Really enjoyed this book! It was a good mystery with a few unexpected turns. The characters were enjoyable and the book had an easy flow. So many twists and turns but the book came together perfectly!

Sally Hepworth is constantly being compared to Liane Moriarty and not just because they’re both Australian, female writers. I get the comparison, they both write lighter style suspense, no blood and guts, just good old fashioned who dunnits with a modern twist that focus on domestic secrets and betrayals. As much as I love LM dare I say I love SH more?! Yep, I just did, her books are the true definition of unputdownable and there is always more than meets the eye with everything from the plot itself to the characters and their motivations, histories and secrets.

Mother and daughter in law relationships are endlessly fascinating to me, maybe it’s because I truly have such a fantastic relationship with my own MIL (seriously, she is THE BEST) but there are always highly complex dynamics between a mom and her sons wife no matter how great the two women get along, there is always something tricky about them and Diana and Lucy’s is no different. You hear from both women, Diana in the past and Lucy in both the past and present and at first glance you assume many things about them both. I’m beginning to understand that making assumptions while reading a SH book is just not smart, she’s a clever writer and has so many tricks up her sleeve. That’s all I’m saying about that.

This was pure entertainment, the best kind of read because you get totally sucked in and before you know it, half the book is over. There’s a steadily building style of suspense, the chapters get shorter as you get closer to the end and the tension is raised as well. The ending was super solid and the whole thing was unique, this really felt like something new in the world of domestic suspense and made me a firm fan of the author.

The Mother In Law in three words: Fresh, Fascinating and Complicated

When Lucy married Ollie, there were times when she liked her mother-in-law and there were times that she despised her. Ollie and his sister, Nellie, grew up in a wealthy family. Their dad, Tom, was very giving to his children and grandchildren. Their mom, Lucy, was not. She grew up having to work hard for everything and she had a heart for refugees that did not have much at all. She did not believe in giving money to people-not even her own family when they needed it. This caused a lot of hardship with Lucy. Ollie’s business was going under and Nellie was obsessed with getting money for IVF.
When Diana was found dead, the police said that it was a suicide or possible homicide. But who would kill Diana? Diana was so depressed after Tom’s death. Would she have committed suicide?
I loved this book and all of the characters! It is a page turner from beginning to end!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was my first Hepworth and it did not disappoint. I really liked that it bounced around from Lucy (the main character) and Diana (the mother-in-law), as well as between the past and the present. In so doing, the story came together in an engaging way. (I totally fell asleep trying to finish it last night!) The Mother-in-Law was detailed enough to make me care about the characters, but quick enough that I read it in < 24 hours. (I tend to like thrillers I can tear through better than those that take me a week.)

Maybe I'm just picking better mysteries these days, but this is another in a recent stretch that has some depth. Yes, there's a dead body, and an investigation into how that came to be. But this book also explores what it means to be a daughter/mother/mother-in-law, infertility, what's considered a good life, and how two people can see the same interaction or relationship quite differently. All this would give a book club much to discuss.

The Mother-in-Law was a bit predictable at times, and some of the characters could have been better fleshed out, but I really enjoyed this one and do recommend it.

(Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an uncorrected digital galley!)

When one evening a police car stops in front of their house, Lucy immediately has a bad feeling. Her mother-in-law Diana has been found dead and the police treats it as a homicide. But why? Could there have been foul play? Well, Diana wasn’t somebody you instantly loved when you got to know her, you maybe never loved her and she, on the other hand, didn’t hide her despise for anybody outside her closest family circle. Lucy remembers how she first met the old, wealthy woman, recalls scenes of her family life when, again and again, Diana gave her the impression of being the wrong wife for her beloved son. And now, the police investigate her death.

Sally Hepworth’s novel caught me straightaway. From the first page on, I was intrigued by the story and just wanted to find out how Lucy could have killed Diana. Well, of course, there was always the possibility that somebody else also disliked Diana that much - but it took quite some time until I gave up my first suspicions and then, admittedly, looked at the plot cluelessly: but who? They all hated her more or less, but rather more.

The story is told in flashbacks what makes the actual plot advance only slowly. Yet, this does not reduce suspense since the memories of Lucy and Diana alike definitely contribute to arouse suspicion. What I enjoyed most was how you directly think you know everything, have an idea of who is the good guy and who is the bad guy and how, slowly but steadily, your tower of belief crumbles and ultimately falls because the characters get more profile, other sides of their personality are shown and they become really authentic and plausible in the way they act and behave. At the same time, Sally Hepworth’s novel is often really funny and entertaining, I liked her kind of humour deeply.

The author was definitely great discovery for me and I am eager to read more from her.

I really enjoyed this book and the characters of Lucy and Diana. I almost felt like the rest of the characters weren't needed except for context. Lucy lost her mother when she was a young girl, so when she meets Ollie's mom, Diana, she wants to connect with her to have that motherly bond. Except Diana, isn't very open to that, in fact she pretty much blows Lucy off.

We get both points of view from Lucy and Diana which are interesting because we see how these two women could bond if they would only let their guards down, more so Diana but Lucy begins to freeze her out as well.

The book also switches back and forth between the past and present which allows the reader to have some context into the complexity of these relationships. I like complex relationships and what couldn't be more complex than a mother in law and daughter in law?!

Ms. Hepworth does a great job of keeping you guessing until the end.

I loved this book. The Mother In Law is mean and horrible and now she's dead. Murder or suicide? Neither make sense. Part mystery, part character study, especially mother-in-law vs daughter-in-law. It was a fast, great read.

This book grabs you and never let’s go. The description picked my interest, didn’t know what to expect and I was not disappointed. Ms. Hepworth does a great job in the chapter category, she starts each chapter with the name of the narrator and whether we are in the past or the present. I loved that, made it so much easier to follow along. The character development for the entire family Diana, Tom, Ollie, Lucy, Nettie and Patrick was done so very well.
This is such an enlightening book with a great “who dun it” mystery at the core. It also really makes you think about how you perceive a person’s behavior without really knowing or even trying to understand the reasons why. The going back and forth from past and present gave the story a wonderful background and drops little tidbits that make you think you have it all figured out and then you get blindsided. The best part of the whole story, unexpectedly along the way, you learn and follow the development of a great love story between Tom and Diana, and what a story it is.
I read this book in just a couple days, held my interest all the way thru. I highly recommend.
I was given an advanced copy from St. Martin’s Press through Net Galley for my honest review, this one gets 5*****’s.

After Lucy’s mother-in-law, Diana is found dead, Lucy’s relationship with Diana is examined. It’s no secret there’s little love lost between the two of them, but was their relationship that bad? Maybe she’s hiding something. Maybe it’s matricide. The other members of the family and even some family friends seem a bit shady, too.

Hepworth shifts perspectives between Diana and Lucy and between the past and present. It was fascinating to see how little they seemed to understand about each other, and how they perceived the same situation in different ways. All these instances build on each other to form their shaky relationship, and it makes the reader wonder if all of this could lead to something nefarious.

Hepworth has clear, concise writing that evokes sympathy for her characters and gives meaning to “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes.” I read this book very quickly because the pacing was excellent, with its short chapters and switches between characters.

I love a good story with a twist ending, and this book reminded me of Liane Moriarty’s stories that always end with a surprise.

This book isn’t non-stop action, but it’s definitely another read that pulled at me from beginning to end.

From the moment Lucy met her husband’s mother, she knew she wasn’t the wife Diana had envisioned for her son. Exquisitely polite, friendly, and always generous, Diana nonetheless kept Lucy at arm’s length despite her attempts to win her over. Now, Diana is dead, a suicide note found near her body. Before we continue, I must remind you to remember that things are not always what they seem.

Wouldn’t you like to know what happened to Diana? I did! I didn’t care for her character at all, but I really, really needed to know how she died. Was it suicide or something far more sinister? I enjoyed this story as each character is well drawn and likable, or unlikeable as the case was with Diana. I was both surprised and unsurprised by the conclusion of this story. I certainly hadn’t figured out what was going on but could, in some way, understand the circumstances and pain.

If you enjoy stories of family drama and intrigue, then this book is for you!

I was thrilled by The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth! Lucy and her Mother-In-Law, Diana, are never quite on the same page and have a contentious relationship. Told from alternating narratives between the two women you are given a “behind the words” glimpse into each woman’s thoughts as seemingly innocent or meaningful gestures are discredited and wreak havoc. As the police arrive one night to announce that Diana was found dead, more issues arise and the past is uncovered more thoroughly. To paraphrase - they spent so much time contemplating their differences that in the end they realize how much they have in common - as women, mothers, and the love they have for Ollie. I enjoyed the plot and characters, and I really enjoyed Hepworth writing style - plus the twist at the end was unexpected. I highly recommend this book. I received an ARC, and all opinions are my own.

I liked this book, and the characters were well drawn, AND there were a few twists. Overall, I found it dragged in a few places, but I would still recommend it for lovers of mystery/thrillers. Again, I liked the characters and liked the use of an unreliable narrator. I know this will be a popular title as it’s featured in Entertainment Weekly! Kudos and congrats to Sally Hepworth!

Oh my gosh! Poor Lucy! After losing her own mother at age 13, Lucy pins her hopes on a close and loving relationship with her mother-in-law Diana. However, due to a few missteps on both sides, this relationship does not go the way Lucy had hoped. The book follows two timelines as it not only looks at the relationship between Diana and Lucy but also what happens after Diana is found dead. Was it suicide or did someone kill her? And if so, who and why? The book did not feel very much like the typical twisty, murder mystery, thriller. Though there are a few twists scattered throughout so you don't completely forget that this is indeed a mystery! Instead if felt like a sincere look at familial relationships and dealing with the deal of a parent. I know that sounds rather staid, but the result was a really good solid read!

