is colourfully drawn and instantly came to life in my mind, especially the eccentric Charlie. There was even a talking African grey parrot, Bertha, who will spill a secret or two in this ill-fated family reunion. I loved the way each sister has a very distinct personality, which added to the complexity of their relationships.
Told in two separate timelines, the story focuses not only on the family reunion and the sisters’ waiting for Charlie’s big announcement, but also on the events of twenty years ago, the year of the famous eclipse, when a terrible tragedy tore the sisters apart. The central mystery was intriguing and further aided by the little morsels Bertha would reveal at the most inopportune moments. It’s the first time I have ever seen a parrot used to give clues to the reader to solve the puzzle, and I loved it! The old house featured like a character in its own right, making this a most colourful and interesting cast that easily swept me along on their quest for the truth.
I first fell in love with this author when I read THE GLASS HOUSE, and her latest book continued this trend. I now look forward to reading her entire backlist. If you love a good sister mystery and family secrets, then you can’t go wrong with this one!
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
As with Chase’s previous books, each character is colourfully drawn and instantly came to life in my mind, especially the eccentric Charlie. There was even a talking African grey parrot, Bertha, who will spill a secret or two in this ill-fated family reunion. I loved the way each sister has a very distinct personality, which added to the complexity of their relationships.
Told in two separate timelines, the story focuses not only on the family reunion and the sisters’ waiting for Charlie’s big announcement, but also on the events of twenty years ago, the year of the famous eclipse, when a terrible tragedy tore the sisters apart. The central mystery was intriguing and further aided by the little morsels Bertha would reveal at the most inopportune moments. It’s the first time I have ever seen a parrot used to give clues to the reader to solve the puzzle, and I loved it! The old house featured like a character in its own right, making this a most colourful and interesting cast that easily swept me along on their quest for the truth.
I first fell in love with this author when I read THE GLASS HOUSE, and her latest book continued this trend. I now look forward to reading her entire backlist. If you love a good sister mystery and family secrets, then you can’t go wrong with this one!
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
January 21, 2023
I've loved all of Eve Chase's books so far, the stories are usually an enjoyable slow burn, this one however was reeaally slow. The writing was lovely but it seemed to take forever to get round to anything, I didn't really like any of the characters and I pretty much guessed the "mystery" (if not the details) early on. Also dual timelines aren't a problem for me, but I don't feel this one was done particularly well, I don't want to have to pause repeatedly and check the character and the date, it became a little tiresome for sure. Something of a frustrating read from an author I usually love, 3 stars.
December 16, 2022
1.5 stars. This book frustrated me. The Big Reveal was obvious early on; I was dreading the ending for most of book, hoping that wouldn't be the Big Reveal and the author would come up with something different, but no. I got mixed up between multiple characters across the dual timelines and overall this one felt like a mess.
May 18, 2022
I called every single one of the twists, the final chapters after the mystery was solved were a bit cheesy, and I feel like the author sometimes was trying too hard with the language, if that makes any sense, but it was a good story and I loved the dynamics between the sisters 👍🏼
April 30, 2022
A psychologically gripping story of three half-sisters who are reunited one summer at their father’s home on the treacherous Cornish coast. The relationships between the girls, their father, and their separate mothers are complex and intriguing. I was terrified for poor Lauren, the youngest, but we saw her gradually getting stronger and more able to deal with the family. The nastiness of Kat and Flora when they found themselves with a new half-sister was shocking, and yet understandable too when you know more of their back stories. I loved the glimpses of the three mothers through their eyes, and the larger-than-life character of Charlie Finch. Each of them is totally memorable. The grandparents and Angie and Bertha and Viv – all of them complete originals.
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.
The writing is spectacular. I was consumed with writerly envy for all the spot-on similes and metaphors. This is a novel that draws you in and doesn’t let go till the last page. Enjoy!
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.
The writing is spectacular. I was consumed with writerly envy for all the spot-on similes and metaphors. This is a novel that draws you in and doesn’t let go till the last page. Enjoy!
July 29, 2022
The Birdcage is a mystery/thriller that follows three half-sisters and the backstory leading up to a traumatic event on the day of a total eclipse in 1999. With two separate timelines, it also dives into each of their relationships with their famous artist father, and with one other. There’s quite a few secrets the sisters are holding back, and not to mention who else might know them???
And there’s yet another important character here.. “Rock Point,” their fathers remote house in Cornwall IS a story in itself.. giving off all those atmospheric creepy, gothic vibes. I always enjoy how Eve Chase writes these wonderfully nostalgic stories that so easily bring out all your emotions.
