Book Review: The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth

This is one of my favorite books of the year.

This is the story of Diana who died of an apparent suicide. Lucy her daughter in law has a tenuous relationship with Diana. Over the course of the book we explore her relationship. We also uncover Diana’s death which nothing is like it seems to.

This book explore family dynamics, the role of single woman being pregnant, the relationship with money, and the relationship between mother in law and daughter in law. This also explore marriage, being a stay at home mom and the role of money that affects the relationship.

It is best to go blind on this book as there are quite a few twist and turns.

I give this book 5 stars.


A review will be published on What to Read Next Blog close to publication date.

Who killed the mother in law or did she commit suicide? Everyone is a suspect and everyone has motive, after all, this mother in law is very rich and kind of hateful to her children. I enjoyed reading this Aussie novel. I am not sympathetic to the explaining away of the mother in law's meanness but I did like the story. It does come to a nice tidy end too.

The mother in law is often depicted as the most difficult of characters, resentful of the woman that now plays the central role in her son's life, a man that is perfect in her eyes, and in reality no woman is going to be good enough for him. Sally Hepworth's psychological thriller failed to hit the mark for me, perhaps it's because I have read too many stories, and I have tired of them. Diana is the archetypal mother in law, for whom Lucy is not the woman she had wanted for her son. Lucy makes every attempt to get on with her, but to little avail. Then Diana is dead, purported the cancer she had was too much. Then it becomes clear that there is np cancer, instead there is evidence of poison and suffocation. The characters did not engage me and to my eternal regret the narrative and twists just had me wanting to get through the novel as fast as possible so that I could move on to my next read. I have noted just how many other readers loved this, perhaps at another time I may well have liked it. I don't know. It was just one of those things. I would suggest the reading of other reviews before making your mind up about reading this. Many thanks to St Martin's Press for an ARC.

Lucy and Diana’s relationship has been tumultuous since they met. Diana has always kept Lucy at arm’s length, never letting her get close. In turn, Lucy imagined that Diana thought that she wasn’t good enough for her son. Their relationship is kept at a friendly stalemate.

Then came the day when the police showed up at Lucy and Oliver’s house. The day that they found out that Diana was dead with a suicide note near her body. But an autopsy shows that she was suffocated. And then there is the shocking news that Diana changed her will. Who could have wanted Diana dead?

A word of warning to those that think this book is going to be a psychological thriller. It isn’t. Not even close. It is a mystery, though. I did think that the mystery part of this book was very well written. The author did a fantastic job at keeping who killed Diana under wraps. I did think it was another person until the chapter where the murder was seen through the killer’s eyes. Who the killer was surprised me. Why that person killed Diana didn’t.

I loved watching Lucy and Diana’s relationship evolve. While Diana was standoffish at first, I did wonder how she felt about Lucy as the book went on. My questions about her feelings were answered when the author started writing the chapters from her perspective. The author did a fantastic job of showing how complex a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship was. It also showed how a bad relationship can turn good.

When Lucy was first introduced in the book, she rubbed me the wrong way. She wanted an instant, loving relationship with Diana. Which I thought was ridiculous. She read into situations with Diana the wrong way and assumed things. But, it was after that confrontation at the hospital that I started to like her. My liking of her grew with what she did at Tom’s funeral. The secret she carried about Diana was a huge one. In the end, though, Lucy was the one who kept Diana’s dreams alive.

I did think that Diana came across as cool, calm and not that interested in Lucy. Her words during the dress fitting were cruel. But once the author started writing from Diana’s POV, I understood why she acted the way she did. I did think that she overstepped her bounds a couple of times (I mean, who brings a raw chicken to a nursing, new mother???). But her heart was in the right place.

I did think that Diana’s relationship with her children was odd. She did love them but believed in tough love. Her kids were not allowed to borrow any money (for anything). Even when they were drowning in debt or needed it for IVF. I do think that her tough love approach put a big rift in her relationship with her kids.

The end of the book was shocking. I was surprised at who killed Diana and why. But, at the same time, my heart broke for that person. The very end of the book, which takes place 10 years after the fact, was eye-opening. I liked seeing what happened to the main characters after the story ended.

