I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was decent, but never really connected with the characters. I have enjoyed her other books a lot more.

This book...so good. I loved the mystery and family drama. It was told from two POVs- Lucy and her mother-in-law and came together so well. I tried throughout the book to predict the ending but it continued to keep me guessing. This was my first Sally Hepworth novel but I know it will not be my last! Excellent read. And be prepared, you will not want to do anything else until you finish it!

Lucy has always dreamed of her mother-in-law. After losing her own mother too soon, she lived in hope that getting married would bring her a new mother who could offer the security, guidance, and love that her own mother could no longer give her.

What Lucy got was Diana. Perfectly fine, but not particularly warm, unwilling to lend too much of a helping hand to her own kids, and not interested in being a replacement mom to Lucy. When Diana is found dead, it initially looks like a suicide. But evidence starts to show that maybe it was more sinister than that.

The story is told from Lucy’s POV and Diana’s POV, sometimes in the present and also filling in gaps of the past. The story reveals the developing relationship between Lucy and Diana, which was often painful in the misunderstandings that came between them. I loved reading about it as it happened, and I stayed intrigued while I waited to see what had happened to Diana.

I definitely recommend this book!

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth is a thriller with a contemporary feel. There is an interesting mystery surrounding the mother-in-law’s death. However, the book also digs deep into the lives of the main characters, Lucy and Diana. The twist at the end is one that I didn’t see coming at all.

Character-driven books are always favourites of mine. Lucy and Diana are both enjoyable characters to read about. Their personalities are quite different, although they both have a strong commitment to family. Hepworth gives readers the perspective of both characters, which adds to the plot and gives a deeper understanding of their motivations.

❀ KEEPS YOU GUESSING

As the story moves along, it flips between the past and the present. More and more little details are revealed about each of the women. This really adds to the mystery of what happened to Diana and keeps the reader guessing. It isn’t until the very end of the book that things become clear.

❀ STRONG FAMILY THEME

What is most interesting about the novel is its insightful look into the relationships we have with our family. Lucy and Diana have a typical mother-daugther-in-law relationship, and this is what moves the book blog. However, both women go through a process of realization that is really lovely to read about.

The Mother-in-Law is an amazing mystery novel that engages and entertains. The mystery aspect is both surprising and thrilling, while the contemporary side adds meaning. This is my first Hepworth novel and I am excited to read more of her work.

The Mother In Law by Sally Hepworth. The book was very well written and bought tears to my eyes. Killing someone for any reason is never the answer. I did not exactly expect the ending.

Sally Hepworth knows just what buttons to push to bring tears to your eyes and contentment to your heart. Set in Australia, The Mother-in-Law is a compelling tale of family, all the things that draw a family together, and those missteps that pull them apart. Told in the first person voices of Lucy Goodwin and her mother-in-law Diana, with traveling snippets from the past interposed in the present, this is a story that is very difficult to step away from.

The protagonists in this novel aren't all compassionate, or empathetic, or even honest. But they are all captivating and flaws are what makes us all human. Tom started his adult life as a plumber and as soon as he begins pulling in cash with realty investments, Diana set up a charity to help unwed mothers bear and keep their babies, and fit into their world as a self-sufficient single parent. She also works with refugees who need help with medical care and midwifery. The elder Goodwins have had a full life, been very lucky in their choices and live very comfortably. Tom loves to tease the second generation about what they will do with that fortune in time. Diana insists passionately that the kids must make it on their own, that they have to learn to depend only on themselves. Tom often loans them money behind her back.

Their son Ollie is married to Lucy and with his partner, Eamon, has a shaky headhunter business, a modern but middle-class home, and three children. Despite an IT degree and experience in the human resources field, Lucy is a stay at home mom.

Daughter Nettie is married to Patrick and despite years of miscarriages and expensive IVF, Nettie is not able to carry a child to term. It has become an obsession with her. She does not see that her husband Patrick is a lazy womanizer, just hanging on until Nettie comes into her half of the Goodwin fortune. Diana sees it all too well.

