Thank you for the copy! Premise of the book was great. Lost me a bit towards the middle but overall good read

I really enjoyed Day’s Paradise City, so I wanted to read more of the author and then this one showed up on Netgalley. A thriller. Because of course why write a serious drama about serious subjects like immigration when you can write a thriller that’ll sell like hotcakes because it’s all anyone wants to read these days. Can’t fault the author for wanting to be popular, but also…can’t help but be left wanting.
Mind you, this might have been an exceptional thriller, with mind-boggling twists and stunning writing and so literary as to make even the snobbiest of readers happy to have read it, but it wasn’t…well, not quite. It came very close, mind you. But as Bond would say, No Cigar, Moneypenny.
It did have a terrific plot twist, but it was a. kinda predictable and b. came about third of a way in which is way too soon. After that, it mostly went on like a messed-up but fairly straight-up narrative about…well, motherhood.
Yes, after all that, and all the layers of literariness, beneath it all it’s just another mommy thriller. Well, ok, technically mommy and daddy thriller. It’s all (and I mean ALL) about the absolutely insane crap people will do to have a baby.
Can’t talk too much about the book without giving something away. The official plot description only covers the first third of the novel, the juicy third that leads into the plot twist. Reader beware, the other two thirds of the novel will likely not live up to the previously set standard.
But also…does the world need another mommy thriller? Another reproduction-obsessed couple? I mean, when is it going to be enough? Just stay childless (the world really doesn’t need any more people), or adopt and shut up about it, already. Your genes are not that precious and there are a lot of kids out there desperate for a family.
Day is a very good writer, and so it’s quite frustrating that she decided to throw her not inconsiderable talent in this direction. Understandable, but disappointing all the same.
Because of this talent, the book is a compelling read, but in the end doesn’t amount to much. An evilly manipulative mother-in-law and babies, babies, babies at all cost are the sort of plot drivers that are dime a dozen. And if you’re into that sort of thing, this is the book for you. Maybe the author can go back to something original now with all that thriller dough. Thanks Netgalley.

I was really interested in this book based off of the synopsis… but honestly I think that’s all I liked of this one. I felt like the book didn’t have a point,,, what I did like was that it was a very quick read. I also really liked the character development. What I didn’t like was how annoying the characters were. I also was not a fan of the ending. I would say this one left me feeling quite conflicted.

Quick moving thriller with a gotcha twist like a M. Night Shyanmalan movie! Marisa moves in with Jake quickly, just after 3 months. They are equally in love and anxious to start a family. However, when Jake's business takes a hit, the new border they take in might have something else in mind.

This book moves quickly and dreadfully - you won't know what hit you! Elizabeth Day has a great way with painting interesting characters that pull you into a story that you may think you have heard before. I guarantee this one is new to you! If you like a BIG TWIST grab#Magpie #netgalley #netgalleyreads #Simon&Schuster

Marisa and Jake move into their new home hoping to have a baby right away. When some money problems result in them having to bring in a lodger, Kate, things start to change. Why is Kate so interested in Marisa and Jake? Why is she so interested in their unborn baby?

I was really hoping to love this book with all of the rave reviews, but I found it just wasn't for me. I tend to love domestic thrillers, but something about this one just didn't quite land right. I loved a majority of the book and was really wrapped up in the story, but by the end I felt that it fell a little flat.

I think if you love Gone Girl or other domestic thrillers, it's worth giving this a shot! It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I don’t even know how to properly explain this without ruining it. The characters were captivating and the story kept me interested in to the last page. I would highly recommend this book.

Magpie by Elizabeth Day has been compared to other suspense novels such as Gone Girl. This novel does hold the readers attention with three different sections, keeping one slightly off-balance. Taking an already stressful event of dealing with a pregnancy, Elizabeth Day adds in the ordinary horror of dealing with a hostile mother-in-law, so to speak.

Magpie wasn't at all what I expected based on the description. While sometimes that can be a good thing with thrillers, in this case, it wasn't. The characters felt one-dimensional and I kept getting restless with the plot. While I appreciate the author's background in fertility challenges, this book was not a good fit for me.

