Story about Claire, Duncan and their son Joe. This story is told in Duncan and Claire’s perspectives, with before and after. I found this style very confusing to read. It was hard for me to keep up with when and who the chapter was referring. The storyline was intriguing, just very slow.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC copy of this to review.

A dark and atmospheric mystery, Magpie by Sophie Draper is the story of Claire, frustrated wife of philandering husband Duncan, and mother to Joe, a difficult eighteen year old who seems to show signs of being on the autistic spectrum, but has never been formally diagnosed. Claire seems to have it all, a successful husband and a gorgeous home, but she is counting down until the day she can escape from the cold and sterile home that feels more like a prison, and the cold and remote husband who no longer loves her. She knows he is having another affair, and has gone so far as renting a remote cottage for herself and Joe but then tragedy strikes and Joe disappears. Alone in her cottage she tries to unravel what happened , and the truth, when she finally figures it out is darker than she ever imagined.
This story is told from two perspectives, those of Claire and Duncan, but also in two timelines, " before" and "after" that night, and at first it was a little confusing to keep track of what was going on, but as I settled into the book that became much easier. It did also make for some unnecessary repetition which slowed the book down somewhat . This is definitely a slow burning read, designed to build the atmosphere and tension before the revelations of the final chapters, as well as flesh out the characters so we see their true colours. Although I did not love the way the book ended, it did fit with the rest of the story.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The two storytellers and the moving about from one time to another would usually be a feature of a book I love but not this time. I am always sorry when anything supernatural is introduced and so soon lost what small interest the story held for me when Claire had her first daydream.
Skimmed through most of it I am sorry to admit.

Magpie is a book filled with grief and isolation, set in an eerie landscape. And still I couldn't put it down. The writing is exquisite.

Duncan and Claire have been together for over 20 years, sharing a teenage metal detecting obsessed son Joe.
We follow each member as their family unit falls apart and Joe goes missing.

The chapters are split in 'before' and 'after', have a pleasant length and a fast pace.
'Before' the foundation is already shaky, but 'after' it's survival of the fittest. An unexpected twist solves all the mysteries that are kept well under wraps throughout the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

I was surprised in the end, with the ending. I did not love this book. It could be confusing at times, with all the befores and afters between thectwo main characters. I did not like the husband at all. His wife and his son , I felt sorry for. She should have taken her son and left years before. Why eould anyone put up with his bullshit.
And that's about all I can about this title.
I would actually give this book a 2.5 out 5.

I really didn't like this book, I thought the writing was terrible and I didn't bother to finish it. I also thought the way Claire talked about her autistic son was really bad.

This book was a slow burner for me and didnt really hold my interest. I found it a bit disappointing. I liked it but i couldnt say i loved it.

Magpie is about the lives of Claire, Duncan, and their son Joe. Claire has been planning on leaving her husband Duncan when Joe turns 18. She hasn’t been happy for a long time and Duncan seems to make other things in his life a priority over their marriage and Claire has a feeling he’s cheated on her. Suddenly, Joe goes missing and the book flips back and forth detailing everything that happened before and after his disappearance.

The back and forth got a little confusing but nothing too off-putting and I liked the characters. I really enjoyed the drama of this book and the build-up of intensity while reading it and leading up the surprise ending!

I purchased this after reading the blurb and it appealed to me, I had bought the previous novel by Sophie CUCKOO after reading some great recommendations on it, despite not having got round to reading it yet.

Unfortunately for me this book didn’t live up to what I had hoped for, the pace was just far too slow, the characters were just not relatable or nice, except for Joe who I felt sorry for. Caught between parents who are no longer in love if they ever were, it’s hard to tell, I assume they were at some stage. There is a lot of repetition in the story as well, at times it felt that some of the writing was to bulk the story out a bit, it didn’t really add value. The writing is good, at times hauntingly atmospheric. There was just more needed to the actual storyline, maybe if we had seen other characters, perhaps someone that Duncan was seeing.

Claire and Duncan Henderson are married and have an eighteen year old son Joe, who still seems to need a lot of attention, possibly someone on the spectrum, this could be one of the reasons that Claire is so protective of Joe. They live in a beautifully converted Barn in rural Derbyshire, overlooking a reservoir, The house has been done to Duncans specifications, Claire hates the house, she doesn’t feel like it’s a home.

Claire believes her husband has had numerous affairs during their marriage, she is secretly planning on leaving Duncan and taking Joe with her, but before she gets the chance to leave, her and Duncan have a blazing argument, and Joe disappears. Has he run off? Who would blame him? Caught in the crossfire of an unhappy marriage. But it’s not the first time Joe has gone missing, the difference is he has always come back home before.

The story is told in two timelines before and after, which at times became very confusing, jumping forward, then back six weeks, forward, back again six weeks, then add into that the POV’s which just added more to confusion, or maybe that was just me. There are family secrets, infidelity, things on both sides. Joe likes to go out with his metal detector searching for ancient coins, he finds a rare coin on the property, to him it’s a great find, but to Claire it’s not. Claire sees Magpies in the story, Magpies like to collect and protect things, Claire wants to protect Joe, and Joe likes Shiny things. Maybe that’s just coincidence and I have got it wrong but I did wonder if that some way of where the title comes from. I always think of the old wives tail one for sorrow, two for joy, and despite not being superstitious I hate seeing one magpie in my garden, despite them being a quite attractive bird.