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub. 7/19/22
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
And there’s yet another important character here.. “Rock Point,” their fathers remote house in Cornwall IS a story in itself.. giving off all those atmospheric creepy, gothic vibes. I always enjoy how Eve Chase writes these wonderfully nostalgic stories that so easily bring out all your emotions.
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub. 7/19/22
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 25, 2022
This book was irritatingly slow and boring. It was so wordy and went nowhere. The last 2 books that I read by this author were also slow but picked up in the second half whereas this one never did. I also found the characters to be dull and flat.
It seemed be marketed as a thriller but it definitely is not. There aren’t any big revelations but rather some not so major family secrets. I also didn’t understand why the author made such a fuss around the eclipse.
I figured out pretty early on what the “big” event was that no one wanted to discuss, a prank gone wrong that caused Gemma to die after suffering an asthma attack. I think this is my last book by this author.
It seemed be marketed as a thriller but it definitely is not. There aren’t any big revelations but rather some not so major family secrets. I also didn’t understand why the author made such a fuss around the eclipse.
I figured out pretty early on what the “big” event was that no one wanted to discuss, a prank gone wrong that caused Gemma to die after suffering an asthma attack. I think this is my last book by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2025
3.5⭐️
Tikrai smagiai ir įdomiai susikaitęs romanas. Nebuvo iš tų, kur netikėtai nustebino ir sudrebino širdį, bet dėmesį puikiai išlaikė ir susuktas įdomiai.
Mistiška praeities vasara, kurios nė viena iš seserų atsiminti nenori. O tos seserys trys: vieno tėvo, bet skirtingų motinų. Bohemiškas dailinkas tėvas, palaidas jo gyvenimas ir noras bent vasaromis susikviesti vaikus į savo prabangų namą. TĄ vasarą visi stebėjo saulės užtemimą, bet šiuose namuose tai toli gražu nebuvo pagrindinis įvykis. Praėjus daug metų, tėvas vėl priverčia dukras susiburti, bet tas susibūrimas tampa ir akistata su didžiausiomis baimėmimis ir paslaptimis.
Toks serialas čia. Viskas persipynę, visi turi ką slėpti, ko bijoti ir ko nepasakyti. O kai jau prabyla, tai o. vaikyti. Labai lengvai skaitosi, bet nėra banalu ar iškart perprantama. Kas mėgsta draminius šeimos romanus, manau, labai patiks.
Tikrai smagiai ir įdomiai susikaitęs romanas. Nebuvo iš tų, kur netikėtai nustebino ir sudrebino širdį, bet dėmesį puikiai išlaikė ir susuktas įdomiai.
Mistiška praeities vasara, kurios nė viena iš seserų atsiminti nenori. O tos seserys trys: vieno tėvo, bet skirtingų motinų. Bohemiškas dailinkas tėvas, palaidas jo gyvenimas ir noras bent vasaromis susikviesti vaikus į savo prabangų namą. TĄ vasarą visi stebėjo saulės užtemimą, bet šiuose namuose tai toli gražu nebuvo pagrindinis įvykis. Praėjus daug metų, tėvas vėl priverčia dukras susiburti, bet tas susibūrimas tampa ir akistata su didžiausiomis baimėmimis ir paslaptimis.
Toks serialas čia. Viskas persipynę, visi turi ką slėpti, ko bijoti ir ko nepasakyti. O kai jau prabyla, tai o. vaikyti. Labai lengvai skaitosi, bet nėra banalu ar iškart perprantama. Kas mėgsta draminius šeimos romanus, manau, labai patiks.
July 4, 2022
As with many of Eve Chase's novels, the house in this novel is almost a character unto itself. 'Rock Point' high atop a seaside cliff in Cornwall, is the family home of the Finch girls. Three daughters, all with different mothers, fathered by the esteemed artist Charles Finch.
"The Birdcage" sees the three women returning to the house for the first time in two decades. Twenty years ago, they suffered a trauma at the house during the day of a solar eclipse. The events of that day are never mentioned. Their father has called them back to Rock Point because he has an important announcement to make.
The sisters share a guarded closeness, like they want to be close, yet they are holding back. Lauren always felt left out as the other two sisters were there first - she didn't meet them until she was nine years old. This book portrayed a somewhat unique study of sibling relationships - both the good and bad aspects of sisterhood and sibling rivalry.
The paintings depicted in this novel are ones that I would love to view. They would tell the story in a visual and evocative way.
With threatening anonymous notes, winter storms, and stifled memories, this book kept me thoroughly invested throughout. I did guess the 'big' secret, but that didn't mar my enjoyment of the reveal one iota.
Family secrets are my weakness when reading fiction and this novel has the perfect blend of secrets, excellently drawn characters, and an extremely atmospheric setting. I've read all of this author's work to date and she never disappoints.
