The people at the BBQ are all from an antenatal group and this bbq is to welcome the babies.
While at the bbq someone falls from the balcony is killed or have they jumped or was it an accident .
Everyone seems to have a something to hide.
D.S Alison Hegarty who is struggling to conceive is called to the house she believes that this is not an accident .
Great read
Thanks NetGalley

I enjoyed this thriller. It wasn't too simplistic like others. I would recommend it to patrons. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

The antenatal group has a selection of characters. The rich one, the poor one, the lesbian one, the Asian one, the adopting one, & the mismatched aged one. The story begins at the house of the rich one who has arranged a get together to show off the babies- but really to show off her house. One falls from the balcony & dies on the expensive rockery. It is a bit of a mystery exactly who it is for a while. The story is told from different points of view & different timelines.

That summary gives you all you need to know about how this is written! The stereo types of the couples is not good. The story is sadly predicable & all in all I did not find this an enjoyable read. This is a shame as I really enjoyed one of Claire McGowan's Paula McQuire books & I think I was expecting something similar. However, you can't like them all. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This book was okay. There were some points where it was a little too slow for me. A baby and me group celebrate their newborns when someone falls from the balcony. Was it an accident? Was it murder? Thank you, NetGalley!

This book....amazing. Amazing. It was one of those books I couldn't put down, yet wanted to take a break so it was last longer.

I totally felt for the mother. I thought all of the characters were very well created, and could sympathize with them and saw how this could happen.

I would have enjoyed this book so much but...
I love this author's work that I have read so far..
But...
This one was too predictable for me.
I figured out who was what way before I should have.
Until about halfway through this book had all the mystery/thriller aspects that I love in a book. But after this point it got very mundane for me. I just could not enjoy it and could not connect with any of the characters.
I'm not going to go into a lot about this as I refuse to tear an author's work apart. I just didn't enjoy this one as much as most thrillers I have read. I absolutely loved THE OTHER WIFE but this one was just ok.

Thank you #NetGalley, #ClaireMcGowan, #AmazonPublishingU.K. for this arc. These are my own true feelings.

2.5/5 stars. I can't honestly say that I recommend this one but do say read it for yourself then decide if you like it. For me it just fell way short.

What an amazing story, quirky interesting characters all with flaws and a storyline that just got better and better , if you like a suspenseful gripping book full of twists and turns this certainly delivers .

This was a thrilling read full of mystery. Alison investigates when a body turns up at the reunion of a baby group no mean feat as everyone in attendance has something to hide. A brilliant pacy read.

This book was more of a domestic drama than thriller. With that said, I did enjoy this story of a 'mommy and me' group of 6 couples who came together with a wide array of backgrounds. The twists were a bit too predictable. The characters ranged from interesting to irritating, and a couple of them were downright despicable (which were meant to be that way)! I felt this had a 'Big Little Lies' vibe. I like that the ending was not tied up in a pretty bow. Written in multiple POV, easy flow, entertaining. Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing, and Claire McGowan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 Stars

The baby group party was supposed to be perfect, according to its host, Monica. It should've been 6 couples and 6 babies, but things don't always turn out as planned. When one guest falls from the balcony, DS Alison Hegarty is on the case, despite her superior telling her it was probably just an accident. Once she begins to interview the guests, she gets the feeling that things aren't quite what they seem. Through alternating narration and DS Hegarty's interviews, each family's secrets begin to boil to the surface.

I had recently read one of McGowan's other titles, The Other Wife, and absolutely loved it. I found myself really enjoying this book as well, despite figuring out the twist quite early on. The plot was fast moving and the secrets revealed proved that any of the guests could have had a reason to murder the deceased person. Not many of the characters were particularly likeable, and that made it all the more enjoyable. There were many subplots for each of the families that were well developed and interesting. I'm looking forward to more of McGowan's titles. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review.

This was my first book by Claire McGowan, and I really like her writing style. The story has many twists and turns, but I did not guess the ending. Highly recommend.

