Marisa seems to have it made. Despite experiencing various trauma in her earlier life, she now seems to have found, in Jake, her perfect man. She has an enjoyable and fulfilling job, writing and illustrating specially personalised fairy stories for children. They have a nice house. All she wants now is a baby.
One day, a lone magpie flies into the house. Is this unwanted interloper a bad omen? Does Marisa have cause to be worried about Jake's interfering mother? Or about her attractive female lodger? Is everything as it appears to be?
Elizabeth Day's new novel is a page-turner which will keep you guessing throughout.

I enjoyed this very clever book. The twists are great, and the characters believable. It's a real page-turner. My only disappointment was with the slightly sugary ending, but I would thoroughly recommend this book.

Amazing twists these are a real game changer but that's what good thrillers need so I'm guessing you won't be disappointed.

Marisa falls in love and is asked to move in with Jake, so she does and then they have a lodger Kat. This changes things big time, she is into everything and Marsia isn't impressed and doesn't seem to be bothered. And when she gets pregnant why does Kate seem to be so involved what's her story. Jakes Mum Annabelle is an interesting character that has a bite to her but she can surprise. Heros and villains who can tell some things can mess with your minds and Elizabeth Day can mess with your mind.

This is a great thriller that you may think you have it sorted but you won't, be warned you will be kept on your toes the twists are expertly spectacular I never saw them coming. This is a 5star read and I think you will need to find a good argument to disagree and I'm thinking it would be wrong in my view that is.

I was completely gripped by this skilfully written page turner. I literally couldn’t put it down and read it one lazy Saturday in a single sitting! The plot twists were superb and there were times when I had no idea what was real. Highly recommended.

I’ve never read a book with a storyline like this one before and it definitely had me hooked from the very beginning. I loved the twist in the story and definitely didn’t see it coming! A great read!

Despite being a big fan of Elizabeth Day's podcast and non-fiction writing, this was my first time picking up on of her works of fiction. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but powered through this book in a couple of days, as her characters and their presentation had me hooked from the very beginning!

Marisa and Jake are blissfully happy. They move a lodger in to their new home to help with some financial difficulties but all is not what it seems and things soon lose their shine as Marisa becomes suspicious of Kate, the glamourous and fashionable woman that is now living in her home.

I was so drawn in by these characters, particularly Marisa, and I really found myself rooting for her in the first section of the book, which is truly a credit to Day's writing. As she moves through her life, basking in her new relationship and planning for her future, Marisa comes across as a confident and happy woman with plans that she knows are right for her. Then we see the arrival of Kate, and who hasn't had a nightmarish, annoying housemate? You feel for Marisa and find yourself sympathising with her as she begins to suspect that there is more to Kate than meets the eye. I couldn't put it down, staying up late and being sleepy for my morning meets because I was so determined to find out what has happening and how things would turn out.

The book deals with a range of issues, including mental health, fertility, sexual assault and childhood trauma in a perceptive and delicate way, shining a lot on these issues without trivialising them and highlighting the lasting impact that these moments have on a person's life. In dealing with these issues and presenting the characters in such a vivid way, the first two sections of this book were FANTASTIC. I genuinely twisted and turned with the characters and was desperate for the next chapter and the next big event. I have to be honest and say that I was expecting more from the ending, as I was convinced that a further reveal or twist was going to come out of the woodwork. In some places and for some characters, I found things a bit rushed, although I was happy to find everything resolved so neatly at the end (even though some of the resolutions were not what I expected!)

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and it was worth the late nights and sleepy meetings. The characters were convincing, the plot was shocking but at the same time believable and contained many moments that we have all experienced, understand or fear happening to ourselves. I will be going back to read Elizabeth Day's other works of fictions after this, and can happily say I am now an all round fan of all of her work.

Thanks to Netgalley and 4th Estate for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Elizabeth Day is certainly a skilled writer. Her use of language and stylistic effects are brilliant. I enjoyed the style of this novel immensely.

Some of the treatment of a character's mental illness felt uncomfortable for me. I can't go into details as I don't want to spoil the plot. This may be partly due to my own stance. The author doesn't make mental illness one-dimensional, though, which I really appreciate.

Magpie is a novel I'm sure many will love. I really enjoyed reading it on the whole.

Oh, what a rollercoaster this was! What a page-turner! I enjoyed this a lot. I got a bit frustrated by the first 'twist' because I thought it was predicable and that I knew where the whole story would go from there. But then, boom! In came another twist, the second one far more surprising. And then a third! I loved the whole scene at Annabelle's toward the end (side note: it felt like a movie!) My only criticism of this novel was that I didn't particularly like the ending - I would have much preferred 'the opposite version' of what happened to have happened. All said though, this was a very entertaining and engaging read.

