Wow, what a fantastic read this was. It definitely had a slow start for me and I had to push myself to continue reading it but once it got going, I was all in. What a thrilling and emotional rollercoaster this was. I cannot wait for everybody to read it and enjoy it as much as I did. I will definitely continue to read Elizabeth Day's work.

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is a wild a roller coaster ride twisting, turning and looping through the lives of Kate, Jake and Maggie. Set in contemporary London, the tale features the clash between unconventional relationships, conventional parents and a bit of metal health issues to spice it up. It’s a tale that will keep you guessing from start to finish! Day artfully lays out a plot line that will entertain and enthrall you. You think you have everything figured out and then, wham, the plot line takes you in a new direction. The characters have depth and you cannot help but feel empathy for their plight. It’s a remarkable tale of love, a narcissist’s ego, family drama, and a mighty quest for motherhood in a psychological thrill ride.

I almost quit reading this after the first few chapters! Oh my gosh, I’m so glad I didn’t because this is a fantastic story! Marissa was coming off as too insecure and I have a hard time with dingy women characters. But it evolves into such an amazing plot. I flew through it. So many life issues here - losing a child, wanting a child, trust, surrogacy, not to mention a mother “ (in-law)” who is so overpowering and horrible at times. The ending had me crying. Just. Perfect!

So...part 1 was not suspenseful and had no surprises.

I got a minor surprise once we moved two part 2, but that was it.

My main problem, aside from the predictability, was that I simply didn't believe any of it. Did. Not. Believe.

Everything that happened was ridiculous and illogical.

Definitely not for me.

A story about a perfect couple and their perfect lodger. Until it isn’t.

From Marisa’s point of view, she and Jake are a perfect couple. In love and moving into their first home together. They are anxious to start a family. Marisa is a children’s book author and illustrator and not much money is coming in while they try IVF. Jake suggests a lodger help out with expenses.

Enter Kate, the perfect lodger. Although she does have some boundary issues in Marisa’s opinion. She is very familiar with Jake and for some reason thinks she is in charge. This is where we find out no one is perfect. Why does Kate seem so intimate with Jake? Who is she? As Marisa’s paranoia gets worse things come to a boil and oh my goodness, what a boil!

When Marisa gets suspicious that Kate and Jake are having an affair, she takes matters into her own hands. And what a shocker that was.

Twisty, thrilling, and emotional. And in the end, I was shocked! What a twist!

NetGalley/May 3rd, 2022 by Simon Schuster

This one started out with so much potential. I was drawn in right away. The author has a great writing style. It’s too common in domestic thrillers that the writing is bad, but I could tell from the start Day is talented (and this was so refreshing!).
Then the twist comes and the story changes. It was predictable but then I didn’t know where it was going next. Sadly she uses a tired thriller trope that is unoriginal.
The last third of the book, the pacing seems off. There’s moments of tension and then there’s side pieces of the story that are boring and do nothing. The reader has an ominous feeling something bad is going to happen, some other twist, the other shoe will drop….. and then it doesn’t.
Very anticlimactic ending.

I would read others by this author, but this one was just okay.

The title “Magpie” alone has some interesting observations for me: when I moved to the western United States, I had never seen a magpie — a beautiful, long tailed, black and white bird that had a bold personality and a multitude of birdsongs. But eventually I learned my neighbors hated magpies and considered them bothersome, noisy scavengers, much like the crows of the Midwest that I also considered to be awful, carnivorous, troublesome birds. The characters of “Magpie” are also perceptions of good and bad — it depends on how you are introduced to them.

