At first glance, I thought this novel would be similar to other stories I’ve read about dysfunctinal relationships between family members, that aren’t necessarily as it seems. Sally Hepworth does an amazing job of making you believe that Lucy’s mother in law is cold and unfeeling, but as the novel unfolds with both Lucy and Diana’s point of views, the reader begins to see that it was all just a misunderstanding between them. However, this is still a psychological thriller so it starts off with a Diana’s death. At first, it appears to be a suicide as the note beside her states she no longer has the strength to fight the cancer riddling her body, but the reality is, Diana doesn’t have cancer. So how did Diana die? And who is responsible for her death?

I was pretty hooked on this from the start and couldn’t put it down all weekend. This novel really stood out for me, and was a breath of fresh air in a pretty repetitive genre. There are a number of characters and suspects, as well as the dual point of views, which can be confusing by Sally Hepworth manages to create an easy to follow novel, that doesn’t compromise on quality.

This one surprised me, because I started reading it and thought it would turn into a DNF book. It was plodding, and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. The amount of typos and errors made me think an editor hasn't touched it and just went to press as is. (It was bad. The publisher should be ashamed of themselves). But then, about halfway through, the story started to gel more, and got more interesting as you saw all of the events unfolding from two different views, which made me like Diana a bit more. As we get closer to figuring out "whodunit" , it gets more and more compelling. Savy readers will figure out the culprit before the unveiling, but it's still fun getting there. If the novel had been a bit shorter, this could have gotten more stars.

The Mother-in-Law is a gripping new novel by Sally Hepworth, who is a wonderfully engaging story teller. It is a story about how family secrets, hidden agendas and extreme obsessions can result in tragedy. This compelling novel kept me guessing all the way to the completely unexpected conclusion. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

When I initially began this book, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read another book about a mother-in-law that feels her daughter-in-law is not good enough for her son. Wow was I wrong!

This book has many twists and turns. It is written from several POVs. This is often difficult and confusing for the reader. However, Sally Hepworth made it work seamlessly. Her characters were well developed. She brought out the positive and negative characteristics of each. This made them seem like someone you might know. All were likeable in their own way (except for Eamon – what a jerk!)

This is a fantastic mystery. You may figure out the end but it won’t be until a few chapters from it. You will make guesses about what is happening but soon there will a nugget will play havoc with your theory.

I cannot recommend this book more. What a great read!

I received an ARC from St. Martin Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

What happens when you don't measure up to your mother in law? This book had so many questions . What was the true story? This book had one twist, one surprise, one after another. What really happened to Diana and what really happened? Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

The Mother-In-Law is a suspenseful drama with a shocking ending that had me amazed. Diana, the patriarch of her small family, is found dead in her home of an apparent suicide, but not all the evidence points to her taking her own life. The novel is told between the past and present, and between the points of view of Diana and her daughter-in-law, Lucy. As events unfold, and the past is revealed, the suspects become numerous including Lucy, her son, Ollie (Lucy's husband), her daughter, Nettie, and Nettie's husband, Patrick. But in the end, the real story develops into the special relationship that forms between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

I loved this book because I could not put it down. With real, in-depth, relatable characters, the writing was easy and quick, keeping the reader interested and wanting more. It had suspense, mystery, and love, everything you want in a terrific read. I highly recommend this book!

This is a must read! I live the writing style of the author. I was hooked from the beginning. There are so many twist and turns. Will definitely read more from Sally Hepworth.

Given the last several years' plethora of "psychological thrillers," I kind of expected to find here the usual unreliable narrator who has "done something very bad," but endeavours to conceal that from the reader as long as possible. So I was agreeably surprised to find multiple narrators, each bearing distinctive personalities, and mostly not trying to shovel fog over truth. Additionally, THE MOTHER-IN-LAW contains a number of enterprising surprises, red herrings, and a genuinely evil villain--but you have to read to discover that identity. A good beach or vacation read.

The Mother-in-Law is a story about family dynamics. I think it's been described as a thriller, but it's not that, it's really more of a mystery, uncovering the truth behind a death in the family. The story is told by two narrators, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, and it alternates between the past and the present. I really enjoyed the format of the story and the storyline itself, it kept me guessing until the very end.

I thought it was so interesting how the author portrayed these characters. Reading the different perspectives was eye-opening for me, thinking about my own relationships, and how we so often think of something in one way when someone else is having a very different experience.

Another great book from Sally Hepworth!

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book had so much potential to me and for a majority of this book I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. I actually finished this in less than 12 hours, I was that into the story. And then I got to about the last 30 pages and it completely tanked for me.

