Magpie, by Elizabeth Day is a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the final chapter. Marissa, a surrogate for Kate and Jake, moves in with them and they soon become a “un” happy family. The dynamics of these three individuals will have you wondering who is who in this mystery. Annabelle, the overbearing mother in law creates havoc too. There are twisty and turns and interesting characters and kept me intrigued until the very end.

Thank you Net Galley and ARC for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

I went into this book not knowing what to expect and was pleased to find a taut, psychological thriller with a surprisingly satisfying ending. The pace is more moderate than fast but the author drops important reveals at just the right intervals to keep the plot moving along. I thought I had it all figured out in the first third and was delighted when my predictions were completely upended. I’m not generally a fan of the obsessive mothers theme but it absolutely works in this case. I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a slow burn mystery that is more cerebral than pure action.

I really enjoyed this book! It started out a bit slow but soon got a lot better. Kate and Jake are unable to have children so the decide to go through a surrogate. Things start out fine but soon turn dark. The author did a great job of creating suspense with the chapters and making you want to read more. There were many different events that happened that I did not see coming at all. I thought it was great how the author created the story line but made it so that you couldn't see the twists coming. I was completely surprised by many of the events in this book. It was a face paced read and full of suspense. I would recommend this book!

Magpie is a story about a couple who have a lodger living in their house. As the story unfolds, you learn that the narrator is unreliable, and about halfway through the book, there is a reveal that gave me a headache (in a good way) as I tried to navigate who to trust.
The first half of this book was far superior to the rest. Once I hit the plot twist, the story backtracks to explain what you've missed, and while I thought the story was interesting and I liked the characters, I couldn't really get invested anymore. I kept expecting there to be one more twist at the end (if I'm being completely honest, I was expecting the story to flip again and make the whole narrative I'd spent so much time reading twisted again). And there was a bit of a twist at the end, but it was incredibly anticlimactic compared to what I was hoping for.
The concept of this book is extremely interesting, and I think the writing was very good as well, but the plot execution is where it fell flat for me. I didn't care too much about the journey once the twist happened, because once the story circled back, we already knew kind of how the story was going to unfold, so I found myself skipping through to see what would happen after that.
I liked the characters a lot, although I didn't trust Jake all that much. I thought that Kate was way too patient and understanding about the whole thing, but she was definitely my favorite character. I had difficulty connecting with the other characters.
Overall, I thought that the writing was very good and the concept was intriguing, but the execution left a little to be desired. Elizabeth Day is clearly a good and knowledgeable writer, though, and I did for the most part enjoy the reading experience, especially when the big twist happened.

Magpie by Elizabeth Day - 3 Stars

Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this book, it was the general execution that I found unsatisfactory. It had a lot of points that I thought would hold my attention and stop me from putting it down. For the first 50%, the plot unfurled nicely - an unreliable narrator and two different points of view, leaving the reader unsure who to trust. However, once the plot reached an obvious climax, I felt as if the author fumbled for a way to resolve the last half of the novel. There were plot points that never seemed to lend themselves to the overall story (Marissa's backstory, Marissa looking/dressing like Annabelle, Marissa's one-time stutter). I found the final plot twist to be a bit of a stretch. I genuinely wanted to enjoy this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the first half. Unfortunately, the second half felt forced and lackluster to me.

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.