This is a stunning read, incredibly well executed, dark and brooding! All things I love in a novel. Flawed characters, a bleak setting and just about the right level of tension makes this book a belter!

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. As soon as I saw this book on here, I immediately requested it, without even knowing the premise. I previously read Sophie's prior book, Cuckoo on here before the title was even revealed and I loved it so I dove right into Magpie and I couldn't put it down. The book focuses on a husband and wife who are growing more and more distant either each passing day and their lives before and after their son goes missing. Just when I thought I had a handle on the story, a plot twist I didn't see coming threw me for a loop and just when the dust settled, another one came and wow! With interesting characters, and plot weaving in the past and current day told by a husband and wife, I thoroughly enjoyed Magpie and can't wait to see what Sophie comics up with next!

Magpie by author Sophie Draper is a very anticipated read for me! Have only started but will update when finished, I am sure Sophie Draper will not disappoint. I first found this author on Netgalley as a “secret” read and review. Reviewers went into her first novel, Cuckoo, totally blind! It made the book perfect in my opinion! That alone (the way she drew in the readers) made me instantly want to read and review her next book, Magpie!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Claire is divorcing her philandering husband. Ever since he has reached the pinnacle of his career he has become a veritable ass. He doesn't have patience with her or with their son Joe. She also knows of the various affairs he's had.
To hold on to her sanity she has moved herself, Joe and their beloved dog to a cottage where Duncan will not find them.
Joe has disappeared. He is eighteen years of age and he has been gone before. This time has been way too long. Traipsing through the supposedly abandoned village near her cottage, she has looked everywhere that she can imagine.
Every so often as she goes through the village she can see people. It is scarce and far between. Odd being that it was said to be abandoned.
A story of intrigue and mystery. With a smashing ending.

Claire and Duncan have the worst type of relationship, it is angry and resentful. This book was fast paced, twisty and turny. I would definitely read another of her books. She is a great author and they was she wrote the characters sucked me in. All the characters were terrible, and I love feeling like I hate someone in a book. The author can write, I will read anything else she puts out.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with

Thank you for the advanced copy

Magpie is an unusual and in many ways compelling read which I feel has been misrepresented by the synopsis as a thriller - it’s not, in my view, a thriller, and some of the negative reviews may stem from that. It’s a layered, hauntingly atmospheric story with, yes, a mysterious and even mystical thread running through it. But thrills, no.

We see events from the viewpoint of wife and husband, Claire and Duncan, “before” and “after” an unspecified event. “Before”, Claire plans to leave her serially unfaithful husband; their marriage has broken down over many years amid bitter recrimination and anger. “After”, Claire seeks with increasing desperation her missing eighteen-year-old son Joe - who spent his time searching obsessively with his metal detector for a fantasised hoard of ancient coins - while Duncan, a vet, deals with work and visits from the police.

It’s a slow and at times unavoidably confusing read which demands, and rewards, close attention from the reader. It took time to read and I wasn’t always sure what was going on. But by the end, I wanted to go back and read earlier parts again and in retrospect, it all made sense.I

This book was received as an ARC from Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thrillers are not usually my cup of tea and at first I thought I was not going to enjoy this book but a lot of our regular patrons have been asking about this book so I had to preview it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of this book and I can see what all the hype is about this book. Everyone needs a safe haven to not only escape a defying situation like Claire had with Duncan but to think of ways to fix the situation before it becomes life or death. I have read and seen some stories and movies with people living double lives and things not always being what they seem. They always do not end well in the end and this story was no different. Fans of Psychological Thrillers and Supernatural will appreciate this book and I know a lot of our community members are looking forward to reading it too.

We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 4 stars.

I very much enjoyed this book. It’s so well written and interesting but the end means everything to me. As someone who has been through this I thank the author for writing my own feelings so perfectly. A must read

A tense chilling read a husband a wife a relationship gone cold a missing child.So well written so dark so gloomy perfect atmosphere characters that come alive .An author I will be following highly recommending.#netgalley #avonbooksuk.

When Claire marries she believes it will be forever. Duncan her husband has worked his way up to become a very sought after vet andthey had a very large but expensive house built. It should have been their dream but when they have their son Joe who needs more looking after than other children cracks appear. She suspects Duncan is cheating but with whom. Then there is a coin brought into the picture that Joe found which brings memories flooding back.It comes back and forth from the past to the present and has you progress into the book it all makes sense.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and how it was written.

Claire and Duncan's marriage is in trouble as they have grown increasingly distant.
Claire knows lots of secrets about Duncan and she is determined to leave him and take their son with her.

However, things don't go as planned and little Joe goes missing.
Now alone and hiding from Duncan, Claire must face all the lies and secrets in her life and marriage if she is to find her son and bring him back to safety.

