The Birdcage Library

'Welcome, dear reader. You have found me, and I you. The diary you hold in your hands is a treasure map. It will lead you to what you ought to seek. Like all such maps, the trail is cryptic. The reason for this is simple. The man I love is trying to kill me.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Gorgeously gothic, dark and forbidding'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Plenty of mystery, drama and even murder'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Claustrophobic'

Set in a Scottish castle where nobody can be trusted, this is a darkly compelling tale of passion and obsession, and of the cages we find ourselves trapped in . . .

In the Gilded age of parties and glamour, Hester lives in a home of exotic animals and ornate cages.
In 1932, a ruined Scottish castle sits frozen in time, haunted by the memory of a woman who disappeared five decades ago.

When Emily Blackwood, a young adventuress and botanist, travels north to the crumbing castle, she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous treasure hunt, cataloguing a vast library of taxidermied creatures. And when she discovers the ripped pages of an old diary crammed into the walls, she begins to uncover a dark secret . . . a secret that might just be waiting to entrap her too.

Readers cannot get enough of this chilling and twisty tale:

'Skulduggery in a Scottish castle . . . for lovers of lush and creepy tales' Anika Scott
'The most gothic of atmospheres - a double shiver of pleasure' The Chap
'Darkly compelling' Heat Magazine
'A twisty treasure hunt of a novel... Utterly beguiling' Lizzie Pook
'It glistens with a hint of the danger that lurks within' Charlotte Philby
'Claustrophobic and clever storytelling' Jane Shemilt
'A treasure hunt sees dark, long-buried secrets begin to unravel . . . wonderfully gothic and immersive' New European
'An atmospheric read - add in a literary treasure hunt and this is irresistible' Good Housekeeping
'Very clever. Keeps you glued until the final twist' Woman & Home

'A mesmerising gothic mystery that will haunt you long after reading' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'It made me think of Daphne du Maurier both in its style and plotting' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Lots of cryptic clues, hidden secrets, clandestine identities and danger' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A captivating story which kept me reading far into the night' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Freya creates a claustrophobic atmosphere like no one else ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