I received an arc of The Mother In Law by Sally Hepworth through Netgalley for an honest review. This domestic thriller keeps you wanting for me. Going in between the perspectives of Lucy and Diana I found interesting. One wanting approval while the other wanting to show her strength. This is my first book of Sally Hepworth and it won't be my last. It's intriguing and keeps you guessing until the end. It holds family drama with a little mystery and psychological thriller as well. I love how Sally was able to incorporate drama and psychological thriller together! Would recommend this book to anyone!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book was a bit of a surprise! Of course it is a mystery and there is a twist at the end, but what surprised me most was the insight into the relationships of women...and the juxtaposition of intent and perception. I was really surprised at the depth of this novel. I expected a quick fun read, but I got much more. The twisty ending was not really as profound as I think it wanted to be, but these characters and lessons for us all make this well worth your time. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital copy of this novel.

When I first started reading The Mother-in-Law I expected it to be similar to other books I've read recently, following the ups and downs of that precarious in-law relationship. I was pleasantly surprised that it was much different than what I expected and at times there were even parts that were deeply moving. However, I felt that I never got too invested in the outcome, and when things were revealed as the story unfolded, nothing ever really surprised me - even if I hadn't completely guessed the twist ahead of time. The plot was intriguing and the story well-written, but ultimately it was a book that was just sort of "there" for me.

"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."

This title caught my attention right away, a battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law where only one wins, interesting, right? and let's be honest how many of us have had some not-so-good thoughts about our mother-in-law at some point.

From the day that Diana meets Lucy the relationship between them was not as Lucy dreamed, Diana a cold person and who often says what she thinks without fear of hurting others, was not exactly what Lucy expected to have as a mother-in-law.

The book begins with the death of Diana apparently it was a suicide, but after the investigations of the police, it is concluded that it was a murder, not a suicide as was thought at the beginning, here the secrets, the lies, and the question begin to come out if we really knew Diana. And who wanted her dead.

I enjoy reading this book, I think it is more a family drama than a suspense story. It is the first book written by Sally I read, I found very fascinating the way she used to write it, very clear and easy to read, although it has several characters the reader manages to take the thread of the story very quickly. My recommendation for this is not to wait for a big twist, but to enjoy the development of the plot that has a couple of surprises. I found it very interesting since it was very different from what I was expecting.

Thank you to St. Martin Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. #TheMotherinLaw #NetGalley

A very intriguing read that I struggled to put down, a very interesting family plot and weaved its way well to a satisfying conclusion.
A great read

The Mother-in-Law was a fast past book that had you guessing until the end. The chapters went back and forth between Lucy and her mother- in- law, and their perspective. I would definitely read more from this author.

I loved the Mother-In-Law. Every married woman can relate to wanting to get along with their mother-in-law and the strife that comes with marrying into a family. They say you can't choose your in-laws. Mother-in-Law is the story of Lucy and Diana. Before Lucy even enters the family through marriage, their relationship is tense. Lucy is always seeking approval that Diana doesn't go out of her way to give. This book made me consider my relationship with my mother-in-law and how hard it is for either side to really "win." I was hooked on this book from page 1. and didn't want to put it down. i wanted to find out what happened to Diana. I think it will be popular page-turner when it is released in April.

This was a quick and easy read told from alternating perspectives and back and forth through time. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and how the suspense built up throughout the book. Kept me intrigued to the very end. I would recommend to suspense fans and I’m looking forward to checking out more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the advance copy!

One of the best books I've read so far this year.

Sally Hepworth hits it out of the park with The Mother-in-Law. Lucy, smart, intelligent and a bit desperate for a mother's love, does not hit it off with her mother-in-law Diana, a powerful but aloof woman. When Diana is found dead, possibly of foul play, everyone immediately turns to Lucy.

Boucing back and forth between the investigation of Diana' death and the full timeline of Lucy and Diana's relationship, The Mother-in-Law is not about the suspense of Diana's death. Instead, it's a touching tale of mothers and daughters-in-laws, and how we can never fully understand another person until we've walked a bit in their shoes.

Hepworth brilliantly jumps the narrative back and forth between Lucy and Diana, revealing how their relationship became so strained, and how their differing perspectives on events lead them to making false judgments about each other.

The Mother-in-Law was a creative delight. It was not only a great character study of the family members, it was a twisty mystery. You find out at the beginning that Diana (aka "the mother-in-law) has died. The story is told from both Diana and Lucy's POV. Lucy is her daughter-in-law. In addition, the story goes back and forth between past and present. It's sometimes a bit to keep up with but it's well worth it as the details unfold.

I really liked the way it showed how Diana thought of an incident through her POV and then Lucy would see it very differently. It made you wonder how often that happens in real life. If you don't clearly explain your actions to others, there is so much room for misinterpretation and sometimes hurt feelings. Also, it was helpful to get Diana's back story. Knowing where she came from and what she had been through when she was younger helped to explain a lot of her actions when she was older.

The story involves more than just Diana and Lucy. Diana's husband, Tom and her two children, Nettie and Ollie (Lucy's husband) are also major players. There are many dynamics at play in this book. Diana's relationship with her children is often strained as she is the "tougher" parent who is less willing to give into their whims and give them money while her husband, Tom is the "softie" who gives them money whenever they ask. Nettie is consumed with trying to have a baby. Meanwhile, her husband seems to only care because she does and is rumored to be cheating on her. Tom and Lucy are just trying to raise their growing family. Lucy is staying home because she thinks she should and Tom is trying to support them all. Money always seems to be a struggle. Lucy craves a mother-daughter relationship with Diana as her own mother died when she was young. However, Diana has always seems stand-offish to Lucy. So much of their drama could be present in any family but they have some definite twists to their story.

