I looked forward to reading the latest by Claire McGowan because I enjoyed "The Other Wife," but this title was a disappointment. The story feels like a direct play on "Big Little Lies." We start with a suspected murder; someone has fallen off a balcony at a party, and no one seems to have seen anything. So the book is set up to try to discover what happened.

The story centers around six expectant couples all attending an antenatal group. In the prologue, the couples are at a party after the births, and someone (we don't know who it is) is dead and presumed by the detectives to have been murdered. Including the moderator of the group and the two detectives, we have 15 main characters, one who's dead and 12 who are suspects. That's A LOT to keep track of. One of the detectives is Alison, who was also the detective in "The Other Wife." She has developed a relationship with her partner from the previous book and is trying to get pregnant, so this investigation is especially hard for her. Diana is her new partner, and Alison isn't really sure yet whether she likes this partnership.

The antenatal group is really too diverse. I'm completely in favor of having diversity in characters, but this was kind of unbelievably diverse for a random group of expectant couples. I think this is where the impressions come in from other reviews about the -isms -- ageism, sexism, racism, etc. Jax and Aaron are an older/younger mixed couple. Jax is about 14 years older than Aaron, and Aaron is biracial. Monica and Ed are the older wealthy couple, with Monica being in her early 40s. Kelly and Ryan are the almost-too-young-to-be-having-kids couple, and Ryan is at least verbally abusive. Cathy and Hazel are the lesbian couple who used artificial insemination through a sperm donor. Aisha and Rahul are the Indian couple with a pre-arranged marriage. Anita and Jeremy are the couple adopting a baby from the States.

All of the chapters are told from the women's points of view, even though the men are also suspects. Alison's chapters are current day covering the investigation. The rest of the chapters alternate starting 10 weeks before, the day of, nine weeks before, the day of, etc. There's one random chapter "10 weeks before the barbecue" -- I have no idea why it's labeled that way. Jax and Aaron seem to be the main characters. Many of the chapters are from Jax's POV, and hers are the only ones told in the first person -- again, I have no idea why. There is also a secondary plotline centered around Jax being accused of being a pedophile that really doesn't need to be a plot element. The entire book could have been written without it.

None of the characters in this book are likable, not even Alison, who I liked in the first book I met her in. Everyone had secrets, which I suspect is designed to create confusion over who could have committed the crime, but again, with so many characters to keep track of, it was all too much. I also find it hard to believe that the detectives didn't figure out a couple of key things that I totally figured out before they were revealed.

I had to work much too hard to get through this, and I really didn't enjoy it by the time I got to the end. I would pass on this one.

I've read a previous book by Claire McGowan and I enjoyed that one, but this one I just couldn't get into.

For me the story was just really slow going and I really couldn't bring myself to care what happened to any of the characters. It didn't help that there were no wow moments. I 'buddy' read it with a friend and we pretty much figured out the 'twists' between us long before they were even revealed.

I had high hopes for this book, but it was a real let down unfortunately.

Thank you to Amazon, Thomas Mercer and NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

I really wanted to love this book...the premise sounded intriguing. Several people from the same baby group get together for a BBQ and one of them ends of dead after falling/being pushed from the deck. Immediately everyone is suspicious, and I have to say, the author did a good job describing the luxurious home and the different characters (most of whom were totally rotten- racist, homophobic, rude, snotty, ugh). I just felt like the plot was good but there was way too much tension and the story was wayyy too drawn out. By the end I was just ready for it to be over.

3 out of 5 stars for The Push for Claire McGowan. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are completely my own.

A book to keep you on the edge of your seat. My first Claire McGowan novel went down a treat. I loved how easily her writing can be digested, great story line but the twists and turns were unique and interesting.

Fans of Liane Moriarty will rejoice at the events in the novel The Push. The story begins with a social event at an upscale home in suburban London where *someone* ends up dead. Of course, it takes most of the book to even find out who the corpse is, never mind the revelations that could lead to murder for most of the guests at the party.

Six expecting couples meet for the first time when they all show up to a meeting of a support group for new parents. The leader of the group, Nina, instructs the couples on such issues as baby first aid and what to expect during the birthing process. The couples seem to be a complete cross-section of society. There's Jax (whose story is most fully explored) and Aaron. Jax is 38 and 14 years older than Aaron, who has grown up in foster care. Cathy and Hazel are a lesbian couple who have used a sperm donor from abroad. Monica and Ed are a 40-something wealthy couple. Aisha and Rahul are an Asian couple who married after only knowing each other for a few months. Anita and Jeremy are receiving updates from their surrogate mother who lives in the United States. Finally, there's Kelly, a nervous 22 year old who almost always attends the meetings alone since her boyfriend Ryan is unenthusiastic about becoming a parent.

While the stories of the various couples are told in flashbacks leading up to the day of the party, other chapters are interspersed into the story involving Alison, the police detective who is investigating the death at the party. Alison is also currently undergoing fertility problems, so she is sympathetic with the parenting problems that the couples are exhibiting. While the people she interviews about the death all insist the deadly fall was an accident, Alison can't help but feel that every single person she's spoken to is hiding something. With her bosses eager to close the case as an accident and move on to other things, Alison must trust her instincts and experience in order to get to the truth.

The story moved along at a very fast pace, and with so many characters, there were a lot of secrets to unearth. Although the narration moved back and forth between characters and events before and after the death, it was easy to keep up with all the various characters. There was a side plot with Jax having a big secret from her past that might be coming back to haunt her. I really enjoyed the final chapter which tied up all the loose ends and explained where all the couples ended up.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free copy for my honest review.*

Someone dies at a party for an ante natal group - was it an accident or was it murder? And the reader doesn't find out who died until halfway through the book. Talk about suspense! But this is almost the only piece of suspense in the novel.

