LOVED this book! Kept me guessing and entertained. There is a shift between past and present in the storytelling, but it was done so well that it wasn’t confusing at all. Family drama at its finest!

"The Mother-in Law" by Sally Hepworth was not a terrible read, but also not really all that memorable either. If you are looking for a quick domestic thriller/suspense story this one will do.

I would like to thank the Publisher, St Martin''s Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book, there were so many dynamics with respect to relations within family and family secrets. The title would lead you to believe that it would be about the standard daughter-in -law and mother-in -law relationship, but surprisingly, it is not not. Very entertaining read and I love the writing style, very easy read.

I highly recommend this book!

The Mother-in-Law.........This one took a little bit for me to get into. It is told by various points of view. The characters are easy to relate to and the story finally started moving at a good pace.
This is a compelling story that is part family drama part psychological thriller.
Thanks NetGalley & St Martin's Press for the ARC.

This novel is part family drama, part mystery/thriller - about a fraught daughter-in-law/mother-in-law relationship, told in flashbacks from both of their perspectives in the past - interspersed with the present, where the mother-in-law has killed herself - or was she murdered? Sally Hepworth has become a must-read author for me, but I have to say that this is my least favorite of her books so far. It just really didn't feel realistic to me, and there was just a relentless downbeat nature to the book overall. But it nonetheless was a total page-turner that I couldn't put down. So, 3.5 stars.

The Mother in Law is a dark family drama that is not quite a psychological thriller. Set in contemporary Australia, it will appeal to fans of Lianne Moriarity as the style is similar.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for sending me an e-arc of this book!!

I listened to this via audio using Hoopla.

I'm going to rate this book 2/5 stars.

I feel so guilty saying this because I recieved this for free for a review. I don't want to be cruel but I couldn't connect to this book at all. I was under the impression that this was a thriller! It seemed interesting and I was really looking forward to reading about the mother-in-law being crazy and started killing people but all I got was her past. If I could put this in a fictional genre, it would be Drama.

This book is mainly about trying to figure out who killed the main character, Lucy's, mother-in-law, Diane. We go in the past to figure out who Diane was growing up as well as the relationship Lucy and Diane share. I was quite bored and wanted this book to speed up some. If this book focused on the present more as well as the person who killed Diane, it would've been better for me. Now that I think about it, I wished the author would've changed the POV to other characters in the book. Preferably the family because they know who Diane really is. Well, if she were to do that then she would have to change the whole title....I'm not sure but this book was not me.

I also want to put out there that there's a particular description in this book that didn't sit well with me. Closer to the end of this book, Lucy is described as having a new business and she meets with a man that's black like burnt oak. Being a black woman, I find that to be very offensive. In numerous books, black men and women are descibed as chocolate, burnt wood, etc. Out of all the words that can be used to describe a person, why burnt oak. Seriously?

Overall, I thought that it was an okay book. There were some things that I wish could've been better. I just think that this book wasn't for me.

The Mother-in-Law was a great read for me. Well written and plotted, the book flowed nicely and was a pleasure to read. Told in alternating views and timelines, the book does a great job of starting with a bang and then filling the gaps in with just enough information to keep you reading. Hepworth did a great job of creating a cast of characters that readers will relate too and empathize with. Although I didn’t like them all I found that I could relate to them. Overall it was a good read for me and I would recommend it.

The Mother In Law by Sally Hepworth is without a doubt another heart pounding read of domestic suspense. In my opinion... she is The Master of Domestic Suspense.
I loved her multi-layered characters as well as her ability to keep me focused and unable to put this book down.
It was an absolutely addictive and thoroughly engaging read that I highly recommend.
Thank you to St. Martins Press via NetGalley for a digital copy to read & review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Do yourself a favor and read this awesome psychological thriller...

Another fantastic novel by Sally Hepworth! This is an engrossing domestic thriller told from different point of views and alternating timelines past and present. Twisty, suspenseful and very smart this novel of family relationships and what is hidden in those complicated relationships. I love the Mother-in-law/Daughter-in-law storyline as it immediately caught my attention in the title alone.-I was not disappointed. This is an excellent book for a beach read, sitting by the pool or in your favorite cozy reading spot. I look forward to what Sally Hepworth has to bring us in the future! Excellent!

