Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is a fast-paced domestic thriller with a twist that you won't see coming. The story revolves around Marisa, who is expecting a baby with her loving husband Jake. When they decide to take in a new lodger, Kate, suddenly, there is trouble in paradise. Kate seems to have unhealthy boundaries and is always hanging around with Jake. Will Marisa find out who Kate really is?

Here is a captivating excerpt from Chapter 1:

"The house was perfect. Well, not perfect exactly, because houses never are, but the imperfections were ones Marisa could live with. The flooring, which had clearly been bought in bulk by the developer, was a shade too light, the wood laminate a touch too smooth to pass for real. The plantation shutters were plastic and layered with thin spores of dust. Someone had made the odd decision to put a bathroom on the second floor with doors that led out onto a roof terrace. Marisa stood on this terrace, her sandals shadowed on biscuit-colored patio stones, and she looked down to the garden below, which had a strip of lawn lined with potted plants, the soil newly turned. She noticed the quiet, which was rare for London, especially when you were this close to a main road. When she commented on this, the woman who was showing her around nodded.
“Yes, it’s got a lovely sense of calm to it.”"

Overall, Magpie is an unputdownable thriller with a twist you'll never see coming! It will appeal to fans of Gone Girl or The Woman in the Window. One highlight of this book is how action-packed it was. I could not put it down and had to keep reading to find out what happened next. I ended up finishing this book in a day.

Another highlight was the twist, which was truly jawdropping. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that the finale wasn't as explosive as I would have expected, but I think that the twist made up for it. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of domestic thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!

Magpie is a tense read from start to finish, though the atmosphere really builds throughout, which is something the author did really well. I didn't really connect much to the characters, which prevented me from really loving this book, but overall, it was quite entertaining and I can definitely see it appearing to fans of psychological thrillers.

Marissa and Jake have been dating a few months and decide to buy a house. After some financial setbacks the couple decides to take in a lodger to help offset the financial burden- especially now that they are trying to have a baby. At first Kate seems great, but slowly Marissa starts to feel there is more to Kate than she is letting on.

There are a few trigger warnings (sexual assault, miscarriage) but I felt the author handled these very well. She did a great job at giving us a feel for how these can impact a woman, without making them the center of their identities, which I feel a lot of authors end up doing. I could see why these things may have led to the character decisions and actions, but these were never used as ways to explain away ill behavior.

This book was fast paced and there were definitely some twists I did not see coming. I love the how the book is split into two different perspectives so you get a feel for both women's states of mind. The story was quick paced, which shorter chapters, which I appreciate. I have not read this author's first book, but I will definitely be ordering it.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think that the best way that I can describe this book is one that started out with enormous thrust and potential but then ended up concluding with a whimper. The novel’s “twist” comes around halfway through the book which is exciting in the sense that it leaves you expecting an ever bigger “twist” or “reveal” at the end of the novel. Unfortunately that never occurred. The characters will a bit hard to relate to/empathize with so it’s definitely not a novel in which shaky plot can be exchanged for dynamic characters. Overall I did enjoy reading it I just wish that I was more excited about the way that it ended.

Thank you to Simon&Schuster and Net Galley for the eARC of Magpie by Elizabeth Day.

This one is told from two different POVs (Marisa and Kate)

Jake and Marisa have taken in a lodger; Kate. The first part of the story is told from the POV of Marisa (who is trying to get pregnant). She starts noticing that Jake and Kate are becoming quite friendly. This doesn't sit well with Marisa. She finds herself experiencing feelings of jealously. What the heck is happening?

Just when you think you have things figured out, the book alternates to Kate's POV and the reader discovers that things aren't really as they appear to be.

If I delve more into the story, there will be spoilers and I don't want to do that! I will say that this entire read could be triggering for some. Trigger warnings include: infertility, mental illness, narcissism.

I would consider this to be more of a psychological suspense read rather than a thriller. I've seen mixed reviews for this one, but it was a win for me. I really got swept into the story and couldn't put it down once the so called "twist" occurred.

