I was given this book from NetGalley for an honest review-
There are two sides to every story. Lucy meets her cold rich mother in law.
The mother in law meets Lucy and doesn't know what to think - so begins the relationship.
The mother in law has struggled all her life to make a living and expects this from her family too. She doesn't believe in hand outs although her husband tends to slip things to the children.
Lucy's husband's business is going bottoms up. The daughter wants a baby and need money for fertility shots. The son in law is sick of baby wishing and begins having affairs.
And then - the mother in law is found dead!
Who killed her?

Sally Hepworth’s novel is about an Australian family, their relationships to each other and their communication, or lack there of. When Lucy marries Ollie she longs for a warm and loving surrogate mother. Instead she finds her mother-in-law cold and formal, and they have trouble understanding each other. But five years later when Diana commits suicide Lucy is startled to realize how much she misses her, and when murder is suspected, she is even more surprised, especially as they’re all under suspicion. The chapters alternate for the most part with Lucy and Diana, moving from past to present forming a complete picture as we get to know Ollie, his sister, Nellie, Patrick, her husband, and Tom, Diana’s beloved husband. This novel is a nuanced psychological thriller that drew me in from the first sentence until it’s startling but great conclusion. I highly recommend this books. Thanks for the chance to read an advance copy and give an honest review.

I’ve loved everything I’ve ever read by Sally Hepworth and this is no exception! Great storytelling and writing style. This was a very compelling storyline about a somewhat complex family (aren’t they all!?) who has wealth and issues. Unfortunately some life lessons are a painful experience but we all have to learn to deal - or we can’t deal and the results aren’t pretty.

This just did not interest me. I completed the novel, but only to find out who was guilty. It was not at all twisty.

Powerful book of family dynamics in an Australian setting. The relationship between the protagonist and her Mother-in-law never came up to the trusted and loving levels she had hoped for, being that she lost her mother at the age of 13 and longed for that closeness. Story goes back and forth through time, giving information that fleshes out the characters of the family.

Mystery of how Diana (the matriarch and Mother-in-law) died gives weight to each of the middle generations opportunity and motivations to kill her. Ongoing police investigation, anguish over insurmountable infertility issues, financial fiascos and expected huge looming inheritance all play parts.

I loved this book. The story was interesting, family dynamics understandable, and character development rich and satisfying. I look forward to reading further books by Sally Hepworth.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth is not the normal "evil mother-in-law" scenario. The wide range of relationships in the story fits the saying, "it's complicated" to a "T". The characters are very well presented and each is relatable in their own unique way. The family dynamics feel genuine and not contrived. The mystery does hold throughout the book until the very end. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an advance of this title in exchange for my honest review. I thought I recognized the name of the author, but wasn't certain. I also thought I understood the plot of this book before I started reading it. I was wrong. This book was so intriguing and the characters well done. I felt I learned more about the characters as the story went on, and the way I felt about some of them completely flipped during my reading. Afterward, realized I had read another of the author's books, AND I took the opportunity to read another...also spot on! I added Sally Hepworth as an author to follow, and I think you'd love this title!

This was different than what I expected but this is a good thing! It was not the typical cliche mother-in-law story.

The Mother-in-Love is a riveting read that kept me hanging on to each and every word! This is one of those books that no matter how much you want to put it down you simply can't! I was so engrossed in the story that even when someone tried to talk to me, I barely heard a word.

Readers, this is a must read! I absolutely recommend it.

Interesting story of family dynamics and murder. Different communication styles create distrust and dislike through generations. This one is worth your time

Police arrive at the door of Ollie and Lucy Goodwin's house. Ollie's mom had passed away. The story continues with a back and forth from Past to Present - sometimes only a page of one or the other. Ollie's mom is the focal point of the book. She (Diane) is complex. Although her life had been hard as a young woman, she sees that her family now has it too easy - they do not deserve any "handouts". Her love for her son, Ollie and daughter, Nettie is fierce. However, her love for refugee charity hails high on Diane's list, as well..

Lucy and Ollie are very much family-oriented . They have 3 young children that are dearly loved. Yet, Lucy has a difficult time communicating with/loving her mother-in-law. (Even after reading the book it is difficult to characterize Diane: the mother-in-law) Diane's daughter, Nettie, is married to Patrick (who is a philanderer). All Nettie cares about and thinks about is having a baby. This obsession has become an issue with the family.

Diane's husband, Tom, was truly the "love of her life" - a year after he passes away from ALS, Diane is forlorn. Desperate enough to end it all and contemplate suicide. She even enlists an unknowing (?) Lucy to help her place orders on the computer. (Assisted suicide in Australia can get one up to 25 years in prison).

So, why is there a question about how Diane dies? The police certainly have their ideas. This is brought out nicely as the plot unfolds. A thriller, it is. I must admit that I stayed up late (as do many avid readers!) to finish this brilliant read. I am sure you will, too!

Many Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an awesome advance read!!!!!

Good domestic drama about the Goodwin family. Family matriarch, Diana, is dead, but who killed her? There are ample suspects including the victim herself. That is the mystery part. The drama part is learning about their pasts and present relationships culminating in an innovative end. Sally Hepworth can write!

