It's difficult to say much about Magpie by Elizabeth Day without giving out spoilers. The story starts a little slow, but does pick up. Marisa and Kate give us their point of view. Ms Day has definitely created the mother-in-law from hell! I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an early copy to review.

Magpie: review
Genre: General Fiction / Thriller / Mystery
Pub date: May 3, 2022
Rating: 3/5 stars

A twisted three-some drama showcasing the complications of creating a family.
“Marisa and Jake are a perfect couple. And Kate, their new lodger, is the perfect roommate—and not just because her rent payments will give them the income they need to start trying for the baby of their dreams.”

Big thank you to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read!

Marketed as general fiction and thriller/mystery but, after reading, I’d call this more of a family drama. The drama is THICK in this one. Elizabeth Day has a beautiful style of writing that is very descriptive and there are many clever similes and metaphors within that makes it very easy to create a picture of characters, settings, and plot events. I felt all emotions toward the main players in the storyline at some point throughout the story; empathy, sadness, frustration, anger, annoyance, support, joy. I liked them all at one point and was irritated with them all at other points.

Things I liked:
Day’s style of writing
The ending
Multiple perspectives/dual timelines (present and past)

Things I didn’t care for:
There is one main twist in the plot but is lacking in other events to keep interest. I needed resolution so I kept reading but I felt it was a lot of building with not a lot of shock factor that I was waiting for. The one twist is good (and shockingly obvious) but I was left wanting more.

Before reading or recommending, check the trigger warnings. This content may be disturbing or discouraging for some readers. ❤️
Will definitely be checking out more of Day’s work after this one

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get an advanced copy of Magpie by Elizabeth Day. I thoroughly love a twisty turn-filled story and this one delivered. I loved the set up and the character perspective shifts, as well as the characters. They were well-rounded and had excellent characterization. I also like how the story ended on a positive note instead of a dark one. I would've loved to have one last chapter from Marisa's point of view rather than being told what was going on in her world. But fully enjoyed this page-turner and will definitely read more from Elizabeth Day.

Review posted on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4570509829?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Well, that was a twist! This was a fairly quick read, with the need to keep reading causing me to stay up and finish it in one day.

I felt like this book started out really strong, but finished really weak. Part I is told from Marisa’s perspective, who we believe to be the pregnant partner of Jake. Their relationship appears to take a hit when they must take on a lodger to help cover bills. Kate is difficult to like & appears to be an interloper in the lives of the couple.

It is only as Part I segues into Part II that it became obvious to me Marisa had been lying all along. She had in fact been impersonating herself as Jake’s girlfriend, when we find out she is actually the couple’s surrogate. The story takes an even more disturbing turn when we discover she is suffering from manic depression & attempts to hurt Kate.

From this point, I continued to wait for something to happen-some plot twist or mind-blowing occurrence, as it seemed unlikely the story would peak so early. I found it very far-fetched that Jake’s mom became an antagonist & tried to spin Marisa’s mental health issue against Kate. Then all of a sudden Marisa was coming to Kate’s defense against Annabelle after all of the awful things that had happened amongst the trio. Tying up the story with a neat little bow & the couple taking a stroll with their newborn son was such a weak way to end the story. Marisa went traveling the world & Jake’s parents weren’t heard from any more. Bland and with no real point-much like Annabelle’s cooking.

So much potential, just needed a stronger ending.

Magpie is a fun, easy to read, fast-paced suspense novel that revolves around Jake and Marisa's happy little life - beautiful new home, baby on the way, perfect relationship... that's disrupted when they invite a roommate into their home to help with the rent.

What I Liked:
- What a ride! I was so excited to get to the next chapter. I purposely made myself take my time with Magpie, but I could've easily finished in a couple of days.
- I am always a fan of alternating POVs and alternating timelines. Magpie has a bit of both and they're used quite well.
- I was legitimately SHOCKED once. Like mouth fell open, swore under my breath SHOCKED. Who doesn't love that in a thriller??
- I don't want to give anything away but WHOO, one character is FUN to hate. I disliked them but I ENJOYED disliking them.

What I Didn't Like:
- This is a bit hard to put into words but... the story is messy (in a good, chaotic, fictional way). Infertility is messy, emotions are messy, people are messy, LIFE is messy. But the moments where things all come to a head in Magpie are so... CLEAN. From a book full of so much great suspenseful mess, I was genuinely surprised at how neatly it all tied up.
- I think this book being labeled as a "thriller" ultimately does it a disservice. For me, it falls soundly under a domestic suspense but not a thriller.

It took me a day or so to figure out what I wanted to rate this. I think reading this as an ARC made me overthink it - at the end of the day, this is a fun to read, surprising domestic suspense... and the more I thought about it, the more I liked it!

Full review and links to social will be posted closer to publication date.

I'd like to thank the publisher Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good thriller, and Elizabeth Day delivered on this one. The writing style was great, captivating and anxiety-inducing without feeling way too forced. I was fully on board for all the twists and turns this story took; TRUST NO ONE! The ending was a little too perfectly wrapped with a bow on top for my personal taste, but it didn't fully ruin the whole experience for me.

Very fun, super quick read. Definitely recommend.

This book started out great. It built up perfectly, the climax was fantastic, but then the falling action and resolution were real letdowns.