We immediately find out that Marisa also apparently dislikes magpies, especially since one flew into her new home just as she was viewing the kitchen for the first time. Marisa, in her twenties, is moving in with Jake, nearly forty, whom she’s only known for three months, and both of them actually want to get pregnant as soon as possible. Seems a bit soon (?) and what else could complicate that? An unwelcoming significant-other-in-law (Jake’s mother, described by Marisa as a “bird with beady eyes”), the fact that getting pregnant is expensive, and the decision to have a nosey roommate, Kate, who makes herself quickly at home with both the house AND Jake. There’s a quick pervasive awkwardness that surrounds the story from that point. We’re mostly cheering for Marisa and she does get pregnant quickly, but she soon realizes that happily-ever-after might not be coming.

But Marisa’s story is interrupted by a midway twist in the book as the main narrator suddenly changes and the reader is left with looming “what is going on?” questions. In a way, it’s reminiscent of “Gone Girl” and you’re left to figure out who is the reliable narrator —if there is one at all. 5 stars for an intriguing thriller!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Multiple blue and one set of brown eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Only country or backyard gardens with unspecified flora, but homes to magpies.

WOW I read this in just two days and that was only because I had to let some parts sink in. A great book, great plot with a lot of psychological twists. Halfway, when I stopped to pace myself, I thought I had the plot figured out. NOPE it totally changed when Part 2 started.

The main characters, Jake and Kate were likeable, for me but this was only after I read Marisa. Marisa had the story center for the first part and the character was believable, lovable and genuine. Jake's mother Annabelle was a hoot. Who was she? Well sort of evil, meddling old rich busy body who put her nose into everything! The author went out of her way to make Annabelle the most hated character in the book, in my opinion. Her husband Chris was a gem. He was helping caring and as crazy as she was, he loved Annabelle.

Overall a great read! I totally recommend it

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.
Marisa and Jake haven’t been together for very long, but they do know they want to be together and start a family. She moves in with him quickly and they start trying for a baby. Finances become tight and they decide to take in a lodger named Kate. Kate makes herself right at home, too comfortable, in Marisa’s opinion. Marisa finally becomes pregnant and Kate becomes heavily interested in her pregnancy, which makes Marisa nervous, but Jake doesn’t seem to see anything wrong with it. Marisa searches for answers and is shocked at what she uncovers.
I won’t give away the twist, but I will say that I figured it out way before it was revealed. It was a good, well written twist. I just read a lot of thrillers.
I did like the amount of detail that went into the struggles of becoming pregnant. I think it’s important to address all aspects of infertility and how it can impact a relationship.
Definitely a good read!

I thoroughly enjoyed Magpie. I loved the organization of the book and I think the plot is so smooth due to this setup. Annabella, Kate, and Jake (probably the least though) are all enjoyable in their own perceptions of their lives. The character depth is great- at different points in the novel I felt the same outrage and excitement they did. Without spoiling, I'd going to commend Elizabeth Day and her approach of mental health. This book elevated the treatment of the "crazy" character and showed how with compassion, support, and a little empathy, a person in a dark place can be helped. It didn't detract from the plot and encouraged treatment of mental health illnesses rather belittling them. The end was a little cheesy, but other than that, I enjoyed the title and will be purchasing a copy for my library- both at home and in work!

This story was really excellent. I finished it in half a day of uninterrupted reading! Not only did the book educate me on the issues of infertility and surrogacy, but the author’s skill in weaving the plot made it “unputdownable”. I was hooked.

I love a book with an unreliable narrator, and you get that in spades with this book. I don’t want to give any twists away so I’m not going to do my usual quick summary of the book. Suffice it to say that the book takes what seems like a common storyline and adds a unique perspective.

There are times when I was frustrated with pretty much every character in this book but by the time you understand what is really going on, some of them were absolved.

Overall, this was a fun and fast paced read with a twist I didn’t even come close to see coming. I read the book almost in one sitting, over a period of a few hours. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I started off absolutely hating the three main characters in this book. I truly got so frustrated, irritated, and just disgusted with each of them until part two when it’s like the book completely shifts on its axis and I couldn’t put it down.
It was such a wild ride. It’s tense, dramatic, suspenseful, dark and heavy at times, but it also has a happy ending which I was not anticipating up until the last few chapters.
In the end, I actually ended up liking the three main characters and really enjoyed the book. You really do experience a very full range of emotions while reading this book.
Definitely recommend this book to those that enjoy domestic suspense and psychological thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. The author has written a story of intrigue and mystery...what will happen next? Who will do what? Who is real? Who is faking? Friendship...love...romance...mystery...all combined in this book to hold the reader's attention for an afternoon...a quick read, although the story does move a little slowly occasionally...At times, it was difficult to determine which character might do what...but a good read.

I love a deliciously unreliable narrator, and there are more than one of those here in this story of love, infertility and surrogacy. This gripping novel held my attention throughout, surprised me several times without my feeling there had been red herrings throwing me off the trail, and left me satisfied. I shaved off a star for a few moments stretching credulity a bit, but overall this novel was an excellent read.

When you primarily read only books in the mystery/thriller genre you tend to guess the twists and the whodunnits fairly quickly. It is rare when you either find a book with a plot that hasn’t been recycled or reused ad nauseum or a book that actually has a twist you weren’t able to predict was coming. Magpie by Elizabeth Day didn’t have an overly unique plot from the synopsis on the back of the book- happy couple takes in lodger who isn’t quite what she seems- has been done far too many times to count BUT that wasn’t entirely what the premise of this book was and Elizabeth Day was able to make this book unique and different. Where Day really shined was in the twist halfway through the book that I didn’t see coming at all and it threw me for a loop in the best way! In fairness, the book did seem to take a predictable route from there on out although swerving a bit at the end to give it another twist that wasn’t exactly what you were expecting. Once I got midway through the book I found it impossible to put down and spent the better part of the day reading just so I could find out how it ended. 4 solid stars ⭐️

I enjoyed trying to predict what would happen next, and the surprises along the way. I enjoyed the readability of the book, while also being surprised at some of the twists. I loved how the story began from Marissa’s point of view, which really sucked me in as a reader when things started to go wrong.

While it was more of suspense, I enjoyed being drawn in to the plot line. Many women could relate to Kate’s character, and slowly empathizing with her as the story progressed. I appreciated the ending, being left with few questions, and getting a sneak peak to the future. Thank you for sharing the book!

This book was a rollercoaster ride! I feel like I can't say much without giving away the premise of the book, but a great, exciting story!

Magpie is the next psychological thriller everyone will be talking about online. The protagonist has flaws, and the reader may figure things out before the main character. The storytelling is gripping, and the backstory compellingly deals with issues that affect many women. Magpie would be a great book club pick!

I received an ARC of Magpie in exchange for this honest review. Please note this book has a trigger warning for infertility and miscarriage.

Day brings us into the world of yuppy Londoners who want to have it all. After a whirlwind romance, Jake and Marissa move in together and talk about starting a family. But the couple finds themselves in a house they can't afford, and Jake suggests they take on a border. What could go wrong?

The storyline is interesting, and the sections are well organized and complement each other, almost symmetrically unfolding the story. This book is fun in a way only the medium of books can because the imagery comes alive in the reader's imagination. It's something film and television can't achieve, especially for an unreliable narrator.

I give Magpie 4 stars. It's well-paced, compelling characters, and a few interesting twists that will keep you wondering what happens next.

This book was just OK for me. Not terrible, not fantastic, just OK.

I thought the characters of Marisa, Jake, and Kate were very well developed. (It's always a sign of good writing when that happens!) Elizabeth Day is a very talented writer who has a way with words.

The reason I wasn't in love with the book was because of the subject matter (fertility issues, mental health). I felt the story could have been told better instead of slapping an unspecified mental health disorder as a bandaid. If the subject matter makes you feel uncomfortable, this book should probably be a skip for you.

I look forward to seeing what Elizabeth Day puts out next and hope it's more thriller and less triggering.