Thank you to St. Martins Press/Netgalley for my early review copy.

Mother in law and daughter in law relationships are tricky and I think that Sally Hepworth captures this so well! From the day Lucy met her future mother in law to the day Diana died they had a difficult relationship. Lucy longed for someone to take that motherly role since her own mother had dies years ago. But Diana is definitely not a warm and fuzzy personality and not even particularly nice most of the time. Diana truly believes that by not coddling and spoiling her children even now that they are grown it is better for them and they will be forces to find their own way in life. That is how she had to do it and looking back she sees that she is a stronger person for doing things on her own. But Lucy and Ollie are dealing with a family of five and a business that is struggling. Ollie's sister, Nettie, is dealing with infertility. Both feel that a little help from their very wealthy parents would not be too much to ask. But now, barely a year after their dad, Tom, has died, Diana is dead too in what at first looks like suicide, however, questions pop up right form the start.

There is obviously a mystery of what actually happened to Diana, but this novel was so much more than that. It really boiled down to relationships and family. I found this to be so much more than I thought it would be. It was heart breaking and uplifting at the same time. It made me think about my relationships and what I would do in situations. An excellent novel that I highly suggest!

Lucy wants nothing more than to have a close relationship with her mother-in-law Diane. Having lost her Mom at a young age, she dreams about bonding with Diane - having those close moments that she would have shared with her Mom. Alas, it was not meant to be. Diane is standoffish from their very first meeting. As the years pass, they relationship only gets worse. Will it ever change?

Sally Hepworth has not only written about the mother/daughter-in-law relationship, but also about in-law relationships in general. Some of the family members try very hard to be agreeable, while others are unlikeable from the get go. Isn't that how it often goes in real life? There are many moving parts to this story and the author did a very good job of weaving it all together. The story moves along at a good pace and there was an interesting ending.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.

Family relationships can be complicated, particularly in dealing with in-laws. The attempt to merge family values, traditions and customs can be complex and occasionally disastrous. When wealthy family matriarch, Diana, suddenly dies, buried resentments, needs, and thoughts are dredged to the surface. At first glance, Diana's death seems to be a suicide, but who buries a suicide note in a drawer? If it was a homicide who was responsible? Who really was Diana? Was she the woman that her family thought she was? Was she the merciful angel that her charity thought she was? Who was she and how did she really die? The Mother-in-Law will capture reader's attention from the first page and keep readers in their seats until the very last page. This is a great story that will linger in readers' minds, long after they put this book down.

5 stars!!!! LOVED this book! This my fist time reading Sally Hepworth and I am in love with her writing style. I always love reading Australian authors and books that take place Down Under. Lucy and Diana had great push and pull and I loved reading from both points of view. The tight knit family always holds secrets and this family is no different. Money, greed, and personal hopes all come into play in this modern day who done it. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

4.5 stars
The Mother-in-law is not only a brilliant mystery that will leave you guessing until the end, but also a fascinating exploration into mother-in-law/daughter-in-law dynamics. Who hasn’t been hurt by an insensitive comment made by the in law? It’s easy to see how disappointment, hurt and unfulfilled expectations can lead to cracks in the family foundation. This story seamlessly alternates between past and present, as well as Lucy, the daughter in law, and Diana’s, the mother in law, perspectives. I was immediately drawn in to this plot and invested until the very end. I read about 80% of this book in one night. Recommend to others looking for an engaging and, at times ,emotional literary mystery thriller.
A gracious thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. This was definitely a character driven book, which I love. I really enjoyed the telling of the relationship between Diana and Lucy. This isn't fast paced, more a slow burn of a mystery. But that works well with the story and the development of the characters.

When a well-off woman winds up dead, the police ask her daughter-in-law pointed questions. The daughter-in-law insists on her innocence but knows the fractious relationship with her husband’s mother wasn’t exactly a secret to anyone. It may, in fact, just lead the police right back to her doorstep with an arrest warrant. Author Sally Hepworth keeps readers glued to the pages of her whip-smart new book The Mother-in-Law.

