Thank you to Netgalley & St Martin's press for this advanced copy of The Mother-In-Law.
I want to start off by saying I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth, and while I found this book a bit different, it didn't disappoint.
This novel explores family relationships, and is mostly narrated by Lucy, Ollie's wife, and Diana, Ollie's mother. It digs into the ups and downs of the relationship between a daughter in law and mother in law. The book starts off with a tragedy, and goes back and forth between the past and present. I initially felt this book had a 'slow burn' type vibe, as it didn't captivate me right at the beginning. It took me awhile to connect with the characters, especially Diana. Once I hit the middle of the book, however, i couldn't stop reading. Secrets are divulged, lies are told, and a with complete shock of a climax, this book is right up there with Hepworth's bests. It all comes together with a completely satisfying ending that leaves you sad and happy for the characters at the same time. I have no doubt this novel will be a best seller !

This book is an intricately woven tale of a family told through different perspectives, using both past and present scenes. It’s a murder mystery that explores complex issues and secrets of each family member, including the mother-in-law who is dead. Very compelling read, a page turner!

Lucy hopes for a mother-in-law that she can be friends with, because her mother died when Lucy was 13, but Diana at first glance does not appear to be that person. But is Diana really that person or is she more hands-off and intentionally not all up in her grown kids' lives? As a secret from Diana's past comes to light, you get a feeling of why she was the way she was and why her charity helping pregnant refugee women was so important to her.

Not quite halfway through, I developed a theory on what happened to Diana, and I'm not ashamed at all to admit I was wrong! The ending was unexpected and I truly didn't see it coming.

I have read all of Sally Hepworth's books and she is queen of the complicated family dynamic!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy; all opinions are my own.

I was expecting much more from this book. I thought it was a mystery, when really it was just women's fiction with a mysterious twist right at the end.. 95% of this book was repetitive fluff. I also could not connect to any of the characters in the story. I didn't feel like the Mother-in-law was such an awful person to justify the treatment that she received from most of the characters. Perhaps something was missing such as background information on the daughter-in-law and her husband, the antagonists daughter and her husband, and etc. Ultimately I felt as though I was reading with no purpose. Perhaps the synopsis on this novel is inaccurate and it swayed me to believe that there was something else on the horizon. If I had went into the novel blindly, maybe I would have not had such high expectations. On the plus side it was an easy read. Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Mother-in-law by Sally Hepworth is a quiet, but captivating novel. It is not truly a traditional mystery, though it contains a mystery, and it is definitely not a typical thriller, though it is fascinating. It’s also not necessarily fast-paced, though I was intrigued the whole way through. It’s more of a family saga with characters who have rich histories and complicated relationships with one another. It offers an insightful and unique look at the relationship between a particular daughter and her mother-in-law, and family dynamics as a whole, and how the interplay affects the trajectory of the lives of all involved.
I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s writing style and her perceptive glimpse into the psyche of certain familial relationships. It was intuitive, keen, and spot-on. I enjoyed the plot, the multi-layered character development, the mystery and the resolution. It was not only interesting to read, but thought-provoking as well, offering depth along with a compelling plot.

With two Mother-in-Laws under my belt, which honestly was two too many, and being one myself, I felt I was ready to tackle Sally Hepworth's latest novel, The Mother-in-Law. I was, after all, an experienced pro. I was not, however, at all prepared for the multi-layered, character driven drama that unfolded before me - not even close!

When Lucy first met her Mother-in-Law, Diana, she immediately knew she was not going to be the wife that Diana had hoped for her son. Diana was one of those mothers/wives who was perfect in every way: immaculate home, perfect spouse, marvelous and adored mother, a planner, a doer, someone who made things happen in life for those she loved. If she didn't love you - well, therein was the issue. But Lucy tried and she tried hard. When Diana is discovered dead, Lucy is perhaps the one most shocked, especially when it is indicated that Diana was already dying from cancer. You see, Lucy knows better. Lucy knows a lot of secrets about Diana and this family. As the investigation continues and the secrets are revealed, the layers that covered this perfect family begin to crack and we see that not was not as perfectly pretty as it appeared - but are they ever?

I absolutely adore Hepworth and her dramas. I don't always like each and every book, some are not always five star hits for me, but each of her books leave me emotionally charged and the characters that she builds stay with me forever. The Mother-in-Law is definitely a winner! There are so many twists and turns and layers to this story that just when you think you have it all figured out - and you probably will figure the "whodunnit - a new discovery is revealed and you find yourself back at square one. While there is the underlying mystery of Diana's death in the novel, The Mother-in-Law truly is a family drama at its core. It's about relationships that grow, alter, are amended and die. It's about family - those that work and those that are dysfunctional. Mother's relationships with their children are complicated; when they become adults it is even more so. When they marry... well, complicated doesn't even scratch the surface for many. And yet, The Mother-in-Law does scratch that surface and what it reveals will leave you stunned.

"With jaw-dropping discoveries, and realistic consequences, this novel is not to be missed. " --Library Journal, starred review

Many thanks to #Netgalley @StMartinsPress and @SallyHepworth for copy of #TheMotherinLaw available April 23 at Amazon and your local booksellers.

Lucy lost her mother at a very young age. Growing up without a mom has been very difficult for her and when she meets the love of her life Oliver, she sees an opportunity to fill that hole in her life. Upon meeting Oliver’s mother Diana, Lucy has high hopes she can forge the kind of mother-and-daughter relationship she has longed for. Unfortunately that will be easier said than done!

I must admit that this book was not the book I was expecting. I thought it would be a really intense story about a mean and nasty mother-in-law. So if that is what you are looking for, you should look somewhere else. That being said I really enjoyed this book! It explores the complexity of relationships within a family. It is about misunderstandings, honesty, acceptance, and communication. Yes, there is also mystery, intrigue, and death, but underneath all of that it is about love and family.

The character development was fabulous! Some of the characters were more likable than others, but I found them all utterly fascinating! I was most drawn to Lucy. While my heart went out to her, I also kept hoping she would open her eyes and see things more clearly. Diana was also a very interesting character. She comes across as cold and uncaring, but there is a whole lot more to her than meets the eye.

This is my second Sally Hepworth book, the first being – The Things We Keep. I am definitely looking forward to more from this terrific author in the future!

This book was great! This book had a background about family dynamics, as well as providing some suspense with many twists and turns. This book was part family dynamics, part psychological thriller. This book alternates past and present tense, but not always consistently. The book spends a few chapters in present tense, then switches to past at times. My one complaint is that the narrator switches each chapter too, which gets a little confusing with past/present and each specific chapter. Sometimes the “past” part is two weeks before, sometimes multiple years, though the chapter heading doesn’t specify. Because the chapter heading doesn’t specify when in the past, it sometimes takes a little bit to figure out where in the story it fits. Aside from the past/present, this book was a quick, engaging read that I’ll be recommending to my book club and friends.

All families have secrets and strife . Lucy and Oliver’s family was no different, but when Ollie’s motherDiana is found dead a cloud of suspicion surrounds everyone. The shock, grief, and anger percolates through already fragile relationships and everyone, including the reader wants to know how Diana died.

Lucy has always been desperate for a relationship with her mother-in-law Diana, but Diana wasn’t the soft and approachable type. She is one of the narrators of the books, along with Diana from a time before she died. Through both perspectives and varying time periods we are led on a journey through family secrets and ultimately what happened to Diana.

The Mother-in-Law starts with Lucy opening her door to the police informing her, and her husband (Ollie) of the death of Diana-Ollie's mother. It continues with flashbacks of the past- what formed Diana's and Lucy's relationship and the present-how the family deals with the aftermath of Diana's death. The story was fast paced and a great read. HOWEVER, the blurb giving the description is a little misleading. Overall great read!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my review. The Mother-in-Law has gotten a lot of praise and attention and I feel it is well deserved! It doesn’t really fit into a genre...is it a mystery? Women’s fiction? Whatever genre it is, it is a thought provoking read that will be a certain hit with book clubs!