"The Birdcage" sees the three women returning to the house for the first time in two decades. Twenty years ago, they suffered a trauma at the house during the day of a solar eclipse. The events of that day are never mentioned. Their father has called them back to Rock Point because he has an important announcement to make.
The sisters share a guarded closeness, like they want to be close, yet they are holding back. Lauren always felt left out as the other two sisters were there first - she didn't meet them until she was nine years old. This book portrayed a somewhat unique study of sibling relationships - both the good and bad aspects of sisterhood and sibling rivalry.
The paintings depicted in this novel are ones that I would love to view. They would tell the story in a visual and evocative way.
With threatening anonymous notes, winter storms, and stifled memories, this book kept me thoroughly invested throughout. I did guess the 'big' secret, but that didn't mar my enjoyment of the reveal one iota.
Family secrets are my weakness when reading fiction and this novel has the perfect blend of secrets, excellently drawn characters, and an extremely atmospheric setting. I've read all of this author's work to date and she never disappoints.
October 6, 2022
THE BIRDCAGE
By Eve Chase
Sisters
Secrets
Sweeping
The Birdcage is the gothic literary fiction/mystery I had been craving for and enjoyed reading.
The story is about three women who shares a secret, and a famous artist father, who have now reconvened at the Rock Point house on the cliff in Cornwall after two decades. The Birdcage held my attention with the family secret, the fantastic atmospheric setting, and well-drawn out characters that were so exciting to read about. The relationship between the sisters (Kat, Lauren, and Flora) is what I enjoyed reading about the most. I loved the pacing and the wonderful twist in the end, making this an engrossing read.
By Eve Chase
Sisters
Secrets
Sweeping
The Birdcage is the gothic literary fiction/mystery I had been craving for and enjoyed reading.
The story is about three women who shares a secret, and a famous artist father, who have now reconvened at the Rock Point house on the cliff in Cornwall after two decades. The Birdcage held my attention with the family secret, the fantastic atmospheric setting, and well-drawn out characters that were so exciting to read about. The relationship between the sisters (Kat, Lauren, and Flora) is what I enjoyed reading about the most. I loved the pacing and the wonderful twist in the end, making this an engrossing read.
January 21, 2022
3.5 stars
Family gatherings can be complicated enough,but this one more do than usual.
An unusual family of father and three daughters (each with different mothers)
That in itself can cause problems,but added to that is a secret from 20 years ago that only some of them know the truth of.
This adds tension to the book,as you know it has to be something pretty major to have the effect it has.
I enjoyed the interactions of each of the characters ,each so different to each other,and the house that seems to have a character all of its own.
Definitely a story that kept me entertained from the first page to the last.
Not my first Chase book,not my last either.
Family gatherings can be complicated enough,but this one more do than usual.
An unusual family of father and three daughters (each with different mothers)
That in itself can cause problems,but added to that is a secret from 20 years ago that only some of them know the truth of.
This adds tension to the book,as you know it has to be something pretty major to have the effect it has.
I enjoyed the interactions of each of the characters ,each so different to each other,and the house that seems to have a character all of its own.
Definitely a story that kept me entertained from the first page to the last.
Not my first Chase book,not my last either.
May 5, 2022
Kat, Flora and Lauren have different mothers but share the same father: famous artist, Charles Finch. Summoned to Rock Point by their father, an unexpected announcement – and the arrival of an individual from the past – threatens to widen the rift that already exists between the sisters as well as bring back unwelcome memories of the dramatic event that occurred two decades earlier. It’s an event that hasn’t been spoken about since but which has lurked beneath the surface as unfinished business between the sisters. ‘It’s the secret they forged here twenty years ago that’s pushed them apart as it’s run through each day of their lives since. In each other they see too much of the worst of themselves.’
In Charles, the author gives us a portrait of a mercurial, rather self-obsessed artist who pours his energy into making art rather than sustaining relationships. ‘He has an ability to detach from his subjects; to see human beings as arrangement of form and flesh in space, volume and light; a technical challenge to be solved.’ His three marriages are not the only evidence of his inability to be faithful but his dedication to art has come at a cost.
In a striking metaphor, the sisters are ‘mismatching dolls, from different sets’. Kat is a high-flying successful entrepreneur (on the surface at least) and Flora is a wife and mother trying hard to live up to the expectations of her husband, Scott. Close to each other in age, Kat and Flora had a close bond when younger. Lauren, on the other hand, has always felt like the outsider right from the first moment she was introduced to her two half-sisters. ‘In the archipelago of the sisters, she’s still an island on her own.’ One other notable character is Bertha the parrot whose often ill-timed mimicry of snippets of overheard conversations proves key to what unfolds. ‘We all knew Bertha didn’t invent things, just repeated them.’