Although I liked the premise of this novel, I found the narrative pretty slow for my taste, and the characters were really unlikable.

3.5*** rounded to 4 as despite its flows it kept my attention to know how all this will end.
Thanks Netgalley, Avon Books UK, and author Sophie Draper for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great read! Magpie had me on the hook from the beginning with it’s eerie premise! This addictive novel time hops between the past and present which worked well with the storyline. Sophie Draper does a great job with methodically leading the reader directly into unforeseen twists and turns—love that! I know I’m reading a well written mystery/thriller when the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and that happened almost the entire way through! I haven’t read Sophie Draper before, but I will absolutely be checking out her prior novel Cuckoo!

This was a great mystery novel, I felt that it had something different that made it special. The characters were great and I loved the atmosphere

Libby is shocked to find out that she has inherited a huge house in Chelsea from her birth parents on her 25th birthday. She soon realises that the house of full of secrets and a dark history. When Lucy and Henry were little their parents killed themselves as part of the cult, or so it seems. Libby is desperate to find out what happened to her parents.

This story is told in three different points of view, Libby, Lucy and Henry. You find out about the tragic history and dark secrets of the house and the people that lived in it. Even though it is told by different characters it is hard to not get embroiled in the story. The book is fast paced and certainly a page turner. I really enjoyed Lisa's style of writing.

I think too many people get bogged down in what places a book within a genre. Many, many books cross genres, having elements of thriller, horror, crime, etc., and so I find it simpler to ignore the genre and just read.

Draper's debut, Cuckoo, was one of those books that everyone was talking about. And now, with the dreaded second novel, Magpie appears to be the subject of some harsh reviews, some of which are unnecessarily so.

Magpie is one of those slow burning thrillers, one which demands your full attention as a reader. Draper has a way with words, able to draw you in and hold you there, breathless, while the story unfolds.

What a good twisty book. I had a good time reading this and trying to piece together what was really going on and what really happened that night. I was definitely happy with the twists they threw in there as well. Would recommend this one. Thanks NetGalley.

Magpie by Sophie Draper is the first novel that I've read from this author, and having few expectations going in, I found myself to be pleasantly surprised. This is a multi-faceted story that is slow to unfold, but due diligence is ultimately rewarded.

This is the story of Claire and Duncan, their son Joe, and the dissolution of a marriage. From the start, Duncan is an unlikable entity, and Claire offers a plethora of reasons to end their marriage. But sharing not only a son, but a complex past, presents a host of difficulties for the warring couple. What secrets from their joint history are keeping them so tightly bound?

While this is certainly a slow burn of a read, I believe it is worth the time, and I am intrigued enough to read more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.

While this book was intriguing, it was not the fast paced thriller I was expecting. I would say it's more along the lines of Joyce Carol Oates, with lyrical and detailed narrative, and a touch of Gothic atmosphere. The chapters were divided "before" and "after" an event, but it takes almost the entire book before we learn what that event was. Claire is living in an unhappy marriage, with a difficult child, whom she adores. But, in typical teenage fashion, her son, Joe is pulling away from her, while her husband, Duncan, seeks attention from other women. The descriptions of the "abandoned" village and the visceral feeling you get as the author describes the fog, snow, and rain falling by Claire's cottage are beautifully evocative. While this is not my type of novel, the writing deserves four stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon Books for the chance to read and review this book. I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked all the twists and turns, but I had trouble following the story line (probably just me). This book was good, but not great for me!

Claire has been secretly planning to leave her husband Duncan, when their son Joe is eighteen. Their marriage hasn’t been happy for years and he cares more about his veterinary practise than he does his family, she suspects he has been unfaithful to her several times.

Joe goes missing and the chapters alternate between before and 6 weeks after he goes missing, slowly revealing secrets and keeping the tension building!!

I did enjoy this book even though it was a slow burner and took me a while to get into it. I found the family secrets and infidelity intriguing I wanted to find out where Joe was.

For me it was a surprising ending and I had to go back a chapter to see if I had missed anything!! I think I had gotten confused with before and after chapters and wasn’t sure if I was coming or going. Definitely saved the biggest surprise until the end!!

Would I recommend this book? Yes I would as it is well written and defiantly gave me food for thought at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy on exchange for a review.

Terrific read! Very fast-paced. Claire is one of my favorite characters of the year. I loved all the details of the setting - the author really made me feel like I was there. I can’t wait to check out more of her books.

So I found this book a bit unjointed at first and hard to get stuck into as it seemed a bit all over the place BUT I'm glad I stayed with it and got to the end. Some really good twists and turns that you may not see coming.
Overall a slow started but worth it.

I really enjoyed this one. It is the first book by this author that I have read, it was well written and held my attention from the very beginning. Definitely a recommendation from me.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon books for the ARC of this book. I enjoyed this book, although it was slow and hard to get into. I love that the ending was a complete surprise. I look forward to reading more by this author.

