Unfortunately I struggled with this book.

The Premise of this had me hooked and I couldn't wait to dive in.

I found this very slow burning and didn't grip me as much as I thought it would.

Cleverly thought out and very twisty but this read wasn't for me.

It doesn't put me off this Author and would happily read more work from Elizabeth.

Magpie is an excellent psychological novel that gradually builds up the tension. I won’t give details of the plot as this might spoil the readers enjoyment. A thoroughly gripping novel with themes of toxic family relationships, fertility and mental health issues.

I had seen several good reviews for this book but didn't really know what the story was about as I hadn't bothered to read the blurb.
The first third if the book was ok but I was starting to wonder what the fuss was all about, I just continued to read as I was expecting something to happen. Then, when the story changes perspective it was like - BANG - it all made sense.
This was a really well plotted book with memorable characters and one I would easily recommend.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this read.

Page-turner is such an overused phrase, but sorry I HAVE to use it for Magpie. What a book, what a twist (no, I really did not see it coming, despite being told to watch out for one). So engrossing is the characterisation and plot that I was carried along on a wave in one direction, until I wasn’t! Not an easy book to review without ruining it with spoilers, but if you want an absorbing, twisty and utterly convincing few hours of escapism (yes, I did devour it that quickly) get this book.

It's difficult to review this book without giving away very important parts of the plot, however, I will say that it was one of those novels where you get to the end and wonder what the entire point of it was. It's marketed as a thriller. Although it is certainly a page-turner, I did not find the book to be suspenseful. Halfway through the book, an important plot twist is revealed and this allows all the pieces to fall rather neatly into place. This renders the second half of the novel less gripping as a result. I did enjoy reading it and trying to figure out where it was going, but I do feel like it fell apart towards the end. The introduction of an evil mother-in-law trope felt contrived and a bit silly.

The one huge positive I have is that I do feel like a lot of the more sensitive subject matter was dealt with superbly. The devastation and difficulty of IVF and infertility and the toll it can take on a person was dealt with very cleverly. As it is such a tricky subject matter, I though Elizabeth Day did it a wonderful job taking it on.

Elizabeth Day pens a stylish psychological thriller ripe with emotional heavyweights such as obsession and jealousy.

Marisa, 28 and a children's book illustrator, hasn't known Jake, 39, for long when he asks her to move in with him and they start trying for a baby. She knows she has found the love and support she has been yearning for and they decide to rent a room out for some extra cash. They take in a lodger, Kate, who takes an uncomfortable interest in Jake and the woman treats their house as her own. But why is Kate so obsessed with the couple?

Magpie is a compelling, very cleverly plotted tale of motherhood, power, envy and possession. It contains some really memorable characters, and the author yanked the rug from under me several times. The story is complex with the relationships becoming more and more toxic as it makes its progression. The author's eloquence on all things related to motherhood provides for a novel fraught with tension and a disquieting undertone that is present throughout. This fine literary thriller from Elizabeth Day is sharp and perspicacious. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from 4th Estate via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. I absolutely adore Elizabeth Day, so was excited to read this. Unfortunately it was not my favourite work of hers.

In a nutshell this follows Marissa, a 28-year old, who gets into a relationship with a man eleven years older than her. They buy a house and decide to have a baby. Until her boyfriend has business issues and decides to get a lodger to help with finances. Enter Kate, who turns their life upside down...

I so wanted to like this book. The first third was slow with lots of backstory building up Marissa’s life. But then there’s the twist at 31% which had me hooked. Ultimately I think the problem was my misplaced expectations. I thought this would be a thriller, but it wasn’t quite. It was more literary fiction about a woman desperate to have a baby, her IVF struggles and mental problems of one of the characters. I strongly think the way the book has been promoted is misleading. This not a psychological suspense. It’s more about family and the lives of these women, one who’s a surrogate. After that first twist, I was expecting more twists, but they never were delivered and I felt a little disappointed. Having read Day’s memoir, How to Fail, I know IVF is a harrowing experience she has been through and I can see that she’s channeled her inner angst in here. Unfortunately as a whole the plot just doesn’t come together in a compelling way. 2.5/5.

I’m a big fan of Elizabeth Day’s dark and observant writing, particularly The Party and Scissors, Paper, Stone, and her latest book Magpie didn’t disappoint. It tells the story of a couple who are trying for a baby and the almost catastrophic effect that a third person has on their relationship.