I gave The Mother-in-Law a 4-star rating. This is a gripping mystery that explores family bonds and secrets. The characters were relatable. The plot lines were well written. My only issue with the book was with who killed Diana and why. But, it was more of a personal bitch than anything. It didn’t affect my rating.

I would give The Mother-in-Law an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is mild violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be the h of a parent, death of a spouse, forced adoption, ALS, assisted suicide. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Mother-in-Law. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Mother-in-Law.

All opinion stated in this review of The Mother-in-Law are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

In a typical Sally Hepworth fashion, this book was an other emotional roller coaster read. I loved how it ended and would have never figured it out.

Let me be clear that yes I know this is fiction and an author can choose to write her characters the way she wants. But this was an issue book with characters vs a book with characters who have issues. I prefer the latter. If the author is going to write an issue(s) book then I’m going to comment on what I disliked about her stance on those issues.

We are told from the start that Diana, the mother-in-law, is dead of an apparent suicide but the police have their suspicions that it was murder, not suicide.

From the blurb: “She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice who helped female refugees assimilate to their new country.” But she was not well-loved by her family and for good reason. I don't require my characters to be likable, but if they are unlikable they'd better have other redeeming qualities. Or make them sympathetic. Or funny. Diana was none of these.

The author tried to generate sympathy for her and while I sympathized with what happened to her in the past it was no excuse for her behavior in the present. She was cold and mean-spirited, even to her own children and grandchildren. She had money, but found money distasteful and judged everyone accordingly. Diana was just a vehicle for the issues the author wanted to highlight. Money is bad. Being poor is good and will make you happy.

Money is not the root of all evil. The love of money is the root of all evil. Money in and of itself offers people choices, and can be used for good. But not to Diana. She was a stingy miser who refused to help her children, even when they were clearly hurting and in need. Plus she was mean-spirited and hypercritical of everything they did, even to the point of openly criticizing her future daughter-in-law in public for spending too much money on her wedding dress, a dress she wasn't even paying for.

Instead of making sure her own children would not suffer from being unloved as a child, as she was, she repeated the pattern. But she's only cold and unloving to her family. She had no problem showing love and concern for strangers or giving them a helping hand. They got her attention and her money, while her own family did not. Little wonder that her own grandchildren were unmoved by her death.

I also felt the author trivialized severe depression, even to the point of intimating that assisted suicide is a valid option, instead of ensuring the person received the psychiatric help they needed (btw, this is NOT a spoiler, there are a lot of characters, twists and turns, and red herrings).

There were dramatic personality turnarounds in characters that were absurd, and behavior that made no sense. Other characters, like her husband, were undeveloped. I, for one, needed to know why he married Diana in the first place.

This was definitely easy reading and the first 75% was interesting enough for me to continue. But it fell apart in the last 25%.

2 stars because I finished the book and did want to know what happened to Diana. I shouldn't have bothered.

Bravo! This book is amazing! I thought I would take a few minutes and start this book , well a few minutes turned into 3 hours. I just could not put it down. The characters were believable and had so many layers which made them seem like someone you know. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

A very enjoyable read about complicated family relationships. A few twists and I didn't guess how the storyline would unfold. Well worth a read

Sally Hepworth knows how to grab your attention right from page one and this one is no exception. A suicide- or was it a murder?- and multiple possible suspects kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. Highly recommend.

A novel about the complicated relationships between parents and adult children, but more importantly between a woman and a mother-in-law.
When the mother-in-law shows up dead (a suicide?) and the only person to have bad words to say about the dead is the daughter-in-law, suspicious eyes follow the trend. deep family secrets come out from every crack as the story develops. The results leave two women dead and a family fractured.
Highly recommended for anyone to read!

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars for The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

Add this to your TBR list now - you will not regret it!

This book has it all - a mystery that will keep you up past your bedtime, deep character development, and is realistic enough that you feel as if you know the characters.

I LOVED this book - I can see it being a top read of 2019.

Many thanks to the publisher and net galley for the ebook in exchange for my honest feedback.

Definitely a decent novel, although it started getting a bit silly towards the end with characters not seeing what's in front of their noses. However, not a bad read at all, recommend moderately.

This book kept me on my toes. Well written and developed, the plot line is both suspenseful and entertaining. I couldn't stop turning the page. I loved the drama and the characters. I am now a true fan of the author. Excellent.

I couldn’t stop reading this book. Wow! Right from the beginning, this book grabs you and never lets you go. Told in alternating perspectives this book will take you on one of the most thrilling rides with all the twist that it has. I don’t regret reading this and I now know why Hepworth is praise for her exceptional stories. This book is not predictable at all, you will be shocked and surprised with all the unexpected secrets that start to come out into the light. I continuously kept saying, “I never saw that coming.” The unforgettable characters are also one of the best parts of this book, I really felt every single detail with Diane and Lucy. I understood their feelings in some weird ways but it made me feel connected to the story. Overall, if you like reading thrillers pick this one up because it won’t disappoint. Thank you St.Martins for sending me an early copy of the book.

I really enjoyed the format of this book as it switched from the mother-in-law- to her daughter and daughter-in-law. One usually does not get the mother-in-law's perspective on her family. There are quite a few twists to keep threader engrossed and I would highly recommend this book.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVED! 5 stars! This is my second novel by Sally Hepworth and she is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors! My goal for 2019 is to go back and read some of her earlier novels. Hepworth’s writing and character development is on point!

The Mother-in-Law was told from two points of view, Diana the mother-in-law and Lucy, the daughter-in-law. I loved watching the two women’s relationship evolve and change over the years.

Everything I want to say right now about The Mother-in-Law would be giving up the true brilliance of the story. This is a must read, absolutely superb!

***Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of Sally Hepworth’s The Mother-in-Law, in exchange for my honest review.
*** Will post to Goodreads one month before release and book seller sites on date of release.

This is a dual narrator book that keeps you thinking.

There is Lucy, the daughter-in-law and Diana AKA 'the mother-in-law'. The description will tell you that Diana is dead. How she got there is the point of the book. It is not your typical domestic suspense where at least one character is flat and stereotypical. Both narrators are well thought out and developed. This lead to me reading into the wee hours on a work night because I soo wanted to know what happened.

The book also takes you to the past and the present as you learn how Diana came to be dead. This allows you to see how the family grew and changed and to see how what you THOUGHT you knew was really just one person's version and the other's is very different. Is different a bad thing or just two women who came from different generations and each had circumstances in their life that the other was not aware of.

Definitely recommend. Thank you Netgalley.

For those doing any travel or vacationing, read The Mother-in-Law. I made the mistake of starting The Mother-in-Law on a Sunday night and it made me preoccupied all through the work week. I did not want to put it down. This book flows very well and has great character development. What a page turner! If you like family dramas with some mystery - this is for you!!

Diana is a mother and mother-in-law...not the easiest person to get to know or love. Lucy lost her mother at a young age and would love nothing more than to have Diana fill that spot she so needs.

I loved this book....family dynamics at its best! The writing was flawless. Told in Diana (mother-in-law) and Lucy (Daughter-in-law) past and present voices. You really get to see the personalities and the makings of these woman and the people they love. The story switches seemlessly from each voice and tense....making this book so hard to put down. Your heart will break for each character...misunderstood, wanting and fierce. This is a book about family; the good, the bad and the ugly.

I loved Ms. Hepworth’s writing since I’ve read The Things We Keep was one of the saddest and beautifully written books. She writes about family dynamics and scenarios with honesty and caring and a twist! Warning: clear your calendar before picking up any of her books...you will get nothing done until the book is finished!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Ms Hepworth for this ARC. Opinion given is my own.

The very nature of those words conjures up all kinds of emotion. For some, the emotions are hysterical and not in a good way. For others, the emotions are "they're okay" and for others "you're my husband's mother, but stay away from me." However, for Lucy try as hard as she could, she didn't get along with her MIL!!! Relationships are difficult, at best. Between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, even more so. As we read on, we learn, through past and present stories of both Lucy and Diana, what in their lives make them the women they ultimately become. But when Diana turns up dead, that is another story entirely.

As the novel evolves, you appreciate the character development. The book is hard to put down, as I've read it in one day. The writing is superb, the depth of all the characters is spot-on, you can see what makes them tick. A highly recommended novel! My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.