Last of the Magpies

This is the conclusive chapter in the Magpies trilogy, written by one of the true masters of the psychological thriller genre, Mark Edwards. Unfortunately, when I requested the book on NetGalley I didn't know that this book was part of a series and as a result, I cannot evaluate The Last of the Magpies fairly and thoroughly. The truth is that after reading this one I am earnestly thinking of going back to read the first two novels, never mind knowing the grand finale.

Nevertheless, this is an intriguing novella of about 100 pages that bears the author's trademark characteristics as far as the gloomy, suspenseful atmosphere and the well fleshed-out characters. Sadly, due to my ignorance of the first two books, I couldn't have proper oversight of the protagonists' character arcs, much to my frustration. The pacing is fast and the plot unravels in such a way that the reader can keep up with what's happening, leaving no plot holes or room for misinterpretations.

My only advice is to read the first The Magpies and A Murder of Magpies, the first two books in this trilogy, and then devour the finale of the saga. Mark Edwards proves once again that he is a trustworthy, stable value in the psychological thriller genre and his work is well worth checking out. This is a solid 4/5 stars and I strongly suspect that I would give a majestic 5-star rating if I've read the books in their right order.