As with all Eve Chase’s books there’s a real sense of place – in this case the wild, expansive coastline of Cornwall. Rock Point’s remote location surrounded by moorland dotted with abandoned cottages and standing stones, contributes to the sense of unease. As Lauren observes, ‘Everything was bigger. Skies. Rooms. Feelings. There was more to go wrong’.
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.
The Birdcage’s combination of long-buried secrets and exploration of complex family relationships adds up to an intriguing, well-crafted and satisfying mystery.
In Charles, the author gives us a portrait of a mercurial, rather self-obsessed artist who pours his energy into making art rather than sustaining relationships. ‘He has an ability to detach from his subjects; to see human beings as arrangement of form and flesh in space, volume and light; a technical challenge to be solved.’ His three marriages are not the only evidence of his inability to be faithful but his dedication to art has come at a cost.
In a striking metaphor, the sisters are ‘mismatching dolls, from different sets’. Kat is a high-flying successful entrepreneur (on the surface at least) and Flora is a wife and mother trying hard to live up to the expectations of her husband, Scott. Close to each other in age, Kat and Flora had a close bond when younger. Lauren, on the other hand, has always felt like the outsider right from the first moment she was introduced to her two half-sisters. ‘In the archipelago of the sisters, she’s still an island on her own.’ One other notable character is Bertha the parrot whose often ill-timed mimicry of snippets of overheard conversations proves key to what unfolds. ‘We all knew Bertha didn’t invent things, just repeated them.’
As with all Eve Chase’s books there’s a real sense of place – in this case the wild, expansive coastline of Cornwall. Rock Point’s remote location surrounded by moorland dotted with abandoned cottages and standing stones, contributes to the sense of unease. As Lauren observes, ‘Everything was bigger. Skies. Rooms. Feelings. There was more to go wrong’.
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.
The Birdcage’s combination of long-buried secrets and exploration of complex family relationships adds up to an intriguing, well-crafted and satisfying mystery.
May 5, 2022
I quickly became enraptured with this very dysfunctional family, the Finches. Transported to Rock Point on the Cornish Coast, this multi-layered, dual timeline story had me captivated. The pace was excellent throughout and the character development masterful.
"Because life's grown-up lesson-always, by its nature, learned too late- is about consequences, mostly the unforseen ones."
The story revolves around the three Finch girls, Flora, Kat and Lauren, the daughters with all different mothers, of Charlie Finch. Charlie is a celebrated artist and a serial philanderer. The girls are called back to Rock Point again after being gone for 20 years living separate lives. It is obvious from the start that something traumatic happened 20 years ago, and Lauren was the most affected. Rock Point was the meeting place each summer for the girls. Time to spend with each other and with their father and grandmother, away from their respective mothers.
Flora and Kat were always closer - they didn't even find out about Lauren until she was almost a teenager. It proves for a distinct dynamic - two against one. Flora is married with a child and is the prototypical beautiful stay-at-home wife with a perfect life. (or is that just what she wants others to see?) Kat is the drivin, non-nonsense businesswoman whose life revolves around the company she built. Lauren rounds out the three and is the most fragile. Raised by her single mom who lived the bohemian life - bringing Lauren travelling with her around the world - seems lost now as her mother recently passed away.
There is an air of mystery surrounding so many aspects of this story. The memories about the incident the night of the solar eclipse in 1999, the unspoken secrets of Charlie and his mother, and the sudden and unexpected marriage announcement in 2019. Being back at Rock Point opens up old wounds and unspoken sentiments. This story is full of revelations and shocking twists. Each character in this book seemed to have been hiding a secret. Once someone outside the family learns that the sisters are back in town, anonymous threats in the form of notes appear. I was so proud of myself in figuring out one of the twists early on, but it didn't ruin the reading at all. There were plenty of unexpected other twists and revelations along the way.
"Forced to acknowledge that the past lives on like the wrong tense in a Word document, constantly underlined, needing to be addressed. And she never has. They never have."
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller and would not hesitate to recommend it. This was my first book to read by this author, but I will definitely be looking into her backlist! Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam/ G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC to read and review. U.S. Pub date: 7.19.22
"Because life's grown-up lesson-always, by its nature, learned too late- is about consequences, mostly the unforseen ones."
The story revolves around the three Finch girls, Flora, Kat and Lauren, the daughters with all different mothers, of Charlie Finch. Charlie is a celebrated artist and a serial philanderer. The girls are called back to Rock Point again after being gone for 20 years living separate lives. It is obvious from the start that something traumatic happened 20 years ago, and Lauren was the most affected. Rock Point was the meeting place each summer for the girls. Time to spend with each other and with their father and grandmother, away from their respective mothers.