Throughout the novel, the reader follows the 6 couples from the baby group and each couple is a cliche in some way: older woman with much younger man whose pregnancy is a surprise; a newly married couple in an arranged marriage who are still trying to get to know each other; very young couple who might be in an abusive situation; a pair of lesbians pregnant from an anonymous sperm donor; a wealthy couple; and a couple planning to adopt.

Much of the novel is through the eyes of the detective who is also struggling with infertility so getting to investigate all of the new parents is a bit much for her in some ways. We also see things from the point of view of the older woman with her younger boyfriend.

While I quite enjoyed the story, it almost felt like there were a lot of stereotypes brought into play and it wasn't all necessary. I thought that keeping the identity of the person who died a secret for so long was a great way to build suspense. There were some clues early on that I caught and I was able to figure out a few plot lines before the end, but I didn't guess the big twist until the end.

Overall, an enjoyable novel for me and I look forward to reading more from McGowan.

Fairly standard but mildly entertaining mystery with a few, easily guessed, twists.

When somebody falls from a balcony at a party being held for a group of new parents who met in a prenatal group, it’s not clear if it’s an accident. The novel moves between the point of view of Jax, one of the mothers-to-be, in the weeks leading up to the birth of her baby, the police investigation, and the events on the day of the fall, told through the eyes of different participants at the party.

There’s lots of not particularly likable characters and it took me quite a while to differentiate them. They all have secrets which is somehow meant to make you think they could all have instigated the push. The prenatal group is diverse: there’s a lesbian couple, a couple who are having a baby with a surrogate in America, and there’s a wide range of class and economic circumstances. Jax, who we get to know the best, is an older woman with a much younger partner.

The police investigation, prompted by the well-worn literary device of the leader’s feeling that something is not quite right about an apparently accidental fall, is made more interesting by the two women officers reflecting on how children would affect their careers and lives.

Overall, it kept me reading but I don't feel the need to seek out any other books by the author.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

I really love domestic thrillers. Neighborhood drama is my thing. Unfortunately this book did not live up to my expectations. I was really excited when I got and ARC of this book. It sounded like it was right up my alley. But sadly the story line fell flat for me and the characters were extremely unlikable. I think that was kind of the point, but they were a little TOO unlikable for my tastes. I put this book down several times before I finally forced myself to finish it and I"m not sure if I"m happy that I did.

This was a solid read about a mysterious death at a backyard barbecue. The book features a large cast, is told from many different viewpoints, and jumps back and forth in time quite a bit. I thought I'd have trouble following the story, but the author wove the narratives together in such a way that I had no trouble following them. I also loved that she kept the chapters short. - 4 stars

An absolutely brilliant, mesmerizing rad that kept me up late into the night. It's not often that I agree with "an end I didn't see coming" - but in this instance it would be very justified!

Well written characters and dialogue, highly recommended.

Overall, 3 stars. Told from multiple perspectives, and a bit difficult to follow. Ultimately, just not a fan. None of the characters were likable, and the story drug on and on and on. Meh at best.

A good, unique storyline. An anti-natal class. Six couples with only one thing in common. They are all expecting their first child. They meet again following the births at the house of wealthy Ed and Monica. However, two babies are not there after tragedy. One party reveals so many secrets following a death. Was it an accident or a push.... A great suspenseful read with a good ending.

This is the first time reading a Claire McGowan book and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely find her other books and give them a read now.

This book was based around a pre-natal baby group and the lives of those who attended it. I found the book easy to read and was eager to progress through the story each evening. I guessed a couple of the twists before I got to them, but it didn't ruin the story for me.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this, I will go find her others books now.

DNF. Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this. I didn’t like any of the characters and wasn’t gripped by the story line.

“The Push” by Claire McGowan is a well written psychological thriller. This is definitely a favorite for me. It was so easy to get lost in this mysterious world after a busy day.

When everyone who is present at a party has something to hide, how does Alison unravel the mystery behind a ‘tragic fall’ from a balcony?

I could not stop reading until I figured out what happened.

The Push is a thriller that takes the reader through the investigation into a death at a party. The story is told through present-day and the past and also includes multiple characters' POVs.

I liked the multiple characters as it really provided a wide view of what was happening in the story, but I struggled with the overall plot. I didn't feel like the characters were well-developed, it just felt like the story was on the surface, and I was looking for more.

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

This is a very interesting book! It’s a page turner to be sure. Nothing is ever easy when you have 6 couples strangers to each other whose lives are about to become intertwined. To make matters more interesting they meet at a prenatal class! To work, don’t work, your wealthy, your poor! What happens to all of the couples? All of this makes a great book!

I enjoyed this book about the fatal fall of an attendee of a summer barbecue, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. Was this person pushed? The themes of this book are tied up in motherhood and pregnancy, and women's struggles with these matters. While this story unfolds, it follows the members of a group for pregnant parents, their "celebratory" barbecue just after the projected births of their children, and the police who investigate whatever crime may have been committed during this time. This book had quite a few twists, many of which were easily deduced by the reader. I have read several reviews that list this as a fault of the book, but I feel that surely the author meant for the reader to figure out what was going on much before the characters in the book did. As the story moved to its end, I feel like the conclusion tied up the loose ends and was very satisfactory.

Fast-paced and entertaining, this is a solid addition to mommy-noir. A good addition to collections where thrillers and domestic suspense are popular.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. The suspense to find out which guest had died from a balcony fall. There were many lies and secrets that every character was hiding. It was a well written book that will keep you hooked until the very end.