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 clever, mystery within a mystery-style plot was incredible—I genuinely had no idea where things were heading 90% of the time, with the other 10% spent marvelling at how intricately devised even the smallest and inconsequential of details was.

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. Despite her determination not to think about that summer, it must have simmered somewhere inside, she realizes now. Reducing, intensifying, like a salty sauce forgotten on a stove. Changing her consistency in unforeseen ways. 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.

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. 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.

Intricate…[A] character-driven story of forgiveness and redemption…The relationship dynamics beautifully alternate between complete brokenness and enduring hope…[The] plot is suspenseful and blooms at a slow but satisfying pace. Fans of Jane Harper will enjoy the vivid sense of place and the flawed, complex characters.”— Booklist 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:Eve Chase is one of my favorite authors and I fell in love with The Birdcage. A gorgeously written, atmospheric and twisty story of sisters and secrets set on the Cornish coast. Eve Chase’s books never fail to make me cry. I devoured it!”–Claire Douglas, author of Local Girl Missing 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. 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.

I thought the mystery itself was clever, I won’t say too much for fear of spoilers. However, I enjoyed the intertwining of different elements to solve the clues. To the reader with a most inquisitive mind and a fearless disposition, you are invited to embark on a quest, a treasure hunt, if you will, down a path only a puzzler may dare tread, for the answers to such a perplexing and beguiling puzzle lie hidden within an old and long-forgotten book… 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.

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Jacobs, Matthew (March 7, 2021). "25 Years Later, 'The Birdcage' Is Hollywood's Most Monumental Gay Movie". HuffPost . Retrieved November 8, 2023. Frutkin, Alan (August 20, 1996). "Mike Nichols". The Advocate. p.104 . Retrieved November 15, 2023.

It was Felix who named it The Birdcage: the tall house in Bristol where Miss Pidgeon lived with her tenant, the beautiful and talented actress Angel, and Angel's daughter, Lizzie. 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.a b c d e Weinraub, Bernard (March 12, 1996). "Birdcage' Shows Growth In Older Audience's Power". The New York Times . Retrieved November 7, 2023. James Berardinelli wrote in ReelViews, "The film is so boisterously entertaining that it's easy for the unsuspecting viewer not to realize that there's a message here." [27] Desson Thomson of The Washington Post described the film as "a spirited remake of the French drag farce [that] has everything in place, from eyeliner to one-liner." [28] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly called the film "Enchantingly witty." [29] Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, especially praising Williams' performance: "...this is one of his most cohesive and least antic performances. It's also a mischievously funny one: He does a fine job of integrating gag lines with semi-serious acting..." [30] In his review for The Advocate, Lance Loud commented, "Taking on the conservative agenda—more prevalent in our culture today than when the original film came out in 1979— The Birdcage goes beyond mere politics." [31] He concluded the film's "underlying feelings of compassion, tolerance, and understanding are this Bird 's brightest plumage." [31]