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MY REVIEW
Couples from the antenatal group, post delivery, came together for a barbecue. Someone fell. Who was it? Was it murder? Cops were called. Alison, who was struggling with infertility issues, headed the interrogation. Talk about rubbing salt on wounds…
My first book by author Claire McGowan was interesting in its premise. I liked knowing the lives of these women in the weeks leading up to the death. Each one had issues they struggled with.
But…
The story was slightly slow; there was a lot of discrimination. Racism, ageism, all the ISM you could think of, was present in the group. Unlikable characters they were in reality. That was difficult to get through. Once I started accepting the group for what they were, the plotline turned interesting.
The format of the book was good with the story jumping between the past and present. There were many details about their lives, some I thought, was to create the red herrings. I hopped, skipped, and jumped down the parts I didn’t deem important to get to the ending.
The finish was explosive and unexpected. A reaction that was sudden and impulsive. Overall, it was a murder mystery where the identity of the victim and the motive were unlocked at the end.
MY RATING
BOOK LINKS
AMAZON USA: https://amzn.to/2KJD0a7
AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/3pTE6z1
BOOK 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.
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.
BOOK DETAILS
Publication Date: November 2020
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my journey down its pages, straight from the heart. STRICTLY HONEST and UNBIASED.
All my reviews can be found here.
13 Responses
I wanted to like this one but I couldn’t finish it 😥
Ah yes many felt the same. But once you skip the parts where they are mean, things are better as a mystery
Even one of those -isms would put me off without a whole host of them! Great honest review and obviously one some will like better than others!
Ya… I kept imagining how those ladies would annihilate me for my girth… Even the cop noticed that the mom did not return to prr pregnancy shape 6 weeks post delivery 🙄 grrr…
Fab review! There is just something about her writing that doesn’t seem to work for me, and after your review I think I’m glad I stayed away from this one too.
I so appreciate your honest reviews and know this one was hard to write. All those ISM would be hard for me to get through without grinding my teeth into nubs.
Too bad it fell in the character department, sounds like it could have been a good read.
Having trouble writing on your site.
I finished it, but those isms were terrible.
Thanks for the warning, Shalini. I have this coming up to read…I have been putting others ahead of it, but have to tackle it sooner or later. Your 3 star rating has convinced me to put it off a little longer though. A fair and balanced review. ❤📚
It was not very likable. I would say you would give 1.2 stars if you decide to read it. I don’t think you like when women discriminate each other so much.
Hmm interesting and a little worrying. It was in my Dec book club box so I’ll read it but I don’t know how I’m going to react on these unlikeable people, sometimes I like to hate people, sometimes it makes me not like the book so it can go either way, I guess we’ll see. Thank you for your honest review!
No, you’re right, Shalini. I won’t be in any hurry to read this. ❤📚