A couple experiencing infertility problems rents out their spare room. On the surface, everything appears perfect. But this is a domestic thriller and the note to the readers tips you off before you even start reading that not everything is what it seems, that there may be an unreliable narrator telling the story...

I loved watching this plot unfold. It went in directions I didn't expect, moving just slowly enough that I kept coming up with new ideas about what was actually going on before I started questioning the situation again. This was a great way to spend a few hours.

Magpie, by Elizabeth Day

Short Take: One for sorrow, two for joy, three for HOLY WOW

Good morning Duckies! I’m trying to be cheerful and upbeat, but can someone tell me why in the holy blue you-know-what it is snowing in April? Yes, I know it happens almost every year in this part of the world, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

But you know what I do like? A delicious book. And oh my beloved nerdlings, does this one ever satisfy!

In Magpie, Marisa’s life is darn near perfect. She and her fabulous, handsome, loving boyfriend Jake have moved into their dream home, and are planning to start a family. But then money problems hit, and they agree to rent a room to Kate to keep everything afloat. Kate, however, is kind of a lot. She’s flirtatious with Jake, and when Marisa gets pregnant, she’s overly invested in the pregnancy. In fact, she seems to want to take over Marisa’s whole life.

Darlings, I’m not going to tell you anything more about the plot, because OH MY GOD. I read the first quarter thinking that I knew what the Big Twist would be, and feeling comfortably smug in my own smartness, but Ms. Day knocked me for a loop. Not only did she prove me right, she did it right there in the early part of the book, and then kept me guessing throughout the rest, which is my favorite type of book. I mean, who doesn’t like to be right, but then wrong, but then SO MUCH WRONGER, and then just strap in and let ‘er rip, because it just keeps swerving.

The best part is that all of it is that it all seems so very, very plausible. I’ve read and enjoyed some twisty books that are fantastic, but unbelievable, and this is so not one of those. Complicated women, repressed trauma, jealousy, [spoiler], just all of it. It’s almost too real, and I was legit reading while holding my breath in a certain part. You’ll know which one.

The Nerd’s Rating: FIVE HAPPY NEURONS (and a nice strong G&T, the cure for just about everything.)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I was going too. At first it sort of reminded me of single white female and more importantly, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

Marissa and Jake seem perfect. They had one of those whirlwind romances where they fell in love 1,2,3 and realized that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

Enter in Kate. Who rents a room from them. This is where the thrilling part comes in as it obvious that Kate has alternative motives.

I'll be honest. at first I thought the book was going to be very predictable.it certainly started out that way. But then it takes some great twists and turns and shocked the heck out of me!

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is a domestic suspense that was so engaging I stayed up way too late finishing it - and then I couldn’t sleep because my brain was on overdrive thinking about it!
I love going into thrillers with little-to-no information, so I don't want to say too much about it before you read it. This is a tight, twist-filled plot about what it means to be a mother, and the writing will suck you in. I felt the storyline was unique - something I don’t usually feel about thrillers! Infertility is a central piece of the plot that I want to make sure readers know before starting.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion - this one publishes in the US on Tuesday, 5/3, and I definitely recommend checking it out!

This was an exciting book full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyed this book as it kept me guessing until the end. I thought I had figured it all out until a different character started telling story from her point of view. I really wasn't sure who to believe! Great finish to a suspenseful book.

Marissa has a perfect life with Jake, and Kate, their new lodger. Then Kate starts acting oddly and Marissa will do anything to keep her perfect life.

This is a twist-filled book with a great unreliable narrator…or is she? Read it and find out.

This one kept me on edge for a good potion of the experience. Not sure if this is a top purchase, but it's enjoyable.

The synopsis sounded so good but the characters weren’t as relatable as I had hoped. The storyline was good but I just didn’t love the book.

This books was ok. Kept me interested but was not as thrilling as I anticipated it would be. The writing is very good. The feelings of motherhood & navigating a relationship during pregnancy & after were very well written.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a book that I just had to know how these strange characters with their even stranger living arrangement turned out. Jake and Kate are a couple, living together, but not married because Kate does not believe in vows or conventions. She does, however, want a baby in the worst way but has great difficulty conceiving. Enter Marisa on the scene as the willing surrogate who moves in with them. This was a twisted story of domestic suspense with more than a little commentary on being careful what you wish for. The relationship between Jake, Kate and Marisa went beyond belief at times, but the story was good. The plot was slow-paced at first and then once I got into the budding relationships between the characters, I was invested and the pace seemed to increase. This is a character-driven story with plenty of action, mostly taking place between Kate and Marisa. There is also a villain in the tale who adds a twist, but I won’t go into detail about this person because I don’t want to spoil the story for others. There was definitely some research involved in the IVF parts of the tale and that seemed realistically portrayed. Kate’s disappointment in not being able to conceive made her a very empathetic character, but I was not sure how to feel about Jake. He was not a strong character, but rather dominated by the various women in his life. I did like the ending, but I also felt like the last five or six chapters rushed to the foregone conclusion, tying everything together in a neat bow. I would have preferred something left to my imagination. All in all, this book was well worth reading but be prepared for a lot of drama. I could see this book as a season’s worth of episodes in a soap opera and I think fans of domestic suspense with emphasis on domestic will enjoy it.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Well that was a little too weird albeit not very suspenseful book. Too slow and not very engaging which is sad as I had high hopes for it,

