Sally Hepworth captivated me with this well written novel about family life and the intertwining relationships.
Diana is the quintessential matriarch of the family who everyone wants to please especially Lucy who joined the family after marrying Oliver. The relationship between them is strained however much Lucy tried to win her over.
After ten years Diana is found dead initially thought to be a suicide but was it really suicide and who is the likely suspect ?
Well worth a read.

This is the third book by Sally Hepworth I have read and she never disappoints. This book is told in two POV’s. Lucy, the daughter in law and Diana, the mother in law. It also goes back and forth in time as the book unfolds. It is a true domestic suspense novel and a page turner which I finished in one day. It is well written and as you read the book you slowly begin to understand Diana’s POV and see Lucy’s POV. This book also has a major twist at the end which I as the reader was not completely surprised. I highly recommend this book if you love domestic thrillers. I would like to that net galley for this ARC I received for an honest review.

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...

Not only is this a thriller - it's so much more. This book was unputdownable. I loved the dynamic of this well-to-do, flawed family. I loved learning more about Diana from her perspective, too. I thought the ending of the family ten years later tied the book up nicely!

Having read THE MOTHER’S PROMISE, THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES and THE THINGS WE KEEP by Sally Hepworth I was anxious to begin THE MOTHER IN LAW, this book far exceeded my expectations. My favorite Hepworth novel so far and I cannot wait to read her next.

I truly could not put this book down I opened it thinking it was going to be about a mother in law and daughter in law with conflicts and a son/husband who is stuck in the middle. This book touched on all familial relationships in such a believable way. For me, a good book is one that enters my mind when I am not reading it, a book I cannot wait to get back to, a book I think of long after I turn the last page. This book fulfilled all my criteria.

Lucy has a distant relationship with her mother-in-law Diana, Lucy wants Diana to be like a mother to her as Lucy’s mother died when Lucy was young. Diana is cold and difficult. As the story unfolds so does the complexities behind all the familial relationships, some are quite surprising, others are heartwarming.


This book had me reflecting on my own relationships and how things may not always be how they seem. It made me happy to be a mother-in-law to son-in-laws, a much easier relationship than mother-in-law/daughter-in-law.

Read this book, you will not be sorry and you will not want it to end.

Oh, the dreaded mother in law. There are many books about this type of beast. Hell, there are even JLo movies with this theme. My mother in law is not really in the picture, so I have not had to really deal with this, but I have had an ex or two with a mother that made me second guess what I may be walking into...

I liked this book, but it was a little chick lit for me, which is fine...but not expected. I have not read anything by [author:Liane Moriarty|322069], but I think this is a similar type of book. I used to read a lot of books by [author:Jodi Picoult|7128] and I loved how she often intertwined tough subjects with a crime of sorts.

I saw where this was going, but I had a hard time feeling for anyone...except Diana, and she was supposed to be the evil one.

Her grown ass children were spoiled little brats that never learned they need to work for what they want. I mean seriously, my parents are pretty well off with three kids, but they don't give us hand outs and doubt if I asked for $10,000 a pop to treat MY infertility they would tell me to f off. . 🙄

Diana's back story was such an integral part of why she acted they way she did and devoted everything to her charity, yet it seemed to take a backseat and I don't remember if her kids ever knew about it.

A decent read, and for some reason Tom's plot line made me cry #hormones, but overall just not what I needed.

Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this.

It's like I'm having Diane Chamberlain de ja vu' again! This was my first read from Sally and it was fantastic. Obviously by this stage of her writing career, it was an absolute pleasure to read in regards to flow, ease of character to character interaction and speech.  The premise of the story was pretty brilliant because in-law issues is pretty common amongst married couples. Thankfully, I don't have that problem, but halfway through the book I realised that Diana sounded like me! LOL. 
In the beginning, I found myself disliking Diana. Her mannerisms and personality would certainly brush one the wrong way. However, the more I got to know her, the more I started understanding her and the way she behaved.  I think the author did a marvelous job in making Diana a very much likable character at the end, it's actually a shame that she died because I would have liked to have gotten to know her more. Nettie and Patrick on the otherhand, something about them brushed me the wrong way from mid-way, especially when Nettie hit up Lucy in regards to having a child (won't say too much so I don't spoil it for you).  I can understand that she would have been upset, but that who scenario left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
And who killed Diana? All I'll say is, wow. I got so caught up in this one, I didn't see this plot coming!
I definitely recommend this one if you haven't read it yet. And I'd also ask which of Sally's books you recommend I read next if you're familiar with her work. Definitely looking like she is fastly going to become a favourite of mine

When Lucy met her mother-in-law, Diana, she had high hopes that they’d have a tight-knit, loving relationship. After losing her own mother to cancer at thirteen, Lucy was desperate for a motherly figure in her life. While Lucy instantly connected with Ollie’s dad, Tom, it definitely wasn’t the same with Diana. They didn’t have the mother-daughter relationship she’d hoped for, and over the next decade, their relationship remained tumultuous.