Marisa moves in with her boyfriend Jake, and before long they’re expecting. By taking in lodger Kate to bring in some additional money, Jake and Marisa begin to make their new house a true home. But not everything is at it seems, and Jake begins spending more and more time with Kate, ignoring Marisa and her growing baby. Angering Marisa and causing her to take matters into her own hands, she will stop at nothing to protect her baby.

Triggers: mental illness, infertility, and sexual assault.

Thank you to @netgally and publisher

Dnfed at 20%

This book was just a mess! It was boring for a thriller. The book was written well but the plot didn’t move fast enough. Thrillers are supposed to grab you from the first page but this one did the opposite. It was boring and so domestic

I thoroughly enjoyed Magpie by Elizabeth Day. This fast-paced thriller kept me turning pages late into the night. Characters were richly developed and for the most part likeable. Cleverly revealed details shifted my perspective more than once! A superbly told tale of relationships that kept me fascinated right through the end. If you like fast-paced psychological thrillers with a bit of evil, you won't be disappointed!

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

We start out with the perspective of Marisa and her boyfriend Jake. They move in together quickly and both agree they want to have a baby. Due to the new place and increased costs, Jake suggests they take in a lodger to help with the costs of the home. Marisa quickly feels that the lodger, Kate, has been overstepping her boundaries and may be having an affair with Jake. We watch Marisa spiral as she tries to learn what is happening in her home. Then we go into part 2, too many twists that I did not see coming. Can't share what is next to ruin the surprises, but wow. Things aren't always what you expect, always get each perspective before you judge.

This is the story of two women, one who wants a baby and the other her surrogate. this is a decent thriller, it is hard to talk about without giving spoilers. Who is telling the truth, either of the women or the man they seem to share. We first get the story from one of their perspective, then the other and who is the real villain, one of them, is it him or ? worth the read as we watch what some women will do to be a mother and stay first in their children's lives

This is the perfect psychological thriller. It has all the twists and turns necessary to write a novel that is impossible to put down. I was very impressed with the advanced vocabulary used in this novel. The author took pains to find the exact word to fit each situation. I also loved the use of multiple narrators, which were, at times, very unreliable. This, of course, kept me on my toes! This is simply one of those novels that you just don't want to miss!

An enjoyable read for me. I was caught up in the story-line immediately. Once the first major twist was revealed, which was stunning, I was able to figure out where it was going from there. I wanted to finish it in order to see if my guess was correct and I am glad that I did. The ending was satisfying. The only thing I would have liked to see was for the characters to have some likeable qualities. I didn't find myself caring too much or rooting for any of them. However, I will be checking out more titles from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was so well written and kept me enthralled the entire time I read it. Marissa really keeps a lot inside in order to keep her boyfriend happy, so it’s only logical that she may have to break at some point. This was a super great read and I would recommend it to anyone.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.

The story basically consists of three characters, Marisa, Jake, and Kate. A side character, Jake's mother, Annabelle, also plays a critical part in the story.
It opens with Marisa in a scene where she is looking at a house for her and Jake to move in together after a short three-month romance. A Magpie flies in through an open door and basically has little to do with the story or plot. It almost felt as if the author added it so it could be the book title. Although it does come back into the story toward the end.
As a psychological thriller, this story took me on quite a ride. The backstory became tedious at times, but I can also see where it is necessary to explain some actions later. However, I wanted to get on with the story instead of going backward every other chapter.
The entirety of the plot is focused on the difficulties of getting pregnant and struggling with fertility treatments. Jake wants a baby. Will it be Jake and Marisa's baby, or will it be Jake and Kate's baby? It was at least halfway through the story before I figured that part out.
As the real story unfolds, it becomes obvious there are serious mental issues with more than one character, but especially with Marisa. Schizophrenia is portrayed in a realistic and believable way.
Kate is the most solid character in the story. I got more than a little annoyed with Jake for allowing his mother to dominate and manipulate him. It became obvious early on, that Annabelle is narcissistic. There are so many different psychological issues at play in this story.
This one excerpt explains a lot: "Risperidone is licensed to treat the following conditions: schizophrenia, psychosis, mania…"
I don't want to leave any spoilers, by giving anything away, so I will just say it is quite a tale, giving the reader a rollercoaster ride. Other than too much backstory told in large info dumps, it is well-written.

I loved this book. Especially its ability to throw me completely off my expectations. Almost an unconscious bias to believe what I was reading was true until a critical twist in story made me question everything I had read. You really had compassion for both of the main characters even though they were both built up to be evil people. I had compassion and heart for the situation as well as how each character wanted to help the other. Really masterful storytelling.

Magpie is a domestic thriller that will keep you guessing 'til the end, but without ever going completely over the top. It's difficult not to ruin the twists, particularly the first, and most surprising one, which happens fairly early on. Elizabeth Day handles the genre conventions with a deft hand, both using tropes as well as playing against them. In Kate and Marisa, she has created two unreliable narrators, who are terrorized in different ways, with mental illness and gaslighting being interwoven so that it's never quite clear who is 'good' and who is 'bad'. The motherhood element feels so authentically portrayed, as Kate struggles with fertility, guilt, desperation, anger, hope, jealousy, and insecurity. While I was expecting the novel to build up to a major twist, or some sort of horrific ending, it actually is a little underwhelming, but in a good way. I appreciated that the conclusion felt possible, in contrast to so many of these sorts of books, which end with a murderous rampage or some massive, overdramatized upheaval.

I liked the switch in point of view between the two female characters. I thought they were well drawn out. The twist at the ending was satisfying. My only complaint is I wish the male characters were better developed.