It's very difficult to review "Magpie" without giving away any spoilers. The story starts with Marisa and Jake, a relatively new couple living together and trying for a baby. She soon becomes pregnant and they take on a lodger to ease money issues. Marisa isn't comfortable with the lodger, Kate, though. She seems too interested in her pregnancy and overly comfortable with Jake, her home and even Marisa's life.
The twist comes in. as we switch to Kate's point of view. The twist is a good one that I didn't see coming. However, it's revealed about a third of the way through the book and then.... nothing else really happens. The story builds to such a stellar crescendo to then fall flat, playing out far too slowly and caving to overly-familiar tropes. I kept feeling like something else was going to happen — that it had to happen. Instead, I was disappointed with an ending that just wrapped up too neatly.
Author Elizabeth Day's easily consumable writing style is a standout in the genre and makes for a quick — albeit disappointing — read.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.
2.5/5

The pacing - especially the timing of the time jumps - ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. Day also did a fantastic job manipulating my feelings about each character through the duration. There were just a few draw backs that keep me from giving five stars - thrillers based off of mental health issues sit poorly with me and some of the dialogue felt a bit forced / awkward. Ultimately - pick this one up and give it a go!

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is an adult mystery novel covering Jake, Kate, and Marissa's story. Having a child is harder said than done. When Kate is having trouble getting pregnant, Marissa steps up to be a surrogate.
This novel was so slow, I had trouble getting through it. I found the story to be repetitive and boring.
(Arc from Netgalley)

Honestly not quite sure how I feel about this book. It is an easy fast read and had some good plot twist, however I wasn’t a fan of how it wrapped up. The description of the plot pulled me in but the whole time I was reading I was thinking “this could of went else where to make it a more believable thriller”. So I will give it a solid 3 stars and also say this was my first novel by Day and I would still give her others books a try. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Mini Synopsis: It's hard to type this up without giving it away! Jake and Marissa are expecting their first baby. All is well until their roommate, Kate starts getting a little too close for comfort. Marissa is concerned Jake is having an affair.
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Review: this plot is so unique and had such potential! Think Gone Girl level twist. But.... it didn't deliver for me. There were lots of loose ends and unlikable characters in this. Also, the whole Magpie thing? Didn't really pull through.
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Thanks @netgalley for this one! Fun, quick read!
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I struggled with this one a bit. The characters were a little bland but I appreciate the lengths the author went through regarding the research into infertility and mental health, however it made the book drag. This book just fell a tad bit flat, I can’t say much about the second half because it really spoils it. I am surprised the resolution was so tame, I was expecting something more dark and twisty.

So...part 1 was not suspenseful and was 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.

*ARC via Publisher

"Magpie" by Elizabeth Day is the story of a complicated relationship between 3 people. Marisa and Jake are living together and hoping to have a baby. They rent out the attic in their house to Kate, a young professional woman, but Marisa soon begins to question Kate's intentions. Though Jake doesn't think anything is wrong, Marisa swears Kate is a little too focused on Jake. Before long, Kate starts cooking his favorite dinners. And why do Kate and Jake stop their conversations when Marisa enters the room?

In this book, however, nothing is what it seems. With a twist that rivals the one in "Gone Girl," readers will be shocked to learn the truth behind what's really going on in the house.

The story starts a little slowly, but the big twist is well worth the wait. And there's more than one secret in this plot.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I am usually good at predicting twists but this twist was completely unexpected. The characters were interesting and layered. Each had faults but were ultimately sympathetic. Overall, this was a great thriller that I so enjoyed I finished it over just two evenings.

2.5 stars, rounded up. This is hard to explain how I felt about it. It was fast-paced, much like many domestic thrillers are. I wanted to know what happened badly enough that I continued reading it. Yet, I never felt too stressed about what was happening. There was never a moment where I had any kind of genuine reaction to what was happening. Even when things came to a peak, the resolution was so...tame that I didn't know how to feel. Sure, I appreciate that our main characters were understanding of mental health but...otherwise, this wasn't really a satisfying plot to read.

I liked the pacing. The story got to the point quickly but without sacrificing detail. I had a good feel early on for the characters that have been introduced and the story is rolling along nicely.

The big twist in the middle I kind of saw coming, especially with the Gone Girl comparison. I do feel like the author showed their hand too early, though, because after that, the story just felt like it was trying and failing to stay interesting. I didn’t really care what happened because there wasn’t much actual conflict, just the threat of it hanging overhead. I’d give the first half a 4/5 and the second half a 3/5, so my total is 3.5/5. A quick, easy read!

Magpie certainly has an interesting premise and I was quite intrigued until the midway point when the book just took a turn I was not expecting. Unfortunately this one just didn't work for me as a reader. Some of the wording felt problematic and some of the cliches just felt like too much. I appreciate having the opportunity to read and share my thoughts about this book, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for my gifted copy.