I really enjoyed this suspense novel. Very well crafted with tons of twists and turns to keep the reader interested! It was extremely well written and a fun quick read. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Basically a very simple story dressed up to try and look like a thriller. This book is remarkable in that every single character bar one is utterly loathsome. A group of dysfunctional mixed couples go to a new age ante-natal class where the advice they are given is factually inaccurate and delivered with a harsh brutality. Even the female police officer is awful. It doesn't take much effort to work out the plot. Jacqueline (or Jax) is pregnant for the first time with a much younger man and then starts to get offensive emails calling her a paedophile, her cat goes missing and her car is sabotaged. Her younger partner has parental issues due to being abandoned as a small child. The story is slow going, told from a variety of perspectives after an "accident" happens at a party held by one of the more obnoxious parent's houses. That was a good way to tell the story I thought. With all the characters being atrocious you aren't actually rooting for anyone so that was a new experience and not a bad one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ One dead adult in the middle of a celebratory baby party for six couples who went through a prenatal class together. Who did it??? Be prepared for multiple points of view with 13 characters involved in the story not including the detectives investigating the murder. Playing the part of a sleuth detective, I had it narrowed down to the two people who I thought were responsible so it wasn’t quite the thriller nor the suspenseful ending I had hoped for. A good premise, and interesting dilemma, yet some plotholes that weakened the book. Thanks to NetGalley for the book, the thoughts are my own and without bias.

This book was so excellently written that I was shocked at the twist. It was so crazy how ever person had a secret but were unwilling to share. Of course the book would have been over quickly if the author allowed communication between people.
I was so involved with this book that I was done with it in 4 hours. This is a great book for those who like books with a twist.

Well...wow.
The first book by Claire that I have read but off to peruse her other ones right now!
The Push brings together a group of seemingly mismatched women at an antenatal group, along with their partners and the group leader. Post natal, a barbecue for the group is held at the home of one of the women and by mid afternoon one member of the party is lying dead on the ground - but who is it and why? It is up to the work of two female police officers to decipher.
This book kept me gripped and I read it one day. The outcome even made me gasp out loud as I pieced the story together alongside the officers. Would highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley!

I was enticed by the cover and the premise sounded good but in reality was a slow burner and all the ‘twists’ were evident tbh
The characters were wholly unlikeable and way way too much virtue signalling throughout
Not for me am afraid

The party should have been perfect: six couples from the same baby group, six newborns, a luxurious house. But not everything has gone to plan.

This was a great fast read. If your looking for a fast read, gripping, amazing book.... I'd grab this one!

This thriller is good for a niche market, but not the overall thriller market. The writing style and attitude of the characters will only appeal to a certain audience. For me, I didn't enjoy the "Mommy & Me" theme and some negativity in the characters throughout the book. But if you enjoy thrillers with group of ladies (especially ones with pregnancies and babies) then this could be the thriller for you.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK & Netgalley for the copy to honestly review!

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of PUSH by Claire McGowan in exchange for my honest review.***

Six babies. Twelve parents. One party. One dead. Many secrets.

Allison, a detective struggling with infertility investigates the death of party guests’ support group leader. If not for Nina’s group, the diverse group of couples would have likely never met.

Told from multiple points of view and timelines, the pieces of the group participants’ lives, what they show themselves and others, slowly emerges with many twists, turns and surprises.

PUSH is more mystery/domestic drama than thriller. Most of the characters aren’t very likable or easy to root for. At times I found myself hoping one narrator or another was the culprit so she could be jailed.

McGowan wrote each point of view in a way that showed the narrator’s prejudices and faults, rather than telling me, the reader how I ought to feel, which is something I appreciate from a writer. The characters were complex with enough dimension, not all bad or good. I won’t say which narrator was my favorite, to avoid any possible spoilers, because I’ll bet most readers will have the same reaction to the turn of events in her life.

PUSH is a quick, fun read but one that likely won’t stick with me for long. When I finished, I didn’t think, “I want to reread this to see what I missed” the way I do with my favorite mysteries. I didn’t want more from the characters of hope for a sequel. I thought about what I wanted to read next.

This storyline begins with a very concise prologue that throws you right into the heart of the action and is a great way to pique your interest. You know that soon after a group photograph is taken at a summer barbecue at Monica and Ed Dunwood’s fabulous south east London home, there will be a dead body amongst the rockery, the victim having fallen from the high glass sided balcony. Who the victim is remains to be seen.
The reason for the barbecue on this glorious hot Saturday afternoon in June is a reunion of six couples and their babies who are part of an antenatal group headed by facilitator Nina. This is a gathering to celebrate the births of their babies and a chance for Monica, alpha female of this group to show off her million pound dream home. What should be a happy occasion quickly turns into a tragedy.

The narrative then hops back in time, introducing the reader to all the members of this group, gradually revealing backstories. Jax at 38 is the second oldest woman of the group and it is her relationship with the much younger Aaron,24 that immediately makes you think cougar! Monica at 44 is clearly the spokeswoman for this group, already having a daughter, Chloe who is fifteen and puts everyone else in the shade when it comes to her pregnant state, blossoming and a vision of loveliness unlike others who simply feel undesirable, unattractive, bloated and uncomfortable! There’s twenty two year old Kelly, minus boyfriend Ryan, Cathy and Hazel,
Aisha and Rahul and finally Anita and Jeremy. All are hoping to welcome their newborns into the world very shortly and their diversity as a group is what makes them interesting. Some of their stories are heartbreaking, some heartwarming but you can guarantee they all have skeletons in their closets.

The timeline jumps backwards and forwards but never becomes confusing. The final character to complete the picture is DS Alison Hegarty, in charge of an investigation that at first glance appears to be a tragic accident.
There’s something immediately likeable about this detective whose tenacity is responsible for finally uncovering the truth surrounding this fateful event. She’s a no nonsense down to earth character who perhaps has more in common with some of these women than you’d first think. Her intuition tells her not to write this tragic incident off as accidental but to continue to dig deeper. I liked the fact the author has chosen to give her a well developed backstory too so that she simply isn’t seen as the lead investigator in the storyline.

I found Nina, the group leader to the least likely person suitable for such a position and therefore a bit unbelievable. She comes across as lacking in empathy and witch like in her ability to see through these women’s disguises. In reality if you encountered such a person when you were at such a vulnerable emotional stage in your life, she wouldn’t put your mind at rest in the slightest. I’d be running (or waddling!) to the door during the very first meeting, never to return!

I appreciated the fact that although much of the storyline is based around mum to be Jax and her much younger partner Aaron, it thankfully isn’t to the detriment of other characters. I felt I got to know all the other members of this diverse group fairly well but suffice to say not many are portrayed in the best light. However it is Jax’s relationship with Aaron and her difficult pregnancy that steals the limelight since there’s much going on in her personal life,past and present, that has a bearing on the storyline. Someone has taken a definite dislike to Jax and seems intent on wreaking as much havoc as possible, their aim to destroy her. It does make you wonder what on earth she could have done to warrant this attention given that her role in a child protection charity leads you to assume she is a compassionate and caring individual, incapable of causing offence. What dark secrets could she be hiding or are they simply the imaginings of the person messing with her mind? One cryptic derogatory email is all it takes to send Jax’s life off course. I did feel sympathy for her trying to negotiate this troublesome pregnancy whilst her professional and personal life is rapidly unravelling, not helped either by the existence of such a cold hearted unsupportive mother. She’s a woman in need of a hug!

I have to say despite guessing every single twist and turn, apart from the motivation behind the actions of the character named in the ‘big’ reveal I actually quite enjoyed this novel. Although you don’t know who the ‘victim’ is until halfway through the novel, you don’t need to be a super sleuth to ascertain who it is. As for accident or foul play you only need to take heed of the title to guess which it is, which kind of makes a mockery of the author’s attempt to try and suggest otherwise. On this basis I wouldn’t describe it as much of a thriller, so if you prefer to be shocked and kept on the edge of your seat you may not find this to your liking. Normally I hate it when a plot is too easily fathomable but I think what saves the day here is the range of characters in this group, however unlikeable, and how the author has explored the dynamics of their relationships, giving the reader a good sense of their personalities and individual problems. What I found incredibly sad is that none of these people seemed remotely happy,so bogged down they are by their own secrets. This novel isn’t a great endorsement of motherhood or relationships in general. It would seem everyone has something to hide, big or small, though they may not necessarily having any direct bearing on the events that take place on this boiling hot afternoon in June.

This was the first novel I’ve read by this author and despite not being wowed by the secrets that are revealed I found this novel to be enjoyable and entertaining. It may be predictable and a far from memorable storyline on this occasion I didn’t care! My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

Some years ago I read this author's Paul Maguire detective novels and quite enjoyed them. I requested an ARC from NetGalley based on my previous enjoyable experience. Sadly it has not been repeated. In fact I gave up about one third of the way in....

DS Alison Hegarty is called in to investigate an unnatural death at a party. Sounds simple enough. The guests at this party, held in the most luxurious house imaginable, are members of a baby group, six couple who met at during their pregnancies. So, six newborn babies to coo, and gush and drool over. Pity the parents, without exception are all horrible. Whether this was intentional or not, I dot know, but I couldn't relate to or sympathise with, any one of them. Oh, DS Hegarty isn't resentful at all, is she – I mean, the fact that she has fertility issues herself couldn't possibly affect her attitude towards this group of shallow self-satisfied, privileged idiots.

I have tried another one or two of McGowan's novels – the non-Maguire ones I mean – and I couldn't get on with any of them. I have to wonder if it's the same person wielding the pen, or sitting at the keyboard.