This was a good read which kept me guessing to the end. I had figured some of the story out but enough of it was still a mystery to keep me wanting to consume the book to the end. I have read Sophie Drapers previous book which I also enjoyed but I definitely preferred this one. The two main characters were a little hard to like, but by the end you feel really quite sad for them. I look forward to Sophie’s next book.

Clare, Duncan and Joe coexist uneasily as the long marriage of the former two unravels acrimoniously. Joe disappears further into his own world of metal detecting, which becomes a burden and alarming, rather than a hobby.
At times I found this quite pedestrian, as I’m not a fan of novels about affairs and domestic arguments. I certainly didn’t warm to Duncan.....until he showed his fierce and passionate hatred of cruelty to animals and the lengths he went to as a vet to save them.
I would have given it 3 stars and seen it as a satisfactory, if rather gloomy story of a marriage buckling under past secrets and current regrets. But then came the twist and what a twist it is, making some of the meandering passages and unlikely actions/ situations of the characters much clearer and much more heartbreaking.
I shall look for Cuckoo by the same author now as I greatly enjoyed her style of writing. I also enjoyed learning about ‘puppetrider’ coins!

Magpie is a very atmospheric ,compelling story .Clair and Duncan and their teenage son Joe live in a fabulous converted barn overlooking a reservoir.It sounds idyllic but Clair hates the house and is only waiting until Joe is 18 before she leaves Duncan who is unfaithful and uncaring towards her .He is a Vet and seems more interested in animals than humans .The description of the village and the surrounding countryside was excellent I really felt I was there with Claire when she was exploring .The story is told in before and after format which only at the end did I realise the significance of this .Joe goes missing just as Claire has decided to secretly leave Duncan and take Joe with her .,she is frantic the Police aren't interested as he is 18 now and has disappeared before .The story twists and turns going backward and forward in time until the ending which is the biggest surprise of all .I loved it . Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

Thanks net galley for sending me an early edition of this dark and broody book.
Duncan and Claire have a very cold marriage , they have one son who they find difficult but Duncan finds it hard to love him.
Claire decides its time to leave Duncan, as he yet again is having another affair this time to Duncan’s best friends daughter.
Then joe disappears and it’s left up to Claire to find him.
She then begins to find things that have long been forgotten in their local woods and reservoir.
I enjoyed this book and will look out for more books by this talented author.

Sophie Draper is an author to follow. A great writing style draws you into her novels and what would be too slow a thriller in another writers hands blooms in Magpie. The ending of a marriage is always difficult even when one party knows it has to happen. This is a family in turmoil with a seemingly heartless and destructive husband, a now missing son, and a woman, Claire, on the run to and from the truth of their lives together. Told in the before and after style, the story at first is full of anecdotes before zeroing in on the three and leads to a great twisty finale.

this author is a wonderful writer this one I think is more creepy and chilling to her others Claire has fallen out of love with Duncan who is always having affairs Claire loves her son very much joe .everything is not what it seems very twisting and very emotional I cried I so recommend this book

Wow! This book was so good. Really enjoyed it. Will be trying this author again. Will recommend to others 5***

The book was slow to start with and keeps shifting in POV and in time. After 1/3rd of the way it picks up speed and the final twist was unexpected. The events in the after section of the wife are unclear. Maybe I should read it a second time.

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

Claire has it all - a beautiful house, a successful husband and her son Joe.
However, something is wrong. Claire doesn't love or even like her husband, who by day is a vet but is living a double life and with whom?
Claire moves out to a deserted cottage and Joe disappears. Duncan is angry and takes his temper out on anyone.
But what really happened the night she moved out and can she bear to remember and if she does what then?

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I thought this was an excellent suspense novel. I wouldn't call it a thriller novel, as it was advertised but overall, this did not ruin the novel for me. I thought it was a well-written book and the author did a wonderful job changing the point of views and moving the plotline through time. I really enjoyed this novel. I found it quite easy to read and I devoured it in a couple of sittings.

Claire has lost all trust in her husband, but has that put their son at risk? After the incident, she has left him and is watching and waiting to find her boy. Atmospheric and brooding thriller set in the Derbyshire countryside with some surprising twists.

The three main characters in this beautifully written story that is a mixture of mystery,the supernatural,folk tale and domestic drama are Claire and Duncan Henderson and their teenage son Joe. The Henderson's live in a beautiful,very impressive converted barn that is all gleaming sleek lines and glass. The house is all made out to Duncan's personal specifications,it's stunning but to Claire it feels more like a tomb than a home. She has had enough of Duncan's serial cheating and his behaviour towards her and her beloved son and has decided to take Joe and leave.

