Review: The House of Birds by Morgan McCarthy

Oliver has spent years trying to convince himself that he's suited to a life of money making in the city, and that he doesn't miss a childhood spent in pursuit of mystery, when he cycled around the cobbled lanes of Oxford, exploring its most intriguing corners.

When his girlfriend Kate inherits a derelict house - and a fierce family feud - she's determined to strip it, sell it and move on. For Oliver though, the house has an allure, and amongst the shelves of discarded, leather bound and gilded volumes, he discovers one that conceals a hidden diary from the 1920s.

So begins a quest: to discover the identity of the author, Sophia Louis. It is a portrait of war and marriage, isolation and longing and a story that will shape the future of the abandoned house - and of Oliver - forever.

I have to admit that it took me a long time to get into this book. Almost half of it in fact. I couldn't bring myself to care for any of the characters or the plot. But I persevered, and by the end I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened. Sadly I don't think this book lives up to its cover. It's beautifully written - the writing style is almost lyrical and is easily the best part of the novel - and the descriptions of the dreaming spires of Oxford are really well done, it's just the plot that I found a bit lacking. I couldn't say what exactly, it just wasn't for me. That doesn't take away from the fact that this is one of the best written novels that I've read in a very long time, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Morgan McCarthy.