Magpie: The most gripping psychological thriller of the year from Sunday Times bestselling author Elizabeth Day
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- Create Date：2021-09-05 22:21:07
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Elizabeth Day
- ISBN：B08VS439DF
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Summary
She has almost everything。 The rest she’ll take。
Marisa may have only known Jake a few months， but she has never felt this certain about anyone。 When he asks her to move in with him and they start trying for a baby， she knows she has finally found the steadfast love and support she has been looking for all her life。
But their relationship is tested when they take in a lodger， Kate， who has little regard for personal boundaries and seems to take an uncomfortable interest in Jake – as well as the baby they are hoping to have。
Why is Kate so obsessed with the couple？ And， more worryingly， why doesn’t Jake share Marisa's concern？
In her determination to find the answers， Marisa risks losing everything she holds dear…
Magpie is a tense， twisting， brilliantly written novel about mothers and children， envy and possession， and the dangers of getting everything you’ve ever dreamed of。
Marisa may have only known Jake a few months， but she has never felt this certain about anyone。 When he asks her to move in with him and they start trying for a baby， she knows she has finally found the steadfast love and support she has been looking for all her life。
But their relationship is tested when they take in a lodger， Kate， who has little regard for personal boundaries and seems to take an uncomfortable interest in Jake – as well as the baby they are hoping to have。
Why is Kate so obsessed with the couple？ And， more worryingly， why doesn’t Jake share Marisa's concern？
In her determination to find the answers， Marisa risks losing everything she holds dear…
Magpie is a tense， twisting， brilliantly written novel about mothers and children， envy and possession， and the dangers of getting everything you’ve ever dreamed of。
Reviews
Susan Hunter
，
This story drew me in from the start。 As the plot unfurled I had no idea where it was going， but then whoosh， an unexpected turn of events。 Marisa， Jake and Kate plus， the just awful mother of Jake， Annabelle are the 3 main characters。 Jake and Marisa are wanting a baby and Kate moves in with them as a lodger。 A very well written book 。 I couldnt get to the end of this book quick enough to discover the outcome。
Fiona
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This is quite hard to review without giving away any spoilers！ An entertaining novel that doesn't go quite as you'd expect。 Nice satisfying ending and a few twists along the way。 I wouldn't quite describe it as a thriller but there were some definite exciting moments that kept the pages turning。Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review This is quite hard to review without giving away any spoilers！ An entertaining novel that doesn't go quite as you'd expect。 Nice satisfying ending and a few twists along the way。 I wouldn't quite describe it as a thriller but there were some definite exciting moments that kept the pages turning。Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review 。。。more
Ruth Lemon
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Well， this is an amazing book！ I’d heard so much about “the twist” and it did not disappoint。 It’s a gripping， dark， suspenseful tale of family， mental health， and how we as individuals deal with life when things don’t go as expected （either according to our plans or what society thinks is “expected”）。 I’ve read all of Elizabeth Day’s books and this novel is particularly interesting in light of the How to Fail podcast。 I can see threads of conversations running through this story， plus I can hea Well， this is an amazing book！ I’d heard so much about “the twist” and it did not disappoint。 It’s a gripping， dark， suspenseful tale of family， mental health， and how we as individuals deal with life when things don’t go as expected （either according to our plans or what society thinks is “expected”）。 I’ve read all of Elizabeth Day’s books and this novel is particularly interesting in light of the How to Fail podcast。 I can see threads of conversations running through this story， plus I can hear Elizabeth’s own words from interviews。 She explores four， well fleshed out characters， each of whom are flawed but at the same time are highly relatable （in varying degrees， admittedly）。 It is a personal， intimate read。 Couldn’t recommend highly enough！ 。。。more
Billie
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This is a brilliant read。Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start。Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable。Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously。Can't wait to read what the author brings out next。Recommend reading。I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review。 This is a brilliant read。Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start。Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable。Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously。Can't wait to read what the author brings out next。Recommend reading。I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review。 。。。more
