Magpie, Elizabeth Day

Book ReviewBook Blogger's PrizeBy Beth Hinchcliffe

10 Mar

"There was an assumption, implicit in the question, that all women should want to have children and that those who didn't were somehow lacking. It used to infuriate her. Now it just left her hollow."

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is a fascinating and fast-paced psychological thriller that had me obsessively reading and ignoring my husband for an entire weekend.

I have been a fan of Elizabeth Day for years, I enjoyed her previous novel The Party and I listen to her podcast religiously. So, when I found out that she had written a psychological thriller I knew I was going to devour it!

Abandoned by her mother when she was little Marisa is desperate to feel loved, after a very brief relationship she buys a house with her boyfriend Jake. Finally, she has found someone who wants the same things as her in life, and talks of starting a family soon commence. However, with a new house to finance and some difficulties with Jake's job money is tight, so the couple decides to open their home to a lodger. Kate is confident, trendy and everything Marisa wishes she could be. There is a familiarity with Kate that Marisa can't put her finger on, and as the weeks pass by Marisa feels increasingly uncomfortable with Kate living with them. Is there something more sinister at play than Marisa's insecurities?

I have not been so gripped by a book before, it was perfectly paced, and I could not stop reading. Day's writing is incredibly clever, even down to the title of the book, Magpie, which is surreptitiously interwoven through the plot and comes to light more and more as you turn each page. I love when a book has so many twists and turns and enjoy coming up with my own theories as I'm reading, but I had no inkling of what was going to happen and was completely shocked by the twist! The way it was delivered was so perfectly executed, it had my heart racing and left me needing answers to so many questions as I continued reading.

In addition to writing a very addictive psychological thriller, Day also includes some important themes such as fertility, family, and mental health. These difficult topics were written about so delicately, it was clear and a lot of thought and research had been undertaken with great sensitivity, which I applaud. I had no idea how hard and unforgiving fertility treatment is and just how heartbreaking and anxiety-inducing the process can be.

This is a book that demands to be read, it is unlike any other novel I have reviewed and it will remain with me for a long time. It would make a fantastic pick for a book club or a buddy read as there are so many discussion points and topics to debate. It is one of those books that you want to start again as soon as you have finished the last page!

Review from Book Blogger’s Prize Shortlist 2022