For some reason, books about baby group are having a real thing at the moment so I was intrigued whether The Push would offer anything 'different.' While a diverse set of characters, not many of them were particularly likeable, other than perhaps Alison at a push (ha). I liked that while you knew someone had died, it wasn't clear who this until about halfway through, however, I do think from this point onwards, everything went downhill. It felt far too convenient that all of the characters had such drama happening in their lives and they just all so happened to go to the same baby group (which in itself, felt incredibly unrealistic, especially following the 'twist.' I mean come on!). And because these separate storylines were never fully explored (even Jax's felt half-finished), I just didn't particularly care about any of them. I thought the themes of motherhood and expectations were explored well, covering a variety of topics many people will be able to relate to but unfortunately, this was by far the strongest element of the book.

Thank you Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for this ARC!

Short synopsis - 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, and while some are here to celebrate, others have sorrows to drown. When someone falls from the balcony of the house, the secrets and conflicts within the group begin to spill out.

I really enjoyed this murder mystery! There wasn't a character that I felt connected to or even liked, but that did not stop me from enjoying this one and I almost appreciated how wildly complex the author wrote these characters. While most of the characters were either about to become parents or going through the struggles of getting pregnant, not one of them had anything in common. The tension between every single character really made the story and hooked me from the start.

From the start, I couldn't wait to figure out who was the murder victim and who was the one that "pushed". However, when all said and done, I was a bit disappointed with who the "victim" ended up being. It didn't seem realistic and almost took me out of the story. But figuring out the twist did make me go, "WHAT", so I guess the author did what she set out to do!

Overall, this is a great summer read! Just know that this book does deal with PPD and infertility issues, so if those topics are too heavy for you right now, then please proceed with caution.

Love (and hated) the diverse characters and I couldn't put it down. I enjoy the different points of views and didn't want it to end. Can't wait to read more from McGowan.

A party-reunion of participants in a prenatal class is held when the babies are around two weeks old. One person dies. A push or a fall?
We don't know who the victim is for half the book, although you could deduce it by seeing who the detectives interviewed after the death. Practically everyone in the class and at the party has a secret.
Enjoyable book!

A story that’s is probably true to life for some couples in regards to having children. Like the mystery surrounding the characters! Keeps you guessing till the end to find out who did the crime.

What I liked about this book was the very real description of the pains that infertility (in its many forms) causes couples. The descriptions hit home for me, and likely will for so many other readers. If you are currently struggling, you may want to avoid this book for a while- that’s how well Claire McGowan describes it. The story itself is interesting- a party ends up with someone dead. Did they fall or were they pushed? Who died? If they were pushed- who pushed them and why? I love a psychological thriller. Without giving too much away, I think both big “twists” are probably going to be guessed by most readers. The final reveal, however, may leave most surprised. I would recommend this to friends, specifically to see if they can guess what happens.

#ThePush #NetGalley
A really gripping thriller.
Six couples from the same baby group, six newborns, a luxurious house. But not everything has gone to plan, and while some are here to celebrate, others have sorrows to drown. When someone falls from the balcony of the house, the secrets and conflicts within the group begin to spill out …
DS Alison Hegarty, herself struggling with infertility, is called in to investigate. She’s convinced the fall was not an accident, and finds the new parents have a lot to hide. Wealthy Ed and Monica show off their newborn while their teenage daughter is kept under virtual house arrest. Hazel and Cathy conceived their longed-for baby via an anonymous sperm donor—or so Hazel thinks. Anita and Jeremy planned to adopt from America, but there’s no sign of the child. Kelly, whose violent boyfriend disrupted previous group sessions, came to the party even though she lost her baby. And then there’s Jax, who’s been experiencing strange incidents for months—almost like someone’s out to get her. Is it just a difficult pregnancy? Or could it be payback for something she did in the past?It’s a nightmare of a case, and as events get even darker it begins to look impossible. Only one thing is clear: they all have something to hide. And for one of them, it’s murder.
I loved the characters of Jax,Nina, Aaron, Monica and Alison. Other characters were ok ok.
Narration of the story is good. McGowan is a master storyteller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me an advance copy of this creepy psychological thriller.

I really enjoyed this book.. It had plenty of drama and I really loved the way in which the story was told from so many different perspectives. It was intelligently written and had genuinely good twists. A great read

I thought this book would be a typical thriller, but it was really complicated and filled with family drama, & the difficulties of motherhood. This book is filled with unique characters, an intense story line, & a shocking ending. I will be recommending this book to everyone!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Push.

I was pleased when my request was approved because the premise sounded like a straight forward police procedural, but it wasn't.

It's really a domestic drama about the characters in a parenting group who are suspects in the suspicious death of the woman who led the group.

Each couple has something to hide (secrets that were easy to figure out) and the detective in charge has to deal with these potential suspects and their personal dramas as well as juggle her own drama of motherhood and fertility.

The Push isn't a thriller so much as a book about motherhood; the travails and trauma, the angst and obstacles women go through to conceive, to juggle parental and societal expectations, to face their own fears about becoming a mother.

I liked that the couples were diverse and from varied social classes and occupations but I didn't connect with anyone.

I also dislike the constant POV switch; it's confusing and distracting. Every time a new character gave her perspective I had to remember who was who and what they did.

