Crazy train! I don’t want to spoil this for anyone so you’ll just need to read it for yourself if you enjoy twisty, head spinning stories. This is a fast paced, well written book, with a very clever plot (even though I thought the ending was a bit too tidy).

Thank you Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

In Magpie, Marisa and Jake meet and quickly move in together. They try immediately to have a child. When Marisa becomes pregnant, the couple rent a room to Kate to make ends meet. Marisa feels that Kate is overly familiar with Jake. Is it just the pregnancy hormones making Marisa feel this way? Or is something shadier happening?

Magpie is a difficult book to review. Knowing there is a massive twist based on the publisher’s book blurb made me request the book. But knowing it was coming made it obvious what the twist was. Still, the first part of the book before the twist was my favorite part. After that, the book went down a slower paced non-thriller path that made it feel like a slow slog to the equally disappointing ending. Not a book I would recommend, unfortunately. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

I read Magpie in a day! It was such a fun thriller if you loved Gone Girl or Girl on the Train! The big twist comes near the middle of the novel and I did not see that one coming…like at all!! I was on the edge of my seat for the 2nd half of the book as I HAD to know how this one was going to wrap up. One of the best thrillers I have read in awhile!

This is a twisted story in which nothing is as it seems and everyone has secrets. The author keeps the reader guessing as she weaves a tale of love and family. The conversations are sharp and intense. As tensions ramp up people will unravel and the ending will surprise you.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Magpie was not at all what I expected. The twists in this novel are compelling and kept me glued to the story.

I love this book.

I have a feeling this book will be popular this summer! I switched back and forth between the audiobook and the digital galley.

WHAT I LIKED
- The writing was immersive and absorbptive. The author is incredibly talented; I found myself admiring her phrasing and word choice more than once while reading.
- The general premise of the plot was well done. Moments of building tension were expertly interested with climactic events.
- This story is a quintessential psychological thriller. There was a thread of unease underlying every paragraph. It was an intense experience.

WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME
- This is an extremely dark story. There is a graphic scene depicting the rape of a minor. I believe the scene was meant to illustrate the character's past trauma, but the specificity didn't feel necessary to the plot.
- There is a chapter devoted to a character's infertility journey. The information shared is truly important, but the level of detail presented didn't fit with the tone of the story, and it felt especially odd in the context of a thriller.

Read this if you liked Greenwich Park or Gone Girl.

What a wild, insane ride!

Jake and Marisa are the perfect couple. As they try and start their own little family, they decide to take in a roommate to help offset the cost of rent. Enter Kate, who seems perfect at first but Marisa quickly realizes that Kate doesn't respect boundaries and she wonders who exactly they've let into their lives. Figuring out who Kate really is, will be come at a cost to them all.

Honestly, the less you know about this book the better. Going in blind makes it even more brilliant fun. I had my doubts in the first couple of chapters but Magpie quickly hits its stride and never lets up. The whole thing is dark and twisty and maybe a tad over the top but it makes for an entertaining read. I was constantly surprised by what was happening so much so that I kept waiting for twists to jump out at me like a boogeyman from behind a corner. Trust no one and buckle up for a wild ride.

4.5 rounded up

Marissa and Jake have the perfect relationship, the only thing that would make it better is a child. The pair struggle with infertility and the cost is high, to offset this, they take on a boarder. Kate is a bit pushy and seems right at homes, especially in regards to Jake and Marisa’s private life. It’s not long before Marisa suspects something more than friendship is going on between Jake and Kate.

I enjoyed the well-paced plot and tense atmosphere, and the plot twist was pretty predictable. I liked the dual narrative but really felt like some things were just a bit over the top, yet it’s still an enjoyable read.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster for this gifted copy for review.

Wow, wow, wow. This book was a one day read for me. There were so many twists and turns that left my mind reeling. I wanted more from one specific story line in this book but was so completely satisfied with the overall ending. This book covers a lot of VERY heavy topics that could be triggering for some people.

I’m not gonna lie. I never knew what the fuck was gonna happen in this book and I liked it.

Marissa is searching for a house to quickly move into with her new boyfriend Jake. Even if they've only been dating for three months, you know when you know, right? They are eager to have a child while they are still young, so they go ahead and have one. However, their financial situation worsens, and they are forced to take in Kate as a lodger. Kate immediately puts their relationship on the verge of collapsing. The twists and turns, on the other hand, will take you totally by surprise, and you can't be sure what to believe until you've finished the book.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

I always love a book that can surprise me and this one did! I was very interested in all of the characters and it kept me guessing. This book is a great combination of pure entertainment and awareness of some serious topics, too, such as infertility and mental health. Highly recommend this book!