And then Tom is diagnosed with advanced ALS. He is gone much too fast. Eamon is siphoning cash out of Ollie's company, so no matter how hard he works he can't get ahead. And Nettie's doctors tell her that with her history and the fact that she will soon be 40 there is no sense in more in-vitro fertilization. Nettie decides to go with a donated egg and surrogate mother - she WILL have a child. It is all she ever wanted. If Diana will just loan her the massive piles of cash that will cost.

Everything could end differently if Diana were able to show affection or explain her harsh decisions to the kids. But she can't seem to do that. If something doesn't change and fast, this family will fall apart. Or maybe it is already too late...

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin's Press. I have read and reviewed this novel of my own volition. This assessment of this work reflects my honest opinion.

This book kept me hooked! Great mystery throughout the story as well as relationships. A great beach read. My first book by this author and I loved it!

A book from Sally Hepworth never disappoints and The Mother-in-law is no different.

There has always been an...awkwardness between Diana and Lucy. They never really seemed to quite gel right together, but neither really seemed like a horrible person either, really. Diana a little cold, Lucy a little eager, and then eventually as the years go on, Lucy no longer giving a f….

Daughters and Mothers-in-law stereotypically have a tough relationship. But can that really lead to murder?

Diana, the matriarch of the family and Lucy’s mother-in-law, is found dead and suicide is assumed. There is a note and all, but then evidence quickly points to something more sinister and as the book goes on, you are seriously left questioning who is to blame, if anyone. Even as more is revealed, it only leaves you questioning more until Hepworth reveals all. Everyone has something to hide and she keeps you eager for more until the very end.

As I said before, Sally Hepworth never lets you down. The Mother-in-law is another knock out of the park.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! It kept me reading for an entire day, right up to the last page. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book, This book takes place on two timelines, the Present starts when you find out Lucy’s Mother-in-Law has died, and then chapters about the past are mixed between Lucy and Diana and a couple of other characters that go back to their meeting until it meets the present,.

I could not put this book down. It was so fast paced and good. Good story I felt for both woman throughout. Fun read and highly recommend.

When I saw that Sally Hepworth had a new book, I didn't even bother reading the description because I knew it would be good! The Mother-In-Law tells the story of so many family relationships besides the sometimes adversarial relationship between a daughter in law and her mother in law. While I first saw Diana as cold and calculating, I soon realized why. Sally Hepworth seamlessly blends familial relationships and issues along with a whodunit that kept me turning the pages!

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Really enjoyed the writing and the character development but the forward progression was a bit slow for me. This was billed as suspense/thriller but it was more contemporary fiction with a mystery thrown in. I enjoyed having both Diana and Lucy's perspective and the characterization was spot on.

Well, here's the first book you're going to want to put in your beach bag! Thanks to #netgalley I got to read this #soontobereleased novel by @sallyhepworth and you are going to want to read it, too.

Told from both the MILs and DILs perspective before and after the MIL had committed suicide (or did she?). This is not a spoiler because it takes place in the very beginning of the novel when Lucy finds out her mother-in-law is dead and the cops are investing the possibility that it was not suicide.

Lucy and her MIL, Diana, have a pretty typical relationship. They both want to be closer to one another but neither finds the right way to communicate this so they end up on opposite ends. In fact, Lucy has even imagined what life would be like without her MIL - and now she's dead.

Plot and character-driven, this novel kept me engaged the whole time - and up way past my bedtime! This book was a fun read because the author does a fantastic job of making it that way. For instance, Lucy has been without a mom for years and is desperate for a maternal relationship. Diana is viewed as this saintly perfect woman in their town, but she has plenty of secrets. Her past has made it difficult for her to open up to others, which makes Lucy feel unwelcomed. I wanted to keep reading as the secrets from both the past and present are revealed.

Plus, I appreciated that the author showed how often we form judgments without knowing the whole story and how often a simple misunderstanding leads to bad relationships by showing the good and bad in all the characters.