But before she can put her plan into action, Claire and Duncan have a massive row and Joe disappears into the night.

Claire goes into hiding in a isolated cottage,desperately searching for Joe,struggling to piece together the events of the night that tore them apart and unravel the lies that they have told each other,and themselves.

But can she face the truth?

The chapters of this haunting story flip back and forth between before and after and are narrated by Claire and Duncan. Every word of this story holds the readers attention and keeps you wanting to continue reading but my personal favourite sections were Claire's after chapters. They had an intense,sinister atmosphere and gave the feeling that all was not as it appeared to be. I loved the settings for these parts of the story,the desolate,run down cottages,the mysterious,spooky hall and the folk tale of the ghostly church that was submerged in water when the reservoir was created and is rumoured to occasionally rise up out of the murky depths when the water level subsides. Character wise,I loved how protective Claire was of Joe who reminded me of our son Tom who is also on the autism spectrum. I spent most of the book not liking Duncan very much but he did redeem himself a little towards the end of the story. Although there is no excuse for cheating or his behaviour towards Claire and Joe,as they say,there is always two sides to every story.

Magpie is a beautifully written,mesmerising story that keeps the reader guessing and frantically turning the pages from the first page,right through to the heart breaking conclusion. It's a captivating tale that plays with the readers emotions and pulls on your heart strings. I had a lump in my throat more than once as the story unfolded and I discovered what had happened in Claire and Duncan's pasts and on that fateful night. Sophie Draper is a very talented author who can cleverly manipulate and captivate the reader with her compelling story telling. If you enjoyed reading Cuckoo then you are going to love Magpie. Worth far more than five stars and very,very highly recommended.

Magpie is about the lives of Claire, Duncan, and their son Joe. Claire has been planning on leaving her husband Duncan when Joe turns 18. She hasn’t been happy for a long time and Duncan seems to make other things in his life a priority over their marriage and Claire has a feeling he’s cheated on her. Suddenly, Joe goes missing and the book flips back and forth detailing everything that happened before and after his disappearance.

The back and forth got a little confusing but nothing too off-putting and I liked the characters. I really enjoyed the drama of this book and the build-up of intensity while reading it and leading up the surprise ending!

An enjoyable read, perhaps more of a family drama or domestic noir than a thriller. I liked it though. Well written and intriguing story

Magpie is a book filled with grief and isolation, set in an eerie landscape. And still I couldn't put it down. The writing is exquisite.

Duncan and Claire have been together for over 20 years, sharing a teenage metal detecting obsessed son Joe.
We follow each member as their family unit falls apart and Joe goes missing.

The chapters are split in 'before' and 'after', have a pleasant length and a fast pace.
'Before' the foundation is already shaky, but 'after' it's survival of the fittest. An unexpected twist solves all the mysteries that are kept well under wraps throughout the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

This book has so much going on it's hard to know where to start trying to review this. It is clever and brilliantly complex with a thoroughly gripping plot.

Claire and Duncan's relationship is falling apart. On the surface, they have the perfect life: he is a famous, well-respected vet, and they have a stunning house in a beautiful location. But all is not perfect. Duncan has been having affairs. Claire is incredibly bitter (with good reason). They have a secret which runs throughout and takes almost the whole book to resolve. The name Evangeline keeps popping up with little explanation and it had me gripped. I needed to know who she was, what happened to her and how she caused such a rift between the couple. There's also a body found on their land, and Duncan's best friend is investigating it.

The story goes back and forth in time, adding to the tension and keeping me turning the pages. In the present story line, Claire and Duncan are separated, and their son Joe is missing. Their past story shows the build up to the marriage breakdown, Duncan's strained relationship with his son, and a big mystery involving a coin that Joe found on their land. I'll be honest, this wasn't my favourite part of the story, but the coin is rare and important. Joe is a wonderful character though, he is smart, intense and emotional, and his difficult relationship with his father was difficult to read. Duncan can be an angry and very unlikable man. Claire is very intense, her parts of the story are relentlessly emotional.

This book is a fascinating mystery, sometimes incredibly creepy, but always enjoyable. I did not expect the ending that we got at all. I highly recommend this one for any mystery fans!

In her first book The Cuckoo we were introduced to the pear drum which I LOVED and awarded five stars. In this latest book we meet the puppet riders, don't want to meet them on a dark night thank you very much. Dark, gothic and compelling reading. Claire is married to Duncan and their marriage has broken down. So much so that Claire decides to leave her maritial home, she sets up home on the other side of the reservoir. Her new home is not far away from an abandoned village. Why is it abandoned? What are the owners of the land hiding? After finding a strange coin her son Joe is missing where is he? Finally why is Claire afraid of this coin and what will happen next? So many questions, this author draws you in then you are hooked and just have to keep reading. As for the ending WHAM!!!!! Another five star read and highly recommended. Go to bed early and delve into this authors fantastic storytelling and imagination. I LOVED IT!!!!
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

What can I say about this book.... it certainly got my attention. There's alot of switching from Claire's and Duncan's point of view. I'm glad Sophie (the author) made it clear whose point we were reading as some books don't.