Lucy is marrying into a very wealthy family. Exact opposite of her family. All she wants is to be accepted by her mother-in-law, Diana. Things don't always turn out like we would like them. Diana is cold, standoffish, unapproachable. Through the years Diana and Lucy have had disagreements, some major. One resulting in assault.
Now, Diana has been found dead. The investigation seems it murder. Who would murder Diana? She was always busy with her charity for Australian refugee woman, who had children or were pregnant. Someone had to have had animosity towards her. She is dead.
This story is exceptional. It unearths the puzzle of what makes mothers-in-laws tick. Their feelings for children, husbands and daughter-in-laws. It is about the dysfunctional relationships in families. It's also about love. Sometimes our past determines how we think and act. Especially how we treat out loved ones.
Very well written, captivating, thought provoking. Excellent!

Mother-in-Law is such a great psychological thriller. I loved the alternating point of views and loved the twist at the end. I thought I had guessed what had happened but then has I continued to read, I realized I was completely wrong, which to me makes this book so great. I couldn’t put this book down and stayed up to the wee hours of the morning reading because I had to find out the ending. This is the first Sally Hepworth book I have read but I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.

I would like to thank NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for an electronic ARC of this book.

I appreciated how the format of the story highlighted the importance of family. I connected with Lucy, and liked how things came together in the end.

Once again I find myself in the minority regarding reviews for this book, it is well loved by many.

Truthfully I was hoping for a really good mystery but this is really more contemporary women’s fiction. Knowing that the main character is dead at the beginning definitely takes away some of the suspense in the novel.

Here’s what we know:
Lucy is the new daughter in law who has married Ollie, son of Diane and Tom Goodwin. Lucy had no idea that the family was wealthy until she entered their mansion of a home to meet them for the first time. I mean an indoor pool testifies to a fair amount of wealth.

Diane, as mother in law, is not what any young woman would want. I know because my mother in law and I never saw eye to eye on anything for 40 years (may she RIP). She was as cold to me when I met my husband as Diane was to Lucy and it never improved. There are sometimes just very different personalities that will never agree. However Diane does seem to go out of her way to make Lucy feel uncomfortable, incompetent and not worthy of their son. More about her later.

Their other child is a daughter, Nettie, who is married to Patrick, they have no children.. As the book continues, Ollie and Lucy have three children and Nettie is trying everything to get pregnant. Finally they have run out of money, after about 3 years of trying to get pregnant, for infertility treatments and she approaches Diane for a loan, she turns her down flat. Diane’s reasoning is that Nettie should find another way to earn the money or turn her life towards a different goal at this point. This does sound pretty heartless considering the loan wasn’t for something frivolous.

Later we find out why Diane has some of these feelings, she had quite a tough life as a young woman but I won’t reveal any spoilers here. It does help to explain some of her reasoning.

The book was page turning but I didn’t think that the characters were that well developed with the exception of Diane, we know almost nothing about Tom, their life together as a couple. He seems to be pretty much the indulgent husband who adores Diane and goes along with most of her wishes. He has been known, however, to slip the children money for things which Diane knows nothing about.

There are other sides to Diane. She treats refugees, particularly pregnant women, with extreme kindness and goes above and beyond the usual to see that they get care, clothes and food for the little ones, helping them find jobs, etc. She spends a lot of time in her charitable work. I felt with the title being “The Mother In Law” that there would be something more titillating, or out of the box behavior from Diane. Things in the book are really nothing that I would call exciting or mesmerizing.

When the murder occurs, at about 75% into the book, the action does pick up and I found myself unable to set it down until the end. We all want to know who did it, right?

