Loved this book. Interesting and believable characters. Everyone has a mother in law story. This was a great one!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
This is the 2nd book that I have read by this author and I enjoyed both books.
This was an intense and twisty psychological thriller that kept me interested the entire time.
I highly recommend this book and if you haven’t read one of her other books, The Family Next Door, I also highly recommend that book.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in one go. It’s a thriller that points out that we never really know people like we think we do. I enjoyed The whodunnit part and trying to figure out the mystery.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth was everything that I hoped it would be! Right from the start it seems that Lucy was not the wife that Diana envisioned for her only son. Her seemingly cold heart towards her family is not what people would expect of Diana. She is a well respected volunteer in her community and seeks out people that she knows can use her help. Her own family is treated far differently. Mother in laws can be tricky like that! Things take a drastic turn when Diana winds up dead. It looks like a suicide but why was the suicide note hidden in a draw? Sometimes things aren't what they seem. This book had me hooked right from the start and the further I got into it, the more I wanted to keep on reading. The chapters are told from the points of view of Diana, Lucy, and Nettie (the sister in law) and each chapter is told from a different point in time. I love books that give you clues by letting you in on the past! Don't think that you have everything figured out because the plot twists and turns in ways that you wouldn't believe! Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Publishing for the ARC of this book! Once again Sally Hepworth had he hooked! #Netgalley #MacMillanPubishing #SallyHepworth

This book! It kept me on my toes and i couldn’t put it down! This it made me question everyone and everything. A great thriller and a great read for me! This author is amazing in everything she writes and looking forward to more! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 stars and would definitely recommend!!

I have been a fan of Sally Hepworth's writing ever since I read The Secrets of Midwives. Her stories are sometimes sad and sometimes uplifting, full of heart each time. The Mother-in-Law follows in Sally's touching style.

I liked that this novel was told in different perspectives, going back and forth in time. We got to see both Lucy and Diana's sides of the story. At first, I was worried that Diana would be unlikable, but I actually liked her after hearing her thoughts and seeing what she went through when she was younger. The time shifts allow readers to fit pieces of a puzzle together to get the full picture of what is happening. Originally I was expecting a psychological thriller, since it involved suspicions of murder. However, it is more of a domestic drama.

Overall, it was an interesting and thoughtful story and it makes me glad that I have a good relationship with my mother-in-law. I look forward to many more books by Sally Hepworth!

Check out my movie casting suggestions. (I didn't just limit it to Australia since most end up being set in the US anyway.)
Lucy: Anna Faris
Ollie: Mark Blucas
Diana: Wendie Malick
Nettie: Samantha Mathis
Patrick: Dominic West
Eamon: Will Arnett

Having lost her mother at a tender age, Lucy Goodwin was looking forward to finding a surrogate in her mother-in-law but realized at their first encounter that wasn’t going to be a reality. Diana Goodwin was a complicated woman with strong convictions about life and service. Though her husband, Tom, provided balance to her somewhat aloof nature, Diana still was the driving force in the family, expecting her two children to stand on their own and not look to their affluent parents as a safety net. Her love for her family was understood but not because you could see or feel it.

The story opens with news of Diana’s death, not clear whether it’s suicide or something else. We get two narratives, Lucy’s and Diana’s, transitioning between past and the present, using backstories and histories to provide context for current events. Lucy’s husband, Ollie, was Diana’s oldest child and he seemed to be nothing like her but very comfortable in his own skin. Her daughter, Nettie, appeared to be the stronger of the two with the more vibrant career but a weak partner for a husband. But always at the center of every important milestone was Diana who most often controlled their destinies.

I vacillated between liking and understanding Diana to strongly disliking her and wanting her to be better. The story was skillfully written as my emotional turmoil was due to the small reveals and insights sprinkled liberally throughout. The personalities of the entire family were nuanced, differing from their veneers at times and not always clear what was real versus facade and what lay deeply beneath. I was always off balance but completely absorbed into these people's lives, needing more and getting it. There’s nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, predictable about any of them until you reach the end when you just know exactly who they are and their natures. And, the ending was true to each of them. I found this book to be utterly fascinating with brilliant characterizations. It’s clever without trying to be. I don’t reread books but this is one I just might pick up again.

I received an arc of The Mother In Law by Sally Hepworth through Netgalley for an honest review. This domestic thriller keeps you wanting for me. Going in between the perspectives of Lucy and Diana I found interesting. One wanting approval while the other wanting to show her strength. This is my first book of Sally Hepworth and it won't be my last. It's intriguing and keeps you guessing until the end. It holds family drama with a little mystery and psychological thriller as well. I love how Sally was able to incorporate drama and psychological thriller together! Would recommend this book to anyone!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book was a bit of a surprise! Of course it is a mystery and there is a twist at the end, but what surprised me most was the insight into the relationships of women...and the juxtaposition of intent and perception. I was really surprised at the depth of this novel. I expected a quick fun read, but I got much more. The twisty ending was not really as profound as I think it wanted to be, but these characters and lessons for us all make this well worth your time. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital copy of this novel.