I really enjoyed how the events of the story unfolded. I found myself smiling when I realized that an earlier mysterious event had been resolved. That said, obviously the story was tragic in that Diana dies. It's the resolution of how everything ties together that is satisfying.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept my interest the whole time and I read it in two days! I love Sally Hepworth and have read all of her books. I didn't predict the ending and was kept in suspense the whole time. Loved the relationship between Lucy and Diana. Awesome book!!

Told from alternating perspectives, this story flashes back to the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Told in both the past and present after the suspicious suicide of the former. A quick interesting read.

The Mother-in-Law delves into the relationships within families, the layers and motivations between actions and reactions.



The story in itself was good and an easy read, but I found the multiple viewpoints to be confusing. As though the author had trouble selecting who the main character of the story was. Although I know this probably wasn't the case and it was the author's way of showing the character's motivations and the complexity of their relationships, it just ... I don't know ... befuddled me somewhat as a reader.



I do have to say that I have always found books written in this manner to be somewhat more unenjoyable to read than ones that have a singular viewpoint.



I believe this is the first book I have read by Sally Hepworth, and I think I would read more of her books in the future.

Family drama and suspense at its best. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and she’s fantastic.

Really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure who the murderer was (or how the death unfolded) until close to the end, which I enjoyed! I found the MIL/DIL relationship to be heartwarming despite the fact that this book was about murder. The characters were well-crafted. Will definitely be reading more books by this author.

The relationship between a woman and her mother in law can be many things. It can also change as the relationship goes on. This is such a story. The relationship between Lucy and Diana is very interesting. The book takes you from the first meeting to Diana’s death. There are other characters of course, that adds to the story. The book holds your interest and you want to keep reading. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC copy which had no bearing on this review.

The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth tackles the usually fraught relationship between mother and daughter in law. Lucy has struggled for years to win over her mother-in-law, Diana. She can never seem to make any headway into improving their relationship. Little does she know that Diana might have reasons in her past preventing her from making the much desired deep connection that Lucy strives for. Plenty of family secrets and drama in this riveting tale. Read and enjoy!

Does anyone ever REALLY like their in laws? I mean, come on... everyone thinks their family is the most “normal”.

What if you were accused of murdering your sick mother in law? How far would you go to find the truth.. or cover the truth?

I liked this slow burner mystery. It was chilling and interesting.

I really enjoyed this book. I like books that shift between characters and this one added the aspect of switching from present to past as well. I thought it was well written and I love it when I don’t predict the ending. I was a little surprised by how things turned out for all of the characters. I was surprised that Diana could be as cold as she was, considering how she was treated by her own mother, but her actions were satisfactory explained.

4.5/5 Rounded Down.

A thought-provoking, emotionally-charged, insightful look into the breakdown and unravelling of a family.

Lucy has always had a complicated relationship with her mother-in-law, Diana. When, Diana is found dead, evidence points to her having taken her own life. But, when the autopsy reveals she was suffocated, every member of Diana's family is a suspect – including Lucy.
The mother-in-law/daughter-in-law dynamic between Diana and Lucy held a particular fascination for me. In Lucy’s case a combination of her past emotional turmoil and preconceived notions led her to make a snap judgement from the moment she met Diana. From that point on Lucy interpreted her every interaction with her mother-in-law as negative and pointed. Diana’s seemingly detached, apathetic, and indifferent personality did nothing to alter Lucy’s opinion and was further compounded by the fact that Diana’s husband, Tom, was warm, opening, and generous. In Diana’s POV it quickly became apparent that she’s not as cold and unsympathetic as she seems – rather she’s reserved, doesn’t like to be noticed or complimented, and is embarrassed over Lucy ‘s continuous attempts to try and impress her.

Diana’s views on motherhood and her relationship with her adult children (Ollie and Nettie) also made this an interesting read. Her firm belief that adults should stand on their own two feet, and that hardship builds character, caused them to feel hurt and upset. It also made her somewhat of a hypocritical given the size and luxury of her own house, the flash car she drove, her expensive tastes, as well as her summer house at the beach.

This was certainly a novel chock full of misunderstanding, jumping to conclusions, jealously and resentment. If only this family had of opened up to one another, and communicated more, things could’ve turned out very differently. I even choked up a couple of times after coming to this realisation, because that's how invested in these characters lives I was. There’s a current trend in domestic noir to make the mother-in-law, nasty, controlling and even psychotic. As much as I enjoy that trope, I liked how these characters weren’t so black-and-white. They were certainly flawed and damaged, but realistic and relatable.

Who killed Diana, and why, was an explosive surprise that I didn't see coming. At one point I worried things were heading in a predictable direction, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The last couple of chapters were a little rushed, and over-the-top, but overall a satisfying wrap-up.

This was a quick, easy-to-follow read, with short chapters told in dual POV (Lucy and Diana), using the present/past format. My first novel by Sally Hepworth was a thoroughly enjoyable experience that I recommend to all. I predict the mix of drama, contemporary, women's fiction, and crime/mystery will have wide appeal. I look forward to delving into Hepworth's back catalogue.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sally Hepworth for the opportunity to read, and review, an e-ARC of this book.

Review posted on Amazon, Goodreads, Instagram, and Auckland Libraries.by NZLisaM.