276°
Posted 20 hours ago

The Birdcage Library: A spellbinding novel of hidden clues and dark obsession

£9.9£99Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

Emily and Hester were great protagonists. While they lived very different lives fifty years apart there were many similarities between them. Both women are strong yet vulnerable. They are plagued by inner torment, fear, and regret while also possessing a fierce resolve and determination. They are also both surrounded by mystery. For Hester, this is her disappearance, while for Emily it is her past and the secrets she’s keeping from the reader. While you are never completely sure if either woman is a reliable narrator, they are easy to like and I was cheering them on at every step. We can’t talk about the characters without mentioning Heinrich Vogel, Emily’s employer and Hester’s brother-in-law. The nonagenarian is a strange man who gets increasingly creepy as the story goes on. I didn’t trust him or his nephew, Yves, one bit, and was worried for Emily’s safety as she’s trapped in the castle with them. By the time I met Hester, I honestly could not take my eyes off the book. This is the woman whose diary Emmy finds in the castle. Through her diary excerpts, we find what Emmy is so interested in, and how, by reading the diary, she soon realises that Hester is trying to tell her something and that there are clues in the novel as to where she she should look to find out Hester’s secret from the grave. 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.

Now we’re all grown up we’re expected to make a short hop from summer specials to something similarly undemanding. If summer holiday reading is about escaping, about having more time to read away from the constant sleeve-tugging of the working week and being able to do it in relaxed surroundings, then we should just read exactly what we want. When dreaming up my next novel, I’m always thinking about location, location, location. Scotland’s wild west coast has captured my imagination for years now, with its huge skies, hidden coves and dark sea lochs. I go every year – I even got married there! – so when I first began planning The Birdcage Library, I knew it would involve a Scottish castle. I love the gothic genre, and the castles of the Highlands teem with mystery and secrets. Authors, if you are a member of the Goodreads Author Program, you can edit information about your own books. Find out how in this guide. If that doesn’t sound much like holiday fare, fear not, Bunting’s book, while justifiably angry at society’s ills, is also a magnificent piece of travel writing, combining just the right mix of history tracing our seaside resorts’ development from the 18th century, personal memoir and observational reportage.Freya Berry’s historical knowledge makes the story feel exceptionally realistic. A whole host of recognisable past figures from the 1930’s are scattered throughout the text and the mention of many places, particularly the Natural History Museum at Tring, made me feel so much more like the story was an actual historical occurrence rather than a piece of fiction. A captivating story of women’s power, love and secrets. As timely and profound as it is unforgettable. The ending left me breathless’ LARA PRESCOTT The treasure hunt element really gripped me with it’s mystery and clue-finding elements. I really felt a part of the puzzle and a sense of accomplishment alongside Emily. The story feels like a perfect balance of historical fiction and an intriguing mystery novel. Freya Berry really married the two genre elements well. Oh and the snippets of information which really completed the picture – the book is set during the time that the iconic Brooklyn Bridge is being constructed. Fifth Avenue has just got electric lighting. Narrated by a Jewish merchant named Eli Ben Abram, Hunt’s tale is set in 1521 Mexica, vulnerable beneath an ominously smoking volcano as a pandemic rages and news comes of a fleet of ships heading their way led by Benmassoud, an Islamic military leader with a fearsome reputation.

But, of course, what would a blindingly good mystery be, or a mystery within a mystery, if there weren’t broken, fallible people at its core? This is one of the best examples of dual time line I have read in a while. Both women were almost talking to each other across time. Emmy and Hester were very different yet I felt an akinship between them, the way Hester led Emmy via her diary to the hidden crannies of that castle. Ooh there’s those goosebumps again. 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.Demands to be devoured in one sitting. Sumptuously written. One of the most compelling literary debuts of the year’ GLAMOUR Freya Berry always loved stories, but it took several years as a journalist to realise she loves the kind of truth that lies in fiction, not reality. (Or, to put it another way, making stuff up is more fun.)

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment