Not what I expected, which only made me love this book SO much MORE!
An incredibly well written story high-lighting the relationship between a mother and her daughter-in-law, but also touches on the lives and aspects of the whole family. The novel starts with Lucy and Ollie (her husband, Diane's son) being told that Diane has been found dead in her home and it appears to have been suicide, but murder cannot be ruled out. The narrative switches between Diane (mother-in-law) and Lucy (daughter-in-law), and between the past and the present which adds so many layers and depth not just to the story, but to the characters as well, which I loved! I felt invested in Diane and finding out what happened to her, and in Lucy with her relationship with Diane. I found myself loving both characters and disliking both characters at different times throughout the novel, which is an incredibly difficult thing for an author to do! The story unfolded beautifully and had me captivated the entire time. I will absolutely be recommending this one to friends and family. Can't wait for its release!!

You always hear about the complicated relationships between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. This book takes a look at one such relationship and how its dynamics affect the rest of the family.

Lucy is looking forward to meeting her future mother-in-law and, thinking of the things she missed out on with her own mother passing away when Lucy was a child, looking forward to the relationship she hopes they will have. However, Ollie's mother, Diana, is not the warm and fuzzy person she was expecting and things between them are strained from the very beginning, especially after Lucy overhears Diana referring to her as "just fine" (fine??? ugh).

Flash forward five years to present day; Ollie and Lucy are happily married with three children of their own. They receive shocking news from the police one night; Diana has been found dead in her home from an apparent suicide. Over the next week, they come together with Ollie's sister, Nettie, and her husband Patrick, to plan the funeral and attend the reading of the will. Meanwhile, the police keep questioning all four of them because it seems that Diana's death wasn't actually a suicide...

I loved this book! Alternating between past and present and between Lucy and Diana's points of view, it gives an interesting look at the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, as well as parent and child, in-laws in general, husband and wife, and friends and colleagues.. Maybe things aren't as bad as they seem? Or maybe they're worse than you thought? There is a bit of mystery, especially surrounding Diana's death, but this isn't a thriller. It's more of a slow build with some fantastic character development. I would absolutely recommend this - 5 stars from me!

I received a ARC of #The Mother-In-Law from #NetGalley, #St. Martin's Press

Dianne the mother in law of Lucy is found dead in what is thought to be a suicide. Evidence found points to murder rather than suicide. The story is told from multiple points of view, which I enjoyed. This story will keep you guessing until the end.

I read this novel hoping to get a new take one a familiar theme. Most times you're disappointed. But this twisted thriller hooked me and dragged me through to the end. I was pleasantly surprised. Solid, all the way through.

7777
I would like to thank the publisher, author and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..
This was a fabulous read that is going on my top 10 list for the year. I’m so glad I started it on a holiday as I could not put it down. A domestic thriller that traces the contentious history of a woman and her mother in law that just happens to end in murder. The story is set in Australia and does an excellent job of portraying the complex dynamics and hidden secrets of family.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Net Galley and St.Martin's Press.

An interesting story and a good mystery. From the start, we know the mother-in-law is dead, so suspense is not expected.

I will start by saying that I gave an amazing relationship with my mother-in-law—she couldn’t be more loving, supportive and kind and I am thankful for her every single day. Having said that, there is something fascinating about the relationship between a woman and her mother-in-law. It starts when the women are mature people, set in their ways. The boundaries of the relationship are ill defined and nebulous, so easy to step over by accident or on purpose, bruising feelings irrevocably.

I’ve been a fan of Sally Hepworth since I read her beautiful book, The Things We Keep, and with her newest release she has finally achieved that high bar again. This Mother-In-Law is a completely different book, more domestic suspense than women’s fiction, but equally enjoyable. I devoured it in two days, fiendishly turning the pages to figure out what happened to Diana, which or her family members was involved in her death and why. This is a book for anyone who loves a twisty turny suspense novel, who loves well developed characters and believable motivations. I loved every minute and I can’t wait for her next book.

The Mother-in-Law was a quick, enjoyable read. I wouldn’t consider it a thriller really. There wasn’t much tension or intrigue. Just a lot of extra details about what the children were up to, or tattling on each other for too much screen time. I did enjoy the differing perceptions between Lucy & Diana of some of their interactions. I felt there were a lot of unnecessary and distracting details in this book.

What a fantastic book!

At the beginning, it got a little bit confusing going back in the past and then bouncing back to the present, especially a couple of parts that were in the past and the scene/day seemed to jump to another unrelated one in the next sentence, but this is an un-corrected proof, so maybe that’s not the case in the final product. Regardless of that, this was a great read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a satisfying book.

You don't have to have ambivalent feelings about your mother inl aw to have strong ones about Diana, the eponymous woman at the center of this thoroughly engrossing and well-written novel that abjures the currently fashionable trend of unreliable female narratives in favor of creating complex, multidimensional characters who have different but equally understandable perceptions of themselves and the events that drive the plot. While Diana and Lucy, her daughter in law, are the most vividly drawn characters in the novel, the other members of this family are also fully realized - their dreams and expectations as well as the central relationship in the book, are brilliantly depicted. Although a death is at the center of the plot, it's the lives of this middle class Australian family that drives the narrative to its denouement.

A story of a dysfunctional family, murder, suicide and money. I was hooked on the first page. When I was forced to put it down because of life things happening I was very frustrated until I could get back to it. More twists and turns than a mountain road kept the story fresh throughout. A must read for all mystery fans.

I enjoyed how this book was told from the viewpoints of the women involved but it was frustrating to see how much mis-communication occurred in this family. I was also very disappointed in the ending.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth is a mystery/thriller novel about one woman's complicated relationship with her mother-in-law that ends in murder...

From the moment Lucy met her husband's mother, Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Lucy wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

Chapters alternate between past and present from the POV of Lucy, the daughter-in-law to Diana, the mother-in-law.

The story is set in Melbourne, Australia. Lucy is married to Ollie with three young children. Ollie's parents, Tom and Diana, and a sister Nettie and her husband, Patrick, complete the family package. One big happy family!

That was five years ago.

Now, Diana has been found dead, a suicide note near her body. Diana claims that she no longer wanted to live because of a battle with cancer.

But the autopsy finds no cancer…but does find traces of poison and suffocation.

Who could possibly want Diana dead?

Why was her will changed at the last moment to disinherit both of her adult children and their spouses?

In The Mother-in-Law, the under minding characters, the mystery and the storyline all came together like a jigsaw puzzle, to deliver a gripping family drama about family dynamics and the shocking secrets that come to light.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for my digital copy.

Another can’t put down book by Sally Hepworth! A relationship with the mother-in-law can be tricky. And it’s sometimes built on what we think we know....but what about the things we don’t know? Hepworth’s style of having the chapters focus on either the MIL Diana or the DIL Lucy has a way of bringing past and present together in an unusual, compelling way. This book is more than a psychological thriller...it’s a compassionate story of lives. Well worth the read...I definitely recommend it! I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and publisher in return for an honest review, which this has been.

This was a really good book, but a little slow. I usually can read a book in a few days but this one took longer because it didn't really draw me in, I enjoyed the characters but a little confusing with the back and forth. Surprised at the end but wasn't one of my favorites.

I absolutely loved this novel. Ms. Hemsworth created such well rounded characters. I love that each chapter is from a different angle and character. At first, I wished Diana would have told more of herself but it left a bit of mystery. 5 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley for for ARC. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book from it's title. It was an interesting read. At first, Diana seems cold-hearted and ruthless. But as the story develops you see there are many layers to Diana and why she is the way she is. Does she love her children? Without a doubt and the decisions she makes may be harsh but she is trying to prepare them for life. Talk about tough love. I recommend this book. A good read and kept my interest.

A unique thriller told from several character viewpoints and time frames. This storytelling was a addictive slow reveal offering little peeks at the characters and their relationships. It made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what happened to Diana, the mother-in-law and it illustrated all the things we don't know about people, even our own family. This was a Ruth Rendell-esque psych-thriller. I can't wait to see what Sally Hepworth will turn out next.

OMG!! I really loved this book. It goes to show how people can see different situations in different ways. Was very entertaining and I would recommend whole-heartedly!!

‘The problem is it’s so easy for a mother-in-law to get it wrong.’

Lucy wanted to please her mother-in-law Diana, but, how could she? Diana kept her at arm’s length: polite, but remote. And Diana was one of those near perfect women: prominent in the community, an advocate for social justice, a woman who helped female refugees settle into life in Australia. Diana and her husband Tom were happily married and wealthy.

And then, some years later, Diana is found dead. There’s a suicide note in which Diana claims that she no longer wanted to live because of a battle with cancer. But while an autopsy finds no trace of cancer, there are traces of poison and evidence of suffocation. Who killed Diana, and why? Why did Diana change her will to disinherit both of her adult children and their spouses?

Yes, there’s a mystery here. The novel also addresses other difficult issues, including both extremes of the fertility issue: having an unwanted, unplanned pregnancy and the challenges and costs of fertility treatment. As the story unfolds over several decades, we learn more about Diana and her motivation as well as about Lucy.

This is the first of Ms Hepworth’s novels I’ve read. It won’t be the last. Highly recommended.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith