This was such an amazing book. Loved finding out about all of the different families and problems they have. Each family had their own story, but were joined by a common baby group. I realised the 'plot' halfway through, but enjoyed reading why each person had said what they did and why about the 'accident'. A great read!

I expected more from Claire McGowan. This book was a hot mess. So many characters going back and forth in time and too many side stories. I rate this book a 2.1

Wowzers ! This book was awesome. Once I started I didn't want to stop reading as I just wanted to find out what was going on. Such an exciting and page turning read this was.

For some reason, I could not get into this booK. The writing was fine but the plot seemed stale and “done before.” This book may appeal more to a certain and specific audience.

The Push is a clever thriller that weaves several stories together and ties them all up beautifully at the end. Six couples meet at an anti natal class in the local community centre. Gina leads them through what to expect at the birth and how they will have to adapt to being new parents. The couples all meet for a party shortly after the babies are born, and one of them ends up dead.
The novel mainly tells the story through the eyes of Alison, the detective investigating the death and Jax, a member of the anti natal group. Everyone within the group has secrets they are keeping and the book delves into their pasts as well as their current situation.
I enjoyed this book but did feel it could do with a good edit. The pace was too slow in parts and I could feel my interest waining. I am glad I persevered with it as the ending did not disappoint.

This was an interesting book. I really enjoyed all the different characters and their back story’s. It was clever in keeping me guessing the ending all the way along. I enjoyed the ending, I thought it was written well. Would recommend and also would like to read more from this author.

This is told by multiple povs over different time frames. It tells the story of several couples as they attend a baby group before the birth of the babies and after, during the reunion one of them falls from a balcony to their death, is it an accident or murder? This story tells of the events of the day of and leading up to the fall.

Now where do I begin with this story, firstly I hated every single character they were all unlikeable and obnoxious, well apart from one couple who were the most normal of everyone. I felt like this story had way to much going on, it was to ambitious and trying to tell to many stories at once which was just way to much and took away from the over all plot. Ageism is a huge mention in this, I feel if I had a £1 for every time it was mentioned that she was an older woman to be pregnant I would be rich which to be honest was pretty offensive a lot of women are giving birth in late 30s,40s and even 50s in todays society so I felt this was really unnecessary even if it was to bring up something that happens later in the plot. Racism, their were a few points in this book were characters were using microgressions for example 'the foreigners next door' which was used by one of the characters to describe Asian people living next door. Then the over all plot line further in the storyline I felt like it was the perfect time to dive more into racism but it was merely mentioned and brushed under the rug. Stereotypes came into this book when it came to many of the characters and their was also Borderline homophobia when it came to the same sex female couple. For example one of the women was femmine and one was butch and the character said something along the lines of '' she's pretty for one of them'' and then when describing the more butch woman she said something along the lines of not understanding why women like this try to look like men. This annoyed me to no end and I could see how many people would read this and roll their eyes

The pros of this book was that the writing was fast paced and it flowed well so it was easy to read however unfortunately this was not the book for me but I would always give an author another chance and read another book by the author in the future.

thanks for the opportunity to read this latest book, i really enjoyed it not what i thought it would be like, bur didn't disapoint, twisty and suspense all what you want in a book

The Push by Claire McGowan. Thanks to @amazonpublishing and @netgalley for the e-arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Six couples, all very different, all in the same stage of pregnancy get to know each other during a expecting parents course. After the babies are born they get together one more time, but someone ends up dead. As the detective investigates into the couples, secrets and scandals are revealed.

The story and premise were interesting. I loved getting to know the couples and sitting in the baby classes with them. However, the mystery and reveals were all predictable. I knew how it would end earlier on and had figured a few things out earlier than I should have to make it a truly enjoyable story. There was so much unnecessary racism in the story. I understand there is a difference between a racist plot and a racist character, but did so many people have to hold problematic beliefs? None of the characters were likable or easy to root for. Overall, I still found it an easy read that kept the pages turning.

The Push comes out 11/12.

I really enjoyed this book. The story begins at a party that has left one of the attendees dead. They have fallen from a balcony, only you don't find out who until the end. The story is told from the different party goers POVs which is always interesting since you understand the story in a different way. It focuses around a prenatal group, all with secrets, and possible motives to the crime. The detective Allison is determined to prove it was murder, and not just an accident. An enjoyable story.

I was really excited to read this book by Claire McGowan! I had recently read The Other Wife and liked it very much. This book has a lot of the same elements I liked from The Other Wife: hidden identities, suspense over who was even killed or nearby at the time through tricky narrative devices, and a host of suspicious characters. Unfortunately though, this book did not hang together as well as The Other Wife for me and I did not enjoy it as much.

This book surrounds a killing at a “Mommy and Me” type group gathering. There are six couples involved, which to start off with is a pretty large number of suspects. Throw in a lot of these people as narrators and it gets somewhat hard to keep everyone and their motivations straight right off the bat.

The other problem was that I just didn’t like a lot of these characters. In particular, I really did not like the main couple, Jax and her younger husband Aaron. I particularly did not like Aaron, who seemed to me to do little throughout the book to contribute to either the plot or to his marriage. It made me find it hard to get invested in side plots like his search for his birth mother, etc. (Also, can I just say how tired I am of the “search for my birth mother” trope in domestic suspense novels in general?)

I also found most of the others in the group to be equally unlikeable/unengaging, and struggled pretty hard to find someone I liked enough to root for. There were a lot of subplots I found rather creepy, such as Jax being called a “pedophile” for being with a younger man (an actual man well into adulthood at the age of 24, I might add). Stuff like this made it hard for me to go where the plot wanted me to go and just ended up making me uncomfortable with the book. The end was drought with an almost ridiculous amount of twists (one out of nowhere) that left me ultimately not too satisfied with the plot.

I’m disappointed I didn’t like this book more because I know I like the way this author writes, and really enjoyed her last book. I’m hopeful McGowan’s next book will have different subject matter and a character I can like and root for again.

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer, NetGalley and the author for the advance copy.

Thank you to the publishers for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! Just amazing!

The plot: Someone dies and you have different couples that were around for the death. Who did it? I LOVED how it jumped from different characters' perspectives as you try to figure out first who died and then who killed that person.

This was by far the best read I've had in a long time. Thank you again to the publishers for allowing access to read this excellent novel!

An average read with predictable twists. I enjoyed the book but didn't love it. Very slow to start but picked up. Guessed most ot the twists. Worth a read. Thank you netgallery for this advanced copy.
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Six couples, with only one thing in common. They are all expecting a baby in their lives soon.

Two weeks after the due arrival dates, these same six couples attend a bbq to celebrate their new family additions.

But the party ends with murder.

This book was easy to read and easy to follow, having been written from various perspectives. However, I found this book to be lacking in depth, with many of the twists and turns being just a little too predictable.

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this! As if these mothers-to-be don’t have enough to worry about they sign up for a pre-natal group thinking they’re going to learn some great techniques to help with coping, not just through the labour but after the baby is born too, only to be met with quite the derisive tutor! But, these Mums and Dads stuck it out - they had paid to be there to learn after all. Along come the babies and the barbecue to mark the triumphant occasion. What happens from here on out is anyone’s guess because the guests are all keeping the events of this day pretty close to their chests, making the job of investigating a possible murder all that more complicated. Then again, what investigation is ever straight forward?! Superb read!

I enjoyed Claire McGowan's The Push, a story of 6 couples who meet at a class for women expecting a baby. I loved meeting the 6 couples, diving into their backgrounds, their diversity, and their secrets. Of course, they all have secrets!

One of the new moms invites the other 5 couples to her family's home for a party to celebrate the babies, except not all of the couples end up with a baby, and ultimately one of the adults ends up dead.

Even though I had things figured out before the big reveal, I loved watching the story develop, and i especially enjoyed learning who was hiding what.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. Claire McGowan has done it again. This is a book which just begs to be read in one sitting. I loved the fact that we don't actually know who has died until well into the story. Each member of the ante-natal group is hiding something and I have to admit that while I had an idea what a couple of the secrets might be most came as a total surprise to me. I thought the character of Alison, the detective investigating the death, was a strong one that could be expanded on and used in future books. All in all, another great read from this talented author.

The Push is a gripping psychological thriller told from the multiple points of view of guests at a BBQ where a woman fell to her death. Or was she pushed? DS Alison Hegarty thinks there was more to it and pursues the investigation. I found all the characters interesting and the plot speeds along with plenty of hooks and end of chapter cliffhangers. I did guess the “twist” very early on but nonetheless found The Push an enjoyable and entertaining read.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for approving my request to read on netgalley. I had the pleasure of meeting Claire at capital crime last year so was really excited to read her newest book.

This is a who done it and the story builds up to reveal who and what happened at this party.

Unlikely friendships are formed at a baby group but are people really who they say they are? These friends are from all walks of life and all with their own secrets to hide.

A fast page turner of mystery thriller.

Packed with suspense ,twists and turns.

Published 12th November

Fantastic page-turning stand alone thriller from Claire McGowan whose Paula McGuire series is so sucessful.

An accident occurs at a BBQ where a group of people who were in the same ante-natal support group have got together to celebrate the birth of their children. But was it really an accident?

As well as being an effective crime/ procedural, The Push explores the anxieties and pressures of parenthood and the societal expectations on new mothers.

Highly recommended.