The tension just builds and builds in the storyline of what they did together back in the day which makes you think one thing but it's actually another. Brilliant. Love it when that happens. Once I had finished the story I had to think about what just happened and how it all just gels together and why.. Not something I was expecting anyway.

This is a riveting read. I liked the premise of the unknown secrets and the cat and mouse story. I’d give this 4/5 and recommend it. I gave this 4/5 on goodreads and amazon.

FIVE STAR REVIEW on Sophie Draper's newest book "Magpie" to be released 11/28/19. I love the writing style where Sophie goes back and forth from the present to the past. This story is a must read psychological thriller with an amazing ending I did not see coming! After reading this it has shown me how you never really know someone, including your spouse.

Back of the book : 

She’s married to him. But does she know him at all?

Claire lives with her family in a beautiful house overlooking the water. But she feels as if she’s married to a stranger – one who is leading a double life. As soon as she can get their son Joe away from him, she’s determined to leave Duncan.

But finding out the truth about Duncan’s secret life leads to consequences Claire never planned for. Now Joe is missing, and she’s struggling to piece together the events of the night that tore them all apart.

Alone in an isolated cottage, hiding from Duncan, Claire tries to unravel the lies they’ve told each other, and themselves. Something happened to her family … But can she face the truth?



What I think : 

After reading this authors first book 'Cuckoo' and really enjoying it, I was really pleased to be asked to be on the blog tour for her new one. I have got to say that I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the before mentioned first one. Having said that though please don't think that it isn't very good or anything, it's just different from the first one. I really enjoy a crime/ thriller books and I would say that this book isn't that, I would say that its more suspenseful than a thriller. 

The book tells the story of Clare, her husband Duncan and their eighteen year old son Joe. Its not a happy marriage and Clare believes that maybe Duncan has been having an affair, not only once but a few times.

Then Joe goes missing....

Its told in the before and after from the main characters perspectives, so we know what each character is thinking. 

I must admit it did take me while to get into this book, its quite confusing because it keeps on jumping from 'Before' to 'After' But after getting used to that it was quite an interesting story, that works its way up to a pretty explosive ending. 

Yes, all in all, I quite enjoyed this book and give it 8/10. ( 4 Stars )



Published on 28/11/19 by Avon Books.

The biggest Thank you to Sabah Khan & Sanjana Cunniah at Avon Books for the review copy of the book in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars
I did enjoy this book but the to-ing and fro-ing from past to present got a bit confusing.
Claire is frustrated with her husband Duncan, as she knows he’s had affairs and the most recent one has made her mind up.
She arranges to rent a remote cottage for herself and her son but then tragedy strikes and Joe disappears. She has to try and unravel what happened, and the truth is darker than she ever imagined.
This is a bit of a slow burner but hang in there as all is revealed in the final chapters.
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A marriage on the skids, a runaway teen, a mother/wife making a run for it to escape a philandering jerk of a husband. Sophie Draper's Magpie, is definitely a slow burn sort of read, but worth reading, nevertheless. Thank you Net Galley, Sophie Draper, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Magpie’ by Sophie Draper in exchange for an honest review.

Claire lives with her husband, Duncan, and teenage son, Joe, in a beautiful house in rural Derbyshire. However, things are not going well and Claire is determined to leave Duncan, who runs a busy veterinary practice.

The story is broken into chapters narrated by Claire headed as ‘Before’ and ‘After’ and chapters about Duncan, again headed as ‘Before’ and ‘After’. Though before and after what remains a mystery until the final chapters.

In the Before sections we learn of the reasons for the marriage breakdown and in the After sections Claire is living alone in an isolated cottage, hiding from Duncan, and dealing with the fact that Joe is missing. She is struggling to piece together the events that tore them apart and seeking her son.

The fact that Duncan was a vet led to a few scenes that I found difficult to read, even though it was clear however horrible a husband Duncan was, he really cared for his animal patients.

I found it a dark and atmospheric novel. The jumping back and forward in time did leave me confused about what was going on. However, with the concluding chapters it does all come together brilliantly. Indeed, so much so that I immediately wanted to reread. As such it is a novel that I feel is better served by a close reading to appreciate its multiple layers and themes.

There also is an element of folklore/folk tales running through the story, verified by the author in the Acknowledgments. This appeals to me very much. It is also very rich in its descriptions of the bleak Derbyshire landscapes.