Claire is desperately trying to find her son, Duncan, just doesn’t seem to care and is just angry and frustrated with everyone. But we find there are as always two sides to every story.the story did pick up towards the last chapters, with an ending you didn’t expect.

I will look out for the writers next book.

Thank you to #Netgalley and # Avonbooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This book is not a thriller but more of a family drama. Unlikeable characters and a very slow storyline . It was just not for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

An enjoyable read, perhaps more of a family drama or domestic noir than a thriller. I liked it though. Well written and intriguing story

Did not finish, not for me this book. Claire goes on and on about how she feels, how she is upset by Duncan treating her, nightmares, panic during the day... but in most cases nothing happens in the story.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded good, but I had a hard time getting through it. The back and forth of the chapters, the changing POV between the main character and her husband, plus the jumps between past und present made for a very awkward flow and a lot of repetition. The writing felt flat to me, and I found it difficult to care for any of the characters - and the reveal at the end was at most tepid.

Goodreads review here (direct link not possible): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2956428313

The three main characters in this beautifully written story that is a mixture of mystery,the supernatural,folk tale and domestic drama are Claire and Duncan Henderson and their teenage son Joe. The Henderson's live in a beautiful,very impressive converted barn that is all gleaming sleek lines and glass. The house is all made out to Duncan's personal specifications,it's stunning but to Claire it feels more like a tomb than a home. She has had enough of Duncan's serial cheating and his behaviour towards her and her beloved son and has decided to take Joe and leave.

But before she can put her plan into action, Claire and Duncan have a massive row and Joe disappears into the night.

Claire goes into hiding in a isolated cottage,desperately searching for Joe,struggling to piece together the events of the night that tore them apart and unravel the lies that they have told each other,and themselves.

But can she face the truth?

The chapters of this haunting story flip back and forth between before and after and are narrated by Claire and Duncan. Every word of this story holds the readers attention and keeps you wanting to continue reading but my personal favourite sections were Claire's after chapters. They had an intense,sinister atmosphere and gave the feeling that all was not as it appeared to be. I loved the settings for these parts of the story,the desolate,run down cottages,the mysterious,spooky hall and the folk tale of the ghostly church that was submerged in water when the reservoir was created and is rumoured to occasionally rise up out of the murky depths when the water level subsides. Character wise,I loved how protective Claire was of Joe who reminded me of our son Tom who is also on the autism spectrum. I spent most of the book not liking Duncan very much but he did redeem himself a little towards the end of the story. Although there is no excuse for cheating or his behaviour towards Claire and Joe,as they say,there is always two sides to every story.

Magpie is a beautifully written,mesmerising story that keeps the reader guessing and frantically turning the pages from the first page,right through to the heart breaking conclusion. It's a captivating tale that plays with the readers emotions and pulls on your heart strings. I had a lump in my throat more than once as the story unfolded and I discovered what had happened in Claire and Duncan's pasts and on that fateful night. Sophie Draper is a very talented author who can cleverly manipulate and captivate the reader with her compelling story telling. If you enjoyed reading Cuckoo then you are going to love Magpie. Worth far more than five stars and very,very highly recommended.

I enjoyed the author’s first book better but this was pretty good

This is getting ripped apart and I think that’s due to the way this is being marketed as a thriller/mystery. It’s not one. If that’s your thing you may want to take a pass. This is a family drama and it’s a slow burn for sure.

On the plus side, this author knows how to write to create a mood. Her characters are interesting and well developed. She is able to alternate narrators and time frames with finesse.

There are a couple of surprises along the way but the conclusion really was something else! It had me going back and looking at chapters with new eyes.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Avon Books UK for a copy in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Draper and Avon Books UK for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This was another creepy and dark thriller that I wanted to fly through. I really enjoyed most of this novel, but did find it slightly confusing how the novel is laid out and sometimes was unsure of which character’s perspective I was reading from. I did like that it was only one story line but told from both the past and present to show us how the story all comes together. There definitely were confusing moments in this novel, but when you get to the ending and see the shocking ending, it all comes together and you realize that the writer wanted you to be a bit confused for the moment. My favorite part was definitely the ending as I didn’t see it coming and it really cinched everything together!

Out November 28th!

Thanks to netgalley for sending it to me for a review. Unfortunately I could not get into it and had to force myself to finish it. The plot sounded good and the writing is very good. Unfortunately it just isn’t for me

Claire has lost all trust in her husband, but has that put their son at risk? After the incident, she has left him and is watching and waiting to find her boy. Atmospheric and brooding thriller set in the Derbyshire countryside with some surprising twists.

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I thought this was an excellent suspense novel. I wouldn't call it a thriller novel, as it was advertised but overall, this did not ruin the novel for me. I thought it was a well-written book and the author did a wonderful job changing the point of views and moving the plotline through time. I really enjoyed this novel. I found it quite easy to read and I devoured it in a couple of sittings.

I'm really sorry but I didn't like this book at all. I finished it so that I could give it a fair rating, but I didn't enjoy it. I found the characters completely unlikeable and the story is quite weird. I'm sure some people will enjoy it, but it's not one I'd recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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