Flora and Kat were always closer - they didn't even find out about Lauren until she was almost a teenager. It proves for a distinct dynamic - two against one. Flora is married with a child and is the prototypical beautiful stay-at-home wife with a perfect life. (or is that just what she wants others to see?) Kat is the drivin, non-nonsense businesswoman whose life revolves around the company she built. Lauren rounds out the three and is the most fragile. Raised by her single mom who lived the bohemian life - bringing Lauren travelling with her around the world - seems lost now as her mother recently passed away.
There is an air of mystery surrounding so many aspects of this story. The memories about the incident the night of the solar eclipse in 1999, the unspoken secrets of Charlie and his mother, and the sudden and unexpected marriage announcement in 2019. Being back at Rock Point opens up old wounds and unspoken sentiments. This story is full of revelations and shocking twists. Each character in this book seemed to have been hiding a secret. Once someone outside the family learns that the sisters are back in town, anonymous threats in the form of notes appear. I was so proud of myself in figuring out one of the twists early on, but it didn't ruin the reading at all. There were plenty of unexpected other twists and revelations along the way.
"Forced to acknowledge that the past lives on like the wrong tense in a Word document, constantly underlined, needing to be addressed. And she never has. They never have."
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller and would not hesitate to recommend it. This was my first book to read by this author, but I will definitely be looking into her backlist! Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam/ G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC to read and review. U.S. Pub date: 7.19.22
July 20, 2022
The Birdcage by Eve Chase is a compelling read. The book sets you on edge from the start, but takes too long to get to the mystery of what happened in 1999. It takes place in two timelines keeping you guessing what happened in 1999 that is impacting the current timeline of 2019. The book centers around three estranged half sisters Lauren, Flora, and Kat that are the daughters of Charlie Finch. Charlie is an artist and has many paintings, his most famous with all three girls and a birdcage.
All three girls are summoned to Rock Point where they spent their summers in their youth. This is where their grandparents lived.. They have mostly good memories from that time. There's also a parrot that remembers a lot of things that are said now and in the past. Charlie asks them all to come to break some news to them. All three girls decide to go reluctantly. There's something about Rock Point that makes them not want to go, especially Lauren. What happened at Rock Point in 1999 that makes the girls hesitant to go? Will the girls find their way back to each other or stay estranged? Will they grow closer to Charlie? Why does Charlie want them there? These questions will keep you reading the book.
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.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
All three girls are summoned to Rock Point where they spent their summers in their youth. This is where their grandparents lived.. They have mostly good memories from that time. There's also a parrot that remembers a lot of things that are said now and in the past. Charlie asks them all to come to break some news to them. All three girls decide to go reluctantly. There's something about Rock Point that makes them not want to go, especially Lauren. What happened at Rock Point in 1999 that makes the girls hesitant to go? Will the girls find their way back to each other or stay estranged? Will they grow closer to Charlie? Why does Charlie want them there? These questions will keep you reading the book.
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.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
December 28, 2024
"Colivia" este o poveste întortocheată despre 3 surori vitrege care au același tată, dar mame diferite și despre un secret pe care l-au ținut ascuns din vara lui '99, anul în care a avut loc eclipsa de soare. Cele trei fete nu au o relație prea bună, Lauren - mezina, fiind deseori dată la o parte de cele două surori mai mari - Flora și Kat.
Romanul este scris din perspectivele celor trei fete și pe două planuri temporale: cel din trecut - din vara eclipsei când a avut loc o tragedie și prezent - în care surorile revin la casa copilăriei la Rock Point la cererea tatălui lor care are un anunț important pentru ele. În povestea din trecut, facem cunoștință și cu Gemma, fiica servitoarei, apropiată de vârstă cu cele trei, dar apropiată de Lauren cu care își petrece mai tot timpul.
Pentru mine povestea a fost mult prea încălcită, cu prea multe detalii care nu mi s-au părut necesare, dar omițând unele care ar fi putut aduce valoare precum poveștile celor trei surori în perioada dintre 1999 și prezent. Mi-aș fi dorit să pot citi mai mult despre cum au evoluat și modul în care viețile lor au fost afectate de evenimentele din acea vară teribilă. Am apreciat că, în final, fiecare a ales să își schimbe viața și să își regândească alegerile făcute de-a lungul timpului.
Cât despre secretul ascuns timp de 20 de ani, cred că apariția unui nou personaj a spulberat orice mister sau așteptare aș fi avut până în acel punct și am simțit că povestea deja se întinde prea mult încercând să adauge un strat enigmei deja create.