Then there is another family tragedy and that adds to the tension. We are then shown what is going on 10 years later and it’s all just a little too perfect for me to believe. Not impossible, just not probable.

All in all it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it as a light entertaining read.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.



Will post to Amazon upon publication.

Haven't read such a good book in many years. The book about relationships within the family is so captivating, and revealing that it astounds you. Tremendous insight into the fragility of daughters in law and new families.
An amazing book!

When Lucy and Ollie became engaged she had high hopes of forming a perfect relationship with her future mother in law. Lucy had lost her own mother at the age of thirteen to cancer. After meeting her mother in law Diane they did not get along. Diane would make little remarks and for the next decade the relationship became quite tumultuous. So one evening while folding laundry and her kids running around two police men show up at her door to inform her and Ollie that Diane was dead and it looks like from an apparent suicide. Both shocked they find that so hard to believe. After an autopsy is done two homicide detectives inform them that this is no longer a suicide it’s a homicide! Even though Diane and Lucy didn’t have the best relationship she knows she didn’t murder Diane. But Diane had many people in her life that would. From Diane’s daughter Nettie who is desperate for a baby but Diane refuses to give her money for IVF, to Patrick netties husband who doesn’t really have a great job since he knows once Diane’s dead he will get in on Nettie’s inheritance, to Ollie Lucy’s own husband whose business is going under. Questions about Diane’s death are being investigated and it seems like everyone in the family has a secret to hide. If Lucy didn’t kill her and she has the biggest motive since they disliked eachother so much then who did kill Diane? This is told in two POV’s Lucy’s in the past and present and Diane’s all told in the past and what led up to her murder! I was truly invested in this book I just had to know who killed Diane and I absolutely loved how Lucy told her own story and what led to he dislike of Diane and how Diane told her own story! I give this four stars!

The Mother-In-Law was character driven suspenseful domestic noir, a twisted family drama. It was story about dysfunctional family, money greed, obsession, loss, life struggle, and a complicated mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship.

Characters-

Ollie– Lucy’s husband, Diana’s son. He was a good son and husband. I could easily see my husband in him. Always taking his mother’s side, arguing with Lucy for her overreaction when actually it was his mother’s fault… and so on. But he messed things so much at some point. I understood it was tough for him to provide for his family but I didn’t like how he expected inheritance and money from family.

Nettie– The sister-in-law, Diana’s daughter. She was nice character at the beginning, and a great aunt but her baby obsession ruined everything and every relationship. I could feel her sadness and sorrow, how much she might have suffered but only if she could let it be like Patrick.

Patrick– Nettie’s husband. He didn’t care for his in-laws, nor did I for him! But I liked his role in the book and he played it perfectly.

Tom– The father-in-law, Diana’s husband. He was polar opposite of Diana. Like Diana said, nothing went wrong when it comes to father-in-law. He was perfect person, pillar of the family who kept this family together. I loved him for his support to Diana when she needed most and how he raised his and Diana’s children.

Lucy– the daughter-in-law. She was really nice. She supported her husband, kids, in-laws in all conditions. I could relate to Lucy and I could understand her actions and reactions without efforts. From the very beginning we could see why she was so desperate to impress Diana and wished to gain her love and respect. Yup, those early chapters raised devil horns on Diana’s head easily. It was natural to side with her as Diana didn’t try to mend their relationship. I also agreed with Lucy’s thought about Diana’s approach towards Ollie and Nettie’s problems. What I loved most about Lucy was, after all that happened, she never stopped caring and oddly she liked Diana’s some of characteristics when she really give it a thought.

Diana– The Mother-in-law. She was perfect wife, perfect employer, best with refugee women and best grandmother but she couldn’t be the best mother and mother-in-law. She was woman of few words, no-nonsense, noninterfering type. She was good human and I could feel for her when I read her past.

When it came to Lucy, I think Diana was judgmental and underestimated her. That’s where all went wrong between them. I feel things would have different if she could be the way she was with Ghezela. But later in the book I could see why she couldn’t and I really loved her and Tom at that moment. I could see how their little family was all they lived for.

