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Marisa has finally found the perfect man. They haven’t been dating long, but they’re moving in together and trying for a baby. Then Jake tells Marisa they could use some more income, so he has an acquaintance move into their house to be a lodger in a spare room.
It goes fine for a while, but then Marisa notices Kate is just taking over her personal space. She follows her to a prenatal yoga class, she cooks Jake his favorite meal, she leaves her things around. And then Kate seems totally obsessed with Marisa’s pregnancy. Who does she think she is? She is just a lodger. It’s creepy.
Marisa then decides she has to get to the bottom of what’s going on with Kate. But it could cost her.
Magpie starts off as a thriller and then mostly abruptly morphs into a family drama. It feels a bit like two novels pieced together. It makes sense when you read it, but it’s a little jarring when it shifts. It’s more about the heartache of infertility, what lengths some people choose to go to to have a child, and how much it can strain a relationship.
I thought it was well-written particularly with that insight into how difficult and draining it is to go through infertility, so I would recommend it as a window into one couple’s experience. If you’re expecting the whole book to be a thriller, however, you’ll be disappointed.
Rated: High. Profanity includes 50 uses of strong language, about a dozen instances of moderate profanity, a few uses of mild language, and about a dozen instances of the name of Deity in vain. There are also a few uses of British profanity (bl-). Sexual content includes one fairly short but detailed scene and some other instances of sex happening. Violence includes an attack with a knife and peril.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