Magie Pie by Elizabeth Day releases on May 3, 2022!

This book grabbed me from page one and didn’t let go. Immediately infuriating, exceptionally creepy, and perfectly paced, this is the epitome of a thriller with a unstable and unreliable narrator/main character. Magpie is the story of Marisa, a young woman grappling with abandonment issues and an overwhelming desire to procreate in the name of emotional safety and security. But when the man she moves in with after a whirlwind romance tells her that they need to rent out the other bedroom to a complete “stranger,” nothing in Marisa’s life turns out to be what it seemed.

Marisa has finally found her match. In Jake, she has found everything she ever wanted in a relationship. When he asks her to move in with him and start a family, she couldn’t be more thrilled. To make ends meet temporarily, they also rent out a room to a lodger, Kate. While Kate creeps Marisa out a bit, she tells herself that once the baby comes, Kate will go away and they will be a normal happy family. Unfortunately, things aren’t always as they seem.

Day takes some really tough themes here (mental health, infertility, pregnancy loss, parental abandonment, emotional abuse) and packs them into one heck of a thriller. I’ll admit that I did see part of the twist coming, but not exactly. The big picture still took me by surprise. The characters were really well done. I also liked how Day was able to wrap up the story while still respecting boundaries. Excellently done.

This book is a great quick and fun read for a rainy spring day! It comes out in the US on 5/3/22 and I recommend grabbing a copy at your favorite independent bookstore.

Thanks to Elizabeth Day, Simon and Schuster, and Netgally for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I am happy to finally be able to give 5 stars to one of my ARCs! I believe this is classified as a psychological thriller, which lately I feel is a term thrown around for almost anything. Personally I would call this domestic drama with a touch of suspense and some definite twists. As other reviewers have stated, it is hard to review without giving anything away. I will say there are definite trigger warnings for mental health issues and infertility. Both of those issues are addressed beautifully in a very raw and honest manner. I was absorbed in this book immediately and did not predict the twists. Looking forward to reading more by this author!

This is a hard one to review without spoilers so I’m going to keep this short. It’s not that I didn’t totally like this book, but I kind of don’t get the point of it, but I think it’s just me.
Marisa and Jake have moved in together and are trying for a baby, despite not knowing each other for too long. Jake is everything Marisa didn’t have as a child-stability and security, but when Jake claims that money is a bit tight in preparation for the baby they hope to have, he suggests they take in a lodger to help. However, when Kate moves in, she seems overly familiar and takes control of the house in a way that makes Marisa uncomfortable, especially when she is super invested in Marisa’s pregnancy.
Then the POV switches to Kate and we get a totally different version of the same story. In telling her version, we also meet Jake’s mother, who takes the evil mother in law trope to a new level.
There are a few triggers-infertility, mental health and infidelity.
I rounded up to 3 stars because I liked the writing style, but the story needed more “oomph!”

So I read reviews and thought nothing in this book could surprise me. There was a twist I totally saw coming… until the next twist knocked me upside my head! I loved the writing! I loved the characters. Everything was explored and explained and I honestly did not want the book to end! Kate is as real to me as if she’s sitting here next to me. I loved the character development of ALL of the people in this book! I can easily see why it’s a bestseller in the UK and I’m certain that it will quickly become a bestseller in the US as well! 87 billion stars from me!!!

Marisa and Jake are expecting their first baby. They are extremely excited but finances are a little tight, so Jake comes up with the idea to rent out to a border for some extra income. Enter Kate. She seems nice at first, but Marisa starts noticing some weird things. Kate seems to be following her. She seems overly familiar with Jake. And once, Marisa thinks she catches them doing something they shouldn't be doing.

She decides to take matters into her own hands.

This story is told in two POV's, Marisa's and Kate's. In this story, nothing is as it seems, and the ending is not what you expect.

Great story! Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last! Such a gripping novel that made it hard for me to put his book down once I started it. Highly recommend!!