When money and children came into one picture, her only motto was ‘help yourself’ which was both good and horrible for her family and ultimately made them hate her. Honestly how could she fail to see what it was doing to her children! And using all those money for refugee women but not helping her own kids, I understood that she saw her kids more capable but if I had that much money I would have helped Ollie and Nettie and even have seen what was coming earlier. Anyway it was her story not mine.

And the way she developed near the end of the book was fabulous. But alas, it was too late and I so wished I could change what happened to her.

what i liked-

Writing was just awesome. It was so interesting and gripping that I wish to read all books by this author. Book had perfect beginning. It started with police arriving at door step of Lucy sharing the bad news about Diana which takes reader 10 years back to the beginning of Lucy and Dian’s rocky relationship and how it developed over the time.

Book was told in dual narrative by Diana and Lucy. Diana’s POV represented her full life story starting from a decade ago telling about her relationship with Lucy as well as with all family members. It also depicted her perspective towards life, morals and way of upbringing. Lucy’s POV was both in past, which painted a clear picture of Goodwin family, and present that told where the investigation was going, whether it was suicide or murder, and who might be responsible for Diana’s death.

Characters made this book so intriguing and addictive. They all were flawed. They all had problems, problems they could solve if they have open to each other, shared feelings, and have dealt it wisely. All family members were not really close with each other and they all were hiding something especially after Diana’s death. What was they hiding? Did someone from family pushed Diana to take her life or had a reason to harm her? if so, what was the motive? Suspense was strong. As I read more, I suspected all family member for Diana’s death and it wasn’t revealed until last few chapters.

There were so many things in the Book that stopped me to brood over while reading– Diana’s life before marriage, how it made her what she was now, her resolve to administer the same learning in her kid’s life and I could see what she was doing wrong; how Lucy yearned for love of mother, her many attempts to gain Diana’s love; Nettie’s baby obsession; Ollie’s carelessness and weakness and yet being a good husband and son; Ollie, Nettie and Patrick’s greed.

Diana and Lucy’s relationship was heart of the book. It was complicated, twisted, tense, but both tried to fit at best. There were so many ‘ifs’ came in my mind while reading about them and their relationship with other member of the family. ‘Only if’ Diana has said that or did that. ‘only if’ Lucy has been herself without trying so hard to impress, ‘only if’ they talked to each other freely, and so on.

I was so surprised and awed by brilliance of climax and the end. I loved last chapter and words from Diana’s letter. Story was tragic but I’m satisfied with book. It turned out much better than I expected.

Overall, it was thought-provoking, suspenseful, complex, complicated and twisted family drama with addictive writing and plot. I highly recommend this book.

Fantastic! I kept hearing wonderful things about this book and I’m so glad I was able to get an advance copy. I excpected more of a thriller but I was pleasantly surprised that the thriller aspect took a backseat to the family dynamics and relationships. The characters were all flawed, but not enough for me to be actively rooting against them. This kept me guessing until the end and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute!

Thank You Net Galley, St Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for a chance to review this book.

The title of the book itself is juicy, Like how the author very wisely points out that you may choose your partner but you don't actually choose anybody else in the family especially your mother-in-law. That relationship is the most delicate that needs to be handled with kitten touch from both sides if at all you are looking forward to keeping the relationships in the family. Lucy and Ollie are married with 3 children,Diana and Tom are the in-laws and then there's the sister-in-law Nettie and her husband, Patrick. Diana has had no support from her parents and instead of learning something positive from it, she makes it her life's mission to be cold and unloving to her own children so that they learn to do things independently and fight for what they want. However she has no problems in showing her care for total strangers which gives the reader a glimpse of the actual person she's underneath.
I loved this family drama with a bit of mystery that's added to it making it spicier and the whole relationship between Diana and Lucy that was so delicious to read.