This is a really well written suspenseful mystery/ drama. Personally, it gave me a sense of paranoia while also keeping me really engaged. I will say that it started out slower than I would have liked, but it quickly picked up. You must give it a chance to build! The character development was spot on. I recommend this to other lovers of suspense.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Each chapter goes back and fore past and present between Diana (mother in law) and Lucy (daughter in law) the characters were really interesting and the twist at the end was not expected at all. I have all of sally Hepworth books in my kindle stash so will be reading them next. And I will be looking out for her books in the future. This was a great psychological thriller I couldn’t put down
Thank you so much netgalley

The problem is it's so easy for a mother-in-law to get it wrong. It seems there is an endless list of unwritten rules. Be involved but not overbearing. Be supportive but don't overstep. Help with the grand kids, but don't take over. Offer wisdom but never advice. Obviously, I haven't mastered this list. The most frustrating part is that it's nearly impossible for a father-in-law to mess it up. He has to be welcoming. That's it. People have higher expectations of a dog.

The dreaded word Mother-in-Law. It encompasses so many emotions but this relational thriller puts it all in perspective that you are dying (no pun intended) to see this to the end. Lucy's mother died while she was quite young and so missed the relationship of a mother to care, support and to cherish her. When she married her husband Ollie, she had great expectations in a mother in law. Meeting Ollie's mother Diane, Lucy expectations came to abrupt halt. Diane is not the lovey, feeling type. She is reserved and believes people should work hard and nothing be given. She believes her children should work hard, while her husband is the complete opposite. Lucy and Diane's may appear to have many contrasting ways between them but in some ways, they are very similar to the core. I think that is what makes this relationship so riveting.

The narration goes back in forth from Diane to Lucy from past to present. The plot is set up when Diane appears to have committed suicide. The family is shocked. But then the truth slowly unravels to the true character of Diane and those that supposedly love her. Her two grown children and their families have a different take on their mother which begs the question, do I know her. When the police deem the death as murder, the relationships show their true colors. The secrets, the lies, the deceit, and who really killed Diane and why.

A riveting family thriller.

A Special Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest revie

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the advance copy of The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth.
This was my first Sally Hepworth book,but definitely won't be my last.
I absolutely loved this book. So fast paced and had a major twist I didnt see coming. This was not like other thrillers that have been coming out lately.
The story was so different and I loved the different POV that told the story. It switches back from then to now and makes the story so interesting.
I would definitely recommend picking this one up when it come out in April.

The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth, an Australian novel which will be released in North America on April 23rd, expertly blends mystery and suspense with juicy domestic fiction. It chronicles the fraught relationship between Lucy and her mother-in-law Diana. We know from the beginning that Diana has an untimely death, which the police are investigating as a homicide, but how did it get to that point? The narrative drifts back and forth between Lucy and Diana, as the tension between them reaches a crescendo. It’s a fantastic page turner that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty.

Sally Hepworth is becoming a must read author for me. I expected a well written thriller - evil mother in law gets whats coming to her - but this book is beautiful and so much more than a standard thriller.

All the characters are flawed, but Hepworth does a deep dive on her characters and makes their baggage and scars make sense. She manages to make the seemingly cold, unfeeling Diana incredibly sympathetic and I loved how her character evolved.

There's plenty of twists to keep the reader entertained as well.

What a wonderful book. Sally Hepworth is a new author to me but you can bet I’ll go back and read her other books. This story was told from the point of view of both Diana, the mother-in-law, and Lucy, the daughter-in-law. And it jumps from past to present. Oh how much time is wasted not explaining the meaning behind a certain act, or a certain gift. Or indeed just explaining your actions. Lucy and Diana seem to have spent their time misunderstanding each other.
This becomes a family drama/thriller when Diana is found dead of an apparent suicide which quickly turns into a murder investigation. And everyone is a suspect because each member has approached Diana wanting something. I loved this book and found myself reading it at every opportunity. The characters were well fleshed out and the storyline was compelling.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

The story starts with death. So no surprise there. Lucy's mother-in-law, Diana is dead.

I initially thought it was going to be a who done it sort of book, but its not.
It is more of family dynamic book about relationships.

I enjoyed reading about the characters' points of views in different chapters.

The story was inseresting to me, how different people think and their points of view how a situation can be vastly different in one's head.

I thought Diana was interesting in the way she thought about things and told from her point of view she wasn't as cold as others thought she was.

So while the story was not what I expected, it held my interest to finish it. 4 stars

Thanks for the ebook arc in exchange for an honest review rom Netgally
#mother-in-law
#netgalley
#sallyHepworth




**back cover-Someone once told me that you have two families in your life - the one you are born into and the one you choose. Yes, you may get to choose your partner, but you don't choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all.

From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they'll never have the closeness she'd been hoping for.

But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something...

From the bestselling author of The Family Next Door comes a new page-turner about that trickiest of relationships.

The Mother-in-Law was a complete surprise to me. Also, I'll admit: this is my first book by Sally Hepworth, whose name has been hovering on the periphery of my reading conscience for a while.

Without giving away too much plot elements, let's just say: Lucy's mother-in-law is dead, and there's reason to suspect that any of her children or their significant others might be responsible.