! Thoroughly enjoyed the twists in this story . I began reading it in a straightforward way until the story took a turn having me question what I had previously read . This made me eager to read more . Marissa and Kate are both likeable characters and you become eager to learn the story from both points of view in order to determine what will happen next ! Very suspenseful with interesting characters . I would definitely read more books by Day

Unable to conceive a baby, Jake and Marisa’s doctor suggests surrogacy and they decide that is their best solution. They make an immediate connection with Kate and soon invite her to move into their home for the duration of the pregnancy. The storyline includes mental health issues, an overbearing rigid controlling parent and a somewhat fairly predictable twist. Overall enjoyable but not a heart pounding thriller for me. 3.5 stars rounded up

Magpie was kind of a let down. The story started off strong and I was able to stay engaged in the story. I like the mid story switch of narrators it kept it fresh for me.

Marisa, Kate and Jake find themselves in a less then normal situation when a surrogate is needed to conceive a child. Of course the in laws are involved which makes things even more complicated. Everyone thinks they are crazy and no one knows if it's reality that's happening or a product if their imagination .

This was so laughably bad and predictable. Not sure why anyone thought the story was original or the plot twist was surprising. I would like to know why the author felt the need to keep referencing Marisa’s “germanic sandals” that she wore for comfort. Christ let the girl enjoy her Birkenstocks.

Nothing surprising, the plot twist wasn’t really a twist and was blatantly obvious from the very beginning.

Magpies are considered to be omens…….depending on which theory you want to believe, it could a forewarning of good or bad. In this case the pendulum swung both ways.
This author afforded many opportunities to the reader delve into situations we may not confront in our daily lives and become mesmerized observers. The topics: infertility and all its anguish, mental health and drug importance, family dynamics and its imperfections: it’s all here in this psychological thriller.
The story never provided me with a character I wanted to connect with or root for in spite of all their shortcomings that might make a reader align with them. The cast of characters worked hard and faced their issues, worked past them and came out on the back side intact……..or at least some of them did.
This was a very enjoyable, angst filled read……oxymoronic but true!

Sit back and enjoy this wild story. A couple buys a house and has been trying to have a baby for years. They try everything, and nothing works. Finally, they decide to try surrogacy.

4.85 stars rounded up (the ending could have been a LITTLE stronger) - but overall, omg. This book was addicting. I don’t remember the last time that I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish a book because I simply could not put it down. This was one of those one sitting, compulsive page turners that are so elusive in our oversaturated world of psychological thrillers. The premise seemed pretty straightforward, but you start to get hit with shocking twists when you’re not even 30% of the way through! A book like that is bound to draw you in early.

Marisa and Jake are ready to start trying for a baby. Marisa is 28 with baby fever, determined to be a better mother than her own; Jake is 39 and wants to be able to run around and play with his kids. They move into a beautiful London house to accommodate their soon-to-be-growing family, but a tough year at Jake’s job means they can’t quite cover the rent. They bring in a lodger, Kate, a free spirited, stylish, creative thirty-something-year-old who immediately hits it off with Jake. Marisa gets bad vibes from Kate, from Kate acting like she owns their house to Kate obsessively wanting to spend more time with her.

But not all is as it seems here. This is a book chock full of unreliable narrators, an inability to tell fact from fiction, women competing with each other, and miscommunication causing LOTS of problems. This book reminded me so much of Verity by Colleen Hoover, and I think(/hope) it will get as much attention as Verity has!

A central theme in this book is motherhood, the emotional toll of infertility, and what you would do for your child. Although this is a thriller, it gets into one character’s deep, emotional maternity journey and really makes you resonate with her struggles.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this fantastic new book!

Well, this book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really didn't enjoy the pace. It was slow to start then explosive, then like the last 30% of the book was like a really slow wrap-up. I did enjoy the psychological thriller aspect. It had some good twists and turns, which I always enjoy.

The writing didn't flow for me. Sometimes I can fall into a rhythm of reading where I don't even realize I'm reading, but for this book, I felt aware of every word I was reading. I had to concentrate to really get what was happening.

Finally, big trigger warning here for infertility. This could really trigger some readers.