I’m afraid I couldn’t get into this book. There was too much back and forth and from both Claire and Duncan’s point of view and I ended up getting lost. I also found a Claire quite a boring character, not much going on, slow to react and her storyline was too descriptive looking back at the past. Duncan’s character was better and more lively but there was less from his point of view.
It’s a shame as I really enjoyed cuckoo. Thank you for the advanced reading copy though

This is a riveting read. I liked the premise of the unknown secrets and the cat and mouse story. I’d give this 4/5 and recommend it. I gave this 4/5 on goodreads and amazon.

What can I say about this book.... it certainly got my attention. There's alot of switching from Claire's and Duncan's point of view. I'm glad Sophie (the author) made it clear whose point we were reading as some books don't.

The tension just builds and builds in the storyline of what they did together back in the day which makes you think one thing but it's actually another. Brilliant. Love it when that happens. Once I had finished the story I had to think about what just happened and how it all just gels together and why.. Not something I was expecting anyway.

I enjoyed the book. I found at times that it was very descriptive. I loved the way the scenery was described but sometimes I found other passages over descriptive. Would read other books by the same author

Slow, and.yes, yes a little broody. Why Claire hadn't left her control freak husband, Duncan the vet, before, is a mystery. Where is Joe their only son - still metal detecting in the fields?

Apart from the vivid, well written descriptions of the countryside, there was nothing else in this book. to really grab my attention. Far too many 'Befores' and 'Afters' from Claire and Duncan. Confused.com.

Luckily, the end was excellent.

Thanks to Net Galley and Avon Books for the chance to read and review.

I really enjoyed Cuckoo by Sophie Draper so was excited for Magpie. Unfortunately I was very disappointed.

This book was confusing, repetitive and slow. I couldn't connect with any characters and I struggled to work out what was happening most of the time.

Not for me but I have read some great reviews.

Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

This book has so much going on it's hard to know where to start trying to review this. It is clever and brilliantly complex with a thoroughly gripping plot.

Claire and Duncan's relationship is falling apart. On the surface, they have the perfect life: he is a famous, well-respected vet, and they have a stunning house in a beautiful location. But all is not perfect. Duncan has been having affairs. Claire is incredibly bitter (with good reason). They have a secret which runs throughout and takes almost the whole book to resolve. The name Evangeline keeps popping up with little explanation and it had me gripped. I needed to know who she was, what happened to her and how she caused such a rift between the couple. There's also a body found on their land, and Duncan's best friend is investigating it.

The story goes back and forth in time, adding to the tension and keeping me turning the pages. In the present story line, Claire and Duncan are separated, and their son Joe is missing. Their past story shows the build up to the marriage breakdown, Duncan's strained relationship with his son, and a big mystery involving a coin that Joe found on their land. I'll be honest, this wasn't my favourite part of the story, but the coin is rare and important. Joe is a wonderful character though, he is smart, intense and emotional, and his difficult relationship with his father was difficult to read. Duncan can be an angry and very unlikable man. Claire is very intense, her parts of the story are relentlessly emotional.

This book is a fascinating mystery, sometimes incredibly creepy, but always enjoyable. I did not expect the ending that we got at all. I highly recommend this one for any mystery fans!

Story about Claire, Duncan and their son Joe. This story is told in Duncan and Claire’s perspectives, with before and after. I found this style very confusing to read. It was hard for me to keep up with when and who the chapter was referring. The storyline was intriguing, just very slow.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC copy of this to review.

In her first book The Cuckoo we were introduced to the pear drum which I LOVED and awarded five stars. In this latest book we meet the puppet riders, don't want to meet them on a dark night thank you very much. Dark, gothic and compelling reading. Claire is married to Duncan and their marriage has broken down. So much so that Claire decides to leave her maritial home, she sets up home on the other side of the reservoir. Her new home is not far away from an abandoned village. Why is it abandoned? What are the owners of the land hiding? After finding a strange coin her son Joe is missing where is he? Finally why is Claire afraid of this coin and what will happen next? So many questions, this author draws you in then you are hooked and just have to keep reading. As for the ending WHAM!!!!! Another five star read and highly recommended. Go to bed early and delve into this authors fantastic storytelling and imagination. I LOVED IT!!!!
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

A dark and atmospheric mystery, Magpie by Sophie Draper is the story of Claire, frustrated wife of philandering husband Duncan, and mother to Joe, a difficult eighteen year old who seems to show signs of being on the autistic spectrum, but has never been formally diagnosed. Claire seems to have it all, a successful husband and a gorgeous home, but she is counting down until the day she can escape from the cold and sterile home that feels more like a prison, and the cold and remote husband who no longer loves her. She knows he is having another affair, and has gone so far as renting a remote cottage for herself and Joe but then tragedy strikes and Joe disappears. Alone in her cottage she tries to unravel what happened , and the truth, when she finally figures it out is darker than she ever imagined.
This story is told from two perspectives, those of Claire and Duncan, but also in two timelines, " before" and "after" that night, and at first it was a little confusing to keep track of what was going on, but as I settled into the book that became much easier. It did also make for some unnecessary repetition which slowed the book down somewhat . This is definitely a slow burning read, designed to build the atmosphere and tension before the revelations of the final chapters, as well as flesh out the characters so we see their true colours. Although I did not love the way the book ended, it did fit with the rest of the story.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The two storytellers and the moving about from one time to another would usually be a feature of a book I love but not this time. I am always sorry when anything supernatural is introduced and so soon lost what small interest the story held for me when Claire had her first daydream.
Skimmed through most of it I am sorry to admit.