Kate and Marisa have a man in common. It’s hard to write about this book without giving away the twist. It starts off being about Marisa trying to get pregnant and then dealing with a lodger who wants her husband and then changes it up. The real villain here is the mother-in-law and the man. It was strange how we never got a good sense of who he was or why either of the women liked him. But he and his family were the foundations of the whole plot.

This is a great story that has some very surprising twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages quickly! One minute you’re on one character’s side, the next you’re reconsidering and siding with another. Great read!

This is one of those books that is hard to talk about without spoilers, but I’ll give it a go…
Marissa and Jake are blissfully happy and newly pregnant, but need some extra cash, so they take in a lodger to help with the bills…. The twists start there as points of view change and we hear the story from different perspectives.

I liked to idea of this one, but the execution was a bit disjointed. The twists were interesting but the didn’t blend together well, and this was almost like 3 different books. The final twist was a bit too tropey for me.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! So many twists and turns in this story. About halfway through I had a “what the?!” moment that was phenomenally written. The climax and resolution were a bit of a disappointment but that didn’t mar my overall impression of this great novel.

*3.5 stars*

This book hooked me from the beginning. The suspense and build up was fantastic and I had to keep reading to see what the heck was going on.

The story starts out from the POV of Marisa who is in a relationship with Jake and they are trying for a baby. To save some money, they decide to take in another roommate, Kate. Everything seems fine, but then Marisa starts noticing a change between Jake and Kate. Fast Forward to Part II from the POV of Kate and things are... different to say the least. There was a good twist about 50% into the book and I loved it! I loved the contrasting POVs between Marisa's side of the story and Kate's side of the story. It was so interesting to hear the different sides of events.

My only gripe is after the middle twist, I felt like it was slower. I definitely wanted to keep reading because I was waiting for something and knew it was coming but then felt a bit let down in the end. I almost felt like the middle should have been the end if that makes sense? Overall, I definitely liked this book and would recommend to anyone who likes mystery and psychological intrigue.

Huge trigger warnings: SA, rape, pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, surrogacy

Thanks to #NetGalley, Simon Schuster, and the author for a digital ARC of this book to review before it's publishing date. This did not affect my review and the opinions are my own. #Magpie

I absolutely loved this book! I didn’t see the twist coming at all, so that was a pleasant surprise! I have already suggested this book to many of my reader friends and will read more by this author.

Elizabeth Day's Magpie is a great Mother's Day gift for moms who love thrillers, given that the plot of this novel centers on the question of what it means to be a mother in the context of a surrogacy arrangement. Kate and Jake want to start a family but are unable to do so, presumably due to Kate's infertility issues. The author does an excellent job showing the reader how demoralizing the infertility journey can be for women, let alone the psychological, emotional and physical pain involved. After numerous tries, Kate and Jake latch on to the hope of surrogacy, and choose Marisa who seems to look the part, but they don't really spend the time doing a background check to see if she would really be a fit. Then, throw Jake's dominating and manipulative mother Annabelle into the mix, who has always taken great joy in taking Kate down. The narrative moves quickly back and forth, and you don't know who is telling the truth until the end, which resolves a little too fast and happily given all that has gone before. However, overall, I really enjoyed a novel that focuses on the struggles and insecurities faced by women on both sides of surrogacy arrangements. 4 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me an advanced reader's copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Magpie is my first book from Elizabeth Day.

"Marisa is moving in with Jake.She feels a real connection because they both want to start a family right away. Things at work are not great so they take in a lodger to help pay bills. Marisa thinks their new lodger, Kate, seems a bit too familiar with Jake. She catches them together and now she's not sure how to save her relationship with Jake."

This is not a thriller - more of a domestic drama. You may think you know which way the story is going and then BOOM - part 2 starts. Then you're headed in an unexpected direction.

It's nice to have a story with just a few characters. Day gives us a great villain - Annabelle - Jake's snobby, over-controlling mother. You will definitely have some strong feelings about her.

There's a climax to the story but it left me with a "That's it?" feeling. I wasn't sure what ending I expected but it just fell flat.

Good pick if you like domestic drama.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital copy of this twisty thriller by Elizabeth Day - 4 stars!

Marisa and Jake are happily married and desperate for a baby to complete their family. They allow Kate to rent a room in their home, wanting the money to help their financial situation. However, conceiving a baby isn't going according to plan and now Marisa is worried that Kate is becoming much too familiar with Jake.

This was a twisty book - best gone into blind. This was a character-driven book and I raced through it. The infertility issue was done very realistically and respectfully, and there are a lot of other issues going on. Part of me expected another twist but it was an enjoyable read!