Book 7 of 2021 😊

So.. I enjoyed this one. Its a domestic drama come thriller I suppose. Its not edge of your seat suspense but it simmers slowly and reels you in. I really wanted to find out who dunnit, did anyone do it, who died, and what everyones dirty little secrets were!

It left a few unanswered questions for me and my biggest criticism is that it was very LONG (7.5 hour reading time for the ARC on kindle - I'm not the fastest reader but not super slow either)

This is just shy of 4 stars for me ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Blurb: 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.

ARC Recieved from @netgalley

Posted to my instagram www.instagram.com/what_sam_read

This was a clever concept that provided enough clues throughout the book for any reader to work out 'whodunnit'. Then, of course, as the story nears its end, the whole thing is twisted on its head and tied up in a complete different way. Claire McGowan never fails to delight with her characters, her plot lines and the execution of ideas and The Push is a great read.

The Push is my first book by Claire McGowan. I was excited to read this one after reading the synopsis but this one was not for me unfortunately. It felt like an overdone version of Big Little Lies. The start was strong! I really enjoyed the first quarter and the witty humour. I liked the range of diversity of the birthing couples. The mystery element of not knowing was who killed kept me reading. Unfortunately, the writing and story fell flat.. There were too many POVs from the different couples which also overlapped so the storyline became repetitive. The “big reveal” felt forced and was pretty anticlimactic.

I think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t read Big Little Lies. Nevertheless, it was an easy read and I would consider reading a book by this author again.

Thank you @NetGalley for this ARC eBook in return for an honest review.

I thought I had this book figured out SOO many times, but I clearly didn't. I love the kind of book I read and can't get to the bottom of quickly. This was a fun read that I just never wanted to put down. It was exciting and thrilling. I definitely recommend this book.

⭐️⭐️
❌❌

An entertaining read, The Push was my second book from Claire McGowan, sadly, although I LOVED The Other Wife, this book didn’t win me over.

The story starts in Monica’s house, the host to a relaxed barbecue party to celebrate the births of six happy couples. Sadly, the fun is interrupted when someone suspiciously falls from the balcony of the house, dead.

Overall it’s quite a classic thriller, the story slowly unravels chapter after chapter and we are left to assemble the breadcrumbs of clues to figure out the solution and gasp at the plot twists.

Interestingly, many readers have complained about some characters’ racism, sexism, ageism etc. On the contrary I found that it made the story more believable. There’s an abundance of characters, none of them are lovable, but understanding who they are helps explain why they act the way they do, and it’s not always pretty.

I’ve only rated this book 2 stars, mostly because I can’t say I’m amazed by it, it’s quite a forgettable story, and sucked my energy a little. In a few words, I’d say it’s a consumable thriller: entertaining and forgettable.

I was excited by the opportunity to get an advance copy of Claire McGowan's latest novel, The Push. I enjoyed The Other Wife, even if I didn't love What You Did. Unfortunately, I actively disliked The Push. The characters, and there are a bunch, are all hateful and toxic. The book is about six couples from all different walks of life who come together by way of a prenatal group. Once their babies have been born, the group (or most of them) reconvene for a party at the home of one of the more unlikeable characters. One partygoer is either pushed or falls accidently from a balcony. Pretty much all of the others are suspects.

Sadly, I didn't care who did it or why. Adding to the unpleasant characters, this book exudes sexism, racism, homophobia, and ageism. A huge disappointment from an author who is capable of so much more.

Not a fan of this one, all of the characters were unlikable, saw the twist coming a mile away. Not worth my time or effort.

I thought that the writing was well-done and the storyline intriguing. A great novel that I would recommend for those who enjoy easy reads.

A really interesting concept - almost a 'Big Brother' atmosphere where so many different people have come together, each with their quirks and eccentricities that make them lovable and hateable at the same time!

Although it was a little 'clunky' in parts with massive clues dropped in, it still keeps the pages turning as you become so invested in how each of the character is desperate for self-preservation and whether or not they will succeed!