Lianne
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Great book， interesting twists and turns。 There’s some lovely language and descriptions throughout。 Slightly let down by the end in my opinion。
Jean
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Full of twists， but who do you believe。Marrisa and Jake move in together after only knowing each other for three months then take in a lodger Kate to earn extra money。The story is told from Marrisa and Kate`s point of view， both have different views on what is happening to them all and you don`t know who to believe till the end with all the twists which keeps you reading till the end。Well worth a read。Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 Full of twists， but who do you believe。Marrisa and Jake move in together after only knowing each other for three months then take in a lodger Kate to earn extra money。The story is told from Marrisa and Kate`s point of view， both have different views on what is happening to them all and you don`t know who to believe till the end with all the twists which keeps you reading till the end。Well worth a read。Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Ruth Broad
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ExcellentGot really into it when listening to the first chapter on her podcast and ahev read it in a day。 Absolutely brilliant
꧁ ꕥ James ꕥ ꧂
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3。5 ⭐️ An incredibly fast paced， page turning domestic thriller surrounding a couple who are trying for a baby， who take in a lodger who develops a unhealthy obsession。 Really enjoyed this and found it to be very well written， my only irk was that the “twist” was glaringly obvious within the first 20 pages and I think it was revealed too early， leaving the latter half to drag。 Still recommend！
Jayne Burnett
，
Thanks to Net Galley and 4th Estate for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review。 This is a page turner with a very clever twist and plot which I didn’t see coming。 Marisa and Jake take in a lodger， Kate， and the roller coaster story begins。， not everyone’s as it seems as Kate makes herself at home。 This psychological thriller includes fertility issues and mental illness， and then there is Jake’s mother who is a nightmare to deal with。 The ending was disappointing but a thoroughly enjoyable Thanks to Net Galley and 4th Estate for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review。 This is a page turner with a very clever twist and plot which I didn’t see coming。 Marisa and Jake take in a lodger， Kate， and the roller coaster story begins。， not everyone’s as it seems as Kate makes herself at home。 This psychological thriller includes fertility issues and mental illness， and then there is Jake’s mother who is a nightmare to deal with。 The ending was disappointing but a thoroughly enjoyable read。 。。。more
Sandra
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Magpie is a very cleverly plotted， well-written psychological thriller where nothing is quite what it first seems。 The book opens with one of the main female characters viewing a house where she and her new boyfriend are planning to live together and start a family。 There is a sense that something is not quite right， but when the POV changes about a third of the way in， it takes the narrative in a totally different direction， rather than the obvious one I had been expecting。 I chose this book wi Magpie is a very cleverly plotted， well-written psychological thriller where nothing is quite what it first seems。 The book opens with one of the main female characters viewing a house where she and her new boyfriend are planning to live together and start a family。 There is a sense that something is not quite right， but when the POV changes about a third of the way in， it takes the narrative in a totally different direction， rather than the obvious one I had been expecting。 I chose this book with no prior knowledge of what it was about， though I did recognise Elizabeth Day as one of the presenters of the excellent SkyArts book programme， and I think it helped to have an open mind。 Magpie deals with some very difficult subjects with a lot of compassion; infertility， surrogacy， mental illness， toxic family relationships， to name but a few， are all woven seamlessly into the tense and unsettling narrative。 The story is told from the points of view of Marisa and Kate， neither of whom are reliable narrators， but I would have like some input from Jake as well。 He remained less well defined as we only saw him through the eyes of others。 The characters are well drawn， believable and memorable， though none of them are particularly likeable。 The ending did seem a bit too neat considering how chaotic the rest of the book had been， but this is a minor criticism。 I enjoyed Magpie and will be on the lookout for other books by Elizabeth Day。 Thanks to Fourth Estate and NetGalley for a digital copy to review。 。。。more