It’s very difficult to summarise the plot of the book without giving away spoilers as there are a couple of wonderfully inventive twists in there and a change of perspective half way through which was skillfully woven into the storyline and made me never quite believe that the characters were who I thought they were. There’s also a deliciously creepy undercurrent of family tension and dysfunction and a wonderfully passive-aggressive b*tch of an anti-heroine.

With themes such as mental illness, obsession and maternal love, this is a menacingly dark and thought-provoking read.

I am a huge Elizabeth Day fan from her podcast and non fiction but I haven't gotten around to reading her fiction work before, so I jumped at the chance to read this. The book deals with sexual assault, mental health issues, fertility issues and miscarriage in a really sensitive way. This was such a brilliant thriller that had so many twists, it had me gripped and guessing from the very beginning. Thank you to NetGalley and 4Th Estate for the eARC.

I couldn't put this book down. I loved this new take on a thriller exploring themes of motherhood and fertility. Day's writing is very well observed weaving humour and poignancy.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

Marisa lives with Jake, who is everything she has ever wanted in a partner. Then their new lodger Kate arrives and starts to really creep her out. Why does she keep looking at Jake like that? Why is she always asking about the baby they're trying for? She's so nosey! Can she trust Jake with Kate? Something is very wrong...

I can see why this is the book everyone seems to be reading at the moment... that twist?!?!?! Loved it!

This book is not what I was expecting at all; I feel like I was led right up the garden path, but it has just the perfect amount of red herrings to be utterly brilliant, twisty and mind-blowing!

A total page-turner, it deals with many topics sensitively (such as infertility and mental health). The characters are well written - I was not entirely sure who to like at times - plus the plot is so unpredictable.

A brilliant read which will keep you up all night!

What if you have a seemingly happy relationship? What if life is almost perfect? What if a stranger can give you the exact thing that is missing? What if that turns your world upside down?
'The tragic flaw of parenthood is that you equip your children to leave you. But what if you never want to let them go?'...
A very clever, well written tale about love, loss, mental ill health, Motherhood, and hope. A story with emotionally developed characters. A proper good page turner.

Elizabeth Day's latest novel, Magpie, is a domestic thriller you won't forget in a hurry, tense and claustrophobic gripping you from the start. Even now, a week after reading the book, I'm still thinking about the characters, the plot, and the twist. The twist made me gasp out loud!

Marisa moves in to a nice London house with her boyfriend, Jake, even though she hasn't been with him long but she knows he is the one. Their home is perfect and their life is wonderful until they take in a lodger, Kate who becomes obsessed with Marisa when she becomes pregnant. Marisa just wants her life to be perfect but Kate is getting in the way...

Magpie is a complusive plot looking at jealousy, manipulation, motherhood and paranoia. Trust me, of you're going to read this then cancel all of your plans as I couldn't stop reading once I started.

Thank you to @netgalley for sending me an eBook version of this book.

This book is well written with solid characters but I failed to relate to them. I tried to become invested in Marisa and her story but I really struggled.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I loved this book !!!
Brilliant, believable characters.
Very slow burning and very suspenseful !!
What a twist !!!
I give it a very well-earned 9/10 (5 stars)

A great book that I loved reading and enjoyed the twist which I didn't see coming. Highly recommended.

A psychological thriller about a couple who are expecting to have a child whilst a third woman is living in their house. Beyond that I can hardly say any more about the premise of the book, without spoiling a plot twist half way through that completely subverts our expectations, and makes us go back to the earlier chapters and re-read them in a new light. Immensely ingenious, well-observed and full of convincing detail that keeps us turning the pages, as well as some larger than life characters. Annabel, domineering mother of leading man Jake, is a figure of almost Gothic exaggeration. A lot of moral anxiety here, making us ask questions about the processes for starting a family in the modern world, but the story remains extremely gripping throughout. Strongly recommended. .

Full of incredible twists and turns, Magpie is truly addictive. It encapsulates the themes on mental health and love and infertility in a particular way and I'm already looking forward to seeing what Day does next.

This one sadly really didn’t hold my attention. The twist was ok but nothing else really happens. The writing was ok. The characters were not really memorable. So disappointed I didn’t like this one as the synopsis had me wanting to read it.

This book was the kind of book that is clever and requires concentration to keep up with the twists, turns and misdirection - this is not a negative, it’s more of a way of letting you know to clear your diary.
It is hard to say anything about the synopsis of this book without giving away information - what I will say is Magpie is the perfect title. You don’t need to know anything about birds to know that the Magpie is a predator who likes shiny things and who takes things from others.
Read it when you have a free few days as this is one you won’t be able to put down.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.