Domestic suspense dealing with relationship and fertility issues. THE PUSH alternates in time between the weeks leading up to and after a neonatal group leader has been murdered at a gathering for the families in her birth group. The story is told from the POVs of the women in the group and the lead female detective on the case (focusing primarily on 38-year-old first-time mother Jax and the detective Allison).

The biggest positive of this book was how it discussed fertility issues and the many different kinds of non-nuclear families there are. I personally think that’s a big plus to be seen in commercial fiction, and even more in suspense where it is very rare. Unfortunately though, I thought the big reveal at the end was a letdown. The first half of the book was energetic and intriguing as you tried to put the pieces of the descriptions together, but there became a point where the two big twists were incredibly obvious and the rest of it after that was a bit of a slog.

Fantastic!!!

The blurb and cover hooked me up to make me want to read this book. It did not disappoint. I love psychological thrillers. Usually, is one or two characters that keep you entertained but this time all the characters keep you guessing and thinking. I definitely am grateful of the opportunity to read this book in advance.

Twists and turns. This is a book that will keep you guessing. There were several times when I thought I had it figured out but then didn't. Even once the big twist was revealed there were a lot of details left to come. Highly recommend. Trigger warning for miscarriage and fertility struggles.

With six mothers to be, various partners and a plethora of other characters thrown into the mix, The Push can be quite overwhelming at first trying to remember who’s who. However after a few chapters it gets easier. I did find this book to be a slow burner at first but was enjoying how it was set between present day and various points in the past. Although I had guessed the ending quite early on I still enjoyed how the book played out. I would rate this a solid 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author for the chance to review.

Absolutely loved this book. It was written much in the way of the great JoJo Moyes, in that it took a point of view from various people at the situation where the "push" occurred.
The character development was wonderfully done, but I felt very connected to Jax, because I believe she was supposed to be one of the most main characters, however, the overlap between all their relationships was very well done and very interesting.
The story revolves around the story of a woman falling from a balcony at a party, and the general consensus from the beginning on is that she was pushed. But by whom, is the question. The timeline follows from weeks before the incident to the push itself, and through the investigation.
The story, though somewhat predictable towards the end, was very satisfying to read and very well done. Bravo.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was bored from the very beginning of this story and could not connect to the characters. Just can’t finish it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my review.

This was a stunningly twisty murder mystery that I loved every moment of! The characters were well fleshed out and I enjoyed surprise after surprise. The writing was great and I can say that I didn’t see the twists coming! Who knew that motherhood could be so tough? I love that all of the characters were nuanced, flawed individuals with full back stories of their own. Strong story, very highly recommended!

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows the guests from a party where someone has died. They are all hiding secrets and it’s up to the detective to find out if the death was an accident or murder and how all the secrets tie in.

I really enjoyed this book, I liked that you don’t know who has died at first and although books that feature different characters and timelines can be a bit hit or miss sometimes for me, this one was definitely a hit. I guessed where the story was going to go pretty early on but I still found it a really enjoyable read. There’s something very gripping about the characters, both the likeable ones and the not so likeable ones.

Claire McGowan masterfully weaves several timelines and points of view together to help the reader slowly understand what happened at a antenatal reunion featuring several adults and babies where one of the attendees fell (or was pushed) off a balcony.

This was an enthralling read, and while everything was not a surprise, there was enough to hold interest.

I will read other books by this author.

This book was a tough one to review, especially as a big fan of McGowan's. My first reaction was my usual for her- loving it. McGowan is an awesome writer, and that comes through from the first page of the book. In today's market, flooded with thrillers, it's so nice to sit down with one that is truly well-written. The story was interesting, and the ways the characters intertwined was well done. However, the characters also felt a bit cardboardy, and I had worked out the twist when I was 35% done with the book. After I worked it out, I felt like I was waiting to see if I was wrong or there was something else, but there wasn't. It wasn't a book that I had any trouble finishing though! McGowan can keep you hooked simply with her writing style. Worth reading.