My feeling is that ‘Magpie’ doesn’t really suit being marketed as a domestic noir/psychological thriller and this may account for low ratings from readers who were expecting a more conventional narrative.

I would place it more in the category of a dark and brooding literary suspense with Gothic elements and I hope that it will find its audience once word of its uniqueness spreads.

My current plan is to purchase its audiobook edition and to revisit it soon. I have already started recommending it to friends. I also plan to read her first novel, ‘Cuckoo’ and be in the lookout for her future projects.

WOW!! What a mesmerising read from beginning to end!

I absolutely LOVED this book! It is so descriptive you can visualise every little thing.

"I am Alice in her Wonderland, too big for the space, too small to fight back, too disbelieving of my fate, as I'm sucked down into a vortex of my own making"

You love Claire, you can't stand Duncan, you feel so sorry for Joe and you see that sometimes your fate is determined by your own failures.

I will definitely read everything by Sophie Draper from now. She has a magical way with word.

Thank you so much to #netgalley and avonbooksuk for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Magpie is the twisted, dark, haunting story of a couple whose marriage and world is falling apart around them. I had already known that a Magpie was a bird, but after I finished the book, my curiosity as to other meanings got the best of me. I looked the word up in the dictionary and was intrigued to find a few other explanations; someone with mischievous habits, a collector of things. I had an aha moment!

Claire and Duncan have been married for over 20 years. Having met in veterinary school they fell in love and immediately married. While both did graduate, Duncan was the one to pursue the career. Claire stayed home and took care of their son Joe. Over time, Duncan was able to open his own practice. To make a good living.

The resentment they have for each other is palpable. The bitterness in their marriage awful. The routine of their lives bitter.

Joe was a difficult child from the beginning, always the odd child, prone to tantrums and with not too many friends, and Claire had been the protective parent. Now that Joe was 18 and not in school any longer his one aspiration was to spend time with his metal detector scouring the ponds and highlands surrounding their secluded house.

Claire knows that Duncan is cheating on her. This has been the pattern of their marriage. She just can't figure out who it is this time. Until she does. And she decides now is the time to take Joe and their dog and move into a cottage across the pond.

Then Joe goes missing and Claire is beside herself living in the cottage alone with their dog and trying to find her son. What has happened to her? What has happened to Joe? And what will happen if people find out the secret she and Duncan share?

This is a heartbreaking story of lies, infidelity and sorrow. But it is also haunting in so many ways. Draper's scenic writing skills are both breathtaking and grand, perfectly woven into this shocking tale.

Thank you to #NetGalley #Avon #Magpie #SophieDraper for the advanced copy.

I was provided with an ARC of this title from the Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This compelling tale of suspense drew me into a world of hard-kept secrets, buried emnity and the downward spiral of a marriage on the rocks. There were multiple threads of mystery woven throughout the story that kept the plot engaging and intriguing.

Claire and Duncan have a marriage based on obligation and possession. Claire gave up her promising career to raise their autistic son, and Duncan became a serial cheater. When their son turns 18, Claire moves out and files for divorce, convinced their son will move in with her. But Joe is on a mad chase for hidden treasure, and beyond her reach.

Then Joe disappears, and a body is discovered on the grounds of their farm. You will be riveted by this descent into orchestrated chaos.

I finished reading this story feeling incredibly sad, the ending is haunting, full of loss and wasted opportunity, and what if…

This story begins like the domestic thriller, I thought it would be, but it is essentially a suspenseful family drama. Claire’s home life is materially perfect, but under the surface, it is a maelstrom of claustrophobia, discontent and simmering hatred. She wants to escape, from her house’s emotionless perfection, and her empty marriage.

The story is told from Claire’s point of view, before and after Joe’s disappearance; her story is full of resentment, and as it is in the first person, intensely personal. Duncan’s point of view is after Joe’s disappearance, except for one later chapter. This is told in the third person, so his point of view is more objectively portrayed.

This is a family drama, interwoven with strange occurrences that echo what Claire is experiencing. She is an unreliable protagonist, tortured by a past secret, which has dominated her future life. Duncan is essentially an unlikeable character, abusive, and a serial philanderer. It is only when the reasons for this emerge that his behaviour becomes easier to understand. Joe their son is autistic, and he finds the coldness of his parent’s marriage hard to cope with, choosing solitude and the company of his dog in preference to theirs.

This is an unhappy, but believable story. The pace, for the most part, is slow, and the events ordinary and repetitive, because it portrays their life. The twists when revealed have more impact because of this.

The setting is atmospheric and described in detail. The folklore surrounding Claire and Duncan’s home provides an interesting strand of the story, and Claire is haunted by it, in her precarious emotional state.

Guilt and secrets underpin this drama, which is suspenseful, but not in the way you may expect. The ending is well-written and devastating. It draws all the plot threads, and the main characters together in a heartbreakingly tragic way, that resonates.

