I've never been so wrong in my life. I truly thought that I had this one figured out. I mean, come on, it had to be Eamon! So imagine my shock when that ending came crashing around me! Looking back, I can see subtle signs but definitely not anything that I think could have ever given it away. It makes me wonder if Sally Hepworth, herself, didn't even know what the ending would be until she wrote it. It was amazingly done, pure and simple.

I also absolutley loved Lucy's character. Although I could see the alternate perspectives between Lucy and her mother-in-law, I felt for Lucy. She just wanted that approval and could never seem to get it until the end, when it was violently ripped away from her. But at the same time, I slowly fell in love with Diana, as did Lucy. She may come across as overbearing, controlling and cold-hearted, but it was because she cared, she just truly didn't know how to express it or even show it to those she loved. And that suicide letter? Priceless. That may even be a quote I'll remember for the rest of my life. This was an excellent book. So many of hers are on my TBR, but I'm going to make it a priority to read them sooner rather than later now that I've read this one.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

All I can say is that this book truly gives a whole new perspective of not getting along with your mother in law. And never being good enough for the mommas boy.
She was always fighting to be better than "fine". That one small word was a death sentence. You can't ever climb higher than that. The mother in law has already titled her and she is forever labeled.
No matter how hard she tries, she will never be good enough. So was she really sad to hear that her mother in law was dead or worse that she committed suicide? Will she be able to hide her relief?
I get along with my mother in law. I love her immensely but my first one, omg!!! She was Satan's mistress I swear!! She was the poster child for evil mil...

When Lucy married Ollie she was hoping for a loving and caring relationship with her mother in law Diana, especially as her own mother died many years before. But while Diana was giving and caring with the refugee families she helped, her own family missed out.
Just after she announced to her family that she had advanced cancer, she was found dead...was it suicide or murder?

Told in alternating chapters between Lucy and Diana, they where also titled as past and present and for me I found this very effective, especially to gaining an insight to why Diana was as she was. While I didn’t agree with why or the way she did many things, you got an understanding of the way her mind worked.

This was a complex family drama and I loved it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

This is the first book I’ve ever read by Sally Hepworth and I’m glad I read it!

Lucy and Diana haven’t always had the best daughter-in-law/mother-in-law relationship. When Diana turns up dead with a bottle of poison near her and it is found out that she didn’t have cancer like everyone thought, you have to wonder if it was really suicide or if she was murdered.

I loved the way this book kept me guessing the whole time and I also loved the complexity and back story of Diana’s character. This was a really great and quick read!

Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress for my advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Mother-In-Law. As someone that does not necessarily get along with her mother-in-law the title and description of this book was intriguing. Lucy lost her mother at a young age and when she is meeting her soon to be mother-in=law she thinks that maybe she will have a relationship with her that she lost. Boy is she mistaken. Diana Goodwin appears to be a cold and distant mother to her kids and very unwilling to have a real relationship with her new daughter-in-law. This story is told back and forth in time. I love the fact that you get bits and pieces of each person's story as the book goes along. While I don't usually guess the ending of suspense books I never really saw the ending. This book is about family dynamics, our past and how that shape each of us, and how money can rule our lives. This is a great book! #themotherinlaw

I have now read all of Sally Hepworth's published novels. I love her. I love the way she writes and how she makes her characters come alive for you. This book was hard to put down. I loved the back and forth of Lucy and Diana. This book could have been written to make the mother-in-law a villain but because we saw her voice we were able to see and relate to her too.

I think that the best part of this book, aside from the whole mystery, is that you see how hard it is to merge families. You see Lucy trying to get Diana's approval and you see Diana trying to show Lucy care and respect, but both failing. It is so easy to see your own hurt and disappointment when dealing with an in-law. It was refreshing to see oh wait she is trying and maybe it was a misunderstanding.

I LOVED how much Diana loved Tom and vise versa. I love how Hepworth mirrored that relationship with Lucy and Ollie. It was nice to see how they support each other in their decisions.

Nettie was a heartbreaking character. I know that fertility is not an easy topic to discuss or write and I think Hepworth did it beautifully. I can't imagine how much it must have hurt Nettie to see her brother's family grow while she couldn't produce her own family. I love how devoted she was to her nephew and nieces. She was in some ways an ally for Lucy.