Coperta este superbă și asta m-a atras atunci când am cumpărat cartea, dar și faptul că primul roman citit de aceeași autoare "Casa de sticlă" a fost captivant și interesant! Colivia de pe copertă nu are doar rol decorativ, ci apare și în poveste într-un tablou pictat de tatăl fetelor. Pe măsură ce am aflat detalii despre ele, am perceput colivia ca pe un fel de închisoare din care fiecare fiică trebuie să evadeze pentru a se salva, ceea ce, în final, vor reuși.
Romanul este scris din perspectivele celor trei fete și pe două planuri temporale: cel din trecut - din vara eclipsei când a avut loc o tragedie și prezent - în care surorile revin la casa copilăriei la Rock Point la cererea tatălui lor care are un anunț important pentru ele. În povestea din trecut, facem cunoștință și cu Gemma, fiica servitoarei, apropiată de vârstă cu cele trei, dar apropiată de Lauren cu care își petrece mai tot timpul.
Pentru mine povestea a fost mult prea încălcită, cu prea multe detalii care nu mi s-au părut necesare, dar omițând unele care ar fi putut aduce valoare precum poveștile celor trei surori în perioada dintre 1999 și prezent. Mi-aș fi dorit să pot citi mai mult despre cum au evoluat și modul în care viețile lor au fost afectate de evenimentele din acea vară teribilă. Am apreciat că, în final, fiecare a ales să își schimbe viața și să își regândească alegerile făcute de-a lungul timpului.
Cât despre secretul ascuns timp de 20 de ani, cred că apariția unui nou personaj a spulberat orice mister sau așteptare aș fi avut până în acel punct și am simțit că povestea deja se întinde prea mult încercând să adauge un strat enigmei deja create.
Coperta este superbă și asta m-a atras atunci când am cumpărat cartea, dar și faptul că primul roman citit de aceeași autoare "Casa de sticlă" a fost captivant și interesant! Colivia de pe copertă nu are doar rol decorativ, ci apare și în poveste într-un tablou pictat de tatăl fetelor. Pe măsură ce am aflat detalii despre ele, am perceput colivia ca pe un fel de închisoare din care fiecare fiică trebuie să evadeze pentru a se salva, ceea ce, în final, vor reuși.
February 5, 2023
A really good ending and twist, but I found the majority of the book too confusing whilst also having very little seeming happening. I much preferred the other book of the authors’ that I read.
July 18, 2022
Half sisters, Laurin, Flora, and Kat are returning to Rock Point in Cornwall. They spent many summers there with their father, renowned artist, Charlie Finch, and grandmother. They have wonderful memories of playing on the beach and around the house. Their grandmother always made them delicious food and being with their father was terrific. There was also an African grey parrot that talks and has been around for years and still going strong. Their father painted a picture of the three girls next to a large birdcage that became famous. They were all looking forward to a total eclipse in the near future. But something terrible happened that has kept the sisters away from Rock Point for 20 years. Now, Charlie has requested that they return for a few days’ reunion as he has something to tell them.
OK. There comes a time when my patience is stretched to its limits. This book was ridiculous. The switching between the characters and events was the most confusing thing ever. There are some other books I have read this year that are written it this convoluted way that are not at all entertaining, but simply irritating. The flowery descriptions were so overdone that they became almost humorous. I read this author’s book “Black Rabbit Hall” and also found it dark and depressing just like this one. Sorry. Just not for me.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
OK. There comes a time when my patience is stretched to its limits. This book was ridiculous. The switching between the characters and events was the most confusing thing ever. There are some other books I have read this year that are written it this convoluted way that are not at all entertaining, but simply irritating. The flowery descriptions were so overdone that they became almost humorous. I read this author’s book “Black Rabbit Hall” and also found it dark and depressing just like this one. Sorry. Just not for me.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 29, 2023
3.5 stars. Lauren, Kat and Flora are all half sisters, sharing the same father, an artist whose house they used to live out their summers in. Now many years later they are summoned back to Rock Point, to empty the house of its past memories.
But by emptying the house they are forced to confront their own memories of a summer twenty years ago, the summer of the eclipse and what really happened back then…
A pleasant enough read. Very much a slow burn, almost too slow for me at first, but it did pick up by the end.
But by emptying the house they are forced to confront their own memories of a summer twenty years ago, the summer of the eclipse and what really happened back then…
A pleasant enough read. Very much a slow burn, almost too slow for me at first, but it did pick up by the end.
May 9, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free digital copy of this book. The following is my honest review.