Diana has raised two wonderful kids, Ollie and Nettie, with her amazing husband and is living a very privileged life. Even though the past still comes back to haunt her occasionally she has her family and her loving husband by her side. When her son Ollie brings home his girlfriend, Diana isn't a huge fan of her at first and then Ollie and his girlfriend Lucy decide to get married. Diana tolerates her new daughter-in-law and the feeling is mutual but then Diana's husband Tom dies and Diana is sucked into a state of depression. She contemplates suicide but then changes her mind about it but yet Diana still ends up dead and it doesn't look like it was the suicide that it was staged to look like.

I was really enjoying this book until about 80-90% of the way in. I loved all of the family dynamics in this book and how Lucy and Diana finally put their differences aside and became close. And then the big "bombshell" dropped on who actually killed Diana.

*SPOILER ALERT*

First off a little back story. Every member of the family was looked at and questioned for her murder. Ollie because his company was tanking bad and he needed money, why not kill off his rich mom since he assumed the money was going to him and his sister? Lucy was looked at because of the assault that took place in the hospital after Tom accidentally drops his granddaughter and Diana just wants to smooth it over and move on. But lo and behold in was Nettie that killed her mother, all because she wouldn't give her any money to help her have her own baby. I honestly cannot say how mad I got when that was revealed, that was the whole reason she died? Because her daughter's obsession and madness about having a child of her own went that far and her mom wouldn't help her so she killed her? I understand Nettie felt like her mom had never been there for her and or didn't pay enough attention to her when she was younger and I understand the mental hit that women go through that can't have a baby but really, REALLY?

I loved this book so much up until then which is the only reason I'm giving it a 3 star review. The characters were great and the storyline was gripping up until the ending but the truth behind the murder is what really killed it for me. I will more than likely try to read other books by Sally Hepworth but this was a disappointing book for me.

The Mother-in-Law is the latest fascinating novel by Sally Hepworth. Lucy longs for a close relationship with her mother-in-law Diana, but her feelings are not reciprocated. Five years into Lucy's marriage Diana is discovered dead of an apparent suicide. The police investigate and questions are raised. Hepworth's plot takes many fascinating twists and is full of interesting characters. How horrible can a mother-in-law be? Is this a story of revenge? The Mother-in-Law is a definite must read.

The Mother-in-Law didn't quite live up to its potential for me. It's more women's fiction than mystery, although there is a mystery involved. However, by the time I made it to the big reveal, my question wasn't who killed Diana, but who didn't want to. The book comes across as preachy, and I quickly grew irritated at the number of times Diana mentions or thinks about what could feed a third-world nation. Charity is a wonderful thing, but I kept thinking maybe Diana should've looked in the mirror before passing judgment about how someone else might spend their own money. And she really needed a lesson about charity beginning at home. That aside, what most of the story boils down to is two women who get off on the wrong foot and can't seem to find their way back with tidbits of who killed Diana thrown in here and there. Maybe my disappointment stems from expecting one thing and finding another, so take my opinion for what it's worth, but this one was clearly not for me.

Lucy and Diana have never seemed to see eye to eye. Lucy is the daughter-in-law who has missed the experience and love of a mother in her life, and who desperately seeks to find that validation, guidance and close relationship with her mother-in-law Diana. Diana is the mother-in-law, who has has overcome challenges in her past, desires nothing more than to ensure that her children are self sufficient, to be the opposite of an overbearing mother-in-law, and pours herself into helping those that are not as fortunate as her own family.

But Diana is now dead, and the question is, who has killed her?

Everyone seems to have a solid motive to kill Diana. Lucy and her husband Oliver and Oliver's sister, Nettie and her husband Patrick.

Going into The Mother-in-Law, I expected it to be full of twists and turns, an unlikable mother and/or daughter-in-law, intricate plots, and deviant characters. In my opinion, I think it is incorrectly labeled as a thriller. It is a slow burning contemporary suspense which is mostly character driven. It is easy to read and digest story about a close knit family with their own relationship issues with each other and their money.

The story alternates between the perspective of both Diana and Lucy, in both the past and the present. The chapters are very short, and often leave off on a cliffhanger, which was fine by me. I truly connected with most of the characters in this book, specifically, Diana, Lucy, Tom and Lettie.

This is my first read from author Sally Hepworth, but I am intrigued by her writing style, character development, and the overall atmosphere she was able to create in this novel. I will continue to read from this author. I loved it!

5/5 stars!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the free advanced reader’s copy in return for an honest review.

Lucy’s mother died when she was young so she was so excited to have a mother in law. When she meets Ollie’s mother, Diana, she knows that they will never have a loving mother-daughter relationship. After a strained relationship for many years, Diana is found dead in her home and the suicide looks suspicious. After looking deeper into the family, everyone has their secrets. So who killed Diana?