I love how the story ended. I loved to see what happened with Lucy and Ollie. I truly think that Diana would have been proud of both of them.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. Thank you to both for allowing me to read this wonderful book.

A well-written, truly compelling page-turner with some real depth. All of the key characters in The Mother-In-Law are complex, with very believable flaws. The relationships between characters are beautifully drawn, particularly that between Claire and her Mother-in-law. Through alternating POV and retellings of the same events, Sally Hepworth paints a picture of two women who might have had a wonderful relationship, had they not completely misunderstood each other's intentions. It's very relatable, very believable and provides a perfect background to the central mystery of the book - who killed the Mother-in-law? A great read.

From the first day Lucy meets her future mother-in-law, Diana, it was clear that she wasn't the wife Diana had envisioned for her perfect son. And now 5 years later, Diana is dead, her suicide note saying she couldn't handle her cancer anymore. But the autopsy shows no traces of cancer, and instead traces of poison and suffocation. 

This book is so fun, twisty and suspenseful. This was my first Sally Hepworth, but it will most definitely not be my last!

Such a great book told from 2 points of view (the mother in law Diana and the daughter in law Lucy ). I could not put this book down and am eagerly awaiting Ms. Hepworth's next novel. This book was graciously provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Someone once told me that you have two families in your life - the one you are born into and the one you choose. Yes, you may get to choose your partner, but you don't choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all."

The Mother in Law is a 4.5 Star read.
I really liked the way it was written, going back and forth between past and present.

This book had me on my toes the whole time.

I wish there had been a little bit more emotion in the characters though, a few of them didn't quite come through as strong as I wanted them to.

Overall I really liked this book and will be looking for more books by Sally Hepworth.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I had read several of Sally Hepworth's books before so was excited to be able to read this one. I actually thought this book was the best of the previous books I had read. The Mother-in-Law is a story about a family, mainly concentrating on the relationship between Diana (MIL) and Lucy, her daughter-in-law. The story is told from both ladies perspective. From their very first encounter, they each misinterpret the other's reaction, which I think is something that happens to a lot of people and it was interesting to me to read this. While reading the book I had my mind made up about each character, but as the story comes to an end, I had to rethink my opinions of them. This was a very quick read, I read it in just a few sittings. Definitely worth the read!

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863405-the-mother-in-law" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Mother-in-Law" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1546452406m/39863405.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863405-the-mother-in-law">The Mother-in-Law</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8123141.Sally_Hepworth">Sally Hepworth</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2737589454">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I had read several of Sally Hepworth's books before so was excited to be able to read this one. I actually thought this book was the best of the previous books I had read. The Mother-in-Law is a story about a family, mainly concentrating on the relationship between Diana (MIL) and Lucy, her daughter-in-law. The story is told from both ladies perspective. From their very first encounter, they each misinterpret the other's reaction, which I think is something that happens to a lot of people and it was interesting to me to read this. While reading the book I had my mind made up about each character, but as the story comes to an end, I had to rethink my opinions of them. This was a very quick read, I read it in just a few sittings. Definitely worth the read!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/40193543-cindy-murphy">View all my reviews</a>

Mother in Law
I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley, Sallie Hepsworth, and publishing
Who wouldn’t want to read a book with this title?
Lucy and Ollie are married and living with their three children when they get the news that Ollie’s mother has died and foul play is possible. Everyone looks towards Lucy. This book is fast paced, suspenseful and goes back and forth between the present and the past which is a fantastic format. The character depth and development was amazing and the story seamlessly unravels along with the characters’ complex, difficult relationships. I read it in one day and couldn’t put it down. The ending knocked my socks off! I give it five stars and highly recommend to anyone who loves thrillers. I love Sallie Hepsworth and her writing and will continue to read her books. Thanks once again to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance.

I could not put down The Mother-in-Law. I was kept on he edge of my seat reading about this family and their back stories. A must read!

How well do you really know your family? The Mother-In-Law is a mystery/thriller as told mostly by Lucy the Daughter-in -Law & Diana her Mother-in-Law, during the past and present.
Who Killed Diana or did she actually commit suicide? A great storyline and uniquely different style from your usual thriller.
I enjoyed the story, it opened my eyes to how complex family relationships can actually be and how we sometimes don’t really know people for who they really are.
The author clearly shows there are always two sides to every story. This is my first Sally Hepworth and certainly won’t be my last!