A gripping read! I was hooked right to the end and can't wait to read more of Claire McGowan's work!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The different perspectives are expertly weaves and although I’d figured out the ‘twist’ fairly early on, there was still enough going on to keep me reading.

The different characters are relatable in different ways and the setting makes it stand out.

I received this copy from netgalley. I loved this book, great story. will have to read more of this authors book's.

I loved <i>What You Did and The Other Wife</i> by the same author very much and was SO happy when NetGalley approved me for this one. <i>The Push</i> is a wonderful whodunit with an Agatha Christie feel to it and a bit of police procedural thrown in for good measure. This is an enjoyable, tense physiological drama. It's not original but it's well written.

Visitors arrive at a BBQ and someone ends up dead after being "pushed/falling" from a deck...and every single one of the guests are implicated. The best part!? You don't even know who the victim is until half way through the book.

It's fun and I like the way the tension escalates. Ms. McGowan writes well. She vividly describes her settings and characters and her prose is easy to read. I could empathize with all the new mom's, even if I didn't like them very much, and I loved the surprises the author had in store for us readers. The Push isn't a thriller in the usual sense but is for those readers who are looking for a book that deals with what lies beneath.

I've had a terribly long run of vapid books in the past few weeks, which sucks because I have very little time to read these days. I literally only have time for my ARCs from 1 to 3 or 4 AM. Seriously.

Unfortunately, The Push failed to break my streak.
Hmmm...how to describe this book?

1. Full of horribly unlikeable characters - some are racist, some are sexist, some are ageist, some are homophobic, some believe parents shouldn't have the right to make decisions about their own children, and some suffer from classism and sizism. This book has it all, folks, and it's truly deplorable.

2. Every twist in this book will be easily intuited by the reader, despite the fact each borders on improbability.

3. I was actually thrilled when the victim was confirmed...this person was reprehensible and truly deserved to die.

I will say that I enjoyed the alternating points of view, which offer an alternate timeline.
Otherwise, this book was a hard pass.

Available November 12, 2020.

**Despite my less than enthusiastic review, I do appreciate having the opportunity to give my honest thoughts. Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my review copy.

I just loved this book! The friends all met at ante-natal classes and all brought together for that shared reason; much like a lot of us, you get a very mixed group who might not otherwise have found each other... A body is found at the party they have to toast the babies arrivals, and we are taken on a journey to establish if it was murder or just an accident. Little clues are thrown in and we are led some twists too. I found this gripping and thrilling! It reminded me of the style of TM Logan in The Holiday.

Book Review: The Push by Claire McGowan
(Published by Amazon Publishing U.K., November 12, 2020)

3.75 Stars rounded up.

"...A multi-million pound house with blood spatter all over the rockery, and a dozen suspects screaming and complaining and having hysterics at various locations in the house and garden.

Not to mention the babies..."

The suburbs, Southeast London. Detective Sergeant Alison Hegarty and her partner DI Diana Mendes, a newbie from North London, investigate a death which happens during a barbeque garden party, the final meet of an antenatal group of parents showing off their newborns. Everyone's mum as the three wise simians: saw nothing, heard nothing.

Written in alternative first person and third person omniscient from the perspective of key protagonists, the novel begins ten weeks prior through the fatal fall over a garden-view balcony.

The author hides her plot secrets in plain sight rather well, not unlike what one may expect and relish in an Hercule Poirot classic. "Evil Under the Sun" comes to mind. Or perhaps "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". Not until the latter parts of the book is the identity of the deceased subtly revealed. And the final act is a sequence of twists neatly packaged with ribbons of surprises.

That being said, for a fan of British fiction and speed reader, it was frankly quite a chore to go through 400 pages of oft-repeated themes and minutiae, the hoi polloi shelf, much less enticing the nth time laid out. Yes, she married a jeune homme 14 years her junior. We got it! You'd think additional editing and perhaps a hundred pages lopped off the manuscript would do wonders.

Perhaps a hint could be taken from the grand Dame of mystery writing herself, whose books average 200 pages, seldom more.

Review based on an ARC from Amazon Publishing U.K. and NetGalley.

There are many strands to this story - concentrate or you’ll miss something! But all comes good in the end. This is a murder mystery (pool) party turned into a book and it really works rather well! It was interesting to read about how such disparate people came to be all at the same party!

This book turned out to be quite different to what I was expecting I wouldn’t really class it as a thriller but more of domestic fiction however it was an enjoyable read that kept me wanting to know if the outcome was what I was expecting. My main problem with the book was that I just didn’t like any of the characters I thought they felt very clichéd and I also guessed most of the twists quite early on which was a shame.
On the positive side this was a read that kept me entertained and although it wasn’t the best book I have read this year it was far from being the worst. So for me just a three star read and many thanks to to the author.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.