What I loved about this book is that I didn't have it figured out, but Hepworth kept me guessing with an intriguing past & present storyline, as well as characters who were way more complex than I suspected at face value.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Lucy meets her mother-in-law, Diana when she and her husband Oliver are dating. She is cold and never warms up to accepting her into the family. Now Diana is dead, found with a suicide note. She was a pillar of the town and everyone thought she was wonderful. Now the police think murder and just about everyone is the book is on the suspect list. I've read several books by Sally Hepworth and she always puts out a good family saga. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always an honest review from me.

Like:
- Shows an in depth, true to life look at the mother in law relationship
- The mystery: introduced in the beginning, holds the story together throughout, and a satisfying ending if I do say so
- The family drama is so relatable
- Shows a caregiver and chronic/fatal illness relationship
- Not at all what I thought it would be, but so much better
- Multiple main characters, so there are at least one character (or more) that you can really relate to

Love:
- A wonderful exploration of people and their lives. No character was exactly what you thought they would be or what the other people thought they would be. Everyone has secrets - not necessarily in a bad way - but things they keep to themselves.
- Drew me into the story and I had to find out what revelation would occur next
- The writing - interesting and easy to follow but not too simplistic
- People are always more than you think

Dislike: —

Wish that:
- The caregiver and chronic illness relationship was shown more - great opportunity to explore this

Overall, a wonderful read about the human experience paired with a mystery that occurs throughout. The combination of these makes for an intriguing captivating read. I definitely recommend giving The Mother-In-Law a read!

This was my third Sally Hepworth book that I have read and I've forgotten how well she writes. Sally makes you a part of the book, you even start liking characters that are not really likeable but she makes you see their point of view. I would have liked to learn a bit more about Diana and how she turned out much colder than the Diana that we meet when she is pregnant for the first time. I enjoyed all the characters ( I loved Tom!!!) and especially how Lucy connected with Diana at the latter part of the book. It is true that most of us don't have a good relationship with our Mothers-in-law and this is book is told from both sides of the coin. Great writing by Sally Hepworth and really a book worth recommending to all my friends

I was surprised to find that I really loved this book. When I first started this book, I thought It would be a predictable read. But I was pleasantly surprised to find really well developed characters and twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. At times you hate each character, and then you all of a sudden love them. It’s a rollercoaster and you won’t regret reading It!!

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this arc.
Lucy is getting married and is desperate for her mother in law to like or even love her as her own mother died when she was quite young.
After her marriage to Adrian it becomes clear she is not going to have that loving relationship. Actually her mother in law doesn't seem to have a loving relationship with any of her own children either.
This is a psychological thriller that I'm not going to say too much more about except it's well worth a read. Didn't see that ending coming!!

Secrets, silence, and suicide…. Or is it murder? Everyone is a suspect when money is the motive!
Nothing makes me turns pages quicker than drama between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. But things are NOT as they seem. You won’t be sure who you are rooting for until the very end.
AMAZING story by Sally Hepworth!! HUGE thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Hepworth for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a book you won’t want to miss. Make sure to pre-order your copy before its release date April 23!!

This book was interesting. I really liked how you got both Diana and Lucy perspective. I also like how you went back and forth between the past and the present. There were surprises that's for sure. This was well written. I believe everyone wishes they could go back and change somethings, in this book you see what should have been done a certain way but wasn't. This whole family dynamic was interesting to follow and see how everyone unraveled.



*I received a free copy of this book via the NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

The Mother-in-Law is my first book to read by Sally Hepworth. I must say that I will be reading every book she writes. I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down and was sad to finish it. I loved the way the story unfolded and did not know how the story would end. Hepworth’s writing style kept me eagerly awaiting each development in the story.

Really enjoyed this! Part thriller, part examination into family relationships, the Mother-in-Law begins with a death and is from then on told from the alternating viewpoints of the daughter in law Lucy and her titular MIL. The story switches seamlessly between the past and present and I found both timelines equally compelling - how did the death happen? How did the family even get to this point? Sally Hepworth has captured family dynamics well - you really feel for Lucy as she tries to find her place in her new family. Great pacing and the end reveal is very well done. Recommended, thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved this book! The Mother-in-Law was not what I expected reading the description. I felt like it was going to be a tense, psychological story about a crazy Mother-in-Law, probably with a murder thrown in. While there is a mystery at the core, the story is really a study in relationships. The story is told from the parallel perceptions of of Lucy, a young mother, and Diana, her imposing Mother-in-Law. The story shifts from present to past to explain their fractured relationship.

There is a death, and a mystery surrounding it but, I felt that it took a backseat to the relationship between the two women. Diana is a difficult woman and complicates this by not communicating with Lucy. She somehow never explains the backstory which would have helped Lucy understand her better.. For her part, Lucy feels criticized at every turn.

The book is very well written and engaging. I highly recommend it. .

5 out of 5 stars

First off I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

To be honest when I first started reading this I was not sure how I was going to like this because I was expecting this to be more of a psychological thriller but this is more of a family drama, mystery. I needn't worry though as I was hooked almost immediately.

The story is told through the POV of Mother-In-Law Diana and Daughter-In-Law Lucy. Told in past and present Lucy and Diana lure you in with their story. You find yourself understanding each woman more and more as the story goes on and your heart breaks as the women's relationship is pulled apart because of misunderstanding. I did not agree with most of Diana's choices but I understood why she made many of them.

As I said this is definitely more of a family drama with a mystery thrown in. I do think you will be able to figure out the guilty party pretty quickly but then again I don't think it matters. The story is really all about the two women.