Three estranged half sisters travel to their aging artist father's beach estate for a weekend to hear his "big announcement." While they're there, old drama and secrets are dug up, including some that a few people really, really wish would stay hidden.
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.
What I found most frustrating about this book is that there were 3 main characters and two of them were completely aware of all the details around the "mystery" the reader was supposed to figure out. I guess we were supposed to try to solve things with the third main character but it was just annoying.
The "twist" was also very disappointing. I'm pretty sure I actually rolled my eyes, not because it was that predictable but just because I was so uninvested in the characters or story. I think it was the writing that made it hard to connect; it was flowery where it didn't need to be and detached where it could've had more spunk.
I wouldn't say this was a complete waste of my time but I probably won't read more from this author.
Three estranged half sisters travel to their aging artist father's beach estate for a weekend to hear his "big announcement." While they're there, old drama and secrets are dug up, including some that a few people really, really wish would stay hidden.
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.
What I found most frustrating about this book is that there were 3 main characters and two of them were completely aware of all the details around the "mystery" the reader was supposed to figure out. I guess we were supposed to try to solve things with the third main character but it was just annoying.
The "twist" was also very disappointing. I'm pretty sure I actually rolled my eyes, not because it was that predictable but just because I was so uninvested in the characters or story. I think it was the writing that made it hard to connect; it was flowery where it didn't need to be and detached where it could've had more spunk.
I wouldn't say this was a complete waste of my time but I probably won't read more from this author.
July 16, 2022
Reunions can be a minefield for exposing dysfunctional family relationships. When Flora, Kat and Lauren gather at the Cornish coast for a visit with their ailing father, they face all the pitfalls of a reunion, in addition to remembering a traumatic event that took place on the evening of a summer eclipse when they were just girls.
Charlie Finch, a famous painter, was also a bit of a philanderer. He enjoyed more than one marriage and at least three daughters - all by different mothers. He blended this family together on summer holidays at Rock Point, the gothic family estate on the coastline of Cornwall.
This is a story full of complicated relationships. During the visit, secrets are brought out in the open, true emotions are revealed and the family confronts the trauma that occurred on the night of the eclipse.
The sense of place is wonderful. An old gothic mansion on the coast of Cornwall with the ocean as a backdrop really set the tone for the story.
The book is a slow burn and everything seems to pick up speed as the reader gets deeper into the story. I’m glad I stayed the course and finished this book because having read the entire story put everything into perspective and the ending was very satisfying.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group - Putnam for allowing me to read and advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review.
Charlie Finch, a famous painter, was also a bit of a philanderer. He enjoyed more than one marriage and at least three daughters - all by different mothers. He blended this family together on summer holidays at Rock Point, the gothic family estate on the coastline of Cornwall.
This is a story full of complicated relationships. During the visit, secrets are brought out in the open, true emotions are revealed and the family confronts the trauma that occurred on the night of the eclipse.
The sense of place is wonderful. An old gothic mansion on the coast of Cornwall with the ocean as a backdrop really set the tone for the story.
The book is a slow burn and everything seems to pick up speed as the reader gets deeper into the story. I’m glad I stayed the course and finished this book because having read the entire story put everything into perspective and the ending was very satisfying.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group - Putnam for allowing me to read and advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review.
October 8, 2022
The three half-sisters each spent ten months of the year living their own separate lives, each with their own respective mothers, but then the summer would come, and they would venture to the summer home of the father they all shared. They would descend upon Rock Point all hoping for the same magic to happen once again…
“The long summer days tied us…me, Kat and Flora, together for another year, like a beautiful ribbon would round and round us…”
But the summer of the total solar eclipse, the summer of 1999 would be the last time all three half-sisters spent an evening together under the roof at Rock Point, and that was over 20 years ago…
Almost a lifetime now, or as we hear Kat musing, “A different millennium, a time when everything was remarkably undocumented…”
But despite the distance of time between that fateful summer and the present day, the things that happened there were forever burned into the memories of each of the sisters…”
And it’s as we read the opening pages of the story that we see each sister approaching Rock Point. The routes they take and the transportation they use are as varied as the personalities of the three half-sisters.
They’ve all been asked to come, all of them for the first time in two decades. Each resist for their own reasons, but ultimately, they come together to see their father again at Rock Point, a family brought together once again to this magical, storied summer cottage by the sea.
