A little slow at times but still a very good book. Some of the characters are very hard to like but redeem themselves at the end of the book. There are a couple of possibilities as to who might be the killer , if you think you know who did it, I can pretty much guarantee that you don't ! I did like the book very much but I did not love it. And I am still not sure why.

This book opens with the death of the mother in law of the primary narrator, Lucy . Although it appears to be a suicide, the police almost immediately are able to see it was actually a murder. Although I was able to figure out the "mystery" of the murderer relatively quickly, I still found this novel to be incredibly engrossing. I would qualify it much more as a family drama than as a mystery or thriller, so if you're looking for that, you'd be better served to look elsewhere.
The author did an amazing job of not losing her audience, even though chapters alternated between past and present, as well as alternating between narrators (the aforementioned Lucy, and the titular mother in law). Hepworth also made great use of cliffhangers, and I found myself racing through chapters on several occasions so I could read the outcome of the previous chapter's cliffhanger. I felt this book had the perfect amount of characters, which is something I haven't been able to say about many of the books I have read in recent months. There were just enough to keep you entertained and not so many you lose sight of their part in the plot.as strange as that sounds, that small point made this book THAT much more readable and enjoyable.
All in all, I was really impressed with this book, and with the author. I absolutely believe it will appeal to a wide audience, and will be an easy sell.

What a compelling story. I think most women can relate to the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. That relationship is hard enough, without the sweet expectations that are quickly proven wrong. I love that in the end that relationship comes full circle. This book is full of twists and turns and I cannot fathom my family going through all the trials at once. It was a great book that caught my attention quickly, was riveting, and hard to put down. I highly recommend this book!

Overall this is a good read, not read this author before but I will probably read more.

In my opinion it wasn't a gripping page turner, a bit slow in parts but a different sort of read for me. I am not sure I would recommend this to my friends but this is only my opinion. I liked it but didn't love it.

Sally Hepworth rocks, and she has raised the bar with her newest. The Mother-in-Law kept me glued to the page from word one. Differing points of view written brilliantly. I love this book!

I received an ARC of this ebook from Netgalley. This isn't my first ARC of a Sally Hepworth novel. I absolutely requested it because I know will really enjoy the book. I love the depth in Sally Hepworth's books. The characters are well developed and the stories draw me in. I don't want to put the book down or have the story end. That is the case with this novel. I came to care for all of the characters and I really didn't want anyone to be guilty of murder. But as always I felt good about the ending and was not let down.

The Mother In Law was a twist and turn book. Lucy the daughter in law and Ollie the son to Diana and her husband and family. Lucy wants to be close to her mother in law but can’t seem to whatever she seems to do. Lucy has 3 small children with Ollie. Nettie is Diana’s daughter and she has a husband. Suspenseful page turning novel.

It's rare that two points of view are so successfully and diametrically opposed as they are in Hepworth's well-done domestic thriller.

My obsession with Sally Hepworth began through her novel The Family Next Door. I was so intrigued by the plot that I raced through it. I thought surely, Sally can't continue this kind of genius work? Well, folks, she can. The Mother-in-law was compulsively readable. So fascinating that I found myself setting it up while I washed dishes, reading it while I brushed my teeth. A family drama surrounding deep but complex relationships. The family matriarch has died from an apparent suicide. But it may not be as apparent as previously considered. It is written in alternating perspectives which enriches the plot and pulls the reader in. Sally creates characters so deceptively charming, so warm but mysterious. They could easily be your sister, cousin, mother-in-law. I read many domestic suspense novels and I truly believe Sally Hepworth is in a class all her own. I HIGHLY recommend.

*Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* I can't tell you how excited I was to get my hands on Sally Hepworth's latest offering, 'The Mother-in-Law'. I had high expectations for this book and it did not disappoint. Not at all. I devoured this book, reading voraciously to find out the next twist in the tale. Like Hepworth's equally addictive 'The Family Next Door', MIL is set in my hometown, Melbourne and a number of the scenes take place just a few suburbs away from where I live. This just added to the appeal of the novel. The story starts with the death of the protagonist, Lucy's MIL, the rather intimidating Diana. What has happened? How has she died? Why has she died? Was it suicide, natural causes... or does someone have metaphorical blood on their hands? Hepworth has such a talent for creating characters that are so true-to-life. The book is not out for a few months, but once it hits the shelves, I highly recommend scooping it up.

*Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own*

This is my first Sally Hepworth book and I can't wait to pick up another one! It took me a few chapters to get into the flow of character and time changes but once I did I could not put the book down.

The Mother-in-Law is a story of secrets, lines crossed, and twists and turns throughout the story. I won't say much because I do not want to spoil the story. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the storyline and the quick short chapters that kept me intrigued.

I was so excited to receive a review copy of "The Mother-in-Law" from NetGalley! This was my first Sally Hepworth novel, and I absolutely loved it, and can't wait to read her others.

The first few chapters, I was prepared for a standard murder mystery...the "Mother-in-Law," Diana, is found dead, with a suicide note. However, the police begin investigating the possibility of a homicide.

The book alternates between the point of view of Diana and Lucy, the daughter-in-law. Their relationship is not a close one, as Diana keeps her guard up, even with her own children.

I found Hepworth's writing style fun, witty and punchy - but also endearing and full of emotion. Her style reminded me somewhat of Liane Moriarty, but perhaps even more enjoyable!

About halfway through, I had a theory of who may have killed Diana, and a possible motive. However, by 3/4 through, my theory was challenged, and couldn't believe all of the twists! I had so many questions about who Diana really was and what was going on with her daughter, Nettie, and Nettie's husband Patrick. Everyone felt like a suspect at some point!

I loved the telling of Diana and Lucy's relationship, although some of the conversations were completely cringeworthy. If my MiL said some of the things to me that Diana did, I would be horrified and hurt! Diana comes across as controlling, emotionally guarded, and serious, but we learn about a difficult past that helps explain her stony exterior.

My initial expectation of a lighthearted, thrilling read was surpassed by a novel rich with complexity. Hepworth covered so many tough topics is a real way, which I just loved. One of my favorite interwoven themes was one of feminism - there are discussions of women being paid less than men for the same work, and the unrealistic expectations around women's roles as mothers and providers. I highly recommend "The Mother-in-Law" for a gripping read!

What a well written surprise of a book! This book is tightly written from beginning to end. The characters have clear motives and some of them definitely surprised me! This is one I'll think about for a long time. 4 of 5 stars simply because I'd never read this one again.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this one! Highly recommended!

Overall, this is a good read. The beginning really sucked me in and kept me guessing. At about the 80-90% mark however, I started losing steam. It started to feel like the characters were more written to trick you than actually deeply characterized and I was frustrated with some of their decisions. My biggest frustrations were things that seemed to be brought up for no reason, we spend a lot of time on flashbacks and memories that don't fit that seamlessly into the bigger picture. A lot of characters were introduced and then just kind of faded away with no further mention.

I would recommend it though, it's a fun read and interesting overall. A bit of a different side to the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law tension.

The Mother In Law by Sally Hepworth was a phenomenal read. Y'all, this one had so many twists and turns, but they happened in an emotional and completely unexpected way. This book focuses on the relationship between a mother in law and her daughter in law. The relationship is explored in alternating chapters told from both of their perspectives. The added dimension is it's told in both the past and present. The present involves the death of the mother in law that may be a suicide, however the story quickly reveals that the story is far more complex than this. It was so captivating to learn the secrets that these women (and others in the family) had from each other, as well as the lies that were being told. Having the varied perspectives and timing in chapters made a story that kept me reading. There were lots of feels as multiple perspectives of how things went down were revealed. This one doesn't come out until April of 2019 (another book I received thanks to NetGalley), and when it does, y'all are going to need to check this one out.

From the dedication page, I got a smile and it continued quite a bit of the way into the book. Told in alternating chapters by members of the family. we get to know the parents Tom and Diana, their children Ollie and Nettie and their spouses Lucy and Patrick, along with Ollie's children.

