The Quickening: The thrilling, feminist page-turner from the bestselling author of What You Did
Claire McGowan
Jul 2026 · Little, Brown Book Group · Narrated by Tamsin Kennard
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10 hr 29 min
Unabridged
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'A white-knuckle ride of a thriller' Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key
'An essential and chilling read' Heat magazine
'A wild and page-turning thriller' The Sun
'Perilous and gripping' Woman & Home magazine
'Highly recommended for book clubs . . . so many talking points' Prima magazine
YOUR BODY. THEIR CHOICE.
The Hope Party's new laws have transformed Great Britain: the countryside rewilded, children's rights prioritised, and births on the rise. But freedom is fading.
Karen has learned to navigate this new world, keeping her head down as her fertility is constantly monitored. As her husband's career thrives, while hers stalls. As her son is drawn into misogynist groups. Like everyone else, she's too frightened to speak up.
Until her teenage daughter reveals a life-changing secret: she's pregnant. With abortion and contraception banned, her future has gone up in flames. But Karen won't let this happen - Charlotte is going to have the life she lost.
Karen turns to her sister Isobel, a doctor who's initially reluctant to help. But when they learn Charlotte's pregnancy is ectopic and life-threatening, the stakes skyrocket. The three women go on the run, getting deeper into danger with every hour that passes. With powerful enemies on their tail, they will risk everything in a desperate fight for freedom, and for life.
The Quickening is a powerful exploration of motherhood, sacrifice, and the terrifying cost of complicity. For fans of Vox, Red Clocks, and The Handmaid's Tale.
'An essential and chilling read' Heat magazine
'A wild and page-turning thriller' The Sun
'Perilous and gripping' Woman & Home magazine
'Highly recommended for book clubs . . . so many talking points' Prima magazine
YOUR BODY. THEIR CHOICE.
The Hope Party's new laws have transformed Great Britain: the countryside rewilded, children's rights prioritised, and births on the rise. But freedom is fading.
Karen has learned to navigate this new world, keeping her head down as her fertility is constantly monitored. As her husband's career thrives, while hers stalls. As her son is drawn into misogynist groups. Like everyone else, she's too frightened to speak up.
Until her teenage daughter reveals a life-changing secret: she's pregnant. With abortion and contraception banned, her future has gone up in flames. But Karen won't let this happen - Charlotte is going to have the life she lost.
Karen turns to her sister Isobel, a doctor who's initially reluctant to help. But when they learn Charlotte's pregnancy is ectopic and life-threatening, the stakes skyrocket. The three women go on the run, getting deeper into danger with every hour that passes. With powerful enemies on their tail, they will risk everything in a desperate fight for freedom, and for life.
The Quickening is a powerful exploration of motherhood, sacrifice, and the terrifying cost of complicity. For fans of Vox, Red Clocks, and The Handmaid's Tale.
'A white-knuckle ride of a thriller' Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key
'An essential and chilling read' Heat magazine
'A wild and page-turning thriller' The Sun
'Perilous and gripping' Woman & Home magazine
'Highly recommended for book clubs . . . so many talking points' Prima magazine
...
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About the author
Claire McGowan published her first novel in 2012 and followed it up with many others in the crime fiction genre, as well as in women's fiction - writing as Eva Woods. She has had three radio plays broadcast on Radio 4, and her thrillers, What You Did and The Other Wife both went to number one on Kindle in the US and UK.
Claire McGowan published her first novel in 2012 and followed it up with many others in the crime fiction genre, as well as in women's fiction - writing as Eva Woods. She has had three radio plays broadcast on Radio 4, and her thrillers, What You Did and The Other Wife both went to number one on ...
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