Elizabeth Day can do no wrong in my eyes, I am a super fan. However saying that this book was spectacular, I loved the twist in the middle and did not see it coming. Highly recommend!

Marisa meets Jake and is delighted to find that he wants a child as much as she does. She moves in with him and everything is wonderful until money problems mean they have to take in a lodger. Kate seems nice but before long she is behaving as if it's her house not theirs. And then everything changes...

This is an enjoyable psychological thriller with a twist I didn't see coming. It's completely unbelievable of course but nonetheless this is a real page turner. I didn't particularly like the ending which I thought was a bit soppy and even more unrealistic than the rest of it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Not entirely sure where I sit with this book. Day writes with keen-eyed clarity and deft attention to detail in a manner that is on the right side of clipped and held back. Thank goodness, because otherwise the somewhat high-octane plot of this not-quite thriller/not-quite psychological or social study would be in serious danger of slipping into melodrama. It'll be a huge success, I'm sure, but 3.5 stars from this reader.

Marisa has found the perfect boyfriend, and has moved in with him into their perfect home. When his business takes a downturn and a lodger moves in, things seem a bit amiss.

A complex tale of relationship undercurrents which kept me absorbed until the end.

I really enjoyed this book, a great page Turner but filled with profound commentary on fertility, relationship pressures and how we compare ourselves to other women. The twist is fantastic and you do not see it coming! Must read.

Wow. Wow. Wow. OK, I've nearly calmed down. This is astonishingly absolutely fantastic. A plot with three main characters and their home life adjusting to having a baby. The twist when it comes winds you like a basketball to the stomach and you doubt everything you've just read. Clever writing and it keeps you guessing. A perfect blend of characters to love to hate, love and really want to squeeze.
Sinister, sneaky and shocking.

Couldn’t put this down until I finished it. The story unfolds so beautifully that you don’t see the twists coming which is very satisfying. The twists and turns then keep you page turning right until the end. Just when I thought I could see how it would all turn out, it surprised me again.
Very enjoyable read.

Another unputdownable book by Elizabeth Day I tore through her first book the Party and did the same with the Magpie.I was drawn right in by the characters the story line the plot twists.Will be recommending a really good read.#netgalley #4thestate

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.
I was very much looking forward to reading this and so pleased when I received a copy
Sadly that's where my pleasure ended. The book is very, very slow going. I also do feel that I have read this story before. I appreciate that there are only so many plots for authors to use but the story felt similar to something else I'd read. I don't like the term "babe/babes" and all the talk of babies -yawn. Couple that with the ending which becomes mawkish in its fawning over babies and sorry I just turned right off.
Yes there are the mandatory "twists" but nothing that surprises you. Maybe authors ought to just write a story rather than start off with A, follow that with twist B, switch to different character C, plot twist D and then "rabbit out the hat" at the end E.
The author has lots of other good reviews so I guess I'm a lone voice

Great new book from Elizabeth Day. This has a superb plot and I loved the twist. I could feel the anguish over the infertility, the writing here was excellent. Sure to be a hit.

Marisa is looking for love when she meets Jake. He suggests she move in with him after three months and that they start trying for a baby. She becomes pregnant quickly but she soon starts to doubt everything around her and Jake. The story is initially told from Marisa’s point of view and then switches to another narrator. Once this happened I was completely sucked into the story and could not put it down - I finished it within the day. Magpie deals with toxic family relationships, sexual assault, mental health issues and fertility concerns in a compelling and authentic way. It is full of twists and I found myself constantly on edge whilst reading it. The narrative, however, never fully returns to Marisa’s point of view which I think I would have liked for completeness. This is a compelling page-turner with unexpected twists that I raced to finish. Thank you to Netgalley and 4th Estate for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Elizabeth Day’s latest novel, ‘Magpie’ is a compelling exploration of family relationships, of rejection, of fear, and of desire. Marisa and her partner want a baby very much. Kate and her partner want a baby very much. To what lengths will these confident, successful people go to ensure that this happens?
The structure of this story encourages the reader to understand that nothing can be taken at face value other than the key characters’ strength of feelings. As the sophisticated grandmother to be, Annabelle, reminds Kate on several occasions, nothing is more important than family. But what exactly does that mean? Families come in all different shapes and sizes and some of these are more wishful-thinking than reality.
Even to focus on the central theme of ‘Magpie’ would be to spoil the ways in which Day gradually allows the reader to appreciate what is playing out over the course of the novel. Nevertheless, the singular title reminds us that ‘sorrow’ is ever-present. This is an intelligent, sensitive and thought-provoking discussion of motherhood, trauma and societal expectations. Highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.