Caroline Kerdouci
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Actual rating 4。5⭐️Magpies in some parts of the world are considered to be bad luck especially if you fail to salute a solitary one。 I’m not a superstitious person so when my daughter went through a phase of spotting them and making sure I adhered to tradition I found the whole “one for sorrow， two for mirth…。。” really tiresome。 However when Marisa Glover is viewing a property as a potential first home for herself and her boyfriend Jake， the fleeting presence of a magpie flying into the kitchen Actual rating 4。5⭐️Magpies in some parts of the world are considered to be bad luck especially if you fail to salute a solitary one。 I’m not a superstitious person so when my daughter went through a phase of spotting them and making sure I adhered to tradition I found the whole “one for sorrow， two for mirth…。。” really tiresome。 However when Marisa Glover is viewing a property as a potential first home for herself and her boyfriend Jake， the fleeting presence of a magpie flying into the kitchen could be seen as a sinister omen。 This young artistic woman， keen to settle down and start a family immediately despite her relationship with Jake still being in its infancy is not deterred。 She believes this is just the start of a happier more settled chapter in her life which has up until now been overshadowed by trauma and sadness and a distinct lack of love。 Kate joins them in Richborne Terrace as a lodger when it transpires the couple are not as financially secure as they’d hoped to be。 Wow！！ I’d forgotten what a talented writer Elizabeth Day is since the last book I read of hers was The Party which was a few years ago now。 From the very beginning when the reader is treated to a snapshot of Marisa’s childhood to the disturbance the magpie temporarily creates at the house viewing my senses were on full alert， catching a faint whiff of the danger to come。 The author subtlety draws you into life within this household， where Kate’s presence isn’t wholeheartedly welcomed by Marisa who is struggling to conceive。 When she finally falls pregnant her tolerance of Kate is stretched to the limit， becoming increasingly paranoid of this unwanted interloper， this cuckoo in the nest who seems to have insinuated herself into her and Jake’s lives in a manner Marisa finds obtrusive。 Boundaries are crossed， Marisa’s sense of privacy violated and with that her perceptions of Kate and their living arrangements blends from mild intolerance to dislike to pure hatred。 A tense， fragile and uneasy atmosphere settles over these three characters and as the days and weeks pass Marisa works herself up into a frenzy of emotion convinced that Kate is a real threat to her relationship with Jake。 It is the gradual building of an increasingly volatile atmosphere in which people are cautiously treading on eggshells and the fear that something terrible could happen at any given moment that roots you in one spot， transfixed by the unfolding drama。 You feel as if you’re witnessing the calm before the storm with the narrative teetering on the brink of chilling when incidences of disturbing， unhinged behaviour catapult you into a maelstrom of pent up emotions including anger， aggression and jealousy。 I became so immersed in this thriller， so comfortable in my prediction as to how events would play out between Marisa and Kate that I was completely blindsided by the astounding， eye popping， jaw dropping twist that occurs midway through the novel。 For the twist alone Elizabeth Day deserves a standing ovation。 To start with I thought there was something off kilter with the way Jake and Marisa interact， finding them both quite cold， unemotional characters and wondering how they would adjust to life as parents but as the narrative progresses my opinions changed once it was apparent that emotions in this novel are off the scale！ Elizabeth Day’s portrayal of Marisa and Kate and the vile， controlling harridan of a mother-in-law that is Annabelle is out of this world。 I took an instant dislike to Kate who it seems is determined to cause trouble， slyly， insidiously worming her way between the pair， causing cracks in what Marisa has believed to be a healthy happy relationship。 Yet like any flawed complex human being Kate is more than just a cuckoo in the nest。 Observed from another angle this woman who is supposedly intent on stealing Marisa’s life is weighted down by unbearable pain。 In contrast I found myself automatically siding with Marisa whose vulnerability and insecurities compel you to feel protective of her welfare。 Although Marisa has suppressed her inner demons they steadily rise to the surface， erupting with such a force you worry for her deteriorating mental health and you begin to question her logic。 It doesn’t bode well that these two women are sharing the same space！ But if the tense， awkward relationship that exits between Marisa and Kate puts you on edge then Jake’s mother will push you over the top！ Anyone who wants a ringside seat watching a masterclass in manipulation should look no further than Annabelle who earns her status as a controlling， overprotective， overbearing and vicious woman。 You can almost feel the oxygen being sucked out of the air every time she makes an appearance。 Her frequent acidic comments and general toxic demeanour put other mother-in-laws from hell in the shade！ Throughout the novel run themes of a hefty nature， ones that affect many of us at various points in our lives。 Motherhood， infertility and mental illness are all addressed in a sensitive and compassionate manner。 The rawness of the pain and loss suffered and the stress and the strain these characters face are tangible。 The powerful bond between mothers and their offspring and the lengths they will go to to keep harm at bay is explored at length and whilst I’ve read plenty of fiction along similar lines the way this plot is executed is fantastic。 When it comes to any discussion about this novel the two main talking points will undoubtedly be the impressive twist in the middle which is a pure stroke of genius and the ending。 Having left her readers reeling with shock halfway through I was gearing myself up for an explosive ending， biting my nails thinking “any minute now！” but the ending was nothing like I was expecting。 I don’t think it fits well with all the mess and complications and chaos that has preceded it and for that reason I’ve deducted half a star。 On reflection Magpie is an extremely clever， well plotted sophisticated thriller that’s quite menacing in places， emotionally charged and a real page turner。 I read most of this novel in the space of one evening， so that only a busy working day prevented me from finishing more quickly。 Gripping psychological thrillers are ten a penny these days but this one blows the majority out of the water。 Highly recommend。My thanks as always to the publisher Fourth Estate and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lizzie
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Thank you to NetGalley， Fourth Estate and Elizabeth Day for an ARC in return for an honest review。 What a book。 This is a great psychological thriller based around IVF and childcare which is an interesting and unique take。I enjoyed how medically accurate the IVF journey was， it felt like a raw and real experience。 My only negative comment is that I felt the ending was a little rushed。 I think this book will shock people， in a good way！
Esther Peacock
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Magpie by Elizabeth DayPub Date 2 September 2021The exhilarating new novel from the bestselling author of The Party: a thrilling， stylish and psychologically astute story of jealousy， motherhood and power。 In Jake， Marisa has found everything she’s ever wanted。 Then their new lodger Kate arrives。Something about Kate isn’t right。 Is it the way she looks at Marisa’s boyfriend？ Sits too close on the sofa？ Constantly asks about the baby they are trying for？ Or is it all just in Marisa’s head？After a Magpie by Elizabeth DayPub Date 2 September 2021The exhilarating new novel from the bestselling author of The Party: a thrilling， stylish and psychologically astute story of jealousy， motherhood and power。 In Jake， Marisa has found everything she’s ever wanted。 Then their new lodger Kate arrives。Something about Kate isn’t right。 Is it the way she looks at Marisa’s boyfriend？ Sits too close on the sofa？ Constantly asks about the baby they are trying for？ Or is it all just in Marisa’s head？After all， that’s what her Jake keeps telling her。 And she trusts him - doesn’t she？But Marisa knows something is wrong。 That the woman sleeping in their house will stop at nothing to get what she wants。Marisa just doesn’t know why。How far will she go to find the answer – and how much is she willing to lose？Magpie is an interesting book。 Elizabeth Day has previously honestly reflected on her fertility journey。 I feel her personal experiences are infused within this story， so reading about the whole subject felt real and heartbreaking。 Dealing not just with infertility but also surrogacy， jealousy， relationships and mental health issues， this story is far more than just a thriller; it is a compelling， gripping read with unpredictable twists。 An initial slow start quickly intensified with momentum and tension。 I can recommend it。I want to thank NetGalley， 4th Estate， Fourth Estate and author Elizabeth Day for a pre-publication copy to review。 。。。more
Mark
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Magpie， if I was to do a short review I would say ‘In every way， every word， every scene the writing， the characters and the story are delicious， this book is pure reading magic causing reader happiness up to the highest levels， buy it and you are in for a guaranteed treat of a book’So， I think I will leave it as a short reviewIt’s wonderful10/10Never an easier 5 Stars
Lou