The author's constant focus on Jax and the wide age gap between her and her baby daddy got old (no pun intended) fast.

I was bored with all the motherhood and parenting discussions possibly because I'm not a mother but mostly because I thought this was going to be a story about a murder, not about babies.

There are no clues for the detectives to follow back to the killer, just endless interviews with the suspects and only to find out they're all lying about their whereabouts.

The Push wasn't for me, but some people would enjoy it, as well as the multiple POV perspectives from all the characters.

Is it murder? Or an accident? Someone is pushed (!) over a balcony. There are 13 people and you have to read this to see who did what and why. Sat and read all of this today. Absolutely brilliant. 5/5.

I loved this book; what a page turner. I was quickly drawn into all of the characters and the plot and raced through it in one sitting.
I’d definitely recommend this book. It’s a great read!

The participants of an anti-natal class get together for a BBQ once the babies have been born. The group have little in common apart from their shared experience of having babies. When one of them falls from a balcony, the investigating police officer realises that they are all hiding something but what? This is a great thriller taking in a little of the social experiment side of big brother, seeing how people get on when thrown together from all walks of life, intermingled with the strong writing on the thriller aspect. I found it a great read and enjoyed it immensely. Very clever plot and a little different from the run of the mill crime thriller. Some twists were easier to see coming than others, but I think that helped. As a reader I was looking for clues to confirm what I thought I knew and got blindsided by other twists that I hadn't seen coming. It was one of those books that I wanted to keep reading. At the end I wanted more, I wanted to know more about certain characters which I think demonstrates a connection with them. Well written, well rounded and highly recommended.

"The Push" by Claire McGowan was creative and intriguing in its storytelling. I was instantly drawn into the story involving a group of new mothers, especially since I have a two month old myself. While it is a thriller, McGowan also did a great job incorporating and touching on important and sensitive issues women face today-- infertility, postpartum depression, loss, etc.

The story centered around a mysterious fall at a party. Deciphering through interviews with party guests, autopsy results, and DNA evidence, the reader, along with detectives, try to make sense of what really happened that fateful day. Was it just an accidental fall or was it more sinister and was someone pushed off the balcony?

McGowan gives insight into each woman from the party. The women all met at a group for people becoming parents. I feel like each reader will find a particular character they relate to and another one they see a friend, family member, or colleague in.. Overall, the story was a quick read for me. While some of the surprise twists and turns were easy for me to anticipate (Monica and Chloe situation), others were harder and more of a mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really gripping read, easy to get into and difficult to put down. I really liked both Jax and Alison, their characters were realistic, often humorous, and easy to relate to. A solid, pacy whodunit with a cast of excellent characters and enough twists to keep you guessing.

Thank you so much to #amazonpublishing and #clairemcgowan for this ARC from netgalley, due out in November.

I really enjoyed this and would give it 🌟🌟🌟💫

The book centres around a number of couples who are part of an antenatal class, then flashes forward to after the babies are born when there is a murder. It is one of those stories where you don’t know who has been murdered for a while and you are constantly guessing who has done it.

I liked the perspectives of the different characters in both past and present, and liked getting to know them and their little secrets. I did not guess who did it but I did guess a couple of little things along the way.

This is a great whodunnit and I would recommend it to anyone. I have enjoyed some of the previous books by this author and this one was great too.

This was a beautifully written book. The author manages to discuss so many sensitive topics with the attention they rightly deserve, from post natal depression to infertility and adoption. A great murder mystery with an undercurrent of a romance story and the formation of friendship between a group of couples that would never have otherwise met, had it not have been for their weekly group meetings.

An absolute stunner of a murder mystery - You don’t find out who the victim was until half way through the book and it most definitely wasn’t who I was expecting! I also couldn’t call the ending until the last moment - even after I had thought it had all been tied up with a bow! It was a difficult read considering the sub topics but I really enjoyed it and read the entire book in two days - I couldn’t put it down.

There are some cracking quotes throughout, but this one really summarised the entire book for me:
“This was what came of mixing people who should really stay apart”
Although, Looking back on it, I think they were exactly what each other needed.

An easy read whodunnit book about a group of people who are connected through a prenatal class. Everyone has their own issues which the author reveals throughout the book. Someone dies or is murdered it is unclear to begin with and it is teased about who is could be. Well written, easy to read would recommend

Real rollercoaster, a gripping story which had me hooked from the get go. So many twists and turns, just when you think ahhh that’s what happened another twist appears. A fantastically written book by a fantastic author. Highly recommend that this book is started with plenty of time on your hands as you will get lost I’m the plot.

I am still not sure what to make of The Push,it was a decent enough thriller but i wouldn't put into the psychological thriller bracket.Centred around a group of couples who meet up every week to discuss their pregnancies and then they attend a party thrown by Monica after all the births have taken place,but when one of group is found dead after falling from a balcony all the couples are in the spotlight,was it an accident or murder ? Every one of the couples it seems has something to hide and secrets and lies come tumbling out as the police investigate.It is a decent thriller with a good enough ending to keep you guessing,would i recommend this book ? yes i would it's not the best thriller i have read this year but not the worst either.A solid 3 star read for me.