Overall, this is a book that makes for a great escape. You'll read it and be happy for the family you have when you finish it. Thanks to the author and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

What a great mystery! This book went in no direction that I expected it to go in and kept me guessing throughout the entire story. But it is more than that; it is also an in-depth character study about the relationships between women, specifically mothers- and daughters-in-law. I thought that Diana was an incredibly complex person, and I loved the way the reader was allowed to figure that out through Diana’s actions (rather than just being told). Without giving away plot points, the situation that materializes with Tom and Diana hit very close to home as I recently went through something similar with my parents (not to the same extent, but close enough that I teared up reading through particular sections). Thank you to the author for addressing that issue with frankness, but understanding. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary mysteries and non-nonsense writing. This review was voluntarily written based on a pre-release copy provided by NetGalley.

SYNOPSIS: Lucy has always longed for a mother figure in her life. She imagined that when she married her husband Ollie, she would connect instantly with her new mother-in-law, Diana. However, they have had a rocky relationship from the start. Now, Diana is found dead in her home, leaving behind a suicide note. But the autopsy results strongly suggest it was a suicide homocice. As the investigation unravels, family relationships and events leading up to the death are analyzed. What actually happened to Diana? Who is to blame?

MY THOUGHTS: I mistakenly thought this book was a thriller. It is even listed as one on Goodreads! I do not think it was filled with any “twists” or suspense that typically categorizes a thriller. In my opinion, this book is a family drama— it insightfully investigates the relationships between husband and wife, brother and sister, and most importantly, between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. I think Hepworth did a wonderful job with character development. I loved to see how Diana’s character developed as we learned more about her past. She become less grouchy and distant, and more easy for the reader to sympathize with. It was also interesting to see the changes in Diana and Lucy’s relationship. The story was a quick read and kept me entertained. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I didn’t peg it as a thriller before reading. If you are into family dramas, check this one out!

The Mother in Law is a study in how people talk around each other and often don't try to understand each other. Most of the story is told going back and forth in time between the present, the last few years, and then back to 1970. We are reading, for most of the novel, through either Lucy's or Diana's POV. Viewing the same events through different eyes and with different background completely changes how you may feel about what is happening.

I was looking for a murder mystery. By the time it was over it was not about that so much as about the journey of the two women from whose eyes we are seeing things. It was touching and unexpected. Thank you to Sally Hepworth, Netgalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

I always enjoy reading the latest Sally Hepworth book! She combines realistic characters with suspense and a dose of reality. Just enough mystery to keep you guessing and turning the pages to the very end. Always entertaining!

I'm a sucker for a good thriller and was really excited for this one as I've been seeing SO MUCH buzz for it.

For me - I just wasn't "thrilled" the way I like to be. It was more of a dysfunctional family, spoiled kids, too many issues murder mystery for me and I just didn't get that thriller rush I crave - and found myself kind not caring 'who-dun-it' by time they revealed who actually did it!

Lucy was REALLY hoping that her mother-in-law Diana would be the one to fill the void in her life as her mother died when she was young. She yearns for that relationship and looks forward to getting close to Diana. But Diana is just having none of it and when she ends up dead five years later, suspicions arise. Fingers slowly point a bit towards Lucy, but also her own children - Ollie, Lucy's husband and Nettie, his sister, as there is also a substantial amount of inheritance at play.

We go back and forth during the beginnings of Lucy and Ollie's relationship and when her and Diana first meet, and learn of a significant amount of instances where tension has overflowed between the two women... but also in the present, when Diana's body is found and an investigation ensues.

I found some of the swapping between characters and timelines a bit jumpy and hard to follow and I had a really hard time believing the ending - it just wrapped up too sweetly and some of the changes in character demeanor was a bit abrupt and forced and kind of unbelievable.

A good mystery story - chock full of family drama for sure, but not the thriller I was hoping for.

Wow! I really enjoyed this book and didn't see the twist at the end coming. Loved how it was told in the POV of Lucy, the daughter-in-law, and Diana, the mother-in-law, in past and present timelines. This one had me guessing as any of the main characters could have been responsible for Diana's death. Exceptional novel that will blow you away!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Don't go into this one thinking it's going to be edge of your seat thrills throughout. Know that you will have to think and observe the tiniest of details so you can peek at a family - not a perfect family, but one who has real struggles. Sure there's an investigation, but that is not at the forefront of this one. Sally Hepworth nails the dynamics between mother and child, father to child, and, of course, mother in law to daughter in law. If you like intense, psychological, and insightful books, this one is for you!