Magpie is a book filled with grief and isolation, set in an eerie landscape. And still I couldn't put it down. The writing is exquisite.

Duncan and Claire have been together for over 20 years, sharing a teenage metal detecting obsessed son Joe.
We follow each member as their family unit falls apart and Joe goes missing.

The chapters are split in 'before' and 'after', have a pleasant length and a fast pace.
'Before' the foundation is already shaky, but 'after' it's survival of the fittest. An unexpected twist solves all the mysteries that are kept well under wraps throughout the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

I was surprised in the end, with the ending. I did not love this book. It could be confusing at times, with all the befores and afters between thectwo main characters. I did not like the husband at all. His wife and his son , I felt sorry for. She should have taken her son and left years before. Why eould anyone put up with his bullshit.
And that's about all I can about this title.
I would actually give this book a 2.5 out 5.

I really didn't like this book, I thought the writing was terrible and I didn't bother to finish it. I also thought the way Claire talked about her autistic son was really bad.

This book was a slow burner for me and didnt really hold my interest. I found it a bit disappointing. I liked it but i couldnt say i loved it.

Magpie is about the lives of Claire, Duncan, and their son Joe. Claire has been planning on leaving her husband Duncan when Joe turns 18. She hasn’t been happy for a long time and Duncan seems to make other things in his life a priority over their marriage and Claire has a feeling he’s cheated on her. Suddenly, Joe goes missing and the book flips back and forth detailing everything that happened before and after his disappearance.

The back and forth got a little confusing but nothing too off-putting and I liked the characters. I really enjoyed the drama of this book and the build-up of intensity while reading it and leading up the surprise ending!

I purchased this after reading the blurb and it appealed to me, I had bought the previous novel by Sophie CUCKOO after reading some great recommendations on it, despite not having got round to reading it yet.

Unfortunately for me this book didn’t live up to what I had hoped for, the pace was just far too slow, the characters were just not relatable or nice, except for Joe who I felt sorry for. Caught between parents who are no longer in love if they ever were, it’s hard to tell, I assume they were at some stage. There is a lot of repetition in the story as well, at times it felt that some of the writing was to bulk the story out a bit, it didn’t really add value. The writing is good, at times hauntingly atmospheric. There was just more needed to the actual storyline, maybe if we had seen other characters, perhaps someone that Duncan was seeing.

Claire and Duncan Henderson are married and have an eighteen year old son Joe, who still seems to need a lot of attention, possibly someone on the spectrum, this could be one of the reasons that Claire is so protective of Joe. They live in a beautifully converted Barn in rural Derbyshire, overlooking a reservoir, The house has been done to Duncans specifications, Claire hates the house, she doesn’t feel like it’s a home.

Claire believes her husband has had numerous affairs during their marriage, she is secretly planning on leaving Duncan and taking Joe with her, but before she gets the chance to leave, her and Duncan have a blazing argument, and Joe disappears. Has he run off? Who would blame him? Caught in the crossfire of an unhappy marriage. But it’s not the first time Joe has gone missing, the difference is he has always come back home before.

The story is told in two timelines before and after, which at times became very confusing, jumping forward, then back six weeks, forward, back again six weeks, then add into that the POV’s which just added more to confusion, or maybe that was just me. There are family secrets, infidelity, things on both sides. Joe likes to go out with his metal detector searching for ancient coins, he finds a rare coin on the property, to him it’s a great find, but to Claire it’s not. Claire sees Magpies in the story, Magpies like to collect and protect things, Claire wants to protect Joe, and Joe likes Shiny things. Maybe that’s just coincidence and I have got it wrong but I did wonder if that some way of where the title comes from. I always think of the old wives tail one for sorrow, two for joy, and despite not being superstitious I hate seeing one magpie in my garden, despite them being a quite attractive bird.

Claire is desperately trying to find her son, Duncan, just doesn’t seem to care and is just angry and frustrated with everyone. But we find there are as always two sides to every story.the story did pick up towards the last chapters, with an ending you didn’t expect.

I will look out for the writers next book.

Thank you to #Netgalley and # Avonbooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This book is not a thriller but more of a family drama. Unlikeable characters and a very slow storyline . It was just not for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

An enjoyable read, perhaps more of a family drama or domestic noir than a thriller. I liked it though. Well written and intriguing story

Did not finish, not for me this book. Claire goes on and on about how she feels, how she is upset by Duncan treating her, nightmares, panic during the day... but in most cases nothing happens in the story.