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Magpie is a compelling， stylish and emotionally resonant psychological thriller ripe with jealousy， obsession， motherhood， power and struggles with fertility into which Day channels her personal pain over her three tragic miscarriages and three rounds of IVF。 Marisa， a children's book illustrator， may have only known Jake a few months， but she has never felt this certain about anyone before。 When he asks her to move in with him and they start trying for a baby， she knows she has finally found th Magpie is a compelling， stylish and emotionally resonant psychological thriller ripe with jealousy， obsession， motherhood， power and struggles with fertility into which Day channels her personal pain over her three tragic miscarriages and three rounds of IVF。 Marisa， a children's book illustrator， may have only known Jake a few months， but she has never felt this certain about anyone before。 When he asks her to move in with him and they start trying for a baby， she knows she has finally found the steadfast love and support she has been looking for all her life。 Soon， they decide to rent a room out to earn a little extra cash and their relationship is tested when they take in a lodger， Kate， who has little regard for personal boundaries and seems to take an uncomfortable interest in Jake – as well as the baby they are hoping to have together。 Her motto appears to be: whatever I want I shall take regardless of who she happens to hurt in the process。 Why is Kate so obsessed with the couple？ And， more worryingly， why doesn’t Jake share Marisa's concern？ In her determination to find the answers， Marisa risks losing everything she holds dear。 This is a tense， twisting， brilliantly written novel about mothers and children， envy and possession and the dangers of getting everything you’ve ever dreamed of。 It's a domestic-based psychologically astute and cleverly woven， exhilarating tale， and it is remarkably brave and inspirational that Day wrote this during the first national lockdown in a sort of fever-dream。 You can tell it came straight from the heart and she has since stated being able to return to fiction to give voice to some of her deeply personal experiences was both freeing and thrilling。 It's a knotty and complex story with the relationships becoming more and more toxic and downright dangerous as the book progresses， and I was hoping that the couple’s relationship would ultimately survive。 Essentially， the whole premise is based upon an original idea - that fertility goes to the core of who we are as human beings。 It’s an interesting lens through which to view how humans operate – and what’s provoked in them when it doesn’t go according to plan。 The obsession， the self-inflicted cruelty， the jealousy and mental deterioration – but on the flip side， the compassion and kindness， and that's exactly what we see in Magpie。 This is Elizabeth’s finest novel yet， a wickedly twisting， deftly plotted and acutely perceptive literary thriller about motherhood， envy， how dangerous it can be to trust others with your dreams and the truly devastating emotional impact of infertility。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Zuky the BookBum
，
Clearly in the minority here but I really didn’t like this。 The twist is in the middle of the book and it’s just okay， and then the rest of the story is a total drag。 Really disappointed I didn’t like this！Ad-gifted by the publishers。
Hanlie
，
I was sitting reading along merrily， enjoying the book immensely。 I found myself speaking to the characters out loud and telling them off because how can you treat someone so kind to you so badly when suddenly halfway through woohoo。。。。。 headrush what just happened？！ That was a plot twist and a half！ If it was fly season I would have caught a couple because my mouth was hanging open！ What a brilliant read！！ It's a story you get involved in and if you have a monster-in-law you will understand how I was sitting reading along merrily， enjoying the book immensely。 I found myself speaking to the characters out loud and telling them off because how can you treat someone so kind to you so badly when suddenly halfway through woohoo。。。。。 headrush what just happened？！ That was a plot twist and a half！ If it was fly season I would have caught a couple because my mouth was hanging open！ What a brilliant read！！ It's a story you get involved in and if you have a monster-in-law you will understand how hard things can get。 In hindsight， the clues were all there but cleverly disguised and yes the author got me！This was the 1st time I've read something by Elizabeth Day but it is definitely not the last time！ Thank you to NetGalley and 4th Estate for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion 。。。more
Audrey Haylins