The Mother-in-Law is the first book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth. I was very intrigued by this books’ synopsis. The Mother-in-Law is told through alternating viewpoints of Lucy, the daughter-in-law, and Diana, the mother-in-law. At the very beginning of the book, we learn that Diana has died, and the rest of the book goes between the past and present till the truth about Diana’s death is revealed. Family struggles and secrets are interspersed throughout the journey that kept my attention from start to finish. Overall, I enjoyed this book and found it to be an engaging read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book and provide an honest review.

Everybody in Diane's life has reason to want her dead, including Diane herself.

There seems to be an influx of cliché evil mother-in-law stories right now but this one really stands out from the crowd.

Diana, mother-in-law to Lucy, is found dead in her home of what initially appears to be a suicide. What ensues is a clever whodunnit with an array of characters, each one fleshed out perfectly, all so relatable that at times I could imagine myself sitting down to dinner with them.

With the number of suspects combined with alternating chapters from the POV of Lucy and Diane, jumping from the past to the present, one would think that the story would be difficult to follow. Somehow Sally Hempworth, through her easy breezy writing style, is able to pull it off flawlessly.


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

I loved this book! It was told from alternating points of view and the end was definitely a plot twist. I loved the struggle between the daughter in law and the mother in law. It seems everyone has some sort of issues.
I would highly recommend this book to others.

What a fantastic book!!! I’m sure most wives can relate to some, if not all, the characters in this book. I could not put this down. By the middle of the book the mother in law is a real person with real feelings. By the end you can relate to the the mother in law.

A very enjoyable family drama with a whodunit ending that leaves you guessing until the very end because of the multiple points of view being represented. Highly recommend!

This was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. I always enjoy Sally Hepworth's writing but this was especially addicting. It's part psychological thriller, part mystery and also a terrific family drama. It has the relationship conflicts and murder/suicide mystery along with the everyday life of this family that kept me drawn in. Hepworth does an amazing job with portraying motherhood so accurately and vividly. I also loved the evolving relationship Lucy has with her mother-in-law, Diana. Seeing the layers pulled back from this family was fascinating and while the ending did seem a little far-fetched, it was a page turner through and through. I also loved the last section that shared about the family 10 years later, which really helped tie up the book in such an enjoyable way. Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a fast-paced and interesting read. While it is titled Mother In Law, it could just as easily be titled Family Ties or The Goodwins! To be fair, the story does start with Lucy and Diana but as you move along every single family member is actively involved in it. I wouldn’t call it a thriller, it is more like a domestic mystery but is an enjoyable as a thriller.
Ms. Hepworth has presented the story from both the sides, she gives us a view in to what the Diana is doing and thinking and at the same time how it is being perceived by the others. This is not something that many authors have done while writing such books and this gives the reader a very unique perspective. It helps you get a balanced view of everything that is going on and makes it much harder to pick sides. It also makes it hard to figure out what happened to Diana and while you can keep guessing who did it and why, it is difficult to be certain till the author chooses to reveal it. Each person has strong motives and peeling away the layers in this case is an enjoyable experience as a reader. I liked how the reader knows why things are a certain way but the characters probably don’t. The characters are well developed, very real and relatable.
But then this book was written by Ms Hepworth so right when you think you finally know everything, there is sudden shocking twist. Something completely unexpected near the end of the book that makes you jaw drop and say “What??!!”
I throughly enjoyed reading this book, the 10yrs later part was great and gave some good closure. Would I have liked to see Patrick’s fate taking a different turn, sure but then that’s fate, unpredictable as ever.
The book is like a jigsaw puzzle, just you pick each piece of a puzzle and examine it, here you pick each character and their story and examine it. What’s wonderful is how it all comes together and gets neatly tied up in the end. Finishing this book gives you the same satisfaction you would get when you complete a puzzle.
I have only 2 complaints about this book:
One, which was a little annoying was the way the story moves from one incidence to another in the Past chapters. This slowed be down because I had to re-read to try and figure it out. I understand the chapter is titled as past but there is no demarcation between say the wedding day to a dinner that’s happening at a time when Lucy is 8 weeks pregnant. Or when Diana is meeting Nettie and suddenly recalling a meeting with Lucy. The writing seems a little disjointed in places and that causes some confusion to the reader. I think a simple double spacing or dotted line or a few words to indicate a flashback could make it easier to read.
And second, I do feel like the whole lack of communication angle is done to death (our not intended). I mean this book is set in recent times so really there is no reason why something can’t be texted! For instance, Diana forgetting to explain the significance of the grapes/chicken she gets for Lucy, Lucy forgetting to say thank you to Diana for taking her kids. I mean, seriously people, if you can’t discuss these things then at least pick up the phone and type a few words!

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Also shared on:
https://romasharma.blogspot.com

I have loved all of Kelly's books,but this one just might be my favorite! So many twists and turns. I hated for the book to end! Keep 'em coming,Sally!! # netgalley #themotherinlaw