Lucy Goodwin has everything a woman could want: a husband who loves her, three adorable children, and a sweet little house. She gets the opportunity to stay at home and raise her kids, and she has a bevy of friends. The one thing she doesn’t have, that she really wants, is a better relationship with her mother-in-law, Diana, but then, all women have crossed swords with their husbands’ mothers, haven’t they?

Maybe so, the police answer when they come to the Goodwins’ door, but it still leaves a lot of speculation. Diana has died, and at first glance they think she killed herself. A little more investigation reveals that suicide is less likely. The clues at the scene don’t add up, and the police are more inclined to believe someone killed Diana. But who? And why? They don’t know, they say with pointed looks, but Lucy certainly won’t escape scrutiny.

As she helps to plan the funeral and keep track of the kids throughout the chaos of the aftermath, Lucy reflects on her relationship with Diana. When Lucy lost her own mother in her early teen years, she assumed her mother-in-law would eventually fill in the gap. Her husband, Oliver, projected such a warmth and general ease that Lucy always thought the woman who gave him birth would be exactly the same way.

Diana, however, stayed at arm’s length right from the beginning. She ran a highly successful charity to help refugee families, particularly pregnant women, but she believed in a tight-fisted approach to her own children. She avoided indulging their whims, disagreeing ardently with her husband, Tom, when the kids came asking for money for legitimate life needs. Better, she would always say, that they learned to make do.

Now all any of them can do is make do. The police keep hounding Lucy and Oliver, and they’re putting equal pressure on Oliver’s sister, Nettie, and her husband, Patrick. At a time when the four of them should be drawing closer to one another, they’re driven further apart by the investigation and a shocking revelation by Diana’s lawyer. Lucy realizes, too late, that she had always misunderstood Diana, and she’s worried what will happen if the others find out the truth about her mother-in-law.

Author Sally Hepworth keeps the tension taut from start to finish. Shying away from stereotypes and tired clichés, Hepworth builds both Diana and Lucy into three-dimensional characters. Readers may not always like Diana’s responses or the way she reacts, but they’ll sympathize enough with her to want to argue on her behalf with her children on more than one occasion.

Hepworth makes the smart decision to tell the story from both Lucy and Diana’s points of view, alternating between them every few chapters. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both present their opinions, and, as is often the case in real life, both of them are right and wrong in many situations. The difference, of course, comes in the perspective and how much they choose to share with one another.

With enough red herrings to satisfy most mystery lovers, Hepworth keeps the answer to the central question—How did Diana actually die?—just out of reach until the right moment. The conclusion that follows keeps in pace with the rest of the story and also as an homage to Diana’s spirit. Hepworth doesn’t linger over long resolutions. She’s in and out in neat fashion, and readers will finish this fast-paced novel wishing for more.

Emphasizing the idea that all the information at hand may not necessarily constitute the entire story, Hepworth brings her readers along for a zippy ride. Once readers start they won’t want to stop, which is why I recommend they make time to Binge The Mother-in-Law.

3.5 or 4 stars. This is a family drama/murder mystery where the matriarch of a family is found ostensibly having committed suicide. The story is told from the POVs of Diana, the pillar of society who ends up dead, and her daughter-in-law, Lucy. I enjoyed gradually getting to know the characters and their relationships and backgrounds and seeing how there's so much more to people than appears on the surface. I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book and the twists that I didn't see coming. However, I felt like the behavior of the characters wasn't always believable and I was never able to like or relate to Diana, which diminished my enjoyment of the book somewhat since she was one of the main characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of the book.

I really enjoyed this book and once I started reading, I was hooked, I was guessing until the end! I thought the changing perspectives and time (between past and present) helped build the suspense and the past and present got closer and closer. It was interesting to see the Goodwin family dynamics and how each person reacted to certain situations.

Winner!!!!
I couldn't put this book down. I had to know what really happened to Diane.
This was definitely an "i can't go to sleep yet" kind of read.
Characters and plot were kept simple but at the same time very interesting with a great story line.
Thank you for allowing me to read this book.