There aren’t a lot of books in this world that keep me tense and on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, but The Magpies managed it.
This is, in large part, because of the novel’s villains. They aren’t supernatural or extraordinary villains. They’re real, and they could be living next door to just about anyone.
Another aspect of this novel that had me hooked was the way Edwards kept me guessing throughout the novel. I wasn’t entirely sure the people who I thought were villains actually were, and I had a hard time guessing what would happen next. There were some twists I anticipated ahead of time, but others came at me out of nowhere. The ending, in particular, was something I didn’t see coming.
Finally, I want to touch on the characters. The main characters, Jamie and Kirsty, easily earned my sympathy, and even the villains (I won’t name them, as I don’t want to give anything away) were wonderfully constructed and three dimensional. Every one of them made me want to keep reading, although each for their own reason.
Goodreads summary
Fear lives next door…
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: the horror writer and the middle-aged herbalist who live upstairs, and the Newtons, a married couple who welcome them to the building with open arms.
At first, the two couples get on well. 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 Jamie and Kirsty are driven to the edge of despair, Jamie vows to fight back – but he has no idea what he is really up against…
THE MAGPIES is a terrifying psychological thriller in which the monsters are not vampires or demons but the people we live next door to. It is a nightmare that could happen to anyone.
Miranda Burski 
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