So when the police knock on Ollie and Lucy’s door one evening to tell them Diana has died, they’re both shocked. They said it appears to be a suicide, but when detectives from the homicide department start appearing at their doorstep to question them, it’s made apparent that the police no longer believe Diana caused her own death.

Although Lucy and Diana didn’t have the best relationship, Lucy knew Diana loved her family. So of course she wouldn’t want to hurt her mother-in-law, but there are plenty of people in Diana’s life that would. And it appears that Diana wasn’t being completely honest herself. The breast cancer she apparently was battling seemed to be nonexistent. Why would someone lie about being terminally ill?

Questions about Diana’s death remain in the air. And the secrets of this family start seeping through the cracks. If Lucy, the person with seemingly the most motive to murder Diana, didn’t kill her, then who is to blame for Diana’s death?

The Mother-in-Law is Sally Hepworth’s newest domestic suspense. I’ve seen quite a few books going around recently about mother-in-laws, some lackluster. But The Mother-in-Law was masterfully written and kept me fully engaged from start to finish. Told through both Diana and Lucy’s perspectives, “past” and “present,” a picture of both their lives, and their complicated relationship, is painted. This is my first Sally Hepworth read, but certainly won’t be my last—4.25/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

Sally Hepworth works very well by making very unique characters. I can hate and like this character. I have read a lot of books about the story of mother-in-law, but this story is really different. The story flows and makes emotions come out continuously but sometimes also changes to be happy. I cried following this storyline.
Diana is a mother-in-law and Lucy is a daughter-in-law. Everything went normally until Diana was found dead at her house. We cannot know whether Diana committed suicide or was killed or was fair. But Diana is a nice woman ... yes, maybe.
The story makes us really enter into the plot and engage with these two characters. The rest I was impressed with what Sally Hepworth had written.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy is folding laundry at her dining room table when a police car pulls up to the home she shares with her husband, Ollie, and their three children. Although there is no fanfare—no lights or sirens—it's never good news when they make a house call. The police have come to inform them that Ollie's mother, Diana, has died in an apparent suicide although they are still investigating.

Diana has always been polite to Lucy, but has kept her at a distance. It was apparent the first time they met that they would never have the closeness that Lucy had always hoped for, especially since she lost her own mother.

Upon further investigation it appears that Diana's death is a result of suffocation and everyone appears to be hiding something... But who would want to hurt Diana? She's was a pillar of the community, a wonderful wife and mother, and an advocate for social justice.

The story moves back and forth between Lucy and Diana, between past and present, and explores the complexity of relationships—especially between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. The two person perspective was brilliant, we were able to see both sides of a situation and how easy things can be misconstrued.

One of my favourite quotes was:

"I think about all my conversations with Jan and Liz and Kathy about daughters-in-laws. We'd always focused on how different they are from us, how their mothering is different, their attitudes are different. We've never once focused on our similarities. As women. As wives. As mothers. It occurs to me suddenly that there are a lot more of them."

Relationships are hard, and especially hard are the ones with people you didn't choose to be in a relationship with. There is definitely a dance that mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws do around each other. It's because they both love the same man in different capacities—one gave him life and raised him, the other shares their life with him and may even give him life (children). This book explores this dynamic, as well as looks at the relationships between a husband and wife, a parent and child, and between siblings.

This was an incredible read and I was absolutely riveted. I have nothing but effusive praise for Sally Hepworth's novel. Her characterization was rich and layered as were the family dynamics and on top of it all was a great mystery.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Sally Hepworth! She is seriously one of my favorite writers so I was excited when I received the ARC of The Mother- In- Law I dove right in and didn't come back until the very last word!
WOW the subject of the mother in law is something most of us wives deal with on a daily basis, but WOW lets just say dysfunctional. Sally gives us both point of views of Lucy and Diana and even takes us back into their pasts which I adored! It really gives you perspectives of both ladies! I really liked both ladies and really felt drawn into this book! You can see how things can be taken wrong. After reading The Mother- In- Law I kind of look at my relationship with my mother in law a little differently!
As I said above Sally Hepworth is one of all time favorite writers and if you are a fan like me you are going to LOVE The Mother- In- Law! And if you haven't read Sally Hepworth you will still love this book but dude go one click all her other books too!

Sally Hepworth is one of my must read authors...Her stories are real, her characters are real, and her writing is real. Experiece 'the mother-in-law' yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Lucy lost her mother at a young age. She had always dreamed that when she got married, her mother-in-law would somehow fill this void in her life. She craved the nurturing love and motherly advice one dotes on a daughter. When Lucy married Ollie she immediately recognized this was never going to happen with her new mother-in-law, Diana. Prim, proper and always steps ahead of the rest Diana did not have an ounce of sympathy for anyone other than the struggling refugees she helped with her charity work. Her son Ollie and daughter Nettie craved her approval only to be disappointed over and over again. Now, ten years later, Diana is found dead. The note left behind makes no sense at all. Every character has a motive. Each family member has secrets. As the story unfolds with flashbacks alternating Lucy’s perspective and then Diana’s from both past and present, it is clear that there is always another side to the story. It is sad that we probably go through most of life only seeing our one view, so sure we know what the other is feeling. Could not put down this suspenseful, twisted, family drama. My first read by Australian author Sally Hepworth and will definitely not be my last! Highly recommend.

I know most daughter-in-law, Mother-in-law stem from many reasons. In my own, it is because I knew when I married my husband, I would never be able to have children. We found out while engaged, which even then, she did not want me for her precious oldest son. We were in our early twenties; I was devastated by her dislike of me, every Mother I had ever met, except one, would have loved me as a spouse for their son. This story truly hits home for me, my mother-in-law, had the perfect father, two failed marriages, to this day, she lives in the past. As we are about to celebrate our 35th Wedding Anniversary, childless, we have been incredibly happy, very much in love, best friends! His Mother still treats me as if I am a stranger in their family. It has taken me years to get over the hurt this has caused. In this book, I do not like Diana the Mother-in-law, until it is too late! She is one of these people who had a hard time as a young woman, and let it harden her; she treated other people better than she did her own children! Shame on her. I like Lucy; she wants the childhood she was deprived of, by her Mother's early death! I understand Lucy; I can identify with looking forward, while Diana kept looking back. I find this book depressing, liberal, too much for my happy personality.
Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

“The Mother-In-Law” by Sally Hepworth is a mystery set in Australia surrounding the death/murder of Diana Goodwin, the family matriarch.

The novel is told in alternating perspectives of Diana and her daughter in law, Lucy. I liked the characters and the sentiment of the book, but felt like the pacing was off. The ending seemed very rushed to me.
All in all, this is a good easy, beach read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The is the first book I have read by Sally Hepworth, but it will certainly not be my last! I hate to compare authors, usually, but I can't help to compare her level of writing to that of Liane Moriarty. I think I need to move to Australia - apparently, they have amazing stories to tell (and can tell them in the very best way). :)

Before reading this book, I had read several very intense thriller/dramas. I thought this book was a psychological thriller, but it is not. It does contain a mystery, but that isn't what the book is about. It wasn't too intense, but it really made me think about families and how we can best support each other. It was exactly what I needed to read at the perfect time. I absolutely loved it!

Fascinating read from Sally Hepworth! This book shifts narrative perspectives and time periods. It’s a whodunnit with substance and is thoroughly enjoyable. Be nervous, however, if you receive it as a gift from your mother-in-law :)

I loved this book, even though it was not what I expected. The author did so well at really showing that there are ALWAYS TWO SIDES. While, I did find it to be a very sad, emotional read, I found that I was so enthralled I could hardly sit it down. It also had a good couple of shocks, which I admit completely got me, until the author was ready for me to see.
Will be highly recommending, as well as using in a challenge in Chapter Chatter Pub!!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for my honest opinion.

This was a twisted story about family. I really enjoyed the past and present storylines told in different voices that finally converged in the end. Great storytelling!

Sally Hepworth does not disappoint! Once I opened the book, it grabbed me from beginning to end. I found it twisty and fast paced. I liked that the book was told from the points of view of the two main characters, Lucy and Diana, and also the past and present angle brought clarity to the book. I highlighted numerous passages. I had a new understanding of Diana by the end of the novel.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an ARC.