Poignant family drama, with a suspenseful thread, that explodes into an unexpectedly powerful conclusion.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Once I got into this book, mainly because of the before and after storyline, I really enjoyed it. It’s not a psychological thriller but a mystery with a unhappy marriage at the centre of it. I certainly didn’t guess how it was going to end which was even better!
Sophie Draper is becoming one of my favourite author’s.

A story told separately by a husband and wife both in the present and also in the past. How they married and how the marriage develops. I found myself more in sympathy with Claire than her husband.
I kept thinking I knew what was about to happen - but I didn't.

If dark, domestic thrillers give you a buzz, then you must read Magpie, the latest novel written by Sophie Draper. Even though I have yet to read some of this author's earlier work, I knew I was going to be in for a treat with this one, and it was pretty good.

Claire, her husband Duncan, and son Joe, live in a beautiful house overlooking the water. But Claire feels as if she’s married to a stranger and one who is cheating on her. This has been the pattern of their marriage so she decides now is the time to take Joe and their dog and move into a cottage across the pond. As soon as she can get Joe away from him, she’s determined to leave Duncan. Then Joe vanishes and Claire is fraught with angst, living in the cottage alone with their dog, struggling to find her son, and attempting to make sense of the events of the night that tore them apart.

In Magpie, Sophie Draper explores the darkest corners of a toxic marriage in a mesmerising tale of secrets, lies, infidelity, quietly seething hatred, and sorrow. Written in two timelines - before and after Joe's disappearance - from the perspective of Claire, I was given the opportunity to see things from the protagonist's intensely personal angle. Sophie Draper's characterisation was so impressive, and she explored the psyche of her characters with great conviction, making them very credible.

I particularly liked the author's portrayal of Claire who displayed a fascinating concoction of characteristics - detachment, emotional instability, and simmering rage. Each character had a part to play in the story and all of them came across as being good or bad, or both, which made this a very believable read. Everyone had different motives and priorities for their actions, thoughts or behaviour. The pace was mostly slow, and the events ordinary and repetitive, because it portrayed the family's lives. The twists, when they came, had more oomph because of this.

The Derbyshire setting was great as it's place I'm a little familiar with and the author portrayed it artfully. Magpie brought few disappointments, capturing my attention for the most part and Sophie Draper created an underlying sense of unease and foreboding that I found gripping.

I appreciated the tautness of the plot, the twists and revelations, and the overall quality of the writing as the story spiralled its way towards a superb denouement. I have found a new psychological thriller writer in Sophie Draper and I highly recommend Magpie.

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

I did enjoy this gripping story, lots of twists and turns to keep you intrigued. Ultimately it isn't a book that will stay with me, but good escapism. Thank you.

Very well written this book pulled me right in with the suspense. The twist when it came was completely unexpected. An excellent book which I really enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

A dark book with so much unhappiness and a compelling read nonetheless. Reinforces how life isn't all determined by choices but that bad things really do just happen. How we react to and deal with them, however, is another matter.

This book is beautifully written, moving from Before and After for Duncan and Claire, a couple caught up in an unhappy marriage with a troubled son, Joe, looking on. Duncan and Claire are both flawed characters, each holding the other responsible for their failed relationship. The writing is atmospheric and compulsive making excellent use of Derbyshire's rural countryside, the inclement weather and Claire's disturbed state of mind. A fascinating story promising mystery and surprise.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sophie Draper/Avon Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Magpie is Draper's second novel after Cuckoo, which was published in 2018 to rave reviews. Magpie begins as a psychological thriller about the Hendersons, a family with relationships that we're all familiar with: a cheating husband, a paranoid wife, and a wayward son. Yet, it soon becomes clear that Draper is playing with genre as the book is simultaneously a mystery, a folk tale, a domestic noir, and a Gothic tale. In fact, the book's setting is strongly reminiscent of Wuthering Heights as Claire lives in an isolated cottage in the midst of an atmospheric and haunting landscape complete with tales of a ghostly church that was submerged when the nearby reservoir was built and an abandoned village. These are important motifs of the past coming back to haunt the present. The often heavy focus on the setting could have stagnated the story but I found it very well written and very successful in conjuring images of the otherworldly. In addition, Claire feels like she is going mad looking for her missing son Joe and she questions her own sanity, again reminiscent of Wuthering Heights. It's also a book about how we deal with grief and guilt, both in the distant past and in the more immediate past. The book isn't a typical high-concept thriller with a very high-paced narrative, which contemporary readers have become accustomed to. Instead, Magpie is a very refreshing and satisfying read because of its slower pace and its focus on atmosphere rather than action.