Diana seems like a cold fish and not the sort of family member one would choose if choosing a mother or mother in law was an option..

Somewhere in the second half of the book, I lost interest. Yes, I wanted to know more about what happened, but found myself skimming more and more as it just didn't thrill me.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Jordan at St. Martin’s Publishing presented this book to me to read and review- I definitely ‘paused’’, thinking this could be an interesting topic, yet I definitely had reservations of concern. I didn’t want to create problems - add more to my already - sometimes challenging relationship with my mother in-law.
However - this book is so far off from anything in my life - I didn’t relate to any of it.

NOTES OF INTEREST.....about in-laws’ ......It’s a hot topic in the news today. Review of this book will follow at the end.
In the news recently- a psychologists stated the rise in couple’s coming to therapy for the sole purpose to deal with issues with their mother-in-law. Seems universally the most delicate relationships is when the son gets married. When a daughter gets married, they remain close with their mother regardless of how much the mother gets along with her husband.
The mother in-law and daughter in-law dynamic is the most fraught of in-law relationships. Son’s are made to feel guilty. Daughter-in-law‘s are made to feel not good enough - judged - and intruded on by lack of boundaries.
In laws can either help or hurt marriages.... being much more trickier and stressful for a daughter in-law than a son in-law.
But this book by Sally Hepworth, is not an advice manual.
But they ‘do’ have these type of books. A high rating such book is written by Susan Abel Lieberman Ph.D, called:
“The Mother-in Law’s Manual: Proven Strategies for Creating and Maintaining Healthy Relationships With Married Children”. There are excellent reviews on Amazon. The book is not only about being a better mother-in-law - NOT A SELF HELP MANUAL about ways to create a better relationship with their own adult children.
The reviews are inspiring. In most cases readers reported it was helpful, informative, and entertaining.

SO.....NOW THAT WE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY...THIS IS NOT THAT TYPE OF BOOK......let me share my thoughts about THIS BOOK. ( no spoilers)

Similar to “Big Little Lies”, by Liane Moriarty, this is not a mystery. We know the mother-in-law dies at the very beginning.
The setting also takes place in Milbourne, Australia....just as “Big Little Lies” did.

The title of this novel is very incidental IMO.. There are many side plots - many characters - ( very easy to remember all of them including every child) - with the mother-in-law’s story not standing out that much more than any other character - as everyone has a story. There are lies - secrets - judgements- resentments - told in present and past time alternating narration between Diana and Lucy.

Diana is the mother-in-law. Tom the father in-law.
Ollie is their son. Lucy is the new daughter in-law in the family. Ollie & Lucy have 3 young kids: Archie, Harriet, and Edie.
Nettie is Diane and Tom’s daughter - Patrick is their son- in-law. Nettie & Patrick have no kids.
A few more characters - (friends of Diana)...Cynthia and a few other women.
Diana runs a charity business - she brings maternity clothes and prams to pregnant women. One woman in particular she has gotten close with: Gheala and her two young children Aarash and his little sister Aziza. Gheala’s husband is from Kabul.
We meet some of Ollie’s friends too ( and business partner).

I promised no spoilers - ( easy to do). Truthfully I found the writing - the dialogue to be very ordinary. I was bored for at least the the first 60% of this book. It’s readable- but lacking creative conflicts between characters. The writing is very safe...very few juicy risks. My thinking is if you’re going to be bold enough to put a title on your book called “The Mother In Law”......( and bless the author’s heart for sharing that she has a wonderful relationship with her mother-in-Law at the start)- I think there needs to be some out-of-the-box outrageousness.

With so many stories about each character - I felt the book lacked a strong focus. There was wasted chatter of each child: from watching TV, eating snacks, tossing balls, climbing trees, playing with Tupperware lids, etc.
Add lots of talk about judging and evaluating the meals or housekeeping - and descriptions of basic clothing that people wear: leggings, a long cardigan, trainers, AND PAGES of grammatical typing errors on the Kindle download that I had —
guessing this will get corrected -domestic family life wasn’t particularly clever- or complicated or heartwarming or hilarious or earth shattering exciting.
It was ‘readable’.

