THIS REVIEW WILL NOT CONTAIN ANY SPOILERS!
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The blurb according to Amazon:
"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 Newtons, 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 . . .
The Magpies is a gripping psychological thriller in which the monsters are not vampires or demons but the people who live next door. It is a nightmare that could happen to anyone."
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If you love psychological thrillers then this book is an absolute dream. Edwards tells the story of a young, happy couple moving into their first flat together. Sadly this happiness does not continue throughout the book. Very quickly, things start turning. Weird stuff is happening in the block of flats. The pressure of the strange happenings takes a toll on the lives of the once happy couple. Their life is no longer normal, and instead they are living in fear.
This book did a fantastic job of terrifying you - because it is very realistic. Nothing in this book is "a bit far fetched" and these occurrences and dramas could actually happen to any individual. And any individuals next door neighbour is capable of destroying your life.
The characters in this novel are very clear. Edwards did a fantastic job of painting a picture of the happy couple - and slowly you could see the characters personalities deteriorate into an unhappy, scared life.
When I first purchased this book, it cost me 99p. I wasn't expecting very much from this book - just an "on the go" book for my daily commutes to university. I did not expect this book to keep me up until 3am, frantically flicking through the pages.
The nightmare starts for this couple at their flat warming party, when the fire brigade turned up claiming that they had a call from the address. It all goes downhill from there, with the events becoming more and more sinister and terrifying as time goes on. From scary, but harmless "pranks" to an absolute nightmare.
The format of the novel is fantastic - there is a clear, quick, precise beginning. The point of the story is quickly conveyed. A young couple, first flat together, that is that. It is easy to follow with very few characters during the introduction. The book also contains a very exciting and scary middle where more characters are introduced and their life starts unravelling. The book finishes with an emotional ending, but surprising ending. It is perfect.
There are not many twists and turns throughout the book- straight away you have your suspicions on what could possibly be going on in Jamie & Kirsty's life. You expect a big dramatic twist, but Edwards just goes deeper into the story behind what is happening. Unfortunately there is no happy ending in the book, but not everybody has a perfect life and I'm completely okay about the fact that there was no happily ever after on the last page of the book.
If you are not a fan of sex detail in novels, then it's probably best you avoid this book as sections of the book are interrupted by the young couple's sex life. It is not an issue for me - as the book is based around this couple, but just a warning for those who may not enjoy graphic detail.
This book initially introduced me to Mark Edwards and I have also read What You Wish For and Because She Loves Me. Currently downloading one of his latest novels, Follow You Home. Edwards is a fantastic psychological thriller author and he never fails to disappoint, or, surprise me. Psychological thrillers and horrors are the only books I tend to read and this author delivers it perfectly. You can tell that his writing and novel layouts are inspired by the great Stephen King, so if you are a fan I cannot recommend this book enough.
Thank you for reading this review, I understand it's a bit different from my normal content but I have been wanting to rave about this book for quite some time! xo
Mark Edwards twitter (@mredwards)
vossandedwards.com
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