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.

I really really wanted to love this book and I did up until the end. This was a rollar coaster of a ride that could have taken my breath away. Instead I felt deflated and let down. I may be in the minority with these feelings. I probably won't recommend it to anyone.

Marisa longs to reverse all the wronging she has been dealt in her life. A young artist with the need to give purpose to her life encounters a couple on the journey to parenthood. Jake and Kate are ready to start a family and are willing to look at all avenues to acquire that dream.
I absolutely loved this book, it kept me on edge and I was never sure what the next chapter was to bring. If you are looking for a thriller, family drama and suspense..Magpie is definitely a book to pick up.

Pretty good, I liked the writing style and the twist mid-book though it was kind of easy to figure out something like that would happen. Liked how it ended.

Magpie
By Elizabeth Day

This is a story about mental illness, obsession – and family dynamics. Marisa is a young woman whose mother had deserted her when she was seven, taking her baby sister and leaving her with a father who has no idea the effect this desertion will have on his daughter's life.

The early section of the book tells the story from Marisa's point of view: how she meets Jake and they move in together; how they take in Kate as a lodger; how Marisa feels threatened by what she perceives as Kate and Jake's burgeoning relationship. The story line then reverses and the three way dynamic becomes clear.

Jake's mother Annabelle is a domineering parent, who refuses to let go of her son, and will do anything to keep control over him and his relationships with women. Her lies and schemes cause untold amounts of grief for all parties concerned.

I wasn't sure where this story was going at first, but the twists and turns became more plausible as the book goes on. It was amazing – but believable – how much damage can be done in the name of love.

Deliciously suspenseful! For the most part, I thought I knew where this narrative was going . . . nope . . . and then I  was fully on board for this page-turning ride.

I really enjoyed the clever pivot midway, it captured my curiosity and the strange relationship dynamics held my attention for the duration.

This is not what I consider a hard-core psychological thriller by any means (some readers have felt misled by excessive presale hype) . . . it is still a really fun read.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Magpie for my unbiased evaluation. 4 stars

What an intense filled noir psychological thriller. Talk about crazy twists that have you coming and going all over the place .oh bit how I love a tangled web of intrigue and obsession. A must read

Need a surrogate? You will probably want to give this book a miss. It is creepy, with lots of twists. Just when I think I figured out the plot, things changed. I realize this review is vague but the book description tells you all you need to know before getting sucked into this thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!