3 Stars. Read other reviews. Its woman’s fiction. Sally Hepworth fans who enjoy easy reading quick page turning books should love this novel. I needed something meatier to wrap my brain around.

Thank You Netgalley, St. Martin’s Fiction, and Sally Hepworth

Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for sending me this Advanced Reader Copy. This book will be available for purchase on April 23rd, 2019, and I’m here to tell you that if you like mysteries, humor, rotating perspective, and you dislike your mother-in-law...this one’s for you. JUST KIDDING! You can absolutely adore your mother-in-law and still love this whodunnit.

Set in Australia, Diana Goodwin is your no nonsense, no drama mom who has worked for everything she has and takes nothing for granted. She’s not particularly known for her engaging or empathetic nature, which gives the police quite the job when she’s discovered dead in her home.

Whatever Diana lacked emotionally, her daughter-in-law Lucy has been personal witness to. She’s experienced firsthand the cold, dismissive demeanor of the dearly deceased and the Goodwin family dramatics. Married to Diana’s son, Ollie, Lucy is all too familiar with what it feels like to be on Diana’s bad side, and unfortunately for Lucy, the feeling has been mutual.

Caught up in a possible murder investigation, Lucy must rethink everything she’s assumed about her mother-in-law. As secrets are exposed, Lucy begins to question whether or not she ever truly knew Diana at all.

But Diana’s secrets won’t be the only ones to see the light of day...

Navigating their way through Diana’s death, her children, Ollie and Nettie, must put their faith in one another and try to mend the broken bridges of the past in order to move on and to find out what happened to Diana.
As I mentioned before, the book is narrated between two perspectives, Diana’s and Lucy’s. The story rotates between the present and the past, giving the reader their own front-row seat to the Goodwin family-technics, as I lovingly call them. Can you piece together what happened to Diana?

I found this book to be a lighthearted mystery. The characters are relatable, and, as the reader, you get both Lucy's and Diana’s perspectives, of which each is seriously misunderstanding of the other's—much as in real life, which makes this novel all the more accessible and profound.

Who hasn't had a negative thought about their mother-in-law? Who has never thought critically of their daughter-in-law? How many of us have wished we had taken that opportunity to say something nice, but instead remained silent? You don’t need to have a tumultuous relationship to understand the complexity of the mother-daughter-by-marriage dynamic.

All in all, I finished the book on a positive note, feeling satisfied with the ending, and discovering a newly found respect for my own MIL relationship. Hence the 4 out of 5 rating I’m giving this little gem.
Remember, ya’ll...you never know what someone else is going through. Act accordingly.

#The Mother-in-Law# NetGally#

This is one of Sally Hepworth’s best. A very thought invoking study of the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and their families. As everyone who has ever been married knows, we can all recognize the competitive nature of the MIL and the DIL. In this book, the reasons for discord are not clear in the first part of the book, but they are made clearer in the second half. I was not feeling the love for any of the characters at first, but grew to respect Lucy and Diana’s relationship. There is much misunderstanding about the relationships among all the characters. The book does bring up some controversial issues that are difficult to read. All in all, a very enjoyable book to read. Will definitely recommend this book to all my friends and family. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGally and the publisher for an advance read copy in return for a fair and honest review.

The MOTHER-IN-LAW by Sally Hepworth is a suspenseful domestic thriller that kept me guessing right up until the surprising ending. It is a clever and original story that explores a lot of different family dynamics, but especially the complicated relationship between daughter-in-law, Lucy and her mother-in-law, Diana. It is written from the points of view of both characters and also alternates between the past and present. I really enjoyed how the author slowly revealed the complexity of the characters and their relationships to one another while building up the mystery of what might have happened to Diana. Filled with intrigue, secrets and plenty of family drama, I couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend it! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.