From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arms length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they'll never have the closeness she'd been hoping for. Now Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. Everyone in the family is hiding something.

The story goes back and forward in time and is told by Diana and Lucy's point of view. Diana and her husband Tom are very wealthy but Diana wants her children to make their own way in life and not rely on handouts. Some of the characters are more likeable than others. Lucy had lost her own mother at a young age, so when she met Oliver she hoped she could have a good relationship with Diana. There is a lot of resentment and jealousy in this story. I was shocked when it was revealed who killed Diana.

I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author Sally Hepworth for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reader alert: this book deals with multiple issues surrounding unwanted pregnancies, adoption and infertility. If you are sensitive to any of those topics, this is not a book for you.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth is a quick, easy read. The story is told from two points of view through most of the book – that of Lucy, wife of Oliver (Ollie) and Diana, her mother-in-law, with the voice of Nettie, Diana’s daughter, entering at the end.

Lucy lost her mother at age 13 to breast-cancer and has always longed to have a close relationship with a mother figure. When dating Ollie, she dreamt she and Diana would be close and share intimacies. The dream ended the first time she met Diana, a very private, aloof woman who keeps everyone except her husband Tom at bay. Not even warm towards her own children, Lucy realizes that it is extremely doubtful that the relationship she had hoped for with Diana will come to pass.

Oliver and Lucy, and his younger sister Nettie and Patrick (her husband), have all struggled financially from time to time through the years; buying a first home, starting a business, etc. Yet, though easily able to help them out without jeopardizing her own financial security in the least, Diana refuses each request. She believes the greatest gift she can give to her children is the ability to make their own way, wherever that way might take them. It’s especially galling to her children because no request is too small (or too large for that matter) when it comes to helping someone connected to the charity she founded. It’s not surprising that the “children” (though adults) are resentful! When Diana is found dead under suspicious circumstances, the police find no shortage of people with motive.

Though Hepworth attempts to soften the edges of Diana through back story, she still comes across as the flat, stereo-typical mean mother-in-law, which is a discredit to both the character and the author. While the author shows us pieces of Diana and Lucy’s lives that prove they are more similar than they think, it’s frustrating to this reader that those pieces are not shared between the characters. So many lost opportunities! Sometimes time changes people, and sometimes those changes come too late. This book gets 3.5 stars rating from me.

Many thanks to Jordan Hanley of St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

I finished The Mother-in-Law yesterday. It was not what I was expecting at all. For some reason, I was ready for a thriller... this was more of a family drama and a mystery to figure out who killed Diana, the cold Mother-in-law.
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This book was sad. It definitely reminded me several times of the importance of telling people how you feel, and what they mean to you.
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It has short chapters that alternated between past and present. Most of the story is told from daughter-in-law Lucy’s POV, with Diana’s POV in the past. I loved it. This was my first read from Sally Hepworth and it won’t be my last. I’ve had The Family Next Door on my bookshelf for a while and it just jumped up my TBR list.
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The Mother-in-Law comes out April 23rd. It’s one you definitely need to read, in my humble opinion!
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The Mother-In-Law is a real page turner that left me guessing until close to the end. It is told in multiple point of views and times, but thanks to clear headings and different voices, it is very easy to keep track of the story. The story is very realistic - this is something that could easily happen in actual life, which makes it all more suspenseful. Sally Hepworth is a very talented storyteller, and this book is another 5 star win for her!

I received an advance reader copy of this book.

Wow! The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth is full of sharp twists and fast paced suspense! Clear your schedule when reading this Five Star thriller for you won't be able to put it down! #Suspense #sharptwists #FiveStar #mustread #family

A really enjoyable read. I felt like a ping pong ball being smacked back and forth between the sides of the 2 narrators each time each had her own chapter - but I mean that in a good way, as they were complex characters. The ending was surprising but not unbelievable - and I really appreciated the “lessons” within the text. Thanks for giving me a chance to read and review!

I received an Advanced Review Copy of The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth from the publisher St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Lucy and her mother-in-law Diana have never really gotten along, and then one day the police knock on her door to tell her her mother-in-law has died and the circumstances behind her death are not clear cut at all. While this book has a mystery at its center, it is much more a family story.

What I Loved: I was so surprised by this book, not necessarily the ending but by how much my thoughts changed and adapted as the book went on. For instance I thought I hated the two main characters and this book was going to be frustrating to read, but then I'd learn more and be more sympathetic. This book allows characters to evolve and makes them intriguing and relatable and you see the characters you liked evolve into characters that frustrate you and visa versa, plus when you add the central mystery to the story, it goes by FAST.

What I didn’t like so much: If you're reading this for the 'who done it?', it might be disappointing.

Who Should Read It: People who love family story related mysteries ala Liane Moriarty. People who like a constantly evolving stories. People who like page-turners.

General Summary: A family centered mystery, where things are not what they seem.