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Day has made her fans wait a long time for a worthy successor to The Party， but boy， does this live up to expectations！ Thick with atmosphere， misdirection and sublimely disguised twists， Magpie is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read this year。 Marisa and Jake have only known each other a few months， but it was love at first sight， and they’ve just moved in together with a view to starting a family straight away。 To help with the rent， they take in a lodger， Kate。 It seems like a h Day has made her fans wait a long time for a worthy successor to The Party， but boy， does this live up to expectations！ Thick with atmosphere， misdirection and sublimely disguised twists， Magpie is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read this year。 Marisa and Jake have only known each other a few months， but it was love at first sight， and they’ve just moved in together with a view to starting a family straight away。 To help with the rent， they take in a lodger， Kate。 It seems like a harmless situation， beneficial to all。 But something isn’t right。 There’s tension in the house。 Suspicion。 Kate’s behavior is overly familiar， odd。 Jake is distant and averse to displays of affection。 And Marisa， finally pregnant， is increasingly obsessive， her thoughts verging on paranoia。 What Day does with this narrative is jaw-droppingly， gob-smackingly clever。 Forget smoke and mirrors， this is prestidigitation of the highest order。 An illusion that will have you rubbing your eyes in utter disbelief。 And that’s just the first third of the book！ What follows after that initial， knock-me-sideways reveal is twist layered upon twist， misdirection upon misdirection。 There’s no point in trying to guess where the story is going， who to trust， what to believe， because Day does not reveal her hand until all other cards have been played。 It’s masterful。 It’s gripping。 It’s one helluva game of poker。 More than the plot， though， what Day does so well is to create a trio of characters so intricately drawn， so relatable and so compelling， that you want a happy outcome for all three， even when you can’t see how this could be remotely possible。 And for this， you have to thank Day’s masterful and sensitive handling of issues like infertility， rape， mental health and toxic family relationships。 An eminently readable， perfectly plotted triumph of a book。 。。。more
Sam Scriven
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A fiendishly clever book with a twist after part one that turns the story on its head in a most unexpected way。 I won't give the plot away except to say that this has themes of infertility and mental health。 It is sensitively handled and a truly gripping story where you don't know where your loyalties will lead you next。 It will leave you asking who the magpie is， and were you right？ Brilliantly done。 Five stars。I previously enjoyed Elizabeth Day's novel The Party so you might too if you like he A fiendishly clever book with a twist after part one that turns the story on its head in a most unexpected way。 I won't give the plot away except to say that this has themes of infertility and mental health。 It is sensitively handled and a truly gripping story where you don't know where your loyalties will lead you next。 It will leave you asking who the magpie is， and were you right？ Brilliantly done。 Five stars。I previously enjoyed Elizabeth Day's novel The Party so you might too if you like her writing style。 。。。more
Federica
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Oh wow！！！！ What an unexpected twist！Marisa and Jake move in together soon after having met and they decide to try for a baby almost immediately。 Marisa can't believe her luck: Jake seems to be everything she's ever dreamed of。When they decide to take in a lodger， Kate， she makes herself a bit too at home and seems overlyinterested in their plans for the baby。I can't tell a lot about the rest of the plot without giving away too much， but be assured this is a great， creepy read and you'll be hooke Oh wow！！！！ What an unexpected twist！Marisa and Jake move in together soon after having met and they decide to try for a baby almost immediately。 Marisa can't believe her luck: Jake seems to be everything she's ever dreamed of。When they decide to take in a lodger， Kate， she makes herself a bit too at home and seems overlyinterested in their plans for the baby。I can't tell a lot about the rest of the plot without giving away too much， but be assured this is a great， creepy read and you'll be hooked from start to end。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
ʚϊɞ Shelley's ʚϊɞ Book Nook
，
Marisa and Jake take in lodger Kate to earn some extra money and all hell breaks loose。 This is a very well written domestic drama that I literally flew through。 It was at times creepy and shocking but also dealt with some heavy issues including mental illness and fertility problems and lots and lots of emotional baggage。I especially loved how all the characters were fully fleshed out and I felt everything from pity to hate for them。 I felt so bad for Marisa， Kate was a complete basket case but Marisa and Jake take in lodger Kate to earn some extra money and all hell breaks loose。 This is a very well written domestic drama that I literally flew through。 It was at times creepy and shocking but also dealt with some heavy issues including mental illness and fertility problems and lots and lots of emotional baggage。I especially loved how all the characters were fully fleshed out and I felt everything from pity to hate for them。 I felt so bad for Marisa， Kate was a complete basket case but I still managed empathy for her too。 The twist really surprised me in the best way possible and Elizabeth Days writing makes for a face paced read。Thanks to Netgalley， Elizabeth Day and Fourth Estate for the ARC。 。。。more
Karen
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This dark disturbing domestic thriller noir introduces us to Marisa， who is looking forward to her first baby with perfect partner Jake， but conflicted about the unsettling presence of their lodger Kate， who seems to covet her life， her home， and Jake。 Events quickly escalate， and Marisa， Jake and Kate find themselves caught up in an emotional roll-coaster storm with danger and darkness at its core。 A very well written story， the clues are there from the start that Marisa - a young woman with ab This dark disturbing domestic thriller noir introduces us to Marisa， who is looking forward to her first baby with perfect partner Jake， but conflicted about the unsettling presence of their lodger Kate， who seems to covet her life， her home， and Jake。 Events quickly escalate， and Marisa， Jake and Kate find themselves caught up in an emotional roll-coaster storm with danger and darkness at its core。 A very well written story， the clues are there from the start that Marisa - a young woman with abandonment issues who is also a rape survivor - is not the most reliable of narrators but still the twists will leave you gasping。 Underlying the plot is an exploration of the theme of motherhood - Marisa， Kate and Jake's mother Annabelle would all lay down their lives for their own child。 But that maternal love is in danger of turning toxic when it comes under threat。With three strong female characters driving the plot， beautifully descriptive prose and an underlying air of menace from the start， this is an engrossing read。 。。。more
Minka Guides
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This isn't the type of book I'd typically go for but I gave it a read as I love Elizabeth Day's podcast。 It's hard to say much about this book without giving the whole story away but I did spend the first third of this book being like WHERE THE HELL IS THIS GOING？！？！ Once the story began to untangle and reveal itself， I realised what a clever set-up this was and an excellent vehicle for the author to convey her painful experience with fertility treatment。My only gripe about this story is that it This isn't the type of book I'd typically go for but I gave it a read as I love Elizabeth Day's podcast。 It's hard to say much about this book without giving the whole story away but I did spend the first third of this book being like WHERE THE HELL IS THIS GOING？！？！ Once the story began to untangle and reveal itself， I realised what a clever set-up this was and an excellent vehicle for the author to convey her painful experience with fertility treatment。My only gripe about this story is that it centres around three characters （Marissa， Kate and Jake） but we only hear the perspective of two of them。 I found myself really wanting to see things through Jake's eyes， even if only for a short while。 There was a section at the end where Jake's relationship with his mother is highlighted and I think this would have been a good section to hear from him for a bit。 Otherwise， an enjoyable read。 。。。more
Louise
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Enjoyable enough，with characters that I felt were just a bit off，so willing to believe anything and everything they did。At one point I felt like it was one too many twists to the story。As a whole though it's a solid read，touching on some sensitive subjects well。 Enjoyable enough，with characters that I felt were just a bit off，so willing to believe anything and everything they did。At one point I felt like it was one too many twists to the story。As a whole though it's a solid read，touching on some sensitive subjects well。 。。。more
bibliophoenix
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I very nearly DNF this because I was a little bored by the start but I'm so glad I didn't。 This was a roller coaster of a book to read with a few unexpected turns that I love in books！ I've read some reviews that weren't happy with the way it ended but actually， I found the story so heavy that it really was quite nice the way it ended。 I won't be specific to avoid spoilers but the story mentions sexual abuse， mental illness， inability to conceive amongst other topics so it can be triggering or a I very nearly DNF this because I was a little bored by the start but I'm so glad I didn't。 This was a roller coaster of a book to read with a few unexpected turns that I love in books！ I've read some reviews that weren't happy with the way it ended but actually， I found the story so heavy that it really was quite nice the way it ended。 I won't be specific to avoid spoilers but the story mentions sexual abuse， mental illness， inability to conceive amongst other topics so it can be triggering or a difficult read for some。 This was a review copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Kath Walsh
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I absolutely loved 'Gone Girl' - all those cleverly plotted twists and turns， the unreliable narrators， the assured writing that seduced the reader into a willing suspension of disbelief。And 'Magpie' shares many of these ingredients。 Marisa is looking for love but dating proves。。。。。unrewarding until she meets tall， blonde， handsome， attentive but somewhat colourless Jake。 Marisa falls head over heels。 Curiously， he raises the question of children on the first date。 The reader immediately feels l I absolutely loved 'Gone Girl' - all those cleverly plotted twists and turns， the unreliable narrators， the assured writing that seduced the reader into a willing suspension of disbelief。And 'Magpie' shares many of these ingredients。 Marisa is looking for love but dating proves。。。。。unrewarding until she meets tall， blonde， handsome， attentive but somewhat colourless Jake。 Marisa falls head over heels。 Curiously， he raises the question of children on the first date。 The reader immediately feels like yelling， 'Watch it， Marisa something dodgy about this guy'。 Or is this just modern love？ After all， she's 28 and he's 39。 Elizabeth Day has set up the premise beautifully。But Marisa isn't as uncomplicated as she seems: her childhood was disturbing and her history with men isn't so flash so we readers can see the red flags waving。 As Marisa views the pair's new flat a magpie flies in flapping and diving， panicked。 Dark wings， dark deeds。。。。To describe more would be spoilerful， but Day ably builds the suspense; it's a just-one-more-chapter， just-one-more kind of book。Day has an impressive back catalogue and her way with language is effortless:'Every day under the same roof was another layer unpeeled。 With the stripping back， their oneness felt more solid， as if revelation was also fortification。''It was as if she had learned how to be beautiful from the pages of a book but never quite got the hang of it。''Marisa came across as untouched， like a doll who had only just been removed from her cellophane wrapping。'Day is particularly good a drawing a character in deft strokes and also depicting the high-voltage life of young， single， professionals:'Once or twice a week， the drinks would turn into all-nighters and a rag-tag group of them would end up in the Groucho in the early hours， eyes glistening， nose twitching as they piled into a single toilet cubicle and shared out lines of coke。。。。。。。and they would go home， get a couple of hours sleep and then go back into work。'So far， so compelling， but after the edge of the seat build up the ending of 'Magpie' disappointed。 Fizzled out。 What had been a thrilling psychological drama - very filmable- morphed into something， for me， less satisfying - hence my 4 stars （3。75 actually）。 。。。more
Chrys
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A taut psychological thriller with twists aplenty。 This wasn't what I expected at all but I really enjoyed it， although not too sure about the ending。There are some difficult subjects at the heart of this， and it was a really emotional read。 It's compelling and you're not going to want to put it down， I read it in about two days because I needed to know！ A taut psychological thriller with twists aplenty。 This wasn't what I expected at all but I really enjoyed it， although not too sure about the ending。There are some difficult subjects at the heart of this， and it was a really emotional read。 It's compelling and you're not going to want to put it down， I read it in about two days because I needed to know！ 。。。more
Helen
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Wow Elizabeth Day what a fantastic book。 Totally gripped me from the first page。 The twists and just kept coming。 Love how sensitive your treated the issues of unexplained fertility problems。 Have read some of your other books but will definitely be looking out for more by you
Allison Valentine
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Marisa and Jake have the perfect life and a beautiful home but one thing is missing， a baby to fill the house with joy and laughter。 After several years of trying for a baby even with IVF Marisa still can't conceive so they decide to go down the route of surrogacy and they meet Kate at a surrogacy evening。 Everything is perfect and they invite Kate to live with them and before they know it Kate is pregnant with their long awaited baby。But things aren't always what they seem and soon everything u Marisa and Jake have the perfect life and a beautiful home but one thing is missing， a baby to fill the house with joy and laughter。 After several years of trying for a baby even with IVF Marisa still can't conceive so they decide to go down the route of surrogacy and they meet Kate at a surrogacy evening。 Everything is perfect and they invite Kate to live with them and before they know it Kate is pregnant with their long awaited baby。But things aren't always what they seem and soon everything unravels。 This book has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster！ 。。。more
Meg Mason
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