The book is told in chapters that are set before and after the night that Joe disappeared from both Claire and Duncan's point of views. The various timelines and perspectives are easy to follow and are never confusing with Claire's chapters written in first person past tense and Duncan's in third person present tense which offers a nice stylistic shift. The 'before' chapters describe Claire and Duncan's turbulent marriage and their unhappy home life with their 18-year-old son. Claire is planning to leave Duncan and suspects him of having several affairs. The chapters often go back further in time to describe when Claire first met Duncan. The 'after' chapters are beautifully written as Claire is living on her own in a rundown house not too far from her family home. She was hoping to bring Joe with her but he disappeared when she was making her escape and she has no idea where he is. There's also a storyline about a puppet rider coin that Joe found near the house that ends in a revelation that is quite sensitive and unexpected particularly as it's an event that a lot of readers, including myself, have experienced for themselves. However, the topic is dealt with in a sensitive manner.

Magpie is a cleverly written and utterly engaging book unlike anything else I've read in a while. The title of the book is also quite clever as it not only refers to the motif of taking that which isn't ours and being attracted to shiny objects, both of which are important themes in the book. This is the first of Draper's books I've read but I can't wait to read Cuckoo next.

#Magpie #NetGalley
Breathtakingly chilly.
Claire and Duncan's, a not so happy married couple live in Debyshire with their son Joe who's keen about finding coins with metal detector. Duncan is a vet while Claire is a housewife. Then something happened, something bad and it tears their lives. Now they both hate each other so much that they want to live seperately. Claire found about his husband affair and twists started coming one after the other until you turn the last page.
Told from two POV's of Duncan and Claire, before and after, this story is breathtakingly chilly with an ending you won't see coming.
All the characters were awesome as they should be in a psychological thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing me an advance copy of this awesome psychological thriller.
A must read.

This book wrecked me so much. It will be in my heart and head for a long time. Magpie lured me into a false sense of security, gradually leading me to the conclusion I was reading a sad, often dark book about a marriage falling apart and secrets between spouses only to yank the rug from under me, toppling me flat on my back and completely winding me. I loved the way the book is narrated and structured, alternative first person narrators from Claire and Duncan’s point of view which move back and forwards in time. This works really well, revealing piece by piece the secrets, lies and eventually horrors of their marriage and offers two different views of the events. I felt such sympathy for Claire, struggling to win the love of her odd son Joe and coming to terms with the fact that whatever love she once had for Duncan and vice versa has been erased. I really didn’t like Duncan. He swans around like he’s hot shit and treats his wife and daughter with indifference. My heart was in my throat as Claire frantically wonders what’s happened to Joe, why he didn’t come to the cottage with her and where he is now. The twist at the end completely stunned me. I didn’t expect it at all. You find out the truth about Joe’s disappearance and the true function of the cottage. Utterly heart-breaking.

3.5-4*
Something has happened – we know not what!

Duncan and Claire married young, straight after University. They have a son Joe. He’s a difficult character, Claire thinks he may be on the autism spectrum. Still she loves him, he’s just turned eighteen and obsessed with history, especially old coins, and metal detecting.

We read the story from two points of view – Duncan and Claire; from two times – before and after.

Duncan is a very successful vet, Claire gave up her career to be a mother and wife.

Their marriage has been deteriorating for years, they ‘put a show on’ in public. Claire realises it’s time to go. She has made plans. She wants Joe to go with her and Arthur, their dog. She and Duncan are always arguing it’s no wonder Joe feels the need to go off. He’s gone missing before. Claire is so worried this time. Duncan says he’ll be back, he always comes back.

Then something happens.

This book is very evocative of its setting around Derbyshire which is lovingly drawn by Sophie Draper, it has a very eerie atmosphere and a deep sense of sadness, of loss. What happened we don’t know and it gives this book a tension and keeps you hooked wanting to know what it was, what will happen, how will things be resolved and then there’s a twist! What you have been reading is put into a different perspective and, after an intake of breath, you will understand. This book leaves you with a slightly creepy feeling but mostly with a lingering sense of sadness.

Thanks

My thanks to Avon Publishing for an eCopy of Magpie by Sophie Draper via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own, I have not received any payment for this review.

Blog Tour

Thanks to Sanjana Cunniah at Avon for the invitation to review Magpie and join the BlogTour. Like to read more? – then take a whirl around this incredible list…. https://lovebooksreadbooks.com/2019/12/04/magpie-by-sophie-draper/

Having read Sophie Draper’s book ‘Cuckoo’ and enjoying the writing style, I was keen to read ‘Magpie’. It did not disappoint.

Claire and Duncan in a fantastic house and seem to have everything but they don’t! They have a tempestuous relationship due, in the main, to Duncan’s philandering. After another argument between them, their eighteen year old son goes missing. The hunt for him takes us on a mysterious and thrilling ride. This book held my attention and the characterisation was excellent.