This wasn’t necessarily a thriller like I originally thought, but I really enjoyed it. I kept changing my mind throughout the book on who I thought killed the mother in law. I definitely recommend this book!

Oh, where to begin?!? Let me just tell you: I finished this in one sitting, wrapping up around 3am. Worth. Every. Minute.

First of all, let’s all admit that mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships can be complicated. In even the healthiest relationship, it can take some time to sort out boundaries, roles, and traditions.

Readers… this isn’t one of those relationships. The best I can say is that Diana and Lucy got off to a rocky start and went downhill from there.

The story is told from both alternating points of view and alternating time frames. We start in present day where police visit Lucy and her husband Ollie to deliver some sad news: Ollie’s mother Diana has been found dead of an apparent suicide.

As the story unfolds, we discover secrets held by each of the characters, and we get glimpses of the family over time to see how relationships and dynamics have evolved. There was some crazy in this family, and all the dysfunction you could hope for.

I don’t want to give too many details about the story, because you’ll enjoy this book more if you discover events and plot points as you read. I will say that one of my favorite things was how many events were woven through the story, but not explained until later in the book… it’s somehow satisfying when pieces of the puzzle click together. The ending wasn’t what I’d expected, but once it happened it made a lot of sense and it tied up the story well.

This was a great read, and I look forward to reading more of Hepworth’s books! The publisher’s description says “twisty and captivating” and I couldn’t agree more! I’d highly recommend it for lovers of domestic suspense and other mystery enthusiasts.

Gah! This was so good! I had a really hard time putting it down, which didn’t fare well for my work life.

Hepworth fooled me again! I’m an amateur sleuth at heart, and I tried to figure out where this was going and who did the mother-in-law in. I failed on all fronts. Hey, I didn’t say I was a good sleuth.

I really enjoyed the different perspectives and time shifts that played the story out. I loved Lucy and Ollie’s marriage and how they trusted each other even when there were reasons to distrust. Absolute love and faith.

Diana’s viewpoint chapters explained so much about her and why she was the way she was—I kept hoping she’d finally explain to her children and Lucy. And Hepworth, in her own special way fulfilled the storyline perfectly
.
For fans of Suburban Suspense, this is a perfect addition to the genre and a must-read.

I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

When I first started this book, I thought it was going to be a suspenseful mystery. While there are elements of both, the novel is really more of a fictional literature style book. It explores the relationship between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law.

The story is told from both points of view and is set both in the past and in the present with a small peak into the future at the end.

Lucy lost her mother when she was young and is thrilled at the prospect of having a mother-in-law to love and admire. Diana is definitely an admirable woman; however, she is not a person who it is easy to relate to – that is, unless you happen to be a recipient of her charity for unwed mothers.

The story unfolds and tells the tale of how their relationship developed and then the abrupt ending when Diana is found dead. Then the whodunnit begins.

While I found the whodunnit portion of the book to be easily solved, the building of the relationship had many surprises for me. As they unfolded, they made sense.

By the end of the book, Sally Hepworth had woven together a tale which was a compelling one to read. I’ll look forward to more books by this author in the future.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

This is the first book written by Sally Hepworth that I have read and it won’t be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and it turned out to be so different than what I expected. The book was full of mystery mixed with family drama and a developing relationship between a daughter-in-law and mother- in-law.
The story was a great depiction of what goes unsaid between family members and how powerful unspoken words can be in relationships. I found myself falling in love with the mother-in-law when I least expected to. This story had a bit of everything wrapped into one great read.

I LOVED this book. I went into it thinking it was a thriller, but it turned out to be a domestic mystery with life lessons and so much wisdom about relationships and self-identification. I absolutely loved the relationship between Diana and her husband. Getting into her head during alternating chapters to understand her reasons for choices she made really shed light to me on why relationships are so fraught with conflict. Most people have reasons they believe what they do but until someone who believes differently knows that person's story, there is not always a way to make a person without the same life story believe or feel the same way. Lucy, the daughter-in-law, as a character reminded me a little bit of Lou from Me Without You. While The Mother-In-Law had less humor than Me Without You, I felt it had a lot of the same life lessons. I was so pleasantly surprised to feel myself so moved to tears of empathy and understanding while reading a mystery. I hope others go into Mother-In-Law knowing that it is not a thriller. To me, it absolutely was a page-turner, though and will be among my top books of 2019.

This was my first by Sally Hepworth and I really enjoyed her writing style. I thought this was fun, quick read thriller that weaved in interesting and engaging family dynamics. I thought the characters were very well developed and layered and relatable. I am very interested in reading more by Sally! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy!