Not familiar with this author but great thriller! Took me a whole to start it but the plot kept me guessing and I loved the characters. Super twisty! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

If you like Lifetime movies, you’ll absolutely love this book. It’s a bit predictable, though I never guessed it would end the way it did. The ending wasn’t as good as it could have been though. The whole way through the book, I thought for sure I knew how it would end and then the ending was even less of a twist than what I had imagined so it was a bit of a let down in that sense for me. Still a good, quick read!

The twist between part 1 and part 2 was everything! It was shocking and thrilling. Part 2 dragged a bit at times but overall this was a great story.

This domestic thriller starts out strong, utilizing the oft used plot formula of a happy couple who seem to have everything but have their lives upended by the arrival of a new person in their lives. Often it is a nanny or babysitter, a long lost friend or relative, but in this case it is their new tenant. We see the story from the perspective of Jake and Marissa, the happy couple who are trying to conceive a child. Less than half way through the big twist is revealed and we see everything from a different perspective.

We know that magpie symbolism will play a role from the title of the book. And a magpie flys into their house early on in the book. According to legend and superstition, magpies have a dualistic nature. They symbolize luck, love and prosperity, but on the other hand they symbolize deception and fraud. One source I read stated that they are effectively saying “don’t let appearances deceive you”.

I thought that a third twist might be coming, but when the story resolved itself I was quite disappointed. Hence the three star review. The book is very well well written with well developed characters and I do look forward to reading more books in the future by Elizabeth Day.

Thank you #NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced reader copy.

I am freely reviewing this book. This was my first read by this author and it was a rollercoaster of a ride! What I thought I knew I didn’t really know about Mariisa, Jake, and Kate. I can’t say what happens because it would spoil the story for you. I can tell you that I couldn’t put this book down and was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen with the baby involved! Bravo to the author for a page turner with lots of string interactions and characters. I loved it! Five stars.

It’s really hard to review this without giving away spoilers, but I don’t really see the point of the story? Once the twist happens in the middle of the story the rest serves no purpose and it was such a letdown for me. I didn’t care how it ended and almost DNF it was that bad. Not a memorable story whatsoever.

3.75 stars, rounded up. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an ARC ahead of the US release

I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read, taking me only about a day to read. I definitely think the first twist and the first half of the book was better, because there were little moments being subtly tied back to each other that made the first half more exciting and interesting. I think the second twist was a bit predictable, but it was still enjoyable. I did finding myself skimming through the last 2% or so, because I found it a bit repetitive and unnecessary.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56646479-magpie" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Magpie" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1625812777l/56646479._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56646479-magpie">Magpie</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1612493.Elizabeth_Day">Elizabeth Day</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4581112159">2 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley for an honest review. I have to be honest here and say I thought this book was boring. I would have quit reading but I kept thinking something interesting would happen. Nope.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5483119-sherry">View all my reviews</a>

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.