When I was looking for something a little bit of a thriller to read around Halloween, I found The Push.  I don't do really scary, spooky or horror so this was just what I was looking for.  The book is about a baby group - 6 couples were all in the group, all set to have their babies around the same time of the year so they were learning about everything they needed to know to be better prepared in this group.  While they all came from completely different backgrounds, they all had their babies and due dates in common.  A few of the characters are focused on a bit more than others and it took me a while to get everyone straight and their stories and all that as well as figure out who it was who ended up dead!  (The death happens quite early on but there's a lot of flashbacks and flashforwards, so beware if that kind of thing is tricky for you - I did almost bust out a notebook and keep a character guide at one point.)  Once I got about halfway through the book, everything was sort of making sense.  Well, I knew who was who, at least.  There were still several mysteries to be solved.  Some of them I figured out early, some of them ended up blindsiding me.  All in all, a quick mysterious read that left me satisfied.

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

I enjoyed this book after I became accustomed to the many characters and the chapters jumping from past to present. There are a wide array of characters to keep you wondering, as each has their own issues. They come together in a prenatal class run by a woman who is a character all her own. How it all ties together in the end is predictable in some areas but surprising in others.

Claire McGowan has written a very suspenseful mystery in The Push. Twelve people at a party but none of them see the thirteenth fall off a balcony? Or did someone push her?

We get alternating narrators as well as jumps between the day and the time leading up to the day. There are multiple twists and turns, many of which the reader will have figured out long before the explosive ending, but some are very masterfully interwoven and pop out like a jack in the box toy.

I would have liked to know if Jax was able to keep her job, but unfortunately not all little loose ends are tied into a bow.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Breathtakingly brilliant!

I loved this book from start to finish! At first it was slightly confusing as I tried to work out who had been murderer and what was happening. But, like Alison, things slowly become clear. The way the tension mounts and the story unfolds is brilliant.

So many twists and turns that keep you guessing, making connections and waiting to see if you are right.

It is impossible to say much without giving away parts of the story but I loved the characters, the clever plot, the lies revealed in every subplot, and the overarching theme of motherhood.

A masterpiece!

Thank you too NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC.

I enjoyed the premise of this book but it fell a little flat for me. There was a wide cast of characters that I never got to know. They all had various secrets to hide, giving them all potential motive, but we only closed over them. Even with diving in to more of Jax's background I couldn't get a good read on her.

Additionally, one twist was easily guessable and to me, not that realistic. At least to the extent of it in this story.

This was a quick read, I was eager to see how it wrapped up but it's not necessarily one I'll be pressing in to others hands.

Twisty, chilling and unputdownable.

This book revolves around an antenatal group who meet for a celebration following the births of the groups babies. But every couple in the group is hiding a secret and the event ends in tragedy when someone falls to their death from the balcony of the party.

But was it an accident? Or could it be murder?

The story is told primarily through the eyes of Jax, an older member of the group who lives with a much younger man, and Alison, the police officer who is assigned to the case as she interviews the party goers and unpicks the mystery.

I found it utterly compelling as we discovered the secrets each was hiding. The book explores themes of motherhood and relationships, and ultimately comes to an explosive end. I would thoroughly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ArC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good thriller that I can't figure out right away. The Push certainly fit the bill. It wasn't just a "whodunit," but also a "did it happen." A fascinating and diverse group of characters come together and their secrets start to come out after a death. Highly recommended for those who love psychological thrillers and different than the usual murder mysteries.

Thanks to NetGalley, and Amazon Publishing for the review copy.

I have read and enjoyed several of McGowan's previous novels- The Other Wife and What You Did, and have to say, this is the best one yet. Although it is set up as a mystery, detective story, it is much more about family, and relationships. What does it take to be a mother? What does a family look like?

There were some obvious parts, but on the whole, I was not positive about who killed the victim until the end. Well done.

The Push is a good suspenseful read. There’s multiple characters who go back and forth and you get their points of view. Definitely keeps moving and is pretty easy to keep up with. I found it very interesting we don’t know who’s pushed till almost the end of the book. Thanks Net Galley for the Arc. I’ll definitely be reading more Claire McGowan

SO good! I loved the chapters from alternating viewpoints AND the BEFORE/NOW timeline. It took a few chapters for me to figure out the victim, which was great. The characters are varied and relatable, especially if you are a parent, or have ever wanted to be a parent.

"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.
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."

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.