THE MAGPIES BY MARK EDWARDSTHOMAS & MERCER (EBOOK), 2013
329 PAGES
When Jamie and Kirsty move into their first home together, they are full of optimism. The future, in which they plan to get married and start a family, is bright. The other residents of their building seem friendly too, including the Newton's, a married couple who welcome them to the building with open arms.
But then strange things start to happen. Dead rats are left on their doorstep. They hear disturbing noises, and much worse, in the night. After Jamie's best friend is injured in a horrific accident, Jamie and Kirsty find themselves targeted by a campaign of terror.
As they are driven to the edge of despair, Jamie vows to fight back-but he has no idea what he is really up against . . .
She crossed out 'Paradise' and wrote 'Hell' in its place. The caption didn't fit the photograph any more. She felt like tearing up the whole album, ripping each picture to shreds, or throwing it into the fire, watching her memories burn. But even that would not erase the images from her mind: they were locked inside her, and she could only hope that time would erode them. More than anything else, she wanted to forget.
The Magpies is a brilliant psychological thriller. I absolutely loved it. This will be one of my top reads this year. I thought the characters were brilliant. Jamie and Kirsty are very likable. They are in the bloom of first love which is very sweet and portrayed very well. Lucy and Chris are brilliant - they come across as so nice with their psychopathic nature well hidden. I thought the plot of the novel was spot on. The harassment from Chris and Lucy seems so harmless at first and gradually escalates. One of the best bits about the novel is that the police really can't do much - Jamie and Kirsty know Chis and Lucy are harassing them but have no concrete proof. At times I was shocked by their behaviour and frustrated because Jamie and Kirsty are so powerless. I constantly questioned what was happened. Were Lucy and Chris harassing Jamie and Kirsty or were they blaming them unnecessarily? Something awful happens in the book which makes events veer in a much darker course. I felt so sorry for Jamie and Kirsty. I loved the way the book was paced with suspense gradually building and becoming quite intense towards the end. My heart was in my throat for the last couple of pages. I thought what happened to Jamie's and Kirsty's friend Paul was incredibly sad but realistic. The ending was satisfactory. There isn't a happy ending but after all that has gone before this wouldn't be realistic.
I thought The Magpies was brilliant. I can't wait to read more from this author.