And it’s at the point of this “confluence of sisterhood” that Eve Chase’s talent for creating imagination stoking atmosphere really began to shine. Her ability to place us right inside of her breathtaking locations, as if were no longer reading, but existing inside the story. This, as is the case in Chase’s other works of story manifests itself in the large and small things. Here were just a few:
“Unfriendly Emmet” the name the Cornish use for tourists, “Ugly Humphrey” the dusty old stuffed fish that is beloved by Lauren, Kat and Flora. The idea that an outdoor swim can possess the power to rinse away a feeling of disquiet in a person, “The Blonde” a distinctive yellow Porsche owned by the new love interest…the latest in a long line of their father’s girlfriends and wives, and lastly, Lauren’s laugh…” wonderful and large, bigger than one would expect from a woman of such slender frame…”
And as is always the Case with Eve Chase stories, this one was generously populated with the colorful and unforgettable vernacular of those from Oxford, and similar areas, these included:
Bonkbusters, Grotty, Manky and Whelk…”
It took me longer to read this one than the other Eve Chase novels I’ve read so far, and that was because I’ve learned that her stories are so atmospheric, so filled with wonder, that they are best savored...
“The long summer days tied us…me, Kat and Flora, together for another year, like a beautiful ribbon would round and round us…”
But the summer of the total solar eclipse, the summer of 1999 would be the last time all three half-sisters spent an evening together under the roof at Rock Point, and that was over 20 years ago…
Almost a lifetime now, or as we hear Kat musing, “A different millennium, a time when everything was remarkably undocumented…”
But despite the distance of time between that fateful summer and the present day, the things that happened there were forever burned into the memories of each of the sisters…”
And it’s as we read the opening pages of the story that we see each sister approaching Rock Point. The routes they take and the transportation they use are as varied as the personalities of the three half-sisters.
They’ve all been asked to come, all of them for the first time in two decades. Each resist for their own reasons, but ultimately, they come together to see their father again at Rock Point, a family brought together once again to this magical, storied summer cottage by the sea.
And it’s at the point of this “confluence of sisterhood” that Eve Chase’s talent for creating imagination stoking atmosphere really began to shine. Her ability to place us right inside of her breathtaking locations, as if were no longer reading, but existing inside the story. This, as is the case in Chase’s other works of story manifests itself in the large and small things. Here were just a few:
“Unfriendly Emmet” the name the Cornish use for tourists, “Ugly Humphrey” the dusty old stuffed fish that is beloved by Lauren, Kat and Flora. The idea that an outdoor swim can possess the power to rinse away a feeling of disquiet in a person, “The Blonde” a distinctive yellow Porsche owned by the new love interest…the latest in a long line of their father’s girlfriends and wives, and lastly, Lauren’s laugh…” wonderful and large, bigger than one would expect from a woman of such slender frame…”
And as is always the Case with Eve Chase stories, this one was generously populated with the colorful and unforgettable vernacular of those from Oxford, and similar areas, these included:
Bonkbusters, Grotty, Manky and Whelk…”
It took me longer to read this one than the other Eve Chase novels I’ve read so far, and that was because I’ve learned that her stories are so atmospheric, so filled with wonder, that they are best savored...
February 18, 2023
THE GOOD:
Very atmospheric and moody. The dual timeline makes for an interesting juxtaposition. The hot summer and the solar eclipse in the 1999 timeline add a simmering undercurrent that crackles. As does the parrot and her semi-spooky repetitions. And a Cornwall setting on the moors is a classic for a gothic novel; the scenery is really a character in itself here.
The story rotates through the points of view of the three sisters, who are all well-developed characters, each with her own "voice" and outlook, which adds a nice depth to the tale.
As with a quintessential gothic, there's a mystery that unravels in a slow burn.
THE BAD:
I wasn't completely shocked by the ultimate reveal. I could have used a little more surprise factor; or something more shocking. That said, there is a fine line between foreshadowing too little or too much; and I'd rather guess in advance than feel like something came out of left field.
CONCLUSION:
Great for fans of spooky mysteries, classic gothic lit, and/or book club fans. Recommended for a fab, absorbing novel.
Very atmospheric and moody. The dual timeline makes for an interesting juxtaposition. The hot summer and the solar eclipse in the 1999 timeline add a simmering undercurrent that crackles. As does the parrot and her semi-spooky repetitions. And a Cornwall setting on the moors is a classic for a gothic novel; the scenery is really a character in itself here.
The story rotates through the points of view of the three sisters, who are all well-developed characters, each with her own "voice" and outlook, which adds a nice depth to the tale.
As with a quintessential gothic, there's a mystery that unravels in a slow burn.
THE BAD:
I wasn't completely shocked by the ultimate reveal. I could have used a little more surprise factor; or something more shocking. That said, there is a fine line between foreshadowing too little or too much; and I'd rather guess in advance than feel like something came out of left field.
CONCLUSION:
Great for fans of spooky mysteries, classic gothic lit, and/or book club fans. Recommended for a fab, absorbing novel.
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