Throughout Magpie, the author expertly unspools the tension to achieve an atmosphere of suspense that compels the engaging plot forward. Nonetheless, Day’s thriller is undoubtedly elevated by the wordy pictures that she paints. Diversions from an authentic emotional state, however, to focus on interior decoration or clothing, can pull the reader out of the narrative and feel like an intrusion of the authorial voice. What the characters of a novel notice at any given moment can include us in their perspective, revealing their frame of mind in immersive ways. Occasionally this strength does ultimately weaken the work when the detailing of physical description becomes overloaded. With a great eye for detail, the world of the book is textured, sensuous and captured with flair. There is a stylish tone to Day’s prose that ensures a luxurious reading experience, even as the pace intensifies. If the trope of Jake’s territorial mother-in-law feels a little tired, the woman herself is written with acerbic wit and does ultimately earn her keep as a pivotal player in these high-stake games of parenthood and family dynamics.

Fully realised, complicated and completely distinct from each other, Kate and Marisa come alive on the page and make for compulsive reading. If Jake (and his father) retain a somewhat shadowy presence on the page, Day’s women are electric. At the heart of it is a triangle of three adults navigating a complex relationship. The wealth of wisdom she has accumulated through her non-fiction work manifests powerfully in Magpie, which is constructed upon thoughtful, clear-sighted examinations of the difficult themes of infertility and mental health. She has also discussed publicly her own experiences of trying to conceive a baby and undergoing fertility treatment, in order to challenge the language, stigma and taboos surrounding these issues that often position the women themselves as failures. Her work shatters the glossy veneer of other people’s lives and enables honest conversations about disappointment, failure and, most importantly of all, what happens next. The frank interviews she conducts distil the knowledge and insights that come with the inevitable human failings of life.Ĭelebrating failure has struck a chord with the zeitgeist. As such, the title of Elizabeth Day’s fifth novel frames the reader’s expectations of what will be revealed as this atmospheric psychological thriller unfolds.ĭay is perhaps best known as the host of the chart-topping podcast How to Fail and the bestselling memoir it inspired. For the superstitious, the magpie is considered an ill omen – if solitary, it is a bird synonymous with sorrow it also has a reputation for stealing shiny things.

Elizabeth day magpie review