Fans of Big Little Lies will adore this novel! The way that Hepworth carefully weaves the story (with multiple perspectives and time periods) gives readers enough clues to form an opinion and then quickly change their mind one chapter later. Literally could not put this book down!

The Mother-in-Law is the next twisty hit by Sally Hepworth. Set in the upper-middle class suburbs in Australia readers are introduced to Lucy, a busy mother of 3, her husband Ollie, and Diana-the matriarch and yes, mother-in-law. What first seems to be a classic mother-in-law vs daughter-in-law tale quickly delves into a layered story, with flashes to the past and present. When Diana is found dead-and the police are uncertain it is suicide-who is to blame?

Told in mostly Lucy and Diana's voice readers are taken along Lucy meeting Ollie's family for the first time to hints of a volatile relationship between Diana and Lucy to the current state of a fractured family-and explosive secrets around every turn. With every family member having motive-is there more than meets the eye with this story? How well do you know your family? Readers will be satisfied with Hepworth's latest domestic turn as they peel back the layers that answers those questions. Highly recommend this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy's mother-in-law is dead. Was it suicide or a murder? The book is written with many flashbacks to give you insight into each character. It makes you question each one! I really liked this book and it kept me guessing! Well done!

*Not what I was expecting from this page turning novel about a mother-in-law and her relationships with those around her. I could not put this down and finished it in one sitting. Pleasant surprise!

This book was a little different from what I was expecting however I still devoured it! I was expecting more of a mystery/thriller and while it still had a little bit of that element, I would classify it more as a family drama. I found myself more interested in each of the characters development and less interested in the mystery of what happened to the mother-in-law.

This book makes me feel like I stumbled into the greatest party of my life. My neighbors were holding a party, I wanted to make a brief appearance and get out. However, once the door was opened, I couldn’t leave until the party was done. In the end, it ended up being an experience that would have an impact on my mind and life. That is how I felt when I read this book. I was just expecting a quick, fun psychological thriller. However, I was engrossed from the first page. I met characters that I was drawn to and encountered themes that struck a chord. I ended up with a way different experience than expected.

I mean, I thought I’d like the book but in the end, I loved it. And no, it wasn’t really a party. This was as heart wrenching as it was entertaining.

Diana really gives a completely new meaning to tough love. Imagine being broke yet your parents are loaded. She wanted her kids to learn how to be independent and work hard for everything they had. Some of her lessons were excessively tough and hanged on the thin line between love and hate. She seemed too stingy. However, the author still managed to show us a softer side of this matriarch. I disliked her at first but liked her in the end although I still don’t agree with all that she did.

The strength of this narrative lies in the masterful character development. Diana is that mother in law whose character leaped from the pages of the book right to my mind and heart, I won’t easily forget her. Her daughter in law, Lucy, was also quite relatable. I was nervous for her when she met Diana. I could relate with her fears and pains. Lucy was such a likeable character who aptly portrayed the nerves of joining a new family. Each character had a story, some I liked and empathized with but others repulsed me.

Apart from the characterization, the themes were also well portrayed. I love how the author tackled different themes such as family, fertility, mental health. She did this without losing focus on the main storyline. If anything, the themes helped in the character development and enriched the story.

This ended up being an enjoyable, twisty yet heart wrenching story about family, love and loss.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this one! Sally Hepworth does it again. A story filled with family secrets, deceitful relationships, and a murder.

“Someone once told me you have two families- the one you are born into and the one you choose. You may get to choose your partner, but you don’t choose your mother in law.”

From the age of thirteen Lucy grew up without a mother, so when she was going to meet Oliver’s parents she was so excited to finally get a mother figure in her life. Unfortunately when she met Diana, she was cold and always kept her at a distance and Lucy never could understand why. Diana was the pillar of the community, a social justice advocate, why couldn’t she be a friend to Lucy too?

That was all 10 years ago. Now Diana has been found dead. Her death is initially ruled a suicide because she left a note, but the autopsy reveals she was suffocated. It is clear everyone has a secret of their own, but who killed Diana?