When I first started reading The Mother-in-Law I expected it to be similar to other books I've read recently, following the ups and downs of that precarious in-law relationship. I was pleasantly surprised that it was much different than what I expected and at times there were even parts that were deeply moving. However, I felt that I never got too invested in the outcome, and when things were revealed as the story unfolded, nothing ever really surprised me - even if I hadn't completely guessed the twist ahead of time. The plot was intriguing and the story well-written, but ultimately it was a book that was just sort of "there" for me.

A very intriguing read that I struggled to put down, a very interesting family plot and weaved its way well to a satisfying conclusion.
A great read

The Mother-in-Law was a fast past book that had you guessing until the end. The chapters went back and forth between Lucy and her mother- in- law, and their perspective. I would definitely read more from this author.

I loved the Mother-In-Law. Every married woman can relate to wanting to get along with their mother-in-law and the strife that comes with marrying into a family. They say you can't choose your in-laws. Mother-in-Law is the story of Lucy and Diana. Before Lucy even enters the family through marriage, their relationship is tense. Lucy is always seeking approval that Diana doesn't go out of her way to give. This book made me consider my relationship with my mother-in-law and how hard it is for either side to really "win." I was hooked on this book from page 1. and didn't want to put it down. i wanted to find out what happened to Diana. I think it will be popular page-turner when it is released in April.

This was a quick and easy read told from alternating perspectives and back and forth through time. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and how the suspense built up throughout the book. Kept me intrigued to the very end. I would recommend to suspense fans and I’m looking forward to checking out more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the advance copy!

One of the best books I've read so far this year.

Sally Hepworth hits it out of the park with The Mother-in-Law. Lucy, smart, intelligent and a bit desperate for a mother's love, does not hit it off with her mother-in-law Diana, a powerful but aloof woman. When Diana is found dead, possibly of foul play, everyone immediately turns to Lucy.

Boucing back and forth between the investigation of Diana' death and the full timeline of Lucy and Diana's relationship, The Mother-in-Law is not about the suspense of Diana's death. Instead, it's a touching tale of mothers and daughters-in-laws, and how we can never fully understand another person until we've walked a bit in their shoes.

Hepworth brilliantly jumps the narrative back and forth between Lucy and Diana, revealing how their relationship became so strained, and how their differing perspectives on events lead them to making false judgments about each other.

The Mother-in-Law was a creative delight. It was not only a great character study of the family members, it was a twisty mystery. You find out at the beginning that Diana (aka "the mother-in-law) has died. The story is told from both Diana and Lucy's POV. Lucy is her daughter-in-law. In addition, the story goes back and forth between past and present. It's sometimes a bit to keep up with but it's well worth it as the details unfold.

I really liked the way it showed how Diana thought of an incident through her POV and then Lucy would see it very differently. It made you wonder how often that happens in real life. If you don't clearly explain your actions to others, there is so much room for misinterpretation and sometimes hurt feelings. Also, it was helpful to get Diana's back story. Knowing where she came from and what she had been through when she was younger helped to explain a lot of her actions when she was older.

The story involves more than just Diana and Lucy. Diana's husband, Tom and her two children, Nettie and Ollie (Lucy's husband) are also major players. There are many dynamics at play in this book. Diana's relationship with her children is often strained as she is the "tougher" parent who is less willing to give into their whims and give them money while her husband, Tom is the "softie" who gives them money whenever they ask. Nettie is consumed with trying to have a baby. Meanwhile, her husband seems to only care because she does and is rumored to be cheating on her. Tom and Lucy are just trying to raise their growing family. Lucy is staying home because she thinks she should and Tom is trying to support them all. Money always seems to be a struggle. Lucy craves a mother-daughter relationship with Diana as her own mother died when she was young. However, Diana has always seems stand-offish to Lucy. So much of their drama could be present in any family but they have some definite twists to their story.

I really enjoyed how the events of the story unfolded. I found myself smiling when I realized that an earlier mysterious event had been resolved. That said, obviously the story was tragic in that Diana dies. It's the resolution of how everything ties together that is satisfying.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept my interest the whole time and I read it in two days! I love Sally Hepworth and have read all of her books. I didn't predict the ending and was kept in suspense the whole time. Loved the relationship between Lucy and Diana. Awesome book!!

Told from alternating perspectives, this story flashes back to the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Told in both the past and present after the suspicious suicide of the former. A quick interesting read.

The Mother-in-Law delves into the relationships within families, the layers and motivations between actions and reactions.



The story in itself was good and an easy read, but I found the multiple viewpoints to be confusing. As though the author had trouble selecting who the main character of the story was. Although I know this probably wasn't the case and it was the author's way of showing the character's motivations and the complexity of their relationships, it just ... I don't know ... befuddled me somewhat as a reader.



I do have to say that I have always found books written in this manner to be somewhat more unenjoyable to read than ones that have a singular viewpoint.



I believe this is the first book I have read by Sally Hepworth, and I think I would read more of her books in the future.

Family drama and suspense at its best. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and she’s fantastic.