If you enjoy big plot twists, Magpie by Elizabeth Day has got it covered in the most jaw-dropping way! Magpie is a twisty novel available on May 3rd.

Synopsis:
Marisa is pregnant with Jake's baby. They live with their roommate Kate. All three are excited about the pregnancy until Marisa notices that Kate is too "familiar" with Jake. At first, Marisa pretends not to notice but soon suspects Jake and Kate are having an affair. Marisa is consumed with jealousy and is determined not to let Kate take Jake away from her.

Magpie deals with infertility and mental illness. It may not be suitable for everyone. Elizabeth Day's plot twists are outstanding! That alone makes Magpie a worthy and satisfying read.
(Overall: 3.75 ⭐⭐⭐ rating)

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, for allowing me to review this curvy tale. Your kindness is appreciated.

Ooh, this is a hard one to review without spoilers so I won’t make this review super long.

The story starts with Marisa and Jake and a third party enters the picture when they invite a lodger to live with them to make ends meet. Marisa is pregnant and it becomes clear that there is an unsettling vibe happening in her relationship with the others.

Many thrillers kind of run together in my mind, and I spend most of the book actively looking for the twist which leads to a serious lack of suspense. I thought I knew where this was going but it managed to surprise me a few times. The writing is good and the characters are mostly likeable and sympathetic, which, in my opinion, are also rarities for thrillers. My main quibble is that the ending is fairly unrealistic but it didn’t bother me enough to downgrade my rating. I read this in a day and had a hard time putting it down.

I’ve never read Elizabeth Day before this, but I think I may need to check out more of her work now! I didn’t have high expectations for this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. It definitely makes you question what’s going on and who to believe, which is a style element I love in books. I thought the characters had a depth to them that you don’t see often in this genre, which I really appreciated. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this and think it was excellent

Magpie by Elizabeth Day
Marisa and Jake have it all… except for a baby. They decide to let lodger Kate move into their home to help with rent so they can have more money to pay for their fertility treatments. Quickly Kate seems overbearing and obsessed specifically with Jake. Marisa will do whatever it takes to create and protect her perfect family.

Truly did not know how this book would end. From synopsis I thought it would be a straightforward read but it was the complete opposite! I believe the author did a phenomenal job storytelling & was perfectly paced. The huge twist when the POV changes from Marisa to Kate is what sucked me in. However a main plot line ends up taking a backseat and then got a messy & quick resolution where the last 50 pages could’ve been wrapped up much sooner. Lastly adding a evil mother in law trope never disappoints! I still really enjoyed this complex story that showcased the effect of infertility, motherhood and insecurities. Thank You to the author, Netgalley and Simon &Schuster for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

3.5 stars. I had a difficult time getting into this book in the first half. I kept on reading and at about the 55% mark it grabbed me and I couldn't put it down. I didn't particularly care for the characters, I guess I didn't find them to be very relatable. It was suspenseful at the end and I did enjoy the second half. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a twisty thriller! Marisa and Jake are the perfect couple. The only thing missing is a baby. They need money so they take in a roommate, Kate. Kate seems overly involved in Jake and Marisa's lives. There is so many twists and turns that I don't want to spoil anything! Read this book if you like twisty turny thrillers that keep you reading until you finish the book! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

2.5 rounded to 3
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the free book.
Whew, this was a compulsive read, and I thought I was in for something new and different. But I guessed the twist early on and wasn't shocked by the ending revelations. Day's writing pulled me in and made me want to not put the book down, but after reading the comparison to Gone Girl, I was expecting something so much more shocking. (BTW, this comparison is way overdone. Nothing is going to ever quite shock like that, so can we stop getting reader's hopes up with it?) I don't think any of the characters here are likable, so if that's your thing, you may enjoy this one.

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is a very enjoyable book. The book is well written. The story line is unique and interesting.

Thanks NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read!